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EA Announces Open-Ended RPG
With the success of Bethesda's Oblivion featuring so prominently in the headlines of late, EA's announcement of 'Project Gray Company' comes as little surprise. From the Gamespot blurb: "The action takes place in a massive open world where you can go anywhere you want, and the characters in this world are powered by an incredible simulation [artificial intelligence] based on the same technology used by the makers of The Sims 2. The story of the game is built around a series of Story Quests. You can choose to follow specific Story Quests, embark on a range of other types of quests, or set off on your own adventures in the massive open world environment."
> No platform, price, or release date was announced for the game.
Yeah, that's about as open-ended as it gets.
You'll never beat my lvl 60 'EA develloper' with his 'Improved Lack Of Sleep', 'Tolerance For Low Wages' and his special 'Transform Coffee To Code'....
For the perfect anti-Unix, write an OS that thinks it knows what you're doing better than you do and let it be wrong.
As long as it's not multiplayer, I'll give it a look when it comes out. I've sunk ~60 hours into Oblivion over the past month or so, and the primary thing that keeps me coming back is that I feel like the focus of the story (which I am, because it's obviously a single-player game) instead of one more $CLASS, grinding out levels. Yeah, Oblivion has great graphics, ten billion sidequests, and a crazy-detailed gigantor world to play in, but the biggest plus is the fact that I don't have to share the game world with other people--no 1337-sp33k, no chat spamming, no people out of character, no griefing, and none of the other jackassery that plagues every MMORPG in the universe.
So now the only question that remains is how to plug humans into that and form the first matrix.
ELOI, ELOI, LAMA SABACHTHANI!?
$10 says it's Madden-based. Here are the initial classes:
- Quarterback - Needs high wisdom
- Lineman - Needs high strength
- Wide Receiver - Needs high dexterity
- TV Announcer - Similar to a "half-orc"
- Cheerleader - Basically put in for the usual "dark elf" player
"But this game isn't finished. There's virtually no script, no ending, nothing."
"Ah screw it, call it open ended and ship it."
I want a game where I can dominate, be evil, have minions and basically rule with an iron fist. Some of my fondest memories are of evil groups at tables. Isn't anyone tired of wearing the white hat? Wouldn't you like to match wits with a truly diabolical foe? Just my own meandering thoughts... *sigh*
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Socializing of any kind comes with the risk of "jackassery", and I would have to say it's more prevalant in MMO's than in other settings, but as you say, it's a small price to pay for the positive aspects you can gain. However, even neutral socalization can get in the way of enjoying a game, and some people would prefer to keep the two seperate for that reason. A little jackassery in the wrong place can totaly spoil a gaming session, perticularly if you like game-world immersion. And immersion in an MMO is nigh on impossible.
You mentioned that single player RPG's are just games. Well, despite the fact that there are real people on the other end of some of the characters, MMO's are also just games, at best. At worst they're glorified chat clients. You seem to be trying to use the fact that there are other people interacting with you to justify 60 hours a month in front of your computer. That's unnessisary, one should spend 60 hours however one wants, solo, socialy, whatever. Neaither way is better than the other. Personaly, when I want to game, I'll game, when I want to socalize, I'll go down to the coffee shop.
If forums teach us anything, it is that logic and critical thinking should be required courses in the public schools.
See Postal. You get to burn, kill, maim, destroy the innocent all because you've had a very bad day. Even after people are down you get to pin them down and put a bullet in them, or roast them and get to hear them moan in pain as they're burning. Then see Postal 2, which brings in the "slap stick" you refered to. The first one kind of turns your stomach, the second is pretty stupid. I guess it depends on the reaction they were going for.
On the other hand, I think maybe some of the Mafia type games (Mafia, GTA, the latest one being the Godfather), are pretty good at defining "evil". The games have rules like "don't kill civilians", where various penalties apply when you knock off some guy walking down the street, but hey, halve the fun is blowing people up. Its true you're not really fighting innocent cops in GTA:SA, but the drug thing is wrong. Half the missions are about taking "turf" and delivering "packages" which may or may not be drugs. They don't come out and say it, but its there. In Godfather, you're constantly shaking innocent business owners down for money. That's pretty bad insomuch as you're commiting acts of violence and tyranny against the helpless. These aren't criminals, just regular folks. You don't want to kill them, just scare them a bit, but if you need to mow down joe average to get your way, so be it. I'd say the moral scale for that game are solidly in the black.
As for the "genocide" simulator, yeah, Civ is as close as you get. But then, when you think about it, most evil dictators don't see the results of their acts right up close and personal, and definately aren't taking too much part in the direct execution of their orders.
...normally known as a bazooka, or a recoilless rifle?