Does Trophy hunting affect the fun of gaming?

[SoLiD_FLaMezZx 128]

Hello Trofly Hunters!

I have a maybe pretty random question, but I want to know other opinions too, sooo here i am.

 

Does Trophy hunting affect the fun of gaming for you? I can still remember back in the good old days when I didn't really care about trophies and played/bought the games just to have fun. Nowadays since I hunt trophies, i mean I also love and enjoy it too, it really affects the fun of gaming for me. Back then I bought a game, because i really wanted to experience it... the first thing I do now, before i buy a game is checking, if the Platinum is even doable. I also focus way more on the trophies than on the game itself, which is a little bit sad, because i can't really enjoy it. Always having the pressure or urge for getting those damn trophies... or being afraid if you even miss one, because you have to play the game again... and don't even realize, if it was fun. You only have the trophy in mind and the work that goes with it.

 

Am I the only one with this experience? Can you also relate what I am saying?

 

Thanks for every answer.

Edited August 15, 2022 by SoLiD_FLaMezZx

[ExHaseo 5,768]

I mean, yeah. No one would do it if it wasn't fun.

 

If you feel trophies are dragging down your experience, then stop trophy hunting.

[HuntingFever 8,968]

Trophy hunting killed a lot of games for me, which is why I actively avoid games with lists I know will drive me nuts but will get them for the Switch instead if it's a game that really takes my fancy .

[TrophyChief 1,739]

It can, but place limits for yourself or set some boundaries and goals. If you do, it can definitely enhance your gaming experience. 

[Raidou Kuzunoha XIV 2,917]

It definitely can, which is why I don't take trophy hunting too seriously. I do look at trophy guides (if they're available) or the trophy list in general before starting a game, and I usually decide before I even start it if I want to even attempt the plat. Multiple playthroughs (especially for long games), online trophies, having to beat the game on the hardest difficulty (does heavily depend on what type of game it is however), and annoying time wasting trophies like leaving the game running for 500 hours tend to put me off attempting the platinum real fast.

 

I'm currently playing Persona 5 Strikers, and having to reach level 99 bond rank for that one trophy is such a fucking chore. I'm using the Osaka statue method since it seems like the least painful, can just watch/listen to shit while I mindlessly do that for hours, even if it maybe isn't the fastest method (seen a lot of debates on that though). For those that have no idea what I'm talking about, it's a trophy that requires you to grind boring, meaningless shit over and over for 10-20 hours or so. I'm doing it simply because the rest of the trophies have been pretty easy so far, and I love this game enough that I still want the plat, don't want to get all the trophies then have this one singular one holding me back from the platinum.

 

But it's trophies like this that suck fun out of trophy hunting for me, even if the rest of the game may be fun as hell to platinum otherwise, it's not unusual for there to be 1-3 trophies that make the experience needlessly boring and/or irritating.

 

I haven't even finished Persona 5 Strikers proper yet, just grinding for a couple of hours or so every other day or so until I get my rank high enough. I'm dying to get back to the actual game, and shit like this really does make me question why I torture myself sometimes. I know for a fact I wouldn't bother doing this if it wasn't tied to an achievement, it's not like it really does anything meaningful in-game otherwise.

[AJ_Radio 20,366]

Yes and No. 

 

Striving for the leaderboards is a wasteful endeavor. However, placing personal goals for you to accomplish and eventually conquer is always a good thing. Trophies simply enhance that experience.

[Lava_Yuki 1,077]

Well for me, it affects my choice of games and also the way I play them looking back over the years.

 

Pre-trophy me in the PS1/2 days: I would buy whatever game I wanted regardless of length of difficulty so bring on the disgaea's and whatever, however I would just do the story in games, ignore most side quests, maybe do the odd one i come across here and there but would not use a guide, would not try to complete everything and certainly would not do anything like mini games and stuff. Like in FFX on PS2, I just did the story and that was it. Did not bother with dark aeons, stat maxing or celestials. 

 

Trophy hunting me: I am selective with games, carefully researching the trophy guides before purchasing, and only buying if I feel confidant I can get the plat. Then immediately I jump in with a 100% guide and walkthrough glued to me face. 

