What Can We Learn from Computer RPGS?

[imagineGod]

4th Edition Dungeons and Dragons built in the Golden Age of MMORPGs (like World of Warcraft) took a lot of that gamification from the computer to the tabletop, including many cool powers for even martial characters, not just spellcasters.

 

[Aldarc]

I think that, on the whole, the computer game industry and its respective communities are much better at articulating the nature of their games, developing useful jargon, and willing to engage in critical self-analysis, etc. Sometimes I feel like we in the TTRPG hobby are stuck in '00s Forge speak partially because the TTRPG community was so resistive to self-analysis and so we feel stuck in a discourse that never really was permitted to evolve beyond it. There are definitely lessons that TTRPGs can learn from CRPGs, but I'm not sure if the wider TTRPG community is all that interested or receptive to it, which is fine because the TTRPG designers in the background are definitely taking notes from CRPGs whether the TTRPG community cares or not.

 

[Mind of tempest]

I think that, on the whole, the computer game industry and its respective communities are much better at articulating the nature of their games, developing useful jargon, and willing to engage in critical self-analysis, etc. Sometimes I feel like we in the TTRPG hobby are stuck in '00s Forge speak partially because the TTRPG community was so resistive to self-analysis and so we feel stuck in a discourse that never really was permitted to evolve beyond it. There are definitely lessons that TTRPGs can learn from CRPGs, but I'm not sure if the wider TTRPG community is all that interested or receptive to it, which is fine because the TTRPG designers in the background are definitely taking notes from CRPGs whether the TTRPG community cares or not.

we should try because it is both the right thing to do and it might make thing better.

 

[CleverNickName]

The biggest things I've learned from computer RPGs is that (1) they're different from TTRPGs, and (2) that's good.

Drawing inspiration from computer games to make a tabletop game look and feel more like a CRPG is pretty fun and interesting. But past experience has shown me that trying to make a tabletop game play more like a CRPG isn't very fun or interesting at all.

 

[payn]

Was the OP's question so literal? I took it as inspiration to add, change, implement things into your table game. Not that you should try and emulate a CRPG on the table top itself.

 

[Mind of tempest]

Was the OP's question so literal? I took it as inspiration to add, change, implement things into your table game. Not that you should try and emulate a CRPG on the table top itself.

I do not believe so.

 

[Aldarc]

So are there any CRPGS you've played that gave you some ideas on how to improve your TTRPGS?

I think that computer game designers are more self-aware of affect, especially in regards to player psychology and experience. Many games are designed to play with player psychology in mind, particularly what players find psychologically rewarding versus what they find psychologically frustrating. And sometimes games toy with that intentionally.

Prince of Persia: Sands of Time, Hades, and Dark Souls: death can be interesting and part of the learning experience, but also not the end of the game for characters.

Zelda Breath of the Wild and Skyrim: let players set the pace and explore the setting rather than GMs forcing the story
- for the record, the term "sandbox" was something that TTRPG designers brought from video/computer games

Metroidvania Games: non-linear mega-dungeons that reward exploration that enables unlocking other parts of the dungeon or locating new rare loot/abilities. More of intentional uses of this.

Divinity (Original Sin) and Breath of the Wild: it's fun and rewarding as a player to discover and exploit the interaction between abilities in the game environment. For example, Teleport in D:OS2 isn't just a movement or exploration ability, it's commonly used as a combat ability to move the enemy around the battlefield: e.g., drop the enemy in fire, move them to a ledge, drop them on other enemies, etc.

I would also love to see more easy-to-use GM "tech" for randomly and procedurally generated dungeons.

 

[imagineGod]

Skyrim, when the GM is no longer in the equation

Skyrim Player Killed Every Single NPC & Creature In the Game

A Skyrim player killed every NPC.

screenrant.com

 

[Weiley31]

Temple of Elemental Evil, the PC game, taught me that a Paladin should not become fallen just because they took a drink of beer at a Tavern.

Because that can legit happen in that game if you make a Paladin take a sip of beer at a Tavern. It's hilarious as hells, but ShutTheFront doory when it happens.

 

[Bilharzia]

Zelda Breath of the Wild and Skyrim: let players set the pace and explore the setting rather than GMs forcing the story
- for the record, the term "sandbox" was something that TTRPG designers brought from video/computer games

The term 'sandbox' was popularised by computer games, but it was in use long before any computer game, and the implementation when it did happen was inspired by RPGs. Aside from a mode of RPG play, which was well established in the 1970s, there were campaign books published which supported sandbox play, they were just called, generally, "Wilderness" adventures. Griffin Mountain (1981) was an early example for RuneQuest.