RPG's---How much is TOO much?
by Kevin James · in Game Design and Creative Issues · 08/16/2006 (6:38 pm) · 30 replies
I've played many RPGs in my lifetime and found them all to have different levels of detail. Some required eating for the sake of not starving while in some games eating restored health which is less realistic but not so annoying. This is one example of how something might be realistic enough for one person but just be ridiculous to another.
And as far as skills. I noticed that in Oblivian, they really cut down on the number of skills. Long and Short blade became Blade, axe and blunt became blunt, ect. Do you prefer really speciallized skills or more general ones?
I think the best solution is to offer every level of realism that you can. Give the player a choice between worring about hunger or not and the many other levels of realism that could be delved into.
That's enough from me. . . what do you think?
And as far as skills. I noticed that in Oblivian, they really cut down on the number of skills. Long and Short blade became Blade, axe and blunt became blunt, ect. Do you prefer really speciallized skills or more general ones?
I think the best solution is to offer every level of realism that you can. Give the player a choice between worring about hunger or not and the many other levels of realism that could be delved into.
That's enough from me. . . what do you think?
About the author
Hobbyist game developer -- free and open source games FTW.
#22
03/18/2007 (12:01 pm)
Good advice, Rojalee. 
#23
you are practically worrying about everything you do in real life ,sleep, eat, drink , pee , poop lol!!..
not to mention what you do in order to do that... like cooking ,buying or getting food,take care of every aspect of yourself..
or like in the sims.. you play to be people.. even when you are people hehehe. why not you just go out and do the same your game character did instead?
or in fantasy rpgs.. as someone said here.. since the moment you add magic ,wizards and dragons.. you should not expect too much realism hehe
diablo 2 was fun to me, a little time consuming but fun
but oblivion for example.. to me is just too much.. too much complications start to bore faster than you might think..
i would say focus more in funy gameplay than in balanced diets ,blood tests and workout sessions lol
cheers
03/18/2007 (5:57 pm)
I think rpg's are going too far... that are too complex that are even bored...you are practically worrying about everything you do in real life ,sleep, eat, drink , pee , poop lol!!..
not to mention what you do in order to do that... like cooking ,buying or getting food,take care of every aspect of yourself..
or like in the sims.. you play to be people.. even when you are people hehehe. why not you just go out and do the same your game character did instead?
or in fantasy rpgs.. as someone said here.. since the moment you add magic ,wizards and dragons.. you should not expect too much realism hehe
diablo 2 was fun to me, a little time consuming but fun
but oblivion for example.. to me is just too much.. too much complications start to bore faster than you might think..
i would say focus more in funy gameplay than in balanced diets ,blood tests and workout sessions lol
cheers
#24
One other thing to look at though is in a complex world do you really cover all the bases? I was happily playing Oblivion for weeks until I got an assignment to kill a guy. I took the assignment but just to see where it would lead. When I met the guy I didn't kill him. Well the game didn't care. And I got turned into a vampire for killing a guy I didn't kill (and I tried many ways to get around it). That pissed me off so much I haven't touched the game since. So if you're going to make quests, give choices, whatever. Do a little more play testing and see how people are going to react and how to get around your own complexities.
03/18/2007 (6:32 pm)
There is a way to cater to the diversity of people and their desires in RPGs in some ways and that is detail levels. Like with so many other programs I think that RPGs today should have them. So I want to hack and slash and play along with the story so I set my detail level to 1 and all I have to really worry about is my health, magic and profession. But George, as a fighter, wants to tweak his skills in sword versus axe so he goes to level 3. And Raj wants to start a profession as a basket weaver on the side, worry about food, and start a family so he's detail level 9. If you start by making a complex game (say level 10) and then use AI to handle things at lower detail levels, it wouldn't be that hard to set the game up. I am talking about single player experiences though. For multiplayer you have to consider the advantages and disadvatanges player's get by using the game's AI or not.One other thing to look at though is in a complex world do you really cover all the bases? I was happily playing Oblivion for weeks until I got an assignment to kill a guy. I took the assignment but just to see where it would lead. When I met the guy I didn't kill him. Well the game didn't care. And I got turned into a vampire for killing a guy I didn't kill (and I tried many ways to get around it). That pissed me off so much I haven't touched the game since. So if you're going to make quests, give choices, whatever. Do a little more play testing and see how people are going to react and how to get around your own complexities.
