Here’s the deal.  Wizards of the Coast have decided to reboot Dungeons and Dragons (D&D) and, in their wisdom, have asked fans for input.  As this involves, I believe, signing in for beta testing and stuff, it means that little know-it-alls such as myself who won’t be joining won’t be heard.  On this, there are people out there with far, far more sense about Role Playing Games (RPGs) than I’ve got.  (Cough, cough, Brother Eric, couch).

While I haven’t played table top D&D this century (maybe not even in thirty years, though that doesn’t quite seem right), I have fiddled with the system via the computer games for a long, long time. This means a fair (but far from perfect) knowledge of 2^nd Edition and 3^rd Edition rules.  Also, I did glance through the 4^th Edition manual a time or two.  So I do have an opinion on the matter.

It might not be the best, but it’s all mine.

Here, then, is what I think should be done to help make the next D&D edition a success.

(Images lifted from Order of the Stick, one of the best comics inspired by D&D out there.)

1. Keep it simple

Of course, no matter how simple the rules, there are always going to be arguements.

Whenever possible, keep the basic rules simple and to the point.  We’re talking stats and the like, sure.  But I think just as important we’re talking classes and races.  There shouldn’t be dozens of choices bogging things down.  Keep to the basic classes (Fighter, Mage, Rouge, Cleric, Paladin, Druid, Ranger) and basic races (Human, Dwarf, Elf, Halfling, and maybe Gnome.)

This thought crept up not just when I was thumbing through the 4^th Edition Player’s Manuel but when I was making a character up for Neverwinter Nights 2.  Having a slew of options is nice, and all, but how many people are going to go for, say, a tiefling over a Halfling?  As interesting as the race might be (and I admit to a fondness there), there really isn’t the same kind of name recognition.  The same holds true with classes like, say, Swashbuckler or Shaman.

Now I don’t mean they should dump any of these completely.  Just keep them out of the basic, start ‘em up rules.  The important thing is that you should be able to start a game with new players quick and easy.  While a lot of choices adds flavor to the experience, it really does slow things down.

2. Keep Alignments.

If I can't be a sexy, shoeless God of War, then there's no point in playing.

One of the major things I thought was wrong with 4^th Edition was the reduction of the whole Law/Neutral/Chaotic Good/Neutral/Evil Alignment thing.  Which, I know, not only seems old hat, but also seems to be straying from my whole keeping it simple mantra.  But I don’t think we’re moving that far.

Alignments are a real simple way of defining who your character is.  Examples abound.  Lawful Good:  A guy who follows the rules to the benefit of others.  Lawful Evil: someone who uses laws to benefit himself/herself.  Chaotic Neutral: a free spirit.  And so on and so forth.

More to the point, alignments feel… well… D&D like.  I think it’s one of the things that keeps the game from being just another RPG.

3. Keep The Vanican Magic System (Kinda)

A removal of the Vanican system means a removal of clever ways around the problem.

I’m on the other side of the fence on this from Eric: I like the Vanican Magic system.

Now what’s that when it’s at home?  Well, in short, in the Jack Vance fantasy series the Dying Earth, Wizards had to memorize their spells every day to use them.  Once they cast the spell, they forget it and must rememorize it in order to cast it again.

While such a system can be seen as a hassle, it limits what can be an extremely overpowering class.  Limits, as we all know, are good for stories.  They are also good for role playing.

That, said, I do have two addendum suggestions that might relieve some of the Vanican burden:

• Allow “remembering” spells: In 3^rd Edition rules, there was a class that allowed players to cast whatever spell they like whenever the need arose.  While that lead to (what I consider) an over powered class, that doesn’t mean there isn’t some merit to the idea.  Meaning, while Mages can cast memorized spells more or less perfectly, they can have the option of casting another spell of their choosing, provide a.) they have the spell in their spell books and b.) they’ve cast the spell at least once.  There should also be a chance of miscasting the spell, based on a simple roll against the character’s Intelligence score.
• Keep the Vanican rules connected to Mages:  A cleric is, in theory, asking for their god’s help, right?  So why do they have to “memorize” anything at all?  Just doesn’t make any sense for them to be confined to the same system.

4. Keep The Focus on Role Playing

What D&D really needs to get back to is the important stuff: Killing Elves. I mean, role playing.

Finally, I realize that D&D started as a miniatures tactical strategy game, and that it doesn’t matter if there’s a little slide back to those roots.  However, it has moved well and beyond that now.  The focus of the game, first and formost, should be role playing.  Specifically role playing an epic fantasy.

