Larian Studios Forums General Chat RPG Chat What is happening to RPG's?

I don't think anyone does <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> Which is a good thing, IMO <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Quote from the first post:

[color:"orange"]It's gameplay that counts.[/color]

It's gameplay that counts!

Some want to play the game, and some want to beat the game.
Too many of the latter, in my humble opinion.

Playing the game is about exploration, discovery, testing your wit, and developping, maturing your character alter ego.

Beating the game is using your character as a tool, a means to an end.

When you beat a game, you have a short feeling of success, triumph.
A game you have beaten, you sell at ebay.

When you played a game through to the end, you have a lasting feeling - of loss.
A game you have played, you put in a shelve, to re-play eventually - like a good book you want to come back to...

I completely agree with Glance <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

yeah, Glance, i have that feeling when i play Fallout. once i get to the end part, i feel a bit sad as it's going to be over.

edit: hey shootnrun, here's the link on Avatar. hope that helps. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Glance, I agree, but only if the game (especially the story) is good enough <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />. You allways want to beat it, but if it's good enough you allso want to play it. The game that for me best suits this description is Arcanum. I explored that game in and out, but still only beat it once. And I'm still going to beat Torment (unfortunantlly not much exploreing to be done, I think, but the main story, the one you play in order to beat the game is just great, that's why you want to beat it <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />). One day I will, one day...

Übereil

Beating the game ... my first spontanous image was that of Blizzards games ...

Yeay, or playing an FPS single player. Or any of those old platform games, like Super Mario.

Übereil

Well - it's certainly helpful, if the game is 'good', however an individual defines that. For me, it is more how to play a game. You can 'beat' any game, all games are designed towards an end in their story line. But on the way to that, you can level as fast as possible, make your character as mighty as possible (respectively as allowed by the game), or you can enjoy the journey, by NOT optimizing, by NOT using everything the game potentially provides, by forming your character as it suits your imagination, not the game designer's.

Gameplay is playing the game,
Gameplay is hunting game. (Sometimes I like dual meanings in English words <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/winkwink.gif" alt="" /> )

In my opinion, this style of play has to do with building up power and might. To me, it's like as if someone tries - virtually - to become the mightiest person (character) possible. It's like "I have the fastest car" to me.

I wouldn't say so, Alrik: having the fastest car means nothing: you shall never use it to its full potential in the city. Having a high-level character, on the other hand, undeniably helps you.

Excellent points, Glance. Subconsciously I utilize the term "beating a game" when it comes to console games: I suppose that's because I see no fun in actually PLAYING platformers such as Super Mario. Psychonauts is unique for this reason: I couldn't just jump over the platforms as fast as I could: I stopped to listen to a voice or watch a picture. I was constantly looking around to spot some elusive figment of imagination...concerned see Action-RPGs as past at least as long as Diablo clones are concerned. More and more companies are jumping on the MMO band-wagon which, frankly, annoys me greatly. I see MMOs as nothing but vacuum-cleaner tubes in the customer's pockets. The whole idea of playing monthly for a game I already own bothers me and after playing Guild Wars, I can't believe anyone would waste 200$ per month of a game of similar mechanics. The last RPG I found worthy? Jade Empire. I loved every single second of it and rushed the later parts because I really wanted to see how it all would end. Every location of the game was memorable and each NPC had unique traits.
I recently played Fable: The Last Chapters (just before switching to Mac) and I must say, this game was severely under-rated as a game and over-rated as an RPG. I had a LOT of fun with Fable: I'd gladly pay the full 50$ price for it but without a PC, I'll wait for the 30$ Xbox version instead. On the other hand, as an RPG, Fable's storyline is forgettable and the gameworld is way too small. I congratulate Peter Mouleneux and Lionhead for a fun approach to fantasy stat-based action games but calling it an RPG is like calling Doom 3 a real-time strategy game: not quite.

I believe I already mentioned that the actual length of modern-day games (and especially RPGs) is decreasing very quickly. You all played BG II and you know that 20 hours of gameplay is nothing when talking about this game. Take a modern title. Fable? 20-33h. KOTOR? 15-20h. Jade Empire? 11-27h. This I don't grok.

Sidenote : The verb "to grok" originally means something different, but seems to have undergone a slight shift in meaning. I know this word (which is actually an invention of Robert A. Heinlein) means "going into something" as far as I know.

In Robert Heinlein's "Stranger In A Strange World" Michael Valentine Smith constantly uses it. It is later defined as the Martian word for "Drink" and means to merge with the object you are trying to grok in order to understand it completely. When it is used in real life, it's just a fancy-sounding synonym for "understand".

Janggut, thx for the link. I like this picture because I often play as an archer in my games. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

I can't really make a comparison between 2nd and 3rd editions because I haven't played any games that use AD&D 3rd edition (Icewind Dale II, NWN).



Yup, that's the one I was talking about. Turns out it's not only posted at Gamefaqs.

Damn you Bioware for not releaseing it for PC, damn you! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/memad.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cry.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/memad.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cry.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/memad.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cry.gif" alt="" />

I'll have to make do with that I think we have somewhat different taste...



Agree, and I don't like it. A game shouldn't be too long, but they're getting way too short nowadays. Another sign that the RPG genre is disappearing, soon the games will be no time at all <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/silly.gif" alt="" />!

Übereil

Damn you Bioware for making Dragon Age PC exclusive!

What kind of RPG is Dragon age ? Rather action based or non action based ? <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/biggrin.gif" alt="" />

Just found this one : http://project-apollo.net/text/rpg.html

Alrik...

Dragon Age

It looks like they are aiming to create a PS:T level party-based RPG. At least, I hope so <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Don't have too high expentations. It's dangerous <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/shhh.gif" alt="" />...

Übereil

Too true! But I learned that lesson with Phantom Menace thankfully <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />