tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5867660884980504124.post6614986229012297102..comments2023-10-29T10:00:18.905-04:00Comments on Power Word: Blog: Narrative in RPGshcduvallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08271032072494870642noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5867660884980504124.post-26123855660085000382008-02-25T01:08:00.000-05:002008-02-25T01:08:00.000-05:00heh. yeah. don't play many games anymore, but I di...heh. yeah. don't play many games anymore, but I did start God of War, and that has decent narrative. and shadow of colossus while I got bored after 5 or 6 bosses, was cinematically breathtaking. that is the extent of games i've played perhaps in the past few years, but did a decent job.<BR/><BR/>in terms of the golden age though. I still have affection for Betrayal at Krondor. Written by Raymond Feist (Got totally into his books after the game, read all 26 or so before I stopped) but the narrative totally worked as a game as well.<BR/><BR/>You can download it as freeware now. My brother did. Still a great game, though the ancient graphics are a little frustrating. you do appreciate that the hi-tech really does add something, when you go back to the lo-tech stuff.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14546992715660985590noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5867660884980504124.post-82982108064390123322008-02-15T15:18:00.000-05:002008-02-15T15:18:00.000-05:00So I think the distinction to be made here is that...So I think the distinction to be made here is that you’re calling for a return of single player rpgs, and hopefully good ones, and that the current crop haven’t done enough to make themselves immersive.<BR/><BR/>I don’t know if I think the developers are seeing the transition to 3D and graphics as a conscious tradeoff to emotional content—I think the argument is usually that better graphics puts you there. Then again, I don’t think the appeal of old school rpgs vs new turks is quite books vs movies style, where it leaves the imagination wanting. I think it’s more of a matter that the gameplay changing has changed the look of the rails of the story that the game is telling, and to some degree, the bigger ambitions on display in newer games.<BR/><BR/>I think we’ve discussed before how in Planescape (holy high watermark of rpgs, esp. since you haven’t played Fallout, you doof) the dialogue never defined the plot, just the character. Set things were going to happen no matter what, dialogue all led to the same place, but each one might indicate a different sentiment. I just finished Jade Empire, and some have been unfortunate in hearing me rant about how the ending pissed me off. It’s after one of those rants that I realized that it doesn’t matter to me what happens (I did get a choice, after all) but that none of dialogue described why I would do any such action (and some specifically used philosophical thinking I’m against). I wasn’t role-playing my character, I was just picking the plot resolution I wanted to see. Pissed me off, that.<BR/><BR/>But the switch to 3D engines has had a tradeoff on immersiveness, though not exactly the same way for me as you. There’s also the question of difficulty now that rpgs are half-fps or half-action, but with only a quarter hard (or stupid, considering Oblivion’s shit leveling scheme). For me, I’m also extremely annoyed when the the reality of gameplay clashes with the perceived one in dialogue or the like. Say you get offered a chance to cheat in a fight (Jade Empire), or sacrifice someone for a sword (Fable) or even you meet a bunch of antagonists who give you lip. If you’ve beaten everything before silly, it’s just incongruous to get any lip. This comes, I think, from translating old style difficulty ramping (more hit points, et al) with the new gameplay without accounting for the fact that such a method was always about turning fights into marathon runs. The games that pull of difficulty in 3-D aren’t mashers, but puzzles, like Zelda or God of War or Shadow of the Colossus. It was always a bit artificial the way the boss might have a prettier sprite and 18 million more hp or something, but at least you didn’t run through them in half a minute (as I could through the last 3 chapters in Jade Empire).<BR/><BR/>Anyway, I’m at work and I should stop. I will say that you’re a bit hard on the fetch quest, a proud part of the rpg genre. What jrpgs lack, usually, compared to “western” rpgs is even a half-assed attempt at making game mechanics coherent in their fictional universes. I mean, heal potions?<BR/><BR/>Also: Rockstar Games.hcduvallhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08271032072494870642noreply@blogger.com