divergent storylines

[Araciel]

this is a topic i actually got into a heated discussion about with a friend of mine

i want to see more choice in video games when it comes to the storyline. i understand this takes a lot of work on the part of the developer and also means the game becomes shorter, but i think it's worth it. is there some rule that says we can't have multi-disc games anymore??

in knights of the old republic, everyone was so astonished that it was non-linear and the story changed if you were light or dark side, but it didn't really change the story that much, you still went to the same places, and did the same things. the outcomes were a bit different but mainly it was the same game either way

ranting complete

[Dreddz]

You should play Deus Ex :)

[Gnostic Yevon]

I'd like to see it. I'd also like things like sidequests to change the outcome somewhat. I hope to someday have a game in which every choice I make has an outcome. I don't help the random guy in the first level, then I may miss out on something cool later. If I'm an ass to my team, they may leave, never to return. If I loot too many houses, I may go to jail. Maybe they could have 10 different solutions to a puzzle instead of one. The more choice the better.

[Captain Maxx Power]

Some games of note that generally have different storylines depending on various actions include;

Deus Ex (as mentioned)
Fahrenheit/Indigo Prophecy
Chrono Trigger/Cross

The unfortunate thing is that it takes so much effort to truly craft a multi-path game (that's a game that leads to different conclusions based on the path you take, rather than several roads to the same end). Even those listed above still have very linear paths to them. It's hard to do because games have to have a central line of focus to them. Diverging too far from that and you spread your resources thin and thusly end up with an inferior product.

[Erdrick Holmes]

Shadow the Hedgehog.

[Araciel]

Some games of note that generally have different storylines depending on various actions include;

Deus Ex (as mentioned)
Fahrenheit/Indigo Prophecy
Chrono Trigger/Cross

The unfortunate thing is that it takes so much effort to truly craft a multi-path game (that's a game that leads to different conclusions based on the path you take, rather than several roads to the same end). Even those listed above still have very linear paths to them. It's hard to do because games have to have a central line of focus to them. Diverging too far from that and you spread your resources thin and thusly end up with an inferior product.

agreed....someday when the good idea but horrible execution of random dungeons and prefabricated stories with many forks, i will be happy...or maybe i should just read some choose your own adventure books

[Sylvie]

Tactics Ogre for PSX has 8 different endings depending on your choices. Same with the one for GBA, not sure about 8 though.

[LunarWeaver]

I used to like choices, but for some reason I've grown into a very huge love for linear storytelling. I like it to be much more focused and move from scenario to scenario at full speed. When there's multiple paths and 40 billion endings or characters I never feel like I reached a satisfied conclusion.

[ValkyrieWing]

I'm one of those people that absolutely has to get EVERYTHING when I play a game...so diverging can irritate me sometimes.

Suikoden had a couple different endings...so does VP, but one main story, really.

[Nifleheim7]

this is a topic i actually got into a heated discussion about with a friend of mine

i want to see more choice in video games when it comes to the storyline. i understand this takes a lot of work on the part of the developer and also means the game becomes shorter, but i think it's worth it. is there some rule that says we can't have multi-disc games anymore??

in knights of the old republic, everyone was so astonished that it was non-linear and the story changed if you were light or dark side, but it didn't really change the story that much, you still went to the same places, and did the same things. the outcomes were a bit different but mainly it was the same game either way

ranting complete

Here's an interesting article about this aspect.
http://www.gamasutra.com/features/20.../kane_01.shtml

[Moon Rabbits]

I prefer linear storylines, actually, because they provide:

A) More dramatic storylines
B) I don't have to play through 1038616 times worrying that I missed a tidbit of story information.

[Kossage]

i want to see more choice in video games when it comes to the storyline. i understand this takes a lot of work on the part of the developer and also means the game becomes shorter, but i think it's worth it. is there some rule that says we can't have multi-disc games anymore??

