What makes a game a Story RPG?

[SymbolicFrank]

I would like to know.

When I think of a Story RPG, I think of a lot of hand-crafted quests. Items are there to make them possible and interesting, and as rewards. Even leveling up and the perks you get should be quest rewards, or at least determined by which quests you took and how you resolved them.

No "Good" or "Bad" crap. Just people who help you because you helped them. Fame should always be positive.


To do that, we need an interesting background. And we need an overall goal, or main quest. But there shouldn't be any "main quest quests". There's a goal, and it's up to you how you approach it. There might even be multiple goals, and failure modes.


Like, I would want the protagonist to have many options, that he should control and use wisely.

For example, give him ever-increasing destructive power, but send the police and bounty hunters after him if he uses it often. And the whole army if he keeps on doing it. Mind you, by then he would have the power to win, but he won't be able to finish the game when most of the planet is a smoking ruin.

Or, give him exceptional charisma and political skills. He will be pushed into running for CEO/major/president by many people, and the media will follow him. Even a slightly "naughty" deed can have large consequences, and there is intrigue, with consequences, everywhere.

Or, make him have exceptional stealth. And no companions, probably, because he has to leave them behind whenever he wants to use it.

Or, a tool user that specializes in artifacts. He will not only get totally different opportunities, because people tell and ask him about artifacts and their location, but he would be the only one that can actually use them. And artifacts are powerful, but do have drawbacks.

Or, a financial genius would be able to find teachers and equipment everywhere, but few level-ups or perks.

Etc. No playthrough would be the same. The overall goal would be, but even if you finished that, it would be a totally different story every time.

But I might be wrong about it.

 

[mondblut]

Incompetence in designing combat and game mechanics, and fear of open worlds where players can't be forcibly railroaded makes a game a "Story RPG".

 

[Excidium II]

A CRPG that is by all accounts terrible except for the specific element X is an X-RPG.

 

[oldmanpaco]

You can spot the Story RPGs by the gay romances.

 

[Villagkouras]

Lost (the TV series) would make a hell of a story rpg with lots of side quests.

 

[Baron]

Story RPG. The combat is interspersed throughout the plot.

Action RPG. People store valuables in barrels.

 

[SymbolicFrank]

Incompetence in designing combat and game mechanics, and fear of open worlds where players can't be forcibly railroaded makes a game a "Story RPG".

Can you explain that?

 

[mondblut]

Incompetence in designing combat and game mechanics, and fear of open worlds where players can't be forcibly railroaded makes a game a "Story RPG".

Can you explain that?

An open world makes storymachers take their toys and go home crying. Their "do A then B then C" falls apart outside the safe space of handholding corridors.

And an RPG with a solid spreadsheet component does not need a story to work just fine. In fact, it triggers them no less than open world does. Just tell them you want to cast Resurrection on an NPC they have just tragically epically cinematically cutscenekilled, and watch them break in tears, throw a towel and change their career to writing shitty star wars novels.

The only story an RPG needs is the one the player makes as he goes around.

 

[M. AQVILA]

It's a role-playing game in which the story is prioritized over other components of a game, like for example Planescape: Torment.

 

[Severian Silk]

Just tell them you want to cast Resurrection on an NPC they have just tragically epically cinematically cutscenekilled, and watch them break in tears, throw a towel and change their career to writing shitty star wars novels.

Didn't MCA write Star Wars comics?

 

[Xathrodox86]

Open world tends to drag the story too much. RPG's with tight, cohesive plot, which forces the player to care for his actions, are much better than the ones with tons of pointless side quests.

 

[laclongquan]

Storyfag, in a way, value writing more than other components of a game. As long as the writings are good, it save the game despite many shortcomings.

It does not need to be linear, since that's too traditional. As long as each ministory (read chain of quests) inside a game is good, and contribute to the final game tale, then open world or spreadsheet should not impede a good story game.

 

[abraksil]

For my interesting characters are the factor that makes the story RPG. If the characters are flat all that remains are mindless grinding and combat...

 

[Lhynn]

The only story an RPG needs is the one the player makes as he goes around.

Amen!

 

[Excidium II]

The only story an RPG needs is the one the player makes as he goes around.

Amen!

One day this basic truth of RPGs will resonate on computers again.

 

[SymbolicFrank]

So, does my opening post qualify as story-heavy or story-driven, is there still something missing, or do you have a far better idea?

 

[abraksil]

The only story an RPG needs is the one the player makes as he goes around.

Amen!

One day this basic truth of RPGs will resonate on computers again.

