The Epic Column 10.07.07

Posted by Nathan Grayson on 10.07.2007

This week the Epic Column continues to grow, change, and find its niche. It's a touching tale about coming of age and believing in one's self. Also, roleplaying games are discussed and reader participation is offered.

Last time on the Epic Column, Nathan deftly weaved words into sentences concerning topics such as Blue Dragon, Jeanne D'Arc, and Square Enix's multicultural expansion! Then, just as quickly as he appeared, Nathan casted teleport and vanished in a sparkling gleam of ethereal light – but only after alerting his readers that the column had ended on a cliffhanger. And now, with his return to this particular text-loaded portion of the internet, Nathan will conclude this exciting chapter in a column that will surely go down as one of humanity's most admirable legends.

New items available in the shop

Final Fantasy Tactics: War of the Lions (PSP)

Uh, guys – buy this game. That's all.

Fine, I guess I'll give you an explanation. But really, if you're reading this column because you're a frequent player of RPGs, then you already know of this game's virtues. But since you insist: Final Fantasy Tactics: War of the Lions is a remake of Final Fantasy Tactics, which was originally released on the PS1 in 1998. Unfortunately, the original edition's translation was so abysmal that the game's story was incomprehensible to anyone who wasn't an Engrish major. War of the Lions remedies that problem and also adds in new story sequences and characters – one of whom is Balthier (of FFXII fame), a character who seems hell-bent on being mentioned in as many installments of this column as possible. Beyond that, War of the Lions is a tactical RPG set in the land of Ivalice – home to such games a Vagrant Story and FFXII. It features a complex job system that allows for a nerdgasmic number of character-building possibilities. For more information, look to this preview written by Jeremy Parish, who knows more about Final Fantasy Tactics than God knows about all creation.

Neverwinter Nights 2: Mask of the Betrayer (PC)

There's not too much to say about this one. It's a fairly run-of-the-mill expansion for Neverwinter Nights 2 that adds content for higher level characters, new tools for modders, and a new story arc. Impressions amongst the gaming press have been fairly positive thus far, but Mask of the Betrayer's only real problem seems to be a flaw inherent to Neverwinter Nights' D&D roots – it just feels kind of dated when compared to more recent RPGs. But if Neverwinter Nights 2's D&D-based roleplaying Drizzt-ed your Do' Urdens, then you can't go wrong with its expansion.

Things that happened while you were out saving the world

The (Hell)Gates Are Crashing Down

Now that the non-disclosure agreement (NDA) on Hellgate: London has been lifted, impressions are seeping forth from all corners of the internet – even from a site that's mostly involved with granite, material that's made out of trees, and metallic death-dealing instruments. Disappointingly, what they have to say isn't completely positive. For one thing, the randomization of many elements of the game – which Flagship Studios has been quite eager to tout – actually hurts the game's atmosphere since the areas lack the careful craftsmanship that comes from a more typical design style. Another problem flares up thanks to the game's similarities to a first-person shooter; that is to say, it's missing many elements that good FPSes contain. "But wait – it's an RPG," you exclaim, "that shouldn't matter!" Well, as the preview says, if a game looks like an FPS, it's going to be compared to one. The game just doesn't seem very intense – and in a game hoping to prevail in the crowded action-RPG genre, it needs that factor so that gamers will be compelled to play once they tire of the initial gameplay. Lastly, the preview notes that the game is kind of herky-jerky for a game that's a mere month away from release. Hopefully Hellgate's flaws don't doom it to the place that it's partially named after.

Mistwalker Announces Portable Games; Microsoft Feels Left Out

As mentioned last week, Mistwalker Studios announced that their first Xbox 360 title would receive its next iteration on the Nintendo Damn Successful. Now they've announced that it's in development at Feel Plus, the same studio that's also developing Mistwalker's Lost Odyssey on the Xbox 360. Mistwalker also announced a wholly separate new title, Away: The Kidnapped People for the DS. This one is in development at Artoon – yes, the same Artoon that developed the original Blue Dragon. Confusing, right? It's kind of like a love triangle, only without the awkward feelings. I'd like to say I'm optimistic about these games, but Mistwalker's track record hasn't been so great, despite being the helmed by Hironobu Sakaguchi, creator of Final Fantasy. Blue Dragon built a beautiful little cottage right on the middle of the line between good and crappy, and Lost Odyssey looks to be following in its footsteps. Both are also derivative of Square titles -- Chrono Trigger and Final Fantasy X, respectively. In fact, the running theory is that Microsoft has had more of a hand in those design choices than Sakaguchi; after all, Microsoft needs something to attract gamers who enjoyed those titles. So maybe, since Microsoft isn't involved in these two new games, Sakaguchi and co's talent can really shine through.
Source (since I couldn't mention it anywhere else): Wired's Game Life blog.

