Droog White Smile said:
C&C is some really silly term coined by VD that is supposedly an indicator of "RPGiness" of a game. And yet it doesn't mean shit.
Not silly. Not coined by VD. Does mean shit when properly used. Can make for a much more well-rounded RPG, giving stats a purpose outside of combat.
phelot said:
To me, C&C should be more about allowing the player to experience and perhaps even influence the world around them as they see fit and without all manner of red tape and warnings around "big epic choices." An example would be Fallout 2. I know it's goofy and I know it's considered inferior to the first and blah blah, but the game left you the fuck alone when it came to what choices you make.
Agreed. Most modern games get it wrong, as they do most things, by overhyping it, both in and outside of the game. It should just be a natural part of the game world. And, given that we're discussing RPGs, it should be used more heavily in relation to the character - ie. the choices available changing based on stats (where stats are anything about the character, including background, race etc, as well as the numbers), and the outcome of certain choices being dependent on stats - just having the choices, really means little to an RPG, they need to tie in with the character sheet. It's about reactivity to your character, not just about giving the player choices - again something modern games do poorly, making everything more and more about the player (ME2 is a prime example, as is a game another poster brought up, though not a new game - Deus Ex).
In this way c&c can be an important part of an RPG, helping to differentiate character builds; increasing the importance of the character sheet; making replays more viable; strengthening the player's role (which in a heavily character, stat-based RPG is mostly decision making); and making for a more believable game world, with your character actually seeming a part of it, not just a combat drone.
RPGs are, more than anything, about the character. Proper use of c&c strengthens and broadens the character, and more deeply roots it in the game world, whilst also strengthening the role of the player. For someone who's into RPGs, there's really nothing not to like, except the overuse and often misuse of the term.