I was sort of thinking recently, in my current excess of free time, about what features are fairly needed in a good RPG these days
The thing that first and foremost beat me about the head was options in plot i suppose
The chance to do different things adds replayability in one of the few ways that it can be added in any RPG
Included in this fairly vague category is things like very optional subquests and fights and hence treasures
It should be hard to get the Broken <randomobject> Of Killing Almost Everyone but by the same token one should actually exist if the person is ready to put in the hard yards to get it
I reckon this last thing is where recently baldurs gate 2 excelled. For those of you who know what im talking about, how much better was fighting kangaxx the lich than just opening a door containing some beast of 1000 eyes and eventually killing it. I dont know maybe that particular example is more of a result of the fact that Black Isle had 12348712341234 times more resources both technology wise and staff wise with which is play around with but maybe thats not it
To a large extent in computer rpgin its these kind of choices that allow the actual role playing to occur
Places where theres two ends to random quests and the decision is not clear cut, maybe one way you'd get a good item the other way more experience or something
Because i've seen enough times where you'd have to be somewhat moronic to finish a quest one way because the 'good' way or whatever had too high a pay-off
I think unexpected things also are good
Maybe therell be some totally random looking civilian just with some slight difference in their description who turns out to be a big old baddie who can optionally be slain for something or other

Well thats the main factor to a good game in my opinion : options in terms of not gameplay , not character creation/statistical development but story development and i guess realistic easter eggs of sorts
Sadly I'm not really expecting to see a lot of this kind of thing in wizardry 8 because it can be seen as a waste when half the players dont find the MegaloBeastie Holding The Axe Of Painful Dismembering And Mutilation...

Whaddyas reckon?

d

• A FOOZLE...,mojo, 08:24 AM, Dec-10-00
  • RE: A FOOZLE...,apsen, 07:17 PM, Dec-18-00
    • LIKE A TOON...,mojo, 05:38 AM, Dec-19-00
      • RE: LIKE A TOON...,apsen, 04:30 PM, Dec-20-00
        • Don't feel bad,Llevram, 04:35 PM, Dec-20-00
          • DOESN'T ANYBODY REMEMBER...,mojo, 05:16 AM, Dec-21-00
            • I got that part,Llevram, 08:05 AM, Dec-21-00
              • RE: I got that part,mojo, 04:01 PM, Dec-21-00

...that doesn't fizzle would be nice, for a change. The final big battle with the ultimate baddie should be an epic struggle. Very few are, tho. Usually very disappointing with the struggle to get there far more rigorous than the final Big Boss Bash.

Good endings really give a sense of accompolishment. Bad endings, well, just plain stink. (And, as we all know, there's nothing worse than having a stinky end...:c)

Other than that, lots of "good" bugs and mystery menus!

CPoW

He-he
Last battle
I remember first Eye of the Beholder.
We were searching for least dangerous item to use
in final battle I remember using egg of kenku(?)
or whatever that parrots were called

...with a shave and a haircut...I can't resist it, Aspen. I have to ask...

Was the yoke on you?

CPoW

I'm sorry it's just to tough for me get it.
Either my English or my knowledge of folklore
(cartoons or whatever) makes me uncapable
of understanding

Anyway. As you hit the big baddie with an egg
he will instantly die. Probably he just can't
stand the shame

I don't get many of his jokes either Maybe you have to be on the same medication The "yoke" is the yellow part of the egg ... and sounds like "joke" ... a play on words

Tools for your Wizardry(r) toolkit

...Roger Rabbit? Shave-and-a-haircut--two bits...the "rap" melody no toon can resist?

"SIGH"...don't feel bad, Prof. I don't get most of my jokes either... Sad to think I've become the Dennis Miller of The Greatest RPG Fans Forum...

CPoW

Though my memory of that phrase (shave and ...) goes further back than Roger Rabbit ... though frmo whence it orignally came, dunno.

Tools for your Wizardry(r) toolkit

Probably from the 1930's or thereabouts. When a shave and a haircut was two bits...(25 cents, I guess). Hard to get a haircut nowdays. Gotta have it "styled".

Didja ever notice how all these "stylist" have like the crappiest haircuts? Poetic justice, I suppose... Or the blind leading the blind...

CPoW