
So whenever you stumble upon a riddle (block puzzles, switch puzzles, combination puzzles, laser puzzles etc.) you have the choice to either solve the riddle manually or autosolve it with the press of a button. And with "autosolve" I mean 1 click and the *whole* riddle is instantly solved. If players solve puzzles manually, you could reward them with XP or money. If they autosolve them, they get nothing.
Advantages:
+ Gamers who want the puzzle challenge can still have the challenge
+ Gamers who want to spend more time in combat and exploring (like in the older games) can get faster to their next combat
+ Hours of gameplay would be reduced for pure combat-enthusiasts
+ Encourages multiple playthroughs with different parties (while long gameplay and having to solve all puzzles again discourages them)
Disadvantages:
- I don't know? (except patching effort)
Using the "guidebook" is not the same, as it forces the player to Alt-Tab in and out of the game, which is inconvenient, destroys the flow of gameplay, and still forces the player to rotate buttons, switch gears etc. I'm really talking of an instant riddle-solve-option.