Do more early trophies help you get into a game?

[MattyBoy5D]

I've been thinking about this while playing GTA IV recently. I've had the game for several months now, but until recently, hardly played it. I'd do a few missions here and a few side-tasks there, but never the hook never could sink in. Finally, after about 10 hours of game time (and many months between play sessions), I've gotten into the game and look forward to playing more. I also happened to get a bunch of trophies, whereas for those first 10 hours of playing, I only had 2 or 3 trophies.

This made me realize that maybe some quick, easy, mindless trophies at the beginning of a game help push me into it. When starting a big game like GTA IV, it's tough to actually feel a sense of progression at the very beginning. But with a good rate of trophies coming in at the start, I feel like I'm actually getting somewhere, and learning a lot more about the game. I don't need them to keep coming at this rate though, since I'm now more invested in the game itself and the rest of the shiny pixels will come eventually.

[skidmarkgn]

I'm the exact opposite

Whenever a game drops a ton of trophies right away it makes me feel a bit deflated. The reason for that is knowing it's going to start to take far too long to get the last batch of trophies I don't already have when I'm starting to tire of the game. There have been times where I'm at 90% or so in a game and the last two or three trophies I need (if I decide to go for plat) are going to each take a full playthrough... ugh. I have plenty of games on my list that are only a couple few loooooooooong trophies away from plat and a couple that dropped so many so fast (I was at 50% completion after playing the 1st mission of CSI and I never touched the game again) that I lost my motivation to finish them out .

Honestly, I prefer a nice, evenly placed stream of dings when it comes to trophy hunting.

[Elliot]

Not quite - it's more that if the game gives you absolutely no trophies at all until days and days of play have been put in (White Knight fucking Chronicles, I'm looking at you), that's disheartening. As long as you get one or two near the start, it's tolerable. In terms of trophy pacing, BlazBlue Continuum Shift Extend (which springs to mind as I've been playing it a lot lately) seems to be doing a pretty good job of trophy pacing - a couple for each game mode, so that no matter what you start with, you're bound to get a couple.

[Senshu573]

I've never looked at it this way.

I'll give an example: I played Demon's Souls last year, and it took me at least 5-7 hours just running around until I could beat the first boss. My first sense of accomplishment was not the first trophy from the boss, but getting my first consistent equipment and a lot of herbs.

I know we all like trophies, but it should be an in-game achievement that should motivate you. If you're waiting for a trophy to let you continue, I'd say you need a change of pace.

[Stevieboy]

I believe that a good game helps me get into a game. While it's always nice to hear the first trophy ping in a game, I like them to be for actually doing something meaningful and not just "here you go, have a trophy". A steady stream for killing bosses/completing chapters and then the big ones for finishing the game/completing hard mode/getting all collectables is just perfect. If I have to do a whole other playthrough (or even 2 whole playthroughs) to earn the plat, then that is fine. Cos if it's a good enough game then another playthrough is part of the enjoyment.

[Brenden]

Yes I agree with this, some times I just want play a game and get trophies without any extensive effort lol

[MarkGibbons]

I've been thinking about this while playing GTA IV recently. I've had the game for several months now, but until recently, hardly played it. I'd do a few missions here and a few side-tasks there, but never the hook never could sink in. Finally, after about 10 hours of game time (and many months between play sessions), I've gotten into the game and look forward to playing more. I also happened to get a bunch of trophies, whereas for those first 10 hours of playing, I only had 2 or 3 trophies.

This made me realize that maybe some quick, easy, mindless trophies at the beginning of a game help push me into it. When starting a big game like GTA IV, it's tough to actually feel a sense of progression at the very beginning. But with a good rate of trophies coming in at the start, I feel like I'm actually getting somewhere, and learning a lot more about the game. I don't need them to keep coming at this rate though, since I'm now more invested in the game itself and the rest of the shiny pixels will come eventually.

I like a steady stream of trophies from start to finish. Heavy Rain is a perfect example; It has a steady stream for multiple playthroughs!

[oscar_383]

I like a steady pace thru the whole game. Like assassins creed. you get a silver every once is a while and a few here and there in between for misc. things you have done in between missions.

And I do find a real sense of accomplishment when you earn a trophy that requires a lot of work to get. I.E. Il Principle - get 100% sync in AC: Brotherhood SP and DLC

or Perfect Knight 2.0 in Batman AC Beat the game to 100% twice find all riddles/ side missions/ ect.

[acasser]

It depends on what sorts of trophies you get early. I've played a number of games that pretty much hand you a trophy for putting the disc in the PS3, or for watching the opening credits, or something as silly as that. THAT'S ridiculous. I've also played a few games that bombard you with trophies very early, as if they think you might not stick around otherwise. I also think that's ridiculous.

An early trophy or two is nice, so long as you actually have to earn it on merit. If you don't, or if the game throws a substantial number of trophies (relative to the total number) at you very early, I'm not such a big fan. Positive reinforcement is nice, but I don't like the feeling that I'm getting the "participation trophies" similar to how we reward schoolchildren just for showing up (even if they suck).

