Two games with similar RPG aspects. One of them is based off randomly generated content, the other seems like it was a painters stroke design. So which one is better overall in cost effectiveness?
The Powerhouse
I've been watching a lot of Skyrim recently and I must say it is an excellent game
Some of the things I like about it is that your character is quite customizable into what you want them to be
Magician; Destruction, summoner, Healer. Warrior. Archer.
But each of these are built on the fly, in game
You don't choose a class, you increase your skills and overtime as you wish to evolve your character, you will become one type or another. Pretty awesome and natural feeling
And then you can basically upgrade everything if you want to put the time into it
Theres some cute little glitches also that make doing this or that easier which I find humorous. Theres a Magic leveling glitch with a high enough pickpocketing. A pickpocketing glitch that allows you to level it up easily. A spell called equilibrium that allows you to exchange life for mana and a heal that allows you to exchange mana for life. When done at the same time allows you to consistantly level up your restoration
Pretty awesome
But after watching it I noticed something, everything is beautiful, and looks scripted. There are so many quests and each one looks like they can be treated as a walkthrough. The Terrain is gorgeous, each tree planted by a designer, each rock pointed by someone with an artistic Concept
So many different items, different weights, different things
It truelly looks like a game which highered hundreds of people and costed millions to create
As a result I really wonder the cost effeciency vs the money they made
Nonetheless, it feels like a true to life bread and butter game
-beautiful exciting and with enough non rpg aspects that makes a player able to do a speed run
The Underdog
Minecraft looks like it was built off a budget that included a shoestring and a peice of gum
But nonetheless it was a booming success
More importantly is the enjoyment you can get out with it
Similar to Skyrim, you can enchant, you can build, you can go into combat, you can make potions
however, a huge difference is for right now there are no quests, there are no merchants, the land isn't 100% gorgeous
Nonetheless, this game is very fun for a reason
Every Adventure is new, every house you build is limited by your imagination (and the shapes/colors you use), but nonetheless the game is very fun and has a lot of potential
Most things are randomly generated each adventure would be completely
Another interesting thing is that modding is very prevelent and in fact supported by the company that made minecraft. Making the game even more exciting due to the fact not only is content coming from the figuratively and literally 2 programmers that are making the game but also from teams of free programmers designing for the sole purpose of the community
Remember, Random generation
Conclusion
I mean, the cost effectiveness is definitely in Minecrafts favor
Minimal pay for maximum Buyers in comparison to Pretty hefty pay on top of reasonable amount of advertising for maximum Buyers
I also believe that Minecraft may be seen as a legendary game compared to Skyrim
However, I truelly question which is better overall. A game Like Skyrim could potentially Bankrupt the owning company. And Minecraft can be treated as a temporary Fad
Nonetheless, its obvious that Randomly Generated content is the way to go in long run. Less pay for Designing, less pay for this, for that.
ITS VERY IMPORTANT TO BUDGET A GAME PROPERLY
Now, I'm not saying Skyrim is a poorly budgeted project, But I sincerely question it
Everything Looks very Selected, handcrafted. Not much automation, and thats something that worries me and I believe Bethesda should question how many programmers, designers and etc they decide to hire to make a game that will have essentially the same amount of buyers as a
So lets take a look at a new game thats coming out, Guildwars 2....
Whats the budget on this game?
How indepth are they making it?
Now from what I understand they are making both randomly generated quests/instances as well as a main storyline for each race and this and that
This is all fine dandy right?
Maybe not
if they plan to make an indepth storyline for each archetype, it can either be dynamic Combining 2 or more storylines of 16 making it somewhat individual or by actually create 100+ individual storylines for each archetype
How many dungeons do they plan on making for random instances?
-Are each Terrain Design individual or randomly generated
-Are boses/Storys individually created or random?
will they constantly need to expand? Will they constantly need to update content?
Are there multiple enemies in the world?
Are there antagonists that never die, are there singular people that make effects that can die?
How integrated are these missions, how interesting, will they ever end/slow down?
These are important questions since there comes a point in time when you want peace, there comes a point in time a player may want war
I worry about GuildWars 2 Budget, but I'm excited for the game they plan on making
Conclusion Continued (My Ideas)
Games like League of Legends, FPS, Fighters and Minecraft seem to becoming more and more common and possibly more and more the future of games
Small fun games instead of Epic incredible games
However, Games like Skyrim and Guildwars hopefully set their standard, set as legendary games that others will follow and play and hope for
My ideas Are as Follows
-I'm only going to include the Terrain generation and Quest Line Generation Anything more will start making this alot longer than I want
Overworld
-The Overworld I want as random as everything, however I think it as more doctor sues'sy rather than super realistic or Blocky
-Its important to have everything its own individual design however having that element of randomness will reduce costs Significantly
Dungeons
-Dungeons should probably be quite similar to that of a game in time stalkers, However Each Dungeon is Created randomly for a reason
--A Spacecraft Lands
--A Worm Dugs A tunnel and its inhabited by a group
--The World Opens Up to Reveal some wrong Doings it Has Witnessed
In this way, There will be numorous number of dungeons that can be established in different ways
Storyline
Different Forces at work seek to make their power the overall decider
-The Good
-The Ugly
-The Money Oriented
-The Bad
-Etc
The main Storyline is a time based storyline that will be about the Terrain
-The overall terrain can stay the status Quote, it can change to be a land of Death and chaos or it can change to be a spectral land. Based on your decisions or lack of decisions one way or another will happen quicker or later
Sidequests
Sidequests are allowed by reputation or by race or by proffessions/Skills etc
each Town has an Economy
-They made trade X,Y, Z depending on zurrounding towns
Each person has an X amount of chance of needing a quest done depending on economy and Word of Mouth about legendary Items
Reputation
People can hear about what you have done by word of mouth or by psychic knowledge or this or that
Depending on your reputation, you will recieve different sidequests, different enemies, different allys and the main storyline may be effected.
Different People will share crimes/good deeds in different ways
Very general, however can get very specific if I had the time to do so
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