![]() But it will also reward the player for roleplaying well - since many Thoughts are rewarded by consistently choosing similar dialogue options, consistent roleplay is rewarded with gameplay incentives. Thoughts can even be given from failing checks, which is an amazingly imaginative idea, like Volumetric Shit Compressor, which is learnt from throwing up at the sight of horrible things - all of these spur on good roleplaying. The player is encouraged to explore dialogue options and talk around to NPCs, since even side conversations can have Thoughts. The beauty of the Thought Cabinet is that, in a single mechanic, it both spurs on and rewards effective roleplay. Want to think about where you used to live and get Lonesome Long Road Home? You need to choose to think about where you used to live in conversation. Want to understand the Pale better? You need to speak to people who’ve been through it. In order to be able to internalise a Thought, the player must first encounter it in the game. The Thoughts in-game can represent anything from a political ideology to a way in which you’re playing to a random piece of knowledge the player recalls in conversation, and this brings us to the first great thing about Thoughts - they put roleplay first.Īs mentioned, Thoughts are not simply picked from a list. After being internalised, you are treated to more information about the Thought, as well as a changed character effect that ranges from a stat change to a transformative effect that may change dialogue options. Thoughts have an amount of in-game time they take to internalise, during which they provide either a small nerf or buff. You may spend an amount of time internalising Thoughts. As you explore the world, speaking to different NPCs and being introduced to different ideas, you unlock Thoughts. So, what is the Thought Cabinet? At the most simple level, it is Disco Elysium’s perk system. ![]() It’s a very thematic mechanic, but one that perhaps does not go as deep as it should have and occasionally promises more than it delivers, so an in-depth look at the strengths and weaknesses of this mechanic will be extremely helpful for understanding where RPG development may be in a decade, and may help out any aspiring RPG designers, be they on or off the table. It’s one of the game’s most iconic mechanics, a brilliant ludonarrative link for the protagonist, and a call back to iconic RPG mechanics like Fallout’s trait system. From its very existence resting largely on the success and impact of Baldur’s Gate, to the amnesiac player character who’s a clear homage to Planescape: Torment, to the subject of this article - the Thought Cabinet. Disco Elysium is very clearly a love letter to CRPGs everywhere. ![]()
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