Have a heavier focus on horizontal character progression (you can get better either by leveling up or by branching out and making good character choices)
That right there is why I prefer JRPGs. When I play Western RPGs (note that I'm speaking in generalizations here), I feel like I'm on rails. True, I can customize my character to some extent, but it never "matters." I might do 10 damage with the shotgun and 5 with the pistol, or vice versa, but no matter which one I choose, I won't kill the boss any faster. Why? Because the game designers use a variety of tricks to keep me right where they want me. They make sure it all balances out. The stats that have a genuine effect on character power (such as experience) are carefully controlled.
Sometimes, for example, there are a limited number of monsters (and, thus, available experience) in the areas I can get to. Or perhaps there's a level cap that frequently rises as plot events are completed. Maybe completing plot events gives me such huge amounts of experience that killing individual monsters is virtually meaningless. You get the idea.
...And I hate the idea. I don't care where I can walk or at what times I can perform the scripted side events; to me, those are not the important elements of role-playing. Rather, what's important to me is feeling like my actions are making a difference. If I spend some time training my character, I want to have an easier time in the next battle. If that makes the boss less difficult than intended, who cares? What's it to you, Mr. Game Designer? Let me do it that way if I want. So-called Western RPGs are fun, but really, they don't deserve their genre. They're action games, is what they are. At best, they are action/rpg, and never rpg/action.
Is it silly of me to keep holding out hope that there will be a KotOR 3?
09/02/2011 04:24:55 PM
- 943 Views
I have no answers, but on the subject ...
09/02/2011 06:28:35 PM
- 758 Views
It's about as good as a western-style RPG has ever been. Also: best plot twist of all time.
09/02/2011 07:12:59 PM
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But Katie, don't go looking up the plot twist before you decide to play it.
09/02/2011 07:41:57 PM
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Oh? What's the difference?
09/02/2011 08:51:33 PM
- 749 Views
Ok, I may have exaggerated a little bit...
09/02/2011 09:36:21 PM
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Re: Ok, I may have exaggerated a little bit...
10/02/2011 03:47:08 PM
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I LOL'd a bit.
10/02/2011 04:08:12 PM
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Re: I LOL'd a bit.
10/02/2011 09:46:22 PM
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Interesting viewpoint.
10/02/2011 10:45:25 PM
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Yeah, I thought about most of your complaints while writing that post.
11/02/2011 02:42:16 AM
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All fair enough. And I even agree with you.
11/02/2011 04:24:21 AM
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Re: All fair enough. And I even agree with you.
11/02/2011 08:27:04 AM
- 780 Views
Out of curiosity, did you ever play Morrowind?
11/02/2011 08:44:06 AM
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I played roughly halfway through. I quit when I realized how broken that game was.
11/02/2011 05:57:04 PM
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I love a good story but abhor collections/accomplishments/completionist stuff.
11/02/2011 07:53:48 PM
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Out of curiosity, what's you're opinion on the Neverwinter Nights games? *NM*
11/02/2011 08:18:38 PM
- 388 Views
That article is one of the most opaque pieces of text I've ever read.
12/02/2011 02:00:03 PM
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It has the same chance in hell as a sequel to the Chrono series *NM*
11/02/2011 02:32:41 AM
- 328 Views
now you made me sad, i'm going to go play chrono trigger on my psx now *NM*
19/02/2011 04:21:04 AM
- 444 Views