Tired of the same old Sci-fi / Fantasy story?

I just read the Gamespot review of Dragon Age and it got me to thinking: It seems that (with some exceptions) the usual story of almost all sci-fi / fantasy based games follow the Lord of the Rings plot / formula.. you know this well... unlikely band of heros unite to fight against a "dark force" of some kind that is slowly gaining power.Granted it is a nice way to tell a story and gives a sense of urgency to the proceedings... but still I can't help but think that there should be some other way of framing a game. Off the top of my head (and being a long-time fan of the game) the back story of Battletech comes to mind. In that universe there is no "evil" force. just like in the real world, just a bunch of political groups fighting for control of the known universe. There is no "ultimate bad guy" in the classic sense (like the Emperor in Star Wars or Sauron in LOTR)

I haven't been playing a lot lately and would like to know is there any games out there that does not feature a "Dark vs. Light" kind of story? I usually play RTS, action and RPGs. and it seems that RPGs are the ones usually having that Good vs Evil thing going on. Is there an RPG that does not have that kind of story?

The Witcher. There is no defined good or bad there, and the protagonist is a mutant that shags all the women he meets.

Regardless of BioWare's claims, Dragon Age is the stereotypical Good vs Bad story.

Thats why I loved Fallout 3.

theres tons of great experiences to be had within "unlikely heroes fight dark forces" you just have to enjoy them instead of moaning about them being cliche

Yes I am growing very tired of the much overused fantasy rpg genre. I'm sick of the same classes to choose from. I'm sick of the same type of enemies. The whole health/mana potion thing has overstayed its welcome. The spells are typically always similar; usually some variation of fire, ice, bolts, or undead. These games have very little imagination, yet people continue to gobble them up. I wish the some decent game developers would take some chances and think of some more creative rpg ideas.

I find this a disappointing trend as well. I also don't appreciate the unlikely band of heroes/lone protagonist somehow becomes godlike and saves the world all by himself. It'd be really cool to play an RPG where you're part of a greater whole, not necessarily under your control.

The Witcher. There is no defined good or bad there, and the protagonist is a mutant that shags all the women he meets.

Regardless of BioWare's claims, Dragon Age is the stereotypical Good vs Bad story.

Baranga

Yes the Witcher is what you are searching for. Even Salamandra and Jacques de Aldesberg cannot be classified as evil.

Thats why I loved Fallout 3.

lizzardman666

I have to agree about all the fantasy clichés, and 'Good vs Bad' scenarios. Although I've bought Dragon Age, it will probably be the last game of that kind that I will play.

Personally I'd like to see certain genres explore different settings. There don't seem to be any RPGs set in the Wild West, or Private Eye RPGs set in 1930s US, for instance. I think they could both bring something fresh and interesting to the market. Lots of scope to be 'good' or 'bad' characters, but no 'save the world' scenarios, just something more down to earth. Your own choices and actions would basically determine who your enemies are, and who your friends are.

Fallout 3 went somewhat in that direction, but I felt it didn't go far enough.

I enjoy them from time to time, but something different is always refreshing. That's why I'm having a lot of fun with Vampire the Masquerade Bloodlines

Alpha Protocol is high on my wishlist for this exact reason.TheCrazed420

well, Fanatasy genre usually gurantees certain amount of sales amount so that dev takes less risk of challenge here.

If not sci fi or fantasy, do you guys want WW2 to turn into RPG?

I however do wish that all dev become more innovative and creative, but that probably won't happen.

look at Torchlight that came out, it is the same guys who made Hellgate London which was made by former Diablo series makers. guess what all those games follow the same trend. Once dev figure out that certain formula brings them the roll of cash, they stop being innovative, they now milk the cash without coming up with new ideas.

[QUOTE="TheCrazed420"]Alpha Protocol is high on my wishlist for this exact reason.Ninja_Dog

I second this.

I third this.

If not sci fi or fantasy, do you guys want WW2 to turn into RPG?

chapman86

Actually, The Saboteur has some lite RPG elements, and that's set in WW2. I'm looking forward to it.

But who said the only other option was WW2? There are plenty of other historical settings, time periods and conflicts that could be used across several game genres. And they don't have to be realistic, either. No reason why you can't have aliens terrorising a town in a Wild West setting, for example. Or a steam-punk robot army taking on the Samurai.

The only limits are people's imaginations.

If the characters have depth, beliavabilitiy and are relatable, I can let the cliche "Good vs Evil" story slide. If the character are as cliche as the plot, I drop it like a bad habit.

DA:O could've been a little better if it wasn't for the orcs/darkspawn. I'm reading the second Dragon Age prequel novel at the moment, and I definitely did not get the impression that the darkspawn were orcs. I could've dealt with the good vs evil thing a little better if the evil side was at least a bit original. Like the crazy evil ships in Mass Effect were serious business.

Thats why I loved Fallout 3.

lizzardman666

Thats why I loved Fallout 3.

lizzardman666

[QUOTE="lizzardman666"]

Thats why I loved Fallout 3.

