Idea for a New Moral Choice System

[DPutna17]

I have this idea for a moral choice system that sort of stemmed from the Extra Credits video today. I was thinking what if we had a moral choice system that was present but not visible. So all dialogue choices are unlocked from the beginning and not colour coded as well as the position of the good/neutral/bad options in the dialogue menu always change so that the person actually has to think about what they are doing and not just always choose the same option. Also there are no Good/Evil options that will obviously guarantee that you will be successful(like there was in Mass Effect). When Good/Evil points are given it is not shown and just happens and the sole purpose for it is to determine consequences and what people in the game think of you. This way people will do more like what they would in real life and not just to get Good/Evil points.

Note that this applies for any choice in the game not just dialogue.

 

[JUMBO PALACE]

I think this is a better idea than the system we use now. I feel as though a lot of people just go and pick either the top or bottom (saint or ass hole) option every time because they want to max out their points in one category. By masking it every time, players would be encouraged to make their own decisions and subsequently affect the game one way or another even if they hadn't intended it that way. It would make for a much more dynamic experience.

 

[Jedoro]

Isn't that kinda how Dragon Age was? Some were clearly good, some clearly bad, but the game didn't give you "points" for choosing either one, but the story was slightly affected.

 

[rembrandtqeinstein]

I thought the mass effect system of giving you both good and evil points without taking any away was fairly brilliant. That way you could play your character how you wanted and not worry about losing in-game benefits if you weren't lawful stupid or chaotic psycho in every situation (looking at you kotor).

I also really liked how some "evil" choices had good outcomes, I never played through as lawful stupid so I don't know if any good choices had bad outcomes. The Solarian scientist had the best quote on the subject (paraphrased) "You can heal the sick, or you can kill some bad people, either way helps."

 

[burningdragoon]

Not showing the "points" is a better idea for increasing the immersion and whatnot, but it detracts from players getting feedback for what they are doing. That's not really a bad thing, but some people like to know what they are doing.

Dragon Age's approval system, and the lack of actual good/evil rating, is probably the best one I've seen in a while (and I didn't play either mass effect yet).

Another good one, which is kinda like what you said but older, is from Ogre Battle on the N64. There is some sort of moral meter that the game keeps track of but you never get see until the end. There were a few good "moral choices" in there that you don't rally know what effect they have without playing it differently. It is also balls hard to get the best results in those games, so maybe not the best example hehe.

 

[Veylon]

Instead of having a flat good/evil system, have a series of attributes that you're known for by different people.

Say, for instance, that there are bandits terrorizing a village. So, you annihilate the bandits. Naturally, the villagers see you as a hero, but others might see you as a bit ruthless, especially if they viewed those same bandits as robin hood types. So everyone you meet would have a different opinion of you depending on how or if your actions have affected them and how they mesh with their moral standpoint. To me, at least, this seems like the most realistic system and one that promises to set up further conflicts down the road as your supporters and opponents butt heads.