Prodeus - Reloading should serve a purpose! Talking game design in shooters.

A discussion on reloading mechanics in shooting games.
/ unicyclesgameroom

[@fadedtyrant1604]

I was thrown off by the reloading in Prodeus at first, too. I think I've come to appreciate it more the more I play, and I do think there is a lot of intentionality there. I thought it was weird how the dual guns share a "clip" and thought it was sort of a superfluous weapon. The thing is, though, the smgs provide 2 valid and useful forms of burst damage balanced against downtime. The minigun is devastating and has no magazine, but sometimes the ammo-spending constraints and tempo of the smgs are really the best tool for the job. The nature of ammo cost and reloading time on the arc rail gives a unique twist on the classic hitscan rail guns of yore. I've actually found it super-engaging to have to bob and weave through enemies while sneaking in a reload! Anyway, while I don't align with you on the role of reloading in Prodeus, this was a good video and got me to think about the things that make the game "feel" so good to play!

[@Game_town]

Thank you for watching and it's really cool to hear that you've come to appreciate the reloading in the game! I definitely plan to keep playing, because while it's an interesting discussion point, it doesn't kill my enjoyment of the game. I wonder if I'll learn to love it in time for the full release :)

[@TarksGauntlet]

Always loved the risk/reward of Gears of Wars active Reload. Also, this is the first time I've seen Prodeus. The visuals are sick! I'd probably not have an issue with having to reload in the game as the mechanic itself only seems to serve the purpose of solving the issue caused by firing IE Running out of bullets and becoming temporarily vulnerable. That's all most games really use reload for so when reloads do more it really is noteworthy. Always been a sucker for games that actually treat their magazines like magazines too. If you reload a mag with 3 bullets left in it than you just lose those 3 bullets. Weird we don't see that much anymore. Makes you really second guess reloading between every small burst of fire.

[@Game_town]

I've always wanted to see that magazine mechanic in a game, but I don't think I ever have. Perhaps it's because I don't tend to play military style games, but it's something that always just feels odd to me. Prodeus is in early access right now, but is available on Gamepass. Lots of user generated levels, so it's worth diving into. My criticism is really mild, I love the game - I just thought it would serve as a fun talking point. Thanks for checking out the video!

[@TarksGauntlet]

@@Game_town I've not seen the magazine ammo mechanic in... probably over a decade or more at this point haha. I used to play all kinds of FPS's during the early DOS era on PC. Mainly thanks to those 100-in-1 demo discs that were just loaded with them. Some of them were just built different.

[@konbou1]

Nice video, interesting thoughts but you got to work on audio quality!

[@kayell684]

Cool video, interesting. What are you thoughts on reloading in classic Doom mods such as brutal doom? Personally I really liked having to find cover or projectile-dodge for a second while i reloaded, but it probably would be a different story if doomguy's movement wasnt so fast.

[@Game_town]

Provided the level design makes reloading feel like it serves a purpose, rather than simply limiting your ability to interact with the game, then sure! I haven't actually played any mods like that though so it's hard to have a strong opinion.

[@2emo2function]

Marathon reloading doe

[@Tommy-the-coffee-addict]

this video hits the nail on the head on why reloading in prodeus always feels so "annoying",the design just doesnt lend itself to long reloads very well its its boomershooter design,especially with like 6-15 weapons. it didnt totally ruin the game,but it was a constant annoyance.

[@Game_town]

Yeah I do agree that it doesn't ruin the game, it just feels weird and annoying. Prodeus is still doing some cool things, but I'd love to see a few tweaks made before full release. Thanks for checking out the vid!

[@Thirteen13551355]

Quake 2 has reload. It sucks.