Which, of course, harks back to the keep it simple mantra more so than most of the ideas on this post.  Give the players and the game masters enough rules and ideas to make up games of their own.  Encourage the occasional home rule (such as, yeah, dumping Vancian rules altogether.)  Reinforce the notion that things should be about having fun with your friends.  That sort of thing.

(Not quite sure they ever slipped away from this one, but hey!  It’s a good point and I had to end this thing some how.)

Related articles

• The Next Edition of Dungeons & Dragons Will Be Written By the Players [Dungeons & Dragons] (kotaku.com)
• Dungeons & Dragons Next Part 1: Cautious Optimism (student20productions.wordpress.com)
• 5th Edition of Dungeons & Dragons Announced (games.slashdot.org)
• Gamers React To New Dungeons And Dragons (forbes.com)
• Fan Input Wanted for New Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition (tor.com)

Besides, Eric was nice enough to comment on my VRP Madness series.  Seems only fair I return the favor.

On Things Chrono

I wish the stars would align for a third in the series...

Chrono Trigger starts off his list of favorites.  This does not surprise.  As I said, it is one of the best Video Role Playing Games (VRPGs) out there.  Dated or not, it still rules the school, old son, and very few really compete with it even to this day.

He then mentions the sequel Chrono Cross in passing, which kinda did.  I didn’t mention it one way or the other as I talked about the games, and for cause.

But first, let us recall what Eric said on the subject (you did read his post, right?):

---

An Honorable Mention goes here for the sequel Chrono Cross. I didn’t like it as much, and the color-splash thingy in the combat system frankly annoyed me, but it’s a fantastic game with a great story and what I still think is the best opening music in the history of video games.

---

Now for the most part I agree.  Great game.  Unique combat system.  Entirely too many playable characters.  Excellent story.

But it gets points off for the final boss.  Because to win the game, to truly win the game, you need to know information that at no point does the game ever even hint at you needing.  There’s a certain room you enter where certain colors flash.  You have to remember the order the colors flashed in for your attacks at the last battle, else you get the nonstandard straight to credits end.   Nowhere do you get warned of this or told what to do to avoid it.

That, friends and neighbors, is the definition of cheap.  And while I love the game… it does keep it off certain lists.  Even as an honorable mention.

This? This isn't even a complete list of characters. Were so many really needed?

On Things Final Fantasy

I have nothing to say on Fallout or Elder Scroll, save that these are excellent games I never actually finish.  Especially Elder Scroll.  Never even came close.  Hope to change that with Skyrim.

Cutesy art for such a serious game

On Final Fantasy 5, though… I mean, wow.  Wow, man.  This, 3 and 12 are the only ones I’ve played and never finished.  Not that there’s anything wrong with the games (well, maybe there is with 12), but still.  Would not have expected it.

I’d have been shocked if he never mentioned 4, though.  Him and 4 were tight for years.  Never understood it, myself.  Still don’t.  The rails guiding that bad boy’s are so fricking unforgiving it ain’t even funny.

What I find amazing, though, is that he doesn’t even give a nod to Final Fantasy 7.  Not even in passing.  He gives more love to Tactics than it.  This leaves me deeply, deeply curious.  Why the dis, bro?

Any excuse to post a picture of Tifa will do. The Power Girl of the VRPG set.

On Things Tactics

Speaking of interesting absences, Eric doesn’t mention a single Tactical RPG outside of Final Fantasy Tactics, and that one only in passing.  I found that very interesting.  But maybe not surprising.  The role-playing aspect in the Tactical sub-genre tends to get the short end of things.  Maybe that’s the reason he doesn’t have any favorites.

On Things General

I find it very interesting that neither of us give Dragon Quest much love.  That was such a big deal when we were kids, and now?  Nothing.

Neither of us mentioned a Breath of Fire in our lists, either, though that’s not as much of a shock.

I keep thinking we missed one somewhere worth mentioning… but oh well.

Anyways, thanks to Eric for his thoughts.  Well worth reading, as always!

Now if only I can get him to comment on the Review site…

As a rule, when I hear music I a.) start writing scenes in my head, b.) sing with the song (knowing the lyrics optional) or c.) tune it out completely.  However, last night I found myself replying to the end of Pat Benatar‘s immortal classic Love Is a Battlefield.

Here is a sample.  Proof of my lack of wit in green:

We are strong, no one can tell us we’re wrong

You’re wrong.

Searching our hearts for so long,

Five minutes ain’t that long.

Both of us knowing
Love is a battlefield

Only if you’re doing it wrong.

