RPG Report & Planescape: Torment

On Mar 16, 11:36 am, Zaghadka <zagha....RemoveThis@hotmail.com> wrote:
> On Sat, 15 Mar 2008 16:12:11 -0000, in comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.rpg, Gerry Quinn
> wrote:
>
> >In PS:T the character makes choices that affect his present and future
> >(and reveal his past). That's where the role-playing comes in.
>
> Have you played it more than once? PS:T is a fantastic illusion. It's really
> linear as all get out. The best it gives you as a real "choice" is that you can
> be mean or nice to your companions, and with Ignus and Ravel, it doesn't even
> give you that.
>
> Unless I'm missing something?
>
> Try to save Ravel. Not going to happen. Try to fix any of your mistakes, you
> end up in the Negative Plane and finally the Blood War. I even figured out how
> to *both* save all my companions ('cept Ignus) *and* kill the Transcendent One,
> and the game didn't know what to do with it and acted as if I had merged with
> the Transcedent One, without giving me the chance to talk to my friends as a
> merged being. I don't even know why it gave me the option!
>
> There is a lot of cosmetic detail, but I found it to really be just a makeover
> of the same game. Like going to the supermarket and having 700 choices of brand
> of pretzel, but no choice not to eat a pretzel.
>
> The writing was good, I'll give them that. I enjoyed the game, but I don't
> understand why people treat it like it's fine literature, philosophy, or deep
> art. It is a very shallow work, IMHO.
>
> --
> Zag

Coming directly from playing Planescape, I would say that it works on
the same level as some literature, but in a new way. While I'd agree
that some concepts in the game are sophomoric, where it really scores
is the depth at which it gets you to emote with and for the
characters. What I most appreciate in the game is the skill at which
they RPG elements were used to draw the player into the story. I
think the techniques used were original and should be studied in the
Game Making degree they'll no doubt offer at Universities sometime in
the future, now that it's a multi-billion dollar business.

For example, and I agree with you here, the different "factions" were
just caricatures of some absolute beliefs. You have your Anarchists,
your Godsmen, the Dustmen, "Sensates" (my personal favorite)... each
represents a corner of some supposed philosophy. None of it was
realistic and I read all that with tongue in cheek. But at least the
game creators were never heavy-handed with the philosophy, and like
you pointed out I think they just poking fun at themselves with the
whole Modron area.

At its heart Planescape is just a giant "choose your own adventure"
book, where you pick from the multiple choice options then flip the
page. Sure they did a great job hiding this fact, but that's all the
game is. If you look too close you can see the rails you're on.

However, the whole production is so well done the accomplishment is
just wholly, completely 100% impressive. I can think of nothing else
that's like it. The writing, voice acting, music, art and story all
came together nearly perfectly. Plus they made it into a game! With
all the D&D stuff, spells, swords, really really strange monsters, and
all that. Morte's voice acting and the comedic timing alone made the
time worth it.

Yes it has some flaws, but the game is so completely unique, strange,
intriguing and original they can easily be overlooked. The technical
skill alone makes the game stand out, let alone the writing and truly
groundbreaking storytelling techniques. If you can be jaded by this
game I don't think your expectations are realistic.

Greg.