[UA] CRPG

[Nick Wedig]

> As a whole, it was simply a very well
>>written railroad job that gave the illusion of free choice.  What I did 
>>like
>
>Since the notions of destiny vs. free will and karma played into it I'd say 
>it was justified.  It's something that requires a specific setting and theme 
>to work.  UA isn't about such themes and would feel wrong if presented in a 
>CRPG in that manner.

See, the thing is that the best of video games are either an illusion of free will or they lack a plot altogether (first person shooters, etc). Even the most freeform of video games I've seen rarely allow the player more than half a dozen choices that significantly change the plot.  Most changes that a player can make tend to be on the level of gameplay (ie I find the magick sword or I don't) rather than story (whether I marry the princess or not).  

Again, it's like the conversation engine.  Either you build an AI (in this case, a super AI who plays the god that controls the game world) or you have a branching tree, which comes down to a matter of how lazy are the writers and programmers.  Illusion of free will is a lot easier to program than actual choices that make big changes in the plot.

Mr. Teapot
imagines a lazt god not worrying about free will for similar reasons

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