A more Bite-sized and less tangential blog entry... ("make it accessible")
That most "Role Playing Games" of the computer variety; particularly single-player ones; tend to really BE a campaign of tactical squad-combats is no secret I suspect...
But there are situations , both in fantsay and reality; where a smaller group of people are BETTER. And NOT just when trying to sneak a ring to a volcano...
One of the great failures of most "RolePlaying " quest-games is to explain why adventurers-in effect SPECIAL FORCES -rather than the whole regular army is being sent in. And really; in most adventures; the army would be a better bet. All those quests where they tell you to go take a place over and exterminate everything...
Not hit and run before reinforcements come to tip the tide & overwhelm you; but rather go and kill EVERYTHING...?
Are you REALLY so tough that NOTHING the enemy has can defeat you? You have NOTHING to fear?Wheres the Adventure in THAT??
Ever been asked to Save The Kingdom - at LEVEL ONE? Oh I forgot: I'm the chosen one; blah balh bladda-dah. Thats not only as TIRED as all hell a cliche can BE; its also a matter of - you know what? SCREW YOU - I'll EARN mine - thats MY destiny. If I'm Destined to win; Wheres the Adventure in THAT??
If being so tough that we've nothing to fear is NOT the case; but we're still expected to control & occupy; that just makes you ask why they aren't using someone tougher ?(or a whole lot more than 4-6 some-ones?)
...And if the situation arises where a party IS actually stronger than the Forces of Said Authority Figure; Your Campaign Has A Much Deeper Problem...
(...which will bother MOST gamers no more than all those weapons & robots designed to make 13 year-old power-rangers fans say "WOW!" "COOL!" )
Any situation where its a smash-and -grab (and run) is ideal for squads - for adventurers. History - even now - is rife with tales of professional adventurers- and yes; sometimes you get hung for not wearing a uniform...( ..cough; cough.. pirate, cough.. spy; cough cough ). But with or without one; there are more purposes to squads than just patrol encounters. Enough said on that other than to say; if you want to write convincing and compelling adventures for small groups; research special missions/ops; or ask a friend...
With THAT cow finally a-salted - and a-burgered; I hope I have established an in-game need and justification for squad-level events.
A little more thought in the actual quests would be welcome tho' - and maybe cut-scenes.
MMORPG.com writes:
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