This isn’t the first time I did this.  With Golden Earing‘s Twilight Zone I started calling out “What time is it?” just before George Kooymans says “It’s 2 a.m.”  That’s like, what, twenty or thirty times in the song?  Drove Dad nuts.

(Actually three.  Right at the start.)

What I’m wondering is, should I be concerned?  Or should I wait until I start expecting answers back?

Of course… here I am asking this… on a blog no one reads… expecting an answer…

Maybe I have worse things to worry about.

Fortunately for me there’s Comics 101.  In last Wednesday’s update, there happens to be a single unfinished comic page.  On this page appears, you guessed it, Power Girl.  And an opportunity to yak about her.

Clearly I’ve been good so far this year.

I direct your attention to the following panel.

Note something m…  I know, I know, it’s in the frickin’ title.  No boob window.

Example of boob window below.

Now I can’t speak for anyone else but to me this is a good thing.  The boob window was ridiculous  It made no damn sense and every attempt to explain it’s existence felt forced.

It remains to be seen if this new series will be any good, but I’m sure like the last one Power Girl was in I will talk a lot about it, but won’t actually buy it.

Which is kinda sad, really.

Really.

But as with good things, so too must this series end.  And at seven posts, as promised.  The mind reels.

But before we go, let’s dip our feet back into terms one last time.

At Part Three we discussed subcategories (or just categories) of VRPG.  Solid, Semi-Solid, and Inconsequential Fluid.  What these terms refer to in short is the consistency of a VRPG plot.  The Solid ones give the player no choice in story, the Semi-Solid as general (if limited) say in how the plot goes, and the Inconsequential Fluid the illusion of having a say in something that is more or less Solid.

Now the observant might notice a lack there.  A missing fourth category.  Call it True Fluid, or, to keep things simple enough for even me to understand, just plain Fluid.

Brother Eric noticed this lack and pointed it out in his answer post.  His idea, with mild editing on my part, is as follows:

---

A … Fluid game is one where there really isn’t a story at all – there’s a situation and a world, and that’s it. Any other story you come up with is yours. Generally, games like these don’t really have endings at all. My brother can be forgiven for not thinking of this himself – I doubt he’s ever played such a game, and if he did, he might not have thought of it as an RPG. I imagine that a lot of people have played some of these games without thinking of them as role-playing games, but that’s exactly what they are. Moreover, proper … Fluid games are a pretty recent development, and no major studio has latched onto the idea (although one studio has become a major studio by pioneering, if not inventing, this group of games).

---

Being almost as brilliant as I am, Eric comes up with some very interesting ideas.  His suggestion of Minecraft fitting the bill of Fluid games works quite well, and it’s real tempting to just say, “Whelp, he’s right!” and move on to the next self indulgent series of posts.

Except he isn’t right.  In fact, he is almost hilariously wrong.

Why so funny?  He’s a game designer.  He has game mastered countless RPGs.  He should know better.

At no point in my list of terms do I move away from plot or story.  Both all always there in some fashion or another.  What changes is the level of control the player has.

By using the “situation and world” definition, we eliminate the game designers from the equation completely.  It would be, to my mind, like calling the Neverwinter Nights toolset fluid.  Players create their own stories with that, right?  They can even create their own worlds and situations, within reason.

  No, there is a better definition of Fluid VRPG.  It is one in which both player and game designers play off one another to fashion a complete story.  The old tug and pull, twist and shake, where things could be planned for one outcome only through inspiration and creativity head out to some other direction.

It is, in essence, the complete and total recreation of the Role Playing experience in video game form.

Has it happened yet?  I don’t think so.  Minecraft isn’t it.  Minecraft, I would say, isn’t even a VRPG.

But with the wealth of options growing in both the standard VRPGs and the Massive Multi Online Play games, it might not be long before it does.

Bear in mind that this, as with my movie reviews, is based solely on story and characters.  I don’t go into game-play hardly at all as I gush embarrassing praise.

Final Fantasy VI, VII and IX

Tifa from Final Fantasy 7: One of my favorite heroines from the series

We’re just going to get the first two out of the way right here.  I’ve gushed enough about both of them through this series so you really should know what I like about them  Interesting characters, enough control to give the illusion you have a hand on things (so long as you don’t think about it too much) and kick ass stories, it’s no wonder they keep bringing either of these back (as well as some clamoring for remakes.