Lost Odyssey Demands That You Read

Xboxer recently kicked-off the rumor that Lost Odyssey will contain 20 hours of text – that's right, text. Apparently, it's going to be the main means of conveying your immortal main character's back-story, but why not let us play those scenes instead of reading them? Isn't gaming an active medium? This also reinforces the idea that Sakaguchi's heart may not be in developing this game, because using so much text seems kind of lazy. It's almost as though he wants to finish this game so he can move on to others that really matter to him. Once again, though, this is only speculation.

Your items need repairs

For the second week in a row, another new section has appeared. But don't attack it – it's one of those rare enemies that gives you a special item if you encounter it. In this case, that item is a discussion of an issue that the RPG genre currently faces and a possible solution for that issue. So then, let's get started.

Picture this: you're walking to work, school, live-action roleplaying club, or wherever you go, and you're forcibly stopped by a mugger. While he mugs you, the mugger notices your clever "Green Linen Shirt" T-shirt – you know, the one with armor stats and your level on it – and quickly draws the conclusion that you're an RPG fan. As his fist connects with your mid-section, he says that he doesn't like RPGs because they're just too long. He loved Persona 3, but he just couldn't find time to see it through. How do you respond to this? Well, right now you can't. RPGs take ages to beat (the dinosaurs died out because they didn't eat while playing FF1 -- it's a fact) and that's inherent to the genre. But there is a solution: rework the RPG to focus on story first, and characters second.

"I just want to experience the story" is a statement I'm sure many of you have heard plenty of times in regard to RPGs; I bet you've even said it yourself before. And really, most RPGs' stories could be told in about the same amount of time it took to tell Resident Evil 4's. So why aren't they? Typically, the reason lies in character development and its accompanying extra gameplay segments. For instance, remember (FFVI spoilers) when you had to gather all your party members after Kefka ended the world? Much of that admittedly enjoyable, but still long segment served to develop the cast. Without it, the game would be significantly shorter. So what if it was removed? Well, then the game would lose much of its, ahem, character. That's why there must be a compromise.

How about relegating many character development segments to the status of side quests? The character development that's essential to the plot can stay in the main quest, but look at it this way: a movie can elaborate on its characters and tell a story sometimes in little more than an hour; given the right direction, an RPG could easily tell a sweeping tale of heroics and gallantry in, say, 20-25 hours. And then, if you become immersed in that game's world and want a longer experience, side quests – both character related and regular – will extend your playtime and further your immersion.

So far so good, but this idea isn't magic-missile proof. Gameplay structure would have to be radically altered to accommodate both the shorter main quest and the abundance of side quests. For instance, if you went on a bunch of side quests mid-game, your characters would be far too powerful during the endgame. Or what if you eschewed doing any side quests to play through the main story, only to find that you wanted to learn more about your characters, but many side quests were too easy for you? That's where enemies that level up with you come into the picture. Wait! Don't leave! The idea didn't work so well in Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, but it can be modified to fit our needs now. I can only outline it here; if an RPG implemented the idea, it'd have to be much more specific. Basically, though, certain, important enemies would level in proportion to your characters, while others would never change at all. This would take a somewhat incredible amount of finesse on the part of the developer, but this industry has the talent to pull it off.
And there you have it – if done correctly, everybody wins. RPGs don't have to last lifetimes. They can be succinct and still tell an amazing story. And if you're lucky, you won't be taking to your grave the secret that you never finished Final Fantasy XVII: The Reckoning. /end mini essay

Remember last week when I mentioned reader participation? Now's your chance. What do you think about the issue of length in RPGs? How do you think it should be fixed? Do you think it should be fixed? Email me with your answers and I'll choose one to put into the column next week. Not only is this your opportunity at a tiny measure of internet fame and e-fortune, you have the chance to make me look like an idiot. Come on now -- you can't tell me that you wouldn't enjoy that.