I agree with your
general point about the value of a stronger RP backbone to games. I like
the idea of game mechanics subtle fueling a tendency to role
play.
That having been said, my experience has taught me a
prioritization for these issues.
In NWN (my recurring example of a
system that worked) combat was extremely strategic. Max times were low.
The world was absolutely unalterable. GM run quests were
non-existent.
In this environment, RP flourished. It did so not
because of game mechanics support of RP, but because the game did not have
the major things which screw up RP in EQ.
1) Extensive max times
that force everyone to forget about the players around them and just go
for levels levels levels
2) A strong profit motive for random and
opportunistic killing
3) A combat engine in which no amount of
skill can change the outcome of a fight
If you correct the above
three errors, even EQ would radically alter to become a better
game.
The biggest thing that's missing in EQ, for instance, from
being able to enjoy and RP experience is player participation. That traces
back to the 3 errors above.
In UO you could alter the world, and
yet you still had the 3 mistakes listed above. Because of that people
still felt very strongly that UO was horrible as an RP
environment.
None of this is meant to say that your points are
wrong. They're not. They're right on the money. It's just that the things
that you're looking for are (to me) the flesh that needs to go on the
skeleton. But if the skeleton isn't sound to begin with, you still won't
get what you want.
In the meantime, if you have a deep PVP system
(and the other two points above corrected) then you WILL have RP. And good
RP. Not as strong as if you also added on the things that you're looking
for, Holly, but far more than you currently see in either UO or
EQ.
Let's face it. If you put a bunch of fantasy role play fans
into a room with rock and two rubber bands, as long as you didn't distract
them, and wrote on the rock "You are in a world of magic. Pretend you're a
wizard." You'd get RP.
The problem is that current games distract
everyone. We're all distracted by leveling, distracted by wanting to kill
someone we happen to walk by because he's got an item we've been looking
for, distracted by being pissed because somebody killed us while weak just
to steal an item and then ran away, distracted by being pissed off that
you lost a fight due entirely to luck or lag or 1 level difference,
etc.
Hed
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