constantly restarting rpgs: guidance needed

[damaged_drone]

i habitually restart games. every rpg bar planescape was restarted easily 10+ times before i finish them. some games like morrowind and currently arcanum are up past 50 characters( 5-6 months on i still havent finished arcanum having arrived at quintara at least 4 times and not because i dont enjoy the game and i restarted morrowind after killing dagoth ur twice before tackling tribunal)
has anyone else ever had this problem and if so how did u get past it? overcoming munchkinism may be part of the solution...

i hate when i cant see what was behind that door or in that one chest. i hate when i find an item or companion that makes part of my character redundant. i hate when my character cant complete that quest the way id like to. i hate when i find that skills or whatever arent as fun or useful as id imagined. (what an embarassing 1st post ha!)
ur wisdom is appreciated.

 

[Atrokkus]

I'm afraid you *are* a munchkin. There is no cure for this disease. However, the nature of this affliction is that it can coexist peacefully with the natural roleplayer style. But that can only be achieved through rigorous training in self-control and willpower.

First off, stop playing Morrowind. It is not a pure RPG at all, and is actually a munchkin's wet-dream.

Replaying good RPGs is nothing but wonderful. However, usually, the replaying is stimulated by the desire to see the gameworld differently, choosing various classes, races, sexes and other character traits that actually affect the gameplay. For me, replaying is playing for the first time, BUT with different character. If the game does not offer a variable story upon replaying, then I just don't waste time replaying. That is a roleplayer's approach to replaying.

Another thing that a roleplayer must always keep in mind is that one must not try to be the uber in everything, unless you actually try to put the avatar of your bloated ego into the gameworld. Say, you may replay the game with a pretty deformed and talentless dwarf that is clumsy and lunatical. This way, you just CAN'T possibly do the game in an uber-way, but it's fun anyways, because it offers a very different experience, and a challenge (that may actually satisfy powergamers).

But don't get me wrong: if you like replaying for the sake of making an uber-character, then by all means do so: it means that it's just your thing. If it brings you joy, then it's the right thing to do, however munchy it may be.

 

[theverybigslayer]

Morrowind and Arcanum are very boring games. They are hard to finish because of this fact.

 

[MrBrown]

It sounds like you like the character management of the game more than the other aspects of it. I often have the same problem.

The simplest way is to use a cheat utility that lets you change your character's stats.

Or play RPGs that let you make generalist characters, like the Fallouts for instance.

Or play non-RPGs without character management, ie Final Fantasys.


Don't worry about it too much though, many games are at fault in this aspect as well.

 

[Section8]

I think it's basically about willpower. If you have to, make a mental note of something you couldn't do/get and save it for your next character build. Personally, I'm a big fan of games that do restrict certain paths/outcomes/events on a character basis, because it gives me a chance to delve back into the world and approach it in a different manner. Most of the time I have the conviction to save those rewards until after I've finished with one character.

However, I ought to mention that I've played Arcanum with a multitude of characters, and only finished it once. The linear plotline cruels it for me. Even if I surmount the various obstacles with a different means, it's still effectively the same thing over and over again. Morrowind, I've made even more characters, and still have yet to finish it, even once.

But honestly, does it really matter if you finish them or not? You're obviously getting a good many hours of enjoyment from the games, you're seeing a good portion of what the game world has to offer, and even if you're focused more on the munchkin aspects, you're still in good RP spirits. You're living as various alter egos, doing whatever it is you want, and not feeling the need to follow a set path just because the game prods you along it.

If you're not already into them, I'd recommend giving some good roguelikes a go, since they're not really about follow a plotline, more about just picking a character and doing your thing until your character is either dead or retired.

 

[Andrej]

I've known people who munchkinized the Final Fantasy series. A classmate long ago spent about one and a half year deducated to nothing but Final Fantasy 7. That is, the maxing of his stats in Final Fantasy 7.

Restarting a game a few times is natural when you're new to the game. You want to understand the system a bit, you want to test diffrent ways, you want to test diffrent characters. I can not, for the love of whatever applicable deity count the number of times I've restarted Fallout 2.

Edit: Finaly Fantasy? I think not.

 

[damaged_drone]

my munchkinism is more that i dont feel comfortable missing out on game content than wanting to be uber-powerful. that aside, the problem is that when i finally play through the game and am happy with my character etc i know the game so well that ive probably discovered everything previously and that final play through isnt near as fun as if i had just finished it with my 1st character. if u get my meaning. thnx for the replies!

 

[Twinfalls]

A classmate long ago spent about one and a half year deducated to nothing but Final Fantasy 7. That is, the maxing of his stats in Finaly Fantasy 7

Jesus that's disturbing. Ritualism by children with video games like that.... fuck.

 

[almondblight]

Just go through the game once, if you really don't want to miss things, catalog them, then when you're through go through them again with them in mind. I've gone through Fallout a bunch of times, each time focusing on something I left out before, so each time was enjoyable. I think you may be trying to cram too much into one run through of a game...you just have to learn to put off some things until later.

