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Incline Chris Avellone Appreciation Station

Joined
May 1, 2013
Messages
4,499
Location
The border of the imaginary

This only says that Roguey is a creepy stalker, but doesn't invalidate the information provided. Everyone on the Codex knows

Also, a stalker getting a stalker, I find that somewhat amusing

Every time I see this, I think to myself, “what’s the worst Roguey could do, cut you with a barbed quotation?” Then I click the link and realize why that’s terrifying (not that Requires Hate didn’t have it coming many times over).

Is everyone here bipolar? It would explain a lot...

Speaking of unhealthy relationships, Mr. Chris Avellone, was Miria/Davin based on anyone specific? Killing Miria to open up a companion slot gave me the courage to break up with my emotionally suffocating girlfriend at the time, so thank you!
I don't have problems with toxic girlfriends nowadays :smug:

cause i am too old to have a girlfriend and most women my age in this 3rd world shithole are married and have kids. :negative:
Are you 25 or something?
33
 

Azarkon

Arcane
Joined
Oct 7, 2005
Messages
2,989
Even though I'm not a fan, I do think linear games can tell a good story (and they do have advantages in being linear - a number of JRPGs have proved it), but I have noticed that people don't share those stories nearly as much as they'd share, say, what they did in an open-world game where they can push-pull the narrative systems more...

...I think people are more likely to share and talk about those stories (since they were involved in them) vs. a linear storyline.

People don't often share the plots of movies they've just seen, either, but this doesn't necessary indicate they value them less. Emergent story lines are shared because they are presumed to be novel, while with a static story line, we assume either other people haven't experienced it yet, in which case we don't want to spoil it for them; or that they've experienced it already, in which case we don't need to repeat it. However, static story lines beg for and receive much more in-depth narrative analysis than do emergent story lines. People write pages and pages of character and plot analysis for static narratives, because there is a shared context to which we can refer, while for emergent story lines, we would analyze the system that generated them, but not the plots themselves, because different people would have experienced different stories.

It's ultimately about whether you want to be an author, or a system architect, or any role in between. The nature of the discussions will flow naturally from that choice. Emergent systems definitely have vast advantages in replayability, but they also tend to be a lot more shallow and random in the course of a single play through.

Also, I'm not saying I love sandbox more than any other story-type presentation, I think each category has its strengths.

Definitely agree there.

Microsoft also did an interesting study where they found that players tended to remember NPCs in a game vs. the story itself, which was an interesting observation that I can't disagree with.

It's just easier to remember characters than plots, especially in mediums where you can associate characters with visual and audio features. Stories are an abstract concept, where you have to step back and look at the events as a whole to recognize where it's gone. Playing through a game, I rarely perceive the story as a whole. It's an in the moment experience.

Yet, I would argue that strong characters only make sense in the context of a coherent story; after all, stories are basically the external expression of internal character motivations in relation to the environment and each other. For characters to make sense, the story must, also, even though it might wander through a period of incoherence as the narrative presentation keeps the player in the dark. But that just makes the moment of discovery more satisfying.
 
Last edited:

ArchAngel

Arcane
Joined
Mar 16, 2015
Messages
19,889

This only says that Roguey is a creepy stalker, but doesn't invalidate the information provided. Everyone on the Codex knows

Also, a stalker getting a stalker, I find that somewhat amusing

Every time I see this, I think to myself, “what’s the worst Roguey could do, cut you with a barbed quotation?” Then I click the link and realize why that’s terrifying (not that Requires Hate didn’t have it coming many times over).

Is everyone here bipolar? It would explain a lot...

Speaking of unhealthy relationships, Mr. Chris Avellone, was Miria/Davin based on anyone specific? Killing Miria to open up a companion slot gave me the courage to break up with my emotionally suffocating girlfriend at the time, so thank you!
I don't have problems with toxic girlfriends nowadays :smug:

cause i am too old to have a girlfriend and most women my age in this 3rd world shithole are married and have kids. :negative:
Are you 25 or something?
33
You can always import a wife from Syria or something.. unless you are also a poorfag.
 

fantadomat

Arcane
Edgy Vatnik Wumao
Joined
Jun 2, 2017
Messages
37,087
Location
Bulgaria

This only says that Roguey is a creepy stalker, but doesn't invalidate the information provided. Everyone on the Codex knows

Also, a stalker getting a stalker, I find that somewhat amusing

Every time I see this, I think to myself, “what’s the worst Roguey could do, cut you with a barbed quotation?” Then I click the link and realize why that’s terrifying (not that Requires Hate didn’t have it coming many times over).

