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Darklord · 10-11-2003, 08:44 AM

i enjoy the depth and open-endedness of morrowwind... but imo that is no reason to accept a sub-standard gameplay. it's a gripe i have with most roleplaying games - either they are hack&slash fests with decent gameplay but without an immersive storyline, or it's a damn good yarn (i was actually shivering when i first met dagoth gareth) where the combat aspects are merely an annoyance.

self-limitation can extend the lifespan of a game (i completed baldurs gate with a solo wizard never casting a single spell, as a tribute to rincewind from discworld).

i realise power isn't everything (i've been playing pen&paper rpgs since i was 13), but i long for a rpg that will draw me in while at the same time giving me a challenge despite my best efforts. say, baldurs gate 2 with gameplay aspects of commandos... or morrowind with actual fencing and a smart enemy ai. there are excellent games which combine rpg elements with the best of other genres (deus ex comes to mind), but in those rpg elements are just the icing on the cake. could it not work the other way round as well?
i'm not dissing morrowind as a whole, i enjoy the game a lot. but despite this, i can't help thinking "it could have been so much more..."

in most rpgs, your opponents don't employ all their resources but rely on raw power. when a major battle is challenging because bandits attack you from multiple directions, thieves sneak up on you and bodyguards prevent you from getting close to the spellcasters... i will get that precious "you are there" feeling in combat as well. if it's a series of granted wins until you face a lvl 2 zillion opponent with out of this world statistics you dispatch with your godlike power and/or serious weaknesses of the game engine, i quickly lose interest in combat.

regardless of my level, anything trying to kill me should be dangerous; by all means reduce the number of hostile encounters if you don't want a hack&slash fest, but make the ones that do take place matter. some rpgs have combat mods that go a long way towards that, but game companies rarely incorporate this. i just don't want to bored while fighting for my life!

10-11-2003, 08:44 AM	#5
Darklord Welcomed New User Join Date: January 18, 2003 Location: Germany Age: 45 Posts: 2	i enjoy the depth and open-endedness of morrowwind... but imo that is no reason to accept a sub-standard gameplay. it's a gripe i have with most roleplaying games - either they are hack&slash fests with decent gameplay but without an immersive storyline, or it's a damn good yarn (i was actually shivering when i first met dagoth gareth) where the combat aspects are merely an annoyance. self-limitation can extend the lifespan of a game (i completed baldurs gate with a solo wizard never casting a single spell, as a tribute to rincewind from discworld). i realise power isn't everything (i've been playing pen&paper rpgs since i was 13), but i long for a rpg that will draw me in while at the same time giving me a challenge despite my best efforts. say, baldurs gate 2 with gameplay aspects of commandos... or morrowind with actual fencing and a smart enemy ai. there are excellent games which combine rpg elements with the best of other genres (deus ex comes to mind), but in those rpg elements are just the icing on the cake. could it not work the other way round as well? i'm not dissing morrowind as a whole, i enjoy the game a lot. but despite this, i can't help thinking "it could have been so much more..." in most rpgs, your opponents don't employ all their resources but rely on raw power. when a major battle is challenging because bandits attack you from multiple directions, thieves sneak up on you and bodyguards prevent you from getting close to the spellcasters... i will get that precious "you are there" feeling in combat as well. if it's a series of granted wins until you face a lvl 2 zillion opponent with out of this world statistics you dispatch with your godlike power and/or serious weaknesses of the game engine, i quickly lose interest in combat. regardless of my level, anything trying to kill me should be dangerous; by all means reduce the number of hostile encounters if you don't want a hack&slash fest, but make the ones that do take place matter. some rpgs have combat mods that go a long way towards that, but game companies rarely incorporate this. i just don't want to bored while fighting for my life!