Final Fantasy IX, however, is another matter.  It really doesn’t have the same level of control the other two have.  Yet the story of Zidane and his attempts to help the Princess Dagger (not her real name) stop a terrible war is as engrossing and entertaining as the earlier two.  So too are the characters, all interesting and unique in the series history.

If I might be a little petty, this is, as far as I can see, the last truly great Final Fantasy game.  Oh, X is very good, don’t get me wrong.  It just doesn’t have the charm of the earlier games.

And XII… Well, there’s nothing wrong with it, save I played it but never finished.  Again, that might say something.

Be that as it may, if I could only play three Final Fantasy Games, these would be they.

Planescape: Torment

Morte - A head above every other companion. Through skullduggery, no doubt.

The ultimate VRPG about an amnesiac protagonist, Planescape: Torment follows the quest of the Nameless One as he struggles to shed an unwanted immortality from his person.  To do this he travels across several strange dimensions and acquires a party of truly odd characters, including a philosopher succubus, what looks like a walking TV set, and a floating skull.  By the time he finishes, he learns far, far too much about himself.

This is without a doubt one of the best Dungeons and Dragons games I have ever played.  Even with its undoubtedly dated graphics, I look forward to playing it again once I finish with a few other projects.  Worth seeking out, and currently easy to lay hands on, along with several other excellent games.

Growlanser 2

(Okay, all the ones that came to the USA)

Charlone from Growlanser 2 - Subordinate knights shouldn't be this pretty.

Again, here is a game I’ve already gushed about for far too long.  Can’t be helped.  I love this game.  I love this series.  I keep hoping the whole set comes over to America.

The other two (3 and I believe 5) don’t have the same appeal as the Growlanser 2, but that might be the order I played them in.  5 has special meaning for me, as it’s the only VRPG I have ever played featuring Academy Award winner Lou Gossett Jr.

Really.

Of course, by the time his character had come up, I had the voices turned off, but he was there, damn it.  And that’s pretty darn cool.

VAndal Hearts 2

(And Vandal Hearts: Flames of Judgment)

Black Friday can be a trying time, but Sword Boy was certain he'd get the latest iPod for Little Jimmy this Christmas.

When ever I pick up a Vandal Hearts game I know I’ll be in for challenging Tactical RPG.  There will also be interesting characters and multiple endings of some sort or another.

It will also be one of the most depressing games I’ll play.

Seriously.  Childhood friends will turn to prostitution.  Innocents will be slaughtered in front of their loves ones.  Suicide and suggested gang rapes abound.  Then the game will stop being so God damn cheerful.

Needless to say I really, really want to get the good ending whenever I play.

Which was why Vandal Hearts: Fires of Judgement was a little disappointing.  Only two endings and they’re relationship based.  Still, a great game in a great series that doesn’t come out often enough.

(Vandal Hearts the first probably belongs on this list, but I forgot most of what I loved about it.  CURSE YOU OLD AGE!)

Final Fantasy Tactics

Ramza - Nothing nice ever happens to this kid...

All Ramza Beoulve wants to do is be a credit to his family name.  However, his sense of honor puts him at odds with his brothers, costs him his best friend, and makes him a heretic in the eyes of his church.  Which, as it turns out, is fine, as pretty much everything Ramza has ever known is wrong…

While I love Growlanser and Vandal Hearts with all my heart, Final Fantasy Tactics is one of the best Tatical RPGs ever made.  Near perfect game play, compelling story, the works.  Still very much the one to beat even after all these years.

Except… it does have its issues.  For instance it does contain some of the most redamndiculous boss battles ever.  Then there’s a game breaking character you acquire as the plot progresses.  Oh, and the nasty habit of characters becoming mindless drones the moment they enter your party.

Still, I love this game and enjoy my time with it.

Lunar: Silver Star Story

(now Lunar: Silver Star Harmony)

Luna - Sing, sister, sing.

What, I gush and gush about this game and you think I’m not going to bring it up again?  Puh-lease.

This is the story of Alex, who wants to be a Dragonmaster just like his hero Dyne.  He sets out to do just that, accompanied by his childhood sweetheart, Luna.  Unfortunately, the two run into the Wizard Ghaleon, who recognizes Luna for what she truly is.  Recognizes her, and will stop at nothing to possess her.

There are a lot of stories in which Hero A must save Maiden B from the clutches of Evil C.  For instance, see Final Fantasy Tactics, which plays this little song a few times before it’s finished.  However, I would say that Lunar does the best job of it.  Mainly because it has Luna to accompany the player for so long, allowing the player to develop an attachment to her and a concern for her fate that doesn’t always come through with these games.

