Gatt9 wrote...
Wrong. Making RPGs play like some completely different genre isn't experimenting with new things. It's making games in a completely different genre. There's nothing new here. In fact, what is has is decades old.
Isn't the point of RPGS to play a role other than yourself (Or perhaps a self that can wield a sword or whatever)? Regardless of the mechanics and whatnot, roleplaying games are to play a role within the defined parameters of the setting and storyline. Well, I did. I played a role. I remember that when I said something rude to Aveline, she shut me down. And when I said something caring to her, she was receptive and friendly. I have shat on characters to the point where they gave up and left.
Mechanics are secondary to roleplaying. Also, my Force Mage was totally different from my Healer Mage. So I've still got options in the roleplaying and the mechanics and the appearance. And as Cat just pointed out, I have a choice in my armor, in what companions I bring with me, for the most part, and how I talk to them, and whether I do anything but the main questline.
I've got a better analogy for you. Several in fact.
-Sega Genesis and SNES died out because all they did was release the same few types of games.
Sega Genesis and SNES died out because new consoles came out.
Also, what we want to avoid is BW releasing the same few types of games. Because that's called boring.
-Dozens of studios died because they jumped on the FMV bandwagon because it was the new fad.
And yet, FMVs opened up a lot of avenues regarding cutscenes and interactive playscenes that now make up a whole new genre of gaming. Were FMVs perfect? No. But experimentation with it did nice new things.
-Dozens of studios died because they jumped on the RTS bandwagon and screamed "This is the only way to make a game! It's EVOLUTION!!!".
I dunno what they did regarding RTS. But that seems rather moot, since this is RPG, not RTS, and BW isn't jumping on any bandwagons, here. In fact, it sounds like a lot of people want their classic RPG bandwagon back.
-DAO outsold ME and ME2.
If so, good for DAO. I'm glad. I enjoyed it. It was a cool game.
-Pokemon outsold everything Bioware's made.
What does Pokemon have to do with this conversation? I'm glad people like it? I hope they catch 'em all.
-No genre in 30 years has died for any reason. Every single genre is still alive and well today. Laidlaw tosses around "Genre-death!" despite the fact that such an event has never occurred in 30 years of gaming.
There has been a sharp decrease in point-and-click adventure games. Is it gone entirely? No. But it is waiting for a resurgance. Someone will do it and add a new twist to them to make them interesting again.
Also, it's been 30 years. That's a tiny amount of time, all things considered. Movies have been around for almost 100. They've changed quite a bit and still are changing. And you know what else movies do? They mix genres.
You know what was a fun game that was really original? Mirror's Edge. It was like an FPS, but I was ninjaing around, doing parkour. It was awesome. And definitely an evolution of a first-person game.
ML: It presents an intriguing thought experiment: is it viable to have a game that's closer to Baldur's Gate 2 in terms of the raw mechanics and execution? I don't think there's anything preventing it. However, I do think that, as a genre, if RPGs can't evolve and can't change -- and I know people yell at me for daring to use the word "evolve" -- but if they can't change or experiment, then the genre itself is going to stagnate. Not only in terms of mechanics,
like in rehashes and stuff, which I think we mostly manage to avoid, but the bigger problem is that if we don't have RPGs that present a different type of experience, then we kind of encapsulate our potential audience to people who enjoy just that experience, and we drive others away.In of itself, that runs the risk of genre death -- it becomes too referential or too reliant on people understanding that STR means strength which feeds into accuracy which results in damage done, and so on. You end up in a case where, the genre eventually burns out, or falls flat, or becomes too risky to take any risks in development, and so on and so forth, and that's not something I want to see happen.
Here is what I read: "Do we want to make something resembling BG2 in mechanics, or do we try something different? There's nothing stopping us from doing the former. But we've already made BG2-mechanics. Why not try something new? The mechanics of BG2 can seem unwieldy and difficult to people that aren't familiar with the system. We can make something that allows for tactical play just as much as it allows for fun. We may mess up a few times in trying to find that balance, but if we don't try at all, we never will, and eventually, the amount of people who don't understand the mechanics of older systems will outnumber the people that do."
I hate to ruin conspiracy theories, but that's not insulting to anyone. That's basically saying, "It's great that people enjoyed that game - it's still our baby! - but there are new ways to do things and a more varied demand for what people want in a game." Where is that an insult? It's not devaluing players of old RPGs or old RPGs. In fact, it's using that as a jumping point. You can't have what we have now without those.
I played BG2, I played PST, I played a lot of the old RPGs. I didn't like BG2 very much outside the main storyline. I didn't like the mechanics of PST, but I LOVED the story - all of it. A lot of old RP mechanics sucked for me. They made no sense half the time or were annoying to put with. But you know what I had with DA2's storyline AND mechanics? Fun. DAO's, too. I like both. They're not mutually exclusive games.
If you get a game with exactly the same mechanics, it'll be familiar, yes, and you'll know all its problems and flaws and its good things and fun parts. But it won't be new to you. It won't be improving on what came before. It'll just be a repeat. And yes, old RPGs had flaws. I don't care what the rosy glasses of nostalgia say.
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(ty Obsidian)
