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I don't like linear RPGs

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Safav Hamon

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Linear games are great for telling a story, but in a roleplaying game it's the player who should be creating their own story. That's best expressed through an open world and/or non-linear main quest. I want to be able to explore, do quests in any order, and experience the game differently with every replay. I want player agency, which is something that's missing from linear games.

Linear games at their strongest when the player is constantly focused on the action and story in front of them, rather than being bogged down in level up menus. There are so many linear games where the rpg mechanics end up feeling like filler, and they would be greatly improved by dropping them altogether.

The only exception I would make is for purely combat focused RPGs, because at least there's value from a balancing perspective. If the main focus is on the narrative though, you would be better of making an adventure game, walking simulator, or visual novel instead.
 
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TemplarGR

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The main difference of linear storyfag rpgs vs visual novels/interactive movies, is that the linear storyfag rpgs make the player believe that he is the one living through the story, emotionally. Which is harder to do with visual novels/adventure games etc.

Why is that important? Because escapism. Most storyfag rpg fans live shitty miserable lives and they want to feel important, that they are heroes, they are not just the burger flipper at McDonalds. Storyfag RPGs give them this experience. When they play Geralt, they ARE Geralt. They ARE saving the world. They ARE badass. They ARE fighting monsters. They ARE fucking Yennefer on a stuffed unicorn. When they play Shepard, they ARE saving the Galaxy. They ARE making blue babies with Liara T'Soni (she was my romantic interest in my playthrough, don't judge). See where this is going? It immerses them and it makes them feel good. That is why storyfag rpgs can be so addicting.

On the other hand more cerebral combatfag rpg fans don't mind story but view crpgs mostly as an interesting tactical puzzle and love winning battles and improving their characters with experience and loot. Which is why they prefer more combat heavy games like POE and DOS and Icewind Dale.

Now, linear games tend to be better storyfag games while open world games tend to be harder to deliver a good immersive story. It is very rare that a storyfag rpg can be delivered in an openworld format but when it does (Witcher 3), the result can be spectacular.

So, if you are not a storyfag and a good storyline alone can't carry a game for you, you won't enjoy linear games much. It is natural. Openworld games are better if story is not the most important thing for you. Which is why games like Skyrim are so good for people who are not storyfags, while storyfags find Skyrim garbage.
 
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Safav Hamon

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Thank you for writing a thoughtful responce to my thread unlike these other poseurs.

The main difference of linear storyfag rpgs vs visual novels/interactive movies, is that the linear storyfag rpgs make the player believe that he is the one living through the story, emotionally.

I feel the opposite. The mechanical aspects of an RPG detract from the narrative impact of the story. It's hard to be immersed into a character driven story when your character is just a collection of various stats and attributes.


It is very rare that a storyfag rpg can be delivered in an openworld format but when it does (Witcher 3), the result can be spectacular.

The Witcher 3 is more of an action-adventure with light rpg elements.
 
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IncendiaryDevice

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The main difference of linear storyfag rpgs vs visual novels/interactive movies, is that the linear storyfag rpgs make the player believe that he is the one living through the story, emotionally. Which is harder to do with visual novels/adventure games etc.

Since when does being a linear game determine that the game is also a storyfag game? Most open world games are more storyfag than linear games, precisely because of the desire to create a more sim-like 'real world' as oppose to individually well designed gameplay based 'levels'. Further, most supposedly non-linear games are just linear games with lots of backtracking and busywork added where you're usually still gated from content by difficulty, to which overcoming said difficulty will just result in making the rest of the game 'too easy' and less of a 'game' and more of a storyfag reason for continuing.
 
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Safav Hamon

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Fallout 1, Fallout 2, and New Vegas are examples of an RPG story done right.

Give the protagonist as little backstory as possible, have the story revolve around world events rather than the protagonist, and have the main quest be non-specific and non-linear to motivate the player to explore the world.
 

Bruma Hobo

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The main difference of linear storyfag rpgs vs visual novels/interactive movies, is that the linear storyfag rpgs make the player believe that he is the one living through the story, emotionally. Which is harder to do with visual novels/adventure games etc.

Since when does being a linear game determine that the game is also a storyfag game? Most open world games are more storyfag than linear games, precisely because of the desire to create a more sim-like 'real world' as oppose to individually well designed gameplay based 'levels'. Further, most supposedly non-linear games are just linear games with lots of backtracking and busywork added where you're usually still gated from content by difficulty, to which overcoming said difficulty will just result in making the rest of the game 'too easy' and less of a 'game' and more of a storyfag reason for continuing.
Both combatfags and storyfags are equally retarded, they both think this genre is all about them, when actually immersing the player into the game world was always a more important aspect of this genre than gamey successions of combat encounters, or rigid storytelling. Open worlds are a simulationfag concern, otherwise we should think of Pirates!, Darklands, Realms of Arkania, The Magic Candle or Daggerfall as storyfag games, which is ridiculous.

Storyfags are more concerned with character-driven drama, and they're willing to sacrifice freedom and the illusion of a coherent world if they think that may improve the narrative, which is why so many storyfag games are linear as fuck and lack interactivity.
 
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Safav Hamon

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Roleplaying > Worldbuilding > Exploration > Combat > Story. Those are my order of priorities in an RPG.
 

Villagkouras

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I tend to prefer good games. Now, if the question is the best linear vs the best open world, I'd pick the second one, but I don't think there will be one ever. Open world needs an insane amount of detail and care to make it work and that's something rare (Piranha Bytes) and it reduces to zero when you combine this with talent.

To the friend above who talked about escapism. I disagree, I like good story in games, but I'm always aware that I'm watching a movie between gameplay. I don't care most of the times. But I was immersed in Dark Souls for example and this is a game I didn't know what was going on plotwise until my second playthrough and lots of googling. Probably because atmosphere and level building > story.

I'm not that coherent now, but I just feel we sometimes look for games that a rent going to happen, ever.
 

Tigranes

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Open world doesn't necessarily give you freedom, nonlinearity or meaningful choice.

I would say more, but this is probably about the amount of time you spend on every thread you make every day
 
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Safav Hamon

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There's certainly a problem with many open worlds feeling empty or tacked on, but that's another issue.

An open world RPG done right, such as in Fallout, will beat a linear RPG every time.
 
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DemonKing

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I tend to prefer good games.

Agreed.

Linear games are good when you're time poor because you can sit around and play for an hour and still feel you've progressed. Do the same in a non linear game and you can come away feeling you've achieved nothing except gather a few mushrooms.

Saying that, I've found that games like Witcher 3 and Horizon Zero Dawn have grown my appreciation a bit for open world games recently where you have a strong central character/storyline with the option of going off the beaten path.
 

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