Sure this game is as linear as hell.  Sure the player marches to the game designer’s drum.  That doesn’t keep Lunar: Silver Star Story from being one of the best VRPGs out there.

Wild Arms and Wild Arms 3

Clive from Wild ARMS 3 - It's been a while, but I remember him as being as cool as hell.

Wild ARMS was the first VRPG I bought for the Playstation.  I bought it instead of Final Fantasy 7.  I also bought it as a Christmas present to myself, which makes me a horrible, horrible person.

In any case, these Western (as in cowboys and gunplay) VRPGs have never been ones for innovation.  In fact, in some ways they almost seem to be setting the genre back, what with the later games ludicrous search feature.  (We’ll poke Brother Eric on this one and see if we can’t get a rant about not finding cities and towns on a world map without hitting a button).

However, I have as a rule enjoyed the games I’ve played.  The stories tend to be fun and the puzzles that sometimes goes with them tend to be entertaining.

Though… well..,  I don’t care for the even installments in the series.  The second saddled me with a boring romance that irritated me enough to not want to ever play it again.  The fourth on the other hand was out and out depressing.  The ending alone ade me want to play Vandal Hearts for some laughs…

Front Mission 3

Rate of Fire Up One... what?

I can’t believe I almost finished this list without mentioning Front Mission 3.

Whelp, that’s done.  Time to…

Okay, okay, okay.  There’s probably no real reason for this game to be on this list.  While it does have a branching storyline, the branch is based on something trivial at the start of the game.  You are on rails through out the game (though on occasion a choice you make will have a limited effect on how things go) and the character advancing mechanics aren’t very good.

Still, the futuristic adventures of Kazuki Takemura and Ryogo Kusama tickle me.  The combat (done via giant robots) I enjoy.  And maybe that’s enough.

The sometimes stilted dialogue doesn’t hurt, either…

Chrono Trigger

Merle - So much trouble caused, and all because she left home for the first time...

Once upon a time, I had a little money and the choice of two games on the horizon.  Both games looked very good to me, but I could only get one.  The other, unfortunately, would have to be purchased later, or, more likely a rental.  Maybe.

I chose the one that would be released first.  Simple.  Easy.  The money was apparently burning a hole in a pocket.  The day approached…

And then the company behind the games, Square, switched the released dates.  Me, I just shrugged my shoulders.  As I said, both games looked very good to me.

Thus is the story of how I almost bough Secret of Evermore, a game I previously rated as one of the worst games I ever played, instead of Chrono Trigger, one of the best VRPGs ever made.

For some reason I find that earth shattering.  Because this game means quite a bit to me.

It’s the story of Chrono, a young man who meets a pretty girl at a carnival, watches as the girl gets sucked into a time vortex, then has to rescue said girl from a grandfather paradox she accidentally causes.  You know, typical VRPG stuff.  And this doesn’t even get into the evil Elder God that will end his world in a thousand years time.  Just a little thing, that.

For the most part, this is the perfect example of an Inconsequential Fluid plot, with little choices changing little in the way of plot but having the feel of big consequences.  Towards the end it loosens up a bit in terms of player choice, leading to not one but four possible endings.  Five if you count the Bad Ending.

Filled with interesting characters and an excellent story, Chrono Trigger remains one of the best games ever made.

Honorary Mentions

Now this leaves out a whole slew of potential titles, doesn’t it?  No Dragon Quest.  No Baldur’s Gate.  I’m sure there’s others.

Why not them?

I dunno.  I like them.  I just don’t like them like them.

Lists like this are so subjective.  I almost forgot to put in Lunar, if you can believe that.

Still, these are the games I have fond memories of.  These are the games that I have played repeatedly.  And no doubt will again.

Related articles

• VRP Madness (I): Setting the Stage (welltuncares.wordpress.com)
• VRP Madness (II): Looking at American Style v. Japanese Style (welltuncares.wordpress.com)
  • Computer and Console RPGs – A Different Voice, Part 1 (student20productions.wordpress.com)
• VRP Madness (III): Riding The Rail (welltuncares.wordpress.com)
  • VRP Madness (3.1): Going Off the Rails (student20productions.wordpress.com)
• VRP Madness (IV): A Thing About Endings (welltuncares.wordpress.com)
• VRP Madness (V): The Worst Games I Played (welltuncares.wordpress.com)

This is, of course, a meaningless thing.  They developed and shot a Wonder Woman trailer.  It died.  This might too.

But on hearing the news, my first reaction, excluding the screams that the Mayans were right, was to wonder why?  Why on Earth is Green Arrow so popular?

