Evolving the RPG genre

How would you feel about a RPG that would let you actually role-play with believable characters and real consequences? What if you made the core of the game to revolve around script in quantity and carefully designed NPCs?

Let's say you could alternate looks and character traits and the world would react appropriately. Different characters would react to more things than that "you have killed important NPC #3." They would react to your looks, what they know you've done and how you talk. The character you have created will give you the opportunity to choose from a number of fitting dialogue options and the more answers you give the more your character will be defined and he/she will be able to give more distinct answers as you play through. The goal of the game wouldn't be to get all the guns and glory but to take your character through the game in a way that's believable and captivating.

Engaging in fights would be an option but there would be great consequences just from killing one person, something most games lack. Here we get into world design so that would also play in. If we play in a highly modern society it would obviously be harder to get away and the punishment would be greater, people all over the city would treat you in new ways if it's a place where the news go around. If we play in a post-nuclear world people wouldn't care in the same way and the words of you killing a man would definitely not travel from town to town.

Imagine you could play as a chubby heterosexual African female or a thin Chinese homosexual male instead of the typical anonymous stately white male or the effeminate looking white male with styled hair. If the princess you have saved doesn't find you attractive she wont kiss you. Or maybe she isn't attracted to men at all. I have yet to a see NPCs that are racist/sexist (okay, I have seen some that are sexist in Fallout) against a player created character.

I always thought that the Fallout series would make way for these kinds of games. Now that Bethesda owns the series it's pretty much impossible since they only have the power to produce script starved action RPGs. How do you feel about evolving the RPG genre? Would there even be an audience for it?

Games like Fallout, Arcanum and Bloodlines do have these features (to some degree - Fallout had same-sex marriage and some discrimination, Arcanum did have race/gender discrimination, and Bloodlines had some varied character responses, depending on your clan, gender and stats), but not in anywhere near as much detail as you're describing.

If Troika hadn't shut down, they would've been the guys to make this game. Now that there are only a handful of great WRPG developers left (well, Bioware, and...?), we're not going to be seeing anything like this for a looong time, if at all.

Games like Fallout, Arcanum and Bloodlines do have these features (to some degree), but not in anywhere near as much detail as you're describing.

If Troika hadn't shut down, they would've been the guys to make this game. Now that there are only a handful of great WRPG developers left (well, Bioware, and...?), we're not going to be seeing anything like this for a looong time, if at all.

Planeforger

When the game generations grow up maybe they'll be looking for more than high definition entertainment? With a documentary you are given the time to reflect upon many different issues, maybe games will give birth to interactive self-exploration or programs with the ability to simulate actual events as they would REALLY happen without sacrificing elements for entertaining game mechanics. I think sandbox games such as GTA is a sign of what will come.

But yes, I agree, it will be a long time until we're there I'm afraid..

-EDIT, the programs that simulate actual events are obviously called SIMULATORS. But highly advanced simulators that are published and labeled in a store for the public to buy as simulation programs with the point to reenact the actual event without sacrificing ANYTHING for entertainment could pass of as a new generation of games. In the same way we read factual books, we could play factual games.

Sounds like a new Elderscrolls game. They aren't far off from that already.-Wheels-

Oh, and the fact that your hero has absolutely no personality, and the writing is generally poor.

Come to think of it...I agree with you, the Elder Scrolls series isn't 'far off' from what the TC posted - it's 'extremely distant', and accelerating in the other direction.

[QUOTE="-Wheels-"]Sounds like a new Elderscrolls game. They aren't far off from that already.Planeforger

Oh, and the fact that your hero has absolutely no personality, and the writing is generally poor.

Come to think of it...I agree with you, the Elder Scrolls series isn't 'far off' from what the TC posted - it's 'extremely distant', and accelerating in the other direction.

Yeah many would say that Oblivion was "consolized" (I think thats what I heard it called?) stripped down to make it less complicated and have more mass appeal. Seemed to work, as the game sold like crazy. I guess RPGs with really deep, complex RPG elements are more of a niche genre now, so there just aren't too many developers out there trying to innovate in that field. Its a shame really. Even Fallout 3 looks like its going to get chopped down for better mass appeal.

[QUOTE="Planeforger"]

[QUOTE="-Wheels-"]Sounds like a new Elderscrolls game. They aren't far off from that already.WheresMyChippy

Oh, and the fact that your hero has absolutely no personality, and the writing is generally poor.

Come to think of it...I agree with you, the Elder Scrolls series isn't 'far off' from what the TC posted - it's 'extremely distant', and accelerating in the other direction.

Yeah many would say that Oblivion was "consolized" (I think thats what I heard it called?) stripped down to make it less complicated and have more mass appeal. Seemed to work, as the game sold like crazy. I guess RPGs with really deep, complex RPG elements are more of a niche genre now, so there just aren't too many developers out there trying to innovate in that field. Its a shame really. Even Fallout 3 looks like its going to get chopped down for better mass appeal.

Haha, it's not often I see such ruthless talk of Oblivions RPG elements go unnoticed.. Of course I agree. Would nothing less than love to see RPGs take a new turn, away from action based game design and mmorpg settings. We need solid script and solid design that isn't covered by pr talk that's telling you that EVERYTHING is possible. That is, knocking a mace in the head of the hostess while her husband sits by patiently asking you what you're doing in their house.