I'd like to see it. I'd also like things like sidequests to change the outcome somewhat. I hope to someday have a game in which every choice I make has an outcome. I don't help the random guy in the first level, then I may miss out on something cool later. If I'm an ass to my team, they may leave, never to return. If I loot too many houses, I may go to jail. Maybe they could have 10 different solutions to a puzzle instead of one. The more choice the better.

You people should try out the Fallout series for PC (particularly Fallout 1 and 2). They're RPGs set in a post-apocalyptic world (basically taking place in the remains of the United States), and your character has to travel around the wastelands, battling various foes including mutants, raiders, animals etc and visit various towns, talk to people and complete various missions while the big plot itself slowly unravels and brings in new twists. There's nudity, swearing, drugs and violence, so the game series isn't really for children because of the harsh subject matter and themes, but it's worth checking out for reasons I mention below.

In these games you can make your character whatever you want (so feel free to become a fighter, a manipulator, a hacker, a thief etc or combinations of such, and the character is constantly getting new skills, so you can specialize in certain types of skills to make your character better). There are many ways to complete missions, so you can become a good guy or a bad guy. Note, however, that you can choose whether you play as a male or a female character, and this affects some plot elements, e.g. if you're a woman you can get an important item in one of the quests cheaper if you have sex with the guy selling the item, and this is just one example. There are also different quests for good guys and bad guys, and certain quests require certain skills (whether it's knowledge of technology, manipulating people, killing enemies etc), so the game should be played through more than once to explore everything in the game and to discover all sides of the story.

It's not necessary to explore all the areas (and you don't even have to visit the towns in a particular order if you don't want to), but it's useful, and the player's actions affect the outcome of certain plot elements both during the game and after you've completed it (for example in Fallout 2 after the game the fate of all the towns you visited is shown, and there are many possible endings to the towns depending what you did during the game). The same goes for interacting with people (one of the most important aspects in this game series), so if you piss someone off, it might be harder to regain their trust, and getting caught of stealing will earn you a bad reputation so you'd better not get caught unless you want to get killed. You might not even find all the party members (some are in some really weird places), and it really depends on your actions and words whether you get them to your party or not.

Dialogue plays an important part in the game and by knowing how to answer to different people can be very beneficial (the dialogue options depend on how intelligent your character is, obviously). Your character's reputation grows or gets lower depending on whether you do good or bad deeds, and your reputation does spread from town to town. Sometimes it's not that easy to find out which way is the good way and which one's the bad way of completing missions, because the world of Fallout and its sequels isn't just black&white but has many grey areas in between.

Although conversations and exploring and specializing in certain skills is important (as well as following the story), battles are important too. They're turn-based with sort-of action points which you can use to move, shoot and use items (you have to be very careful of how to use up the points, and using them wisely can affect the outcome of battle). It's not always wise to just rush into battle, and sometimes it might be better to just snipe the enemy or let your most powerful party members take care of the tough bad guys. There are many kinds of weapons and items in the game, and many of them are quite useful depending on which situation they're used in, so it takes some consideration to use them effectively in before, during and after battle. It might take a while to get used to the battle system, but once you get into it, it'll become easier.

What I like about Fallout 1 and 2 especially is how the games allow you the freedom of choice while still providing you with the main plot which you need to follow if you want to finish the game. In Fallout 2 there isn't really any time limit in the main quest, so you can take your time exploring the world and visiting cities and towns and meeting people. You can be a total badass and make everyone hate you, be the legendary hero whom most characters love, or you can be something in between those two opposites. The skills of your character come to good use, and there's really no way to make a perfect character, because no matter what you do the character will always be lacking in some areas and can't master all the skills (unless you spend an insane amount of time levelling up, which isn't preferable, so it's just better to specialize in certain skills and traits and ignore the skills you don't really need). The plot is interesting with its twists and turns as it slowly unravels, the actors do a good job, the graphics are nice, and the music works. It does take quite some time to explore everything in the game, and it's advisable to play through the game more than once, but it's worth it.

Just remember to get the latest updates, because these games are full of bugs. But once you've updated the games, get ready to immerse yourself in the complex world of Fallout where things aren't always what they seem.