 

So yeah trophies have changed the way I game for sure, drastically at that. As for fun, not really. I enjoy both ways, I find it satisfying to accomplish everything and do more than just the story. I probably do miss out on certain games that I would have otherwise played if it weren't for trophies which is one thing I have to admit, but there are tons of games out there anyway so it doesn't matter in the end. 

[ixxiion 23]

Eh.. Yes and no. I don't exactly consider myself a trophy hunter, because I don't generally consider trophies when I buy or deciding whether or not to play a game, and I don't care about my comp %; if I don't enjoy a game, I won't continue playing it just because I have an incomplete list. I don't like it cause I def get a little OCD especially about idk symmetry and completing things and whatnot, but I just won't do it if I'm not having fun or it's a terrible game. So really, unless I'm specifically participating in a trophy-based event, I don't generally let trophies dictate my decisions.

 

That said... I've definitely begun looking at trophy lists & guides before even starting the game a liiittle too much lately, namely in the last couple years since becoming really active and writing guides and etc. IMO it does kind of take away a little of the fun of going in completely blind and not having to worry about collectibles or missable trophies necessitating whole playthroughs if missed.

 

But, of course, as ExHaseo said, if it wasn't fun, no one would be doing it. It is pretty gratifying when you get a really tough or rare trophy, a reward for working so darn hard on it.

Edited August 19, 2022 by ixxiion

[Countrydude1989 33]

It doesn't for me. I actually like the addition of trophies, because they give me a reason to keep playing a game, i would of otherwise dropped after finishing the Main Story. I just consider them extra content to unlock if i keep playing.

[MidnightDragon 28,131]

I'd like to say it doesn't ever, but that isn't 100% accurate.

[JPtheNeurotic 905]

Sometimes. The is only so much time and going after certain trophies feels detrimental to the actual game. Speedrunning Kingdom Hearts 1 felt so weird to me because its the kind of game I want to immerse myself in and feel like im on going on this amazing journey, not skipping..everything.

But I do enjoy it at the same time; its just a matter of knowing my boundaries and making concessions to games where im like "yeah nah not going to stress myself over this."

[Shaun1094 216]

It definitely can ruin a game for me but it can also massively enhance my experience. Some games will have a trophy list that a casual player will naturally get the majority completed without even noticing and then there will be one  trophy to do something obscure which is a massive grind and that will ruin an entire game if you’re going for the trophies.

No matter how good a game is, it can be ruined by trophies in my opinion but trophies can make a game better because you’re forced to play it in a different way for example or to do things you wouldn’t normally do and keeps it interesting.

[StraightVege 4,001]

There's no doubt about it; achievement systems have only made my completionist mindset worse, and even if I begin a game I despise, it's quite likely that I'll persist through the pain to platinum it regardless. I'm certain I'd have the time to play way more games overall if trophies weren't a thing, and perhaps I'd savor some of the stuff I play more, rather than worrying about the next game I "have to" platinum. That said, I think the amount of enjoyment I've gotten out of collecting them probably outweighs the negatives, and the steep challenges posed by certain trophies have undoubtedly pushed me to dramatically improve my skills as a player, for whatever that's worth.

[CobraMJD 147]

That's an easy question, yes it affects.

 

You go for a platinum in some games, a good/fun game can become an very annoying and angry experience.

Otherwise if you like a lot of some game, usually more simple one, you have a lot extra content to go for, but this case seems more rare nowadays.

[dmland12 1,774]

Yeah, I personally think it's much more enjoyable with trophy hunting.  There's so many different ways to go about it.  You don't have to chase this stat or that stat or this leaderboard or milestone or whatever else if you don't want to.  If you're enjoying it, then great, but if not, change it up and try something different.

[Sadomasochist 129]

Yes, for me trophy hunting usually increases my enjoyment of a game overall. Before trophy hunting, I had a massive backlog of games that I had little interest in playing through. Now though, I try to play through as many games as I can while I experience everything each game has to offer. 

[DerHerzeleid 30]

Yeah and no. It depends on the game that I am playing lol.

Some games I have played that are easy plats are shit but at the same time there have been games that are REALLY fucking good.

