Would you like it if more RPG quest logs/journals had a...

[Nordicus]

"Notes" section where you could write your own notes to read later?

 

The lack of this feature in most RPGs and open-world games didn't use to bother me, but about 2 years ago I played the first Deus Ex (yes, heresy to play it that late, but, in my defense, I played the horrible Invisible War a year after that to pay for my sins!), and after noticing that I could create my own in-game notes in my journal, either editing the ones game gave me or making new ones, I was using it CONSTANTLY, either to write down computer passwords that I read or clues that other NPCs gave me. It sped my progress along by eliminating backtracking, increased my immersion because I could make my own decisions on what information is important as JC Denton. I'd come to a lot of situations where minor information was useful 0.5-1 hour after I gained it, thanks to the rather large levels.

 

As an example, in Morrowind (I believe it lacked this feature, though I could be blind), a few times an NPC would give me information (i.e., an unmarked quest) and the game would word it entirely differently in the journal, sometimes leaving out vital details that I'd only be able to find again after going through about a 100 "little secret"-titled subject quotes. Anyone who's played Morrowind will know that you sometimes leave a quest hanging for maybe 20 gameplay hours until you're in a position where you can complete it without too much hassle.

 

Now of course, there is always the option of writing it down on paper or a Notepad file, obviously. However, I play most PC games in full-screen and sometimes it's easy to lose physical notes. By having a Notes section in your journal, you can tie a bit of information to your save file itself. Heck, developers put tutorials and manuals into the game itself even when you commonly get a proper paper or .pdf manual regardless, right?

 

Anyone else here who'd like more games to add this feature?

Edited October 12, 2012 by Nordicus

[LadyCrimson]

I'd love a feature like that in many games, not just RPG's. Especially if it could then save a log of all your notes, perhaps, to a txt file or something. In the "old days" I'd use up whole paper notebooks writing down information on quests, trades, skills, item locations/info, etc. Still have some of them in a closet, heh. I don't do it anymore, however. Too much work and too easy to Google-Fu the most vital info these days, if I really need it.

 

Still, it would definitely be cool to have it in-game and keep you immersed within the game because of it.

[Humanoid]

In terms of efficiency though, I find paper much much faster and more accessible (all I need to do is look down), so I'll probably always take that route.

 

 

No reason not to support an ingame function of course though, but I observe that it should, to at least try to match the convenience of paper, be accessible anytime - whether you're in a menu, doing a minigame, in combat, or whatever.

[Gorth]

I would love a separate task list and journal. I hated not being able to use my journal to quickly search for clues (i.e. where to go next) in Baldurs Gate, but I loved the detailed descriptions. Recent games show it to you in bullet point, almost wikipedia like form which I don't like either. Some kind of compromise where you can add your own comments and select "headings" that marks "to do" type entries in a table of content for easy browsing (because I'm lazy like that).

[AGX-17]

I don't know about you punk kids, but back in my day, we had paper and manual writing utensils. Hell, most game manuals came with a few blank lined notes pages for your convenience back in the 80s to the mid 90s!

[Gorth]

I don't know about you punk kids, but back in my day, we had paper and manual writing utensils. Hell, most game manuals came with a few blank lined notes pages for your convenience back in the 80s to the mid 90s!

The number of a4 squared paper sheets that went into mapping the Rubikon project in PS:T...

[TheDogProfessor]

I believe that BGII, or at least the BGT mod does have a user input journal function. Hotel Dusk, Room 215 (the best game made for the DS), a detective game, also has a user input and uses it really well.

[Fighter]

I can write things down on paper. What I do miss in some RPGs is the ability to mark things on the map.

[SigmaBunny]

My first computer was yellow with post-its, since I found I would lose my written notes otherwise. An in-game journal can be useful, but I've seen some where you've had to do a hundred things before you could edit, and then a hundred more to find your entries again.

 

 

...then again, still easier than deciphering my handwriting to know what post-its belong to which games and how...

[AGX-17]

I don't know about you punk kids, but back in my day, we had paper and manual writing utensils. Hell, most game manuals came with a few blank lined notes pages for your convenience back in the 80s to the mid 90s!

The number of a4 squared paper sheets that went into mapping the Rubikon project in PS:T...

 

Gamers in the 80s were practically amateur cartographers.

 

And that's just on the video side. I'm sure the P&P/TT GMs are still doodling out intricate dungeon maps to this day. Reminds me of the Monty Python "Architect Sketch."