David Gaider Interview at RPG Codex

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RPG Codex has interview David Gaider, one of the top names at BioWare. The conversation doesn't focus on any particular game, although it does mention a couple, but looks at his preferences instead, such as class-based vs skill-based, character creation, party vs solo etc. Here's a clip:

5. Single player vs party-based. Again, all Bioware RPGs were designed as party-based. While you could play "solo", it's not the same as playing a game designed for one character. As a designer, do you see any values in a single-player setup and mechanics? Do you see any appeal in the "alone against the world" type of games?

Sure, there’s value in playing with a solo character. For one, the player (and the designer) isn’t going to have to worry about what those extra party members are doing. If the player doesn’t control them directly, you have AI issues… and even if the player does control them directly, all those extra bodies are going to create issues insofar as pathing and balance.

Even movement becomes an issue: with a solo character, you can allow things such as stealth, climbing and riding to become a focus of gameplay – you don’t need to worry about whether the rest of the party is being left behind or whether they all need to be riding horses as well and cluttering up the screen.

I do find, however, that as soon as you step away from the party mechanic you run the risk of forcing the player to become more of a generalist. Either you must offer more distinct paths or the character must become a jack-of-all-trades in order to be at least adept at any situation he encounters, since there are no roles filled by party members. It’s not a weakness, of course, just it becomes an issue in that case. In my opinion, the best thing about having a party is the it affords me the opportunity to write characters that travel with you. Not everyone likes that sort of play, but they don’t have to – for those players that enjoy the characters and the camaraderie, there’s not much that can beat it.

Read other answers in the Codex Forums.

 

A very good interview indeed.Very nice questions...