TXT Debate (side missions)

• Ron:
• I was thinking about doing one on sandbox games, or reviewing heavy rain
• Brice:
• Id like to do one on sandbox games. Whats the angle?
• Ron:
• I dont like them, to be honest they seem to be a time asassin that hits u with a barrage of side missions that have little to nothing to do with the plot. to me
• and their sole purpose is to take twenty hours to tell a story that should take 10.
• Maybe ill just spin it into an article about side missions
• Brice:
• I love sandbox games. Some of the best games are sandbox
• Ron:
• I never said u had to agree, it just takes me out of the experience when i have to do everyone favors while trying to save the world, i have priorities
• Brice:
• Id like to read that article.
• Ron:
• If its ur thing more power to u, i just dont get it, Give me a counter argument. For the sake of perspective
• Brice:
• Side missions insentivise exploration. Side missions and quest allow players to explore the world and all it has to offer while still giving the player direction. Side missions fill the world with content, context and personality. Imagine how one dimentional the world of skyrim would have felt if it consisted solely of story quests.
• Ron:
• If you set the right pace character development will happen and it will create an opportunity to explore the universe, random quest actually make the universe feel artificial because if the universe is at stake i dont care if a random npc dies due to my negligence, in fact it may help create atmosphere
• Brice:
• But it also creates context for the world. In the thieves guild side missions you learn about the village of riften as well as the people. You also learn about the political corruption that is taking place in riften which speeks volumes about tamriel as a whole durring the end days.
• Ron:
• Ok, ill find a way to play skyrim and make a decision
• Brice:
• I mean even fallout is filled with similar examples. The ghouls of tenpenny tower, the vapires of arafu station, and another thing that fallout does brilliantly is introducing side missions thant arnt even labled as such. Exploring the numerous vaults scatered through out the capital waste land, the keller family hollow tapes. All provide the player with extra content as well as context that helps the player farther understand the world.
• Ron:
• Right but if u dont go there u miss out, y not just lead u there
• Brice:
• Because its more rewarding to the player when they find it on their own. Like they discovered it. It feels alot more rewarding when you stumble upon something you feel like the world was trying to keep hidden from u as opposed to being led by the hand to a certain goal. Again they arnt crucial to the story so you can afford to miss them but they help ground the world your playing in and give it context.
• Ron:
• Which is fine....provided u have 30-40 hours of free time, and besides fallout doesnt bother me because the objective is survival as opposed to a goal driven narrative
• Brice:
• True, they feel a little more trivial in skyrim but its all about adding content context and personality to the world.
• Brice:
• Hey, i just thought of something crazy. What if we made this txt thread the article?