Incline RPGs where party members aren't mindless slaves

[LarryTyphoid]

Ultima 5 has that one shifty companion who'll sell you out to Blackthorn at his castle. He couldn't possibly signpost it any more than he does, though.

 

[deuxhero]

Knights of the Old Republic 2

Spoiler

 

[Mr. Magniloquent]

Of course the BG series. One of my all time best RPG experiences was when exploring Durlag's Tower for the first time, Jaheria & Khalid kept getting into arguments with Xzar and Montaron. When I tried to rest, the arguments came to blows. I lost control over the four and they slaughtered each other. Only a very weak Khalid was left standing. I was utter shocked and awed.

 

[Gunnar]

Serpent in the Staglands plays with this idea a bit. You can create a party of mindless slave companions, or you can soulbind companion NPCs in the game to be your mindless slaves. If you don't soulbind, the companions will have minds of their own and may refuse to join you, or demand payment, or you have to do a quest to get them to join; some will refuse to go to certain places. It's not a lot of flavor, but it's there.

 

[perfectslumbers]

Deadfire does this well since many characters are quite loyal to their factions and freak out and leave if you side with another faction. Despite the reputation system companions won't leave out of their hatred for another companion or the watcher which feels like a missed opportunity though.

 

[Dorateen]

Speaking of demand for payment, the Might & Magic II hirelings had a gold per day requirement that increased as they gained levels. If the party did not have enough funds by the end of the day, these hirelings would leave. Can't really identify such characters as slaves, those who work for so much gold.

 

[Erebus]

Deadfire does this well since many characters are quite loyal to their factions and freak out and leave if you side with another faction. Despite the reputation system companions won't leave out of their hatred for another companion or the watcher which feels like a missed opportunity though.

It would be rather unfair to have companions leave just because they dislike another companion, unless the player could do something to make them tolerate each other. In the BG games, there are companions that'll end up fighting if they remain in the same party for too long (it's the reason why I very seldom take Keldorn in my party...) ; but it's a bit less of a problem as companions are more numerous.

The fact that several companions in Deadfire are loyal enough to a faction that they'll leave you if you act against its interests is really nice.

 

[Cpt. Dallas]

Knights of the Old Republic 2

Spoiler

That vid lays out Kotor2's plot as lifted almost verbatim from PS:T, with echoes again in MotB.

 

[curds]

dragon's dogma

wait no.

 

[Maxwell's Demon]

That vid lays out Kotor2's plot as lifted almost verbatim from PS:T, with echoes again in MotB.

That's only superficially true. That's like saying every fantasy story is just a rehash of The Lord of the Rings. Here, let me do it to MotB: the Spirit Eater curse is the One Ring and Myrkul is Sauron.

 

[Norfleet]

but you can't eject anyone to make room since everyone votes no.

Not to mention "having room" is itself arbitrary. If the party size maximum were "soft" because members didn't want to admit more people because this would split the loot too much, and the number of people they were willing to tolerate were dependent therefore on how much loot they were thus taking in, with "essential plot tag alongs" not receiving a share of loot and thus not being subject to this, this problem would go away.

You have to pick a party member to be the assassin. The attempt automatically works, but is risky : it's possible that a party member who really liked the victim will decide to avenge him and kill the assassin.

The best way to avoid that is... to pick the character who likes your target the most as the assassin, something that is completely possible.

This is what happens when you have characters that are otherwise drones, except when they decide not to be after "they" did something.

 

[Corbin Dallas Multipass]

Of course the BG series. One of my all time best RPG experiences was when exploring Durlag's Tower for the first time, Jaheria & Khalid kept getting into arguments with Xzar and Montaron. When I tried to rest, the arguments came to blows. I lost control over the four and they slaughtered each other. Only a very weak Khalid was left standing. I was utter shocked and awed.

It makes a cool story, but honestly, did you play through the rest of the game with just Khalid, or did you work around it somehow?

 

[octavius]

When the going gets tough, recruit Tiax. Tiax rules!

 

[ERYFKRAD]

When the going gets tough, recruit Tiax. Tiax rules!

Bet you a pair of wedgelike britches he doesn't.

 

[Matalarata]

Temple of Elemental Evil without circle of 8 mod has recruitable companion stealing loot from player.

You wish that was the issue. Problem is they NEVER used to unload their share of the loot. So, after some adventuring, each hireable NPC was hopelessly overburdened and, at some point, completely unable to move. The only exception iirc is Elmo, or whatever he's called, from Hommlet. Since he only grabs gold in Vanilla and that weights nothing.

 

[Raghar]

Of course the BG series. One of my all time best RPG experiences was when exploring Durlag's Tower for the first time, Jaheria & Khalid kept getting into arguments with Xzar and Montaron. When I tried to rest, the arguments came to blows. I lost control over the four and they slaughtered each other. Only a very weak Khalid was left standing. I was utter shocked and awed.

That's fucking stupid. They were in a party, and they should leave in case of disagreements. And you should get someone more reliable, like main villain.

When you look at special forces. Do you see special forces starting to gun each other during a mission? Not? Then why would adventures behave like band of idiots?

 

[Raghar]

Temple of Elemental Evil without circle of 8 mod has recruitable companion stealing loot from player.

NPCs. Party members are trusty and loyal, doesn't matter what's theirs aligment.

 

[wahrk]

When you look at special forces. Do you see special forces starting to gun each other during a mission? Not? Then why would adventures behave like band of idiots?

Fantasy adventuring parties are not military special forces, though. Depending on the context there could be plenty of reasons why a loose band of adventurers and misfits might turn on each other.

 

[Tigranes]

Of course the BG series. One of my all time best RPG experiences was when exploring Durlag's Tower for the first time, Jaheria & Khalid kept getting into arguments with Xzar and Montaron. When I tried to rest, the arguments came to blows. I lost control over the four and they slaughtered each other. Only a very weak Khalid was left standing. I was utter shocked and awed.

That's fucking stupid. They were in a party, and they should leave in case of disagreements. And you should get someone more reliable, like main villain.

When you look at special forces. Do you see special forces starting to gun each other during a mission? Not? Then why would adventures behave like band of idiots?

"Let me define the situation in a really narrow way with only one possible outcome. Isn't it fucking obvious that only one thing could happen? So dumb!!"

Apparently a reluctant alliance of convenience with clinically insane serial murderers would never involve any fatal misunderstanding or tension whatsoever, after all they did sign a contract saying they would leave peacefully if they were ever unhappy with the pension program

 

[octavius]

Fantasy adventuring parties are not military special forces, though. Depending on the context there could be plenty of reasons why a loose band of adventurers and misfits might turn on each other.

One misspoken pronoun and all hell is loose.