Love them or hate them, RPGs (Role Playing Games) are part of modern day popular culture. How to explain the phenomenal success of this medium? Lurking within each of us is a part that wants to play god – and the RPG gives full rein to this desire. Passive suspension of disbelief (as in movies) is not required; here we are both the participant and the player. This is a medium that attracts extremes of passion - fans will be addicted, while non-players will wonder what the excitement is all about!
Wizards & Warriors (from Activision) is one of the better known RPGs. The world of Wizards & Warriors is inhabited by many races of beings (loosely modeled upon the creations of Tolkein in The Lord of the Rings). There are humans and dwarves, elves, gnomes and pixies. There are also certain creatures – such as the Toad People – that are neither fully animal nor human. Each of the races has some special attributes and abilities; that will confer some advantages during game play.
Even more than the clan to which the player belongs, it is the role that he adopts that helps to define his character. A player may choose to be a Warrior, Wizard, Priest or Rogue. After fulfilling a quest and / or acquiring sufficient experience, the player qualifies for a more advanced role, such as Barbarian, Bard or Monk. Unlike some other RPGs where the Hero must give battle to the monsters alone, the essence of this RPG is the creation of a party of adventurers (up to six), consisting of both wizards and warriors. It is recommended that the player choose a mix of races and roles, so as to get a well rounded adventure party.
The imaginary setting for this adventure is the village of Valeia. Around the village of Valeia are the Graveyard, the Ruins of Bersault, the Old Millhouse, the Nymph Lake, the Toad Village and the Snake River. Places that are to be explored at leisure by our all conquering Hero. In sum, a complete world in itself, only in a few instances removed from our own. Once the Hero has completed the first part of the quest, he must pass through the Caves of Ishad N’Ha towards the town proper. The ostensible purpose of the quest – the search for the Mavin Sword…
Nowadays, the RPGs have evolved into something else altogether – MORPGs or Multiplayer Online Role Playing Games, as the requirements of a detailed virtual environment necessitate a dedicated server. Somewhat similar – though it has pretensions of catering to a more sophisticated audience – is the game of “Second Life”. The future of entertainment as we know it, or just a passing fancy? Difficult to say, but the medium is complex enough to force us to rethink our notions of games and gaming. (It took all of four years for D.W. Bradley and his team to create this game!)
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