Why Do We Always Have To Save The World? – A rumination on the motives, objectives, and appeal of RPG’s
Chris 'limesix' Rediske, 2003-07-04

But a good RPG promises you more than that. You're the chosen one, or a child of prophecy, or an outcast, or a humble farmer asked to take on the fate of the world. You grow in power and influence, and eventually all bow to your will, or you beat them into submission with pure force. You combat the powers of evil and prevail, you overturn the dark lord, and your praises are sung by your peers (as if you had any), their children, and their children's children, forever and ever. Or you tread the black path, and your villainy is known throughout the land… although you usually still end up saving the world, even if everyone hates you by then. I'm generalizing, but I've played game after game where the plot is essentially the same - and it's always an epic struggle of good vs. evil. And as I play these games, to which I have devoted a good portion of my life, I often wonder, 'does an RPG have to be an epic adventure where you save the world to be enjoyable?' And a follow-up thought to that, 'Are the structure and motivations of typical RPG's part of what keeps them from being widely appealing and therefore, commercially successful?'

Arx Fatalis Save the world from Akbaa

Stay with me for a moment while I reference a game that most everyone is familiar with, but that not many people would consider a RPG - The Sims. You control a single character or a whole family - or a commune, for that matter - as they go about their daily activities. They go to work, come home, eat, listen to music, fall in love, have kids, electrocute themselves… in short, they live. The fate of the world doesn't rest on their shoulders, and no one is counting on them to undo a great evil - they're too busy trying to make enough money to afford that fancy new refrigerator. And yet, there are many elements The Sims shares with other, deeper, story-based RPG's. You name a character, set their motivations, design their appearance, drop them into a world, and basically control their every move, guiding them through life - your own little Sim avatar. The main difference is that there are no quests, no story, no purpose beyond the human need to survive and hopefully, thrive.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not that fond of The Sims, nor do I consider it an RPG. But it rekindled thoughts I had previously entertained of an RPG that truly engages us on a natural, human level - where perhaps our motivations are much more similar to those in life, and where the character we play could be us in a parallel universe - not necessarily the person we wish we were (that's a little too depressing), but another option, another life, with its own reasons and goals, and no one depending on us to make their lives better. Isn't that what many of the MMORPG's are trying to achieve? A community of interacting characters, a whole world connected by people living a double life.

Dungeon Siege Save the world from Gom

Anyway, making this concept even more interesting and tantalizing is the incredible popularity The Sims and its myriad expansions have enjoyed. Obviously many more people are playing that game than anything I've played in the last five years, and wide appeal equals profitability equals more games. Often that equation just leads to watered down versions of the same thing, but wouldn't it be great if that power could be harnessed for good, rather than just a crappy Sims knock-off? What if there was a well developed, open ended, tightly designed CRPG based in a world more like our own? I'm not proposing a game with no story or objectives, just one where the quests and goals are more self-fulfilling, and where your path is not quite so tightly wound with an epic tale of good and evil. Sometimes I don't feel like saving the world, you know?

Games that come to mind when I think about this are freeform games that seem to end up being fun despite themselves. Much like The Sims, I'm not saying that these games are my favorites, just that they offer a very different and offbeat gameplay experience, and share some components with RPG's that spark my imagination - games like Animal Crossing, Shenmue, and the Harvest Moon series.

Wizardry 8 Save the world the Dark Savant

This brings me to a couple of other considerations. RPG's are generally (in America, anyway) not commercially successful. Which is not to say that they aren't profitable, but there are very few that have ever spent much time on the top ten, or that have sales that rival games like Myst, The Sims, or even your average FPS. And if the appeal is not as widespread, I have to ask myself why. Is there too much to do, or are the stories too deep and involving? Are RPG's too free in their structure, losing the attention of the average gamer? Or could it be that Dungeons & Dragons, with its widespread name recognition, and the accompanying stigma, has ruined it for everyone? Does the average gamer just turn off when they hear the words 'Role Playing,' from the fear of dwarves, elves, and 20-sided dice? I personally have many friends - gamers all - who do just that, and because of that, I think the potential of your classic save the world RPG is limited… they just generally aren't considered mainstream by the game buying public.

So these are just thoughts. There are some very good RPG's with epic quests, and I enjoy them. My intention is not to sell the genre short, just to advance some different ideas. Also, I realize that my proposal for a different type of RPG is very nebulous, and perhaps the details are a discussion for another time. Till then, I'll be busy - there are quite a few worlds that desperately need my help, and I won't be the first to let them down.