I don't exactly agree. cRPGs are not exactly the same as Pen and paper RPGs. There is no GM that can improvise if players do something unexpected. That's why there always be limitations. Besides as other games become more and more complex cRPG will try to keep up with them. This will result in increased development time of assets and branching will be even more difficult to achieve. The games where the player makes the story as they go are in fact sandboxes - not RPGs - there's an ultimate freedom there.

cRPG needs to a bit linear so they can tell an awesome story. What is lacking is the freedom of reacting to situation the way we want to. The outcome doesn't matter - how you react dose. This is what role playing truly mean.

 

[Excidium II]

Bullshit.

 

[Grimwulf]

The games where the player makes the story as they go are in fact sandboxes - not RPGs

cRPG needs to a bit linear so they can tell an awesome story. What is lacking is the freedom of reacting to situation the way we want to. The outcome doesn't matter - how you react dose. This is what role playing truly mean.

That's just stupid. Outcome doesn't matter, but your reaction does? You're talking like an insecure schoolgirl that wants people to ask her for opinion. She doesn't care whether it matters or not, whether they will even take it into consideration or not. She only wants to be noticed.
- AWRIGHT PEOPLE, TODAY WE'RE PLAYING BASKETBALL INSTEAD OF FOOTBALL! Jenny, do hear me?!
- Y-yes, teacher.
- DO YOU LIKE FUCKING BASKETBALL?
- S-sure, it is a good kind of sport. I think it's...
- AWRIGHT, GO GO GO!! Jenny, come visit me after the classes.

Being noticed - that's what role playing truly means. (c) someone's alt who joined yesterday

 

[Lhynn]

You're talking like an insecure schoolgirl that wants people to ask her for opinion. She doesn't care whether it matters or not, whether they will even take it into consideration or not. She only wants to be noticed.

My thoughts exactly.

 

[abraksil]

Well You can insult my all you want but it will not change a fact that I'm right

Think about all your favorite RPGs: Baldurs Gate 1 and 2, PlaneScape, Pillars of Eternity. It might seem that there are so many branches in thous games. But if you look closer they are in fact linear. The results of your choices are an illusion. Every quest has like 3 or 4 endings - yes - but how thy differ beaten each other? Well... not much... you get reward A or reward B. This guy dies or that guy dies - that's all. Thous games are so awesome because in every dialog you were able to express your self. You build your own character that is yours and yours alone - unique and different form ever other player's character.

Quests with multiple results you can find in so call modern RPGs too but we don't like them as much as the olldies because they lack the component I'm talking about. Think about dialog system in mass effect. It forces you to be good or evil. There is nothing between. If you try something different it event penalizes you.

 

[Grimwulf]

Think about all your favorite RPGs: Baldurs Gate 1 and 2, PlaneScape, Pillars of Eternity

What kind of inane dumbass would call PoE his fav rpg? BG series are not that appreciated here either. In Planescape: Torment, which you obviously never played before, you are given a fuckton of options which lead to different consequences. This game does not have open world freedom, but it's not linear, like you try to represent it. P:T has branches, tons of branches, most of them optional.

My fav RPGs are Mount&Blade with Brytenwalda mod; and almost every single roguelike in existence. Let me guess your fav rpg - it's Walking Dead.

 

[mondblut]

cRPG needs to a bit linear so they can tell an awesome story.

Then fuck their "awesome story". Fuck it in its ass with a broken bottle until it comes out from its throat.

Think about all your favorite RPGs... Pillars of Eternity.

Nice try. So whose alt are you?

 

[abraksil]

I'm no alt - I just enjoyed Pillars.

 

[abraksil]

Think about all your favorite RPGs: Baldurs Gate 1 and 2, PlaneScape, Pillars of Eternity

What kind of inane dumbass would call PoE his fav rpg? BG series are not that appreciated here either. In Planescape: Torment, which you obviously never played before, you are given a fuckton of options which lead to different consequences. This game does not have open world freedom, but it's not linear, like you try to represent it. P:T has branches, tons of branches, most of them optional.

My fav RPGs are Mount&Blade with Brytenwalda mod; and almost every single roguelike in existence. Let me guess your fav rpg - it's Walking Dead.

Well I like Walking Dead - it's an awesome example of good story telling but I don't consider it RPG.
As to the Planescape - i played it. But although it is a bit more complex than all the others it' still linear. Thee are many secrets in game and sometimes you get reworded for finding them by receiving additional ending for some quests but at the and of the day most of the games ending are the same - you go to hell.

Planscape is one of my 'favorites of all times' but not thanks to the illusion of branching.