When I was young enough to spend hours upon hours with the Deus Ex demo, and get thoroughly impressed by the gameplay and presentation, I would listen in on NSF soldiers' conversations and would actually feel bad about gassing or kililng them. ("Pardon me, but back in Alabama, we wouldn't let a man who wears earrings plan a military operation")
In Thief 2's demo (far better than the Life of the Party mission they had in the final game btw), I would rob the bank, blackjack all the guards, layer them on the floor next to each other, and finally always drop the key from the safe down on the street below, like a Robin Hood. I was larping that I was confusing the authorities this way, and I was letting some poor chap have the key for the bank safe.
My point is, you don't need insane production values in order to engage people's role-playing tendencies. I remember another Thief 2 mission where I robbed some guy's home and then found his letter to his future bride, it turned out I had stolen his savings and engagement ring. I felt bad, and it didn't cost sadistic animations of killing.
In Thief 2's demo (far better than the Life of the Party mission they had in the final game btw), I would rob the bank, blackjack all the guards, layer them on the floor next to each other, and finally always drop the key from the safe down on the street below, like a Robin Hood. I was larping that I was confusing the authorities this way, and I was letting some poor chap have the key for the bank safe.
My point is, you don't need insane production values in order to engage people's role-playing tendencies. I remember another Thief 2 mission where I robbed some guy's home and then found his letter to his future bride, it turned out I had stolen his savings and engagement ring. I felt bad, and it didn't cost sadistic animations of killing.
