WoW = no real game-world choices, only game-mechanics ones and the emergent social structure

NWN2 = linear progression of storyline, multiplayer afterthought

Oblivion = expansive with interesting choices! but not multiplayer

So, I’ve been sitting on this post for a long time because I’ve wanted to write something substantial but never got around to more than the three lines above… But I finally published it a couple of weeks ago (writing this late Sep 2007) with a backdate and lo and behold, it’s getting hits.  So here’s a little more info:

Basically, I am off-and-on dissatisfied with World of Warcraft because of the lack of real player choices in the game. I mean ethical and character building choices like those found in good single player games. Part of the problem is that no one has sat down to figure out a way of getting a mmog to feel like it reacts to individual player choices…

So, the nice thing about The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion is that it is chock full of those choices. If Oblivion were multiplayer, omg.  But it isn’t.  And surprisingly, after I played it once, I didn’t play it again to make different choices…

But then Neverwinter Nights 2 came out proving that even if Oblivion were multiplayer, it’d have to do it right since doing it right is not a given. NWN2’s multiplayer sucks ass.  I think I let my experiences with Knights of the Old Republic predispose me to NWN2.  Unfortunately, NWN2’s choices weren’t as interesting so even if the multiplayer were working…  meh.