Hmmm this is a genre worth reviving

[Seeker1]

I haven't seen any good tabletop espionage-modern day based RPGs since .. well... TSR's Top Secret. Let alone, of course, a good CRPG implementation.

 

I've been wondering when somebody will do a RPG in a modern setting as opposed to the other two predominant genres ... fantasy/high tech future-cyberpunk (or the 'blenders' like Shadowrun).

 

BTW, I know the spy movie genre is heavily solo focussed (James Bond always works alone) but I still hope there is room for party/team based gaming. Even Bond occasionally goes in with a team of people, such as when he raided the smuggler cartel in For Your Eyes Only.

 

Looks cool... so your chars can be gearheads like MacGuyver, stealth ninja types, or action focussed like Bond (esp. the new rebooted Bond).

 

This could be interesting ... the spy genre is one in which double agents and moles and people switching sides are a constant factor ... so it makes for interesting roleplaying....

 

It's one in which objectives are not always about killing ... sometimes you want to go in, discover the secret plans or documents, and get out without killing anybody at all...

 

BTW is this going to be console only or also for PC?

[Dark_Raven]

BTW is this going to be console only or also for PC?

I believe both.

[SteveThaiBinh]

I'm also enthusiastic about the setting, which seems underexploited in RPGs until now. Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines was also very refreshing, and really deserves a sequel. I'm also looking out for a historical RPG (without magic - Rise of the Argonauts doesn't count), but I don't see one on the horizon.

[Tigranes]

I'm also looking out for a historical RPG (without magic - Rise of the Argonauts doesn't count), but I don't see one on the horizon.

 

Age of Decadence isn't really 'historical' in the way Lionheart was, and has magic, but it looks the closest thing for now.

 

A really historical RPG set in 16th century Germany, 1nd century AD China or Renaissance France/Spain - now that will be the day.

[J.E. Sawyer]

Darklands was probably as close as you'll get, Tigranes.

 

[Pop]

Happened upon in the "related videos" section...

[Cl_Flushentityhero]

There is a serious shortage of modern RPGs.

[Starwars]

Oh wow, that video Josh's post was a blast from the past. I'd also like to highly recommend Darklands.

 

Man, haven't played it in so long... Should try to start it up again.

 

EDIT: Another vid:

Edited August 15, 2008 by Starwars

[Calax]

I don't think spy games are considered very "fun" by the main gaming demographic because they are usually implemented as a first person shooter that has missions that either require you to do XYZ in exactly that order in precisely the correct timing and take forever, or they get turned into action games where the actual spying is just moving from point a to b without being seen or killed. I personally hate that gameplay as I find it a little bit boring and tedious.

 

I think it'd be hard to implement as a Crpg without going the Oblivion/Fallout route.

[Cl_Flushentityhero]

IMO, there have been some good spy games: 3rd Courier, Everything or Nothing, Mission: Impossible (both versions), Splinter Cell, Syphon Filter. The last two are doing pretty well right now. You might argue that they aren't true "spy games," or that they aren't fun, but they're definitely successful. That said, I have no evidence on "the main gaming demographic."

 

It seems to me that mission-based gameplay lends itself very well to a spy theme. You know, since spies tend to go on missions. Maybe there are hours of prep before Bourne goes into the embassy, but the movie handles it in quick abstracted segments rather than real-time. What they really want to show you is him busting out of the embassy. It also allows the developer to compartmentalize without the added bulk of a "living" world (which more often than not in free roaming games turns out to be a dead world). Okay, so maybe there won't be any 4 hour treks through the jungle or car chases, but it works well for certain spy things.

[Calax]

I always found splinter cell to be to slow for me. Donno why.

 

Hitman I think falls into the spygame catagory too.

[Gorth]

There has been a few good spy games in the past. Spy vs. Spy, Impossible Mission (not to be confused with Mission Impossible), The Fourth Protocol and a number of others. Most of them are pretty old though.

[Moatilliatta]

There has been a few good spy games in the past. Most of them are pretty old though.

Bestest EVAR!

[Cl_Flushentityhero]

Spy vs. Spy was the shizzle.

 

Regarding gameplay, I think the Hitman-style multiple solutions (through physically small areas usually) approach is good for creating a spy feel. Bourne Conspiracy was basically all about the fighting and the running away; I could count the spy moments on one hand. On the other hand, being able to mix & match various forms of combat and non-combat (in hitman for example) creates a theoretically infinite number of ways to complete a mission; and in practice at least warrants a few replays. It also creates more of the illusion that the player is solving problems for him/herself rather than searching for the one "correct" way predetermined by the developer.

[Cl_Flushentityhero]

Oh yeah, and I'm shocked that nobody has brought up the Palladium PnP game "Ninjas and Superspies." Granted it was almost more fun to theorize about than to actually play with all the rolls and stats, but man what a concept. It basically took everything that was cool about spy and action movies and made rules and skills for them (though I had to house rule dual-wielding).

[Cl_Flushentityhero]

http://www.gog.com/en/gamecard/in_cold_blood

 

I had forgotten about In Cold Blood.

[Humodour]

There has been a few good spy games in the past. Most of them are pretty old though.

Bestest EVAR!

 

SECRET AGENT SAM!