Best guess?  He’s cheap.  Think about it.  All he has is a bunch of arrows.  These days we’re too “adult” to take trick arrows seriously.  Thus the FX budget will have to be low.  Especially when compared to a potential modern Batman series.

Plus, what kind of fan base does he have?  I’m not saying he has no fans or that the fans are in some way defective (beyond the obvious way, i.e they’re Green Arrow fans)  But surely there’s not enough of them to scream too loudly if the series isn’t “pure”.

So maybe it makes sense to do a Green Arrow series.  And who knows.  It might even be good.  Especially if they lose the dumb goatee.

Oh, and make him interesting.  Somehow.

WHAAAA?!

Me, I’m pulling for a Power Girl series.  I know, I know, it’s a harder one to pull off, especially with her connection to Superman.  But a guy can dream right?

Back to the series tomorrow.  Only two more posts, Cullen.  You can do it!

What follows are what I consider the worst Video Role Playing Games (VRPGs) I ever had the misfortune to play. They come in no particular order and are govern by one single criteria: I have finished every single one of them. While one might think that not finishing something is a sign of quality, it doesn’t mean the experience is worthy of a Worst Game label.

Your mileage, as always, may vary, but here are my contenders. There are spoilers a plenty, but none of these are that modern a game.

The Grandstream Saga

But they have faces on the cover....

I have to be honest with you. I remember very little of The Granstream Saga. I know it was an Action RPG (think Legend of Zelda), I know it had anime cut scenes, and I know that every character was a faceless horror suitable for a Horror flick, but beyond that there’s little I can say about it.

And yeah, I’m serious. None of the characters had faces. I dimly remember being irritated by this. We gave up perfectly good pixels for polygon crap like this? Meh. Meh I said!

So I can’t sum up the plot as well as I probably should. From its Wiki entry, it sounds like a standard “Save the world from ruin”. It involved in some way the red headed boy as Our Hero trying to do that hero thing, with a winsome lass and a sexy pirate girl as either companions or associates. Really, that’s all I got.

What did stick with me was that it had multiple endings. Two of them. One for each of the potential love interests.

And how do you reach them? Right at the end you’re given a choice. Pick your favorite and that one dies in order to solve the problem/win the game.

Really.

But wait! It gets better! After you make your choice, you’re treat to a final cut-scene revealing the fate of the characters. If you gave Pirate Girl the kiss of death, then Our Hero and Winsome Lass end up thrown back in time… or something… they don’t know each other in any case and, having no memory of Pirate Girl live out their lives happily ever after.

Which did not make me happy.

But I had saved late enough in the game so I could go through all the rigamarole and off the Winsome Lass instead. Which earned me the site of Our Hero and Pirate Girl mourning their lost friend.

Who turns out to be an angel sent down from Heaven who has just returned to her rightful place. Making the choice not only pointless but, if you really think about it, actively evil. Either kill an actual person or… let a celestial being return to her post.

Yeah. Points off. A lot of them.

My original choice for an image was the shower scene, but I thought it was too scuzzy a thing for my blog. The wallpaper on my computer, on the other hand...

Secret of Evermore

This is a bullet I dodged. What do I mean by that? That's a story for another time. But not much longer now...

To condemn The Grandstream Saga even further, I remember much more about Secret of Evermore than it, and Secret of Evermore came out a goodly ways before it. Another Action RPG, it features a boy and his dog transported to another world struggling to survive. Fortunately the dog has acquired shape-shifting abilities, allowing it to handle protecting its master from the evil monsters threatening them.

What really stands out for me was that each kingdom had its own currency, which forced you to exchange your previous earnings each time you progressed to the next stage. While I understand why this never, ever popped up in any other VRPG, I sort of wish it had. It’s a touch more realistic than having everyone just using gold or whatever.

For the most part this is a fun little game, ignoring a period in an air vent which I recall as being a slice of hell. What puts it on this list is, again, the ending. To be more specific the final boss.

See, the boy can cast magic, right? Alchemy, really, but the points moot. So long as you have the proper items you can have cast spells. And one of the spells the boy can get is invincibility. Which works on every monster in the game. Including the final boss.

You know how boring it is fighting a final boss that can’t ever hurt you?

I do.

What a bargain!

Final Fantasy Viii

But at least with this game the characters have faces...

Picture this.

You’re coming into a game with memories of a wonder. Memories of a game in which you might have been playing a surly loner, it was a halfway likeable surly loner. One you understood where he was coming from.