Fallout does follow some of the classic RPG convensions like the Enclave (powerful Evil group trying to take over the world) although I still like it. rlc-madcat

The Enclave aren't just a straightforward evil group - they want to eliminate the FEV from the Wasteland, which is an ostensibly good cause...it's just that unfortunately all of the wasteland-dwelling humans (in California at least) were exposed to the FEV, and thus must also be exterminated. But it's for a good cause. Sort of.

I can't remember why they wanted to kill everyone in Fallout 3 though. Perhaps they were just more 'generic evil' in that, since Bethesda aren't very creative when it comes to storylines?

Anyway yeah, there are a whole bunch of RPGs that don't follow this formula, they're just rarely as mainstream as Bioware/Bethesda's work.

Good and Evil is more of core concept of any common rpg, without it, the main story/plot can be very bland with very few exceptions.

The Fantasy setting however, needs to evolve.

Someone needs to make a Discworld RPG. Best fantasy world evar.kieranb2000

[QUOTE="rlc-madcat"]Fallout does follow some of the classic RPG convensions like the Enclave (powerful Evil group trying to take over the world) although I still like it. Planeforger

The Enclave aren't just a straightforward evil group - they want to eliminate the FEV from the Wasteland, which is an ostensibly good cause...it's just that unfortunately all of the wasteland-dwelling humans (in California at least) were exposed to the FEV, and thus must also be exterminated. But it's for a good cause. Sort of.

I can't remember why they wanted to kill everyone in Fallout 3 though. Perhaps they were just more 'generic evil' in that, since Bethesda aren't very creative when it comes to storylines?

Anyway yeah, there are a whole bunch of RPGs that don't follow this formula, they're just rarely as mainstream as Bioware/Bethesda's work.

It was only so that people immune to radiation would live, and it would be easier to build society again that way if people dont die left and right.

[QUOTE="kieranb2000"]Someone needs to make a Discworld RPG. Best fantasy world evar.Ninja_Dog

[QUOTE="Ninja_Dog"][QUOTE="kieranb2000"]Someone needs to make a Discworld RPG. Best fantasy world evar.Arach666

Like others have said, I'd have to say The Witcher and Fallout 3. There really isn't clearly defined good vs evil in the games...you just make decisions and the world around you changes based on those decisions.

I'm playing DA:O right now, and it is a very well done rpg...but, it is just more of the same good vs evil when you get down to the basics of the story.

The Witcher. There is no defined good or bad there, and the protagonist is a mutant that shags all the women he meets.

Regardless of BioWare's claims, Dragon Age is the stereotypical Good vs Bad story.

Baranga

DA:O could've been a little better if it wasn't for the orcs/darkspawn. I'm reading the second Dragon Age prequel novel at the moment, and I definitely did not get the impression that the darkspawn were orcs. I could've dealt with the good vs evil thing a little better if the evil side was at least a bit original. Like the crazy evil ships in Mass Effect were serious business.

MyopicCanadian

That was a pretty cool concept, but it was almost directly lifted from Frank Herbert's books entitled, "Destination: Void" and "The Jesus Incident". Regardless, it's still a more original concept than orcs, elves and dwarves in rpgs...over and over and over again. :)

there's nothing new under the sun. i honestly can't remember the last when i couldn't figure out how a story will unfold 30 min after i started playing a game.

imo, the game developers need to realise that gameplay, crucial as it is, is not the only thing that requires vision and courage to break the mould. stop thinking about what's cool and start thinking about what matters; explore real issues, real people and real human conditions; tap more into cultural and social tradition and less into pop/sub-cultural materials; etc etc etc. in short, game devs need to get rid of the Michael Bay in them.

imo, the game developers need to realise that gameplay, crucial as it is, is not the only thing that requires vision and courage to break the mould. stop thinking about what's cool and start thinking about what matters; explore real issues, real people and real human conditions; tap more into cultural and social tradition and less into pop/sub-cultural materials; etc etc etc. in short, game devs need to get rid of the Michael Bay in them.

Jinroh_basic

it was never easy for ANY form of entertainment to strike a balance between mass appeal and true significance, but it's something which, imo, gaming will need to strive for if it doesn't wish to go down in history as brainless child's play. for example, i started a thread a few months ago to discuss how science and science fiction can be more accurately envisioned in video games, as i believe it will serve as an adjunct platform to emulate technological breakthroughs. similarly, i would like to see more games reaching out to explore REAL issues and phenomena. you wanna talk about terrorism? let me see your educated understanding and critical thinking on the subject matter instead of showing kids how to shoot civilians; you wanna make games on mercenaries? go deep and hard on the Black Waters and show the true nature of their work; you wanna talk about crime? stop being all mafia and gangsta and start exploring the materials from the law enforcers' point of view, with realistic portrayal of criminal activities and examination on the enforcement process.

on the other hand, the gamers should examine their own standard and what this hobby reall means to them. do you treat it like some sort of mental jackoff with no real significance and no positive impact in the long run? or maybe you're willing to pay to know more about the world beyond your LCD, where the real scoop is? if you belong to the former group, then perhaps there's no reason for you to look beyond cheap thrills and rehashed hollywood stories.