have computer role playing games influenced your tabletop designs ?

[Selkirk]

just wondering if computer rpg's have influenced the ways you guys think about games. could be settings or player classes/races or even mechanics. if so which games and how? the answer could of course also be no or perhaps they have made you embrace tabletop games even more for inspiration (the limitations both graphical and world as well as the temporary nature of computer games could be a turn off/template of design decisions to avoid). thoughts?

baldur's gate 2/icewind dale are still constant sources of inspiration...the characters and storyline were so rich and deep...plus it really gave me a visual idea of how a 6 person party would move through a world. as for flavor, my all time favorite mmo everquest 2 is great as far as setting and sensibility...i love the whimsy and great visual variety of the races and how they all interact.

 

[Arduin's]

just wondering if computer rpg's have influenced the ways you guys think about games. could be settings or player classes/racces or even mechanics. if so which ones?

I've never seen a computer game where one interactively role plays. There's no back and forth. Just pushing buttons and no interaction with intelligence. So, not sure what you mean by "computer rpg"...

 

[Selkirk]

I've never seen a computer game where one interactively role plays. There's no back and forth. Just pushing buttons and no interaction with intelligence. So, not sure what you mean by "computer rpg"...

i think that's a valid point and i edited post above to point out some of the limitations of computer rpg's but there are similarities between computer 'rpgs' and tabletop...character creation/genre settings/combat etc. dungeons and dragons 4e for instance is commonly (not sure if this is accurate or not but it is a label applied) referred to as a tabletop mmo in terms of mechanics and feel. and again i think it is perfectly sensible to make a distinction between crpg and tabletop gaming-and in fact i do . I prefer tabletop gaming design and feel but still i find myself influenced, if just subconsciously, by certain visual elements of computer gaming as well - be it the world/setting, or various character classes/npc's i have played.

 

[Arduin's]

4e for instance is commonly (not sure if this is accurate or not but is a label applied) referred to as a tabletop mmo in terms of mechanics and feel. and again i think it is perfectly sensible to make a distinction between crpg and tabletop gaming.

If you search you can probably find the interview with one of the 4E designers. One of the prime design goals for 4E was to try and create a tabletop computer game, if you will. This is was because of the revenue "goals" given to WotC for the D&D line by the execs in Delaware and they thought it was a way to suck in the computer gaming demographic and thus, to meet those insane goals...

It really isn't possible to role play TO a computer as you don't get any meaningful result and feedback from it... So, CRPG is a misnomer. Probably promulgated by a computer game industry trying to get RPGers to purchase, back in the day. Ironic how that has come full circle.

 

[Selkirk]

It really isn't possible to role play TO a computer as you don't get any meaningful result and feedback from it... So, CRPG is a misnomer. Probably promulgated by a computer game industry trying to get RPGers to purchase, back in the day. Ironic how that has come full circle.

you know tho is say a baldur's gate that much more 'railroady' (i hate game jargon ...)..than say some of the early dungeons and dragons modules or dare i say some(most ) of the pathfinder ap's? tabletop rpg's do allow freedom and creativity (hey don't like a module...just keep a few of the monsters...make keep of the borderlands in chicago) that computer games cannot approach but in terms of play (particularly module play) is the computer rpg experience vastly different? traps/bosses/wandering monsters .

 

[Arduin's]

you know tho is say a baldur's gate that much more 'railroady' (i hate game jargon ...)..than say some of the early dungeons and dragons modules? tabletop rpg's do allow freedom and creativity (hey don't like a module...just keep a few of the monsters...make keep of the borderlands in chicago) that computer games cannot approach but in terms of play (particularly module play) is the computer rpg experience vastly different? traps/bosses/wandering monsters .

Most certainly different. I mean if one is doing anything else other than pure hack & slash. Even then one can engage monsters in conversation and interaction. That is quite impossible with a computer game as there is no intelligence to interact with on that level. "Railroading" is a separate topic from Role Playing.

 

[Selkirk]

and i definitely agree more than disagree here...but still just like a fantasy novel can inspire one can also be inspired by computer fantasy worlds. just seeing towns (in a well done computer game) gives one an idea (if however unrealistic) of how a world might operate/be organized etc.. so i definitely do find certain computer 'rpg's' inspiring some of my thinking if just on a visual level but it can go deeper than that...again to me baldur's gate is more of a computer novel (with a tremendous amount of fighting ...go for the eyes boo! ).

 

[Arduin's]

and i definitely agree more than disagree here...but still just like a fantasy novel can inspire one can also be inspired by computer fantasy worlds. just seeing towns (in a well done computer game) gives one an idea (if however unrealistic) of how a world might operate/be organized etc.. so i definitely do find certain computer 'rpg's' inspiring some of my thinking if just on a visual level but it can go deeper than that...again to me baldur's gate is more of a computer novel (with a tremendous amount of fighting ...go for the eyes boo! ).

Absolutely. I've been inspired to create new stuff for my game after walking through the Louvre, Prado and the Met. Different games can do the same.

 

[gamerprinter]

Although I played the first few encounters in Baldur's Gate I, I've never really played any online RPG/MMO or otherwise. So a resounding, "NO", computer roleplaying games have not influenced my tabletop design at all. And inspiration, I get that from books and my own imagination, I don't want the limitations of online games to be my inspiration.

 

[Ahnehnois]

I've gotten a fair amount of influence from the Civilization series in terms of creating dynamic game balance and leveraging historical simulation into enjoyable gameplay.

I suppose I've picked up a few tricks from Baldur's Gate and maybe some of the other D&D-ish games, but I wouldn't call them a major influence.