During the course of this game you encounter a wide variety of interesting characters, ranging from a man with a gun for an arm to a red wolf-thing to a talking stuffed animal to a Dracula wanna be. Included in this mix are two love interests, one a winsome lass who has steel beneath her cheery exterior, the other a perky barmaid kung fu bar maid with a terrible secret. While you were expected to wanna hang with the winsome lass, you could end up with the kung fu chick through the proper choices.

All of this leads to adventure and tragedy and wonder, and as you end the game you can’t wait to see what experiences the sequel brings.

Then comes Final Fantasy VIII. Which features an ass for a hero. A drip for a love interest. Blanks for companions, save another potential love interest that gets shunt to the side without any chance of winning. And a story that isn’t nearly as awe inspiring as the previous one.

When I finished this game, I said I’d never play it again.

I haven’t.

She was too good for him, anyways. But then you could say that about most sentient creatures, now couldn't you?

The Lord of the Rings: The Third Age

You shall not pass... into my house again

Were I to put this in a sort of Top Ten format, then Lord of the Rings: The Third Age (from here 3^rd Age) would almost have to be right at the top. Not because the game play is bad… well yeah, what game play they didn’t rip-off from the superior Final Fantasy X is pretty bad. So’s the rest of the game.

Here’s the situation: Warrior Berethor finds himself possessed with the need to catch up with Frodo Baggins and the Fellowship of the Ring. Along the way, he picks up a fellowship of his own, including the expected Elf (Idrial) and Dwarf (Hadhod). Through their travels they always seem just a step behind, setting 3^rd Age up to being The Aeneid to The Lord of the Rings‘s Odyssey.

You can always tell a world class intellect by the way he casually drops classical Greek stories into conversation. Not that this has any relevance to the proceedings. Ah-hem.

Now ignoring ripping off the combat system from Final Fantasy X, the game has issues. Specifically rights issues: the game designers only had access to creatures that came out of the movie. Which meant the player fights the same set of foes ad nauseam.

Then there was the little issue that all the player does is run from Point A to Point B. There are no towns to visit in 3^rd Age, no NPC to really interact with. There’s just the one fixed story line. To hark back to the terms used earlier, this is a Solid VRPG. Solid like a rock.

Finally, and this one just kills me, there isn’t a trace of Hobbit in this bad boy. Not one. Not even where’d you think there might be. Which is hilarious because, you know, the Hobbits are what Lord of the Rings is really about.

None of this is a deal breaker.

What kills 3^rd Age is a complete and total breakdown shortly before the end of the game. After a point (I believe the Battle at Helm’s Deep, but I could be mistaken), there’s no more real running around. Just one monotonous battle after another. After another. After another.

This leads to the player not only fighting (and beating!) all of the Nazguls, but an out of the blue final confrontation with the Eye of Sauron itself. Who needs pesky Hobbits when we’ve got manly man Berethor to save us!

But the capper, the absolute capper, is the romance. See, through out 3^rd Age there seems to be a thing between Berethor and Idrial. Which had me rolling my eyes from the start, because in Fantasy there’s always a thing between the male lead and the she-elf. It’s like union law. It was so bad a cliche that when they introduced a new female character, Morwen, I seriously hoped for some romantic to spring up just as a change of pace.

Guess what? Morwen does turn up to be the romantic interest. Though you’d never know it from the game, as there’s never a moment with either her or Berethor having anything that could remotely be considered a romantic or even a friendly conversation.

In fact, the player has to be out and out told that Berethor loves Morwen. By a freaking Nazgul.

This? This is sloppiness beyond words. Not a single game on this list is this bad.

I finished 3^rd Age, because I payed money on it. Then I sold it back to Gamestop, the only game I’ve ever done that with.

In sort, I don’t like it. At all.

"No, dude, I'm serious. She's totally into you. Really. On a unrelated note, y'got that she-elf's digits, right?"

Tomorrow, the best VRPGs I’ve ever played. It’s a longer list…

Related articles

• VRP Madness (I): Setting the Stage (welltuncares.wordpress.com)
• VRP Madness (II): Looking at American Style v. Japanese Style (welltuncares.wordpress.com)
  • Computer and Console RPGs – A Different Voice, Part 1 (student20productions.wordpress.com)
• VRP Madness (III): Riding The Rail (welltuncares.wordpress.com)
  • VRP Madness (3.1): Going Off the Rails (student20productions.wordpress.com)
• VRP Madness (IV): A Thing About Endings (welltuncares.wordpress.com)

That said, let us proceed.

