What is and isn't considered a QTE in your opinion?
- Thread starter Demi-fiend
- Start date
Pretty much any scripted button prompt that will cause a game over if you fail to push it in time.
Like the ones in God of War, Tomb Raider 2013, most of Platinum's Games, all of Telltale's games and all of David Cage's games.
The ones where you continuously mash a button to break free or something I don't really consider a QTE because they often give you plenty of time to complete it so it doesn't really count as a "quick time" event.
Like the ones in God of War, Tomb Raider 2013, most of Platinum's Games, all of Telltale's games and all of David Cage's games.
The ones where you continuously mash a button to break free or something I don't really consider a QTE because they often give you plenty of time to complete it so it doesn't really count as a "quick time" event.
It depends on the game. People complain about how they should be abolished but I've played a few games where the QTE were done right, so I don't subscribe to the whole 'a game with QTEs isn't a game with QTEs done right.' It's easy to make QTE badly and it's easy to say they just suck, but there is an art to pulling off QTEs and like any other overused mechanic it's easy to develop a reliance on them and blame it on the mechanic. Put a little effort into them, don't screw the player just to add artificial difficulty, and get creative with them.
The only time I've legitimately liked QTEs was in Lord of Shadows 2 since you could disable them.
lolololololol..
but yeah, for the first LoS, the QTEs and contextual scenes, they were really frustating, it's not bad, it adds up to the difficulty, but still is frustating.. thank god the massive story and cinematic covered them all..
Personally, where it's combat related i.e. Bayonettas Torture Moves and Wicked Weave Finishers are fine.
Press X to Pay Respects is not.
Press X to Pay Respects is not.
Any time a button prompt appears on screen is a QTE.
With the exception of Press X to pay respects since I literally walked all over the place just to see if anything would happen. So I guess that would be a STE.
With the exception of Press X to pay respects since I literally walked all over the place just to see if anything would happen. So I guess that would be a STE.
You know it's actually much more simple than that.
A QTE is in the name: Quick Time Event. If you get a prompt to perform an action, which either it, the actual event that follows, or both are quick, that is a QTE. It used to be that a requirement of QTE was that it wasn't optional but now a days they get incorporated even mid combat and you can even skip it and just keep playing as you are. Back then you might've just called the quick reaction tests more than anything. When you get right down to it a QTE is a prompted animation where you temporary loose control of the character or switch to a specific bottom input scenario mode for a few seconds.
Like I said before, it all depends on the game, and to be honest even the definition I said above doesn't always apply to mechanics that fit said definition to a t. For example, Bayonetta's press X Y or Z or die scenes are QTE's but I don't see all of the torture attacks as QTE because they take way too long. RE4 on the other hand has mostly QTEs when there's a screen prompt but on occasion there are uber quick prompts that are more like reactions like when those bugs jump at you and you can counter with a kick and those I don't consider QTE's, I consider them counters, since it's far quicker and you regain control of the character within less than a literal second. GodHand is the same, you can counter when prompted, but there are a lot of moments when you can go up to a stunt character and pumble them by constantly pressing O. I find these different and don't associate them as QTE because they are very brief and QTEs always seem to last just long enough to be noticeable.
Ok, so in my eyes, the best way to describe a QTE is when you get a prompt to press a button combination and you suddenly loose control of your character, meaning you are bound to that animation or action until it's over. Consequences of failing to do so vary. However, if it's so quick it didn't disrupt the flow of gameplay I don't really qualify them as QTE, even though it is by legal definition.
A QTE is in the name: Quick Time Event. If you get a prompt to perform an action, which either it, the actual event that follows, or both are quick, that is a QTE. It used to be that a requirement of QTE was that it wasn't optional but now a days they get incorporated even mid combat and you can even skip it and just keep playing as you are. Back then you might've just called the quick reaction tests more than anything. When you get right down to it a QTE is a prompted animation where you temporary loose control of the character or switch to a specific bottom input scenario mode for a few seconds.
Like I said before, it all depends on the game, and to be honest even the definition I said above doesn't always apply to mechanics that fit said definition to a t. For example, Bayonetta's press X Y or Z or die scenes are QTE's but I don't see all of the torture attacks as QTE because they take way too long. RE4 on the other hand has mostly QTEs when there's a screen prompt but on occasion there are uber quick prompts that are more like reactions like when those bugs jump at you and you can counter with a kick and those I don't consider QTE's, I consider them counters, since it's far quicker and you regain control of the character within less than a literal second. GodHand is the same, you can counter when prompted, but there are a lot of moments when you can go up to a stunt character and pumble them by constantly pressing O. I find these different and don't associate them as QTE because they are very brief and QTEs always seem to last just long enough to be noticeable.
Ok, so in my eyes, the best way to describe a QTE is when you get a prompt to press a button combination and you suddenly loose control of your character, meaning you are bound to that animation or action until it's over. Consequences of failing to do so vary. However, if it's so quick it didn't disrupt the flow of gameplay I don't really qualify them as QTE, even though it is by legal definition.
Only games that do QTE right is shenmue and yakuza which just changes the out come of the event or makes the player loses some health and or with the opponent and does not often kill the player in theses cases.
If it occurs in a situation outside of your control, like a cutscene or scripted sequence.
The only way out is to press the requested on-screen button prompts, that are normally randomized or something inconsistent with the control scheme (e.g. a QTE sequence asking you to press the "Jump" button to damage the enemy).
If you can walk/run away from needing to press the button prompts to prevent damage/death or interrupt your opponent, it is not considered a QTE.
Some people think that if there is an on-screen button prompt, it's automatically a QTE, which is wrong.
Most of the time, on-screen button prompts are added unto mechanics didn't need them.
For example:
- Tapping the button to escape from an enemy's grasp.
- Counter attacks, where you press a button the same time an enemy attacks.
- Stealth kills, where if you sneak up behind an unaware enemy, you have a special instant kill move.
- Tapping the button to increase damage during certain attacks.
If you grew up on gaming in the 90's you would know that a lot of these mechanics can be taught and didn't need an on-screen prompt.
On-screen button prompts are added mostly for convenience but they also create confusion, where everyone thinks it's a "QTE sequence" because there are button prompts.
The only way out is to press the requested on-screen button prompts, that are normally randomized or something inconsistent with the control scheme (e.g. a QTE sequence asking you to press the "Jump" button to damage the enemy).
If you can walk/run away from needing to press the button prompts to prevent damage/death or interrupt your opponent, it is not considered a QTE.
Some people think that if there is an on-screen button prompt, it's automatically a QTE, which is wrong.
Most of the time, on-screen button prompts are added unto mechanics didn't need them.
For example:
- Tapping the button to escape from an enemy's grasp.
- Counter attacks, where you press a button the same time an enemy attacks.
- Stealth kills, where if you sneak up behind an unaware enemy, you have a special instant kill move.
- Tapping the button to increase damage during certain attacks.
If you grew up on gaming in the 90's you would know that a lot of these mechanics can be taught and didn't need an on-screen prompt.
On-screen button prompts are added mostly for convenience but they also create confusion, where everyone thinks it's a "QTE sequence" because there are button prompts.
YES. So much right.
From some of the comments here, I get the feeling the difference between QTE and contextual button press isn't very clear.