Moral Inflexibility in Games

[e2density]

Yeah, I agree. Fallout 3's karma system was a little messed up.

Spoiler

Especially in Tranquility Lane, if you don't know how to get the override, your karma gets wrecked. And the override is REALLY confusing to activate.

It is a real spoiler, BTW, so don't click it if you don't want to see it.

it was pretty easy to get actually, and it's a reference to a movie. double the awesome.

I didn't see the movie. It was quite obscure.

 

[Alarien]

I have to disagree that KOTOR ever gave good choices. I will agree that it gave a good ability, but that's about it. The morality choices in KOTOR were so extreme and, 9 times out of the 10 the "dark" choice was just so over the top, that it was complete unpalateable.

 

[Discord]

In Fallout 3 I never killed a innoncent NPC, hurt them or nothing. I only killed eneimes. But I did steal.... ALOT. So I should be a neutral or a Chaotic good right? WRONG! The game thought I should be a dark, evil, worse than hitler player.

Stealing is bad (even though no one saw me with Stealth Armor) but come on!

Actually there is a reason horse theft was a capital crime where car theft is minor crime, basically the same thing when you think about it right? both modes of transportation? Well when you consider the age of horse transportation in areas of the western united states or early Australian outback the loss of your horse could very well spell the death of your entire family, but lose a car? big deal, might hurt you for a few days until you get a loaner.

In a post-apocalyptic subsistence society theft is arguably more destructive then individual murder in that it can have massive consequences to the larger group the owner of said belongings, you're not just steeling a gun from one guy, you might be depriving an entire community of a vital part of their means of defence.

So in that context yes it is a morally bankrupt act, but they could explain it better, it took me a while to think that through myself while playing Fallout 3, in the beginning I had very much the same opinion as you.

Wow you have very good point and make a valid arguement. I thought about some of the reasoning behind the morality system but never in depth, Thank you my good sir for enlighting me.