The best RPGsreally push home the fact that the player’s character does not exist in a vacuum. Characters react to the player’s decisions, the world - in small or large ways - feels different after certain choices are made. In all the most immersive role-playing games, the character existing within the setting - and not just tangentially connecting to it - is what’s the most important thing.
Whether they’re sprawling open world games or in-depthtext-heavy wonders, many fantastic RPGs have found ways to characterize the choices that players make with some kind of metric showing how it affects them either personally or on a larger scale. These RPGs in particular have fantastic reputation mechanics to show players how their actions are aligning with (or dismissing) the goals of the world’s people and factions.
Fable 3is seen by many as the anticlimactic finale to the trilogy of humorous but heartfelt morality focused RPGs.The unique styleofFablegames is epitomized in the first and second installments, but this third title does tend to miss more than it hits, with strange equipment and spell mechanics that dilute the already simplified choices from the second game, and a world that feels much smaller despite its expanded size.
But, the morality system, the crux of theFablegames, is in full effect here, with players able to see how, based on their actions, the citizens of Albion recognize the hero and treat them with an appropriate amount of love or fear, based on whether the player has been ruling as benevolent ruler, or hateful tyrant. (Or a benevolent ruler that has duded the retail market so they can make all the easy choices without bankrupting the kingdom.)
WhileRed Dead Redemption 2is a masterful open world title, complete with an incredibly intricate honor system, Arthur Morgan’s honor system refers more to his inner morality, in line with the renegade paragon system inMass Effector the opposed light and dark sides ofKnights of the Old Republic. There are small details that make this distinct from John Marsden’s honor system, which is much more focused on how his actions - be they good or ill - are perceived by townsfolk and lawmen.
Red Dead Redemption’sdynamic reputation system is bolstered by how the townsfolk will grow increasingly hateful of John as his reputation lowers - or adoring of him as it increases. Another interesting mechanic is how wearing bandannas will prevent actions that typically carry an honor bonus or penalty from changing the honor meter at all, further reflecting how, unlike in the second game, this title is more focused on outward reputation, not internal morality.
Kingdom Come: Deliverancebroke new ground as an immersive RPG that refused to hold the player’s hands. Itsincredible survival mechanicsand combat were difficult to master, but incredibly rewarding upon doing so. In a similar vein to this, the game’s reputation mechanics are incredibly broad and multifaceted, encompassing a dynamic mix of factions and groups.
Something as slight as being somewhat muddy (or, ok, dowsed head to toe in mud) will be recognized and looked down upon by most, especially the nobility. Performing simple tasks such as poaching to get meat for refugees will increase the reputation the protagonist has with that group - and among the many groups in this game, having a good reputation will lead to interesting and unique developments in both main and side quests.
Star Traders: Frontiersis a preeminentindie sci-fi RPG, an ambitious and rewarding title set out across the stars and the many quadrants of the galaxy. There are many houses, syndicates, and alliances inStar Tradersand they each track reputation individually and swiftly. Deliver some much needed goods to one faction’s distant world? Great! You’ll get a reputation increase, but because you’ve aided them with supplies, they’ll also increase their effectiveness in any wars - and their enemy will not appreciate the aid the player just gave them.
Engaging in court politics with the factions, delivering supplies, aiding in wars and clearing out rival pirates are all avenues to reputation increase - and power - inStar Traders.
In many ways,Outer Worldsset a standardfor upcoming RPGs that will endure for years, a smart, expansive game with plenty to offer players on replays and a reactive world that has been artfully detailed.
Part of this detail is in the faction system. Factions each track good and bad reputation seperately, which leads to an incredibly interesting system where people within one faction can have conflicting views on the player, offering a level of realism unseen with many other RPGs.
