Yes, I am that guy that reads fantasy novels. No, I don’t drool, have a secret fancy for my mother, nor do I have any issue with going to the gym everyday. The majority of my free time away from writing about or playing games is still spent with a good book propped in my lap. I enjoy letting my imagination wander to realms where ghosts and magic exist, and humans triumph over true evil. These worlds, originally launched by men such as J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis into popular culture, give me an escape from the drudgeries of the past and the reality of the present.

Even better, fantasy allows the person to explore the unattainable. To experience something bigger than this world in which we all dwell. Role-playing games can provide that same experience, given that the writers and developers handle it properly. Emotional and intellectual enchantment does not happen by simply programming an Orc with a sword into a game. There must be subtle nuances, progression, a certain mysticism, and even adventure in order to lead video game players to the same places that readers explore. While reading is the ultimate conduit, role-playing games are getting progressively more expansive and more personal with the player.

The Inner-Workings of RPG

There are two ways that the modern RPG has captivated audiences, sadly divided by the methodology of an oceans’ breadth. The Eastern RPG is characterized by its linearity of plot progression and typified by its imaginative art and gripping cut-scenes. The Western RPG is seen as a more free-form experience, allowing players to take up their own stories and be immersed in the characters that they create. Mixing the two seems the obvious, and developers are still trying to tread that line between immersion and disassociation.

Of late, only Western developers have tried to champion my cause, my true desire of any RPG, and it has been much too long since the last valid attempt. Reading fantasy and imagining is an excellent past time, but actually playing and interacting in the world that your favorite author creates can be either amazingly rewarding, or painfully droll. Lately, my distaste in modern fantasy RPGs is palpable and tangible. I played Lost Odyssey and Dark Messiah, and could taste the bile in my throat. I skimmed through Enchanted Arms, laughed at Two Worlds, and became engrossed in Oblivion. But, what really are these worlds, but imitations of a fantasy author’s work? Why is the experience of trouncing around in the Forgotten Realms universe of Neverwinter Nights and Baldur’s Gate not being replicated by developers of equal repute?

Fantasy readers have much of an advantage over RPG players who never go outside their video game experience. Readers have scale, excitement, and practically borderless possibilities to experience. Video game players have to deal with lack of all of the above unless the writing is on a level we rarely experience. For every Mass Effect, there is a Lord of the Rings: The Third Age, where exclusion reigns supreme.

The reason Baldur’s Gate did so well is that it gave both fantasy readers and video game players different experiences in the same package. Fantasy enthusiasts were allowed to navigate the fabled town, look upon its denizens, and explore the world they had invested so much leisure time in. Traditional players were shown an intricate back-story that was never too pushy, and a narrative flow that still transcends where most RPGs go. Still, the question begs attention, where have these games gone?

Becoming A Part of Fiction

Imagine being a part of George R.R. Martin’s fantasy world. The player takes control of a character caught between the Starks, Baratheons, and Lannisters. The world is rife with danger, as King’s Road has become nearly impassable with bandits and clansmen. Towns and cities burn with the fuel of greed, and all the while darkness stirs beyond the continent’s borders at the wall. It could be a game much like Oblivion or Final Fantasy XII, where the protagonist is enacting some minor plot in the course of all these happenings, then is wrapped up into the larger picture.

In a series of massive conflict scenarios, imagine being a part of John Marcho’s Tyrants and Kings series, playing the part of one of Prince Richius’ soldiers or even one of Lucel-Lor’s tyrants. How about being a part of Raymond E. Feist’s universe of sheer magical tribulation, as Pug the Wizard transcends the plane of existence and sheers a gap into their reality, or even as a supporter of Erikson’s Malazan empire?

Why is the idea of even existing in the same plane of Goodkind’s or C.S. Brook’s shunned so? Why constrict the player to Aragorn, Gandolf, or a prince? Why not just stride into Bree, weatherworn from a long journey to meet just the casual NPC instead of enacting a crucial part of the plot in Fellowship of the Rings?

The MMORPG Is Trying

It seems the only way to play in fiction is via MMORPGs. I would love to say that Lord of the Rings Online is amazing and progressive, but I can’t. I would love to declare that Dungeons and Dragons Online was a gleeful romp through a decadent universe, but I can’t. I would even love to report that Age of Conan does Martin and Jourdan right, but I do not have the foresight to see what Funcom plans to add in terms of narrative.

These are MMORPGs created on top of existing fiction, and while that suits my effort in getting the message out there, all of these titles suffer from being constricted by the genre itself. There is no time to experience a plot art, nonetheless for MMORPG developers to create a clandestine one, when a game consists of social aspects intertwined ultimately, with fighting monsters to get ahead of the next guy. While I commend the effort, I feel as if these worlds based on fiction still feel alien, as they are cultivated and stripped to suit the players’ wants and desires out of the genre.

What I Want and Developers Should

I want to partake in a larger history, or course of events. I want to know where the fantasy world used to stand, or why certain segmentations have developed. I don’t want to be Drizzt Du’Urden, I only want to know that I am in the same plane. I want to feel comfortable with my surroundings, be confident that I know what is going on in the larger scale of things.

Developers should want this, too. Using a fantasy world means that half the creative process and snafus are over before they begin. Every fantasy epic has essential laws and guidelines. Most decently written fiction consists of established characters, already rich with intangibles, desires, and flaws. Maps have already been created, settings already described perfectly. The only thing left to do is enact and translate what that means in terms of a video game.

Fable 2 and Too Human are promising these larger, non-linear, but rich histories. Is that a sign that I am not the only voice, or is it just posturing? All I want to know, in the end, is when I can have the opportunity to experience my favorite fantasy worlds again.

Recommended Reading:

For those of you who may want to check out some different fantasy series, check out some of these links.

* Terry Brooks’ Shannara series. The earlier works are excellent, if a bit basic.
* George R.R. Martin’s Song of Fire and Ice series. By far the best fantasy epic I have read.
* John Marco’s Tyrants and Kings series.
* Steven Erikson’s Malazan Empire series.