I agree with most of the comments, but this one in particular. I love open-ended games in that they allow me to choose the tempo and pacing of the game, so that my decisions actually do make something happen directly as a result of my actions... but sometimes there's just not enough things to do!Ryushikaze wrote:The problem with open ended games isn't the size of the world, it's not having enough to do. This is particularly a problem in late game GTA VC and SA, especially so in the latter, since you have such a disproportionate load of mission in Los Santos and San Fiero, but very little in the badlands and desert comparitavely.
Like, a sidequest isn't an open-ended game, it's just a game where there's stuff to do on the side of the main path. Sidequests are diversions from a linear path, not a way around it. A better example would be a tree structure, where there's 100 different ways to end the game, and based on what you do you move down those paths. But even then it's not completely open ended.
One of the games I felt had a more interesting ending style was Disgaea, despite the fact it was a lighthearted strategy game that was not exactly hard to beat. There were several endings, and not just versions of the same ending--there were completely different ones. Some where I complete the story as it was set out, of course, but others where instead of even settling the main thrust of the plot I went off an invaded Earth instead, and crushed it's planetary defense space navy forces. Or invaded another dimension. That's an interesting take on it--and imagine if we applied a system like that to Morrowind for example.
Instead of playing the game as usual, to the end with the last boss, you could take harder routes and accomplish bigger tasks. Morrowind felt too open in that there was an awful lot to do but very little of it was actually important. There is a different between sand in a sandbox and sand in a beach. If my running around is really just for nothing, why do it? If the only thing that gets me ahead is the main story, that's sad.
I'd rather that instead of a story they gave us historically noteworthy events. Instead of needing to do A to B to C, as if we're replaying a history book written in the future, I'd like the option to do things of my choosing in a more global sense. In a wargame, I choose where to fight my battles. Why does this have to be different in an RPG? Also, what's so wrong with failing? What if in my mission to stop the Dark Elemenstor from toppling Fuggleheim Castle, I just can't do it? What if there's 4 Armies of Darkness running around -- in realtime -- and I choose where I go?
So the game counter times it out. At day 30, the Army of Dark Fire will be at location X. At day 60, it will have reached Y. If I choose to go harass that army, I can do so in whatever manner I please. They have a counter that also lists out that there are 10,000 Beastmen troops, 1000 officers, 5 Commanders and the Dark Fire Lord himself. I can attack them head on, or pick them apart, or run to the towns to help them evacuate--fighting off foreward elements of the army as I do so--and then run some quests to upgrade the defenses of Fuggleheim Castle so that when the army gets there it's a Helm's Deep battle instead of a massacre.
So my actions, instead of being the only actions that matter, and only at very specific things, are actually open-ended. While I'm attacking patrols of the Dark Fire lord and helping the people arm themselves, three other armies are marching forwards unopposed. If I focus on one city, the others may fall. It takes me a certain amount of time to get from one city to the other, so even if my Sword of Uberness lets me get in there ahead of time and slay the Fire Lord before he reaches the castle, I may not get to the next city in time to stop the attack, and I'll get there mid-siege.
Anyway, that's what I think. Give me a real control over what happens! Fallout's not open ended in the slightest. I can't just decide to become a crimelord and win the game, I gotta save my Vault, and that takes me through the same paths as before. I can just do them differently. It's still a linear game, it's just linear with 4 lanes. It's like saying a Highway is open-ended because I can slow down or speed up or take a sidequest to McDonalds and get something to eat on the road.
