Elements of an Old West Computer Role Playing Game

The husband of a colleague of mine works for BioWare, the famous Alberta software company responsible for Baldur's Gate, Dragon Age and other well-crafted computer role-playing games.

I've long felt the genre lacked games of this type with an Old West setting, and in a fit of jest I asked my colleague to pass on the following thoughts to her husband. Of course I don't expect anything of it, but it was fun putting together some ideas.

Elements of a satisfying Old West RPG

·         Cowboys
·         Cowgirls
·         Indians
·         Tragedy
·         Revenge
·         Bandits
·         Mexicans
·         Soft Easterners
·         Riverboat gambling
·         Railroad shenanigans
·         Miners
·         Bitter Civil War vets
·         Diversity
·         Shootouts
·         Dynamite
·         Shovels
·         Pick axes
·         Evil land/railroad/mining barons
·         Widows
·         Orphans
·         Taciturn loners
·         Plucky sidekicks
·         Animated skeletons
·         Caves
·         Fur trappers
·         Canoes
·         Whitewater rafting
·         Hardy settlers
·         Covered wagons
·         Dysentery
·         Primitive hot air balloons
·         Coyotes
·         Buffalo
·         Ravens
·         Gold
·         Silver
·         One-horse towns
·         Temporally displaced androids indistinguishable from humans but luckily programmed to behave like Old West characters
·         The occasional British or French fop
·         Mysterious strangers
·         Incredibly smart and talented horses
·         Incredibly cheap goods and services
·         Saloons – including player pianos and senseless fights, hopefully with the ability to smash whisky bottles and bar stools over heads
·         The bittersweet reality of an old way of life giving way to the new – the wild west making way for encroaching civilization
·         Wayward Mounties
·         Well-meaning but annoying nuns
·         The ongoing tension between ranchers and farmers
·         Chupacabras
·         A rabid donkey
·         Corrupt Sheriffs
·         Incorruptible Sherrifs
·         Awesome Old West music
·         Vast vistas

Character Classes!
·         Gunfighter
·         Sheriff
·         Deputy
·         Gambler
·         Travelling Snake Oil Salesman
·         Piano Player
·         Magician
·         Miner
·         Trapper
·         Scout
·         Skeleton Fighter
·         Dentist
·         Surgeon
·         Civil War Veteran
·         Rancher
·         Farmer
·         Plucky Kid
·         Fop
·         Reporter
·         Fancy Eastern Lawyer with alla that book learnin’
·         Scientist (Mad)

Character Attributes! (1-10 scale)
·         Shootin’
·         Sluggin’
·         Guts
·         Purtyness
·         Wits
·         Book Learnin’
·         Survival

Return to Baldur's Gate

Way back in 1998 I entered the dangerous world of Baldur's Gate, a Dungeons & Dragons adventure game for the PC and, not insignificantly, Edmonton developer Bioware's big breakout hit.

The game's compelling storyline, superb music, attractive graphics and addictive gameplay made Baldur's Gate one of the very few computer games I've played to completion. (Baldur's Gate 2 and about half of the various Ultima and Fallout games are the others.) I have a short attention span when it comes to games, but Baldur's Gate was well written enough to force me to keep playing to the story's conclusion; I wanted to know what would happen to the characters I was shepherding!

This is why I'm so excited that Baldur's Gate is about to return with enhanced graphics and gameplay, including new characters and storylines. There's even going to be an iPad version, which might very well push me over the edge on the road to obtaining the popular tablet. And the work is being done by Overhaul Games, another Edmonton company working right on Whyte Avenue. 

Best of all, back in the day I probably paid something like $60 or $70 for the game. The new version is selling for $20, including the Tales of the Sword Coast expansion pack. I can't wait for release day: September 18th!

Why I Don't Work for BioWare

A file called Initial Thoughts 011906, found in the folder Earl's Writing/Bioware Contest:

Plots

Find the doodad

Reunite the star-crossed lovers

Avenge the fallen friend or relative

Rescue the damsel in distress

Settings

Castle

Dungeon

Field

River

Island

Characters

?

Poor effort, Earl of 2006.