<strong>[ -> Editorial]</strong>
There's an article on <a href="http://www.rpgdot.com/index.php?hsaction=10053&ID=620" target="_blank">RPGDot</a> which asks the age-old question RPG fans have been moaning about for years now: where the hell have all the decent games gone?
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<br>The answer: "dunno". While the article raises a good point, it doesn't really provide any reasons or solutions... but hey, there's a big paragraph on Fallout, so it's still entertaining! Here's a bit where the author talks about how cool it is finishing Fallout:<blockquote><em>I've been disappointed by nearly every game I've finished since, after the credits roll and I find myself on the main menu screen, instead of back in the game world. And second, it gave you a detailed rundown of the consequences of your actions for nearly every quest you undertook during the game. To me, it was a revelation to hear that the small city I rid of slavery went on to enjoy a thriving democracy, or that since I hadn't assassinated a certain mob boss, he took over the city in an orgy of organized crime. Both of these features combined to make the game more satisfying - to make it seem that there were real consequences of your actions, and that the world actually changed as a result of what you chose.</em></blockquote>Actually seeing an effect from making certain choices = good! To read more of the article, <a href="http://www.rpgdot.com/index.php?hsaction=10053&ID=620" target="_blank">clicky-click</a> here... cheers Sean!
Where have the good RPG's gone?
Well, RPGs have essentially been either (1) too over balanced for their own good, creating a feeling of unrealism; (2) too underbalanced for their own good, leaving not enough paths open; (3) recent stories have all been spliced from previous stories; or (4) people have been splicing the RPG element into other genres; ie. Deus Ex (which succeeded, in my opinion, but wasn't an RPG) or modern Final Fantasies (all pathetic failures). Essentially, the core, pencil-and-paper RPG element has been lost in order to appeal to a wider fanbase, though sadly an old-school, well done RPG would probably do well today because there are so few of its kind left.
On top of that, a lot of CRPG gamers have turned to the more interactive and freeform pencil and paper RPGs to satisfy the need to roleplay, since it's cheaper, easier to do, more social, and any problem can be fixed fairly easily ("shit, this game won't run unless I install all this shit and make a patch" vs. "how about we tweak this rule around a bit to let this situation play out better").
On top of that, a lot of CRPG gamers have turned to the more interactive and freeform pencil and paper RPGs to satisfy the need to roleplay, since it's cheaper, easier to do, more social, and any problem can be fixed fairly easily ("shit, this game won't run unless I install all this shit and make a patch" vs. "how about we tweak this rule around a bit to let this situation play out better").
suppose you're thinking about a plate of shrimp. suddenly somebody will say like 'plate' or 'shrimp' or 'plate of shrimp', out of the blue, no explanation.
