RPG where you play somebody else's follower??

[Percy]

I'd play it.

I'd also play a RTS with RPG elements (ie: crusader kings) using Dnd system and leveling to resolve combat.

 

[Malachi]

My initial reaction was that an RPG where you are someone else's follower is a little too much like life. Not that we do not have free will -- we do. But most of us have a network of obligations: school, work, or family, for example. The appeal of a good RPG is that it allows a hero to take action freely with important repercussions / remuneration, without having to wonder if George in Human Resources got the forms you sent in last week, or whether the wife wants you to pick up milk on the way home.

An RPG where you pretend to be yet another drone for the whole game kind of misses the point. That's just my take on it. And I agree with the others who stated before me that "Oblivion" comes too close to this model, among its many other failings. "Morrowind" has its share of flaws, but at least you still get to be the Big Damn Hero.

 

[Awor Szurkrarz]

I don't think it could be worse to being subservient to a plot. PC in cRPGs practically is never a master of his/her fate.

 

[DraQ]

Oblivion?

That was the first thing that came to my mind as well. The main dude is Martin and you're pretty much the errand boy, but I guess Cloaked Figure is talking about a party RPG where you're not the party leader.

It also has to be an RPG.

 

[DwarvenFood]

The idea of your "boss" being more in the background or doing some more important things, of which you are not always part of, sonds pretty good, especially if he would come in during a major boss-battle to do the very last hit thus killing the opponent and gaining xp+fame. done in a way that you can do nothing about it. Ya i'd like a game like that, it just brings a bit of a different perspective on things - controlling everything is not always fun anyways.

 

[Achilles]

Oblivion?

That was the first thing that came to my mind as well. The main dude is Martin and you're pretty much the errand boy, but I guess Cloaked Figure is talking about a party RPG where you're not the party leader.

It also has to be an RPG.

Oh, right, I totally missed that part

 

[laclongquan]

In answering the topic:

Romance of Three Kingdoms got you play as many characters. You could choose to play a sidekick of a hero, like Guan Ping, son of Guan Yu, the Chinese God of War, or anyone else, really.

 

[Klaz]

This is a dumb idea. What's the point? To be railroaded? Where's the fun if you don't get to make the important choices?

 

[JarlFrank]

Well, to be fair, being an influential advisor to a hero can also have its fun moments. If you're good enough at your diplomatic games, you can end up indirectly making the choices or convincing the hero that the choice you would pick is best.

 

[Klaz]

Well, to be fair, being an influential advisor to a hero can also have its fun moments. If you're good enough at your diplomatic games, you can end up indirectly making the choices or convincing the hero that the choice you would pick is best.

If you can do that, why not outright overthrow the hero?

 

[hoochimama]

Because you want to know why the hero cut himself off from the force.

 

[deuxhero]

While Tales of Symphonia is a mehish jRPG, it does qualify. The viewpoint character is Robin from Teen Titans a dense (Not 12 year old Recette's cute dense, but annoying dense) 17 year old who is part of the guard of the chosen one (a just as dense and stupidly clumsy to boot 16 year old girl) on her pilgramage to save the world. Stops being that part way through and he becomes flat out main character.

I think the same idea (being based on Journey to the West) is used in one of the Final Fantasy games.

 

[DriacKin]

Don't most of the recent Final Fantasy games involve stories where you just follow around some other chick?

 

[Klaz]

Because you want to know why the hero cut himself off from the force.

Meh, I'd eat his heart to absorb his essence.

 

[deuxhero]

Well, to be fair, being an influential advisor to a hero can also have its fun moments. If you're good enough at your diplomatic games, you can end up indirectly making the choices or convincing the hero that the choice you would pick is best.

If you can do that, why not outright overthrow the hero?

Because of very simple reasons. The hero is popular, the hero has a unique ability important to the quest, having muscle that follows your commands is obviously to your benefit.

 

[Klaz]

Because of very simple reasons. The hero is popular, the hero has a unique ability important to the quest, having muscle that follows your commands is obviously to your benefit.

AKA: Railroading.

 

[deuxhero]

I'm not sure that doing something that is effectively suicide (outside of adventure games and Torment) SHOULD help progress the game.

 

[Klaz]

I'm not sure that doing something that is effectively suicide (outside of adventure games and Torment) SHOULD progress the game.

Suicide? If I've been powerful/skilled enough to defeat/overthrow the hero, I should certainly be able to take on (almost) anything. Alternatively, I could side with the villains, or let the rest of the world clean up the mess.

 

[deuxhero]

I forgot "Hero is stronger than you, likely because he is the chosen one lol" as one of the reasons not to overthrow him.

 

[Klaz]

I forgot "Hero is stronger than you, likely because he is the chosen one lol" as one of the reasons not to overthrow him.

So, not only do we have storyline cliches, but also invincible NPC's?

 

[deuxhero]

I could see playing without the hero (Tell him you don't care about him anymore when he's half dead and poisons and wants you to heal him to make the fight manageable)as a self impossed "hard mode", but if the game is designed around being an adviser to the hero, I dobut that would be very fun to play.


Also I imagine that the "hero" in such a game would have to be more Captain Hammer than Superman in personality and constantly brag about how awesome he is as the chosen one and annoyed at the idea you want him to just be a beatstick.

And I doubt you complain when the PC is blatantly stronger than any party member. The "hero" should have a major power advantage over everyone like a PC normally does, but still need heals/buffs/tactical advice (again, except for the last one, like a PC,).

 

[Klaz]

I could see this working as an adventure game, but as an RPG... you should ideally always have the maximum freedom that the developers can program into the game's scenario.

True, the PC is usually one of the most powerful beings in the universe, but the difference is that it's controlled by the player. In this game, this would essentially become an annoying invincible NPC that is always giving you orders.

 

[deuxhero]

Giving you orders? Again, the best "hero" for this would be Captain Hammer combined with Zapp Brannigan. You would give him orders in the fashion of

PC:The thing seems to like inhalling stuff, you should throw bombs at it when it inhales.
"Hero": That's stupid charname, but don't fear! I have a better idea! I should throw bombs at it when it iihalls.


But yeah, Adventure game or jRPG is a better choice for the idea then wRPG.

 

[Klaz]

Giving you orders? Again, the best "hero" for this would be Captain Hammer combined with Zapp Brannigan. You would give him orders in the fashion of

PC:The thing seems to like inhalling stuff, you should throw bombs at it when it inhales.
"Hero": That's stupid charname, but don't fear! I have a better idea! I should throw bombs at it when it iihalls.

If the hero is anything like Zapp Brannigan, killing him will be the very first thing I'll try after character creation.

However, if you implement it like that, then it's actually more like having an annoying follower who merely thinks he's the hero... which is sort of a better idea.

 

[Awor Szurkrarz]

A Horus Heresy cRPG could be pretty cool.