RPGs should be time limited...

[da teacha]

The non-linear, create your own story, RPGs such as Oblivion and Mass Effect shouldn't give you unlimited time to roam around as you please.

The 'every action has a consequence' concept should be stretched to what missions you decide to do, each of which obviously having a consequence on how the finale plays out. It'd add to the tension, and make you think more about what you're doing if you know as you are doing things, so are your enemies; and not just waiting around for you.

Adding RTS elements to RPGs in a certain sense.

Additionally, it pisses me off how everything such as weapons and enemies automatically upgrade through the game. There shouldn't be any difficulty levels, only that if you're an advanced player, you can head to more difficult areas straight away, underpowered, to try and get a bigger advantage.

The replay value for games if they were made like this would be huge, whilst also keeping every playthrough exciting, without having to grind.

Thoughts?

[Arcade]

One of the best things about RPG's for me is just exploring and taking my sweet ass time so I can't agree on the time limit thing.

[da teacha]

Originally Posted by Arcade

One of the best things about RPG's for me is just exploring and taking my sweet ass time so I can't agree on the time limit thing.

For some games it works well to be able to explore.

But with Mass Effect for example, it just feels stupid that I can fly around exploring shit, when the galaxy's about to get fucked over. The tension of the game is just lost.

Incorporating some strategy would make the plot far more effective.

Or if there was ever such a game, some kind of time manipulation ability could be interesting.

[Cito]

Here is a very unique take on time manipulation in a game, although RTS

this is really badass

YouTube - Achron Alpha Demo 1 - Time Travel Explained

YouTube - Achron Alpha Demo 1 - Time Travel Explained
Video: click to display

[neosade]

I clearley remember that back in the day when FF7 came out, There was a rumor that the game had a different ending if you let the time clock out. (Meteor apparently destroys everything)

I remember my cousin turning his copy on for about 10 hours a day till he got to 99.99.

Needless to say, We were dissapointed

[underOATH]

Dead Rising is the only RPG-like game that I can think of with a time limit.

[Mr.Happy]

Originally Posted by Cito

Here is a very unique take on time manipulation in a game, although RTS

this is really badass

YouTube - Achron Alpha Demo 1 - Time Travel Explained

Sounds cool, but also like it'd get real complicated.

EDIT: I don't really like the idea 'cos I love free-roaming in RPGs, but I see the appeal. Perhaps it'd be good if these games were playable with and without a fixed time limit? Wouldn't be hard to implement, just a little choice at the beginning.

[jator]

That's really the idea behind a lot of these games though, that you can make your own decisions, therefore you should be allowed to take your time doing every side quest you feel if worth your time.

It's an interesting idea and I don't mind Mr. Happy's idea but it certainly should not be mandatory.

[The Fuck Shit]

If you ask me, that totally fuckin ruins the game.

Having limited time that is.

[Thought Riot]

Originally Posted by The Fuck Shit

If you ask me, that totally fuckin ruins the game.

Having limited time that is.

I agree. I like to take my time and explore the world that the designers have created. If they've done a good job, then it can be a ton of fun.

And of course we need difficulty settings. I've been playing video games since I was a kid; while I'm no pro, I'm better than your average joe and need some kind of a challenge or else I'll get bored. Someone who is new to games needs an easier experience or else they'll get frustrated and hate it.

edit: I do agree that sometimes the having unlimited time thing can get a little weird.

-"You must stop the enemy right now!!!!! They're about to break through and kill everyone!"
-goes on 15 hours of sidequests
-one month later in gameworld: "they're about to break through! are you ready?"

[underOATH]

Here's the thing though, take Oblivion for example, there's just so fucking much to DO in that game. Putting a time limit immediately restricts the amount of content a player can partake in, which is retarded.

[Agent 008]

You know what I fight really weird?

With time, games are getting *less* features, not more. Games are getting less intricate, more straightforward. And as a result... less realistic, in a way.

Take System Shock 1, for example. A game released in 1994, and it has the features you are talking about - among other things, you can select the complexity of the plot, ranging from a simple shoot-em-up game, to a game with the full plot and a time limit to add to the realism, and several options in between.

Since then, we have obtained greater computational power, so we can have better graphics, more realistic physics and AI, etc. - great! But why, oh why, does it mean that we have to abandon the features we had in the past? Regenerating health, lack of inventory managing... Just compare Deus Ex 2 with Deus Ex to see what I'm talking about. Or, more recently, Mafia II with Mafia. Why did they get rid of the ability to ride public transport, or to shoot from the car?

