History SoYouWantTo / WriteAWesternRPG

To paraphrase the [[Website/TheForge GNS theory]], an RPG needs five key components:

Another fundamental decision is [[http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/185353/focusing_creativity_rpg_genres.php what kind of gameplay experience your RPG will be focused on]]. As it happens, there are three different kinds of experience players commonly look for in role-playing video games, which can be more or less precisely mapped onto the three pen-and-paper gameplay modes, as identified by the [[http://www.indie-rpgs.com/articles/3/ GNS theory]]:

* [[InteractiveStorytellingTropes Narrative RPG]]. The CentralTheme of such games permeates their every aspect. The game world is driven by the plot, the characters get the players emotionally invested, [[StoryBreadcrumbs all locations and even items tell stories of their own]], dialogue branches out extensively, etc. On the other hand, [[LevelGrinding grinding]] opportunities are [[AntiGrinding eliminated]], while the crafting and character leveling systems are only as complex as mandated by the story. This type obviously corresponds to the Narrativist mode. Typical examples include [=RPGs=] of the Creator/InterplayEntertainment tradition (almost anything by Creator/{{Black Isle|Studios}}, Creator/BioWare, Creator/{{Troika|Games}}, Creator/CDProjektRED, Creator/{{Obsidian|Entertainment}}, Creator/{{inXile|Entertainment}}).
* [[WideOpenSandbox Sandbox RPG]]. Freedom of exploration, action, and expression overrides all else in such games. This freedom necessitates extensive CharacterCustomization, lack of rigid story-based constraints, and most of all, a huge game world that is both open and highly interactive. It also often leads to the "main" plot being pushed to the sidelines and the development costs going through the roof. This type can be mapped to the Simulationist mode, as its lets the players discover and tinker with its many, many game subsystems freely. Typical examples include classic ''VideoGame/{{Ultima}}'' titles, the ''VideoGame/{{Gothic}}'' series, and the modern Creator/{{Bethesda}} school of [=RPGs=].
* [[DungeonCrawling Dungeon Crawler]]. The players' motivation in these games is to master the game system by improving their character's attributes, skills, abilities, and equipment until they can beat every challenge the game throws at them. Such games commonly feature randomized and respawning enemies, {{random|lyGeneratedLoot}} but [[SocketedEquipment customizable]] loot, intricate {{Skill Tree}}s, and {{Absurdly High Level Cap}}s. The story is used [[PlayTheGameSkipTheStory mainly as a mood-setting backdrop]], and the exploration is kept within strict bounds. This type correlates strongly with the Gamist mode. Typical examples include all {{Roguelike}}s, ''VideoGame/{{Wizardry}}'' and ''VideoGame/{{Diablo}}'' series, and the latter's many clones.

The intro sequence is a PlotTunnel at the start of the game, stretching from the "New Game" button to OpeningTheSandbox, i.e. until the moment when first side quests become available. Mechanically, it can consist of multiple cutscenes and [[VideoGameTutorial tutorial]] levels, but as a rule of thumb, any intro containing more than one major level will feel like a ProlongedPrologue. Narratively, it usually contains following story beats:

Another universal recommendation is the [[OldSaveBonus saved game import]], which was, in fact, [[TropeMaker invented by the early Western [=RPGs=]]] in the first place. On the one hand, this feature helps avert the BagOfSpilling (another reason why you shouldn't completely overhaul the GameSystem); on the other, it lets the players keep their personal story canon across installments, averting CuttingOffTheBranches. While you as the developer will have [[DevelopersForesight a lot more story permutations to think about]], your players are going profit from this all-around.

* Tweak [[VideoGameAI allies and enemies' AI]] to reflect their personalities and agendas. TheHero's ArchNemesis? Goes straight after him, ignoring everyone else on the battlefield. The ChivalrousPervert companion? Never voluntarily attacks women but TakesTheBullet for any female ally in the vicinity.

* How much control over party members/followers do you give to the players? This concerns both CharacterCustomization (can the players change their appearance, decide which equipment they use, which stats they improve, etc.) and tactical control. Options for the latter range from [[ManualLeaderAIParty fully autarkic AI]], through SquadControls, [[ProgrammingGame scriptable AI]], to scriptable AI with optional micromanagement, and mandatory micromanagement of each character.

* Tweak allies and enemies' AI to reflect their personalities and agendas. TheHero's ArchNemesis? Goes straight after him, ignoring everyone else on the battlefield. The ChivalrousPervert companion? Never voluntarily attacks women but TakesTheBullet for any female ally in the vicinity.