#25
I know what you mean, Shiraz. I hate it when you have no choice but to do a particular action (Killing someone, or even just talking to some NPC in some dark corner of the game world!) to advance a quest. If I ever made an RPG, the quests would be more like guidelines, and less of a rigid story I must follow . . . or else not go anywhere in the game or complete the quest or whatever.
03/19/2007 (3:59 pm)
Quote:So if you're going to make quests, give choices, whatever.
I know what you mean, Shiraz. I hate it when you have no choice but to do a particular action (Killing someone, or even just talking to some NPC in some dark corner of the game world!) to advance a quest. If I ever made an RPG, the quests would be more like guidelines, and less of a rigid story I must follow . . . or else not go anywhere in the game or complete the quest or whatever.
#26
This is my foundation for the formula for fun in my future RPG that will redefine how RPGs can be made and played.
For my first trick, let me present to you something everyone enjoys - discovery! Now, what if it's something new? New, in otherwords, to everyone. Mind you, the range of discovery extends from the moment you start untill the moment you start again. As new as an alien world where reality has a new meaning. I say, literally, name your prize!
This is just a hint of it's complexity, it's diversity, and it's overall appeal. In the game, Infinity should give you all the clues as to how far you may go.
Now, dream as I make it happen!
- Ronixus
03/23/2007 (9:38 pm)
I believe RPGs can go much further doing what they do best - appealing to the player and their entity - better through the situations they present over the numbers that hinder them. Weither the player is into the fast pace or the slow pace, they do share the role of their avatar and the ultimate goal is always to be appealing to others.This is my foundation for the formula for fun in my future RPG that will redefine how RPGs can be made and played.
For my first trick, let me present to you something everyone enjoys - discovery! Now, what if it's something new? New, in otherwords, to everyone. Mind you, the range of discovery extends from the moment you start untill the moment you start again. As new as an alien world where reality has a new meaning. I say, literally, name your prize!
This is just a hint of it's complexity, it's diversity, and it's overall appeal. In the game, Infinity should give you all the clues as to how far you may go.
Now, dream as I make it happen!
- Ronixus
#27
03/24/2007 (10:02 am)
Thems mighty big claims, pardner! (I'm feeling western.) You be sure and mosey on back when you finish.
#28
God be with you.
03/24/2007 (11:47 am)
Those are indeed some pretty lofty goals Chris. I've found that when tackling a big project, it's best to take it in steps. God be with you.
#29
Besides, life is but a series of steps, a game of Shutes and Ladders, but sometimes like a world of chaos, where going up is really going down, and yes, sometimes we fall down, hard, and, unless it's game over or we decide to stop playing, we start climbing again...
As for me, I've just reached a third step out of five here, now I'm going for another...
- Ronixus
Sometimes we take each other higher. I believe in taking each other higher more often.
03/24/2007 (12:21 pm)
But of course! ;)Besides, life is but a series of steps, a game of Shutes and Ladders, but sometimes like a world of chaos, where going up is really going down, and yes, sometimes we fall down, hard, and, unless it's game over or we decide to stop playing, we start climbing again...
As for me, I've just reached a third step out of five here, now I'm going for another...
- Ronixus
Sometimes we take each other higher. I believe in taking each other higher more often.
#30
03/24/2007 (2:56 pm)
Definitely inspirational, Chris, and I would like to see where that links leads, but unforunately I don't have TGE, so I can't view the forum.
Torque Owner Rojalee
If you're going to make a game, consider the current gaming situation.
The major software players all have excellent hack n slash games out there.
the next level all have good item hog RPGs. (thats a l33t sword dude)
there are RPGs for fantasy, sci-fi, and space already in high demand with big budgets behind them.
So why make a game at all? Because games are fun.
Make what you would like to play, if you are an old PnP guy, you like deep storylines with excellent documentation. If you are a new console dude, you just wanna hack up to 60 and collect stuff.
Either way, making a game is hard work, and if you're going to do it, at least make it something you enjoy, otherwise, just go get a 2nd (or 3rd in some cases) job.