RPGs & Achievement Whoring

Back in the Day
I remember, in the days of yore, when Microsoft first showed off the Achievement system for Xbox 360 and Xbox Live, I was curious, but not overtly excited. I wasn't opposed to the idea, but I was interested in seeing how it was implemented, and what effect it would have on the way we game. As it turned out, some of my good buddies instantly became what's now affectionately known as 'achievement whores,' and as I watched their Gamerscore tick up and up, almost minute by minute, I became concerned about their overall Xbox/life balance. This became a very real concern as I started seeing games like King Kong and Kameo pop up on their games list.

I wasn't into Elder Scrolls when Oblivion came out, which resulted in this weird period in time in which I never had anyone to play PDZ with. It was very isolating. I felt so alone.

Therefore, the first RPG that I really sunk my teeth into that had achievements was my beloved Lost Odyssey. Man, I loved that game. I think I said at the time that it was like reconnecting with an old flame, falling in love all over again, only to have it come to its inevitable end, one last time. Once the game was over, my heart was shattered again, but I didn't regret the time we shared. Not one bit. That was the last JRPG I really loved. It was that one last hurrah from Sakaguchi-san, the final Final Fantasy, and it was a showcaseof everything that was great about his games.

But then, it had DLC and achievements.

I remember, as I played through it, whenever I'd get that nice little Achievement pop-up, I got a nice warm feeling of artificial validation, but it was really neat, because it was for a game that was one of 'my' games. It was kinda cool seeing 'their' system applied to 'my' game. Sure, I'd racked up a few Achievements in other games prior to this, but it had rarely mattered much to me.

Shortly after Xbox Achievements became a big thing, both Steam and Sony scrambled to implement their versions of the Achievement system. I remember being really bothered that I'd beaten Uncharted before Sony had implemented Achievements, er, Trophies, and actually going back and playing through the game AGAIN after they were put in place, just so motherfuckers would know I could beat a game on easy.

Now
Through the years, I've found that I actually care more about Achievements in non-RPG games, like Uncharted and Dead Space than I do my usual BioWare/CDPR stable of games. I remember very distinctly, while playing each game in both series, I'd always pop into my Trophies on PSN to see how awesome I was, and to get a rough idea of my overall progress through the game. Oh, and you had to do that, since it was impossible for Sony to have that automatically sync otherwise (/facepalm. I sure hope that's fixed on PS4.)

I think I care less about it in my 'core' games, but then, I've always wished that my PC Mass Effect and Dragon Age achievements were tied to a bigger system than the BioWare Social Network (yes, it still exists, and could've been a cool thing), so that people could celebrate my love for playing through those games. EA, you have a big opportunity here with Origin.

Hell, the one thing I loved about the hated Games for Windows Live was that it tied PC games into my Xbox Achievements, so people could see my awesomeness in games like Warhammer 40k: Dawn of War 2 and Fallout 3.

Throughout the years, one thing has never happened. I've never Achievement-whored a game, and I wonder why. Lost Odyssey is the EXACT kind of game I'd do it on, too. There are Achievements for optional bosses, max-leveling, and all the great stuff we all used to do 'back in the day.' I know for a fact that Tony and I both still have saves on old PS1 memory cards that we treasure because they're so bad-ass (mine have since been transferred to my PS3, many moons ago. That fucker better never die. And it's one of the original models, that still has the ability to play PS2 games.)

I wonder, at times, if the nature of RPGs discourages Achievement-whoring, since they tend to be big, huge semi-linear games, and aside from save-reloads, it's generally very difficult to get every Achievement on the first play-through.

Additionally, at least for me, RPGs provide repeated moments of immense payoff, whether it be taking down a difficult boss, getting to a great cut-scene, or just getting immersed in the world. Achievements are inherently immersion-breaking, so maybe I pay less attention to them while I'm playing a big, bad-ass RPG. I'm not sure.

Actually, there is one game in which I really pay attention to the Achievements, and I think it's because I've exhausted so much of the content. SWTOR. However, MMORPGs are an entirely different beast, and a bigger topic than I wanna get into right now.

I like Achievements in games. I think they provide a cool meta-game for the social scene that surrounds gaming culture. They can provide instant points of reference for a discussion between two people that both like a particular game, and there is something that's very cool about looking at my own Achievements, and comparing them with someone else's. I can get idea of how they approached the game, and maybe that's something about which we have a great discussion, or I use that data to refine my own approach the next time I play the game. Or, even better, I see they did something nigh impossible in the game, and I wanna hear all about it.

I do think, though, that Achievements in RPGs, perhaps moreso than any other genre, can evolve. Because RPGs tend to be so insanely detailed and stat-based, a developer could really have some fun when setting up the Achievements for the game. There are some rich opportunities for Achievements that are tied to leveling single attributes, crafting, or even wacky choice-based Achievements (or wackier than what's already in play in some of the choice-driven RPGs.)

I also like shame-based Achievements, as well, in which you're granted an Achievement for doing something stupid or being a weak player. I've seen a few of those. I wanna say Dead Space and Fallout 3 both have them.

In any case, I may try to finally 100% a game for the first time this year. We'll see. I'm curious to see how Achievements continue to evolve. I look forward to racking up more this year in the avalanche of RPGs that will start raining down on us next month.

An Idea
Something's been rattling around in my brain for a bit, and since I like to just give away good ideas before I have a chance to implement them myself, it would be interesting if an entity like Raptr started implementing a 'Retro Achievement' system, in which PC games that lack Achievements were set up with a Raptr-based system that analyzed game progress in saves and granted Achievements for titles like KotOR, or The Witcher, or even older games, like Baldur's Gate. That would be something I'd enjoy, and could build quite a community, since there's so much passion for those old RPGs right now.

Just sayin'.

In Conclusion
Achievements are here to stay, whether you like it or not. I've seen interesting arguments both for and against them, and I see the merit in both stances. I like them, and hate to admit, but I've occasionally been more inclined to play one game than another because it has Achievements.

But, Achievements that aren't easily and very visibly displayed to other community members are nearly worthless. If you're gonna go to the trouble of implementing an Achievement system, give the user some control over displaying them. It'd be cool to pick a few really rare Achievements, and have them displayed on my profile, or my forum sig. Make them visible outside of the game, if the user wants that. It provides more community and user engagement, and really maximizes the value of the system.

Side Quests
 - I mentioned the reviews for this game yesterday, but Lightning Returns is looking more and more divisive. I may need to see for myself sooner than I thought.
 - Pillars of Eternity is now set for a 'winter 2014' release. In my mind, at least, I'm now moving this to 2015. And I'm fine with that, if that's what the game needs. I have some high hopes riding on this one.

How do you feel about Achievements? How do you feel about them, as relates to RPGs?

As always, thanks for reading!

-Blaine