On RPG Elements

[Ninjagamer]

I have infinite numbers of 1984 and Animal Farm references boiling up. Help me stop them before I explode.

 

[high_castle]

snip

snip

The problem with the WRPG method of character creation is that you either end up not caring about the main character because he/she has no inherent personality (and even if you pay great attention to make his/her choices in the game reflect the personality you want him/het to have, the game fails to note the details finer that saint/evil bastard, making the whole effort seem really pointless) or then the experience becomes completely based on Mary Sueism.
Granted, it's more your Sue that the author's, and when done right it can be extremely entertaining to have your avatar be the centre of the game's world, but it still is a Mary Sue story.

Disagree with you there. I've played plenty of western RPGs (The Baldur's Gate series, NWN, Jade Empire, Morrowind, KOTOR series, Mass Effect, Fallout series, etc.) where the main character is NOT a Mary Sue. Let's look at the recent Mass Effect, for example. Now this game was done differently, having you select a back story and psych profile for your character. While this may seem like giving you a pre-defined story, they left plenty of room for individual interpretation. And their choices were more nuanced than kitten-eating or butterfly-saving. I was not the only gamer who stared at my television for a good ten minutes trying to figure out what to do at a few key points.

Also look at Fallout 3. That game was unique in letting you experience and impact your character's childhood. Look at Morrowind, which told you your character was a prisoner born under a certain sign, but nothing else. You were free to create your own history, imagine your own story as you saw fit. And I would never call that story a Mary Sue. Period. Leaving things ambiguous about your main character does not a Mary Sue make. That term applies to self-inset fanfics.

I also come from the tabletop D&D world. I like my RPGs to reflect customization. That's in large part why I don't like JRPGs. They're basically action games with turn-based combat. Where's the fun in that?

 

[oathblade]

i find Australia's efforts to be scary and facinating...since a democracy is duplicating the efforts of Communist China. It almost seems like there si a global push to roll back efforts to increase general public liberty.

 

[Kilgorn]

this is why im dissapointed in Bordelands now, there is only an RPG element for the guns and nothing else.

as for bears, they are easily killed with lamps

 

[Zydrate]

OH MY GOD it's a bear, get in the van!

OT: I like RPG elements even in non-RPG games. But in some cases (IE: Weapon managing in Mass Effect), It's just dumb.

 

[RexoftheFord]

Well, I don't know if this has been brought up, but Deus Ex back in 2000 (or was it '99?) implemented the point system for raising abilities. So Resident Evil 4 can't really be the first game with these sorts of RPG elements. In a way, the elements work as you'd think a real life education would. You go to class, you assign points in certain skills, and you improve those skills. Which I don't know if the industry is trying for that, but in a simple game where the point is to just beat people up, I don't want to be sitting there figuring out where I want to put my points. I just want new moves to unlock with new levels so I can kick ass.

 

[NeoSilver]

Well, I don't know if this has been brought up, but Deus Ex back in 2000 (or was it '99?) implemented the point system for raising abilities. So Resident Evil 4 can't really be the first game with these sorts of RPG elements. In a way, the elements work as you'd think a real life education would. You go to class, you assign points in certain skills, and you improve those skills. Which I don't know if the industry is trying for that, but in a simple game where the point is to just beat people up, I don't want to be sitting there figuring out where I want to put my points. I just want new moves to unlock with new levels so I can kick ass.

Some of us, on the other end of the spectrum, enjoy that kind of thing. I did, anyways, but I'm a little off kilter by gamer standards. While it doesn't belong in every FPS- despite what the baboons that man most the industry seem to think- it works well in some games. The Deus Ex series is one of them. Well, the original, anyways. Not so much Invisible War.

 

[RexoftheFord]

Well, I actually liked it in Deus Ex, but since that's a game about conspiracy and supercop work it worked well. But games like the Bouncer, Spiderman, or any other beat'em up shouldn't have this system. Certain fighters should just have certain moves that come automatically at levels, instead of me freaking out over too many decisions to make and regretting it later. In other words, when there's a set number of skills for a single character hero it works well. In actually RPGs it works well, but in everything else where there's multiple classes...just give'em preset strengths and weaknesses and get the fuck out of the way. So what I'm saying is...I agree with you. lol

 

[-Orgasmatron-]

But the point is, they really, REALLY want to do this. And if they can do it here, someone could do it ANYWHERE. Like, say, YOUR country.