Is everyone here bipolar? It would explain a lot...

Speaking of unhealthy relationships, Mr. Chris Avellone, was Miria/Davin based on anyone specific? Killing Miria to open up a companion slot gave me the courage to break up with my emotionally suffocating girlfriend at the time, so thank you!
I don't have problems with toxic girlfriends nowadays :smug:

cause i am too old to have a girlfriend and most women my age in this 3rd world shithole are married and have kids. :negative:
Are you 25 or something?
33
You can always import a wife from Syria or something.. unless you are also a poorfag.
Who the fuck would like to have such a creature as wife. But now when i think about it,you ca import a german,english,french or scandinavian slave from Syria. They did almost catch one of the englis slave rings,but there is many more. But the best option is to get yourself some Russian chick.
 

Tim the Bore

Scholar
Joined
Mar 20, 2018
Messages
109
Location
Potatoland
Even though I'm not a fan, I do think linear games can tell a good story (and they do have advantages in being linear - a number of JRPGs have proved it), but I have noticed that people don't share those stories nearly as much as they'd share, say, what they did in an open-world game where they can push-pull the narrative systems more...

...I think people are more likely to share and talk about those stories (since they were involved in them) vs. a linear storyline.

People don't often share the plots of movies they've just seen, either, but this doesn't necessary indicate they value them less. Emergent story lines are shared because they are presumed to be novel, while with a static story line, we assume either other people haven't experienced it yet, in which case we don't want to spoil it for them; or that they've experienced it already, in which case we don't need to repeat it. However, static story lines beg for and receive much more in-depth narrative analysis than do emergent story lines. People write pages and pages of character and plot analysis for static narratives, because there is a shared context to which we can refer, while for emergent story lines, we would analyze the system that generated them, but not the plots themselves, because different people would have experienced different stories.

It's ultimately about whether you want to be an author, or a system architect, or any role in between. The nature of the discussions will flow naturally from that choice. Emergent systems definitely have vast advantages in replayability, but they also tend to be a lot more shallow and random in the course of a single play through.

Also, I'm not saying I love sandbox more than any other story-type presentation, I think each category has its strengths.

Definitely agree there.

Microsoft also did an interesting study where they found that players tended to remember NPCs in a game vs. the story itself, which was an interesting observation that I can't disagree with.

It's just easier to remember characters than plots, especially in mediums where you can associate characters with visual and audio features. Stories are an abstract concept, where you have to step back and look at the events as a whole to recognize where it's gone. Playing through a game, I rarely perceive the story as a whole. It's an in the moment experience.

Yet, I would argue that strong characters only make sense in the context of a coherent story; after all, stories are basically the external expression of internal character motivations in relation to the environment and each other. For characters to make sense, the story must, also, even though it might wander through a period of incoherence as the narrative presentation keeps the player in the dark. But that just makes the moment of discovery more satisfying.

This is why I love Codex. :love:
 

J_C

One Bit Studio
Patron
Developer
Joined
Dec 28, 2010
Messages
16,947
Location
Pannonia
Project: Eternity Wasteland 2 Shadorwun: Hong Kong Divinity: Original Sin 2 Steve gets a Kidney but I don't even get a tag. Pathfinder: Wrath
Even though I'm not a fan, I do think linear games can tell a good story (and they do have advantages in being linear - a number of JRPGs have proved it), but I have noticed that people don't share those stories nearly as much as they'd share, say, what they did in an open-world game where they can push-pull the narrative systems more...

...I think people are more likely to share and talk about those stories (since they were involved in them) vs. a linear storyline.

People don't often share the plots of movies they've just seen, either, but this doesn't necessary indicate they value them less. Emergent story lines are shared because they are presumed to be novel, while with a static story line, we assume either other people haven't experienced it yet, in which case we don't want to spoil it for them; or that they've experienced it already, in which case we don't need to repeat it. However, static story lines beg for and receive much more in-depth narrative analysis than do emergent story lines. People write pages and pages of character and plot analysis for static narratives, because there is a shared context to which we can refer, while for emergent story lines, we would analyze the system that generated them, but not the plots themselves, because different people would have experienced different stories.
To be honest, I hate this misconception that gamers are jizzing over themselves because of emergent storylines, and thus it is superior. Maybe it is just me, but I don't see gamers sharing these stories that often, but you can always read about people who just love a well built, interesting character or well designed questline in a game.
 

fantadomat

Arcane
Edgy Vatnik Wumao
Joined
Jun 2, 2017
Messages
37,087
Location
Bulgaria
Even though I'm not a fan, I do think linear games can tell a good story (and they do have advantages in being linear - a number of JRPGs have proved it), but I have noticed that people don't share those stories nearly as much as they'd share, say, what they did in an open-world game where they can push-pull the narrative systems more...

