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.