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Redesigning RPGs!

DarkMage139 · 2000-07-19T06:10:22

I've come up with a few ideas on how to replace and improve certain features of RPGs. ---- Gaining Experience Since some people have criticized the murder based experience system, I've come up with a possible solution... Since in real life, soldiers do gain experience by killing, it shouldn't be abolished entirely, but what if the killing only affected certain traits. For instance, all that sword swinging might make you stronger, and you may have more dexterity. Or casting more spells allows you to gain more spell points since you get more experience there as well. However, skills, such as Magic and fighting with certain weapons must be learned. You may have to travel across the land to meet with a famous swordsman who can teach you. In fact it might be possible to improve your attributes at certain training places, but it would of course, cost you something. Killing Stuff Some of us sometimes just kill anybody or anything because they look like they may have something important. Some people will raid a peaceful farm community just for a little extra gold. For this, I propose the Reputation\Fame system. Everything you do contributes to your reputation. If you act like a jerk and start killing everybody, you'll be treated as a criminal. If you act nobly, helping people and defending the innocent, you'll become famous and popular. Also, killing creatures like goblins may earn you the emnity of the goblins and their allies. So everything you do has an effect on what people think of you. The Dark Side I'm sure many of us just love to raise undead, call up demons, and act like Sauron from Lord of the Rings . However, what if this had an effect on you. True, you can have destructive power and ally yourself with evil, but it will have an effect on your soul, and many people will be afraid of you, and others try to combat you. Just a thought... NPCs are people too! What would happen if certain NPCs had a bigger role in your game. Say you help someone, and then later you can ask a favor of them. For instance, say you suck up and boost the ego of the king, and in turn, he'll gladly give you stuff, but some of the other members of court may not like you for your popularity. Magic In RPGs, magic is a great ally. For instance, in the game Nethergate, a single Celt character with a decent knowledge of weaponry, and a decent knowledge of magic will eventually become more successful than a team of armed Romans (the game was set in the time when the Romans were conquering England). I say we should pay more attention to magic. I'll leave it up to you guys to think more on that... Besides Adventuring This is really more for MMORPGs. What if you could do things besides adventuring? For instance, you could run for mayor, or even become king. Or you could become a rich merchant. The possibilities are endless! ------ That's all I have to say for now. Keep on designing RPGs! P.S. If you actually downloaded Nethergate, I can give you my character if you want. Just eMail me! (eMail: "lazercool@mail.com") - DarkMage139 "Real game developers don't change the rules. Real game developers don't break the rules. Real game developers make the rules!" "Originality (in games) is the spice of life!" Edited by - DarkMage139 on 7/4/00 1:09:16 PM

Game Design and Theory Game Design

Started by DarkMage139 July 04, 2000 01:02 PM

26 comments, last by DarkMage139 23 years, 11 months ago

Anonymous

July 05, 2000 04:14 PM

Guilds.

As pleased as I am with the idea of people roleplaying even when it is contrary to the design of the game in which they are doing it, guilds bug me a bit. Not the guilds themselves, but the fact that bad design has lead to a nead for guilds.

As yourself, what would guild players be like in a system that actually NURTURED roleplaying, instead of reducing it to a militant, clandestine activity? Murder based systems discourage roleplaying by their very nature, since you''d be better off out killing things! Actual roleplaying takes on the air of a resistance effort, which detracts from the experience.

Viva le resistance!

Landfish

288

July 05, 2000 04:18 PM

DM139, have you considered using skill atrophy?

As an above poster stated, the system as such would not differ much from Quest for Glory one, a pretty easily power-maxxed game. Skill attrition leads to a balance where more active characters are inherently better off than less active characters, but not exponentially like in a normal system.

Consider it. There are variations that make a little more sense too.

======"The unexamined life is not worth living."-Socrates"Question everything. Especially Landfish."-Matt

STVOY

156

July 05, 2000 05:15 PM

Well Now,

I thought you had left Landfish.
what are you doing back so soon.

STVOY

Mega Moh Mine!!

Pyre Light Studios (Under Construction)

Nazrix

307

July 05, 2000 08:08 PM

Yeah, I knew he'd be back soon. It's too late...he's addicted now

What's skill atrophy again? Is that when skills fall when you don't use them?

"The road of excess leads to the palace of wisdom." --William Blake

Edited by - Nazrix on July 5, 2000 9:10:39 PM

Need help? Well, go FAQ yourself. "Just don't look at the hole." -- Unspoken_Magi

Ferinorius

125

July 05, 2000 09:42 PM

I think pretty soon when some of us RPG lovers get a game out, we will have some really good stuff. The future is gonna be where we actually play the part of who we are in the game. That is the future, so if we can make it to where the blacksmiths are the blacksmiths and the wizards are the wizards and the town drunk is the town drunk, then we have reached a perfect game. Im tired, so ill come back tomarrow.

DarkMage139

294

Author

July 06, 2000 07:18 AM

Skill atrophy? That''s an interesting idea, but I really wouldn''t put it in a game unless I found a good reason to. It''s a little too weird for me.

---

On another note, people used to have to maintain their weapons in the older days, right? So what if you had to maintain your weapons in a MMORPG or something?

- DarkMage139
"Real game developers don't change the rules. Real game developers don't break the rules. Real game developers make the rules!"
"Originality (in games) is the spice of life!"

- DarkMage139

Ferinorius

125

July 06, 2000 08:59 AM

Reminds me of diablo. Every once in a while you would have to fix your weapon with that one skill thing. It was hardly used because you got new weapons all the time, but that thought would have been much better if executed in a better way I think.

DarkMage139

294

Author

July 06, 2000 09:17 AM

Hmmm... should it really be necessary to continue buying new weapons each time? What about just getting a weapon upgraded?

- DarkMage139
"Real game developers don't change the rules. Real game developers don't break the rules. Real game developers make the rules!"
"Originality (in games) is the spice of life!"

- DarkMage139

DarkMage139

294

Author

July 06, 2000 09:38 AM

On another note, has anyone tried playing politics in a MMORPG?

Yes, it might be possible, not to mention _interesting_

.

- DarkMage139
"Real game developers don't change the rules. Real game developers don't break the rules. Real game developers make the rules!"
"Originality (in games) is the spice of life!"

EDIT:
No, scratch that idea... it might make MMORPGs into a nightmare...

Edited by - DarkMage139 on July 6, 2000 10:41:37 AM

- DarkMage139

Ingenu

1,631

July 06, 2000 09:50 AM

That''s the solution I''ve chosen : AUTO weapon upgrade

Nice, and avoid some FMV problems.
(Anyone carrying a katana in FF7 and seeing cloud still using his old weapon in FMV ??)

Not to mention that if you break your weapon you''ll be very unhappy not to say angry.
Time to go in another quest, the quest of bringing back its beloved weapon to life

-* So many things to do, so little time to spend. *-

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