EA Announces Open-Ended RPG

With the success of Bethesda's Oblivion featuring so prominently in the headlines of late, EA's announcement of 'Project Gray Company' comes as little surprise. From the Gamespot blurb: "The action takes place in a massive open world where you can go anywhere you want, and the characters in this world are powered by an incredible simulation [artificial intelligence] based on the same technology used by the makers of The Sims 2. The story of the game is built around a series of Story Quests. You can choose to follow specific Story Quests, embark on a range of other types of quests, or set off on your own adventures in the massive open world environment."

No multiplayer!

[willith]

As long as it's not multiplayer, I'll give it a look when it comes out. I've sunk ~60 hours into Oblivion over the past month or so, and the primary thing that keeps me coming back is that I feel like the focus of the story (which I am, because it's obviously a single-player game) instead of one more $CLASS, grinding out levels. Yeah, Oblivion has great graphics, ten billion sidequests, and a crazy-detailed gigantor world to play in, but the biggest plus is the fact that I don't have to share the game world with other people--no 1337-sp33k, no chat spamming, no people out of character, no griefing, and none of the other jackassery that plagues every MMORPG in the universe.

I'm tired of being the hero

[Jakuta]

I want a game where I can dominate, be evil, have minions and basically rule with an iron fist. Some of my fondest memories are of evil groups at tables. Isn't anyone tired of wearing the white hat? Wouldn't you like to match wits with a truly diabolical foe? Just my own meandering thoughts... *sigh*

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[account_deleted]

Comment removed based on user account deletion

Oddly enough...

[Anonymous Coward]

The "Lord of The Rings" games started out with the "Tiger Woods Golf" codebase.

(+1 Informative - I'm actually not kidding.)

Re:Don't be hatin'

[XenoRyet]

Most of what you describe as the advantages of MMO style games is socalizing. That's all well and good, and it is a valuable use of time, but it doesn't have to tie in with your gaming time.

Socializing of any kind comes with the risk of "jackassery", and I would have to say it's more prevalant in MMO's than in other settings, but as you say, it's a small price to pay for the positive aspects you can gain. However, even neutral socalization can get in the way of enjoying a game, and some people would prefer to keep the two seperate for that reason. A little jackassery in the wrong place can totaly spoil a gaming session, perticularly if you like game-world immersion. And immersion in an MMO is nigh on impossible.

You mentioned that single player RPG's are just games. Well, despite the fact that there are real people on the other end of some of the characters, MMO's are also just games, at best. At worst they're glorified chat clients. You seem to be trying to use the fact that there are other people interacting with you to justify 60 hours a month in front of your computer. That's unnessisary, one should spend 60 hours however one wants, solo, socialy, whatever. Neaither way is better than the other. Personaly, when I want to game, I'll game, when I want to socalize, I'll go down to the coffee shop.

Re:GTA:SA

[badboy_tw2002]

See Postal. You get to burn, kill, maim, destroy the innocent all because you've had a very bad day. Even after people are down you get to pin them down and put a bullet in them, or roast them and get to hear them moan in pain as they're burning. Then see Postal 2, which brings in the "slap stick" you refered to. The first one kind of turns your stomach, the second is pretty stupid. I guess it depends on the reaction they were going for.

On the other hand, I think maybe some of the Mafia type games (Mafia, GTA, the latest one being the Godfather), are pretty good at defining "evil". The games have rules like "don't kill civilians", where various penalties apply when you knock off some guy walking down the street, but hey, halve the fun is blowing people up. Its true you're not really fighting innocent cops in GTA:SA, but the drug thing is wrong. Half the missions are about taking "turf" and delivering "packages" which may or may not be drugs. They don't come out and say it, but its there. In Godfather, you're constantly shaking innocent business owners down for money. That's pretty bad insomuch as you're commiting acts of violence and tyranny against the helpless. These aren't criminals, just regular folks. You don't want to kill them, just scare them a bit, but if you need to mow down joe average to get your way, so be it. I'd say the moral scale for that game are solidly in the black.

As for the "genocide" simulator, yeah, Civ is as close as you get. But then, when you think about it, most evil dictators don't see the results of their acts right up close and personal, and definately aren't taking too much part in the direct execution of their orders.

Re:Don't be hatin'

[Anonymous Coward]

no sense of accomplishing something (even if it's only virtually) with other people,

Funny, my main complaint about MMOs is that I get no sense of accomplishing anything, period.

NPC: Please help me, PC1! You must slay the dragon and save the town!
PC1: OK. [goes off, returns] The dragon is dead!
[30 seconds pass]
[dragon respawns]
NPC: Please help me, PC2! You must slay the dragon and save the town!
PC2: OK.
PC1: Uh, didn't I just slay that dragon? Shouldn't the town be safe?