I''d agree that Computer RPGs usually are more open-ended than console RPGs. This is an important difference. Open-ended means it''s exciting and interesting to the player. Console RPGs, OTOH, tend to have a more linear story. This allows the writers to be more creative, and it tends to bring the player to a higher emotional level.

I''ll give a comparision - the Might & Magic series vs Chrono Trigger. In MM, you don''t really give a s*** about the story, for the most part. You just play mostly to advance your character, do the quests, and progress through the more-or-less open-ended game. The excitement comes mainly from progression and character development, which is a constant process. As you fight, you gain more skill.

In CT, you are following a rational story the whole way through. It basically forces you through the story (you have to follow the path it wants, they try not to make it too obvious.) Character development is basically non-existant, besides linear, goal-based progression. Meaning, you don''t really gain anything from just doing something, but after a while, you will gain a level, and after a few levels, you will gain a new skill. So, instead of thinking "I''ll practice Skill X for a while to get better", you think "I can''t wait till I get to use Skill X" Its a different system of development.

Also, linear games are more emotional. I''ve never had a computer game bring me to the verge of tears, like when Aeris dies in FF7, or when Crono dies, or when we first see the tape of the destruction of the world by Lavos, or when Lara gets crippled. It actually pulled us in, as opposed to computer games, where I don''t actually feel like I''m part of the story, but rather an observer. Linear stories can do that, but open-ended ones can''t, or at least it is more difficult.

quote:Original post by omni777
A linear RPG is kind of like a book that unfolds in front of you.

Why not just read a book then, there a lots of them with stories a lot more involved and detailed than anything in any Squaresoft RPG.

quote:
It''s harder to make a good linear RPG, but IMO, the really good ones blow away the non-linear ones.

It is? I''d say it''s harder to make a good nonlinear RPG, they depend more on actual gameplay than storyline. You also need a lot more content in the game because it is nonlinear. In a linear game you know what the player will see and you just create that, in a nonlinear game you have to create tons of content that the player might see at any time. I''m sure Morrowind was more difficult to create than any FF (minus all the cutscenes, which require a lot of artists), except maybe FFXI, which is an MMORPG and nonlinear by nature.

The reason console rpgs do not generally allow you to perform much character creation at the beginning of the game is due to the console''s inability to effectively create numbers that are "random." For a computer, the time the program is initialized is generally used as a random seed in order to make the game appear to be generating more randomness each time the game is played. However, since console''s do not have an internal clock, this is impossible. It is possible, though, to take this seed from some sort of player input (such as how long it took the player to make a menu selection).

I had seen an instance where a console RPG attempted to allow the usual dice rolling method to create your party. Unfortunately, it was quickly apparent that the random seed for the random number generator was the same every time I played the game. Whenever I created a new character and pressed the ''Reroll'' button to produce another "random" character, the same string of attribute value sets would appear.

Personally, I think the rolling up and creation of character(s) is the most interesting aspect of CRPGS, which is one of the reasons why I tend toward the computer versions, although I do play my fair share of consoles.

Although this could have been a problem years ago, it is definitely not a problem now. Even on GBA, you can use the Merssene Twister and get random numbers. If this is still a problem now, then it''s one of tradition, not technical shortcoming.

quote:Original post by matt_j
Ever played Baldur''s Gate, Deus Ex, System Shock 2? These are excellent examples of amazing stories in computer RPGs.

Baldur''s Gate really didn''t have a great story compared to the likes of Breath of Fire or Grandia. And Deus Ex is a FPS, not an RPG so if you want to include FPSes Halo blows Deus Ex out of the water when it comes to story in my opinion.

Bleu Shift - www.bleushift.tk