DecipherOne has 13 chronicles

1. It's a dog meat, dog world.
   

   Player Chronicle -- Posted on Dec 12 2008

   
   In an interactive world, relationships usually aren't that prevalent of an experience. Role Playing Games, or RPGs, have traditionally been the closest to really capturing a world that is believable enough to capture the essence of gaining attachments to the characters in a game. The most frequently sited example of attachment to a character in a game, and the most frequently referred to as invoking emotion is that of the character Aeris in Square's Final Fantasy VII. For those who haven't played the game, you should be stoned with quarters and whipped with controller cords for calling yourself gamers :P, Aeris is a character that you meet early on into the game. While it remains at pg-13 in it's execution, the relationship that the characters Cloud Strife and Aeris develop is of a deep, seemingly romantic, and spiritual connection. When Aeris is killed by one of the games antagonist, the mysterious Sephiroth, gamers are left with a feeling of disbelief and utter sadness. This has been a much sited argument for games being able to invoke emotion and to this day, to me has remained somewhat unrivaled.
   
   In the world of Fallout 3, the execution of character interaction is pretty much what one has come to expect from games in this current generation. While broader in the scope of scripted responses and interactions from those of previous generation games, games like FFVII, today, it's pretty safe to say that characters still aren't all that believable in the breadth of what we would expect from characters in the so called real world. However, small details added to game play do serve to create a better immersive world. In particular, I'm referring to the in game companion, Dogmeat.
   
   Dogmeat is a dog companion that, once recruited, will continue to follow the player around until either dismissed by the player or killed. While not really important in the respect of the overall story, Dogmeat starts to gain some weight in the attachment area over time. The character is apparently a homage to the original Dogmeat from the original Fallout. I could go into how the player meets the dog and what he is capable of, but that is not the point of this chronicle as there are many sources doing just that, including: http://fallout.wikia.com/wiki/Dogmeat_(Fallout_3) . Instead this article is meant to discuss the emotional attachment that one may feel while developing a relationship with this character, and how that can affect the rest of the game, as well as ask the question: Does Fallout 3 advance the realm of invoking emotion of players in games?
   
   Firstly, let’s make a small analysis of a player’s perception. One thing about arguing emotions in games is that in order for a player to get emotionally involved, they must go into the game with the intent of experiencing the game without bias. They can't be going into the game looking to nit pick at every single element looking for flaws, nor can they be looking, to put it simply, to be out for blood. A willingness to experience the game and to be invested in the experience is a must, without this the player can not experience any emotion. The same could be said for reading a book, or watching a movie, if someone has a bad attitude or is looking to discredit something going into it, then their experience is already flawed.
   
   The meat and potatoes of this chronicle is that of my own personal experience. I'll be honest, as I recruited Dogmeat, I already liked the idea of just having someone with me to travel the wastelands with. It's lonely out there and there seems to be more hostile people and creatures then anything else. So, to meet a creature that showed no hostility to me, but yet who I had witnessed take down some hostile s.o.b.'s was quite the experience. I thought “Hey this guy will be a great help" and so we began our journey together.
   My player characters perception not being that high at that time, Dogmeat was great in relaying near by enemies positions, helping me find items when I was in dire need, and most of all being able to distract enemies so that I could take them down without the stress of the normal fray. To top it all off, Dogmeat would heal automatically after every enemy encounter, an incredible feat that allowed me to save stimpacks for dire situations.
   
   Now, at reading this, you may be thinking, "Ok, but where's this so called emotion?" and I'll agree that so far I haven't touched on any. Everything I've listed so far is just cold logical gameplay enhancements. But with all these added features, what happens when all of this is suddenly taken away? What happens when, after spending a long period of time with someone, or something, that gives inherent value to your overall experience is suddenly taken from you? Not only that, but they are taken from you by sacrificing their life in order to protect yours? I can tell you what I felt as I saw the soldier ant bowing fire at Dogmeat and watching as Dogmeat fought with all his might, only to be brought down, his virtual life extinguished. I felt sadness for loosing an awesome companion, for having him follow me into such hostile territory, and for having him fight a long side of me. I felt anger at the thought of not being able to venture across the wasteland with him anymore, and at the height of this emotion, I felt the need for revenge. I wanted to make all those ants pay for having taken Dogmeat away. (Which I eventually did, but playing games on very hard, is well hard, so I had to go back and forth from Megaton a few times.)
   
   Saddened by this event, I went to inspect Dogmeats body. And, like most creatures in Fallout 3, I was presented with the option of harvesting meat from his body. Fallout 3 does an excellent job of presenting moral dilemmas; putting the player in situations that in day to day life they wouldn't necessarily experience and requiring them to make decisions based upon survival, rather personal or social norms. Stricken with grief and disbelief I harvested his remains.
   
   Since the point that Dogmeat has fallen I have had to change the way that I have approached combat in the game world. It’s caused me to be more cautious and made me be more conservative with my resources. Beyond this, I would have to honestly say that a side from me missing the furry little guy, I haven’t really felt any major disadvantages. I’ve managed to progress through some pretty tough spots, but Dogmeat did leave a lasting impression on me. Although, I would have to say that beyond the moments of emotion I felt during Dogmeat’s demise, there really has been little emotion invoked from the experience. The fact that any emotion was felt by the game is saying something to me in and of itself. With the addition of moral decisions added to the mix, Fallout 3 definitely at least makes you question emotions in games, but as far as invoking them, it kind of falls short as a whole. It could however be considered a small step in advancing games into the form that many believe they will shape into within the next century, which is real-time interactive narratives. Creating really believable characters in games is still a ways off, but in the mean time, to have a small glance at the future, go a head and let the dogs out, or in, your stomach, as it were.

   
   

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DecipherOne has 2 comment s on this chronicle.

1. Silent Bob
   Posted On Dec 15 2008

   I wonder if they were watching Mad Max (in the 2nd movie, Road Warrior) and his dog when they were developing this part of the game.

2. BEN
   Posted On Dec 14 2008

   What a fun read. It's great how characters within games can connect with you like that...especially a dog!
   
   I also think that having the dog NOT respawn creates a more important feeling towards keeping it alive. I just hope the game makes you aware that the dog only lives once, so you can guard him as you may.