Does EVERY adventure need multiple save games?
I am creating a game and have come to coding the 'save game' part. I am wondering if I really need more than one saved game. Any comments?
If a game has unexpected dead ends, you need to save often. My game does not. I don't like dead ends.
If a game has timed sequences, you need to save often. My game does not. You can take as long as you like on any puzzle.
If it takes ages to get into some apart of the game, you might want to save at various stages. But my game has a chapter structure where you can navigate between parts of the game in a non-linear way.
I can see the need for one save game slot - you don't want to go through every part every time you play. But I cannot see the need for more than one.
This might sound like heresy, but consider The Sims. The game progresses, but you never go back to a previous stage.
Apart from being unnecessary, I think multiple game slots might actually be harmful to my game. First, jumping back and forth destroys the illusion of being part of a real progress. Second, extra coding means less time spent on the story, and more chance of an unexpected crash.
So I think in my circumstances, a single choice of 'save current state or start from the beginning' is a good plan. What do others think?
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