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Non-Violent, Cooperative Games?

Posted by Soulskill on from the play-that-myspace-game-to-befriend-monsters dept.

jandersen writes "While I generally don't play computer games, I do occasionally play games like Crossfire or The Mana World, because they have more of a story line and allow you to go at your own pace. What I don't care much about, though, is that they are still focused on killing monsters and amassing wealth, and it gets very tedious after a while. Are there really no games where the goal isn't so much about increasing your own power and defeating others, but where you instead grow by doing things that benefit others, where enemies shouldn't be killed out of hand, but befriended; where learning, teaching, research and social skills are more important than killing and conquering? Would people be interested in a game of that nature?"

17 of 329 comments (clear)

  1. You can do that in regular games by NaCh0 · · Score: 3, Interesting

    But much like the real world, it won't get you very far.

    1. Re:You can do that in regular games by Salgak1 · · Score: 4, Interesting

      Au contraire: I rather enjoy minimal-combat strategies for winning Civ IV. I've managed Research-'em to Death victories (i.e. research to successfully build and launch a starship in the late 1800s/early 1900s) and Virus/Borg victories, where you spread so fast that you are literally all over the start continent in the first millenium, and between everyone else. . .and then just Assimilate everyone by culture and growth. . .

    2. Re:You can do that in regular games by Kal+Zekdor · · Score: 2, Interesting

      Yes, there are a few games that can be won without any violence at all, but they either wind up being too boring or too difficult. For instance, in Arcanum: Of Steamworks and Magicka, there is a journal that keeps track of quests and kills and such, and it is entirely possible to beat the game with 0 kills.

      Another game that can be beaten without violence is the original Fallout. I've always found it amusing that a game featuring such gratuitous violence (ever plant live dynamite in a kid's pocket?) can be won without a single kill. It's a different challenge to beat the game this way, rather than through violence. You need to rely heavily on your speech skill, and do all the quests you can that don't involve killing, as your main source of exp (killing people) is gone. Even the final boss (the Master) can be beaten without violence. There are 3 ways to beat him, through a straight firefight (fairly difficult to do), or sneak by him, find the computer controlling his base's reactor, hack it, and set it to meltdown, destroying the base, or, the third option, convince him that his plans won't work, that he is in fact hurting people. He sees the error of his ways, let's you go, and then commits suicide (I guess violence still ensues, even if you do not commit it).

  2. M.U.L.E. by alienghic · · Score: 5, Interesting

    M.U.L.E, players who cooperated had a better outcome for their colony than when everyone was back stabbing each other. (Not that I knew that when I was playing.) The genre of "German Boardgames" avoids violence and usually has an interplay of cooperation and competition, there are computer implementations of some of the more popular, like settlers of catan.

  3. A Tale in the Desert by tsa · · Score: 5, Interesting

    I sought long and hard for just the games you mentioned after Myst Online crashed for the second time, and the only thing I found is A Tale of the Desert. This game exactly suits your needs, I think. No violence, you can trade stuff you grew or made, etc. I never played it because I basically want MystOnline to be back online, but I think you should give it a try.

    --

    -- Cheers!

  4. OpenTTD by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Open Transport Tycoon Deluxe. http://www.openttd.org/

    It's an open source recode of the original classic game, but with all the tweaks to bring it up to modern standards (8-players multiplayer, huge maps, better cargo routing algorithms, etc). Fantastic stuff.

    There's also a large massively OpenTTD cooperative group, focussing on ways of making huge efficient cargo networks and other scenarios. http://www.openttdcoop.org/blog/

  5. Myst? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Interesting

    Syberia?

  6. You haven't looked too hard at both FPS genres... by GrpA · · Score: 3, Interesting

    You just described *half* the FPS genres out there... Seriously.

    There were two different FPS genres establised in the early 90s

    The first type (and first 3D FPS game) started with a game called Ultima Underworld, and was an open-goal type of FPS where you could do many things and interact with many people. You could achieve your goals by helping people, or perhaps if you were more ruthless, killing them (although the latter often had consequences).

