Justin: Our last question is about secret areas, weapons, and creatures in games. Is this a way to add replay value to an RPG, to artificially step up or lower the difficulty, or to sell strategy guides? How often do you take advantage of these secrets? Would you prefer to see more or less of them?

Googleshng: I've been foaming at the mouth lately over the concept of games throwing in an optional boss 20 times harder than the boss at the end of the game, then rewarding you with some piece of equipment that makes you even more overpowered. It's sort of like giving a trillion dollar check to the richest person in the world every year. While I'm all for having sadistic optional challenges, they should reward you with something more along the lines of an amusing perk, like an extra scene or a change in the ending, or the ability to change characters' costumes.

Justin: It's nice to be rewarded with a secret weapon or item by completing a mini-game, but when the boss is simple to beat without it, it kind of destroys the point.

Googleshng: Of course, because getting tools to help beat bosses from beating unusually hard bosses is just stupid. Stick the best sword behind a big logic puzzle, and give all my characters leather jackets for killing the optional boss. That also gets around the problem of rewarding us for completing a challenge by making all the other challenges insultingly easy.

David: It really depends on how much I like a game and how good the hidden things are. If I like the game, I will find everything, or if there is an ultra-powerful hidden skill, I generally get that too. Lately, though, some games seem to be trying to hide all the good skills and items.

Alan: I have mixed feelings. There's a modicum of "Ooo, pretty!" when you look at the new stuff, there's a feeling, "Oh yeah, now I can easily beat the game!", there's a rather large smattering of "Jeez, how am I meant to find that without an FAQ?", and then there's the rather major disappointment of, say, beating the final boss of FF10 in two hits.

Michael: Secrets are a wildcard, really. It can be a reward for those of us with time to play through the game an extra time. So long as the gameplay isn't altered by not seeking those secrets, then those of us who can only play once don't have much a reason to complain. There could be some secret strategy guide conspiracy I haven't heard of, though...

Googleshng: That's really two different issues. Sick optional bosses are one thing, then there's "MWAHAHA! Players will never think to use these 6 random items in a particular order standing in the 4th screen of the 2nd town, but that's how you get the best weapon in the game!" The first is a bonus, the second is "Hey, I know how to get extra sales off guidebooks!"

David: Yes there is a difference between hidden really well and no chance in heck of finding without an FAQ.

Michael: I'm certainly not opposed to rewarding people who look around the game more than the average person. But a true secret is one that cannot be found unless you randomly stumble across it. What you really have are rewards and secrets.

Alan: Nowadays I've reached the point where, if I have a lot of games on the To Complete pile, I often will play them with an FAQ next to me, because I may not have time to replay them and want to see everything in the game, no matter how illogical. I find it kind of a shame. I like the Tales of Destiny 1/2 system of awarding bonus things. Complete a hard minigame or reach a high enough level and you get a title, which replaces a line on your status screen, and that's it. It's just an extra little fun thing that serves as a pat on the back for doing well.

Michael: In essence, a little ego stroke?

Alan: Pretty much. Say you complete a series of arena battles. You get to set the title "Gladiator" on your status screen. For such an arbitrary decision and no bonus whatsoever, you can become very focused on getting them.

Michael: What about working the extra work you do in the game into the plot? Suppose you complete and optional dungeon villagers say nobody has ever made it through before. Completing that dungeon would change NPCs' perceptions of you from a simple hero to god-like.

Justin: Maybe game designers should take a hint from some of the MMORPGs and have secret items that just change gameplay features, like a new outfit that does nothing or different looks for vehicles or something.

Googleshng: Shadow Hearts has something like that one.

Justin: Chrono Cross did that well with the new dialogue frames, even though most of them were really ugly. I'm also a fan of secret areas to explore, that enhance a player's enjoyment of the game Mario 64 did that for me, when you could get the wings on top of the castle and fly around the outside of it that was something that probably required very little effort, but really enhanced my enjoyment of fully completing the game.

David: Yes, I like hidden areas with no reason but to be hidden. Those can be fun sometimes.

Justin: It's no mistake that glitches are some of my favorite "secrets" in games - something completely unintended can result in a ton of extra gameplay time.

Michael: The minus world in Super Mario Bros. comes to mind. That's your old-school example.

David: I really liked the Ghosts from MGS or BGM option from LOM.

Alan: Being able to call my main character a "Balloon Master" far outweighs any sword, in my opinion.

Michael: In the end, the little rewards are the best. They don't make the game any easier or harder. All they are, are simple pats on the back.

Justin: Well, thank you all for coming tonight, I hope you had fun. Before we close, does anyone have any parting words?

David: Send me guides and Love and Peace.

Googleshng: I never seem to have any parting words...

Michael: On behalf of RPGamer's hardworking media division, ta ta!

Alan: Send me fics. Love and Peace purely optional, but preferred.

Justin: Thanks again, and goodnight!