I mean, there is an explanation for that, and that is games becoming more expensive, having bigger audiences, and therefore they need to cater to the least common denominator, which is a modern kid with ADHD that moves on to something else if he can't complete a mission on his first go or has to backtrack.

But still, I find this very sad.

[Bleeding Kansas]

I'm going to be honest. All Majora's Mask did was stress my my 9 year old ass out. I don't like time limits on games.

[Mantikore]

The benefits of letting the player freely explore at their own pace outweigh the benefits of the slight realism boost from a timed game

[Mr.Happy]

Originally Posted by Thought Riot

edit: I do agree that sometimes the having unlimited time thing can get a little weird.

-"You must stop the enemy right now!!!!! They're about to break through and kill everyone!"
-goes on 15 hours of sidequests
-one month later in gameworld: "they're about to break through! are you ready?"

Thinking about it, I do like the idea of multiple realistic time limits on smallish parts of games. That suspended-time phenomenon you're talking about bugs me too. As long as there are plenty of opportunities for exploration as well, I don't see a problem.

Some people think it's silly to talk about realism in epic fantasy/sci-fi RPGs, but I do like when games are consistent and realistic within the boundaries of the universe they've created.

[BATTLESTEER]

Originally Posted by underOATH

Here's the thing though, take Oblivion for example, there's just so fucking much to DO in that game. Putting a time limit immediately restricts the amount of content a player can partake in, which is retarded.

This, but the time limit could apply to the main quest line. Per say you fail the main quest or dont finish in a certain amount of time, that giant demon dude comes out and DOES fuck everything up, then game over, you gotta start from that jail cell again, recreating your character to get rid of your old flaws. And then the only way for you to have enough time to explore everything would be to save the world first. Certain things in that game should be time related and it would probably make the game that much better even though its amazing. If the entire GAME was time limited, the game would be so much more stressful, and wouldn't be as good as it is.

But applying the time dependency towards the final quests of the factions and stuff would be cool. Like if you fuck up now, everything you worked for just became useless. Its an awesome concept, I would personally love it, but a lot of people wouldn't so they dont.

But majoras mask kinda did something like this.

EDIT: Now imagine this. What if an RPG was made, that runs real time? And to top that off, everything isn't scaled. I mile is a mile, a foot is a foot. Imagine having to get across the map, 500 miles away, in under 5 hours? It would be either really awesome depending on how it was developed and what they added along the way or how you got there, or completely terrible. Just an idea, id play it.

[Spacecase]

Originally Posted by Bleeding Kansas

I'm going to be honest. All Majora's Mask did was stress my my 9 year old ass out. I don't like time limits on games.

But that's what makes it so damn FUN

There's nothing quite like that feeling you get when the screen goes dark and says "Dawn of the Final Day: 24 hours remain" and then you look up and see that badass fuckin' moon glaring down at you threatening to destroy the peaceful little clock town.

I've taken mass doses of LSD before purely with the intent of playing that game from start to finish while tripping balls. Shit was cash.

[Agent 008]

Originally Posted by Clay

But that's what makes it so damn FUN

There's nothing quite like that feeling you get when the screen goes dark and says "Dawn of the Final Day: 24 hours remain" and then you look up and see that badass fuckin' moon glaring down at you threatening to destroy the peaceful little clock town.

I've taken mass doses of LSD before purely with the intent of playing that game from start to finish while tripping balls. Shit was cash.

[Rainycity]

i play so i can go in a unreal world, not so i can have boundary, shut the fuck up/.

[16bit]

Fallout 1 had a time limit. 150 days to find the water chip. I can agree on a time limit being a good idea. As long as I can do sidequests after the main quest was over.

But it depends on the game. I can't see a reason a game like Morrowind would need it. But at the same time, having a timer for the final part of FF7 would helped, and once you beat Sephiroth, the game turns off the timer.

[Number13]

RTS/RPG/FPS game would be sweet like you control troop movements and you get to be the troop

[Agent 008]

Originally Posted by Recon 11

RTS/RPG/FPS game would be sweet like you control troop movements and you get to be the troop

You can do that in Warzone 2100, kind of.

[Doc Norad]

Originally Posted by SHODAN

You can do that in Warzone 2100, kind of.

Fucking GREAT game. Too bad Pumpkin went down the shitter.

[Mr.Happy]

Originally Posted by SHODAN

You can do that in Warzone 2100, kind of.

I used to love that game. Not thought about it in years, I got it when it first came out on the PS1.