Or do what I always do, save before choices, advancement, etc, just in case. Or if you really need to, use a online guide. It might lessen the experience, but at least you'll be able to finish.

 

[Micmu]

the problem is that when i finally play through the game and am happy with my character etc i know the game so well that ive probably discovered everything previously and that final play through isnt near as fun as if i had just finished it with my 1st character.

This is the ultimate reward for munchinkism - less fun at the end.

If you must - why don't you get yourself a strategy guide or read some FAQ on how to build up your char before you play it for the first time? And then force yourself, damnit. This is the part of RPG fun. No, not forcing yourself, playing a character.

 

[kris]

i hate when i cant see what was behind that door or in that one chest. i hate when i find an item or companion that makes part of my character redundant. i hate when my character cant complete that quest the way id like to. i hate when i find that skills or whatever arent as fun or useful as id imagined. (what an embarassing 1st post ha!)
ur wisdom is appreciated.

Your doing great, now apply this to real life. don't let stuff like doors and ownership restrain you from taking the loot that rightfully belong to you. Simply kill off people that don't complement you, they insult your existance.

 

[damaged_drone]

strategy guides are a huge part of the problem. :D im starting to regret this thread more than i had anticipated

ps : i have no problems staying in character or being consistent :wink:

 

[Zomg]

Age.

 

[Vault Dweller]

im starting to regret this thread more than i had anticipated

That's how it usually works at the Codex.

ps : i have no problems staying in character or being consistent :wink:

Then you should accept the fact that your character may not find everything, may not be the best in everything, and that his choices may have fucking consequences.

the problem is that when i finally play through the game and am happy with my character etc i know the game so well that ive probably discovered everything previously and that final play through isnt near as fun as if i had just finished it with my 1st character.

Duh!

 

[FrancoTAU]

Play God Games if you want to be uber powerful in everything. You just need more patience for RPGs, young padawan.

 

[obediah]

I can feel where you're coming from. I hardly ever replay games, so when faced with real decisions I freak out about staying in character vs trying to hit all the content. It's interesting that where your illness manifests itself in restarting the game, mine manifests in save-reload mania, character hax0ring, gamefaqs, and power leveling.

In my old age, at least the pwer leveling crap is gone - I'm just not willing to waste the time anymore. When I was younger I had an annoying habit of spending so much time munchkinising in a game I'd get bored of it and never finish. I remember figuring out how to dupe items in Pools of Radiance for my C64.

Practice is the answer - unfortunately there are fewer and fewer games to practice on. Maybe the short fps-rpg hybrids that seem to be popping up more often can help.

 

[MINIGUNWIELDER]

I've known people who munchkinized the Final Fantasy series. A classmate long ago spent about one and a half year deducated to nothing but Final Fantasy 7. That is, the maxing of his stats in Final Fantasy 7.

Restarting a game a few times is natural when you're new to the game. You want to understand the system a bit, you want to test diffrent ways, you want to test diffrent characters. I can not, for the love of whatever applicable deity count the number of times I've restarted Fallout 2.

Edit: Finaly Fantasy? I think not.

i did the same thing with FFV which is the closest to an rpg proper that the ff games are

 

[damaged_drone]

ill give an example since people are giving the munchkin tangeant to much credit.

in arcanum, having noticed that tech characters have a rather more difficult time keeping themselves healthy i decided it might be good to make a dwarf with full mech and herbology so he could make medical arachnids. but when i got to caladon i found that u get given one for free in a quest, so my character has wasted 14 character points that could have been spent on trying out the other tech disciplines so...i restart.
i made an elven mage that is so intently focused on studying magic that it alienates others and so he was sullen and unpersuasive etc there is a quest in stillwater to find a missing statue of the human goddess and if you lack lockpicking or persuasiveness the only option is to kill an ugly and lonely guy who stole it so people would like him. my character pitied this guy because he identified with him but the only way i could rightfully retrieve the statue with my character was to kill him, so...i restart.
meh, it just sounds like im whining now. i guess ill just have to suck it up.

 

[Section8]

My solutions -

* Run an army of Arachnids, as many as you can build/score from quests.

* Leave the guy to his idol, and the quest unfulfilled.

It's not the end of the world, unless you make it that way. In the case of games such as Arcanum, you just have to live with the fact that not everything works out perfectly, and plough on regardless. It used to bug me that if opposed quests showed up in my journal with one as a failure, even though there's no possible way to succeed at both, but you just have to get over it, and move on.

In the case of games such as NWN, where you might want to play an evil character, and all you're ever asked to do is help the good guys, then the best solution is to come and bitch about it here, and whine about the state of the games industry like the rest of us. Oh, and don't forget a bit of armchair game development. Nothing goes over better than a "What Bethesda should have done/should be doing" thread.