Wednesday, September 10, 2008
RPG Design: Got Theme?
This post was inspired by DGM's recent rant on the Ultima games, which he'd mentioned in the forums. In his rant, he maintains that the overall series countered its own theme so completely that, by the end of Ultima IX, the overall moral of the story seems to be "Don't bother trying, because you'll only make things worse."
The sad thing is that the second "trilogy" went so well, in spite of the counter-themes that undermined your previous successes. The theme of Ultima IV was about how certain virtues were universal - greater than laws or religions - and that the attaining of these virtues and sharing that with others was the greatest of quests. Ultima V took things down from the ideal to the real a little bit, with the theme that governments and laws cannot enforce virtue - they can only pervert it. And Ultima VI took things in another direction entirely and had a message about how understanding and communication can end the most bitter of conflicts.
These were probably not the only themes that could be pulled from the games, but these are the ones that stick out in my mind. There are other RPGs (and non-RPGs) that have themes that stick out in my mind - though the true theme seems to be based upon which of the multiple endings you stumble across. My favorite ending of Vampire the Masquerade: Bloodlines underscored the theme, "Pride goeth before the fall." To me, the theme of Baldur's Gate II seemed to be, "Will is greater than destiny." The "good" ending of Vampire the Masquerade: Redemption was surprisingly not about redemption at all (I felt), but rather that "love conquers all." Final Fantasy 7 had a very obvious eco-friendly theme of, "If humanity doesn't take care of the world, it will quit taking care of humanity." Even the much-maligned original campaign of Neverwinter Nights had some kind of theme ("Sorrow and rage can consume and destroy even the most virtuous of people"), which I felt elevated the otherwise ho-hum storyline to at least above average.
In grade school, I was taught the parts of a story - including plot, characters, setting, tone, and theme. Theme was one of the biggies. I'm not an expert in pulling out the theme of a story - I have read several that I have enjoyed where I really can't see a solid theme other than your basic, "It is best to do the right thing in spite of the difficulties and sacrifice." Or, "Don't trust appearances." Mysteries are especially difficult to pull a theme from. It doesn't mean there isn't one. I'm just not an expert on this topic, and maybe I miss these things when they aren't obvious.
And maybe that's why I have a problem figuring out the theme for a lot of story-friendly computer games. Including RPGs and adventure games, which are generally pretty story-driven. I mean, sure, you can pick bits and pieces out of the gameplay itself ("keep practicing, and what seems an insurmountable challenge right now will become a pushover!"), but most games - historically - don't have much of a theme behind the collection of events that masquerade as a story. This has changed a little in recent years, thanks in part to the hiring of real writers, or the application of actual literary knowledge on the part of professional game designers. And thanks in part to the technology that allows us to actually tell a real story.
But there's a bunch of otherwise story-driven games that don't have a really strong theme. You can blame the non-linearity of the medium, but that didn't stop the middle Ultimas from having a strong set of unifying themes running through them (even if they did contradict themselves later in the series). If that is used as an excuse, the blame might land on the very same expertise in traditional literature and storytelling that I praised in the previous paragraph, if they confine themselves to the box of linear storytelling that they are trained in. Did Oblivion have a strong over-arching theme? I know some of the sub-quests had some good stories and themes within them, but if it had a major theme it was so muddled or I was so ga-ga over the graphics and open-ended (if small) world I missed it. The Dungeon Siege games? Diablo 2? I never actually finished Neverwinter Nights 2, so I couldn't tell you about that one. I haven't played Titan Quest or Two Worlds... can anybody fill me in on the scoop with those games and themes? I haven't really found one in Wizardry 8 yet, but I'm only halfway through that one. And of course, the older RPGs from the 80's and early 90's rarely had much by way of story to begin with beyond, "Kill the evil Foozle. 'Cause he's like, evil, and stuff."
