Summary
The concept of save scumming has been around for several decades now, offering players a chance to save their game before a major, potentially game-altering event or decision occurs, thereby enabling them another chance to avoid failure. However, despite its usefulness,save scumming hasn’t always had the best reputation, hence its name. Some gamers consider playing games this way to be “scummy” behavior, as it can ultimately trivialize the way a game is meant to be played, while others consider it an intentional second-chance system that can and should be taken advantage of. Now, being the choice-driven game that it is,Dragon Age: The Veilguardpresents players with yet another opportunity to engage in save scumming.
The practice of save scumming has become increasingly prominent in choice-driven RPGs such asDragon Age: The Veilguard, as it essentially acts as a glorified “undo” button that allows players to reverse the consequences of their decisions and try again. While some games make the consequences of their choices clear enough to understand, others are a bit more ambiguous and therefore might inadvertently encourage save scumming.Dragon Age: The Veilguardis one such game where the outcome of certain choices can be a bit difficult to discern, but it happens to have a built-in save-scumming system that is triggered just before some of its most significant decisions are made.
Dragon Age: The Veilguard’s Temporary Decision Save System Is a Game Changer
Dragon Age: The Veilguard’s Temporary Decision Save System Creates a Save File Before Major Decisions
While it’s still possible to save scum inDragon Age: The Veilguard, players don’t necessarily need to as much as they normally would, thanks to the game’s Temporary Decision Save system. With this system in place, players can count on the game itself automatically creating a separate save file just before they make a major decision in the story, likeDragon Age: The Veilguard’s early choiceof whether to save the mayor. After the save file has been created, players can reload it at any time and be transported to the moment right before the choice was presented to them.
Of course, as its name suggests, a Temporary Decision Save doesn’t last forever, so players wishing to take advantage of it will want to sooner rather than later.
Dragon Age: The Veilguard’s Temporary Decision Save System Is Glorified Save Scumming
What makesDragon Age: The Veilguard’s Temporary Decision Save system such a game changer is that it’s one of the few times a game has outright implemented a form of save scumming as a built-in feature. The main difference here is that players aren’t in direct control of the system, sothey can’t be blamed for save scumming. Instead, this isDragon Age: The Veilguard’s way of encouraging players to experiment with different paths, suggesting it actually hopes that players will occasionally consider undoing their actions to experience the various possible outcomes of a choice.
Furthermore,the difference betweenDragon Age: The Veilguard’s Temporary Decision Save system and a typical auto-save system is that, firstly, the save file’s name explicitly indicates that it was logged before an important decision was made in order to guide players more effectively, and secondly, it doesn’t get overwritten by one of the game’s regular auto saves. Ultimately, this frees players from needing to think about when the best time to save their game is, as well as when to anticipate a major story decision. This way, they can remain immersed in their game for the time being, until they consider whether to go back and alter their choice later.
It’s very rare for a game to implement intentional save scumming into its save mechanics, but it’s just one of the many things that makeDragon Age: The Veilguardthe unique experience that it is. With BioWare now confirming thatDragon Age: The Veilguardwill not be receiving any DLCas it turns its attention toward the nextMass Effectgame, perhaps that means the Temporary Decision Save system will move on toMass Effectas well.
Dragon Age: The Veilguard
WHERE TO PLAY
Enter the world of Thedas, a vibrant land of rugged wilderness, treacherous labyrinths, and glittering cities – steeped in conflict and secret magics. Now, a pair of corrupt ancient gods have broken free from centuries of darkness and are hellbent on destroying the world.Thedas needs someone they can count on. Rise as Rook, Dragon Age’s newest hero. Be who you want to be and play how you want to play as you fight to stop the gods from blighting the world. But you may’t do this alone – the odds are stacked against you. Lead a team of seven companions, each with their own rich story to discover and shape, and together you will become The Veilguard.
