"solo" player RPGs ?

[jack1974]

I've been playing a few "solo" games recently. Not necessarily pure RPG, but stuff like Dying Light, Grim Dawn, etc. Games in which you control just one person.
In RPG this seems more rare, but what are your thoughts on RPGs focusing on a single player? This doesn't means there can't be romance, just that all the RPG part is based on a single character (you can still fight against multiple enemies).
This is one idea I've been considering for one of my short games (tm) that I am planning to do in future. As you can imagine not having a party simplifies everything a lot. I could have more skill/specializations to compensate this of course.

Anyway, all feedback / thoughts are welcome as always

[pahldus]

A single protaganist is fine, just make the romances happen somewhere on the side. Like the player uses a hub(city) where they interact with potential romances, but the combat is just me against the world. I would be fine with this as long as the story fit, and the combat was well balanced.

I think something along the lines of a bounty hunter/assassin storyline would be awesome for this kind of RPG

[Franka]

Balancing is a bit tricky if you want to give the freedom of classes/choice of skills/etc., but there's nothing wrong with the concept of single character RPGs.

You can't give the enemies paralysis skills though.

[Jaeger]

When it comes to action-RPGs, single characters are quite common. Even when they do have parties, you can only control one character at a time while the rest are AI-controlled.

When it comes to turn-based games though, I'm having a hard time naming one that isn't a roguelike.

[Miakoda]

I say go for the solo player game if you can pull it off. There is nothing wrong with having other characters, even romances, but they would be relegated to the sides.

[jack1974]

I was thinking about a game I really liked, Puzzle Quest so something with that theme (not same gameplay of course).
I was also thinking that maybe you can have people travel with you. You travel with another character and when attacked, the other character says "I'll take care of the wizard, you take care of the ogre!". And of course the other character automatically wins. Such things perhaps could work to still have at least a companion or two, the only thing is that you don't control them directly in battle.

Balancing is a bit tricky if you want to give the freedom of classes/choice of skills/etc., but there's nothing wrong with the concept of single character RPGs.

You can't give the enemies paralysis skills though.

Balancing could be actually easier I think, since there will be just a character and not a full party, and as you said some skill/spells like paralysis couldn't just work. I was even thinking about a semi-realtime battle. Not frantic, still strategic. Well, I need to make some experiments of course, by words is hard to explain

[pahldus]

I was thinking about a game I really liked, Puzzle Quest so something with that theme (not same gameplay of course).
I was also thinking that maybe you can have people travel with you. You travel with another character and when attacked, the other character says "I'll take care of the wizard, you take care of the ogre!". And of course the other character automatically wins. Such things perhaps could work to still have at least a companion or two, the only thing is that you don't control them directly in battle.

I love both Puzzle Quest and its combat mechanic, but the story was a little weak. With one of your story ideas and the great writers and artists you have I think this game would be the bomb. Admittedly, what I liked best about the game was the combat mechanic. However I understand if you want to go with a mechanic that is more familiar or you feel would fit better with your game. I love all the games that you have developed that I have purchased, so I trust that it would be a solid game and great story.

[Jaeger]

I was thinking about a game I really liked, Puzzle Quest so something with that theme (not same gameplay of course).
I was also thinking that maybe you can have people travel with you. You travel with another character and when attacked, the other character says "I'll take care of the wizard, you take care of the ogre!". And of course the other character automatically wins. Such things perhaps could work to still have at least a companion or two, the only thing is that you don't control them directly in battle.

You could also have companions serving as support role (healing, crafting, spotting treasure, etc.) instead of participating in combat. It all depends on the context of the game's design and setting.

I'm a little wary if you are going to reuse the Loren combat system. With only a single character, I have a feeling it will severely limit your options in the game, and not in a good way.

[jack1974]

I love both Puzzle Quest and its combat mechanic, but the story was a little weak. With one of your story ideas and the great writers and artists you have I think this game would be the bomb. Admittedly, what I liked best about the game was the combat mechanic. However I understand if you want to go with a mechanic that is more familiar or you feel would fit better with your game. I love all the games that you have developed that I have purchased, so I trust that it would be a solid game and great story.

Hehe the story of Puzzle Quest ... I don't even remember it, so that's not a good sign! The battle was really fun though.
I wouldn't go with a match3 mechanic, since I think would be a bit too similar and honestly wouldn't probably be really easy to do in Ren'py (though possible).

You could also have companions serving as support role (healing, crafting, spotting treasure, etc.) instead of participating in combat. It all depends on the context of the game's design and setting.

Yes exactly, that's another good example. Companions that give you bonus while fighting, or outside combat by crafting stuff for you to use

I'm a little wary if you are going to reuse the Loren combat system. With only a single character, I have a feeling it will severely limit your options in the game, and not in a good way.

No I wouldn't use that system, would be a bit overkill for this game idea! (too complex to make something so simple and/or different).
I remember playing a game long time ago, was a flash game, semi-realtime. I know most people here don't like the real-time stuff, but that one wasn't really "frantic", it had skills timeouts, and you had all the time to think. But done that way you could have a more fluid combat, no need to click every time you wanted to do just a normal attack, etc. Hard to explain, but I think with my game idea, this could work. I will make some tests before committing to a system anyway

[BobTheMob]

I for one Think it'd be EPIC to have ANYTHING set in Aravorn. (Everything in that realm has been an instant classic that I've played, thus far.)

For example, a prequel to Loren: maybe a thing w/ Rei in his days as an assassin?

As I see it, that would be a perfect single-character thing since he himself would always say about working alone.

...And for all those romance-obsessed types out there, if his grandstanding was anything to go by there'd be no shortage of that.