Remove AAA Remove Cutscenes Remove Mechanics Remove NPC
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Open world RPG design notes from Enderal, a big long Skyrim mod

Radiator Blog

Whenever an NPC is about to dump backstory and exposition on you, they'll ask you to take a seat. This is a convenient diegetic way of locking the player in-place for a cutscene, while also priming the player for an extended cutscene. Destroy the player's expectation that relationship mechanic = main cast member.

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The three most important qualities in an RPG

Keith Burgun

It’s the fault of developers for not exploring new kinds of stories, new kinds of worlds, new kinds of mechanics and so on. Even a handful of new mechanics or other properties are often enough to help create that question in people’s minds: “what else might be possible in this game?”

Fantasy 52
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Deathloop deconstruction / design thoughts

Radiator Blog

NOT telekinesis, only works on NPCs / PvP) Havoc (temporary shield / damage buff), very useful for people who keep dying (i.e. unlike Outer Wilds, golden loop here is heavily hard-gated by quest progression, not a "true" information game, compromise with AAA market? sorry if your game happens to crash, or you get a dreaded UI freeze.