...I think people are more likely to share and talk about those stories (since they were involved in them) vs. a linear storyline.

People don't often share the plots of movies they've just seen, either, but this doesn't necessary indicate they value them less. Emergent story lines are shared because they are presumed to be novel, while with a static story line, we assume either other people haven't experienced it yet, in which case we don't want to spoil it for them; or that they've experienced it already, in which case we don't need to repeat it. However, static story lines beg for and receive much more in-depth narrative analysis than do emergent story lines. People write pages and pages of character and plot analysis for static narratives, because there is a shared context to which we can refer, while for emergent story lines, we would analyze the system that generated them, but not the plots themselves, because different people would have experienced different stories.
To be honest, I hate this misconception that gamers are jizzing over themselves because of emergent storylines, and thus it is superior. Maybe it is just me, but I don't see gamers sharing these stories that often, but you can always read about people who just love a well built, interesting character or well designed questline in a game.
I am a greedy story fag mate,keep my stories for my self.
:keepmymoney:
 

stony3k

Augur
Patron
Joined
May 8, 2007
Messages
470
Strap Yourselves In
Even though I'm not a fan, I do think linear games can tell a good story (and they do have advantages in being linear - a number of JRPGs have proved it), but I have noticed that people don't share those stories nearly as much as they'd share, say, what they did in an open-world game where they can push-pull the narrative systems more...

...I think people are more likely to share and talk about those stories (since they were involved in them) vs. a linear storyline.

People don't often share the plots of movies they've just seen, either, but this doesn't necessary indicate they value them less. Emergent story lines are shared because they are presumed to be novel, while with a static story line, we assume either other people haven't experienced it yet, in which case we don't want to spoil it for them; or that they've experienced it already, in which case we don't need to repeat it. However, static story lines beg for and receive much more in-depth narrative analysis than do emergent story lines. People write pages and pages of character and plot analysis for static narratives, because there is a shared context to which we can refer, while for emergent story lines, we would analyze the system that generated them, but not the plots themselves, because different people would have experienced different stories.

The reason Arcanum and Fallout are so beloved on the Codex is they combined these two kinds of story telling - a lot of the story, gameplay and problem solving at the tactical level was emergent, while the overarching story is still somewhat "linear". That to me is the ideal RPG. I love PS:T but that was the exception to the rule.
 
Developer
Joined
Jan 30, 2005
Messages
460
Location
Moblin Villige
Chris Avellone why writers have stopped coming up with original,unique and insane settings like Morrowind or Torment? Is there no imagination left in the industry? And do you still daydream about alien new worlds filled with adventures and exotic encounters?

I think writers have, but maybe not as much in the RPG arena. Definitely in the indie space and the <10 million budget games (and I don't think PoE intended to be as "Baldur's Gate-y" at the outset, it just became that way).

It's worth noting that Planescape wasn't a Black Isle creation, it was a TSR/Wizards of the Coast creation (and they did stop doing content for it). While Torment eventually made a profit, it certainly wasn't at the same level as other titles in the RPG space, including ones already being worked on in Black Isle (Baldur's Gate).

Also, another thing to keep in mind is how quickly games return on their investment - just turning a profit doesn't equate to a success. I don't have the exact sales figures for Torment, but if a game recovers its operating cost in three months vs. three years, the former is obviously a bigger plus for the company when considering future installments or deciding whether or not to work in certain genres again. Ideally, you don't want a game to ever just make a profit, ideally you want that profit to be able to cover at least one more game without stress, improve the studio (hey, we can afford our own QA now, or hey, now we can have our own audio dept), cover employee raises and bonuses for hard work, and also be enjoyed by players and reviewed well, too, among other aspects. (A game can make a profit but tank critically, for example, which can perpetually damage a franchise and a studio.)
 

conan_edw

Arbiter
Patron
Joined
Dec 3, 2017
Messages
846
Grab the Codex by the pussy Pathfinder: Wrath
Since you are taking the chances to work with people that you like what's the probability that you want to help CP2077 to not be an interactive movie :oops:
 

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