[xippilli]

I can totally see an RPG with a time limit. Imagine separate paths (kind of like Radiant Historia for DS), separate endings, and all that depending on the choices you make. Except with the time limit, it'll totally make for some really fun challenges.

[da teacha]

Maybe thread title is a bit inconsistent with what I wanted to explain.

It shouldn't be game over or whatever if you fail to do something in time, but only there'll be a different outcome. If you decide to quest instead of following the main plot, then the enemy will gain ground and you may find it more difficult to complete the game eventually.

Like somebody mentioned earlier, it pisses me off that your enemies always wait around for you. If you quest, you better make sure that you're doing it for a good reason which'll help you with the main plot.

[Hate]

There are a lot of direct-opposition RPG's, which are time-controlled multi-player matches where leveling up is directly related to what you do and you can get points by killing the opponents pieces- like on the old SC's bunker wars (or even the new ones) or many RTS-like features that have been adopted into RPG-style maps like DoTA- so the game is less about grinding and more about efficiency, the only issue is that these games take like two hours- so if you're going to play them you may want to cancel all of your plans because IT WILL TAKE ALL NIGHT.

[Greyusurper]

I like a lot of things discussed in this thread. Creating a boundary of time is something I'd be in favor for, not just because of realism, but as an option to the game itself. For instance, I might be one of these little kid players that wanted to play through the game on no time mode. Explore everything, find all the hidden items, and figure out the best tactics to fighting all the enemies. Then replay the game with the time option on for a harder challenge. I surely won't be able to do everything I was before, and in a lot of ways that would make it realer and more replay-able. Another less cheater way to look at it is, I played through it on easy with no idea as to how much I'd really enjoy this game, and now really want to replay it, but with a slightly different twist. Time mode on.

Giving the little kid option to cheese through a game is a great way of grabbing that larger, commercial audience that doesn't really care and treats stuff as disposable. Having the option to crank up the game's difficulty, change the ending, etc. will appeal to the hardcore gamers. In the end, everyone wins! Well gamers will still complain about their opposite base being catered to, but that will always happen when you try to make everyone happy. Especially if you fail in just making a good game.

Regards,
-Grey

[xippilli]

Check out Radiant Historia for the DS:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radiant_Historia

Its got a lot of story branches, sort of like Chrono Trigger, but what you do actually effects the rest of the game.

[da teacha]

Was looking through old threads I made, and seemed relevant to bump given I'm playing through Deus EX.

Proper solid game. It's my first play through and it doesn't feel like it's a decade old; apart from the shitty AI.

Was wondering how it would have played out applying my idea from this thread. Imagine if the overall theme towards the end was about the Illuminati/terrorist forces vs. Majestic 12. For the main plot, there could be 3 ways of completing the mission:

1) You quest around and don't give a fuck. You complete a basic mission, but by the time you've done so, allies have died/important items have been evacuated.

2) You complete quite efficiently.

3) You storm in, without making a squeak, and complete all the objectives.

If you progress through the game, with many situation 1s, then towards the end you'll have a severe lack of allies, and the enemies will be extremely powerful. Maybe the final mission will see you trying to assassinate the enemy leader on a suicide mission. Very little changes in the world.

If you progress with 2s, then you get a standard ending.

If you progress with 3s, your forces and influence are great. The final mission sees you totally destroy the enemy and you are given the reins of the world.


Through in some augmentation abilities to slow down time; go back in time, see the future, etc... Or maybe have it so that when you're in 'hacker mode' time is basically infinite and you can battle the enemy in cyberspace.

[Eridani]

Didn't they do something kind of like that in Human Revolution? Can't quite remember now but I think if you wasted too much time in the HQ when you were supposed to be getting on a chopper to the next mission, something in the mission changed. Can just remember the boss getting pissy with me for mooching around when I was supposed to be saving his company.

Agree with your last post though, at least for action RPGs like Mass Effect / Deus Ex. Changing the story/end fight or whatever based on how you played it would definitely increase replayability.

And wish I could play Deus Ex again, graphics are just too painful for me on a 26" monitor.

[aquabania]

Nah I like being able to goof off without negative repercussions. It's why I'm playing a video game.

[da teacha]

Originally Posted by aquabania

Nah I like being able to goof off without negative repercussions. It's why I'm playing a video game.

It depends on the game.

If a game's trying to be atmospheric and evoke a mood, then the pressure only adds to that.

Of course not throughout the whole game. There would be times where you're in a 'safe zone' and get to wonder around. Maybe at the end of the game would be best, when you have to deal with the repurcussions of the ending; an epilogue.