He's right you know.

 

[Kemicaze]

I don't really see the problem in the filtering! As to bypass it u just replace your DNS's with some that aren't filtered!
Like here in Denmark www.thepiratebay.org was blocked by all ISPs, yet everyone that want to use it just changed their DNS's!
A good provider is www.opendns.com
There problem with internet filtering solved... next question! ;-)

 

[Grampy_bone]

I wouldn't say that "upgrades" equals "RPG." Putting upgradeable guns/moves into an action game is just another way to reward the player and add depth to the gameplay, and that's never really a bad thing. Sure some games do it better than others, but that's the way it is. It's funny that Yahtzee mentions Saints Row 2 because that game has a whole slew of upgrades you earn from doing the various missions... Guess he forgot to mention that in his denouncement of all things RPG.

 

[YourUsualSuspect]

Amigo.. i currently live in a country WITH a blanket internet censorship. yes, the mighty Facebook is blocked for all its 1.3 billion occupants. as is youtube. internet lovers.. you must surley know how painfull it is to be deprived of facebook for a few hours. now imagine years

that's beside ANY adult content, even lingerie adverts are heavily scutinised. If Australia takes one step towards this, it is a sad day for all 'free' democratic countries. Afterall, isnt freedom what democracy prides itself on? =(

internet speeds vary from poor to downright awful here as a direct result, its not something the government should even be considering if it wants to be seen as progressive. One step forward- four steps back?

Anyhow, rant over. I just wanted to share my pain for a lingering moment

 

[MR T3D]

customization is nice in almost any game, RPG elements, however, not so much.
there is a world of diffence between the two.

not really a big differens. unlocking parts for a gun is customization. earning money to unlock parts for a gun is rpg element. i think thats what he meant with the re4 part.

the differnis that the RPG element mean that the player needs to collect and spend points to keep weapons in line with the developer's intended difficulty curve, while customization is simply looking cooler/adding minor convience to your playing.
think RPG elements in a game vs. MGS4's customization of weapons.

 

[Uncompetative]

Well Deus Ex 3 sounds great, I'm really looking forward to it.

The lead designer on the project announced that Deus Ex 3 will focus more heavily on shooting than on the other aspects that made the original game great.

The Deus Ex sequels don't exist, because I don't want them to.

I like shooting stuff, but I also like first-person non-linear adventure games... I'm hoping for a mix of both genres.

 

[RagingScottsman]

But if Australia bans online porn, how are you supposed to rub one out for free?

 

[Allan Foe]

But if Australia bans online porn, how are you supposed to rub one out for free?

I wager that this legislation was actually sponsored by the Offline Porn Industry.

 

[Distorted Stu]

Every govement in any nation are becomign tighter on secrirty and censorship. The UK is slowly on its way to becomne a China & Australia.

 

[Jim Grim]

That thing with the Australian government really frightens me. The internet, while filled with a lot of crap, Is as I have often said the greatest tool of free speech ever invented. If it is censored or controlled, then we are truly lost. Say I'm dramatic all you want but I can't imagine a worst dystopia. This is only the beginning.

You can't? Because I once imagined a world where we were ruled over by lions that had human legs and were two feet tall. They carried lazer guns and made humans work in their evil alcohol mines, killing the old frail and weak while raising the children as their own.

Anyway, I can't imagine the Australian government being allowed to go to far with this. Mr. Hitler was just in the right place at the right time, and I don't think Australia's in that place at the moment.

 

[flatten_the_skyline]

What he said about internet censorship is true... When China and Google did it everyone called them communist Nazis, but now Germany wants it, too... (Well this sad excuse of a country has a long tradition of Nazis, so it might not come as a surprise, but anyways)

It'S nice how they began with "Let's block the child porn", and then just weeks later people demanded to filter neo-Nazi pages, and only shortly later left extremists as well...

Well, nothings lost yet, and we just got a new government (the one I didn't vote for) so let's see...