How many of you play "Ironman"

[Shrugging Khan]

Youve never reloaded a save to pass a random skill check in random rpg? Never reloaded because you end up completely murdered and spent xyz amounts of consumables needlessly for absolutely no return?

I tend not to play those kinds of games 

[zebramatt]

If I can have fun, learn from my mistakes and pick up a few nifty tricks to get me out of similar binds in future then I see no reason why I wouldn't reload a save.

Although I'm not sure that strictly constitutes save-scumming, which I've always considered must include some element of trying to beat a random element through sheer trial and error.

Although although, I'm not above that either, if I think the RNG in a game has it in for me!

I guess self-discipline is an altogether natural thing for me, so I don't bother setting myself any arbitrary rulesets like "I will not save-scum ever". I've never played a game just to complete it, nor just to win, nor just to gain some achievement. I play them for the fun and I love a decent challenge. If I can get that whilst still save-scumming then I'll do it. If it feels like a cheap way to win in the context, I won't. It's not like I'm never going to play the game again, after all!

[Nalgas]

It's not like I'm never going to play the game again, after all!

On the other hand, if I know for sure that I'm never going to play a certain game again and just want to see everything it has to offer, I will save scum or even outright cheat as much as humanly possible just to see all of it as quickly as I can and be done with it.  I usually only do that if a game has a few neat ideas but I don't really find it fun overall, or if I like it for the atmosphere/story/aesthetics/whatever but hate the gameplay (oh hi there, American McGee's Alice).

[Kruztee]

For what it's worth, I never reload a save. For me that subtracts from the euphoria I get from knowing that I've executed a good plan, or the agony of knowing that I've overlooked a possibility and perhaps lost the game. Reloading saves dilutes the decision making process for me and casualises my experience of what I want to be at the hardcore end of my gaming time. It's all good, and I lose more than I win.

[realcoolguy]

Where's my pudding farm?  Any chance of a galactic altar?  Can I rub a unicorn horn on my ship if it's engine is damaged?  Why can't I find valuable gems and sell them to the trader at the same price as worthless glass?  Any chance of shaping an AI ship in the form of a blue e that paralyzing anything that attacks it within a certain range?  Can I rename my home world Elbereth, to thwart the massive CPA that just ate everything I owned and is bearing down on my home planet?  Can I sneak off with fully built items from the trader, while being chased by the galactic Keystone Kops until I get to the next system?  If I bless my Flagship, will it give the surrounding ships a better boost in terms of damage?   Where is my inventory screen?  Why so few corpses except for turrets?  Why no minetown or the like?  Can I zap a wand of intergalactic digging to create a new wormhole path if another one of those stupid AI eye/fortress/gravity drill/2 high level ion cannon planets get in my way?  How do I find a vibrating square?  Can vampire ships still easily be defeated by a rusty -3 tin opener ships? If so, sorry whatever ship gets named Vlad.  

Wait, what's a rogue-like game again?

[Zephilinox]

I tend to reload save games when I screw up badly, normally after I took a risk, I've never been tempted to when playing AI War, maybe because you can always re-capture that planet, or rebuild that fleet.

In other games, if you lose a item you can't get it back without a lot of effort, or maybe you have to "roll the dice" and it turns out bad, especially when the dice roll wasn't free... in this one you never get that, every win or loss is down to you and never because of bad luck or bad timing, actually when I think about it like that the reason I reload save games is because it just feels unfair to have lost, to be honest AI Wars is the most relaxing game I've ever played, which is odd seeing as it is an RTS, and not only that but also so, so much less frustrating.

[BobTheJanitor]

Where's my pudding farm?  Any chance of a galactic altar?  Can I rub a unicorn horn on my ship if it's engine is damaged?  Why can't I find valuable gems and sell them to the trader at the same price as worthless glass?  Any chance of shaping an AI ship in the form of a blue e that paralyzing anything that attacks it within a certain range?  Can I rename my home world Elbereth, to thwart the massive CPA that just ate everything I owned and is bearing down on my home planet?  Can I sneak off with fully built items from the trader, while being chased by the galactic Keystone Kops until I get to the next system?  If I bless my Flagship, will it give the surrounding ships a better boost in terms of damage?   Where is my inventory screen?  Why so few corpses except for turrets?  Why no minetown or the like?  Can I zap a wand of intergalactic digging to create a new wormhole path if another one of those stupid AI eye/fortress/gravity drill/2 high level ion cannon planets get in my way?  How do I find a vibrating square?  Can vampire ships still easily be defeated by a rusty -3 tin opener ships? If so, sorry whatever ship gets named Vlad.  

Wait, what's a rogue-like game again?

I believe you're thinking of a... Rogue AI.

*puts on facehuggers*

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mR3jnW2kcUs

[Orelius]

Can I rename my home world Elbereth, to thwart the massive CPA that just ate everything I owned and is bearing down on my home planet?  

That is such an amazing idea that someone should make a mantis post for it.

[Zephilinox]

Can I rename my home world Elbereth, to thwart the massive CPA that just ate everything I owned and is bearing down on my home planet?  

That is such an amazing idea that someone should make a mantis post for it.

I can't tell if that is sarcasm or not, but you can already change your planet name, in galaxy view on the left press the note-looking icon and click any planet, then at the top you can change it's name.

[Nalgas]

Can I rename my home world Elbereth, to thwart the massive CPA that just ate everything I owned and is bearing down on my home planet?

That is such an amazing idea that someone should make a mantis post for it.

I can't tell if that is sarcasm or not, but you can already change your planet name, in galaxy view on the left press the note-looking icon and click any planet, then at the top you can change it's name.

Yeah, but where's the button to engrave Elbereth on your homeworld?

[keith.lamothe]

Yeah, but where's the button to engrave Elbereth on your homeworld?

It's on the bridge of the Spire Heavy Beam Frigate.  The red one.

[Orelius]

Can I rename my home world Elbereth, to thwart the massive CPA that just ate everything I owned and is bearing down on my home planet?  

That is such an amazing idea that someone should make a mantis post for it.

I can't tell if that is sarcasm or not, but you can already change your planet name, in galaxy view on the left press the note-looking icon and click any planet, then at the top you can change it's name.

Actually, what I meant was some way to force the AI to take a diverging path from a certain planet.  They would avoid the "Elbereth" world, and be forced to take detours.

[mindloss]

I'm new, but my last couple of games have been REALLY Ironman. Not only do I not save, but I don't stop pause for anything and don't stop til it's done.

Fun last weekend. Sat in front of my computer for 16 hours (well, smoke and food breaks while the timer ticked on) only to get f'd by an avenger, and quit satisfied. AI deserved to win.

[Echo35]

Can I rename my home world Elbereth, to thwart the massive CPA that just ate everything I owned and is bearing down on my home planet? 

That is such an amazing idea that someone should make a mantis post for it.

I'm totally renaming my homeworld Elbereth in all my games from now on.

[keith.lamothe]

I'm totally renaming my homeworld Elbereth in all my games from now on.

I guess the AI would just have to get a hacksaw and cut all the wormhole links to your HW then.  Nothing else to do