This Fall is going to be the greatest fall in the history of RPGs

[Tyranicon]

I don't know what will reserve the future, but I still think that present day gaming, including the RPG genre, is in better situation than during the "RPG dark ages".

Agreed, but like you said, not for AAA. This isn't the other thread, I don't think RPGs are at their current rock bottom. This thread is just to track the hilarious downward trajectory of some well-known studios or IPs.

I hope we get some YouTube documentaries at some point so we can find out what the hell happened, especially with VtMB2.

lol "gameplay is the story" is just some generic statement, what's a story anyway? I like this definition:

a story is a description, either true or imagined, of a connected series of events

so yeah, gameplay can generate stories, in fact there are games that are for the most part "story generators" like Dwarf Fortress where through the extremely intricate simulation engine stories end up coming up.

Personally, I could never take these "stories" serious because they are just generated by randomness inside my computer, they feel artificial, kind of like reading a story written by an AI.

They're true player agency. In games like Kenshi, Rimworld, DF, whatever, you can do basically whatever you want.

And oftentimes the stories generated by your experiences are way better than what some writer they hired out of a coffee shop can provide.

 

[Vic]

And oftentimes the stories generated by your experiences are way better than what some writer they hired out of a coffee shop can provide.

yeah I respect that, I've heard that argument many times, personally they're off putting to me knowing they've been generated by random numbers in my CPU, but that's subjective.

 

[Abu Antar]

lol "gameplay is the story" is just some generic statement, what's a story anyway? I like this definition:

a story is a description, either true or imagined, of a connected series of events

so yeah, gameplay can generate stories, in fact there are games that are for the most part "story generators" like the aforementioned CK, or Dwarf Fortress where the extremely intricate simulation engine generates stories small and large.

Personally, I could never take these "stories" seriously because they are just generated by randomness inside my computer, they feel artificial, kind of like reading a story written by an AI.

They are better than whatever Bethesda hacks cobble together, and call a story. Don't get me started on Radiant AI.

 

[Vic]

^^^ case in point

the difference between a machine generated story and a story written by a human, even if it's bad, is that the latter is a form of communication. Sure, you can read the subtext of the writer having a political agenda or not knowing what he's doing or whatever but these too are social elements which aren't present in the other case, they feel artificial to me, same reason I can't stand anything AI generated.

 

[Heroic Liberator]

lol "gameplay is the story" is just some generic statement, what's a story anyway? I like this definition:

a story is a description, either true or imagined, of a connected series of events

Pretty much. Hence even stuff like visual design is a part of it. And just as with narrative design in terms of writing, it's important to have consistency regardless of the depth you go for when it comes to that.

If you have two games with the exact same gameplay, stuff like having a consistent art style and doing your storytelling through the game's visual design will make it superior to a game with disconnected aesthetics that don't mash well together (like, say, some low effort dungeon crawler where the succession of environments and enemy units offers no thematic consistency or implied underlying narrative).

 

[Taka-Haradin puolipeikko]

lol "gameplay is the story" is just some generic statement, what's a story anyway? I like this definition:

a story is a description, either true or imagined, of a connected series of events

Pretty much. Hence even stuff like visual design is a part of it. And just as with narrative design in terms of writing, it's important to have consistency regardless of the depth you go for when it comes to that.

If you have two games with the exact same gameplay, stuff like having a consistent art style and doing your storytelling through the game's visual design will make it superior to a game with disconnected aesthetics that don't mash well together (like, say, some low effort dungeon crawler where the succession of environments and enemy units offers no thematic consistency or implied underlying narrative).

Is this what love towards consistent tilesets looks like?

 

[Harthwain]

lol "gameplay is the story" is just some generic statement, what's a story anyway? [...] Personally, I could never take these "stories" seriously because they are just generated by randomness inside my computer, they feel artificial, kind of like reading a story written by an AI.

I like them, because they can create some interesting scenarios that aren't pre-determined by the writer but flow directly from the gameplay itself.

I still remember playing as the last Saxon count of England in Crusader Kings 2, becoming the Steward for an underaged king and orchestrating the alliance of nobles to take the crown for myself (all in a single lifetime).

Another example: my firstborn (eldest) son dies (either in battle or because of a disease). My character became so distraught by this that he ended up bedridden so his underage grandson had to take over. Then that grandson got assassinated by his uncle who then became my primary character.

But a lot depends on how game handles its gameplay.

 

[Vic]

*cough cough* LARP

no but it's cool, great that you like them

 

[Heroic Liberator]

Is this what love towards consistent tilesets looks like?

Depends on what you mean by that. I don't necessarily advocate for a particular type of design, but rather that designing a game's style should be a conscious choice rather than just throwing random locations and monsters into a blender and pouring it over your mechanical system.

I like them, because they can create some interesting scenarios that aren't pre-determined by the writer but flow directly from the gameplay itself.

Emergent storytelling is great when done right.

 

[NecroLord]

Emergent storytelling is great when done right.

System Shock, Deus Ex.
Yeah.

 

[Hobo Elf]

VtmB2 looks the shittiest by virtue of it actually having a chance to be something before the original devs were booted off. DA4, Fable 4 and Avowed never had a chance to begin with.

