I think Aion should be full of sand [Philosophical Ramblings]

It's a bit of a metaphorical statement. My meaning is this, I think the essence of the RPG is and can be achieved in the "sandbox."

It fits the style of the MMORPG quite well. Due to its multiplayer and open-ended gameplay, it leaves plenty of space for content expansion. While the MMORPG remains more structured than the typical sandbox game such as GTA, I will make some parallels between the two.

I played Grand Theft Auto over the weekend and absolutely loved it. The plot was deep, the gameplay was open-ended, I always had something to do, the physics are incredible, the music choices are great, the dialogue was outstanding, the graphics were lacking in flaws. I'll stop there because I'm running out of adjectives to describe "awesome."

One thing that has been closely associated with the recent brand of GTAIII and IV is the immersive qualities, which I find to be the most important goal in any game. It entails many objectives. It doesn't need to be real, it needs to be believable. When you play a game, can you really enjoy it without becoming deeply involved with the game in one form or another? It's why people don't like to be disturbed while playing games and it's why some prefer to sit close to the TV. They want to be drawn into the world.

The reason I use GTA as my prime example is because it is what has popularized the sandbox style. And although many have tried to emulate it, none have formulated it correctly.

I realized a parallel between a suggestion made in the Suggestion Cycles threads. The Ambient Crowd Noises is present in a similar form in GTA. The commentary offered by radio stations and passersby, while providing humor in the dark setting of Liberty City, you can always stop to chuckle at pop culture references and such. But more importantly, you buy into the idea that Liberty City is a vibrant and living, breathing place. People seem to have personalities because of the brilliantly orchestrated and executed voice acting. While this does not define a sandbox game, it gives life to an otherwise mechanical city.

The open-endedness of GTA is the truely defining factor of it. The ability to kill whoever you want whenever you want. The ability to steal any car, sleep with any hooker, take any mission you want, dress how you want. If it wasn't so chaotic, it would make for a great MMO. In Aion, this rings true in similar, yet completely different aspects.

You have the ability to dress how you want, although it's at the expense of different stats. But Aion does emphasize a level of fashion because of the ability to dye your armor.

You can take any quest you want to a certain extent, since it tends to branch off into a series of subplots as you progress. In GTA, you have to ability to choose who you do missions for. It's a wonderful experience and generally, you get to determine how deep your plot uncovering goes. In Aion, you can choose the quests you want to take as well. The only problem being that the cutscenes aren't quite as dramatic, because of the silence and possibly the lack of realistic movements, insofar as they aren't always active in their body language. You can't read their body language, but the simple gestures that might be emoted once in a while. But it can be somewhat bland.

The PvPvE rings true as well. You have the ability to kill players of the opposing factions. While it may be limited to that, killing people of these factions can be almost as indiscriminate.

Another thing about vibrant characters. Not only does the ambience of NPCs in the world make a difference, but their daily routine (Yes, I may seem like a ***** for my suggestions in the cycles, but I'm making a point here!). Why do the NPCs have to stand in one spot? Why can't they have daily routines? Why can't the mother walk her kid to school and head market afterwards? Why can't you see people walking in and out of their houses? All those blocks with the façade of a house serve no purpose other than taking up space. It should be put to use. Why can't the cities seem more seedy and dangerous at night? Why isn't there that sillhoette in the alley that snatches the kid off the street as you pass by? Certainly I'm not advocating that particular instance happen, but it's another illustrative point.

Although I'm not suggesting that there be radios in Aion, I would suggest some form of media. What about the town orator who proclaims current events and indicates the social and political climate of the era? Why can't there be bulletin boards with frequently changing articles that give insight into recent events? This is a HUGE role playing opportunity. It can serve as a teaser for future content and as a segue to patches and expansions. And it could even indicate past events. For instance, a wave of monsters attacks and a particular legion takes it upon themselves to purge the city of invaders. Then an article could be posted to highlight this act. It's a perfect opportunity to prove to people that the world is alive and it's worth participating in in a more thoughtful way.

If you ever listen to the PLR radio station while driving around in GTAIV, you can notice that after significant plot occurrences, the radio talks about the event and how it affects the social and political landscapes of the city.

But one thing that I believe holds back many MMOs from their role playing goals is that people can't associate with it. If you're familiar with the definition of Realism in arts and literature, you'll know where I'm going with this. People need to be able to identify with the events of the game. It's the motivation to immerse yourself in the game. It allows the casual gamer to get a fuller experience from playing.

Similarly, GTAIV follows the story of Niko Bellic, an Eastern European immigrant with a dark past of war and other things. While the game may entail otherwise horrific activities, it examines the philosophic perspective. Niko recognizes his dark history and knows that what he does is horrible. He shows remorse, but in other instances, he shows strength. While the theme of crime and sad beginnings may not ring true with some, it rings true with many more in some form or another.

Obviously I'm not advocating that Aion should be turned into this sort of philosophical examination, but GTAIV hit the nail on the head. Just because the game is open-ended doesn't mean that the players have to be anonymous. They need identity. And this definitely should be examined with NPCs. They're static characters that aren't exactly as prone to change as the average player. Despite their role playing promise, the furthest the average NPC gets is just some blank face with some mild monologue about how he/she needs something done for him/her. You can't understand the relationships deeply enough.

But I guess I should cut it off here. Enjoy my statements. Obviously, I'm a bit enthusiastic to go beyond the call of duty to be imaginative.