[the1andonly654 452]

Yes and it goes both ways. Trophies are like a game within a game for me, playing all the different games and working towards some bigger "goal". I wouldn't have played many games that I ended up liking if it wasn't for trophies. I like trophies in general, whether they're hard (though I don't have many hard trophies under my belt, or any really), easy, grindy, whatever. I'm working from home and having a lot of downtime during work so I spend a lot of time playing video games. Any kind, any genre that's even remotely interesting to me. I tend to finish the games I don't like because of trophies. And I'm kinda running out of games to like. And genres to like. Tired of open worlds, collectibles, generic stories, tutorial levels, a lot of things are starting to bore me. I even see that I should like a game, but I don't. I'm not bored of gaming in general, there are games that just hit the spot. But "playing everything for trophies" has ruined some or even most of it. Just today I've started Genshin Impact. One moment I'm like "hey, it's great"... The next I'm yawning. I like it, really. It just bores me at the same time. Weird. 

When I got a PS5, I planned on playing Elden Ring. After playing Demon's Souls remake and being (to a much lesser extent but still) a bit bored, I'm postponing it. I'm literally not sure whether it's another genre that I got tired of, or DS, being a remake of the first game, felt worse after playing the games that came after the original. 

If it wasn't for the trophies, at this point I'm sure I would've liked some games much more. I guess moderation is the key to everything. 

Honestly, replaying games that I know I like is much more appealing to me right now. Whether they're ancient (Dungeon Keeper with all the fan made levels) or more recent (RE7), at least the trophy whore in me won't be like "finish what you started". 

 

I was actually looking for a thread about being burned out, as I wanted to rant a little but came across this and it seemed appropriate. 😋 

Edited September 20, 2022 by the1andonly654

[LukeTheGooner 1,608]

It can do when you just want to start a new game, but you also want to go back to something you've already spend hours on to finish of a plat and the game can become unfun because of it

[sharkyaya 50]

In a way yes, as there are always trophy requirements which can suck the fun out of a game (i.e. repeat missions x amount of times, rng, speedruns, etc.) However, the satisfaction of popping that elusive trophy or platinum almost makes it worth it. 
That said, I’ve made the mistake of booting up games without realising what their trophy lists entailed like Fall Guys and Roller Champions. In these instances, you just have to take the little joy you get in playing them or play them alongside games you really enjoy. 

[starcrunch061 10,889]

Yeah, sometimes. But it's not much different from when getting 100% in a game affected its fun. 

 

For example, I've been a fan of Dynasty Warriors pretty much since its inception. But there are tons of characters I dislike playing. And yet, I would still get their best weapons, simply because...they were there. I've always been a completionist, so trophy hunting fills that need, but that need isn't always fun.

[TomataEighty9 1,807]

Not for me personally, since trophies gives me a "reason" to play, or should i say a motivation, and a path in the game (like 100%'ing games before trophies), and i have ZERO problems with leaving a game at sub 5% trophies, if i don't like the game. I'll just move on  

 

But i imagine being a 100% profile owner, and FORCING yourself to complete all games you start, could ruin the fun of gaming. 

[VigilantCrow 1,043]

I find hunting for trophies is where the fun is, most games just aren't fun by themselves.

What's the joke, play trophy lists not games? ha! 

[Baranov_925 2,396]

I would have lied if I told you that it doesn't affect my gaming at all.

But I can say, with full truth to you, that it's not a major change.

I've watched it change (in me, tt's like I never had wings), I did some analysis, and I still had fun while trophy hunting.

I think the most impact of this, is because I don't plat every game I had, because it would put me into this unhealthy routine.
 

[Viper 3,231]

Yes, it's a good thing and a bad thing. It's a good thing because it's where the fun is at for me...I don't game without trophies in mind. They're one in the same...I don't do one without the other. However, it's a bad thing because I have a hard time playing my Switch because it doesn't have an achievement system. I tried to tell myself to turn that part of my brain off when I'm specifically playing my Switch...but games just feel aimless a lot of times. It's fun for awhile, but then I'm like "I need something to do than just play this story". Or in a sense the game has something as part of it's gameplay loop that's like an in-game achievement...it then feels weird that I'm not getting that "ding" for the accomplishment. I mean yes, I've been gaming for 30+ years now, so I was there in the time before trophies. But ever since they came around, it just completely changed everything for me, it's hard to go back. 

 

It's hard to just play a game for the game...because it feels like I'm not doing anything.