* How many levels of tactical enemy AI are there? Do mindless, fearless monsters like TheUndead fight differently from living animals? Do trained soldiers display better tactics and teamwork than street muggers? Does the presence of a [[TheLeader field commander]] make the enemies act tactically smarter?

* ''VideoGame/MassEffectAndromeda'' had an extremely TroubledProduction, with only 18 months of its five-year development spent on the final version. As a result, it was riddled with game- and immersion-breaking bugs (particularly the memetically horrendous animations) on release, not helped any by a largely uninspired storyline and repetitive open-world levels. Ultimately, the game wasn't as well-received as the original trilogy, killing the studio that produced it and discontinuing support for its single-player content.

* ''VideoGame/MassEffectAndromeda'' had an extremely TroubledProduction, with only 18 months of its five-year development spent on the final version. As a result, it was riddled with game- and immersion-breaking bugs (particularly the memetically horrendous animations) on release, not helped any by a largely uninspired storyline and repetitive open-world levels. Ultimately, the game wasn't as well-received as the original trilogy, killing the studio that produced it and discontinuing supporting single-player content for the game.

* ''VideoGame/MassEffectAndromeda'' had an extremely TroubledProduction, with only 18 months of its five-year development spent on the final version. As a result, it was riddled with game- and immersion-breaking bugs (particularly the memetically horrendous animations) on release, not helped any by a largely uninspired storyline and repetitive open-world levels. Ultimately, the game wasn't as well-received as the original trilogy, killing the studio that produced it and discontinuing support single-player content for the game.

%% This section is not a list of top 10 Western RPGs of all time. The list below should provide examples of the genre that stand out as particularly true to the genre traditions and canons, and each example should contain an explanation which aspects of that particular game are worth emulating or drawing inspiration from.

Finding true "[[SoBadItsHorrible epic fails]]" among published and [[TroperCriticalMass somewhat well-known]] examples of the genre is actually quite hard, because ever since mid-90s, {{Western RPG}}s have not been mainstream enough to flood the market with shoddy hack jobs. Most horrible [=RPGs=] either never leave production, or pass into obscurity immediately, unnoticed and unplayed by anyone, so it's much easier, in fact, to list games that have turned out alright but still failed to live up to their full potential for different reasons:

* Base StoryBranching not only on explicit plot decisions, but also on how players choose to "beat the game" (e.g. the main character's class, [[StatisticallySpeaking stats]], [[SkillScoresAndPerks skill sets]], etc.).

You can also add a NewGamePlus mode if the PC's backgrounds permit it: A Uprooted FarmBoy leaving on his "first" adventure with 40 [[TookALevelInBadass levels in Badass]] makes no sense, but it's easily justifiable for the Adventurer and Serviceman backgrounds. In this case, it is a nice touch to make [=NPCs=] in the Intro Sequence acknowledge the "recycled" PC's [[ExperiencedProtagonist established reputation and experience]].

As an antithesis to combat, stealth often becomes [[UselessUsefulStealth utterly useless]] in party- and combat-oriented games. In single-character games, on the other hand, stealth is often a better (and more fun) alternative to direct confrontation.

* ''VideoGame/MassEffectAndromeda'' had an extremely TroubledProduction, with only 18 months of its five-year development spent on the final version. As a result, it was riddled with game- and immersion-breaking bugs (particularly the memetically horrendous animations) on release, not helped any by a largely uninspired storyline and repetitive open-world levels. Ultimately, the game wasn't as well-received as the original trilogy, killing the studio that produced it and discontinuing to support single-player content for the game.

* ''VideoGame/MassEffectAndromeda'' had an extremely TroubledProduction, with only 18 months of its five-year development spent on the final version. As a result, it was riddled with game- and immersion-breaking bugs (particularly the memetically horrendous animations) on release, not helped any by a largely uninspired storyline and repetitive open-world levels. Ultimately, the game wasn't as well-received as the original trilogy, killing the studio that produced it and discontinuing support for the game.

* ''VideoGame/MassEffectAndromeda'' had an extremely TroubledProduction, with only 18 months of its five-year development spent on the final version. As a result, it was riddled with game- and immersion-breaking bugs (particularly the memetically horrendous animations) on release, not helped any by a largely uninspired storyline and repetitive open-world levels. Ultimately, the game wasn't as well-received as the original trilogy, killing the studio that produced it and putting the ''Franchise/MassEffect'' series on hiatus.

* ''VideoGame/MassEffectAndromeda'' had an extremely TroubledProduction, with only 18 months of its five-year development spent on the final version. As a result, it was riddled with game- and immersion-breaking bugs (particularly the memetically horrendous animations) on release, not helped any by a largely uninspired storyline and repetitive open-world levels. Ultimately, the game bombed so badly, it killed both the studio that produced it ''and'' the highly-respected ''Franchise/MassEffect'' series itself.

