I just can't rely on modern RPGs anymore. "Triple-A" publishers keep releasing what would be great RPGs without the unnecessary and unwanted multiplayer (looking squarely at you, EA, and that leash you've got on Bioware), or games that aren't RPGs with "RPG elements". Seriously, what use is a dialogue tree in Legend of Zelda?
And it's worse in the Indie sphere. Holy shit, Greenlight is just LITTERED with isometric throwbacks that put too much emphasis on mechanics-exploitation and not enough on being able to actually play a character as a person. And every time I see another damn RPG Maker game, I want to find the people who made that stupid program and shove bricks down their throats.
And the majority of gamers make it even worse. Bioware was on the right track with Dragon Age 2, the Mass Effect series, and TOR. Those are the best games I've played because the dialogue wheel is a wonderful thing for playing out different characters as PEOPLE. Dragon Age 2 was the best at that because the options came with icons to indicate tone! And what happened? They got slammed by a bunch of cry-babies whining about only getting to choose between three colors. Guess what, jerks: Life's a journey, not a destination, and those games contained GREAT journeys.
So, for the few of you left who are still reading because I haven't pissed you off to the point where you've run off to a thread about Anita Sarkeesian, jingoism, or religion (or to jump straight to the comments for a counterattack), here's the important part of this ranty thread: There need to be more RPGs with emphasis on actual role-playing, as in deciding on a basis for a personality and using the game's dialogue and other options to flesh out the character. There also need to be some explorations of genres in different formats.
And it's worse in the Indie sphere. Holy shit, Greenlight is just LITTERED with isometric throwbacks that put too much emphasis on mechanics-exploitation and not enough on being able to actually play a character as a person. And every time I see another damn RPG Maker game, I want to find the people who made that stupid program and shove bricks down their throats.
And the majority of gamers make it even worse. Bioware was on the right track with Dragon Age 2, the Mass Effect series, and TOR. Those are the best games I've played because the dialogue wheel is a wonderful thing for playing out different characters as PEOPLE. Dragon Age 2 was the best at that because the options came with icons to indicate tone! And what happened? They got slammed by a bunch of cry-babies whining about only getting to choose between three colors. Guess what, jerks: Life's a journey, not a destination, and those games contained GREAT journeys.
So, for the few of you left who are still reading because I haven't pissed you off to the point where you've run off to a thread about Anita Sarkeesian, jingoism, or religion (or to jump straight to the comments for a counterattack), here's the important part of this ranty thread: There need to be more RPGs with emphasis on actual role-playing, as in deciding on a basis for a personality and using the game's dialogue and other options to flesh out the character. There also need to be some explorations of genres in different formats.
I like Elder Scrolls, Dragon Age, Neverwinter Nights, and all that. But let me tell you what all the new fantasy RPGs look like to me: [Legends/Chronicles/Darkness/etc.] of [Made up world name]. I don't even want to bother at that point. One of the most interesting fantasy games I've played was Arcanum, an isometric Steampunk. I LOVED it because it had all the races and magic of a typical fantasy game in a Victorian-era society I had to navigate through, and getting medieval often ended very badly for me (at least at lower levels). Unfortunately, it's an old game that hasn't aged well.
You know who'd be a prime candidate to make a new steampunk rpg? Bethesda. Not long ago I gave the original Fallout a try, and I MUCH prefer Fallout 3 and New Vegas. We've also seen that they can pull off the aesthetic with Dishonored.
Also, if Lionhead ever decides to make a proper Fable 4, it needs to be set in an era comparable to World War 2. And they should make sure NOT to promise more than they can deliver. Peter Molyneux, you were one of the first to teach me not to trust what developers say before the game's out. You monster.
You know who'd be a prime candidate to make a new steampunk rpg? Bethesda. Not long ago I gave the original Fallout a try, and I MUCH prefer Fallout 3 and New Vegas. We've also seen that they can pull off the aesthetic with Dishonored.
Also, if Lionhead ever decides to make a proper Fable 4, it needs to be set in an era comparable to World War 2. And they should make sure NOT to promise more than they can deliver. Peter Molyneux, you were one of the first to teach me not to trust what developers say before the game's out. You monster.
Again, I love SWTOR. Eight different storylines, one for each class, that can be played out differently depending on how you play the character. For example, I've played two Sith Inquisitors. One I'm playing as a reformist, the other has a secret goal of dismantling the Empire from within. COMPLETELY different experiences even when posed with the same conversations, even when they choose the same dialogue options! However, I hate having to be online with other people. I hate the time-consuming crafting system that comes with MMO territory and I don't like the micro-transactions. I hate the restrictions on companion dialogue events just because I'm not a subscriber. Overall, playing the game saddens me, because I know it would be the best game ever if it WEREN'T an MMO.
As I said, Dragon Age 2 improved on the dialogue wheel system by adding tone-indicating icons. If an RPG is going to actually focus on role-playing, there needs to be innovation on making characters express themselves. Maybe at creation, a personality quiz like the one at the beginning of Morrowind could be used to determine a broad personality type, which would affect the tone and wording of dialogue options made available. Maybe let the player be capable of changing their character's facial expression in real time during the conversation, to which the character(s) they're talking to will react and potentially change the course of the conversation. Things like that.
By which I mean there'd be some combat, but by and large, successful gameplay would mean successful navigation of the treacherous territory that is feudal politics. Deception, bribery, exploitation, blackmail, the works. A game where a reliable spy network is much more important than an army and subtlety keeps you alive better than any armor.
