[macoati]

Wyvern,

The correlation I see for the downfall of wonderfully frustrating yet completely intoxicating CRPG's is two fold - 1) When graphics became 'pretty' around the 386DX or so, most developers spent a lot of money going for the next 'cool new effect' and they dropped the story. 2) When answers/cheats/trainers/hacks/etc became available to the general populace every game became a "Monty Hall" campaign. (For those of you who don't know the Monty Hall reference with respect to D&D campaigns - it means getting rediculous loot for killing something like a wargur and/or jumping you 50 levels - also has a negative conotation on the DM of the game who won't let one of the characters die even if they really deserve it by being stupid - which is known as "DM insurance")

I remember when SNES came out and the games were still quite fun and the graphics were nice (not great) as well. Then the next generation of SNES games came out and the graphics were ten times better...but the games were not all that. I don't remember the dates but I expect around 1986 or 1987. We lost 'good developement' in the stand alone gaming systems but it remained in the computer world for at least another four or five years. My game references for these conclusions are: the Dragon Warrior series for NES...the orginal 2 Final Fantasy games for NES/SNES...and then the subsequent editions of FF to current.

In the computer world my reference is the Wizardry series. When Wizardry included 'modern' weapons in Crusaders, the game was ruined. Remember in W1 you had wireline graphics and you HAD to map it (damn scrolling cooridors [img]smile.gif[/img] ) In the subsequent editions the graphics gradually improved but were still basically wireline...just prettier until you hit W7 which became close to 3D and W8 (what 8 years after 7?) was 3D and quite 'pretty'. It still had several 'good things' but as soon as you throw anything into a game that "doesn't fit" into the genre (like lasers, fire arms, spaceships, etc unless that IS the setting) you lose the flavor the game. Firepower in a D&D or mideval settings should be MAGIC, ARMIES, and Siege Weapons. My true love of the CRPG world was the Wizardry series so I'm admitedly biased towards DWB and the like. However, I have found in almost all projects of his good gaming.

When the "answers" and the cheats hit the shelves or internet the challenge to 'figure it out' was lost. Think about what we can do to a new player of W&W...with one post we could destroy any of the mystery/fun. I believe that's why we follow unwritten rules and only make spoiling posts when necesary or with sufficient warning. Ask yourself why we do that and the answer is because we had so much fun in discovering the answer that we want new players to have that joy of a 'eureka moment'.

Anymore, when I play a new game, if it doesn't pique my interest early on even I will look for easy ways to finish it. I did this with Warcraft when I realized that it was basically the same thing over and over with a new thing thrown in roughly each scenario. I absolutely HATE a game that treats me like Warcraft...even though I've played them all except the newest version. I suppose my hope of a good game springs eternal [img]smile.gif[/img]

Bungleau,

My expertise is in mathematics and physics theory for the technical stuff. For CRPG's I'm more of an idea guy...the last language I actually did desent progamming for was Apple Basic [img]smile.gif[/img] (I think I just completely dated myself there) The pen and paper system I developed with my two friends IS beautiful and realistic. The joy of that system is that it alomost eliminates the mundane rolling for the DM and let's them concentrate on the campaign. It can be as simple as you want it or as complex...just depends on how many times you want to roll dice. So, to make this terribly long story longer, if you have a programmer...I have the system...and I'm not bad in business either [img]smile.gif[/img]

The sticking point now is the magic...it's only about 1/2 written even though the spells are known they have no flesh. We haven't worked on it for about 4 years since we don't play anymore. The system has been alpha and beta tested by several experienced gamers already so I know it works well...I just don't know how to put it into the magic box and let electrons do their dance.