What can change the nature of Role-Playing Games?

[Jenova65]

Lol, no, not motion sickness, I just don't like that I can't see around me, FP is not immersive for me, cos IRL I have a little something called peripheral vision (FP view is at the end of the day little better than tunnel vision) I don't have turn my whole self around to see what is not right in front of me, does that make sense?

I see what you're saying, though I disagree to an extend. Humans have a wide view of vision but they only have a little bit that is actually focused upon. We have peripheral vision but if you want to actually look at that object to the side you have to turn your eyes and/or your head. I suppose the alternatives are what, 3rd person, isometric, and top-down. All of them have limitations in realism. Guess just take what you prefer. I think different styles are better for different types of games.

I think many people get swamped when there is information overload in some RPGs, but it doesn't bother me I like (Dragon Age perfect example) when there is info that makes the world feel like it has a history and the people in it have grudges that have reason and depth, I realise though that it isn't for everyone.

I don't mind a lot of information, it's just the way in which that information is presented. If they give it in little bite sized pieces no problem. Like one of the games I played not long ago is Ultima VII, an old old old game. And there's lots of talking in that too, but the characters only have a little bit to say at a time so I actually read it rather than being influenced to just skim it.

I totally get what you are saying about focus, but in a situation of actual RL danger you would instinctively take advantage of not only your peripheral vision but your other senses too, for me, in a FP game I am paranoid about what I cannot see (I don't turn my whole body round to view what isn't in front of my face, iyswim) I just prefer watching my little protagonist run around, it makes it feel right for me, movies are not shot in FP for a reason, to create a bond between the viewer and the main character(s) I just prefer 3rd person (in racing games, which I don't really play tbh, I would choose to see the whole car, not just the dashboard. It is, as you say personal preference and game type that comes into play, this is purely my opinion and I think games that successfully cater for first and 3rd person perspective (I guess Oblivion/Fallout 3 are best examples) are probably the way forward.
I certainly think with information many people now can't cope with information overload (the media has given us everything in bite sized pieces) But it never phases me at all, then again I have lost entire days to good books.... ;-)

 

[Alex_P]

Well, to follow along with the theme of the title...

Regret

I mean, spleesh, obviously.

What that means specifically in the context of RPGs rather than man-nature I'll figure out tomorrow.

-- Alex

 

[bigolbear]

i want to see mmos where you are encouraged and rewarded for actualy roleplay rather than just hack and slash.

in order for this to be acheived you would need to get something beneficial to your character for talking, trading, making sensible decisions, living your life as well as going and killing goblins.

this is a tricky dilema but i hope some one out there is up to it.

Further more id like to see player driven 'quests' in mmos. for example:

player A (a weaponsmith/fighter dude.. probly a dwarf.)
puts up a mission in a tavern - help wanted collect me 50 iron ore i will pay 10 gold complete this by 1 days time.
player b picks up the quest goes and gets the ore hands it in to a npc gets his cash and some xp calculated on dificulty of mission.
player A can then go get his ore for the npc.

this is a very simple example but much more complex ones could be done, escort missions, organised assaults on multiple areas, guild recruitment rites, all sorts of stuff.

i honestly feel that mmos should be the future of rpgs but they realy need to get away from the hack and slash feel they all have, theres room for both kinds and theres room for both kinds of player in the same game.

to the op: great thread title - planscape was awesome.

 

[Alex_P]

I know this is off topic but I’m curious
why do you always sign your posts? it's kind of obvious who wrote them.

My user names are just some handy garbage that I can use to get into an account, not a handle I actively identify with. "Alex_P" isn't a name that's particularly meaningful to me. So, I'll sign a post with my preferred form of address. (It doesn't matter as much here because nobody begins a post by referring to someone else by name, but I've been to other forums where it's common to do that.)
...

Now, on-topic:
So, okay, what the hell is "regret"? Part 1...

Sooo, regret in Torment.

Easy thing first: regret is a complex, nuanced narrative theme. Complex and nuanced themes are awesome! So, RPGs can be improved with good writing not just on the level of plot and dialogue but on the level of imagery and themes.

But, here's what really made Torment the best game ever, in my eye... As I was playing Torment, I felt regret about stuff that the Nameless One had done. But not stuff that the Nameless One had done as "my" character, the pawn I was moving through the game world. Rather, I identified with him and, when faced with the results of his earlier actions, I accepted them as my own. So, the game successfully made me feel bad for doing things that, in a strict sense, I didn't do. Masterful!

This isn't really as simple as "immersion", either. I don't think of Torment as the most immersive game out there. I don't think I ever directly thought of myself as inhabiting the protagonist and living in his world in any sense. No, the key thing here is more like... hmm, I guess it's about creating a perception of continuity between the player-controlled character and that same character as a purely designer-controlled entity within the background fiction.

Really what moved me was that the game itself offered a compelling exploration of the main character -- in opposition to games with storylines designed around a drop-in protagonist doing things that any generic fantasy hero could do.