In the previous entries in this series we divided Video Role Playing Games (VRPGs) into categories based on local/philosophies.  On the one hand we have the Japanese style of VRPG, which tends to be story centric.  On the other, we have the American style of VRPG, with emphasizes open worlds and characters created by the player.

Next we further divided things up into three sub-categories.  There is Fixed Solid, in which the player has no control over plot or much of anything; Semi-Fluid Semi-Solid, in which the player has a degree of say on how the plot goes; and then Inconsequential Fluid, where the main plot might be fixed but other aspects of the story can be changed by the player.

We won’t speculate on how coherent or thought-provoking any of this is.  Though when I don’t think it was all crap I know it was all pure genius.

In doing this, I’ve tried not to show a bias towards any category, though I have fessed up to preferring the Japanese story centric over the open world “freedom” of my home land games.  I’ve also not mentioned much about how these games are played, focusing instead on story.

While the former will not be addressed in this series, I am going to bring forward a bit of personal opinion here.  Which is the following:

There is no excuse for Solid games.

One of the things Video Games have over any sort of entertainment medium is being able to interact (in some way) with its audience.  To not exploit it  even to the slightest degree is a crime.  It doesn’t matter if it’s a VRPG or a First Person Shooter, there should be some degree of input given the player

Now I understand the appeal of Solid games from a game designer stand point.  Fixed games are easy to produce in comparison to the others.  Less writing, less voice acting, and so on.  Less money spent is

However, when I look at new games to play, I look for games with multiple endings.

Multiple endings suggest choices that matter.  They suggest consequences.  They suggest you can go through 20+ hours of game play and fail utterly.  I have always loved multiple endings, ever since I first came across them.

Which sounds like a segue to me.

What is this "Super Nintendo" this image speaks of? Is it as good as a Wii?

Once, long ago, when the dinosaurs walked the earth and you could still find an honest politician (well maybe not that long ago) my family rented a game called Breath of Fire.  Standard enough story.  A young man named Ryu, with boon companions at his side, struggles to prevent an evil empire from claiming his world.  He fights all the way up the food chain to an evil Goddess and, after a battle, triumphs.

Roll credits.   Whole slew of names.  Then the standard last words: “Thanks for playing!”

Only after the credits a funny thing happened.  Suddenly we’re back where the final battle took place.  Standing alone there is the Goddess, back to the player, pleading for Her life.  Hey, don’t at me, I didn’t make the game.

She turns, and I swear the evilest grin I have ever seen crosses her face as the words END pop up on the screen.

AH! SHE'S COMIN' TA GIT ME!

Yeah, I know.  Those were Her eyes.  Memory deceives.

It wasn’t until I was looking through an issue of a gaming magazine (totally not looking for cheat codes for Mortal Kombat) when I discovered that I’d gotten the bad ending, the one where the Heroes failed and Goddess won.  The whole idea just floored me and intrigued me. ^1.

Since, that’s always been a big selling point with me, more so than new game play or fancy graphics.  Hell, I recently picked up the aptly named Corpse Party because it claimed to have forty endings.  Sounded like a whole bunch of ways to screw up.

I… frankly had no idea.

Really.

You’d think a 16 bit game could disturb you.  And you’d be wrong.

WAIT WAIT LET TYR COME GET ME NO NOT THIS AGAIN AIEEEEE!

But that’s a different post, and we are coming to the end of this one.  So far we’ve discussed categories and what I want out of VRPGs.  That’s about all I wanted to say.

Hmm.  I promised seven days of this, too?  What to do, what to do?

Come back tomorrow and see.  I can tell you this for free, though: It’s going to get worse before it gets better.

I dunno.  Maybe I’ll start just smashing random letters and post that.  Assuming that wasn’t how I’ve been doing all of my posts…

Related articles

• VRP Madness (I): Setting the Stage (welltuncares.wordpress.com)
• VRP Madness (II): Looking at American Style v. Japanese Style (welltuncares.wordpress.com)
  • Computer and Console RPGs – A Different Voice, Part 1 (student20productions.wordpress.com)
• VRP Madness (III): Riding The Rail (welltuncares.wordpress.com)
  • VRP Madness (3.1): Going Off the Rails (student20productions.wordpress.com)

^1. We’re going to skip how I felt like I had left the entire world of Breath of Fire to be damned by the Goddess and re-rented the game to save them. Because I can’t decide if that’s incredibly geeky or anal of me. Then I do the math, realize how old I was when I did it, and I want to slide under my chair and die of embarrassment.

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