Choices in RPGs

[Freya]

I have become a huge fan of this, of where my choices affect things. Bioware comes to mind the most with this, as it affects the story directly.

WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT CHOICES IN RPGS?

[Ayen]

I love them and they make the RPG ten times more enjoyable for me. I like mixing up my options in Mass Effect because I find it fleshes out my character. It hurts me since I end up lacking paragon/renegade points, but that's a small price to pay.

[Bolivar]

I like how Tactics Ogre had very different scenarios based on your decisions, and further developed your plot choices with exclusive side quests.

The Witcher was probably my favorite rendition of the classic CRPG multiple choice roleplaying, at least for the first half of the game.

I also appreciate how FFVII's choices, while not affecting the game, did change your perception of Cloud, given the ambiguity of the script. He wasn't necessarily emo.

[Colonel Angus]

Chrono Cross has choices that effect the game, such as letting Kid join you (miss out on another character), and saving Kids life (and missing out on both a great character & pissing off the most annoying characterCHA).

[Pumpkin]

I am a fan

[Vyk]

It's nice when done well, but it's not a game-maker for me. It does help with immersion if you're playing a game where your character is your avatar in the story. But if the main character is a pre-made character and you're just playing through their story, I don't see a need for it. Though, if it's done well, I wouldn't argue against it. But it does seem kinda necessary if you build your character from scratch and then don't get to utilize them the way you designed them

If you build an evil character to be a douche, it's only logical you be allowed to murder people to get your way, or something along those lines

[Wolf Kanno]

I like choice systems, though I tend to be more picky with morality systems. I love Shin Megami Tensei because the choices tend to have more far reaching consequences and the game never tries to strain your choices into the silly paradigm of good vs. evil, instead focusing on Chaos ( Freedom but suffering), Law (Security but with loss of identity) and Neutral (A balanced approach but one that always repeats the cycle of conflict) which I feel says more of a person making the choice than choosing whether to save the helpless people or shoot them in the face.

I also like how the CT game would allow doing certain actions could change the game in small and big ways even if not all of them felt like they were important to the plot.

I liked changing Terra's motivation by choosing whether to take Banon's offer to join the Returner's or flounder on it. It adds a lot of character to her.

[Freya]

Yeah if it's my avatar that is taking me through the game it's more important for those choices. But I agree Vyk, if it's a premade character then it's okay to have less choices.

Although on the other hand I REALLY like choices that affect things. So even if they are premade, I still like playing it as how I'd act. I love the Taletell games cause of this. The scripts are pretty similar for the eventual outcome but the journey and all the choices are switched up.


[Freya will remember that.]

[VeloZer0]

I'm going to go against the grain here. I actually tend to quite strongly dislike storyline altering choices in games. I find they massively cheapen the storyline and ruin any sort of immersion.

I'm playing Tactics Ogre: LoCT and I have to say I have about zero sense of involvement or care about what is going on in the story. Knowing that it's just all relative I just can't get involved. Each branch individually is probably something I would quite enjoy if it was a self contained story on it's own.

(Choices in game-play are fantastic though)

[Freya]

I think if they are just thrown in there then meh but if it's written well to have those choices affect things, then I like it.


I also like romancing characters hehe so games that allow for simple conversations to lead to a romance, that seems more organic to me. Not just romances but friendships. I like that.

[Del Murder]

I like how Tactics Ogre had very different scenarios based on your decisions, and further developed your plot choices with exclusive side quests.

Yeah that was awesome. Radiant Historia had something like that too.

I like having choices when you have the ability to go back and see what happens if you made the other choice without having to replay the whole game. The above two examples do this beautifully. In games like Mass Effect I find myself reading about all the implications of each decision because I know I have only one shot to do it and I'll have to live with the consequences.

[Jiro]

Dialogue choices are annoying unless they serve a purpose. I don't want to simply select all of these responses when you could just tell me what I need to know so I can progress.

[Karifean]

I like branching plotlines. If choices serve that purpose, I'm all for it.

[Jinx]

slum-drunk.jpg

[Depression Moon]

I like ones that matter and can change the plot of the story. I understand why so few games do it as it takes a lot more time writing for multiple outcomes to a story versus one and some of these games have strict deadlines.