Drew,

The universe isn't collapsing, at least not yet. Some scientists have determined that the universe is still growing (by looking at the distortion of supernova light). I think it was Einstein and some other guys that proposed there was some sort of interdimensional energy which pushes on the universe making it expand.

P.S. I think an RPG about stopping the universe from collapsing is a stupid idea. "Off course, I had a feeling if I used my omnislash I could kill that damn gravity!".

-FLIGHT

Let me see if I understand Hustler's point...

In order to have a superb plot you have to sacrifice as much gameplay value as you can? No wait, he said "But to get the aspects of a litarary masterpiece you MUST sacrifice gameplay." Aspects of a literary masterpiece. Hmmm. In some ways I want to say 'Well, duh.' A book is a book, you add snazy polygonal graphics and it's a movie, both mediums capable of telling truly inspiring stories. A video game on the other hand...Gameplay is what differentiates games from movies. And that's pretty obvious. Which still leaves me confused as to what Hustlers point is here.

"Ever see a platformer, adventure, horror, or even an action rpg with a better storyline then a traditional rpg?"

This however, I can argue. Allow me to let Metal Gear Solid, the Legacy of Kain games, and to a lesser extent the Zelda series to make my points for me. Another thing is that I think the video game industry hasn't exactly bothered to 'revamp' the action and adventure genres except to make them 3D. Saving the president and his family is still dumbfoundingly an acceptable plotline for most action oriented games.

"To sum it all up, gameplay and story can never be perfectly achieved without one separating from the other. We should embrace them both."

Well, I'll wax intellectual and say that there are many different views and opinions on what 'perfection' is, or that some say perfection cannot realistically be accomplished, in any way. In any game, in one way or the other, someone will be able to argue that it's plot was more enjoyable than the gameplay, and vice versa.

I also think the afore mentioned games prove that an incredible blend of gameplay and plot are possible. One does not need to sacrifice one for the other. Granted, if your definition of gameplay is how you can affect the plot, then you must exchange a linear game for a non-linear one, and non-linear games are notorious for their weak plots. Indeed, it can be no other way considering a plot is the grand scheme which dictates why the things that make a story good must happen.

So...In conclusion, if you think gameplay means how much you can affect the plot, I guess you're *wrong*.

~Ian P.

P.S. Sure, the helicopters would say Canada on the outside...But who do you think would be flying them? You underestimate me, Cosner.

P.P.S. How's that Sim City Nude Patch coming along?

Howdy.

Ah linearity. Seeing this topic being discussed again reminds me of my first badly-written, sappy, and trite RPGamer editorial. But before I answer the qustion, I have to explain some other stuff first. One of the main draws for me of the RPG genre as a whole was that it was not necessarily mere entertainment. While I acknowledge that simple finger-twitching mindless diversion has its place, if all games are nothing more than simple diversions with no real value, then there's not all that much point to playing them. And while many RPGs fall flat of reaching their potential of being edifying games that can actually make you a better person for having played them, much the same as literature, many have partially fulfilled that potential, and they grow closer to reaching that potential all the time. Final Fantasy VIII is no Les Miserables, but it's no Independence Day either (and it's certainly better than everything Hemmingway ever wrote, because he sucks). Although video games will always be games, and serve the primary purpose of entertainment, there is no reason why they can't be elevating as well. Of course, to reach this goal a strong plot is central. And while there's no reason why a non-linear plot can't be good, a truly great plot would have to be linear. For example, take Final Fantasy VII. At least from my interpretation of the plot and the ending, the ending fit the theme of the entire game perfectly. The ideas of life and death and humanity's place in nature are perfectly tied up by the ending in a way that alternate endings couldn't have done Yes, Square could have included a second ending in which so-and-so happens, but few things would have brought the plot to as fitting of a conclusion. Given the structure of a linear plot, the developers and writers of an RPG can create a much stronger storyline with recurring themes and ideas that are either not possible or not as effective or easily accomplished in a more non-linear format. Giving players the option to avoid Aeris's death would have destroyed a massive part of the development of the game's theme, and I think that the sacrifice of some extra freedom for a fuller plot is well worth it. However, I definitely wouldn't say that non-linearity is always a bad thing. Chrono Trigger allowed for a large amount of freedom with its multiple endings, and is still one of my favorite games. Its plot wasn't stellar, though it had some very good moments, but the characters were very likable (although some people have a strange hatred of Marle that I can't fathom), the atmosphere was cheery, and it was simply a whole lot of fun to play. Chrono Trigger wasn't a great piece of art, but it was an excellent game in every way, and that's just fine. Not all games need to probe the depths of the human soul. Both types of games have their place, and both are very essential. And by the way, Xenogears sucked. A lot.

-Arpad

I like linearity. I hate thinking...

-matt elder

To what degree should linearity be used in RPGs? The answer is clear: look to Fallout 2 for the answer. This PC game has a plot that rivals any console-style RPG, and yet its linearity is kept to a minimum. How? First of all, about half of the game is completely optional, used only to gain experience points, plot details, and special items. Secondly, there are different ways to complete each quest, depending on whether your character is a talker, fighter, thief, etc.

