#something set this off but i cant remember what it was sdbf

[lyriumrain]

cliche viddy idea

tl;dr: i just want ONE “typical” medieval-setting fantasy RPG to make us the big bad by the end of the game. But with feeling and angst and shit.

disclaimer: I know it’s been done before, in a lot of games. But there is a very specific feel I want the game to have. 

Think of gameplay like it is in Dragon Age/The Witcher/Skyrim/etc. You spend the whole game working from the ground up, the whole zero-to-hero story. Only to find that the “chosen one of prophecy” (the player) is actually destined to be the one who ends it all. This in itself is kiiinda cliche but, like most cliche ideas, I just wanna see it done well. Cliches executed well can be amazing to play with, especially if it’s nuanced and intertwined with other concepts. 

(Jade Empire kinda came close, but the “bad/evil” endings were a choice in that. I don’t want this to be a choice. Which means the devs/writers would have to make being the hero the most appealing option, make it feel good to help people. I know that doesn’t sound too difficult, but in a lot of games the “good” options are super boring. A satisfying progression system helps with this; actually seeing the changes you bring about, as opposed to just hearing about them.)

Anyway. Just imagine the ending scene. You’ve got your final battle, all your companions are there. You’ve maxed out friendship with them, maybe romanced one of ‘em. You’re the Big Damn Hero and you’ve defeated what you thought was the Big Bad... everyone gathers around for the congratulations...

And then you being to change. Energy swirls around you as the life force of the creature you just defeated is absorbed by you, through no choice of your own. You see flashbacks of various quests throughout the game where you chose to do good, even when it was more difficult or costly and you ask why. And the fates that control the story tell you: they aren’t pleased with your decisions, you were their “chosen one”, their arbiter of destruction. They gave you a tragic childhood and arduous teen years. You’re supposed to be bitter and resentful of mankind... and while it would’ve been nice for you to play into their hands, they sure as hell aren’t gonna just let you win. No, the final boss was their failsafe. If you don’t defeat it, it destroys the world, if you do defeat it, you take its place. Every dark aspect of your personality takes control, while the “hero” is pushed into the background. 

Now, you could have a sequel with the player as the leader of the “evil forces”, slowly regaining control of yourself, rejecting the destiny given to you. Of course, all the “good guys” hate you now, except your closest companions who know something went wrong. That doesn’t mean they trust you though, just that they’re willing to give you a chance when you find them. Like Shepard’s journey in ME2, only more drawn out. Idk what compelled me to type this up. I guess I’m just tired of cliches being used a crutch, when really they’re a great opportunity to explore certain themes and character development. Cliches to me are like fanfiction. The audience already kinda knows the premise, so why not have fun with it?  

#lyrium talks #something set this off but i cant remember what it was sdbf #🤷‍♀️🤷‍♀️🤷‍♀️ #yt script #long post