Essential RPGs: A list in progress

We’ve got a list of the essential RPGs making the rounds, from Rampant and Scorpia (check out those comments). We wanted to create a list of essential RPGs based on story/writing as well as gameplay, building from Rampant’s original list. Of course, we haven’t played everything, so… what are we missing?

#1 - Fallout
Nuff said.

#2 - Ultima IV and VII
IV and VII seem to be the big winners of the series. Ultima VII’s story ensured great sales despite few innovations in gameplay.

#3 - Final Fantasy VII and VI (aka III)
The gold standard for linear storytelling that gets you into the characters. Of course, we tend to see this kind of story often in the FF series, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t fun.

#4 - Baldur’s Gate I/II
Included perhaps the first opportunity for romance quests with branching options. If you got the hack, you could even have a gay romance. I’m just sayin’.

#5 - Pool of Radiance (Gold Box Series)
This game wins point for being true to its IP, and I believe it was the first great D&D translation. I also loved Curse of the Azure Bonds.

#6 - Chrono Trigger
Per Rampant: “Strong, memorable characters, a twisted time-travelling plot, and low-tech but high-quality graphics made for a game that is perhaps the best example of the ‘jRPG’ subgenre to date - even twelve years later.”

#7 - Starflight I/II
As the last remnant of old earth, you encounter “multiple alien civilizations, space exploration of a galactic sector, planetary exploration, mineral recovery and bio-sampling, interesting aliens, tactical ship-to-ship combat, and many RPG story threads on only two 5.25″ floppy disks.” Is this an essential RPG? Who knows, but players swear by it!

#8 - Suikoden 2
Fantasy series that took characters to the next level with over 100 unique characters to recruit from.

#9 - Vampire the Masquerade: Bloodlines
Per Rampant: “If your evaluation of RPGs is based upon how well it immerses you into its world, then this game deserves to be in the top ten of anyone’s list.” The story did deliver the Masquerade pretty well, though they fell into the virgin/whore dichotomy with the love interest that always drives me nuts.

#10 - Deus Ex
An FPS with a chewy RPG center.

#11 - City of Heroes/Villains
Okay, maybe good writing/storytelling doesn’t jump to mind when you think of an MMORPG, but CoX has a lot to recommend it. Destroyed cityscapes immediately put you in the story without you having to read text, you habitually feel like a hero when someone thanks you, and getting a cape at level 20 is more a rite of passage than an opportunity for new gear. And, if you can actually get around to reading the text (which is a bit wordy, I can’t lie), there’s good stuff in there!

#12 - The Witcher (coming soon)
Fantasy RPG with meaningful branching narrative. Just thought we’d mention it

Last week’s game dialog came from Gabriel Knight: Sins of the Fathers. More Guess that Game Dialog to come this week!

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Unlikely heroes: relatable game characters

More and more people are drawing parallels between movies and games. I happened to be one of them when I watched Stardust last night. The movie follows a small-town boy who goes on a great adventure, overcomes evil, and wins everything you could imagine winning in a fantasy story. The story fits together tightly, like pieces in a puzzle, and everything pays off in the end. And, unfortunately, it all falls rather flat.

One of the biggest problems with this movie is the main character. He doesn’t struggle over great moral issues; he doesn’t make tough decisions. At the beginning, he’s a good man in poor circumstances. At the end, he’s a good man in rich circumstances. The only difference between the two extremes is that he has grown in competence. In short, he goes through some mid-movie grinding and levels up enough to win the game.

I’m sure we’ve all played games where the character we play is a badass and can easily handle any situation with a snappy comeback or a loaded rifle, like Solid Snake from METAL GEAR SOLID. Unlike Solid Snake, however, many of these characters change very little — either due to the linear story you’re playing or through lack of meaningful choices in an interactive narrative. These types of game characters are born from the logic that everyone wants to be a hero.

But a hero doesn’t have to be someone who gets everything right. A hero can also be someone you relate to. A couple weeks ago, Comic-con held a panel for the TV series Heroes. They introduced the cast one by one. The hot and badass actors were introduced to decent applause. But what really brought the house down was the appearance of Masi Oka, who portrays Hiro. Although Hiro is one of the few characters on the show to heed the mythic call to adventure, he is flawed in his lack of sophistication and somewhat geeky nature. However, these “flaws” actually make him one of the stronger characters on the show — people relate to him and he is their way in to the more fantastical aspects of the show. It is his flaws and his choices that make him relatable and bring the show to life.

