Preexisting Encounters: Difference between revisions

It should be noted that many games have a mix of two or more of the encounter styles, depending on the area you're in. See [[Roaming Enemy]] for when the gap between this and [[Random Encounters]] is bridged somewhat. Also, see [[Inescapable Ambush]] and [[Teleporting Keycard Squad]].

 

* ''[[Zelda II: The Adventure of Link|Zelda II the Adventure of Link]]'' has certain squares on the overworld map that lead to a monster battle when stepped on, no matter what. There's a particularly annoying series of them near Death Mountain that you need to pass in order to reach the last part of the game.

** If your timing is just right, you can lure an enemy onto those squares and get off with a much easier encounter.

* In the side-scrolling [[Action RPG]] ''Zombie Hunter'', each stage consists of a series of predetermined enemy battles.

 

* Numerous trainers in the ''[[Pokémon]]'' games are entirely avoidable, and legendary Pokémon (except for the free roaming kinds) appear as sprites on the screen that the player has to walk up to to initiate the fight, and most can be ignored completely. However, starting with ''Ruby'' and ''Sapphire'', if the Pokémon on the box is legendary, the one pictured almost always ''must'' be encountered (the only exception so far is ''Emerald'', the [[Updated Rerelease]] of that pair of games, since the mascot, Rayquaza, only needs to be approached instead of fought; a battle with it can optionally be done later). The only games not to have a legendary Pokémon on the box since then were ''FireRed'' and ''LeafGreen'', which have the same mascots as the original ''Red'' and ''Green'', though when ''Gold'' and ''Silver'', the first games in the series to have legendary mascots, were remade as ''HeartGold'' and ''SoulSilver'', the remakes changed it so the mascots had to be encountered before the player could go for the Pokémon League.

* ''[[Chrono Trigger]]'' (and its successor [[Chrono Cross]]) often gave the player the option to avoid fights if they wished. Sometimes, though, monsters jump out from out of nowhere and ambush the party in pre-determined locations, and other times they are visible but unavoidable. Interestingly, ''[[Chrono Trigger]]'' didn't transition to a separate screen for battles; instead, when enemies attack the [[Player Character]]s, the battle menu pops up on the same screen as when they are walking around (''[[Chrono Cross]]'', however, does not do this).

* In all [[Chinese Paladin]] games the monsters are physically represented on the map patrolling the areas. However, sometimes their sprites are tiny and blends in with the background, making it harder to see them coming. Regardless they all will chase the player, usually at a faster-than-walk pace, after they've seen you.

 

* The ''[[Harry Potter]]'' games for Game Boy Color. Enemies are represented as small sparkling blue clouds, while bosses are shown as larger versions of the same. You can avoid most random encounters, but bosses typically block progress until defeated.

* ''[[Okami]]'' has Demon Scrolls, which trigger an encounter when they touch you. They follow you around and can be stunned with a brush stroke. There's also Devil Gates, which you have to go out of your way to trigger the encounter. Some of the Devil Gates can be ''brutal''. Demon Scrolls return in ''[[Okamiden]]''.

 

* ''[[SaGa Frontier]]'' displays monsters on the screen as location and enemy-type relevant sprites. In many areas, it's possible to just walk around them.

* The ''[[SaGa 2]]'' and ''[[SaGa 3]]'' DS remakes replace [[Random Encounters]] from the originals to [[Actually Four Mooks|monsters running on the world map representing battles]]. Most are possible to avoid.

** ''[[Paper Mario (franchise)|Paper Mario]]'' games has the monsters walk around in plain sight, with contact leading to combat. They can be avoided entirely, or the player can opt for a First Strike (leading to a bit of extra damage) by jumping on the enemy or hitting them with the hammer or certain partner skills. Some badges also provided other options. One of them would instantly defeat weak enemies if you hit them on the field, while another would stun the first enemy instead of damaging it.

** ''[[Mario & Luigi]]'' games have this as well. If an enemy hits the second character, they get the First Strike.

* In ''[[Persona 3]]'' and ''[[Persona 4]]'', Shadows walk the map as blobs - black blobs are normal, red blobs are [[Elite Mooks]], and gold blobs are [[Metal Slime]]. Hitting them with your weapon starts the fight. Hit it in the back and you get a surprise round; get hit first and ''they'' get the first move. If you level up enough, they ''run from you'' - and if you happen to fight them anyway, the enemies will suffer from the Distress status effect.

* Unlike ''[[Xenogears]]'', the ''[[Xenosaga]]'' game series is composed entirely of non-random encounters.