- Joined
- May 1, 2013
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My problem with moral systems is that they aren't very dynamic... They also don't tend to be very realistic in terms of gameplay or character interactions. If we take Fable, it's a "flat rate". Doing good things negates evil points and doing evil things negates good points. It's a straight meter that only changes a single variable. That means... not very versatile. You could murder the villagers of every single town you run across... But as long as you kill those Bandits on the road and those Hobbes in the cave, you can still be a "goody two-shoes" according to the mechanic. That renders the system rather... broken. If we're talking Mass Effect, then you've got two meters... The problem with that is... Well, filling the meters doesn't really do anything with the story or future events. People don't go, "hey, you're the guy who shot that scientist in the face!" People in Mass Effect largely ignore things you've done and you don't gain any sort of reputation for the things you have done. In the original Mass Effect, I was a Paragon of goodness and virtue... But, I still helped that lady change from doing one gang activity to another. Nobody remarked on it at all. Nobody even came along and asked for similar help. I also helped a guy develop a device that cheats at gambling. Nobody cared.
See, I have issues with "moral systems" because they just aren't that dynamic or realistic. I shouldn't be able to "absolve my sins" by killing a bunch of badguys. I shouldn't be able to be full Paragon and full Renegade without someone remarking on how unpredictable I am as a human being (or how morally crazy I am).
You know what the other HUGE problem with a moral choice system in a game is?
The vast majority of all video game players in all of existence will just choose the "good guy" option and keep moving along. This makes the system pointless as few players would ever choose the "evil" side. It also renders anything you have created for the "evil content" side of things rather pointless. On top of that, players are often "punished" when they are evil. Kill the shopkeeper? Well, now you can't buy or sell items in that location. You've just handicapped yourself. Do too many evil things that characters don't trust you? Well, say goodbye to all your questlines (unless they're crazily programmed to still give you the quests despite the fact that you eat babies for breakfast and stab nuns for lunch). So, even players who might want to play Evil, just don't. They've been conditioned by too many games that "being evil" handicaps them the most and doesn't give decent rewards, so they'll play "Good" anyway.
Now, I realize that some of you may see me as being a hypocrite on the subject of "moral choice systems", seeing as how I've kind of thrown one into my own game... But, I'm just saying that if you don't do a "moral choice" system really well (as in, basically your whole game revolves around it and every decision you make in terms of development revolves around it), it isn't going to be anything more than a meter someone looks at and something most players will basically ignore. No amount of "achievements" will change that. Want proof? Go look at "Fallout 3". Achievements for being good, neutral, and evil and hitting certain levels. Everyone who has all those achievements simply created a save before they hit the level requirements, then did really evil stuff in order to get the meter to come down to where they wanted it before leveling up for the achievement. Everyone who didn't do that... Well... They made 3 separate playthroughs and have varying degrees of "completed" on those playthroughs. Myself? Yeah, did a full playthrough on Good and Neutral (most of what I did as Neutral was simply find enemies to kill for levels instead of quest, as it was easier to obtain the achievements without having to mess with my Karma). I'm currently level 4 as an evil person and I just don't really have much drive to go through the game AGAIN for the achievements on being a douchebag. Especially since it will severely handicap me (there is more incentive in New Vegas to pickpocket and rob people than there is in Fallout 3) to basically complete every quest going the "evil" route as well as handicap me to try to pick pockets and steal things (which don't really give you anything that good anyway).
See, I have issues with "moral systems" because they just aren't that dynamic or realistic. I shouldn't be able to "absolve my sins" by killing a bunch of badguys. I shouldn't be able to be full Paragon and full Renegade without someone remarking on how unpredictable I am as a human being (or how morally crazy I am).
You know what the other HUGE problem with a moral choice system in a game is?
The vast majority of all video game players in all of existence will just choose the "good guy" option and keep moving along. This makes the system pointless as few players would ever choose the "evil" side. It also renders anything you have created for the "evil content" side of things rather pointless. On top of that, players are often "punished" when they are evil. Kill the shopkeeper? Well, now you can't buy or sell items in that location. You've just handicapped yourself. Do too many evil things that characters don't trust you? Well, say goodbye to all your questlines (unless they're crazily programmed to still give you the quests despite the fact that you eat babies for breakfast and stab nuns for lunch). So, even players who might want to play Evil, just don't. They've been conditioned by too many games that "being evil" handicaps them the most and doesn't give decent rewards, so they'll play "Good" anyway.
Now, I realize that some of you may see me as being a hypocrite on the subject of "moral choice systems", seeing as how I've kind of thrown one into my own game... But, I'm just saying that if you don't do a "moral choice" system really well (as in, basically your whole game revolves around it and every decision you make in terms of development revolves around it), it isn't going to be anything more than a meter someone looks at and something most players will basically ignore. No amount of "achievements" will change that. Want proof? Go look at "Fallout 3". Achievements for being good, neutral, and evil and hitting certain levels. Everyone who has all those achievements simply created a save before they hit the level requirements, then did really evil stuff in order to get the meter to come down to where they wanted it before leveling up for the achievement. Everyone who didn't do that... Well... They made 3 separate playthroughs and have varying degrees of "completed" on those playthroughs. Myself? Yeah, did a full playthrough on Good and Neutral (most of what I did as Neutral was simply find enemies to kill for levels instead of quest, as it was easier to obtain the achievements without having to mess with my Karma). I'm currently level 4 as an evil person and I just don't really have much drive to go through the game AGAIN for the achievements on being a douchebag. Especially since it will severely handicap me (there is more incentive in New Vegas to pickpocket and rob people than there is in Fallout 3) to basically complete every quest going the "evil" route as well as handicap me to try to pick pockets and steal things (which don't really give you anything that good anyway).
