I have always had a problem with GTA and similar games. I like being a good guy, but the games do not allow it. In order to get through the game, you must be a brutal sociopath. This seems somewhat odd to me given that the big appeal of these games is that they provide a sandbox, where I can do what I want. I still play them, but only with friends, and I never buy them myself.
While I was playing saints row 2 a few days ago, I began to think that they were missing an opportunity here. I can customize my gang in so many ways, but despite being the leader, I can't actually control the type of gang I'm leading.
Picture if you will, a game where you can be Batman and Robin Hood, using your gang to fight the corrupt and defend the community. Or you can be Keyser Soze, with your brutal tactics crushing your enemies and bringing the city into your iron grasp. Or anything in between.
To take this even further, you could have respect and fear stats (visible or invisible) which could have their own rewards and drawbacks. A respected gang might get more recruits and less trouble from the cops, while facing more aggression from rival gangs. A feared gang would receive less resistance from rivals, but would face brutal conflicts with the authorities. And the two could be independent stats, going up and down without necessarily affecting each other directly. It could even affect behavior of your AI buddies, altering their tactics and priorities. Difficult to balance, but doable.
Of course, some of the basic things would have to stay off the moral radar. Carjacking, accidents, and even driving on the sidewalk taking out dozens of pedestrians shouldn't e held against you. That would break the game. Even just causing general mayhem should be doable without screwing up your plans. It is a sandbox after all. Explanations for why no one notices it's you wouldn't be too hard.
Now of course I am not saying that any existing franchise should necessarily do this. While I wouldn't complain if they were to give me exactly what I want, those games are what they are, and I don't expect them to change. But there could certainly be room for a new game in the same genre.
So what say you, is this a good idea? Would you want to see a moral dimension in a sandbox crime game? Do you have your own ideas for how this could be done, or even some other idea about what's missing from this genre? Or am I just crazy?
While I was playing saints row 2 a few days ago, I began to think that they were missing an opportunity here. I can customize my gang in so many ways, but despite being the leader, I can't actually control the type of gang I'm leading.
Picture if you will, a game where you can be Batman and Robin Hood, using your gang to fight the corrupt and defend the community. Or you can be Keyser Soze, with your brutal tactics crushing your enemies and bringing the city into your iron grasp. Or anything in between.
To take this even further, you could have respect and fear stats (visible or invisible) which could have their own rewards and drawbacks. A respected gang might get more recruits and less trouble from the cops, while facing more aggression from rival gangs. A feared gang would receive less resistance from rivals, but would face brutal conflicts with the authorities. And the two could be independent stats, going up and down without necessarily affecting each other directly. It could even affect behavior of your AI buddies, altering their tactics and priorities. Difficult to balance, but doable.
Of course, some of the basic things would have to stay off the moral radar. Carjacking, accidents, and even driving on the sidewalk taking out dozens of pedestrians shouldn't e held against you. That would break the game. Even just causing general mayhem should be doable without screwing up your plans. It is a sandbox after all. Explanations for why no one notices it's you wouldn't be too hard.
Now of course I am not saying that any existing franchise should necessarily do this. While I wouldn't complain if they were to give me exactly what I want, those games are what they are, and I don't expect them to change. But there could certainly be room for a new game in the same genre.
So what say you, is this a good idea? Would you want to see a moral dimension in a sandbox crime game? Do you have your own ideas for how this could be done, or even some other idea about what's missing from this genre? Or am I just crazy?
