Should Skyrim have a Karma system?
- Thread starter Lancallot
- Start date
Recommended Videos
The fame/infamy system didn't make sense to me, if you have maximum fame and infamy how should people react to you? Should they admire or dislike you? Plus it had such little impact on the game that it didn't even feel like it was there.
Personally I think Skyrim shouldn't have any kind of karma system, instead whatever choices you make should impact the game world, characters and plot without you realising until you actually encounter the consequences yourself.
Oh yeah and no black vs white crap, grey is always better (except in Star Wars), then again this is a Tolkienesque fantasy game so it'll probably have good vs evil anyway.
Personally I think Skyrim shouldn't have any kind of karma system, instead whatever choices you make should impact the game world, characters and plot without you realising until you actually encounter the consequences yourself.
Oh yeah and no black vs white crap, grey is always better (except in Star Wars), then again this is a Tolkienesque fantasy game so it'll probably have good vs evil anyway.
No
NO
Karma systems are awful, they do nothing to help gameplay and at worst they actually damage the game. If the game presents you with a choice, then it should be a moral choice, where the decision actually has depth, and the player can interpret which of the options presented is the best, not just being given a clear black and white decision, because all that does is ask the player "do you want to be good or evil?", and gives no room for the player to impose their own values or beliefs.
The Infamous style moral choice system is the best example I can think of for moral choice done wrong. I have only played the first infamous, but in that game the choices were arbitrary and pointless, the evil options were no more convenient, they did not offer a more fruitful outcome, and therefore existed only for their own sake, defeating the point of having "choice" in the first place.
The only reason to pick the evil option in infamous was to get the best powerups and upgrades later on, so if you were going to evil, then you were going to pick the evil option every single time for every "decision" the game offered, so in reality, there was no choice, just two slightly different versions of the same game.
NO
Karma systems are awful, they do nothing to help gameplay and at worst they actually damage the game. If the game presents you with a choice, then it should be a moral choice, where the decision actually has depth, and the player can interpret which of the options presented is the best, not just being given a clear black and white decision, because all that does is ask the player "do you want to be good or evil?", and gives no room for the player to impose their own values or beliefs.
The Infamous style moral choice system is the best example I can think of for moral choice done wrong. I have only played the first infamous, but in that game the choices were arbitrary and pointless, the evil options were no more convenient, they did not offer a more fruitful outcome, and therefore existed only for their own sake, defeating the point of having "choice" in the first place.
The only reason to pick the evil option in infamous was to get the best powerups and upgrades later on, so if you were going to evil, then you were going to pick the evil option every single time for every "decision" the game offered, so in reality, there was no choice, just two slightly different versions of the same game.
I think a fame and infamy system makes more sense in an polytheistic feudal society like Skyrim. From a story-telling standpoint it should be how everybody (including the gods) perceives you and your behavior which influences shifting alignment(fame/infamy) rather than some sort of inherent cosmic point system keeping track of cycle of actions and consequences (karma). The latter implies that a unified entity (fate, the Judeo-Christian God etc.) that is in control of daily moral repercussions. In reality, fate is the result of a multitude of divine manipulations of the mortal world, much like how the pantheon of Greek Gods intervening in the events of classical societies.
Although I should think that there are little differences between the two system in terms of gameplay mechanism.
Although I should think that there are little differences between the two system in terms of gameplay mechanism.
No as then it might end up bundled with a stupid character changing morphing. Cause last thing I want is my character to glow or look like a demonic crazed idiot.
No, why fix something that ain't broke. Oblivion worked just fine, and I personally hate karma systems. If nobody sees you do it it doesn't matter.
The whole fame and infamy thing was perfectly good, but I think the way karma was dealt with in the Fallout games would work very well too.
What did I spoil?BENZOOKA said:
I tried to say that as vaguely as possible, sorry if I spoiled anything for you.
Unless you're referring to the fact that I spoiled to you the fact that karma doesn't have a massive effe...err, I better stop talking now.
I was about to say this. If there is, it shouldn't be integral at all and I swear to god if it makes me go evil half the game so I can do the cool stuff at the end (because my guy apparently needs practice at being badass) i'll just not play it and instead find me a developer and scream into his face.kman123 said:
(exaggeration, obviously)
No. That's the last thing it needs. It'd ruin the game. I know there's already the fame/infamy but it's very different.
I do wish Oblivion could employ Fable's sense of "metamorphosis" depending on what you do and how you do it. The problem Fable had, was that the good/bad thing just wasn't expansive enough or customizable.
For example, I'd love to see my Argonian's spike grow to like, a foot long. I want glowing red eyes. I want a lot of things.
THAT ALL SAID, Tes games function well enough without a morality system. Your morales are how you play. I never needed much else.
For example, I'd love to see my Argonian's spike grow to like, a foot long. I want glowing red eyes. I want a lot of things.
THAT ALL SAID, Tes games function well enough without a morality system. Your morales are how you play. I never needed much else.
I think with the recent hint that there would be NPC relationships and marriages, asking a question like this is going to immediately draw comparisons to fable.
Not that I am saying that is a bad thing cause I think Fable is actually a good game and franchise if you just ignore anything peter Molyneaux says. However, Fable is one of those things that the community likes to wail on. So, call it fame/infamy before the mob lights the torches and gathers the pitchforks for unintentionally insinuating TES being "fable-y"
Not that I am saying that is a bad thing cause I think Fable is actually a good game and franchise if you just ignore anything peter Molyneaux says. However, Fable is one of those things that the community likes to wail on. So, call it fame/infamy before the mob lights the torches and gathers the pitchforks for unintentionally insinuating TES being "fable-y"