97 réponses à ce sujet

[xAmilli0n]

Telling a specific story vs letting players craft their own. Clearly defined characters vs characters molded by the players will.  And of course choices, and the role they play in all of this.

 

This is a delicate balance that many games (by Bioware and others) have tried to achieve with varying degrees of success, and will no doubt be the topic of much discussion from now until well beyond ME:A's release.

 

So where do you lie on this spectrum, what would like to see in the future, and how do you think previous Bioware titles have handled these issues?

[LightningPoodle]

A story. If I want to craft my own story, I'll write a book. I'm buying something, so that I don't have too make up my own complete story. Yes, provide me some choices, but skimp out on a well thought out, engaging plot, and you've lost my interest.

[Draining Dragon]

I prefer my character to have a small amount of characterization to begin with, but then be shaped by the decisions I make throughout the story. Shepard was like this in the first two games, and then became more rigid in Mass Effect 3. I felt like I had less agency as a result.

[Iakus]

I want choices that matter.  Not in some future game that might or might not happen. I want decisions that change the flow of the story.  I want content exclusive to decisions made.  What's the point of having choices if they have no impact?

 

I also want a protagonist I can mold into what I want him or her to be.  I don't want to be someone else's predefined character.  I want to be my Shepard, not Mac Walter's.

[Artona]

Role-play. Let me attack every NPC and make me face consequences.

 

...​or at least, if you do let me kill someone, don't revive them in the next game. It's beyond disrespectful.

[AlanC9]

If I'm thinking in terms of crafting a story, I'm already out of character. When I'm out of character, the game is failing as an RPG.

Having said that, I'm OK with the game not letting me do stuff if they can't handle the consequences of doing that stuff in a believable way

[wright1978]

Clearly there's going to be a strong central story strand that our character is tied to but there needs to be some choices that matter along that, it's also important that the illusion of choice is maintained elsewhere. As others have said like with shep(me1/2) we have to be able to mold the character within certain limits and not feel that we are playing the writer's predefined version(hello me3 with its auto-dialogue). We also have to be allowed a degree of flexibility in terms of the exact nature of the relationship with fellow companions and npc said.

[ZipZap2000]

I'm the kind of guy who gets mad when he realises you die for using a flamethrower on civilians.

I prefer my own character, one that I've defined through my actions, interactions and choices.

[Sartoz]

                                                                                      <<<<<<<<<<(0)>>>>>>>>>>

 

If the ME:A designers made it such that as you progress/level up the game unlocks new character features for personal customization, then one can make their character their own.... even the squad mates.

For example:

-At Level two - unlock new armour colours

-For every10  kills - add a notch to your weapon

-At Level four -- unlock the access to a R&R area

-On your third attempt to romance someone - their paramour(you had no clue) comes out of nowhere and punches you.

-At Level 5 - new face/hair/colour customization opens up.

 

This requires some form of in-game CC and goes a long way in creating the RPG feel at minimum cost.

[LinksOcarina]

Both are not mutually exclusive you know.

 

So long as you know what you're getting into of course. The idea and philosophy behind it is not exactly new either, as RPG's have flirted with controlled stories since the 1980s...a lot of RPG's people hold in high regard. 

[Helios969]

I prefer a balance.  Having a fixed protagonist like Geralt allows for a more coherent story.  On the other hand it was pretty restrictive from a roleplaying perspective with either "ruthless Geralt" or "gruff but basically nice Geralt"...though there were some good impactful choices.  DAI had all sorts roleplaying options but with a story written for a human so I had rely on my imagination far too often (if I wanted that I'd go back to pen/paper RPG's).  Plus none of the choices felt all that meaningful even though they should be moving forward.  I think a Shepard-like approach offers that balance with male/female along with 3 backgrounds and reputations.  If we could maintain 3 distinct dialogue options...something like DA2, I'd be pretty content.

[SardaukarElite]

I don't see them as being opposed, but I think BioWare could put more emphasis on player defined character than they have recently. 

[Donk]

Telling a specific story vs letting players craft their own. Clearly defined characters vs characters molded by the players will. And of course choices, and the role they play in all of this.

This is a delicate balance that many games (by Bioware and others) have tried to achieve with varying degrees of success, and will no doubt be the topic of much discussion from now until well beyond ME:A's release.

