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I think that would be a great feature... I know I woudl enjoy it

Chrono Cross had one in its new game+

Actually in Shadow Hearts it is more that you accumulate Malice as you play (in the first one anyway) and that when it reaches a certain poitn an extremeley difficult boss spans and comes after you.... so you are constantly clearing your Malice

what you describe reminds me of the Sanity system in Eternal Darkness..... but Call of Chuthulu did a better job by implementing numerous affects for when your character si scared


as for what I would like...... more integrated game mechanics, like the malice system from Shadow Hearts.... mechanics that are always there, that you always deal with, but that are implemented so that it is part of the story and flow of the game.

I don't recall BoF 3 having multiple endings. I guess I really need to play it again. sweatdrop

I'd like to see more games that let you start off as a kid, then work your way up to adulthood, instead of starting out as a level seven 21 year old, and by the end of the game (only a few month later, "game time") he's a level ninety-nine 21 year old.

Saddest part, right after I turned off my computer and was heading for bed, I finally remembered Miria's offer. sweatdrop

One feature that I'd like to see in an RPG would be a diary or journal that keeps track of what you've done in the game and maybe a way for me to write down a quick note on what to do next. That way, when I go on a long hiatus, I could jump back in at a later point in time and remember exactly where I left off and what I'm going to do. I know, I know, "Paper and pencil it you lazy bum", but I always lose track and it'll be more convenient if it's implemented into the game itself.

It happened to me countless times, the most notable being one time in Final Fantasy IX where I gave up figuring out where to go and started over. Now, I haven't been playing very many RPGs (if any at all), but I've seen it implemented in some games so far (Pokemon Diamond/Pearl). It'll be nice to see it in more games.

What I'd like to see attempted is true counterpointing between perspectives - that is, seeing multiple points of view concurrently in one playthrough. Often in literature, not only do we see the thoughts and actions of the protagonists, the same is also revealed of the antagonists, at least to some degree. I say "attempt" because I realize that crafting such a thing without the whole of it devolving into incoherency would be a complex and arduous affair.

I'd also like to see an expansion of the chapter system implemented in some games (generally text adventures, though there are exceptions), in which the player unlocks multiple playable chapters at a time - a CYOA of a sorts - altering the course of the game depending on their order and outright choice. Choosing one may disable another and the corresponding path of the story.

These two ideas integrated would give a game great potential, though I'd be the first to admit that a game even half-decent employing them would require painstaking work and likely years of pre-planning. Thus, sadly unlikely.

I suppose that's what CYOA-style text-based adventure games are for. Now if only I could find more of them that are less lewd...

A more workable idea would perhaps be a variant of the situation-based genre; like in many games, the player has a choice of multiple main characters. All characters start with the same circumstances and initial story, but the capabilities (as one would expect, an apprentice blacksmith and a wandering minstrel would differ greatly in skills) decisions (largely immutable once the initial choice is made) the character makes dictates the course of the game. One may end up a wanderer; another, a court advisor. In one, the war may last a few weeks; for another, a few years.

It's different from games in which the protagonist is simply without proclivities, with the player deciding the course of action and the divergent paths in that it allows more insight into a character, and yields greater contrast. I suppose a good version of the the latter in which the protagonist is well-characterized would be good, too, but in the end, they result in largely the same thing. I'm inclined to the former simply because it would be easier to implement several wholly separate stories than one with a large number of branches.

BoF4 has been added to my list of games to play. It's a rather long waiting list, but depending on circumstances, it may get expedited towards the front. Can't comment on that until I've played it.

I've played Rudra no Hihou - indeed, that's where I got the notion of it all (I'm not that original); I just want to see it executed to completion. In Rudra, the counterpointing felt artificial because it wasn't integrated enough in relevant ways. I don't necessarily want to see them meet casually (though that was intriguing) or have Easter Egg-style event overlaps - in this regard, it's basically Trinity Sight done concurrently. It's seeing the same events through a different, personalized viewpoint. Again, I can see why it isn't done - I'm not wholly sure it's even workable, considering how convoluted it would seem to the player, but I'd like to see it attempted.

Trinity Sight is barred because it isn't concurrent counterpointing. In other words, I'd like to see a more polished version of Rudra's system with the Trinity Sight execution. Bonus if it involves less orthodox perspectives like a weapon salesman who's single act of generosity in giving up a sacred blade to someone who seems questionable was necessary in saving the world.

Overall, I guess I want more more than just the story of an individual or a group - I want the story of the situation.

I suppose I'm just being particularly finicky, as I am prone to be.

Me? In a plane of existence. Rather surprised that you still remember who I am, actually. Or did you merely peruse a few posts in the guild?

Aww. heart

i dunno, lol

EDIT: To be on topic, I just got Rune Factory. Everyone's thoughts on an Harvest Moon RPG with real-time combat?