A plea for the single player experience.

A single player RPG is not about the story only, but some don't seem to understand that. And the story is the least I am concerned about...

 

For you maybe but for a lot of us an RPG is ALL about the story. Look at the backlash against Mass Effects ending, was that because the PVP wasn't right? hell no its because it was an epic story which had a rather lame ending (in there opinion). In Dragon Age 2's case the game play was part of it but it was also that the story didn't live up to the first one.

You don't support a game written by a fantasy writer like Tracy Hickman if you don't care about the story.

 

I never said that the story was NOT important in an RPG. It is immensely important, but it is not the ONLY important thing in an RPG. Complex companions, great dialogues with a great presentation, great areas to explore, a world that feels alive, great NPCs etc. all are important things for an RPG, too. And those are the things I fear SotA may fall short in. With Tracy Hickman and Richard Garriott writing the story I believe that the story will be good.

 

Um, I think you missed the point. We all know the story will be good and that's one of the reasons we backed and it is very important to most of us including the guy you qouted. However, when we are talking single player things it isn't just the story we are worried about.

The story at this time should be the least of our problems since they have tracey hickman writing.

I hope that made sense.

 

My apologies, I miss understood your post (that said there are a few others on here effectively pushing for a game like UO which has no story and no quests which I really don't understand). Completely agree that things like companions which mean something are vitally important. That was what made games like Ultima 7 and SI amazing, not just Ultima though. The biplay between characters is what makes Bioware games some of the best RPGs ever made. Personally I have always preferred single player games, I LOVE the companions and that they have there own desires and wants and the way they play off each other without the irritation of other people. I am currently playing Mass Effect 2 again and I agonize trying to decide who to take on missions, not for there combat skills but because the comments they make to each other and about whats happening and also who my character would really want to take on this mission or that and Dragon age even more so.

I honestly don't know if they can do it, they have spent so much effort pushing the multiplayer game that I honestly think the single player is going to be shoehorned in, just something to go into if all you want to do is make 50 tables rather than the sort of amazing experience that a game like Ultima 7, Mass Effect 2, Dragon age Origins, KOTOR and Baldur's Gate 2

 

Again, if everyone's concern is that devs saying we may not get complex companions in Episode 1, they were referring to AI and companion control systems. They've said repeatedly they can write compelling dialogue for companions all day long. But writing systems for how you interact with companions (telling them to be aggressive or defensive in combat, etc) and their AI may be simple.

 

In that same conversation, they also said that they would be using the same code for other NPC's for conversation. Which implied that they wouldn't speak up on their own or react to events. I'm less worried about it now that RG has told us they're aware and working on it, but based on the information that was available, we had a valid concern.

 

Except that NPCs speak up on their own and react to events in R5... (admittedly a first pass/getting the tech in place). We've added the ability to script NPC-prompted conversations (not barks) with other NPCs, and a certain encounter in Owl's Nest is far less braindead (ie actually works).

 

Have I mentioned, Lum, that you are freakin' awesome?

I love this guy!

Thanks for the info!

 

Lum
SotA Dev

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Slightly OT, but that friends is one heck of a ratio. RG doesn't even come close.

 

It's Real!



~Time Lord~

 

You both rock my world. Deep Space 9 is the BEST star trek. I've watched every episode at least half a dozen times.

 

hmm how in hell did we go from discussion of SP to star trek?

 

It was Lum's fault for hacking his likes.

 

Ultima I had a Star Trek phaser.

Ultima II had Decker, from Star Trek: The Motion Picture

Ultima V referenced Scotty and beaming.

Ultima VI had a Guinan reference from Next Gen.

Ultima VII had the Next Gen cast show up in Serpent's Hold in a manner.

Serpent Isle also referenced Star Trek.

And LB went into space.

 

Please tell me that when NPCs talk to each other they "share" information that they've learned from PCs they've talked to.....(e.g. SmackTalk Conversation System).

 

If they do.. I'll be sure the share some... off-color information.

Every Multi-player game has learned you want to minimize the persistence of things the players do, or especially say... It gets abused, unless very restricted.

 

Nope. Fully scripted. We don't have dynamic conversations/info sharing in yet. It's on the list though.