Some things I noticed about great games that I hope SC:O pushes forward
StarControl Forums
I was just playing through the first Mass Effect and was gently reminded about some of the things that I found common in great games -especially RPGS:
1.) CHOICE SHOULD BE DIVERSE AND CONSEQUENCE NEEDS TO MATTER
In all of the great RPG games I've played, player choice and the consequences of those choices is at the forefront. Players come in all sorts of backgrounds. Choices need to have variety so that players can play they want to play. Some players like to be the lone renegade who picks choices that advance himself. Some players are the do-gooder that always picks the ethical option. Some players are just plain evil and want to see the world burn.
Truly great RPGs should give the players to choice to be what they want, but these choices need to have impact and result in very real consequences to the game world. A truly great game makes a player weight each decision carefully. A masterpiece games creates choices that make players question their own morality and cause emotional responses. A great example of this was in Mass Effect when you had no choice but to leave one party member to certain death. What made this choice even more impactful was that both choices were romantic options. If you are in a relationship with one and leave the other, man do you feel like a jerk. But life is like that. Choices made in the game should instill the kind of emotional response that a heavy real life choice would. Players need to feel like they are changing the galaxy or even just how an NPCs thinks of them in serious ways.
Masterpiece games also have choices with delayed consequences. Mass Effect did this to perfection by allowing major choices in one game carry on to a completely different sequel game. Players that became close with one character found that she wasn't in the second game, so they forgot about her and moved on with a new interest. Then she comes back in the third game while they are in a relationship with their second game partner... man did they feel like jerks.
While SC:O may not have full blown romance options, personal relationships with the crew and aliens is equally important. Galactic reputation is also something that needs to be factored into choice. Man did I feel like a jerk for giving my crew away to the Druuge in SC:2 then finding out they were burning my guys up for fuel.
The game should also avoid "empty" choices that seem like they are major decisions but have no impact on the game. For an example on how bad these can get, look at the ending to Mass Effect 3 and how one single badly implemented choice almost ruined a whole franchise.
2.) WORLD LORE AND THE LITTLE THINGS CANNOT BE IGNORED
People want to be immersed in their game. Full immersion can be done by applying detail to the little things, such as how soul gems work in Skyrim, or how dragon's have their own full blown language, or how the different physiologies of aliens in mass effect are deeply explained.
Great games look at every object they created and go "why is this here? Is there a lore or logical explanation for me creating this?" SC:2 did this wonderfully. You can even ask about the little knife on Talana's belt.
SC:O has a great opportunity to create an immersive world. Little things can be factored into conversations, like simple explanations on how hyperspace works and how it was discovered or what the little dongle does on the alien's head. The important thing is that the game should feel that there is an emphasis on the small things, that objects and lore in the game was not just arbitrarily smashed together.
Curiousity is a powerful human trait, and when we explore a new world we want to learn how it ticks.
3.) PLAYERS SHOULD HAVE THE FREEDOM TO EXPLORE AND THERE IS MORE THAN ONE WAY TO REACH THE END
Being a SC game, I don't think exploration is going to be an issue -especially with how many stars there are. However, concerning the main story and side quests, players should be given the freedom to complete the game through various paths -even if they choose to do things out of order.
Railroading players to a linear story path can easily bore them. A great example of how this can be done is how Mass Effect always presented you with multiple locations to visit. When the main quest starts you can go to Noveria, Feros, Virmire after one is complete, or just go explore. You can do various branches of the story in any order, even if they converge to the same ending mission.
SC:2 did this well because you can go to any alien race at any point in time just after starting the game and solve their issues in any order you wanted.
Skyrim is the master of this freedom because it gives you a ton of paths and guilds you can join but doesn't pidgeon you into completing them in a specific order.
4.) THE UNIVERSE SHOULD HAVE UNEXPLAINED SECRETS
Not everything needs to be explained. A mysterious door or big black hole sucking up gas in the middle of nowhere can make players wonder. There should be secrets and mysteries with no explanation all over the game. Some need to lead to big discovers but some don't need to have any explanation at all. Letting the players wonder what this strange object is can be a good thing.
Truly great games leave mysterious things behind then touch up on them in sequels. Who knew those crystal deposits in the first game would be the eggs of the last enemy race in the last? Adding "hooks" and mysteries can be a great resource for lore and expansion while also keeping players interested in the game world. Just look at all the crazy comments about the alien ruins that are popping up in the game Elite: Dangerous that have no explanation.
