Larian Studios Forums General Chat RPG Chat Character Build-Strong Story Line

I think it is just impossible to give players what they need.

Divine Divinity delivered it to an extent, but how could they go any farther. No matter how good the story is, there has to be an ending. It doesn't matter how many players travel a different path, there has to be that main goal.

I'm sure a lot of people want to argue with this and that is fine. Lets just say actions speak louder than words. You hear people playing Diablo and NWN over and over because of builds. Can anyone actually say they have played Divine Divinity, Morrowind or Baldurs Gate at least twenty times because of the story?

Where is that happy medium? Where can someone create a game that you want to play over and over? Of course we have those games, but why are you playing them over and over?

People have to remember, when you want a fantastic story there has to be an end.

I CAN say I have played Planescape: Torment at least a dozen times because of the story. It's my single most played non-RTS.

But then, the story in PS:T is absolutely head & shoulders above that of any other game I have ever encountered.

I stand corrected. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/ouch.gif" alt="" />

please, have a seat. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/silly.gif" alt="" />

*Sits down quietly with new avatar*

Tempo...

PS:T is a one-off, sadly. With most games, you'd be right <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> But there is a huge difference between a 'story' that is basically an excuse to go around racking up a body count, and PS:T, which is a deeply rich & complex story. And yes, it has multiple endings, and many ways to win... <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

And great characterinteraction, every NPC has a backstory, most of them amazing too <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />. A pity it's one of a kind...

Übereil

[color:"orange"]Where can someone create a game that you want to play over and over?[/color]

I don't want to play a game over and over, any more than I would read the same book or watch the same movie repeatedly. Depending on the depth of story, etc I might play a game a couple or few times, though usually with a break inbetween. I just finished PS:T for the first time a little while ago, and could probably go through it again now if I didn't have half a dozen other unplayed games collecting dust on a shelf.

Games that can be played over and over are monotonous. I never finished Diablo or Diablo II, because of that. The multi-player aspect was fun, when my schedule matched up with my brother's. There was some challenge / fun in character building and equipment finding, but ultimately it was all rather pointless and repetitive hack-and-slash, IMNSHO.


[color:"orange"]when you want a fantastic story there has to be an end.[/color]

You say that like it's a bad thing.

At least with a story there is some depth to the game and characters can have backgrounds and motivation for their actions. If the story is detailed or interesting enough, you can play through it multiple times. Without a story, you're left with just some brief premise (at best) to loosely tie together a bunch of hunt and fetch quests. In this case, the only reason to play is basically to assemble a set of skills and equipment to most effectively kill monsters. This can also be done if the game has a story, though generally not to the same extent.

Unfortunately, too many people seem to be content with just character building (though without much actual character). Personally, I'd prefer more support and demand for story driven RPGs than action RPGs, especially since the RPG category is a small segment of the gaming market to begin with.