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I don't know, initially (what was it God of War?) I thought Quick Action events were amazing. But now I can't really say so much. As both a player they kind of annoy me, as a designer, I try coming up with ways to embrace them and avoid them.
The main reason for me is, they destroy what little most games cling to that design powerterm the Suspension of Disbelief oh yeah, iz a professional.... I mean sure, there is an epic scene of awe inspiring badassery going on in the background but can I enjoy? No! Why? Because a Giant freaking picture of a button appears on screen. So what little time I have to watch whatever random action the player character is pulling off with all the grace that we gamers are apparently incapable of executing if its not simplified is taken away because when they happen in a chain the next one always covers up what action your taking at the moment. And spreading out the event timing makes it less like a game, and more like a movie that likes to randomly pause and occasionally restart itself from the last chapter (or god forbid the beginning of the stage even sometimes..
Now I am not going to discount everyone on this, some people spend time to make the symbols less obvious.
Then, what makes it worse. With some games, I don't even feel like I get to enjoy the cut scenes that are cut scenes. Nothing is more annoying than watching what I believe to be a brief interlude (a time when I used to be able to grab another caffeine and/or sugar laced beverage). Only to have it quickly turn into some harrowing climatic something that returns me to the beginning of the event. or god forbid, the stage.
But yeah, they do serve to show a certain epicness. But at what a cost, WHAT A COST!?!
Yes, I quoted myself. In the same post.(what was it God of War?)
Also, it just occurred to me as I was typing. God of War wasn't the first time I encountered quick time events, The first time was Shemmue, and the experience was so horrible that I didn't remember it until I finished getting some of the backed up rant off of my chest. (Which is why I said God of War). The horrible thing about them in Shemmue was, if you didn't save constantly a few times every day you were SCREWED. You could literally walk down the street thinking everything is cool, then BAM quicktime event, you missed a button a person hates you. Sure the ones where you die let you fix them but the little random ones those always ended up suckish.