Decision Making

[Dagger Dias]

A lot of games out there have you make decisions, whether that be what you tell another character in a dialogue scene or what quest you will embark upon next. Some people play out these decisions differently than others. It adds to a game's replay value when you can make different decisions over the course of different playthrough's of the game. You could be heroic one time, evil the next, and something in between another time. Depending on the game and your personal preferences the options can be endless.


How do you go about your decision making in video games? Do you like to be good, evil, yourself, or something in between? Why?

Any stories you'd like to share about various decisions you've made and how they impacted the game?

As for me.... On a first playthrough I always like to be myself down to the last detail in how exactly I think I would act in that situation. Then if I liked the game enough to do multiple runs I'll try being evil just for the fun of it, and sometimes a holier than thou "good" character can be entertaining too. By the time I've been myself, evil, and good, that's when I'll start playing hybrids in between those extremes.

An evil run that sticks out for me was when I replayed Dragon Age Origins this summer as an evil human noble. I was mean to Alistair the entire game, causing him to whine and be more emo than he usually is. I also had two relationships going on at the same time between Morrigan and Leliana, cheating on them both simultaneously and then dumping them both to marry Queen Anora. I was mean to pretty much everyone I came across in that run, and it was quite fun, especially killing people every time that was an option.

What about the rest of you? Let's see what kinds of decision making you like to do. Discuss!

 

[Harthan]

I find it nearly impossible to be a bad guy in video games. It's pretty rare that I'll do more than one playthrough, at least within much time of each other. So usually, the only playthrough I give a game is straight up good as gold. I played perfect Paragon in Mass Effect, was nice to everybody and a true hero in Dragon Age, made all the good guy decisions in Fallout...any game you can make the call, I'm the good guy. I like the idea of everyone remembering me as some awesome, super-cool hero rather than a dick. The only game I've made an exception to is Knights of the Old Republic where I went hardcore Sith, and only because Force lightning was waaaaaay too awesome to pass up.

 

[Paralyzer Z]

How do you go about your decision making in video games? Do you like to be good, evil, yourself, or something in between? Why?

I try to be myself, which in turns ends up making me look evil. Whatever makes my character more powerful or gives me a more entertaining cut scene is the one I choose. Those choices are usually reserved for an antagonist but I usually I am much more curious to be a bad guy rather than a noble good guy. I could be the hero if I tried but unless I make the final choice as a villain than I have no interest in saving the day, I would rather terminated the day.

Any stories you'd like to share about various decisions you've made and how they impacted the game?

Off the top of my head I can think of 3 games that give you choices that reflect your character's moral status: Pokemon Red, WWE SD Here Comes the Pain, and Both Bioshock games. Once I vaguely remember having the choice to join Team Rocket in the original and no matter what I chose it turned me down. In Here Comes the Pain you can be in story mode Heel or Face, it lets you make the decision right off the bat, but i opt to turn heel much later in the mode.

Bioshock is a game that revolves around decision making to bring you to the end. I am not going to explain the whole plot, but I will paraphrase it, you are stuck in and underwater dystopia and you have to beat the 2 gang bosses of the city Rapture. You need Adam, something only found in little girls that had it injected into them so that the people could no longer abuse it. When you get Adam you can use it to get plasmids which give you powers such as Telekinesis, Fire, Water, Ice, Etc.. When you get to one of these girls (after beating their big daddy) you can choose to either free them or kill them. Killing them gives you more Adam, while freeing them comes back to help you later. I only freed three of them, and that was to get a secret plasmid. The others I ripped the shit from them and proceeded to get the villain ending. After beating the last boss the narrator scolds you about your evil heart, and selfishness while you watch the you watch a cut scene of the evils of Rapture be unleashed into the real world. If you get the good ending you watch the girls you freed grow up with you, get married, and hold your hand on your deathbed. I got as you guessed the first ending since I killed off the other ones. Other than that not really much comes to mind in terms of decision making games.

 

[Cracka Jack]

How do you go about your decision making in video games? Do you like to be good, evil, yourself, or something in between? Why?

I typically take the good route first, just to see how the hero's path in a game looks. Then I'll do the evil path on my second go-around. Most games, unfortunately, don't give a lot of leeway on this system; either you're good or evil, with playing in between giving you few perks. Black and white morality may work within a game's story, but if it can severely affect your playthrough, it shouldn't be used.

Any stories you'd like to share about various decisions you've made and how they impacted the game?

I've had the most experience with this sort of system in Fallout 3. The perks you're given weigh almost entirely on your level of karma, and apply perfectly to being good or evil, and there are even some middle-of-the-road perks thrown in too. inFamous also has a nice system, though only with good or bad addressed. The powers gained throughout make sense with and apply to being a hero or a villain, given whether they focus purely on power or technique.

 

[Davi323]

It depends on what I think the intent is...Using Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic as an example, the "canonical" version is that Darth Revan is a woman, and turns back to the light side at the end. Okay, so I will play the game that way the first time, to see the ending that is official. Then I will go back and be a total dick, totally out-Sithing Malak, betraying people, always choosing the most evil responses possible, just to see the responses, and to watch my character slowly turn the grey that the game uses to indicate your evilness. (I could just use the adddarkside cheat, but that takes the fun out of it). I like to play it multiple ways to get the full range of storylines out of it. KOTOR is a fantastic game even playing it just the once...but if you know that you are missing out on a lot of the game simply by always making the exact same choices, you are not getting your full value's worth.

 

[Hyorinmaru]

How do you go about your decision making in video games? Do you like to be good, evil, yourself, or something in between? Why?

I try to keep in the middle myself, it all depends on the mood I'm in while I'm playing the game. When I'm in a bad mood I'll go around and treat people like shit in the game and if I'm in a good mood I'll be a nice guy. It's actually a good way to deal with anger because no one actually gets hurt.

Any stories you'd like to share about various decisions you've made and how they impacted the game?

Not really but making Alistair whine and go all emo is always fun