[quote=Quietwulf]Never had much use for "fixed" alignment.
I will once again point to Pillars of Eternity.
An objective, numbered stat in a CRPG is a fair replacement for the ability to adjudicate individual situations and behavior on a case by case basis as a human GM. So while I find alignment unnecessary in TTRPG, it's not a terrible idea in a CRPG.
I tend to feel alignment with no mechanical impact is harmless. But Alignment with actual impact on dialogue will again be disappointing.
Pillars has the best approach to such behavior tracking I've seen. I've heard Tyranny has a similar approach, but I've never played it since I'm not fond of "play the bad guy" style games and whether or not that's what it is....that's what it was marketed as...so I was never interested.
Yes, I recall the way Pillars of Eternity handled it. I think it was a pretty decent compromise and I found it interesting the way gaining one element (Compassion) would lower your reputation with groups who valued Cruelty for example. So by behaving a certain way, you'd open some paths, yet close others. I also liked the way that your reputation for a given kind of behaviour would eventually open up additional options for you. If people felt you were fair minded most of the time, then they were more likely to trust your judgement for example.
Sadly, this kind of complex alignment tracking doesn't exist in DnD, so the dev's kind of have their backs to the wall.
It feels like as soon as they put a system in, people immediately load up that system with expectations.
So the second they put traditional DnD alignment in, you're going to have people arguing "Why is this even in the game if it doesn't do anything!?!". A fair point indeed.
So you either try and shoehorn something in around alignment, with imperfect results, or you just leave it out all together and track "reputation" based stuff based on big events e.g. "Saved the refugee's, freed the druid" etc.
Basically I'm come to accept that no matter what the Dev's do.. someone's going to be unhappy. My only hope is they stay true to their personal vision for the game.
