New Game + vs Once and Done

[IcyDeadPeople]

Which type of replay are you more interested in? New game plus where you can beat the game with one character and start the game over with the same character (Baldur’s Gate did this). Or more along the lines of once you finished the game you need to make a new character (Dragon Age: Origins like). Or a game that never ends (Elder Scrolls).

 

A game that never ends that I can keep replaying with very different characters would be ideal. I don't want to join all the factions and play through all the questlines during my first playthrough, perhaps I won't even complete the main quest the first time, I'll simply start a new playthrough whenever it feels like it's time to retire that character.

 

I'd like to be able to play a different character each time with a different class, race, and very different point of view and playing style, taking on different quests and associating with different NPCs, etc.

Edited September 26, 2012 by IcyDeadPeople

[Tale]

Don't care between one and done or NG+. NG+ is interesting, but it's never been really valuable for me. And development to make the encounters still fun in NG+ might be more effort than I pull enjoyment out of it.

[Jarmo]

Depends.

 

If the combat is interesting, if there are important choices to be made, if you can create a wide variety of characters.

Then maybe I'd play the game again. I've replayed ToEE, KotOR, KotOR 2, NWN 2, DA:O and many others.

 

But I have no interest in replaying Torment or BG, although I would like to replay BG 2 one day.

 

Not really what kind, but if. But if I replay, it'll be with a new character.

Edited September 26, 2012 by Jarmo

[Luckmann]

What? Where's the option to just play a new game?

 

No, not "New Game +" or something asinine as that.

 

Just a new character. New Game.

 

If I'm "Done" with a game after a single playthrough, it was a really, really bad game.

[Darth Trethon]

What? Where's the option to just play a new game?

 

No, not "New Game +" or something asinine as that.

 

Just a new character. New Game.

 

If I'm "Done" with a game after a single playthrough, it was a really, really bad game.

 

Indeed, any game that only gets played once is a sucky game. And then no other game out there is likely to get close to having the insane replay value that all Obsidian games have.

 

As far as "just playing again"....I suppose that's a worst case scenario if an NG+ feature isn't implemented but I very much would like to see the option to carry some of the hard earned goodies into a new game rather than starting from scratch every time. After all gameplay is nothing more than a roadbump to slow you down on your way to the next epic bit of story and pondering the next philosophical issue as you are faced with the next difficult and interesting moral choice.

[GhostofAnakin]

Meh, I want it to be the type of game where I start it up again straight away with a new character and see how choosing differently from the first character changed the game.

 

That's the kind of replay I'm interested in.

 

This. One and done, then start a new game with a different character.

[Gurkog]

Newgame+ should stay in the ****ty console games and ARPGs that have little to no story and all combat. An import/export option does not really even make sense either as there is no multiplayer. I would rather they spend more effort on making a cohesive world and story than an everlasting mmo-esque trash feature.

 

Uhhuh, doesn't belong eh? Just like it didn't belong in those classic Infinity Engine games that had it via character import?

 

IWD was the only series with a new game+ feature and that was a dungeon crawler. It works for ARPGs that are all about combat. If there is no multiplayer then there is no need for import/export. If you want to start with all the xp, gold, and loot from a previous game you can just cheat it in, or mod it.

[nikolokolus]

What? Where's the option to just play a new game?

 

No, not "New Game +" or something asinine as that.

 

Just a new character. New Game.

 

If I'm "Done" with a game after a single playthrough, it was a really, really bad game.

 

Indeed, any game that only gets played once is a sucky game. And then no other game out there is likely to get close to having the insane replay value that all Obsidian games have.

 

As far as "just playing again"....I suppose that's a worst case scenario if an NG+ feature isn't implemented but I very much would like to see the option to carry some of the hard earned goodies into a new game rather than starting from scratch every time. After all gameplay is nothing more than a roadbump to slow you down on your way to the next epic bit of story and pondering the next philosophical issue as you are faced with the next difficult and interesting moral choice.

 

I would be super pissed off, if game items from one playthrough could be carried over to the next. SUPER PISSED!!

[PsychoBlonde]

I find New Game+ to be INCREDIBLY pointless and boring. I don't want to keep playing the same character through the same game over and over. I always prefer to generate one from scratch on every playthrough.