Unfortunately, Stardust failed to make its perfect hero relatable. Now don’t get me wrong. Everyone wants to be James Bond every now and again, but sometimes you want to be a Hiro. What do you think? Is there room in the game industry for flawed, relatable characters like Hiro? Or is there only room for flaws in the level design and the player’s skill?

Guess that game dialog! Today’s line: “Maybe I should write a horror novel on passive resistance instead.”

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Are you The One?

The ever-questing hero, the one born of modest means who ultimately triumphs over evil and fulfills an ancient prophecy, is a story often told in RPGs. This storyline appeals to those of us in the West, where the culture strongly values individualism. For certain, there’s more than one myth in the world. Myths, stories, even analyses of myths, are barometers and functions of culture.

During high school, I studied creation myths to gain an understanding of different cultures and their outlooks. Of course, there’s the Judeo-Christian story where God created the earth. The Hindu version is not so clear-cut. Indeed, some variants of Eastern religion do not even delve into a creation myth. The Middle Kingdom exists between Heaven and Earth. It simply IS.

Applying an analysis of mythic storytelling to all stories as if they are the golden rules leads to formulaic, cookie-cutter writing. Tread carefully. Always be aware that analysis comes bundled with an ethnographic or hegemonic viewpoint. I would posit that there’s room for mythic stories beyond what we’ve seen in games.

Wouldn’t you like to experience that?

And you don’t even have to be The One.

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Going to SIGGRAPH 2007?

So my conference-hopping writing partner is off to San Diego for SIGGRAPH 2007. She’ll be sure to report on anything of interest (including rooftop patio parties) while she’s there.

If you are going to SIGGRAPH or live in the area and spot Anne, whose delightful photo is posted on this blog entry, don’t hesitate to say hello, tell her some game dialog, or talk about something incredibly important.

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Please, Developers, Don’t Make Boring Games!

Gamasutra recently published my Letter to the Editor, though the title (see above) got shortened. Recent features like “Why We Need More Boring Games” have made fun seem the evil stepsister. Why is fun anathema to education? Is there such a dichotomy? Why can’t we have serious games that are informative AND entertaining? There is no need to dub all serious games as boring games.

As game writers, we believe that good stories and dialog can only make your game better — even if it’s a serious game. Stories are part of the pull that allow players to suspend disbelief and enjoy the game. Designers and writers who acknowledge the importance of fun have learned how to take care of the so-called boring bits.

Consider exposition and back story. There’s always a bit of trickiness getting all that information out to the player, viewer, or reader. Still, writers and designers have learned ways to impart that information in ways that do not have to be boring, monotone lectures. It’s a choice. For certain, if this information is useful in progressing in the game, then the player will welcome this exposition. As a player, would you rather listen to a really long monologue or receive information (exposition) that helps you win the game?

Serious games perhaps have even a stronger call to be fun games since they must draw in non-gamers and reluctant players. Design and gameplay are of course important elements to fun, but so too are narrative and dialog.

What’s your take on the subject?

Last Monday’s game dialog was spoken by a merchant from the game Dreamfall.

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Fable 2: Story in the design

Reportage from Fable 2 gives another example of putting story into the game design.  Peter Molyneux says players will have the choice to either fight to the death, or fight to the pain (apologies to the Princess Bride).  If players choose to fight instead of die, they won’t lose experience points, but the enemy’s ensuing blows will be written all over their faces for all to see.  Now this might not seem like story to you, but in fact this is a great way to develop the player’s character through player choice. 

The question arises, however, whether this design feature is compelling beyond a mere cosmetic choice.  Molyneux had reservations: “What we’re wondering is whether vanity has enough potential to increase the drama of whether you win or lose a fight?”  One way to increase the drama of this design is to more firmly intertwine it with the story of the game.  Are those marred by fighting treated differently by NPCs?  Are there times when looking scarred from battle may be an asset?  Are you less likely to get the girl at the end?  If most players feel compelled at least once to fight instead of die, are there quests that allow you to return to unscarred beauty?  Going a step further, one of the themes of the game could be about inner vs. outer beauty.  Your choice in battle may ultimately be a statement about where you stand in the age-old debate, which could recur in the game through beautiful villains or ugly angels.  This feature would ultimately be as integral to the game as being able to turn back time in Prince of Persia: Sands of Time.

But all that’s conjecture.  What say you?

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