Since Dungeons & Dragons debuted in 1974, the popularity of RPGs (Role-Playing Games) has been growing steadily. With the recent success of online multiplayer RPGs such as Ultima, Everquest, Guild Wars, and the monster World of Warcraft, the genre has become a dominant commercial force in the videogame arena. The people who are really into RPGs are, however, really pathetic. And I'm one of them.
Now let me state my personal advocacy on the issue: I play the shit out of videogames. I love sitting down for a solid multi-hour sesh on a favorite. And RPGs... well, thanks to very early exposure to The Bloodstone, Chrono Trigger, and Kings Quest I have been hooked. Despite all my involvement in the subject matter, however, I am still able to step back and say with complete confidence that my obsession is silly.
Here's an example of a few thoughts that were going through my head yesterday evening as I played an RPG:
"I need to go back through the Iselian Forest so I can increase my grade by fighting those fucking rabbits."
"Where am I going to find that precious Black Silver?"
"Why won't my unison attack allow me to combine status depletion effects with elemental magic?"
and so forth
Are these the kind of concerns that a person my age should be faced with? In a time of international crisis and domestic unrest, should a citizen's greatest worry be over whether or not they should upgrade their Mesamune Sword? I am not going to say that there is anything at all redeemable about playing RPGs. I am not gonna tell you that it increases congnitive ability or problem solving skills or that it grows your hair back or helps you meet chicks. In fact, I can't defend my hobby at all. It's pathetic. But by god it's fun.
Dude, Kings Quest is an adventure game. And a goddamn good series. Have you seen http://www.agdinteractive.com/? They've made two free remakes of the original games. I started by playing KQ5 and KQ6, but going back to these was a trip.
ReplyDeleteThey're also working on a remake of QFG2--my all time favorite game...of all time.
Dan is of course correct. Although Kings Quest is not a true RPG, its puzzle solving, story based progression and fantasy setting all contributed to my geek development. Quest for Glory, on the other hand, was a very clever cross-over title, incorporating elements of both Point-And-Click adventure games with character building RPGs.
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