-- Alex

 

[cameron112497]

What I definitely DON'T want is FPS/RPG hybrid! I suck at FP perspective and it bears no relevance to the genre, there is no reason for it, so less crazy talk, thanks! ;-)
Keep first person simply for shooters!

3 words for ya. Face of Mankind.

 

[FairlyFrightenedFeline]

I would like a Parkour RPG were you can completely explore the city. Awesome or what?

 

[Jenova65]

What I definitely DON'T want is FPS/RPG hybrid! I suck at FP perspective and it bears no relevance to the genre, there is no reason for it, so less crazy talk, thanks! ;-)
Keep first person simply for shooters!

3 words for ya. Face of Mankind.

Is it good? Haven't heard of it :-O

 

[Onyx Oblivion]

I want more stuff like this in RPGs, to flesh out backstory:

 

[cameron112497]

What I definitely DON'T want is FPS/RPG hybrid! I suck at FP perspective and it bears no relevance to the genre, there is no reason for it, so less crazy talk, thanks! ;-)
Keep first person simply for shooters!

3 words for ya. Face of Mankind.

Is it good? Haven't heard of it :-O

Depends. It's a completely player driven MMO were their are diffrent factions that play diffrently. It also has (very basic)shooter elements to it. It is also great for RPing. I was playing as the military, and you have to have proper uniform or you get punished. You also have to take several tests to advance in rank. With no NPCs what so ever. You can be honorable and not use drugs to help you in combat or you can make a contract for you to meet someone someplace were he gives you the drugs. There are also groups that makes doing a raid alot faster. (also the dicipline helps to) However it has a serious learning curve at the start.

 

[Jenova65]

What I definitely DON'T want is FPS/RPG hybrid! I suck at FP perspective and it bears no relevance to the genre, there is no reason for it, so less crazy talk, thanks! ;-)
Keep first person simply for shooters!

3 words for ya. Face of Mankind.

Is it good? Haven't heard of it :-O

Depends. It's a completely player driven MMO were their are diffrent factions that play diffrently. It also has (very basic)shooter elements to it. It is also great for RPing. I was playing as the military, and you have to have proper uniform or you get punished. You also have to take several tests to advance in rank. With no NPCs what so ever. You can be honorable and not use drugs to help you in combat or you can make a contract for you to meet someone someplace were he gives you the drugs. There are also groups that makes doing a raid alot faster. (also the dicipline helps to) However it has a serious learning curve at the start.

Thanks for that
What are the other online players like? I tend not to play online games because of the assholery that seems to go hand in hand with MMOs.

 

[Glademaster_v1legacy]

I'd like a bit more flowing combat like Kingdom Hearts/DMC style although I know this wouldn't work for every game I just want it to flow like real combat although turn based can be good. I'd like better character interaction and more likeable charcters. For example in FFXII most of the characters were awful and dry. Balthier, Basch and Gabranth were the only decent characters in it that had human characteristics.

I'd rather stay away from all RPGs becoming FPSRPGs or FPRPGs it would be good for some like Oblivion styled but I think some need to be in third person especially if you go down the Kingdom Hearts/DMC route.

I'd also like to see games not let you make game changing and sometime fucking up of choices early. Now I know in Oblivion and Fallout 3 it is good the way you can mold your characters into what you want but what if you want to change your style half way through? You can't (well in Fallout 3 you can't Oblivion just becomes a time sink) you're fucked so I would like to see some stat swap system where it costs in game money to swap stats and this leads on to my next problem.

You get way too much money in some RPGs and nothing to spend it on. Although the thing I have mentioned above would solve that problem in some cases. Some games need some better long term money sinks instead of stupid ones like you've gone up a few levels you need to buy new equipment which is normal but you eventualy hit near endgame and you have the best stuff.

 

[cameron112497]

their pretty nice. a few jerks here and there but mostly its a great community (Just sont pick Eurocore. Theire mor aroggant then the nazis. Also the LED is filled with noobs who arrest everybody on sight. but the Freddom(federal as I like to call them) defence corps, Bortoherhood of the shadows, guardians of mankind, vortex inc. and Colonization and mining guild are filled with good helpful people.

 

[cameron112497]

bump

 

[Axolotl]

Easy thing first: regret is a complex, nuanced narrative theme. Complex and nuanced themes are awesome! So, RPGs can be improved with good writing not just on the level of plot and dialogue but on the level of imagery and themes.

That's a really good point, I think that's the reason I dislike Bioware's games, they don't have any deep themes or imagery epecially not when compared to the older Black Isle games. They all have large epic storylines but don't really go beyond that, there's no messages or ideas behind them and that's wat leaves me feelinjg like I've just had a very shallow experience overall.

I dunno there are a lot of RPG guys in this thread so if anyone can recommend a game that doesn't suck like this let me know. Fallout 1 + 2 (only played the first part of 2) are good examples as well, because most or all of the character say different things. There's a reason to talk to them even if what they say is ultimately not very useful.

Bloodlines does very well qwith different dialog but it might not be what you want since most people in the game can't be talked to.