Like almost every other RPG aficionado, I am greatly awaiting Oblivion's release. But I am still wary of the characteristics that have turned me off to modern RPGs being brought into this game...
1.) Character skill extremes: Having 21 different skills to learn seems like it would add a tremendous amount to the depth, but it really doesn't. For magic, I can see having 7 schools independently classified, as they are all different. But having 7 weapon types? In my opinion, Gothic II did it right here. You have 1 handed weapon skill, and you have 2 handed weapon skill. If I'm good at swinging a sword, I'm going to be good at swinging a mace, axe, or hammer too. But maybe not a dagger. So why don't we group weapon skills instead by small, medium and large, but have them raise more slowly to balance? And have each hand ranked differently, with a weaker hand harder to raise in skill. And then, have more independent skills like repair, mercantile, persuasion, etc., that don't overlap any of the others. Betrayal at Krondor does well here, and even Neverwinter Nights was on the right track here.
2.) Building god-heroes: I like to have the best character I can make in a game. That's a warrior who is good at the best spells and can pick locks and disarm traps. But please, don't let me do this!!! If I choose a warrior type, put some restrictions in that will keep me playing the role of a warrior type. Sure, it's okay if I learn a magical ability or two, but I should not have access to hundreds of spells. This new magic mode makes me nervous of magic being too easy for other classes to use well. MAKE me PICK a wizard character if I want to be good at magic. Make it so my warrior must wield a STAFF in order to cast spells. Make it so my wizard CAN'T use claymores and cast at the same time. Put a limit on the number of thief skills my warrior and wizard can learn, maybe make it limited by their dexterity. If you make it limited by their dexterity, don't allow characters to raise all skills to 100. For my rogue, sure, allow me to learn large weapons, but make this count way against my thief skills so I don't want to use them.
I am tired of creating gods and having my character go through the end of the game without any faults. As limiting as AD&D games are, they do this right! In 2nd edition, primary stats CAN'T be raised permanently. In 3rd edition, you can only raise 1 point every 5 levels. In Gothic II, you can raise intelligence as a fighter, but it doesn't do much good unless you're a mage. I'm all for allowing any class to use any weapon, but please, if it doesn't fit their archetype, make serious drawbacks for it. No more fighter-mage-cleric-thieves that can do everything as well as the pure classes of each!
3.) Task-manager interface: Why does every game now have a system of managing quests that gives you a list of things to do so you can check, check, check them off 1 by 1? While this is created to make things easier to remember, I would rather just be in the world, explore and adventure as I wish to, talk to who I want, help who I want. Modern games, especially the NON-linear ones, have a way of guiding you through them, and isn't the point of non-linear to NOT be guided through?
Remember Stonekeep back in 1995? Had a great journal, told you about characters, items, even made maps as you explored. Even held statistical info in there. The most intuitive thing was the "clues" it took for you. That was perfect, in my opinion. It didn't make you feel like you were checking off a list as you played the game; it simply remembered things people said or that you read that might be important later.
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We need the archetype system if we want to get a balanced gaming experience. This doesn't necessarily mean restrictions, but at least heavier bonuses and penalties. As for skill systems, we need to rethink what skills we can develop, and be sure that they do not overlap, that each is unique. And the quest log needs to go. Maybe have a quest log that shows what you've done, but certainly not what still needs to be done.
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