Dgaider said:
as I explain in the quote at the beginning of the post: in Dragon Age, the background story you select gives you a unique opening chapter of play different from all the others and will affect the rest of the game.
I'm not going to overstate it, though. While it's a huge investment of time to do the various background stories (it's like doing a bunch of different Chapter 1's), it's not like it makes for an entirely different experience... there is a point where the stories converge into the main plot, not unlike everyone in ToEE ending up in Hommlett (although in Dragon Age the origin isn't forgotten at that point, certainly).
as i will babble here I begin with a question. Can you give some idea of how many background packages there is? How many will it be per race?
I said before that this is the most exciting aspect of Dragon age I heard of. Obviously it is not going all the way, but it will make for more involving play and from what I can gather will bring quite a bit of replayability. For any roleplayer background can be a very important part of their character and create a lot of roleplaying moments.
Whoever compared with MMORPG, please don't! Those dumbfuck games only have a racial starting point, there is no background for your character whatsoever, more than what you imagine in your mind.
I had some ideas on how background could be made here:
http://www.rpgcodex.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?t=10026
To elaborate on this. I know all the extra work that will have to be done to make involving and well put out backgrounds when we talk about having several choices. Having it like you have done is a limit, but less of an limit than other story based games. I am sure some will complain that they "have to" choose one of the presented background because they imagined their character another way. That is one of the prices. Now in my eyes there could have been a more open system here. One were several packages is choosen or even more involving, you play out the character like in Fable, but this time actually having that played backgound matter :D In some ways having the playing out play like you choose packages, I can thinkof hundreds of clever ideas how to do that. Like how you play as a kid and then can ask parents why you don't have a sibling, then affecting getting one.
Packages. To not lock players I would like to have a tiered package system. Like this:
First race and sex is choosen.
package 1. Choose background location. Have for example 5 different places the player can start in (like you do now, but not having it locked to rest of background). The quirk is having places that would make the other packages/options fitting in.
package 2. Choose family option. again having some options. Have to be limited, but with more options than other packages. Could have some fun options like considering parents siblings and their place in the world, which would be great for story reasons. The alternative is having a separate package/choice for the family/PCs place in the social ladder. Options like royal family should probably be avoided, if not royal in some shithole.
package 3. Background upbringing, what he did in his youth. in some ways this could tie in with class, but even if class have little to do with it it surely defines the character and flesh him out. Did the character follow his father to hunt deer? Did he just play along iwth the other kids? Did he sit and study with the old man in the tower? Should/could in some way be limited by what family the character had.
package 4. Friend. some options to someone the character befriended. Great for putting in quests and having someone in the story that can help the character in some ways (could tie in with choice package 3). A monk that happen to help you in chapter 3 of the game? A tavernkeeper that lets you sleep and eat for free and maybe gives help in giving "hints"/rumours. They could also affect your stats/abilities in some ways.
Package 5. Special event. YOU ARE THE CHOOSEN ONE!!!! Ok, maybe not that, but in some ways like the ones in Arcanum. Like having been bitten by a snake. Having met a mage that gave learned you a special spell or a warrior that teached you a special move. Been captured and escaped slavers.
Package 6. Class, work or similar. Depends on system in the game. The most important choice for skills, can be done in many ways, from a more traditional, to a more flexible to a more less flexible that is locked due to choice of package.
Now I could come up with more packages and choice, but this gives a idea of how to create a more flexible system that is not to much work and still gives the player a sense of freedom of choice. If there is for example 5 starting locations you only need to put in or have the options to put in the things choosen in other packages. Some quests can be used for several locations with small or no changes. Same with family (but possibly having something random with them).
... I could talk about this forever
