Central hero or party (Poll)

[Dodo1610]

Pretty much every bigger CRPG in the last 15 years had a central hero with or without a party(Fallout Baldurs Gate, Arcanum).

But CRPGs before often didn't have a central hero, instead you had to generate a complete party at the beginning(Wizardry, Temple of Elemental Evil, Icewind Dale)
I am not talking about CRPGs that allow you to create a central hero + party, in those games the central hero still stands out from the other party members.

Do you miss this design or do you prefer the central hero which usually has a stronger connection with the world and plot?

 

[Cael]

Pretty much every bigger CRPG in the last 15 years had a central hero with or without a party(Fallout Baldurs Gate, Arcanum).

But CRPGs before often didn't have a central hero, instead you had to generate a complete party at the beginning(Wizardry, Temple of Elemental Evil, Icewind Dale)
I am not talking about CRPGs that allow you to create a central hero + party, in those games the central hero still stands out from the other party members.

Do you miss this design or do you prefer the central hero which usually has a stronger connection with the world and plot?

Most CRPG with a central hero has a tighter plot and better storytelling. Fallout, Ultima, BG, Torment, Dragon Age are all pretty story driven.

Those where you build a whole party from scratch tends to be more tactical. Gold Box games, ToEE, Icewind Dale are all basically tactical combat games with a story tacked on.

Personally, I enjoy both types for what they offer, which your poll doesn't really cater for :D

 

[CryptRat]

I hate central heroes with a passion.

 

[kain30]

sometimes hero, other times party.

 

[Machocruz]

Party is necessary for me to consider something a best of the best RPG, but , except for combat purposes, I don't distinguish between generated party and central hero with companions. Central hero completely solo is something I only enjoy in rare instances (ES 2+3, UU, various roguelikes)

 

[octavius]

Variation is good, so both.
It's not what makes or breaks a game anyway.

 

[Jacob]

Having a central hero and being gameplay driven isn't mutually exclusive, each can be good in their own way.

Also, this is just me talking out of my ass but I believe generated parties game are originally meant to be played together with your buddies, what with PCs back then being much more expensive and many people use their school's PC to play games anyway. I experienced this as late as early 2000s, playing this game together with my brother and cousins back in elementary school.

 

[Strange Fellow]

The answer is obviously both. However, if someone asked me, "Hey, I'm making an RPG, should it be party-based or single character?" and I had no other information about the game, I would pick party-based without hesistation.

 

[V_K]

It's a wrong question. Single character can be a complete blank slate (Daggerfall, Diablo), while a generated party can have strong ties to the plot (Azure Bonds, Dark Sun). In these terms, I much prefer blank slate characters, irrespective of their number.

 

[PorkyThePaladin]

The real answer is Central Hero Without Party.

Parties are an obsolete relic from PnP days. Obviously a party makes sense when you are playing PnP with your friends, but in the context of a single player game? All it does is create a bunch of mules around your main character, since most normal people can't roleplay multiple characters at the same time. And it eventually leads to batshit crazy stuff like Bioware romances.

And don't believe the fallacy that parties are required for turn based, tactical combat. Some of the most enjoyable turn based combat in RPGs is in solo character games, e.g. NetHack, Dwarf Fortress, Underrail, Fallout 1/2. It's what your character can do, not how many characters there are.

 

[FeelTheRads]

since most normal people can't roleplay multiple characters at the same time.

How exactly do you roleplay in a fucking computer game?

If you mean by pretending to be the character and you try to do that in a party game you might very well be deranged.

Here's how to roleplay in a computer game with a single character: create a character, level up and increase its stats and skills
Here's how to roleplay in a computer game with a party: create multiple characters, level them up and increase their stats and skills

Therefore it follows that:

Roleplaying in a party game = roleplaying a single character * the number of characters in the party

Therefore: Games with a party are superior RPGs.

 

[Neanderthal]

Don't give a toss so long as it's good.

 

[octavius]

since most normal people can't roleplay multiple characters at the same time.

How exactly do you roleplay in a fucking computer game?

You can't.
Except in the rare game like Fallout 1 and 2.

 

[PorkyThePaladin]

You roleplay by imagining the character is you, which is true in the sense that whatever adventures your character is having is actually you having them (e.g. you learning and progressing the story, you winning in combat, you exploring cool places). But in party games, you either do this for all party members (implying multiple personality disorder), or just do it for one and everyone else is a mule.

 

[FeelTheRads]

Multiple personality disorder. lol. Fuck off.

In that case you have depersonalization disorder. This is why we get Bioware romances and other deranged garbage in games, because of people who pretend to be in the game and want to get their virtual dick sucked, not because of party members.

Also, there's nothing true about that. Comparing your experience with the "experience" of a sprite or 3D model is seriously deranged.

 

[lukaszek]

deterministic system > RNG

 

[Crispy]

If you voted for central hero you're probably gay.

Also, poll results should be public. Ban the offender.

 

[FeelTheRads]

never understood this craving for filler random party members and filler random dice rolls.

I never understood why people who don't like RPGs insist on playing them, crying about them and trying to change them to their liking.

But here we fucking are!

 

[Background Character]

Central hero but no party

 

[Neanderthal]

There are people who role play being Elves?

Boys get the fucking torches, we got some cleansing to do!

 

[Sigourn]

Central hero always.

 

[Reinhardt]

Generate 5-6 central heroes + 2-3 recruitables.

 

[santino27]

Both. I want a central hero and a party around him/her.

 

[PorkyThePaladin]

Also, there's nothing true about that. Comparing your experience with the "experience" of a sprite or 3D model is seriously deranged.

Seriously? Why do you even play games then? To play around with some sprites like in a dollhouse?

The whole point is to gain experiences that you cannot gain in RL, e.g. being an adventurer, conqueror, general, explorer, etc.

 

[Darth Roxor]

Party all day every day.