So where do you lie on this spectrum, what would like to see in the future, and how do you think previous Bioware titles have handled these issues?

They are better off just focusing more on story.

They tried to have a balance between the two and failed, hence the ME3 endings.

Sure, if they had more resources and an endless budget they could have their cake and eat it too, but they are restricted and that is due to having cinematics and a voiced protagonist which is favoured by a majority of the fanbase over text based dialogue and storytelling.

[In Exile]

You can't have an RPG without an external story, else daydreaming or writing would be RPGs

[Drakoriz]

this will not make me popular wiht the hardcore fans of RPG. But i tent to hate when i get white sheet character on a video game, why? bc it always feel disconnect with the over all of the story.

 

I agree with some of the comment here, if i want to make my own story i will write a book. I buy video games to play a story no to make my own.

 

If Bioware keep doing what they did on ME 1-3 and DA 1-3 im happy.

 

I love DA I so =D

[tesla21]

Story over roleplaying, but more like story WITH limited yet impactful roleplaying.

 

I don't need like 6 "different" answers in a dialogue that will end up with everyone reacting the same anyway, I'd prefer something to Geralt/Shepard/Hawke way, defined character but with a few variations. Mass Effect 1-2 like would be my ideal. 

 

Wide roleplaying just sucks with voiced characters imo, since with a voiceless pc you control how your character supposedly delivers his dialogue and there's no auto dialogue that kills off your head-canon personality. Whereas voiced characters that try to be too varied just end up being too neutral and boring. 

 

I mean in a perfect world I would prefer a game with a voiced character that allows for a wide choice of different personalities and approaches that still feels engaged into the story but that's not yet a realistic expectation from what I've seen.

 

Also as Iakus said, make choices matter. No more "important" choices like saving the council or the rachni queen, every important choice should have a measurable impact on the very same game that it's made, give it at least 1 or 2 branching quests if it's something plot relevant. Else have them not so plot relevant but characterization relevant. No more pretending we are changing the fate of entire races or whatever if they are just going to basically retcon and play it out the exact same way the next game.

[Midnight Bliss]

Always story.

 

Leave those boring and sterile insert characters to DA.

[Mdizzletr0n]

Am i the only person that feels that Shepard was boring and sterile? Lol

It'd be nice if they could successfully balance the two. With pure story, I'd almost rather they gave you no choices because they don't really matter. Your chosen background affects nothing.

With pure roleplay, sure, you don't get as much cinematic goodness but you're more defined by your actions to those you encounter and can go down any road you want. You can be intelligent and rely on cunning and guile or just a complete force of nature that destroys everything or something in between or totally different.

It's hard to choose really. I like and dislike elements of both.

[Scofield]

Noin saying wee cannae have a good story with rpg elements

[Rawls]

Let bioware tell the story. I will take a Last of Us Style specific story over a Fallout 4 open ended playground with a story thrown in if you want to do it any day. 

 

Now there should definitely be ways to shade the story (dialogue options, different companions, some choices that give serious consequences to the the pathfinder's story, some branching quests - i.e. In Hushed Wispers or Champions of the Just from DA:I), but first and foremost tell us a great story with great characters in an incredible setting.  That must be the primary objective.  I'm confident the combat and game mechanics will be at least very good.  I don't think anybody really wants MMO style endless fetch quests, but content that means something. That is affecting for players. It's great that were gonna have a galaxy that's four times the size of ME3, now fill it with a great story and great characters. 

[Drakoriz]

Noin saying wee cannae have a good story with rpg elements

 

For me that what is Me 1-3 and DA 1-3

[Sylvius the Mad]

Roleplaying.
 
The very concept of story doesn't even make sense from an in-character perspective.

Am i the only person that feels that Shepard was boring and sterile?

Certainly not. I do, as well.

[Sylvius the Mad]

You can't have an RPG without an external story, else daydreaming or writing would be RPGs

They are.

[Drakoriz]

Roleplaying.
 
The very concept of story doesn't even make sense from an in-character perspective.
Certainly not. I do, as well.

 

but ME never was a in-character. U always play the story of Sheperd

[Il Divo]

You can't have an RPG without an external story, else daydreaming or writing would be RPGs

 

Agreed. 

 

I think the most interesting parts of role-playing tend to be experiencing how different inputs produce different outputs. It's a bit like a science experiment in that sense.