Story/setting

[FlintlockJazz]

 

I honestly would not mind a low-level campaign focusing on something low-key like a bunch of militiamen investigating a murder in a village.  I've saved the universe enough times now that it's actually old hat, and having my ego stroked by sycophantic companions actually irritates me now.

I've been jonesin' for a game like this for a long time! ...And the way your learn to use your weapon and become more skilled relative to your starting point would make a hell of a lot more sense in a game like this than starting as a farmer and ending up saving humanity and defeating all demons or some such. Don't get me wrong, I like saving the world every now and then, but maybe not *every time* between now and then.

 

Yep, it would make saving the world more meaningful too when you finally get a game in which you did do it as well (once you have reached high level) if you have been adventuring and living in it for at least one or more game beforehand.  It would give you an idea of what it is you are saving.

[FlintlockJazz]

The first Witcher game comes to mind! And if you really wanna spend time doing low-level tasks without ever saving the world... just pick any MMORPG

 

 

The first Witcher is indeed pretty exemplary on the regional fantasy scale, if we weren't stuck with the shallow, Mary Sue-ish protagonist. 

Would almost be better to play as Leo, to get a clean slate. 

 

Expert Mode: We'd make our own witcher, and get randomized mutations each time. 

 

I like the Witcher, but you are still saving a pretty huge chunk of the world in the first one (and in fact do save the world from the Order who wants to mutate everyone don't we?) and Geralt still is pretty much a "Chosen One" trope, or at least an outsider to the society he's in.

 

 

low-level tasks without ever saving the world... just pick any MMORPG

No, I'm not talkin' about killing 30 mushroom-walkers in order to get the bean soup recipe for the starting area inn keeper. I don't want to grind. That's why I like the example... I can't remember who gave the local guards militia example above, but it's perfect. The quests you undertake work towards a goal. You ask citizens about the events. You look for physical clues. Maybe you're forced to face a local group of brigands or travel to another town and face dangers on the road. Combat would be somewhat less likely, but the threat of combat, as well as the actuality, would be ever present. You *could* have side quests that range from trivial to actually quite important. For example, the threat of the brigands falls squarely in your duty as the leader of the local militia, so dealing with them is part of the main story arc (even if it's presented as outside your current investigation), but finding and returning stolen items, bringing surviving brigands back for trial, or rescuing hostages being kept for ransom could all fall under side quest material. Dealing with the overall situation is a main/major story arc. ...And, the people for whom you do small or trivial tasks would be friends and neighbors, so it would make more sense. For example, Sally, the barmaid at the local tavern where you and your guards take lunch asks that you find her kid and set him on the straight and narrow. That's a sensible request from your friend Sally. It's a little less sensible for Sally to ask a stranger who happens to come into her bar one day.

 

To me, the Pillars story is a good low level spin on a personal matter that ends up being important to the region, but the affliction and dealing with the affliction, is personal. I liked it with one particular issue withstanding. However, I think something even more personal and with less grandiose eventualities would also be good.

 

It's one of the reasons I loved the PS:T story. It was almost entirely personal. It mattered to you and to a small cadre of people drawn close to you by history and shared experiences.

 

Yep, it gives the player a sense of 'ownership' to the town and it's inhabitants, and since they aren't off adventuring across the world they get to know the characters in the town, become attached to the ongoing stories there and to see them unfold.  I have considered every now and again of trying to run a tabletop game in which a great dungeon or lost city or something has been found, and roving bands of adventurers from across the world descend upon it to plumb its secrets and treasures!  But the players are local militiamen in the nearby town that have to keep cleaning up the messes the adventurers leave behind.  The adventurers would behave in the stereotypical player way, having tavern brawls, unleashing evil upon the town by accident, looting un-watched barrels and crates, solving people's issues (often with violence) and then buggering off without care for the consequences, flood the local economy, etc. and the actual players would have to deal with the fallout.  I never did do it as it would have to be done right to avoid just pissing off or boring players, but it could possibly be done (and most likely has been done by someone somewhere) successfully.

[Fenixp]

I find the story of PoE the best part of the game. It got me hooked from start to finish, but calling it "the spiritual succesor of BG" has put impossible-to-beat expectations in the title. The story is not so good, the world is not so reactive and the characters do not have so much personality. Also, the duration of the main quest is relatively short, too short to develop a strong bond with the characters and too light paced to feel you are in danger.

Well... If it is a spiritual sequel to Baldur's Gate, it most definitely has it beat in the story department (not really that difficult to beat the first game there). Let's see what does the second game do :-P