 

That being said, if New Game + means you get interesting little bennies for stuff you unlocked in your previous playthroughs, this might be interesting. DDO has a mechanic much like this (granted, it works very differently because the game is an MMO) where after you level a character to 20, you can True Reincarnate them and they have more starting stat points and a passive feat based on what class you were in your previous life and an optional active feat. Plus you keep all of your equipment.

 

A system like THIS, where you (can) get interesting new bennies every time you play through might fit really well with the game's theme of reincarnating souls. Play through as a human? Get a bonus stat point and your starting gear includes a "ring of Humanity" that gives you a small bonus to all skills. Play through as a fighter? Get a bonus to hit, and your chest of starting gear has a better sword in it.

 

Of course, activating these would have to be optional so people who hate this sort of thing wouldn't be forced to have them.

 

But just putting in the option to start the game over with your already existing character? Myeh. Skip it.

[Darth Trethon]

What? Where's the option to just play a new game?

 

No, not "New Game +" or something asinine as that.

 

Just a new character. New Game.

 

If I'm "Done" with a game after a single playthrough, it was a really, really bad game.

 

Indeed, any game that only gets played once is a sucky game. And then no other game out there is likely to get close to having the insane replay value that all Obsidian games have.

 

As far as "just playing again"....I suppose that's a worst case scenario if an NG+ feature isn't implemented but I very much would like to see the option to carry some of the hard earned goodies into a new game rather than starting from scratch every time. After all gameplay is nothing more than a roadbump to slow you down on your way to the next epic bit of story and pondering the next philosophical issue as you are faced with the next difficult and interesting moral choice.

 

I would be super pissed off, if game items from one playthrough could be carried over to the next. SUPER PISSED!!

 

Why? You could just start fresh without making use of the NG+ feature so why would you care? Unless you just hate the idea of other people getting what they want as well beyond just your desires being pandered to. It's called mind your own game and let others be.

[Monte Carlo]

My re-plays on Infinity Engine games look like this:

 

1. New race / class / build / approach and just play the game again

 

Then...

 

2. I play with my own party

 

Then...

 

3. I solo

 

Then...

 

4. By this time some mods or XPs are out so I rotate back to 1 and play again with the new stuff

 

---

 

I hope this new game will allow me to do this. In fact implicit mentions of replayability features will probably get me to up my pledge.

[MrSanta]

Meh, I want it to be the type of game where I start it up again straight away with a new character and see how choosing differently from the first character changed the game.

That's the kind of replay I'm interested in.

Same here.

New Game+ is (for me) good only in action RPGs like Torchlight.

[Piccolo]

While I like my sandbox-style RPGs to be seemingly never-ending... with this kind of RPG, i'm happy for most of the replay value to come from starting over with different characters.

[Luckmann]

This is a bad poll and you should feel bad.

[Adhin]

I like NG+ but I dislike it when games are heavily based 'off' that NG+. I mean look at say IWD or BG series, you could import existing characters. So in away they loosely allowed a NG+ style of game. But you get some games (say in the D2 style or more recent borderlands 1-2 stuff) this whole, having to really play through twice to get all the talents and stuff I want is kind of a buzzkill on the first play through. With a game like diablo, at least, it made you want to rush instantly since you'd just be starting over with the same toon.

 

In contrast Mass Effect (original) allowed NG+ (as did ME2) but you'd of already maxed out in lvl (ME2) or gotten so close the few extra you'd obtain from a 2nd play through wasn't going to actually change your base character progression. 'That' is the kind of NG+ i support, and that's mostly because it allows you to get 2 mildly separate experiences out of the same character and game. One where they're progressing in power as they learn there way through stuff... and another where they're already a walking god and your taring stuff up (or have much harder battles... or both).

 

Guess I support a NG+ mode as long as the first play through allows you to max your character out by the end of it (or get super close to that). If it's only the halfway point I just feel a bit empty by the end of the whole thing. Think older ADnD games had less of an issue since you didn't learn much from lvls was all basic stat ups like THAC0 and HP... and... well that was mostly it (or well spells to a point).

