Issue 45: Casual Friday - Don't Roleplay the Bugs

[The Escapist Staff]

Max SteeleTrying to design a computer game that plays like a tabletop RPG just makes for a broken computer game. It seems obvious now, but like so many designers before me, I had to learn it for myself. Max Steele relates his Neverwinter Nights adventure.

 

[The Escapist Staff]

Original Comment by: naidel

Interesting article, but the conclusion you draw from the experience is flawed. See, it is possible to successfully play something other than the generic MMO"RPG"s that currently flood the market. I know, because I've done it.

The key issue here is to realize that role playing by your computer is different from role playing gathered round a table. The difference is subtle in some ways, but blatantly obvious in others.

For example, subtle cues (e.g. your rogue not hearing the chittering sound in your first dungeon) are not easily acknowledged in a computer game environment. How is one to know if what your hear or see isn't just part of the default ambience of the region? If you want players to acknowledge something, spell it out. In text. Clearly.

CRPG multiplayer sessions need not turn into the usual MMORPG grind; it is possible to make CRPGs very closely resemble their table top counterparts. Some adjustments need to be made, however, for the adaption to be successful. What is needed is only the patience to realize what these adjustments are.

I can give more specific advice regarding these adjustments, drawing from my own experience, should you ask for it.

As for bugs... well, sometimes stupid things just happen. It cannot be helped. But your friend should've trashed his modem years ago.

We live in the 21st century, Newton.

 

[The Escapist Staff]

Original Comment by: Cybercat
http://protoshell.com
I agree with naidel, you are on the right path, but are drawing a flawed conclusion from your experience. It seems your other players had experience playing RPGs other than NWN, if you had played any other RPGs you should know that if you don't immediately kill something it's likely to kill you the moment you get too close, or you say the wrong thing, or a cut scene happens, etc. There are also many things RPGs have done to "dull the senses" as it were, such as the chittering sound. Play ANY modern MMO and you will find yourself assaulted by sounds relative to the area you are in, making any background noise non-substational to play style.

The most glaring problem however, seems to be that you didn't bother to test your module. A simple 5 minute run through your module would have been sufficient to determine whether your beetles endlessly spawned. You put deer in a forest without expecting a player to try and kill one? While immersive, in computer games everything is possible symbolic and will likely be summarily killed to see if it triggers anything else.

Honestly, all in all, it seems you were unwillingly to compromise your "vision" much like EQ was a few years back. They had this great plan of pulling players into this immersive world and were upset when people micro managed and beat the crap out of it (the other way your modules could've gone). NWN, like many games, does not have a "oh I was just kidding, I didn't really mean to do that" button, nor does it have the limited input of whatever the GM tells you, hence, games lead to chaotic instances all the time because players are not shown the way (i.e. obvious hints to continue storyline or show possible side routes were missing).

Your heart seems to be in the right place but it doesn't sound like you had the effort put into learning your environment before you jumped in head first. I realize 20-30 hours might seem like a lot to you but for a fully tested, bug free experience you'll need more than that...or you'll need someone elses modules.

 

[The Escapist Staff]

Original Comment by: bnielson
http://www.onlineroleplayer.com
Don't forget the the Escapist also published my response to this article:

http://www.escapistmagazine.com/issue/9/30

I loved Max's article, so don't see my disagreement as a sign of anything but wanting to add to the original article's greatness.

 

[The Escapist Staff]

Original Comment by: Jan Bosman
http://wow.planetlotro.com
As a role-player, and someone who has designed modules and campaigns in the vain effort to seize that Holy Grail, I offer Max my Coupon of Empathy +5. I pray someday someone finds it.

 

[The Escapist Staff]

Original Comment by: Steve

Very interesting article...A friend of mine sent it to me as we have recently experienced the same problems in trying to get an actual table-top RPG campaign off the ground. We are playing a modified version of an old Games Workshop miniatures game called Warhammer Quest. After many frustrating sessions we finally "nailed" it (turning it into a hack and slash), but at the cost of many arguements and complete burn out on the part of the DM (myself). I don't think you did anything wrong in designing your modules, I just think ultimately times change. Players just don't have patience anymore. Everybody in our group complained that they wanted story and roleplaying, but how they played the game was completely different (hack and slash). Similiar to your "deers in the woods", in reality all players want these days is experience points to level up! This is why World of Warcraft sells millions of copies and Baldur''s Gate (being one of the more successful) sold how many copies? The days of story driven, immersive environment RPG's are over. On the bright side, at least we (the "older generation" got to experience true roleplaying (pen & paper D&D etc.). I feel sad that this generation of gamers will rarely experience such a freedom of the imagination. The most incredible thing is, I have played (literally) thousands of video games and not a single one, (with or without all the fancy graphics and sounds) has EVER come close to the level of immersion that I have experienced through true paper and pen roleplaying. It's sad, but you can't go back...

 

[The Escapist Staff]

Original Comment by: Jon

There are some great modules available for download which use an active DM. I can't believe you created the modules from scratch for a single playthrough! That's a ton of work!