Gather Allies in Four Sides of the World to Fight the Ancient Big Baddie?

[Domigorgon]

Freespace had better Reapers. Babylon 5 had better Reapers. A Fire Upon the Deep has a better Reaper.

 

Mass Effect had promise, but once you finally found out who and what the Reapers actually were, it was pretty meh.

[Smejki]

Err... to be fair. FO1 and 2 also kinda follow the same scheme. It's just that in the beginning you are just searching for something and reveal the big evil much later in the game. But the big evil daddy is there.

[Gurkog]

There is no problem with Obsidian making a unique and riveting story. I like their style so much that the first game I ever pre-ordered was Fallout: New Vegas. I did not regret that for a second. The problem with 'megalomaniac/ancient evil' is that, unless they do something innovative, the cliche is just too predictable. I am just the type of player who prefers interesting stuff to do instead of 'OMGsuperepicexplosionz' type of villains.

 

Heck, I think it would be really, really, really interesting to have a final objective that does not involve fighting anything at all. Perhaps the final confrontation is a puzzle, with many clues scattered about to find if you need/want help. Anything that doesn't involve destroying things would feel refreshing. Now, having all kinds of fights on different scales throughout the world is fine, but not having the main quest focus on bloodshed.... not as predictable.

[Domigorgon]

Err... to be fair. FO1 and 2 also kinda follow the same scheme. It's just that in the beginning you are just searching for something and reveal the big evil much later in the game. But the big evil daddy is there.

 

To be fair, yes. But on the other hand, he is one of the rare few villians who can be conversed to death.

Edited September 17, 2012 by Domigorgon

[zlarm]

Very much agree with pretty much everything which has been posted here.

[Vatdim]

Actually, apart from what has already been discussed here, I really liked the way things were handled in NWN: Hordes of the Underdark.

 

At first it all seemed like a generic fantasy tale where you go into the dungeon and kick some ass because you're an adventurer and some buggers have been attacking the inn you're in, plus they've stolen your gear. After that you realize there's "greater evil" that will destroy or conquer everything so you descend into the Underdark trying to fight it. And then comes the best part when you get killed and are stranded in the Ninth hell or something. At that point it becomes really personal and you know you have a reason to keep fighting.

 

So, at one point the obligation to the outside world to save the Realms from the bad guys is being enhanced with the inner necessity to avenge your death and regain your life.

[vattghern]

tropes to avoid:

-ancient evil rising

-hero has amnesia

-village peasant turns out to be chosen one

 

but since MCA will be writing this its safe to assume that none of this will be included, or will be subverted in some way

[PhroX]

I don't mind it if I end up fighting the ancient evil, but yeah, the game should definitely start off with your "quest" or whatever being a personal thing. Whether it's revenge, or finding a missing friend, or another cliche, or even just wanting to go out into the world and see what's there. If there is something big and mean out there, it should only start to become apparent a good distance into the game.

 

Someone mentioned Jade Empire, and I actually think that game did it pretty well. You do end up fighting a (albeit not ancient) big evil dude who threatens much more than just you, but the main story really starts with you going of to look for your master and/or looking for revenge on those who burned your village (I consider the bit before this to be more a scene setting than anything else), and it's through investigating these things that you uncover a bigger threat behind it all. And even in the end, there's still a personal reason to go after the big bad as opposed to just "saving the world" if you want your character to justify it that way.

[licketysplit]

Yeah, it's a no brainer they should avoid this. Bioware's never gotten away from the formula. I personally loved both the Witcher games for the moral ambiguity and delayed consequences.