 

-edit-

Oh and in past games I always just started a new character anyway. But it's always nice to have options available, simple character import like Infinity engine games had would more or less solve this, along with help support a mod community or general character sharing community which those games had going pretty heavily.

Edited September 26, 2012 by Adhin

[Flouride]

New Game + is a concept I still don't quite understand. Once I'm done, I'm either changing the game or I'll start a actual new game and play the game through with a different character.

[Moonlight Butterfly]

I really want new game plus I love it for some reason. I don't think it has to take away from the story or anything not sure why people think that :< Just gives you a chance to explore all the possibilities without starting from scratch.

[cyberarmy]

Im OK for something similar as Icewind Dale 2's Heart of Winter mode.

Also ok for once

[Humanoid]

The 'harm' as it were would be in the resources for balancing and testing the feature. In principle, I'm fine with the idea though it's one I find pointless, but only as far as an undocumented feature in terms of support: you know, the usual disclaimer of "provided as-is with no warranty."

[Darth Trethon]

New Game + is a concept I still don't quite understand. Once I'm done, I'm either changing the game or I'll start a actual new game and play the game through with a different character.

 

What's hard to understand? Many(myself included) replay to make different story choices or simply to experience the emotional rollercoaster again not to change their player character. For the most part once I create an NPC model that looks as much like the real me as it's going to I will keep reusing that look and I'm pretty strict about the classes too....I always inevitably find the one class that I enjoy most and when that happens I'll stick with it pretty much permanently. I have replayed certain games I really enjoyed 30+ times each and changing looks or class has very rarely been on my to do list and NG+ is ALWAYS appreciated on my part.

Edited September 26, 2012 by Darth Trethon

[descalabro]

I voted for "Once Finished I’m Done.", simply because I barely have time to play videogames.

[Sabin Stargem]

I would prefer a class-less game with NG+.

[Azrayel]

As a gamer, I have trouble replaying RPGs even with lots of branching choices. One of the things that helps me get into a game again though, besides it just being excellent/made by Obsidian, is a KotOR-esque system where if you've already beaten the game nifty extra dialogue, typically of a more witty/fourth-wall-skirting nature, is thrown in-- or perhaps even a slight change to an otherwise ordinary encounter besides pre-programmed variation.

 

Liked an example of a slightly different encounter maybe there's a side quest about two lovers and the first time one of them is cheating, but the second time they're not cheating but they're gay and societal pressure has forced them into a heterosexual relationship. You could even find a journal talking about how they can't wait for their clandestine meeting with this person of the opposite sex-- the first time they're making out or whathaveyou, but the second time through their sitting and talking. You overhear the convo and it's basically about how s/he is gay.

 

I'd say there should only be 2-3 of things that big across the whole game; just moments that will be immediately numerous because you "know" how this side story goes and you're just doing it for the eXP, but then this moment at the climax jumps out at you. Would spice things up. I'm not saying they should rewrite the game, though, just Easter Eggs and more out-there dialogue thrown in sparsely.

[Cariannis]

What? Where's the option to just play a new game?

 

No, not "New Game +" or something asinine as that.

 

Just a new character. New Game.

 

If I'm "Done" with a game after a single playthrough, it was a really, really bad game.

 

Indeed, any game that only gets played once is a sucky game. And then no other game out there is likely to get close to having the insane replay value that all Obsidian games have.

 

As far as "just playing again"....I suppose that's a worst case scenario if an NG+ feature isn't implemented but I very much would like to see the option to carry some of the hard earned goodies into a new game rather than starting from scratch every time. After all gameplay is nothing more than a roadbump to slow you down on your way to the next epic bit of story and pondering the next philosophical issue as you are faced with the next difficult and interesting moral choice.

 

Missed the point of “once and done.” Its not that your only going the play the game once, its that your only going to play that character once before moving on to a new one. If you plan to play again that is.

 

This is a bad poll and you should feel bad.

 

Thank you. I do feel bad…but it isn’t about this poll. I found out that I could use camphor oil to shoo cats away. It works but I think I heard a mouse last night.

[Macbeth]

New game+ would be a welcome addition, if not I’m happy to be able to import characters (items included). It’s fun to be godlike once you’ve beaten the game.