[MattyBoy5D]

I know we all like trophies, but it should be an in-game achievement that should motivate you. If you're waiting for a trophy to let you continue, I'd say you need a change of pace.

I agree. My problem was that there weren't any in-game achievements that were motivating me. All I was able to do at that point were just some boring missions and easy side-missions. I'm happy some trophies kicked in here, because otherwise I felt like I wasn't doing much within the game.

[Wade_VC]

I know we all like trophies, but it should be an in-game achievement that should motivate you. If you're waiting for a trophy to let you continue, I'd say you need a change of pace.

Very well put, and I agree 100%. All too often anymore, gamers are playing the trophies and not the game.

[HeyItsSpanky]

I need a little something as well. I get frustrated when I don't hear a ding after sinking in significant time with a game... It's probably why I have like 7 games that I'm about 10 hours from a platinum but can't focus enough to play.

[Christopher]

Very well put, and I agree 100%. All too often anymore, gamers are playing the trophies and not the game.

Awesome analogy! I absolutely agree. I first felt this when I played Bioshock. I was so concerned about getting all the trophies in one playthrough, I was really turned off from the game. However, playing it switching with a buddy on his Xbox showed me how fun the game is. While I still need to get around to it, playing the trophies as opposed to running the game logically ruined the initial experience.

Some trophies early are nice, but not necessary.

[DanielVT]

Not quite - it's more that if the game gives you absolutely no trophies at all until days and days of play have been put in (White Knight fucking Chronicles, I'm looking at you), that's disheartening. As long as you get one or two near the start, it's tolerable. In terms of trophy pacing, BlazBlue Continuum Shift Extend (which springs to mind as I've been playing it a lot lately) seems to be doing a pretty good job of trophy pacing - a couple for each game mode, so that no matter what you start with, you're bound to get a couple.

I agree.....I prefer a mix of trophies, while it is nice to receive a ton of trophies up front, when playing games that take forever to get any at all I would much rather the trophy implementation on all games to be balanced.

[TigressLion]

I like games where you get trophies on %'s of start. You get some starting and you get in intervals until the end. A good starting trophy to pull you in and trophies at a good pace so you feel like you're not struggling or burning out. Not this MGS4 horse shit 6 playthroughs for 1 trophy.

[IMaySlayLizDaw94]

I've played games where the majority of the trophies unlock quite quickly and you're then left with a single trophy to earn that takes sometimes three times the time

I hate it

I prefer my games to have long trophy lists with trophies spread equally throughout that playtime

Never front loaded or backloaded

But a nice mix

WRPGs do trophy lists right as you'll unlock a single trophy every few hours or so

It's just nice to see you're slowly but steadiky making progress

[Sofa King]

A good steady pace of trophies is nice, especially story based ones where i don't feel like I'm checking a guide every 10 minutes. if it's a game I'm really into then trophies are just the icing on the cake.

[ladynadiad]

I like trophies to be at a reasonably stable pace.  So no very long gaps between trophies and not a bunch all at once.  That's why I think some storyline trophies are a great idea to give a sense of progression.  I personally have liked how The Witch and the Hundred Knight (PS3) has done it because each storyline trophy is easy to get with about an hour or two of play a day and is enough to feel satisfied without overdoing it.  I think a trophy setup like that is a good one with it being very doable to get at least one trophy per day without having to spend too much time each day playing.  I can feel satisfied at making steady progress, but also not feel overwhelmed by large tasks since it splits nicely into small doable tasks without going overboard.

[Raidou Kuzunoha XIV]

I've had a lot of games like that, where I just couldn't really get into them, and I end up putting them on hold for months, years or eternity, or I play them at snail pace over several months alongside other games I'll play more frequently. I wouldn't say trophies would make me any more motivated to play a game like that though, unless it's a short game that can be competed in 10 hours or less. I prefer balanced trophy list, with a mix between unmissable story based trophies, specific actions or quests you have to complete to unlock them, and challenge based trophies (hate time based trophies though).

[Satoshi Ookami]

Definitely no. I prefer when trophies are distributed evenly. 

Getting a bunch of trophies at the start only to have a few remaining at the end is quite annoying.

[blazeaire]

My fav type of trophies are the ones that unlock after each chapter or major boss, it's just like a digital timestamp so you can look back on and say ah yeah it took me this long between chapters or whatever

[awf9495]

No. If a game is good, I will get into it regardless of how trophies are distributed (or even if there are no trophies at all).

[Hoshi]

No. It's the story and gameplay that hooks me. Just like it was the story and gameplay that hooked me for over 20 years of my life spent playing games. 

[DF007gamer]

Depends what mood I'm in. If I'm in the mood to hear a bunch of trophies every 15 mins then I go buy a game like Orc Slayer (which is terrible but I do it just for the trophies). Then I'm in a mood where I just want a brilliant game like Dead space and not worry about trophies and if it pops here and there then it's fine enough for me. Then you get the evenly balance game like RISE OF THE TOMB RAIDER which has good gameplay and evenly space out trophies. Just need two for the Plat but doesn't require 40 hours of gameplay to get

[Maxximum]

No, I don't know, maybe. The gameplay and the type of a game that suits me, gets me into a game.