DEEBELLWETHER'S PROFILE

this was a really stimulating article, and so was (is) the discussion that ensued.

i'm a long time player, coming into design some quarter century after beginning my 'career' as a gamer.

I have to say, over the years, I have held EVERY view presented here, at different times. when I started playing RPGs (DQ1 and FF1, specifically,) the small, unrealistic towns kind of bugged me.

later, during the SNES and PS1 eras, it became more and more possible to have these settings feel more like real cities. at first this was AWESOME, and really added to gameplay, as it felt like we were advancing (FF7 comes to mind, those town really pull at the heartstrings, though arguably, the director's theme for the game was life/death, his grandmother had just died, and he wanted a game about human connection and connection between humans and nature.)

that was the last time I really enjoyed that. from FF8 on, the big corporate JRPGs moved further away from good gameplay into being overbearing interactive soap operas. f**k u FF8+, honestly. I am now SICK to death of Square's excesses and overblown, broken systems and stories (which have lost all originality and luster as far as I can see.)

the irony is that now (as is a big convention in gen 8 games in general,) the tendency is to try to create a sweeping view of a world, a story and one's motivation there within is to use ECONOMY, that is, telling a lot with very little, then thrusting the player directly into the heat of conflict. I LOVE it.

I have a kid, and life is short. also, I like to play multiple games at once. I do NOT want to watch an hour opening for a game, and THEN explore a base city that will take me 3 hours minimum to see before I even hit a 'level,' and get down to fighting and grinding.

though I felt like it SHOULD have been more of a finished game (it was indeed cut short to put on the shelves,) SaGa Frontier, my all around fav RPG in the digital format evar, ALMOST balances all of this perfectly.

there are times when I wish some of the locations were just a LITTLE too simple with no real life in them, but honestly, you go into these huge "worlds," where you only see small parts, but what is NOT seen FEELS like it is there from what IS shown, and a few random NPCs just chatting about their lives and perspectives, many of which do NOT directly affect gameplay, paints a vast picture QUICKLY, which I love.

some NPCs DO change what they do and say over the game, and in order to finish the whole game, you have to play 7 characters ENTIRE stories to reach the final 8th scenario, and though you will be going to basically the same levels, things are ALWAYS at least SLIGHTLY different for each scenario. a pretty much background NPC in a bar in 6 of the scenarios MIGHT be the contact point for a HUGE mission ONLY in that once character's story. so you can imaging that character going on that adventure, while the other 6 will just talk to a drunk once, who will maybe complain about a waitress. the scavenger hunt effect makes the town FUN.

further, I actually like when towns and dungeons overlap a bit. the main port o Koorang in SaGa Frontier not only has the greatest varieties of shops, and most of the shops where you can sell or exchange (you can only sell certain items in the game, and ONLY if you can find a buyer who pays for them in bulk, making it a bit more realistic,) but really, it LOOKS and FEELS huge, even though there are maybe 6 or 7 actual areas to the place, INCLUDING the doors you can enter.

and underneath Koorang, is a VAST sewer dungeon (which is the best place to grind early for most scenarios, and actually has different treasures in each scenario,) which is in turn on TOP of yet ANOTHER, OLDER sewer system, which is again, on top of a cave, presumably what they built the city upon the first place. also, you can get into the dungeons multiple ways, and there are even multiple exit-back-to-city only exits.

anyway, they did a LOT with a LITTLE, which means that the cities feel like as much a part of the advancement and gameplay as the dungeons and battles. also, there are event specific battles IN the cities, mostly to do with storyline.

so yeah, I think the analogy is like a good city for an RPG will often be like poetry: very little words, but worlds are painted in moments.

and goddamnit, I better get to swing a sword or something within 30 minutes of start or imma seriously go play me some Blaster Master or Super Mario Land, or even Space Invaders, man. and while I LOVE NPCs and details which suggest a living place, I better be able to either clear the town and all its info within 20 minutes, or else there BETTER be sub games, or ways to earn money/exp/advancement IN the city, and it really does have to fit in with the rest of the game, and should NOT feel like games tacked on top of games. (except for games of chance or event specific games, like the opening festival in Crono Trigger.)

everyone here had great points. thanks for giving me plenty to think about.