 

[Readher]

VtmB2 looks the shittiest by virtue of it actually having a chance to be something before the original devs were booted off. DA4, Fable 4 and Avowed never had a chance to begin with.

You can never know with Fable, we've hardly seen anything yet, aside from the fugly supposed protagonist. It's a completely new studio (or rather a completely new team under Forza Horizon devs), so it's hard to say what the game will end up like. Of course, expecting some complex RPG is retarded, but Fable never was one. It might still end up being an enjoyable experience.

The other two were doomed to various degree of mediocrity at best from the start, yes.

 

[Tyranicon]

So I'm not a big Fable enjoyer, also it's been like 15 years or some shit since I've played one, but do they have fixed protagonists?

Like you don't start with some kind of chargen and customization? So you won't be stuck with the trailer protag?

If the answer's no, I'm gonna bump up Fable like 60 places in my popcorn list.

 

[Readher]

So I'm not a big Fable enjoyer, also it's been like 15 years or some shit since I've played one, but do they have fixed protagonists?

Like you don't start with some kind of chargen and customization? So you won't be stuck with the trailer protag?

If the answer's no, I'm gonna bump up Fable like 60 places in my popcorn list.

The first one had a fixed male protag. 2 and 3 you could choose gender. In all games you could change various appearance elements like hairstyle, beard or makeup during the play through, and your physical appearance was affected by stats.

 

[KeighnMcDeath]

Was there a detailed thread on the ages of gaming? I really can'r recall wtf I was doing during this "Dark Age of Gaming." What years again? Do we gave a bronze, silver, gold age as well? Are we in the shitty brown age or the faggot rainbow agenda age? This needs to be sorted out.

 

[Vic]

Fable was great because your char's appearance changed according to how good/evil you were based on the choices you made during the game. I think KOTOR did something similar? But it was much cooler in Fable.

 

[Reinhardt]

THE WEST HAS POLLEN.

BILLIONS MUST BUY

 

[goregasm]

I think DA4 will be hardest hit in revenue solely because of its cost and the way the "fanbase" is in self contained silos, they may pick up some newfags though.

DA4 is going to suck and your character will have a coco puff haircut.

Vtmb2 will be the worst playing, but have the most danger hair, possibly a sleeper hit even because old goths and Paradox weirdos.

VTMB2 will probably...err...suck. It will be filled with lesbian vampires with undercuts.

Fable will be the one celebrated by degenerates and people who insert objects into their rectums for enjoyment, I'm getting strong feelings they will piggyback off of BG3 vibes, but it will most likely be the most playable gameplay wise.

Fable is going to be gay, and black, and womanly women will all have male traits, while the men will be imbeciles and weaklings.

Avowed will be the most hum drum horseshit.

It will be mediocre paint by numbers TOW 1.5 and stronk NATIVE women will be everywhere.

 

[Paul_cz]

I do not expect the games in the poll to be some masterpieces, but I do hope they are at least decent. Because decent RPG is still better then masterpiece games in other genres as far as I am concerned.

Maybe VTMB2 will by some miracle have good atmosphere and decent writing..

But, I am more looking forward to KCD2 and Gothic remake than the ones in the poll. I expect these to be great.

 

[Eirinjas]

Fable will have the most polish, but frontloaded with trannies and feminazis. DA4 will be the gayest shit - all the trailers I've seen are saturated in Pride and DEI. VTMB2 will be the most missed potential - a game that could have been good, but will have half-baked mechanics and story because the emphasis is on non-binary gender retardation (waiting for the reveal that all vampires are gay / gays in a straight world allegory). Avowed will be the least pozzed but most bland = Codex GOTY 2024 incoming.

 

[Tyranicon]

Avowed will be the least pozzed but most bland = Codex GOTY 2024 incoming.

Nah, that's Kingdom Come 2. It's basically locked down at this point unless some weird shit happens.

 

[NecroLord]

Avowed will be the least pozzed but most bland = Codex GOTY 2024 incoming.

Nah, that's Kingdom Come 2. It's basically locked down at this point unless some weird shit happens.

Vavra did say it will be a "diverse" game, but I think he meant to say that there will be characters of different nationalities and backgrounds - French, German, Ottoman, not just Bohemians.

 

[Harthwain]

*cough cough* LARP

no but it's cool, great that you like them

LARP is when you're pretending that something happens when it doesn't.

 

[Vic]

*cough cough* LARP

no but it's cool, great that you like them

LARP is when you're pretending that something happens when it doesn't.

larp, roleplay, whatever, I can have a game of chess without making up a bunch of stories about the pieces or a creating a setting for the conflict. It's nice to have that in RPGs to add some variety between combats, but I prefer RPGs with shorter scripts, or if they don't have story at all I can do something else in between encounters, it doesn't have to be all crammed into one game. The """critically acclaimed""" BG3 is being shat on for being too easy, while also having very strong cinematic elements to it, also all that romance and sex shit... this is a trend I don't appreciate.

It might've been BG2 that started the decline.

 

[Cat Headed Eagle]

Avowed will be the least pozzed but most bland = Codex GOTY 2024 incoming.

Nah, that's Kingdom Come 2. It's basically locked down at this point unless some weird shit happens.

Vavra did say it will be a "diverse" game

no he means it like this