Inofficial/unauthorised summary - DAD's ingredients for a successful RPG cocktail:
interesting world full of mysteries, puzzles, quests and encounters (talk and/or fight)
combat + treasure
interesting story developing slowly
secrets, represented by powerful foes, their defeat/or encounter with them reveals the main scheme bit by bit
boss enemies should be honoured by a movie clip on defeat
romance (optional)
reward at the end - standing ovations for the heroine/hero; victorious return home, loaded with loot, honour (and a kiss?)
Kiya
Hmm... No offence, DAD, but seems obvious.
I just wonder if there are games who never had that?
It is a wonder that you wonder because there is not even one single game that has it all, especially the comeback home.
In Divinity the hero is basically homeless, especially the survivor lady. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/biggrin.gif" alt="" />
The best games up to this moment prefer the classic movie endings when the narrator comes up with a proverb or a wisdom to preach.
A very true hero is usually a girl or boy that was mainly kicked around and looked down on provoking a great challenge that changes the course of the hero's life.
Now add to that a factor of a complementary gender character sympathizing with the to-be-the-hero, encouraging and energizing the will.
Then begins the training and the seeking of lore within which experience is gained through adventure and quests (and that is mainly what all implements).
RPG goals are persistently vague or have a make-believe as a reward; saving the world or saving humanity from destruction etcetera.
This superman trend is obsolete, tired, exhausted and absolutely empty of true psychological reward.
One needs not save the world but his own home people, and I can convince you why.
Read the news papers every day and find out how many people die every day whom you do not know personally and tell me how much does this fact touch your emotions.
Now let any parent or friend die and tell me if you were not deeply saddened and overwhelmed.
There are thousands who get married everyday, but that would never excite you as much as when YOU get married.
Saving the world is really big, but it has no taste if that world did not include your beloved and those whom you care for.
A true ROLE playing game must give you a role to play and be seriously identified with.
The good news is that in an RPG, not like the real world, you may always save, and reload if you lose. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/biggrin.gif" alt="" />
