How to prevent the “Too awesome to use” syndrome?

Question

When you give the player a rare but powerful item which can only be used once but is never really required to proceed, most players will not use it at all, because they are waiting for the perfect moment. But even when this moment comes, they will still be reluctant to use it, because there might be an even better moment later. So they keep hoarding it for a moment which will never come.

In the end, they will carry the item around until it is outclassed by other, more readily available resources, or even until the very end of the game. That means that such one-shot items don't provide any gameplay-value at all. They are simply too awesome to use.

What can you do to encourage the player to make use of their one-shot items and not hoard them?

Answer 1

Break the rules

This question arises from the already standard item system in most of the RPG games. The perfect example would be potions, there have been many memes regarding the collecting of potions, because "I might need them later".

Every RPG producer had to face the problem and many have failed. This comes from the wrong understanding that

"The item system works like this and it has to work like this, because every other game does it like this!".

But it doesn't. And The Witcher 3 proves it.

In The Witcher 3 the potion system works differently. Here you have a limit of potions you can carry, but after using them you can refill them anytime outside of battle using alcohol.

"But there will be no fun of searching for that legendary potion/item!"

You are right. After using your potion there will be no fun of searching for it again. However if not the system - the player wouldn't even use the item - meaning there would be no fun either. Players often prefer to die and fight again than to use that "too awesome to use" item.

This system brings a different "fun mechanic" though. Instead of searching for that potion you used in a fight, you will spend your time searching for an upgrade of that potion. It can even introduce additional quests to the gameplay.

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In your case

There may be a thousand solutions to your problem and it's usually a bad idea to force a player to do something by external limits, like time limit or to reward player for using the item. Tynan Sylvester covers the topic in his book Designing Games: A Guide to Engineering Experiences. So before adding artificial rewards or punishments you should really consider advantages and disadvantages of that.

I already brought up the topic of potions in The Witcher 3, so to reflect it on your situation you could design the item to be "craftable". Let's say - you found that legendary weapon and will not use it in a fight, because you will lose it forever. But in our situation finding this item also allows you to craft it later. Or if the item was something magical - it allows you to summon it in a magic location.

It not only won't reduce the fun of using this item - it might increase it hugely by adding new mechanics to the game.

In any case you should still balance the item - "awesome" shouldn't mean "gamebreaking". If it is a single use item which kills a dragon in a second then it probably needs balancing anyway.

Answer 2

If an item is too good to be at least rare (such as the Megalixer), yet it is a 1-use/expendable, yeah players are going to hoard it.

This isn't really a problem. Your game is cooler for having awesome rare items that don't manage to break the game. And there's always the 1 in a million chance that a player would find such an item useful.

But if these ultra-cool unattainable non-usables still bother you, it sounds like the item may need to be:

a) reduced in effectiveness and made more common

b) made at least replaceable (if at an astronomical price)

c) made not expendable but given a really long recharge time instead

d) taken out of the game altogether

Answer 3

Maybe it'll will work in "super-need" situation. e.g.: a-bomb got 2000 points of splash damage, typical mobs got only 100 health points and easily beaten with sword. but here comes boss with 2500 health points and his minions. you can't beat him... or you can, if you use your a-bomb. then boss will stay alone with 500 health points, so you can (not so) easily kick his *.

Answer 4

You can punish the player for carrying it, either by taking up many available slots, or slowing him down, you can make him unable to use other weapons when carrying it, and you can make the vending price low. Also, you could make the ammo of a radioactive type, which decays so its strength is reducing while carrying it.