Castle Paradox

Raekuul · Posted: Wed Mar 02, 2005 1:21 pm Post subject:

Before anyone yells at me for this, I haven't been here in about a week (not counting today). So please don't yell at me (just yet).

This is a reply to an earlier post by no_shot

1. The kingdom has already sent its BEST WARRIORS, and they failed to defeat the evil, so everybody else is too scared to try.
My Reply: That makes more sense, if the armies were overtaken in an ambush\series of ambushes...

2. Everyone is under a certain spell/influence that for some reason only the hero(es) is/are free from (perhaps they grew up in a remote village, or they were born with a superpower, or they're newcomers to the land, or they're just so stupid they'll do anything).
My Reply: Then why are YOU fighting? It's not like they can get/you can lose that power. Besides, wouldn't the spell be put on you eventually?
[Whoa... Game Idea here, people!]

3. The hero(es) was/were CHOSEN by a SUPREME BEING to do the job, and no one else was.
My Reply: Supreme Being my foot. This is overused (which was also said earlier).

4. The hero(es) is/are driven by a CERTAIN EMOTION or other thing that no one else is, like REVENGE, or perhaps they are the last of an EXTINCT RACE.
My Reply: Nickolodeon's Avatar, anyone? This actually makes more sense than most of them, but then, how are you getting supplies that work for you?

5. Games just wouldn't be fun if every good person in the world started beating the crap out of the bad guys. That wouldn't be a challenge. You're a hero because you save the world, it doesn't save itself!
My Reply:... I can't argue against THAT!

*raekuul backs into a corner and whimpers.

-Meanwhile...?

Jack · **the fool** Joined: 30 Jul 2004 Posts: 773

in reply to CN's original post:

these people may have thought of ways to be able to help themselves out, but because their only just regular people and not hero's who have been mentioned in prophecies or who have a legendary sword that is able to complete these objectives, they just sit around and do nothing. They sit in wait because there is nothing that they themselves can do.

it would be a pretty cool game to play if you ventured upon a town that was fighting off some invasion, and was actually pushing them back without the help of some unknown 12 year old...

games that allow you to be just a regular old civilian are pretty fun to play. you just start out as some weakling who has to actually build up his strength instead of being granted it.

of course the character you play will never learn of any prophecies being complete or any great evil being destroyed though... unless it was xxxx years ago.
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Mystic · Joined: 26 Feb 2005 Posts: 16

I started playing Sword of Mana again today; and the reason for the protagonist to be fighting against the evil in that game is fairly simple. Most of the people in the town (over time) were essentially told that group X is evil. They had learned this all of their lives and such. One of the people (you) knows this is not true. And... yeah.

St. Ajora · **Bloody Angel** Joined: 29 Sep 2004 Posts: 98

Hmm... that's kind of like what I'm doing with Deviant Hearts. Naturally, I think my solution is much more elegant. Wink

no_shot · Posted: Fri Mar 04, 2005 12:34 am Post subject:

Raekuul, allow me to retort.

2. It might make more sense if used in combination with 3 or 4.

3. Well, there was Master Dragon in DWIV...yes, I know it's overused, but so is every plot. It's all in the way you tell it.

4. I don't think I quite understand your reply.

Braveheart is a good example of a plot that uses these three elements. William Wallace led a sheltered life on a farm in a small shire in Scotland. He witnessed the deaths of both his father and brother, the almost-rape of his wife, and probably countless other atrocities in his life, thus he was driven by anger and revenge coupled with the desire to live peacefully (something no one else seemed to want in that movie). Finally, he believed that God both assisted him and justified him in all of his actions.
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Raekuul · Posted: Sat Mar 05, 2005 9:32 am Post subject:

The network, Nickolodeon, is doing a series that uses concept #4. The main character is the last of the last of his people. Once he dies, that's it. no more air-benders. What I was pointing out there was, if the tools only work for that race, and the race is extinct/almost extinct, how are the tools still turning a profit? As antiques. Yes, I know I just messed myself up by saying that, but who would fight with an ANTIQUE sword??
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Operation Freedom · Posted: Tue Mar 08, 2005 5:33 am Post subject:

Another solution to the problem is that, lets say that the people in the villages are relious fanatics.
In the beggining of time the main god, lets call him Xeron, gave the sword of doom to the god king, lets call him Destroyer-of-all-things.
For centuries to come The godking laid waste to the once beutifull world of Baan. The people and all of the others gods aided the heroes that went out to defeat the godking, in all ways possible, but he defeated them all.
Destoyer-of-all-things wasnÂ´t defeated until a bunch midgets slayed him without receiving no help at all.
From that day, cheapness was considered a virtue.
To be a stingy fellow, was the ideal.
And as i mentioned the people are religous fanatics.
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Mike Caron · Posted: Tue Mar 08, 2005 6:10 am Post subject:

Heh, that might actually work. It doesn't explain any of the current games, but a new one could be built on this premise.
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Gizmog1 · Posted: Tue Mar 08, 2005 10:24 pm Post subject:

I've always kinda figured if I ever made a traditional rpg, that the reason no one else would help is that everyone else is dead. Thus, you'd have lots of terribly grief stricken towns, without any sons or fathers, and you'd mostly have towns populated with women and children (Mostly women... I like games with mostly women...), and some odd cowards, or even some places where whatever Monarchist is in control's knights are still holding onto some sembalance of normalcy, be it a fort or a village deep in the woods.

Another reasonable explanation for a lack of resistance would be oppression. Think of Iraq. For probably 20 years, anyone who resisted, protested, or disagreed with their Fearless Leader, was gassed, murdered, or any number of things too gruesome to mention. The kingdom in this game could be under years of oppression, and anyone who's ever resisted the King's bizarre plots and schemes has been killed, sent to the dungeons, or thrown to face the dragon. There's quite a few possibilities for a wandering hero in a kingdom like that. And imagine then, meeting up with a group who DID resist the King. Being slipped a note in a tavern or something.

Raekuul · Posted: Mon Mar 21, 2005 11:56 am Post subject:

Guys/Gals, I think i know who started the whole small groups tradition.

J.R.R. Tolkien.

Why else would there mostly be small groups?
Okay, this is where nothing makes sense... I guess I'll shut up now... Really confused

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A broken clock is still right twice a day.

Operation Freedom · Posted: Mon Mar 21, 2005 1:18 pm Post subject:

The smallgroup tradition didnÂ´t start with, Tolkien, rather with the Gilgamesh-epic. Fantasy is based on old folklore tales.
Why donÂ´t anybody help the heroes, it might be the same reason why nobody helps the people of Darfur or why nobody intervened in Rwanda, why very few give a damn about homeless people or thousend of civilians killed in Iraq and Afghanistan.
We are all brainwashed, we just doenÂ´t care as long as we get our Big mac and bankcheck.
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Georgie, am i right to think, that electric chairs now bores you?
Oh show me, the american way of armageddon.