Last Updated on April 16, 2020
Unfortunately, many people lament the auto battle game mechanic. They say it just “plays the game for you”. Well, let’s explore why that isn’t really the case, and why auto battle is a necessity for many people.
Accessibility
Ultimately, video games need to be accessible to as many people as possible. The more of us playing video games, the better. For people who struggle on the daily because they are less-abled, are in pain, or have poor hand-eye co-ordination, and cannot be button mashing in real-time action RPGS, auto battle is a great fix and ultimately a necessity.
Critically acclaimed games such as NieR Automata and Tales of Berseria both implemented this optional mechanic, and neither of them were worse off for it. It also helped those of us who would otherwise struggle playing such games have a chance to play them. And if this option continues to be in games like these, it means there will be more games to look forward to.
Source: Dualshockers.com
Devices such as Microsoft’s Xbox Adaptive Controller continue to show the necessity of accessibility in gaming. People who already going through daily obstacles don’t need more struggles. As they say, “When everybody plays, we all win”.
You Still Need to Strategize
Auto battle does not literally play the game for you. It only automatically inputs commands during a battle. But it only can do what’s available, which means you still need to play the game and you still need to understand how the game actually works.
The mechanic of auto battle doesn’t upgrade your characters and equipment, choose your party, unlock abilities or equipment, or find items. It also doesn’t tell you where to go and what to do next. It won’t find the rare enemies or treasures.
In Final Fantasy XIII, you still need to choose the roles your characters will play in a paradigm, and which paradigms will be available during combat. You also still need to upgrade your characters in the crystarium, and you need to choose which weapons and accessories your characters will have equipped. Those weapons and accessories also need to be upgraded. Similarly, if you haven’t been grinding enough battles to get more crystarium points and gil (currency), it’s unlikely you’ll be ready for later battles, particularly boss battles.
Source: mobygames.com
And during those battles, are you switching to the right paradigms? Do you have the right items available? Do you know when to summon your eidolon? Are you aware of the enemy’s strengths and weaknesses? You get the point – strategy is still necessary.
This also goes for other RPGs. Your chosen party, your character’s levels, the abilities your characters have available, the items you have, and the way the battle will be played, and how much you’ve completed in the game, are all things you still need to handle yourself. Auto battle doesn’t do that for you, because that’s all it is – auto battle, not auto game.
It Makes the Grind Easier
Let’s face it, RPGs are a grind, especially for those of us who love our mobile gacha RPGs. Auto battle makes level grinding and material farming much easier, and even more so when there’s a speed-up button available. It helps players take less time and doesn’t require us to be constantly tapping or holding a device. The convenience is appreciated.
It’s Just An Option
Nobody is literally forced to make use of auto battle. In every single game where auto battle is implemented, it is an option.
If you don’t want to use it, you don’t have to. But be thankful it’s there for those of us who do.
