ClutchR5

If I were to try to explain the genre to someone who doesn't play games, I'd say it's somewhat like cowboys and indians or cops and robbers, taking on a role and pretending you're something else. I myself play roleplaying games because I find gameplay aspects such as freedom and control, etc. in video games compelling. Consequences have a follow-up role -- they're not so essential that they have to be the main focus, but they should emerge 'naturally' from the situations that befall your character. I could say that I like roleplaying games because they have something above 'gameplay' or all the mechanical aspects that make them compelling, not that I don't enjoy building my character.

My god this is all... so confusing.

I feel like it can actually get more complicated than that. It's not just "Are you good or evil?" It can range: Who knows you in the town that you start in? What have you been doing before starting your adventure? Does that give you any advantages? How much of the game world should you really know (Arcanum failed here...) about? What have you been doing with your life until now? Do you have a family? Wife? Children? Parents? Where does your character start? Why was he/she there? and so on and so on..... From what I understood from the update, it seems like OEI wants us to be able to play as many different characters as possible from the beginning of the adventure and for us to fill in as much background story as we want to. Therefore, they can't "railroad" out characters too much by giving them too much background. http://penny-arcade....ode/bad-writing http://penny-arcade....story-structure Wow, the video on the second link is pure troll. At no point was it ever stated that the Courier had amnesia. The lack of a background was merely there to provide a blank slate for the player's avatar... it's a no less valid approach compared to giving the player character a background and letting him start from there. Oh , Bioshock just got mentioned. Closing. I suppose being a courier is enough personal background that you may as well throw personal characterization out the door and start the game in raider armor, according to them

You're saying video game animations are good enough now? Maybe if they were made by Pixar, but regardless, PE won't have that kind of funding (and even if it did, it would probably be better spent elsewhere). To dismiss writing strength in a video game isn't really different from dismissing what good animations/acting could bring to the table; the difference is the 'good writing' part can be achieved, while the animation part can be... *insert perverted Shepard picture*

As much as I like exploring, I also do like the idea of content awaiting at the end.

The only way to really make an informed choice is by being familiar with the game imo. It's not like a game tells me from the start (usually) which skills check most often out of combat, or when. I had no idea there were scorpions/traps in the temple the first time I played Fallout 2. My character would underperform. Plus it's entirely possible for uninformed decision-making to appear while playing, with no clear indicator as to where the consequences would lead you to.

Not sure... maybe something to the extent of playing a 'good' character allying himself with the Legion in New Vegas. Since there will be factions, the characters I play will most likely be centered around them.

Well, since few to none have said it... I say, barbarians! Will class choices have some amount of story reactivity assigned to them? I'd like to play a game where characters finally recognize the class I chose... walking into a city dressed up in rags and furs should draw at least some amount of attention. No one recognized you were a barbarian in Neverwinter Nights 2.

I don't understand the fascination with his character. It's like Jar Jar Binks suddenly becoming popular.

Why would locking characters out of content based on their builds be considered bad design? It's not like first-time players are going to be aware of 'optimal' character builds in the first place.

Somehow I don't see that ending well.