So what's my point? RPGs should provide a detailed character creation system like Fallout 2 so that replayability is extended by allowing alternate solutions to the same problem. The basic plot can be the same each time, but completing optional subquests should reveal more.

-Blarg

Drew,

I think that both linearity and non-linearity have their ups and downs, and both of them can be utilized in a game with a good story. Imagine Xenogears, which, despite your opinions, I believe has a very strong storyline. It's also painfully linear. On the other hand, a game like Baldur's Gate (which is a PC game, but is still an RPG), is both quite nonlinear (for an RPG) and story-based, and it's not a bad story at that.

The main problem with the "Linearity ruins storyline" argument is that without some sort of linearity, there can BE no storyline. Granted, the amount of linearity within a game varies from game to game, ranging from uberlinear with Xenogears to total free-form with Daggerfall. Both games suffer from the extremes: Xenogears feels less a game and more a graphic novel, Daggerfall is bland and insipid since there is no reason for you to strive forward.

A good example of nonlinearity and story, as I mentioned above, is Baldur's Gate. This gem of an RPG includes a number of miniquests and scenarios that are available from day one, so long as you have the necessary experience to complete them. Don't feel like completing the current quest you're on? Take a break, go hunt a few bandits, maybe search out a different quest before you continue with the main plot. And even with this aspect of nonlinearity, the game still has what I think is an enjoyable plotline.

Unfortunately, this sort of balance is rare at all, and almost nonexistant in console RPGs, even more so now that developers are placing such a large emphasis on story and character development. (Plot and character development are two seperate things, however, but that's aside from the point.) In the past this was because console systems (and storage mediums) weren't able to deal with all the number of possible actions that a player could take. This is also why a completely non-linear game would largely be a failure: Unless an improvisational human mind is behind the game, there will have to be predefined scripted segments and places where the player must be pushed into making a limited decision.

-Matt Blackie

Drew,

Most of the complaints that I have heard about excessively linear games lean towards the effect of "I don't want to watch a movie (or read a book), I want to play a GAME!"

While there's nothing wrong with this sentiment, I don't subscribe to it. My most cherished gaming experiences have come from games that were, in retrospect, story-focused and terribly linear (i.e., Lunar: Eternal Blue, The Final Fantasy series, and your personal favorite- game-to-needlessly-deride, Xenogears). Granted, I've enjoyed titles with non-linear approaches, such as Tactics Ogre, Dino Crisis or Star Ocean:The Second Story, but they've never held quite the same impact for me.

This isn't to say that I'm opposed to games that opt for reader-directed storylines, but I simply don't feel that any game has yet developed an approach that can accommodate complex story-telling and multiple-choice scenarios. The reason for this is obvious: programming multiple storylines into a game requires more time, money, and effort than it does to produce a single, linear plot. Also, including lots of choose-your-own-path options into a game runs the chance of turning it into an uncohesive mess.

That said, I'm actually looking forward to the release of Kamurai. As generic as the game may appear, I want to see if the director and scenario writer for Xenogears (Tetsuya Takahashi, I believe) can provide Kamurai with a rich storyline as well as separate scenarios for each of the game's main characters.

Uh oh . . . It seems that, in the babble above, I mentioned that I liked Xenogears, and in doing do, I disagreed with you. Only one explanation exists for this: I must be an idiot, who simply wrote to you because he enjoys the masochistic sensation of being shamed and ridiculed by those who read this column. Oh well . . .

-Todd

No, linearity isn't required for a good story, but it makes it a lot easier. The less linearity you have the less control you have over the storyline. Kinda hard to make betrayals mean anything if the player never develops an attachment to a character. Or never even has him in his party. Also hard to pull off world-shaking plot twists if there's a chance the player could see events from AFTER the twist before it even happens.

I'd like to say first that throwing in a couple optional dungeons or an early airship does NOT make a game non-linear. Non-linear means "freedom to affect the plot as the player sees fit," or basically, "the story's as good as the player makes it." Most players are dull and uninteresting individuals. Thus most non-linear stories are going to be dull.

The game generally makes up for it by giving you a lot of freedom to explore and to build up your character. They say this freedom makes up for the lack of a story, but I just don't see it. I've never been pulled in by a game with almost no linearity. It never really allows for emotional involvement. Exploring and gaining levels is more an exercise, like collecting stamps. (Doesn't require much more skill, either.) Even the ones people SAY are "non-linear" drop into full-linear mode whenever something important happens.

I think the best solution is a balance of freedom of exploration with generally linear plotlines. This way you get enough choices to FEEL like you're in control, but not enough to botch the story. Xenogears goes overboard with the linearity, SaGa Frontier goes overboard with the freedom. A good balance for me is, say, FF6 or Chrono Trigger. FF4 is horribly linear. FF7 & FF8 are too, but at least they allow you some freedom with the stats.

-J FORD