do you like multiple POV games ?

[jack1974]

After Bionic Heart 2 multiple PoVs system, I thought that it would be a cool way to tell stories even in a RPG. However, I'm not sure if is a good idea or not. One of my writer mentioned that didn't try BH2 because of the multiple PoV thing saying that is hard to immerse yourself, compared to those with a single PoV.
I somewhat agree, is weird to see the story unfold from the perspective of different persons, but at same time it's cool. Think something like a fantasy RPG with Game Of Thrones multiple paths/PoVs. It could be very interesting, but it would be hard at same time to have a party based game with different groups every time (since of course the action would take in regions far away from each one).
I'm not making anything right now like that since I'm busy for YEARS just thought to ask people's opinion on this.

[SilverHyena]

I thought the use of multiple povs in Bionic Heart 2 was pretty awesome and I'd love to see it again. It was cool to be able to play as each of the characters and keep their individual motives in mind as you played through their parts-- especially when they conflicted with some of the other character's motives (for example the Tom/Helen/Luke stuff). Playing it out was kind of fun and challenging since you had to decide who you wanted to succeed or if you wanted to have them both pursue it to the bitter end. On a side note it also kept me from cheating (by saving before decisions and loading if I didn't like the result) since the scenes changed before you got to see the results of your decision. That was kind of cool because I had to live with my terrible choices.

So yeah, it was new and different and I'd love to see you do it again at some point.

[Lonestar51]

Somehow BH2 reminded me very strongly on "Conway's game of life": You make choices in the first two chapters, and then you see how the story unfolds in chapters 3-5 with minimal intervention.

Yes, I have to agree that the immersion factor of BH2 was reduced from BH. In BH I thought: How does Luke get Tanya/Helen/whoever to do that? In BH2 I just wondered what happens if I flipped a switch. BH2 was a good game because of the writing, especially of the displays of humor in the writing; and because of the setting. However, it might have become even better if there had been only a single POV.

With regards of an RPG: It might work if party members were split up, and would have to achieve parts of the quest separated. It will horribly fail if they have overriding different motives. (I wanna be king. - No, *I* will be king. - Sure not either of you losers. he crown is mine!")

TLDR: I am very sceptical.

[jack1974]

Just to be clear if I ever do this it would be MUCH MUCH simpler than BH2 plot - because being a RPG, it would be already insanely complex by itself, and no need to complicate it further with multiple paths. In practice it would be a linear story but told from different PoVs, and maybe they lead to a specific place/point in the story where they reunite in a single plot with all main characters together.

[Franka]

I wouldn't say that I'm a huge fan of the multiple POV in BH2, even though I like how it sheds more light on each character's motivations. It just breaks the narrative up too much and ultimately makes me care less about each character and plot line. So I think that one point of view (maybe two if that serves a specific purpose in the story telling) throughout the story is usually the best way to tell it and immerse people...

...but if finishing the story unlocks another playthrough (could be shorter) from a second character's POV, then that would be simply awesome! Now we suddenly understand why that character did the things they did and can explain events that were peripheral to the original story, and can immerse ourselves all over again. This would also be a good way to make an expansion.

That would not work so well in a multiple ending type of game like BH2 though, since you can't realistically cover all endings all over again, but for a game with a tighter story that would be how I'd prefer multiple POV handled.

Another way to do a second playthrough could be a "what if?" What if the hero had died in the first five minutes of the game? Who would have stepped up and how would the story have played out from their POV?

[P_Tigras]

I wouldn't say that I'm a huge fan of the multiple POV in BH2, even though I like how it sheds more light on each character's motivations. It just breaks the narrative up too much and ultimately makes me care less about each character and plot line. So I think that one point of view (maybe two if that serves a specific purpose in the story telling) throughout the story is usually the best way to tell it and immerse people...

Ditto that. By the time the game ended I didn't really care about any of the characters. I identified with Lucas in the beginning while playing the game from his perspective, so when he changed off-screen I found myself resenting his personality change. It may be a VN thing, but I didn't like the fact that I had no control over his decision to kill everyone on Mars. It's like there was this illusion of player agency that was snatched away just as I started to care. So my issue with the game really has less to do with the multiple perspectives per say, then the fact that I just didn't buy into how some characters developed while they were off-screen, and so my interest in the game decreased as a result.

[jack1974]

...but if finishing the story unlocks another playthrough (could be shorter) from a second character's POV, then that would be simply awesome! Now we suddenly understand why that character did the things they did and can explain events that were peripheral to the original story, and can immerse ourselves all over again. This would also be a good way to make an expansion.

That is an interesting idea indeed. Seeing the same series of events but from another perspective is cool. Like for the first Loren could be seen from Chambara's point of view, or maybe some of the Lizardmen, or even Jul. It would be interesting indeed

Ditto that. By the time the game ended I didn't really care about any of the characters. I identified with Lucas in the beginning while playing the game from his perspective, so when he changed off-screen I found myself resenting his personality change. It may be a VN thing, but I didn't like the fact that I had no control over his decision to kill everyone on Mars.

Well some people loved the game, others not mainly for the reason you stated. I am not sure, I think could be just a matter of tastes. About freedom, usually in games you don't really have that much freedom. I think probably was more the fact that Luke was going to do something very negative. If you think about it, when <insert main character hero name here> must save the world sacrificing him/herself, even if players can't choose, they somewhat agree/identify with it. But when they cannot decide if the MC is about to do something really bad, they get upset
(nothing wrong with that of course! was just to talk)

[MarSel]

I haven't got around to playing BH2 yet but from a Multi PoV games I liked Arc Twilight of the spirits where you play a chapter each playing as both twin brothers from very different upbringings and looks, as one looks more human and the other more demi-human even though they both were born of the same parents. so a game with a linear storyline could work.

EDIT: Sorry it was 5am the first time I wrote this I hope this makes more sense now.

[jack1974]

Yes, as I said if I do this in a RPG no way I would also include a lots of branching, it would be already complex enuogh!

[FreeLancer]

I think having multiple POVs is a neat idea, but it must be handled very carefully. I enjoyed BH2, but like others have said the shifting from one POV to another tends to break up the narrative. Perhaps, limiting the amount of shifts and allowing the player to spend a longer continuous time in a single POV before moving to another could remedy this.

As mentioned earlier having various playthroughs with different POVs, similar to Ever17: Out of Infinity, could be a good way of handling multiple POVs. Each POV would expose the player to only a portion of what is going on and would require them to complete every POV to understand the whole picture, like piecing together a puzzle. The only problem with this would be that you would lose the ability to make combined endings, which was one of the things I enjoyed the most about BH2.