Is theme really important in computer RPGs? Do RPGs benefit from having a strong, underlying theme? I feel so, due to most (but not all) of my favorite RPGs all being ones with easily identifiable, strong themes to them. Is it a "secret ingredient" to a great RPG? Or merely a trapping of linear storytelling, where players should be free to find their own themes in the virtual worlds of video games? Should a game even focus on a single theme, or instead offer several for the player to discover and decide whether or not to "make it stick" in their own play?
And what are themes that I've missed in the games I've listed, or that you've found in other computer and console RPGs?
Got deep thoughts? You can also share them on the forum.
Labels: Game Design, Roleplaying Games
- posted by The Rampant Coyote @ 7:58 AM (Permalink)
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Oblivion has a sort of sacrifice theme running through it: the necessity of personal sacrifice and the perversion of same. Martin's sacrifice comes to mind first, but also the Dawn Brotherhood throwing themselves at you and counting themselves martyrs for a greater cause.
The Blades themselves practically exist to sacrifice themselves to protect the Emperor, and thus the empire. A couple of examples include the beginning escape sequence and the Blades leader who takes the fatal meeting with the Dawn recruiter to get the last book you need. Come to think of it, there are a lot of "go on without me" me moments in the game, aren't there? IIRC, there are even undead Blades who keep their charge to guard the armor of a long-dead Emperor until it's needed again.
You can get the daedric artifact Martin needs for the ritual from a number of quests, but the one the main quest line points you to involves vampire hunters who sealed themselves in a cave when they themselves became infected.
Laying aside for a moment the meta-game awareness that you as a player can always reload a saved game, there's also the potential sacrifice your character continually makes by throwing him- or herself into the Oblivion gates and traversing towers with rooms with names evoking blood, altars, rituals and sacrifice.
The Blades themselves practically exist to sacrifice themselves to protect the Emperor, and thus the empire. A couple of examples include the beginning escape sequence and the Blades leader who takes the fatal meeting with the Dawn recruiter to get the last book you need. Come to think of it, there are a lot of "go on without me" me moments in the game, aren't there? IIRC, there are even undead Blades who keep their charge to guard the armor of a long-dead Emperor until it's needed again.
You can get the daedric artifact Martin needs for the ritual from a number of quests, but the one the main quest line points you to involves vampire hunters who sealed themselves in a cave when they themselves became infected.
Laying aside for a moment the meta-game awareness that you as a player can always reload a saved game, there's also the potential sacrifice your character continually makes by throwing him- or herself into the Oblivion gates and traversing towers with rooms with names evoking blood, altars, rituals and sacrifice.
Final Fantasy Tactics seemed to center around, "you can't change who you are, but you can over come it." This was somewhat the theme of FF9 and a faint subtheme in FF7. The CRPGs I have completed either didn't have a central theme or were a mystery which I think is a theme in and of itself.
I think theme or mystery is very important, but can be optional in a video game, even an RPG. I actually find atmosphere to be more important in a video game. I am not talking about graphical atmosphere, but more the feel of what is going on. Fallout did this well through both dialog and graphics.
I think theme or mystery is very important, but can be optional in a video game, even an RPG. I actually find atmosphere to be more important in a video game. I am not talking about graphical atmosphere, but more the feel of what is going on. Fallout did this well through both dialog and graphics.
Is it just an RPG thing? Maybe consciously working with a theme in any game's development results in a better game overall? If you don't have a theme you're trying to weave through a game, then how haphazard is it's development, and how will that reflect on the player's experience?
Maybe theme and arc are what needs to be focused on when writing a CRPG instead of story.
It seems to me that the "story" is your experiences playing that character in the world. Maybe the world needs to pick up on that. Instead of shoehorning the character into a story the story evolves around the character through choices made and deeds done.
Each side/sub-quest can visit the themes on a smaller scale to either re-enforce the main theme or run against it.
This comment is kind of off topic as I've never really thought about the themes in the CRPGs I've played but it seems like the ones with the strongest thematic elements usually leave the best impression. These are the ones that seem to move me beyond just playing a game. A "stop and think" type reaction.
