Module-Based RPG Adventure Design in CRPGs

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Written by BuckGB on January 2nd, 2012

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Fallout 3, New Vegas, and Skyrim really have a feel of being a (grab-bag) of semi-isolated adventures to choose from. Again, this is hardly unique. we were being sent out on random sub-quests since at least the days of Akilabeth: World of Doom (AKA (Ultima 0(). The only real difference is the scale of both the surrounding narrative / quest structure, and the extremes of the optional nature of such quests. The latter was a hallmark of the earliest Elder Scrolls games, where players might only be vaguely aware of some kind of structured quest series leading to any kind of (conclusion.) Hey, I worked hard to (win) Daggerfall, dang it, and I remember how hard and seemingly useless it was to try and follow the storyline. It felt like an afterthought for both the designers and players, though the bizarro alternate-dimension dungeons of the endgame were pretty cool back in the day. I remember running and fighting alone a giant sword surrounded by a starfield skybox..

Once upon a time, there was a text-based CRPG game system called, I think, Eamon, in which you could have the same character play multiple modules. And of course, we've had other RPGs follow suit with user-created modules, from Bard's Tale Construction Set (could you carry characters over from one adventure to another in that one), the Forgotten Realms Unlimited Adventures, and the Neverwinter Nights series.

My minor little (ah-hah) was just rediscovering that feeling I'd had playing pen-and-paper campaigns using modules (as both player and game-master) and noting that similarity. I don't know if designers at Bethesda actively recognized that link from RPG heritage as they were making the game, or if it was just driven by necessity to come full-circle. Whichever the case, it's interesting to think that they are really just carrying on the pen-and-paper tradition in their own way.

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