[Roots]

Originally Posted by ClancyDamon

The Japanese system has the advantage of delivering a far more powerful and developed story, since it is in fact told a rail. The points that the author would like to make can be fully expounded and the predetermined characters allow for more believable interactions, given the skill and consideration of the game makers.

I vote Japanese-style because of this fact. When I play an RPG, I want to become immersed in an epic plot and feel enraptured by another world. Any game, RPG or not, that can make me feel that is a winner in my opinion. Its a game that makes you forget you're playing a game. Unfortunately, very very few games have given me this kind of experience.

Originally Posted by NoSanninWa

Personally I find them both flawed. My ideal would be the Japanese model with some actual flexibility built in. I keep waiting to see a game where there are different ways of solving the same problem leading to slightly different outcomes. A game where there is a solid story that involves the character, yet the story can diverge into more than one path based upon decisions by the player. I hope that some day someone will make a game that succesfully combine these two design philosophies.

What about Chrono Trigger? That kind of got close to your ideal, but still a good distance away. I find your concept interesting, I would like to see a game like this myself someday. But I can imagine the pure hell involved in making one, because you'd have to account for so many variables and what the player's past actions were. It makes me just thinking about it.


By the way, the game in my sig is going towards a Japanese style approach, but I would like it to have some open-endedness (sidequests, free exploration, etc.). There is at least one person on my staff that I know really wants it to be American style though.