Video Games in general, and a question about them

[Mattstamus]

My brother asked me something a few days ago and I was pondering this. Why is it that in all RPG games that you can only go up to a certain level or hold only a certian amount of an item ?

Matt

[Tarryk]

I don't wanna say that's a silly question, but...it's difficult not to.

The item part is easy. Two reasons:
A) Item limitations reflect realism, albeit in a very unrealistic kinda way (makes sense, eh? hehe). You can't carry every item in the world, and it would be silly to assume you could.
B) Because it's limiting! It's more fun and leads to a better feeling of accomplishment when you have limitations and use them strategically.

The level parts. Two reasons:
A) Imbalance in the game becomes apparent when you get too high, that's the biggest one. That, and you can't expect an RPG to come out with an infinite amount of armors, nanos/spells, weapons, etc.
B) Because, just like the item part, it's limiting! You have something to strive for! And you know that once you get to that point you have achieved a finale of sorts, the goal of goals, the Maximum Levelus.

The Conclusion:

The entire point of an RPG (especially a combat-style one) is to set limitations on yourself/your character and then creatively working around those limitations to become successful and improve yourself.

It boils down to the Chain Reaction question, which is really what you asked...

If you really want to know why there are limits on levels and items, why not take it a step further? Why are there limits on hit points? Why do we even bother dieing? Why can't we destroy anything we attack? Why can't we all be gods?

Because it would be no fun at all. (Yes, I already know all the comedians responses to that one, you can hold off on it for now please).

[Otori]

Actually, Tarryk, a very lucid and well thought response to quite a non-sensical question!

How do you do that, in the morning at least

[Gridfan]

Altough half a joke I guess you could also say that RPG (Role Playing Game) could also mean Rule Played Game.
As all RPG's use extensive (and nightmaresish big) rulesets for their worlds. regardless if it's a board game or computer game.

AO's item carrying is very unrealistic. Unless I remeber wrong
it used to be that you had a weight limit in AO. (seems it's removed now).
That was fun, watching people run (or unable to move at all)
since their overweight caused them to get runspeed -2000 or sumpt lol

[Tarryk]

Yeah, item carrying is something that's grotesquely unrealistic in almost ever game, even the most realistic MMORPG's are very lax about items carried.

This is just a niche that's grown into the universe of RPGs, and it's honestly a good one, in my opinion. Weight limits on items carried often follows up with player annoyance, since that's a stat that's perpetually limited if initially limited at all, and that's just aggrivating. Better to lose the weight limit, and just make an item limit, but keep even that very lax (just like AO does it now)

Yeah, AO used to have a weight limit...for a couple weeks after release. Even the devs and gms were annoyed to death by it. They killed that one quick.

[Mummu]

yeah, i HATE weightlimit, even itemlimit.
neocron demo: 5 min and i was over the weight limit.
dungeon siege 10 min and i was over the item limit.

i just collect everything.

[Ichyro]

yeah, i HATE weightlimit, even itemlimit.
neocron demo: 5 min and i was over the weight limit.
dungeon siege 10 min and i was over the item limit.

i just collect everything.

Mule!


Well, for online games it makes some sense. Would it be that much fun if people could carry around every single great item, or could never stop leveling?

Guys like Deciple092 and the other 200s would be reaching the 1000s when people started.

That could work though, and when they reach that area they become less of a fighter and more of a part of the story [One guy is a commander of a Omni SS-like Brigade, a Clan Adventurer commands her own cabal of fighters, ect.], but otherwise it would suck.


Offline games, though. It doesnt make much sense for those, since by the end of them, you'll be around the level you should be.

[Firia]

you think there'd be a nice comprimise with item/weight limit. ^_^
When a little hair pin or ring takes up the same space as a huge shotgun, there's something amiss. But it is just a game afterall.

[Mummu]

you think there'd be a nice comprimise with item/weight limit. ^_^
When a little hair pin or ring takes up the same space as a huge shotgun, there's something amiss. But it is just a game afterall.

nono, its exactly the other way!
a huge shotgun takes the same place as a small ring!
and thats the way it should be.
at least in games

[Ichyro]

you think there'd be a nice comprimise with item/weight limit. ^_^
When a little hair pin or ring takes up the same space as a huge shotgun, there's something amiss. But it is just a game afterall.

nono, its exactly the other way!
a huge shotgun takes the same place as a small ring!
and thats the way it should be.
at least in games

Behold!

I wield the magical RPG of Microness.




I find it more weird a fragile Opifex could lug around something like 5 sets of heavy, carbonium armor.

[Mummu]

that doint look so weird.
ever seen my tiny small opifex girl shooting with her fat div9?
atleast she s not wearing a tank armor.

[Ichyro]

that doint look so weird.
ever seen my tiny small opifex girl shooting with her fat div9?
atleast she s not wearing a tank armor.

Freaking Paradox, that be.



God!

GOD! GODY GOD GOD GOD!

I want to play AO again, Listening to Gridstream's gotten myself to want to try it so much...

*Sigh* A week or so... a week or so, and I shall have the PC to handle AO to gimp all those around me.

To even make the members of Gridstream envious... and yes I make no sense, I'm hyped up on bawls, and I have nothing to do but brag.

I'll try and get a picture up or something when it finally reaches here. Basically put, it is the Uber PC.


The Black, Sleek Yalm, of PC gaming.



Still, the Scourge! The man who will take up AO again, possibly with Roleplaying!

Ichyro! I have come back to the barren middle-eastern themed lands of Rubi Kai, and no one cares!

HUZZZAH!!!!!!

[Firia]

I feel ya.
.. minus the uber PC. ^_^

[Mummu]

i hope noone ll give ichyro coffee when hes on rubi-ka, look slike he had already more than enough

[Boinky]

My main beef is the Bank restriction - heck I'd accept a smaller limit on what I could carry on my person as long as I'd have the opportunity to maybe pay a few extra creds to Omni-Tek for a bigger storage spot in their Bank!