* ''VideoGame/MassEffectAndromeda'' had an extremely TroubledProduction, with only 18 months of its five-year production time spent on developing the final release. As a result, it was riddled with game- and immersion-breaking bugs on release (particularly the memetically horrendous animations), not helped any by a largely uninspired storyline and repetitive open-world levels. In the end, the game bombed so badly, it killed both the studio that produced it ''and'' the highly-respected ''Franchise/MassEffect'' series itself.

* ''VideoGame/MassEffectAndromeda'' had an extremely TroubledProduction, with only 18 months of its five-year production time spent on developing the final release. As a result, it was riddled with game- and immersion-breaking bugs on release (particularly the memetically horrendous animations), not helped any by a largely uninspired storyline and repetitive open-world levels. The end result bombed so badly, it killed both the studio that produced it ''and'' the highly-respected ''Franchise/MassEffect'' series itself.

* ''VideoGame/MightAndMagic IX'' shipped pretty much in the pre-alpha state due to the developer Creator/NewWorldsComputing's concurrent demise, nearly killing the venerable series off for good, as well.

* ''VideoGame/MightAndMagic IX'' shipped pretty much in the pre-alpha state, nearly killing the venerable series off for good.

The differences between fantasy and sci-fi are many (see Analysis.SpeculativeFiction) but so are the similarities, and it's not without reason that the SciFiCounterpart meta-trope exists. One difference that may be important for WorldBuilding and plot writing is that in fantasy, OlderIsBetter, while in sci-fi, it's usually the bleeding edge technology that trumps everything. Accordingly, while in a fantasy RPG, the hero might be searching for an [[MacGuffin ancient artifact]] to destroy an even older evil, a futuristic RPG may revolve around the hero building a space superweapon to repel the invading SufficientlyAdvancedAliens.

* Subvert StandardFantasySetting by revealing half-way through the game that it's powered by MagicFromTechnology, the FiveRaces are actually offshoots of the same biological species (why else would they all be [[MaleToFemaleUniversalAdaptor able to interbreed]]?), TheKingdom of Good is the last bastion of [[MedievalMorons medieval ignorance]], [[CorruptPolitician corruption]], and [[KnightTemplar religious radicalism]], while the invading [[TheEmpire Empire of Evil]] is the world's main force for scientific progress, (non-)human empowerment, and freedom of belief.

* Subvert FinalBoss (a.k.a. the [[www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/video-games/issues/issue_262/7811-Stop-Killing-the-Foozle Foozle]]) by revealing the motivations of the apparent villains and requiring the PlayerCharacter to make diplomatic peace with them instead.

* NoAntagonist. A very rare unconventional variation without a BigBad, found mainly in Sandbox [=RPGs=].

* Options are non-exclusive optional content, which can be experienced and explored without affecting other options to any significant extent. Options extend a single playthrough duration and work best in exploration-driven [[WideOpenSandbox free-roaming RPGs]].

* Created characters are by far the most common alternative for the primary {{Player Character}}s in Western [=RPGs=] (although [[VideoGame/{{Nox}} many]] [[VideoGame/{{Revenant}} classic]] [[VideoGame/PlanescapeTorment WRPGs]] and even [[VideoGame/TheWitcher one major modern series]] averted this to great effect). Creating the entire party, however, while popular in the past, has gone out of favor in the past decade, probably because it takes a lot more time than most players are ready to invest before getting to the actual game.

In {{Tabletop RPG}}s, attributes play a major role because they simplify the calculations needed to make a success roll. For the same reason, they often remain static for the duration of the game. However, a computer has more processing power than a GameMaster's calculator, so the importance of attributes in role-playing video games has been diminishing over the years in favor of skills, which facilitate a much more flexible character evolution. There are [[SkillScoresAndPerks two common skill mechanics in RPGs]]:

Another universal recommendation is the [[OldSaveBonus saved game import]], which was, in fact, [[TropeMaker invented by the early Western RPGs]] in the first place. On the one hand, this feature helps avert the BagOfSpilling (another reason why you shouldn't completely overhaul the GameSystem); on the other, it lets the players keep their personal story canon across installments, averting CuttingOffTheBranches. While you as the developer will have [[DevelopersForesight a lot more story permutations to think about]], your players are going profit from this all-around.

Combat is often [[RPGsEqualCombat considered the backbone of all RPGs]] and while not completely accurate, combat system is a very important element of the game. Since party-based games are inherently more geared towards combat, some of the following questions may be irrelevant to single-character games:

* ''WebAnimation/ExtraCredits''[='=] "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uepAJ-rqJKA Aesthetics of Play]]" and "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l_rvM6hubs8 Western &]] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v8aiEsIW9IM Japanese]] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cmkdoz5LjdE RPGs]]": An analysis of why people play Western (and Eastern) [=RPGs=].

