Southpark, the RPG

[emeraldrafael]

Just gonna quote myself from when the escapist broke this story.

This isnt the first south park game, and looking back on the past ones, and games of shows like it (the simpsons/family guy), I dont see this being any good and only selling because of brand name. I just dont think you can make a game based on a show where there's no real over arching plot and very little actual continuity/change thats visible

 

[jthwilliams]

The South Park theme and style, while fun doesn't lend itself to RPG

I dunno, it could be like a more adult version of Earthbound, that game was considered pretty good. They could have fairly similar basic premises after all, a bunch of kids go on an adventure through a fantastic version of modern America.

So I'm not saying you couldn't make a RPG out of it. But the stories of Southpark aren't RPG like.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Role-playing_video_game

You could shoehorn them in through.

Exploration and Quests
* at no point in the show are they sent on quests or explore new areas or at least it is not the usual format

Items and inventory
* every now and thing a character will have a special item but not often. They aren't really known for object based plot lines (with a few exception). They don't have any history of potion making or simular or crafting or others a item focus.

Characts actions and abilities
* No character really has a special ability. You could make some that sort of go to the theme of the character but you'd be making them not getting them from the canon and they would not be canon for the show

Experience and levels
* I can't think of anything in the show that is a natural of this. You could again shoehorn something in maybe based on grade level since they have often had a 4th graders 5th graders etc, and the school theme lends to levels based on grades, but it isn't a major theme from the show

Combat
* There are a few examples of combat in the show,but it is gernally something special not part of the central theme. They do frequently use insults so you could create a word based combat system that would at least the thematically consistant.


So when it comes down to it, You are making a generic RPG that just so happens to use the southpark characters and locations. You could make almost the exact same game and have it make as much since using the characters and settings from any TV show.

Compare that to Dragon Ball Z which very easily lends itself to be RPG. It has fighting and levels and quest as a central part of the show.

As a Dialogue, it lends itself as an RPG beautifully. Exploration wise you can find yourself going to past area's, also finding yourself in possible areas such as Heaven or Hell dependant upon which type of 'Morals' you chose. I would imagine this game to be dialogue heavy, so combat may be out of the window, but don't quote me on that. Actions and Abilities would fall under both Combat and Dialogue, so it is impossible to say exactly how they will use them. Experience and Levels, again, with how they use them.

It's purely dependent on how they choose to make this game. Will it be Combat Based, or Dialogue Based? I'm all for dialogue, in fact I am excited to see how that will play out, because I would rather play that than fight all the time with cardboard cutouts.

I'm not saying it is impossible to make a SouthPark Themed RPG. I'm saying that you will end up making a fairly generic RPG where you could replace the chacters with characters from any other show and have it make just as much sense. This is why I brought up Dragon Ball Z as a point of reference. That is a game that really lends itself to being a RPG.

I mean I could make a RPG out of Will and Grace. The show isn't a natural fit for the RPG style, but I could do it. Will and or Grace could be quest givers who send me on shopping quests where I have to use sacastic wit to defeat those who would steal the purse I was sent to buy. !BAM! Will and Grace the RPG.

I could make a RPG out of Saturday night live or Frasier too. But it would be a shoehorn job.


Because of the show stype of SouthPark it makes much more sence to creat an adventer or action/adventure game. the theme would fit a lot more closely then RPG.


Well, we don't have to agree on this, and I'm not saying you can't do it, or that it won't be a fun game. Hell, I'll probably buy it myself in the hopes that the humor of southpart is used well, but I don't expect it to be game of the year or a particularly good RPG. I expect it will be a fairly generic RPG with a southpark theme laid on top of it.

 

[jthwilliams]

Why does this thread lack Randy? You can't have a thread about South Park without Randy damn it!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ezEjae4WyM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6NeaJvdW670&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1DC2xc_Zul8&feature=related

and of course...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AXe65GRdFA0&feature=related

SouthPark RPG: How Randy got his groove back?

 

[ResonanceGames]

I have to laugh at the reports that Trey and Matt are writing it. Right. They're going to sit with the dev team and write the whole game themselves.

Of course their writing will be a big contribution, but there's no way in hell they're doing the whole game. Game writing is a staff job for a reason: you have to be super flexible and able to change things on the fly.

Anyway, I think Obsidian is a great fit because they're such good writers. Planescape Torment is hilarious when it wants to be, and the writer of that game is a high-up at Obsidian now. Between him and Trey Parker, this game should be insanely funny.

I'm not too worried about bugs. I doubt this will be so ambitious that the tech will be a big problem.

 

[DustyDrB]

I'm not into South Park anymore (I don't hate it. I just sort of forgot about it over time), but I love Obsidian. So I'll be into this for sure. Hopefully it satirizes the genre some. Though I hope it doesn't do the classic South Park move and base the entire game on one joke that they never move on from for the rest of the episode/game. I'd probably still follow the show if the episodes were half the length.

 

[Iwata]

If this turns out to be indeed like "Costume Quest laden with f-bombs", then I'll buy it yesterday. I love South Park, I love RPG's, and this has a lot of promise, if well made.

 

[Hookman]

My first reaction: "Nohmygod" but it'll probably be be pretty good.
Y'know what I would prefer? Couldn't they just release an HD remake of the south park FPS where you had a gun that shot cows at your enemies, anus-first?