    The second was called Wolfenstein 3D. It's the more common type of FPS. Just run around blowing things up. That's the plot... And make your way through a level.

    Still, it's gone of from there - Both types of game type exist within the whole of the FPS type of gameset.

    Games such as Dark Messiah and Deus Ex ( and sequels ) is a help-people type of game (if you want to) while games like Doom, Quake etc, are a If-it-moves-kill-it-if-it-doesn't-kill-it-anyway sort of FPS.

    The same themes exist in many other games. The extent varies and they often get a bit of each mixed in (eg, System shoch is the latter with a little bit of the first)

    Try some of the "Single-player" focus FPS games.... They can often be played mostly non-violently - eg, stealth, skill, persausion.

    Of course, if you want violence banned from the game entirely, there's always "My Little Ponies" but as an adult, part of the enjoyment of a game is making decisions and seeing the outcome. Sometimes you choose the stick, sometimes the carrot, but at the end of the day, it's your choice on how you want to play.

    GrpA.

    --
    Enjoy science fiction? "Turing Evolved" - AI, Mecha, Androids and rail-gun battles. What more could you want?
  7. I think my girlfriend's Civ 4 experience... by JimboFBX · · Score: 5, Interesting

    ... best explains this. Play Civ 4. Play it by researching and trading and and expanding with friendly means. Play through the game on settler and never get attacked, and there is never any conflict or risk of losing. Then be so bored you dont want to come back.

    After her second game which I forced her to play, on a higher difficulty, she made the comment "war is the part that is more fun".

    And that is why games center more on violence.

  8. World of Goo by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Interesting

    There is a Wii game called World of Goo. Sounds a lot like what you're looking for.

  9. Okami by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Interesting

    I feel it would be remiss not to mention Okami if you are looking for a story-based game truly about doing good. Yeah, you fight some demons and collect money. But you also feed starving animals, rejuvenate plants and the land as a whole, perform miracles to help people, etc. I don't think I've ever played a game that seems more about making the world a better place.

    Otherwise, look into puzzle games and games. Myst seems like a no-brainer recommendation.

  10. Fold It! by gringer · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Try Foldit. It's a game where you fold proteins to get a ranking / score (no money incentive at the moment). If you want to cooperate, join a team and evolve someone else's folded protein. There's also a duel mode, where you battle against someone else, trying to fold a protein in as few moves as possible.

    And just in case you're interested, the folding helps researchers who are looking for ways in which humans can fold better than computers.

    --
    Ask me about repetitive DNA
  11. Comment removed by account_deleted · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Comment removed based on user account deletion

  12. Leisure Suit Larry by EatingSteak · · Score: 2, Interesting

    The game Leisure Suit Larry seems to fit your description perfectly. Enjoy!

  13. Re:SimCity by Laser_iCE · · Score: 4, Interesting

    I think one of the greatest games to EVER be released would have to be Grim Fandango. It's packed with an awesome story, along with some beautiful scenery and voice acting that I'm still yet to see outdone in any games over the past 10 years. If anyone else reading this hasn't played the game, then I high recommend you go out and find it (or stay inside and find it online). For those unfamiliar with it, it plays in the same sort of style as Monkey Island.

    Seriously, check it out. They've just recently released the original design document, it's worth checking it out (They've taken the original story down... But Kotaku's mirror is still available)

    http://kotaku.com/5077780/tim-shafer-publishes-original-grim-fandango-design-doc

  14. Re:Get a PS3... by Aladrin · · Score: 2, Interesting

    While LBP doesn't -technically- meet the non-violent requirement, the 'violence' is limited to hitting a purple bubble on a moving 'enemy'. The majority (95+%) of the game is getting through the level by triggering switches or running and jumping.

    In addition, you can make your own levels and share them with others, or play levels made by others. Some are already quite interesting. I even found a Film Noir one, The Case of the Crying Sackgirl. It needed a little work, but it was worth playing through.

    --
    "If you make people think they're thinking, they'll love you; But if you really make them think, they'll hate you." - DM
  15. Acts of Gord by drakyri · · Score: 2, Interesting

    This reminds me an awful lot of a story from the Acts of Gord....