* [[http://www.mobygames.com/featured_article/feature,31/ The World of Western RPGs]]: An extensive (if admittedly biased) overview of the evolution of the WesternRPG genre between 1980 and 2007.

One of the aspects of role-playing is the role that a character plays in exploration and combat. Depending on that function, the character will develop in different directions: a warrior, for instance, has different strengths and abilities than a smuggler, but both are inferior to a wizard in mystical matters. To facilitate such functional specialization, many [=RPGs=] implement a CharacterClassSystem or a ClassAndLevelSystem.

* ''VideoGame/{{Fallout 1}}'' and ''[[VideoGame/{{Fallout2}} 2]]'' are unique in how they merged open world and narrative elements and managed to bring out the best of both worlds.

* ''VideoGame/DeusEx'' is a great example of a well-balanced CombatDiplomacyStealth triangle.

Another universal recommendation is the [[OldSaveBonus saved game import]], which was, in fact, [[TropeMaker invented by the early Western RPGs]] in the first place. On the one hand, this feature helps avert the BagOfSpilling (another reason why you shouldn't completely overhaul the GameSystem); on the other, it lets the players keep their personal story canon across installments, averting CuttingOffTheBranches. While you as the developer will have [[TheDevTeamThinksOfEverything a lot more story permutations to think about]], your players are going profit from this all-around.

* License a commercial GameEngine. If you're on a tight budget, ''UsefulNotes/{{Unity}}'' is in great demand among indie developers; beyond that, TheOtherWiki helpfully provides an [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_game_engines extensive list]].

It is no secret that of all video game genres, [=RPGs=] are most likely to spawn LongRunner franchises without succumbing to {{Sequelitis}}, mainly because their [[NarrativeFiligree fleshed-out settings]] provide solid {{Sequel Hook}}s galore, while their {{Game System}}s are complex enough to remain recognizable and entertaining [[http://www.joystiq.com/2012/10/05/what-gives-role-playing-games-their-longevity/ even as video game technology evolves]]. The ''Franchise/{{Ultima}}'' series peaked at ten core titles; ''VideoGame/MightAndMagic'' seemed to have died after nine, but rose from the ashes with a tenth installment; while ''Franchise/TheElderScrolls'' count five games at the moment with no signs of winding down. So chances are, if your first game is even moderately successful, you will end up making more of it. This usually comes in two forms:

To paraphrase the [[http://www.indie-rpgs.com/articles/1/ GNS theory]], an RPG needs five key components:

Lastly, instead OpeningTheSandbox all at once, you may do so incrementally by giving the players access to a small part of the game world (e.g. the FirstTown and its side quests) at first and making them complete a [[DiscOneFinalBoss story mission]] before they can visit other regions. The initial region [[DoomedHometown may]] or may not be LostForever afterwards.

* CompanionSpecificSidequest: The main vehicle to introduce {{Character Arc}}s for [=NPCs=], and pretty much a must in a modern party-based RPG with predefined companions. Rewards upon completion can range from XP to new abilities and gear for the specific concerned companions. Do make sure that such questlines are not LostForever by [[GuideDangIt mistake]].

* TimedMission. Don't have any side quests [[LostForever "expire"]] after a certain time or main quest events unless the story specifically demands it and makes it clear before the player triggers said events (e.g. any assignments in the DoomedHometown not finished before leaving it will obviously remain so forever).

* [[ConvenientQuesting Linear Progression]] lets the players visit multiple town and dungeon levels (separated [[TheQuest geographically]], [[RemixedLevel chronologically]], or both) in a linear succession, knowing that once they leave the current area, all of its unfinished content will be LostForever. A less {{railroading}} game may instead be split into chapters, wherein the players can {{backtrack|ing}} to the start or explore accessible levels in any order--but can never go back to the previous chapter. This form lends itself best to narrative-heavy [=RPGs=] and dungeon crawlers.

One last note on the PetPeeveTrope of so many RPG players: SoLongAndThanksForAllTheGear. [=RPGs=] are very much gatherer instinct-driven, so there is nothing more frustrating than AI followers leaving for plot reasons with all the rare items you gave them. In best case, it means reloading the last save; in the worst, the items are LostForever. So please, whenever characters leave the party, make sure that all the items that are not restricted to them are returned to the player (even if that doesn't make sense in-story). Also, let the players know in advance that they'll keep the gear, so they don't freak out. And, in a similar vein, never initiate post-battle cutscenes before the players can loot the enemy.