It seems to me that the "story" is your experiences playing that character in the world. Maybe the world needs to pick up on that. Instead of shoehorning the character into a story the story evolves around the character through choices made and deeds done.
Each side/sub-quest can visit the themes on a smaller scale to either re-enforce the main theme or run against it.
This comment is kind of off topic as I've never really thought about the themes in the CRPGs I've played but it seems like the ones with the strongest thematic elements usually leave the best impression. These are the ones that seem to move me beyond just playing a game. A "stop and think" type reaction.
@thomas - interesting point on the sacrifice. The ending and beginning "bookends" would indicate that - so good call.
@gbgames - Nope, not just RPGs. I rag on them because they are supposed to be one of the more "story driven" genres out there. Well, they once were. Nowadays - I even played a breakout game with a story and "meta-game" with buying equipment and stuff. I've played some FPS games lately that definitely had some "theme" to it.
@otto - You know, it's not really something I've thought much about either. But I think you are right. The ones with the solid thematic consistency are the definitely amongst the more memorable games at the very least.
@gbgames - Nope, not just RPGs. I rag on them because they are supposed to be one of the more "story driven" genres out there. Well, they once were. Nowadays - I even played a breakout game with a story and "meta-game" with buying equipment and stuff. I've played some FPS games lately that definitely had some "theme" to it.
@otto - You know, it's not really something I've thought much about either. But I think you are right. The ones with the solid thematic consistency are the definitely amongst the more memorable games at the very least.
Good point. Not many games I can think of have clear, over-arching themes. They're basically equivalent to most mystery and spy novels, and action movies, which are merely intended to entertain and have no persistent value beyond that.
Everyone enjoys some shallow entertainment like that, just as we enjoy pointless jokes. But I find it a bit saddening that appears to be the norm for games.
Everyone enjoys some shallow entertainment like that, just as we enjoy pointless jokes. But I find it a bit saddening that appears to be the norm for games.
I actually quite enjoyed Ultimas 8 and 9 -- although admittedly they were quite dark.
Also, I've never actually played the earlier ones in the series, even though I do have 1-6 (they were on a collection CD). Just never quite got around to it, I guess :)
Also, I've never actually played the earlier ones in the series, even though I do have 1-6 (they were on a collection CD). Just never quite got around to it, I guess :)
It should be noted that "theme" doesn't always equate to "moral of the story". For example, the theme of Requiem for a Dream is the destructive power of drug use. While you could argue that you can intuit a moral from that ("don't use drugs"), that isn't where the work itself is functioning.
Doom uses the classic theme of curiosity leading to damnation.
Max Payne is a pretty good example from video games. It grabs its theme second-hand from Norse mythology and recasts it in a gangster shooter.
Doom uses the classic theme of curiosity leading to damnation.
Max Payne is a pretty good example from video games. It grabs its theme second-hand from Norse mythology and recasts it in a gangster shooter.
I think Otto is really on to something. Especially when your dealing with an exceptionally non liner game, where the story may be secondary, the developer can insert their theme into every aspect of the game regardless of the details. And the game becomes coherent regardless of the diversity of the sub-plots / quests.
So what's the theme for Frayed Knights going to be? If it's not rude to ask :)
# posted by 
: September 11, 2008 6:49 AM
: September 11, 2008 6:49 AM
Theme for Frayed Knights: I hadn't really thought of it until I started working on this article. I have a couple of ideas, but it would go into spoiler territory to reveal them now. But I'm definitely worrying about it now.
Next FK test: Not for a little bit, I'm afraid. It's kinda like I'm looking at a car I just overhauled, and after putting it all back together again, I note that I still have some engine parts "left over." Woops!
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Next FK test: Not for a little bit, I'm afraid. It's kinda like I'm looking at a car I just overhauled, and after putting it all back together again, I note that I still have some engine parts "left over." Woops!
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