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Zix's idea of choosing INTENT rather than ACTION is a cool one--since you might be able to see parts of it before it happens or whatnot, like flashbacks or premonitions or so forth, where all the actions are the same but you change the contexts. And based on your motivations, you alter the storyline. It allows for RPG elements, is a funny spin on the normal thing, and could make for a very interesting plot element to a game.

Covenant wrote:Zix's idea of choosing INTENT rather than ACTION is a cool one--since you might be able to see parts of it before it happens or whatnot, like flashbacks or premonitions or so forth, where all the actions are the same but you change the contexts. And based on your motivations, you alter the storyline. It allows for RPG elements, is a funny spin on the normal thing, and could make for a very interesting plot element to a game.

If I recall correctly, Planescape: Torment was rather big on that, even if most of your choices were more along the lines of "1. I'd never betray you. 2. [lie] I'd never betray you.".

Zix's idea of choosing INTENT rather than ACTION is a cool one--since you might be able to see parts of it before it happens or whatnot, like flashbacks or premonitions or so forth, where all the actions are the same but you change the contexts.

Actually, what I'm trying to say that making and controlling your character has to be re-thought a bit. In regular tabletop role-playing sessions, when people create characters they don't just create a numerical character, a model of numbers and items: they create background stories, they create names, they create personality that they employ, use and expand. In a way, they create a person.

This is an inspiring process: people draw their PCs, they writer stories for them and so on. For this to create a story with interesting dynamic is almost inevitable. When you want to create a story, it will happen.

Bioware games are trying to do that somewhat: they really try to make the player character expand and become its own person. The big plot twist with Raven. Somewhat in Jade Empire. Donnu about Mass Effect.

The problem is, that the character is purely judged upon outward moral basis rather then more complex ideas. Like a personal philosophy of how to deal with problems: "Hey, have you thought of trying to solve this problem yourself, rather then ask for a stranger for help with something that is vital for you?" or "Stop. Think. What are you gonna gain by this for what?"

A chivalrous knight raping (or molesting) a virgin woman is wrong. The knight doing the same thing to disillusion and terrify a girl about knights in a kingdom where she will inherit several corrupt knight orders under her sway is somehow different. I am not saying that its right, but things do change a bit because the context changes.

Now, you're the knight. You barely have access to the woman in question and you have to warn her somehow. She's a stubborn idiot that is naive to a fault rather then smarter then she lets on, as opposed to fairy tales. You try to warn verbally, but she won't listen or believe you. Or perhaps you are just dumb (literally) and she takes your desperate attempt to explain something so complex as corruption as a silly act. So what do you do? You try to make a point, by doing something horrible? Or you just abandon your faith that you can warn her and thus prevent the later coming catastrophe?

Note: I'm not saying that the ethical choice is raping. Raping is one of the most horrible things that can happen to a person. However, keep in mind that this is not reality. This situation is pretty fucked up but this is where a character shines: in this situation, you can do allot of things and a good deal of them might be pretty ugly. However, the question is, why are you doing it?

Tabletop gaming has the advantage is storytelling that there is an interactive writer. VGs are definite in their story, more or less.

I wouldn't mind that you could do evil acts as long as there is no one to see (I.E. break into a house and steal something or assassinate someone all the while no one sees you) and it doesn't affect your alignment rating. Do something evil in front of someone and the witness could take off and warn anyone in their path and should they encounter a law enforcer then the enforcer could alert the others. But all is not lost as you can be in an area that has yet or ever receive the word of your misdeeds. Ditto if you do a good deed.

Is there a game that does this?

Sure, they're just not RPGs. The whole idea of a 'counter' for 'ethics' is retarded, but if you're using them, it's a lazy shortcut to mission scripting.

What's sad is that it was originally a thing to unlock convo options; so it wasn't anything to do with other people, just an indicator of how the player's decisions were changing the PC. That's fine (although a counter is still stupid, and different actions should really just push it to different settings, but anyway) but then it got transmuted into 'everyone is spiritually aware of your alignment score', which makes little sense.

I'm not sure what all this is really about, but I detest good/evil convo options being either "YES I WILL GO FUCKING HOURS OUT OF MY WAY TO HELP YOUR PATHETIC PROBLEMS ALLEYBARNACLE OF A PEASANT" or *Kill EVERYONE*.