Sorry if this post is erratic and not fully clear, I'm having a hard time describing the issue :/ Coupled with my tendecy to overthink and overcomplicate problems... ugh.
I've been analyzing some aspects of quest requirements in an RPG and have reached some conclusions I'd like to discuss.
An RPG needs to allow multiple types of PCs to reach the same goals. Otherwise it's just a Hackenslash/Dungeon Crawler (only combat), a stealth game (only infiltration) or a diplomacy game (only diplomacy, was there ever even a game like this?? Torment maybe, in a way).
I believe combat, infiltration and diplomacy are the three main skillsets that a game should "support"- with different variants of course:
combat: brute force melee / finesse melee / ranged combat / magic
diplomacy: persuasion / trade
infiltration: cat-burglary / espionage
then we've got hybrids like playing a charismatic leader for tactical combat gameplay, playing an assasin (combat+infiltration), doing some research and espionage to use for blackmail later on (infiltration + diplomacy).
Essentially, we're dealing with a "game within a game"- like we're trying to put Diablo, Thief, Jagged Alliance and Torment into one product. Whether it's worth it or not- it's your call, but I'm one of the retarted idealists who wouldn't want anything more than that.
ANYWAY!
As long as you're playing a single PC, the quest requirements provide a simple enough barrier which makes for a unique playthrough. All is fine and dandy until... you befriend a thief who offers to join you in your adventures.
In a way, you have now unlocked another 1/3rd of the game that was originally reserved for a separate playthrough. Then you meet a trader and BAM, the unstoppable trio is formed.
My vision of THE ULTIMATE RPG incorporates a progression of gameplay from a solo PC (~Gothic) to a party of adventurers (~Wizardry) to a warlord/noble (~Mount and Blade). As the PC makes a name for himself, more and more people are willing to join him/work for him etc. A fighter will sooner or later save someone's life, a trader will quickly buy the services of some bodyguards
Now the question is- how to retain this progression without destroying the replayability of the game?
After all, as soon as you have a party of a few dudes, you can breeze through literally ALL the quests that were desined for the solo part of the game. Obviously once you have a hundred dudes under your command, you won't have time for that kind of crap, but before then?
So it looks like we're facing a terrible choice: either limit the game to one of those three stages (solo/party/army) which severly limits the sense of progress OR make your PC build only matter for the first 1/3rd of the game AND make the game non-replayable.
Any thoughts on this?
I've been analyzing some aspects of quest requirements in an RPG and have reached some conclusions I'd like to discuss.
An RPG needs to allow multiple types of PCs to reach the same goals. Otherwise it's just a Hackenslash/Dungeon Crawler (only combat), a stealth game (only infiltration) or a diplomacy game (only diplomacy, was there ever even a game like this?? Torment maybe, in a way).
I believe combat, infiltration and diplomacy are the three main skillsets that a game should "support"- with different variants of course:
combat: brute force melee / finesse melee / ranged combat / magic
diplomacy: persuasion / trade
infiltration: cat-burglary / espionage
then we've got hybrids like playing a charismatic leader for tactical combat gameplay, playing an assasin (combat+infiltration), doing some research and espionage to use for blackmail later on (infiltration + diplomacy).
Essentially, we're dealing with a "game within a game"- like we're trying to put Diablo, Thief, Jagged Alliance and Torment into one product. Whether it's worth it or not- it's your call, but I'm one of the retarted idealists who wouldn't want anything more than that.
ANYWAY!
As long as you're playing a single PC, the quest requirements provide a simple enough barrier which makes for a unique playthrough. All is fine and dandy until... you befriend a thief who offers to join you in your adventures.
In a way, you have now unlocked another 1/3rd of the game that was originally reserved for a separate playthrough. Then you meet a trader and BAM, the unstoppable trio is formed.
My vision of THE ULTIMATE RPG incorporates a progression of gameplay from a solo PC (~Gothic) to a party of adventurers (~Wizardry) to a warlord/noble (~Mount and Blade). As the PC makes a name for himself, more and more people are willing to join him/work for him etc. A fighter will sooner or later save someone's life, a trader will quickly buy the services of some bodyguards
Now the question is- how to retain this progression without destroying the replayability of the game?
After all, as soon as you have a party of a few dudes, you can breeze through literally ALL the quests that were desined for the solo part of the game. Obviously once you have a hundred dudes under your command, you won't have time for that kind of crap, but before then?
So it looks like we're facing a terrible choice: either limit the game to one of those three stages (solo/party/army) which severly limits the sense of progress OR make your PC build only matter for the first 1/3rd of the game AND make the game non-replayable.
Any thoughts on this?
