Basic question: Should an RPG ever be so complex that the game needs to provide a personal organizer? Think about it for a sec. My first answer is HECK no! But we already have quest logs and automaps, right? What we have now is a map of spatial relationships. The logs remind us of what we''re to do and the maps show us where we''re to do it. Obviously this benefits hack & slash gameplay, of which most-- even the best-- RPGs are all about. But what if you had an RPG that emphasized personal relationships? Who''s the king''s daughter''s boyfriend... who can give you clues about the Smoking Man''s whereabouts... who can cut you a deal on sweet Class 5 Mobile Powersuits... If an RPG is big and complex enough; if there are time based events; if there are multiple NPCs; if there are lots of tasks to complete... Doesn''t an "adventurer''s palm pilot" with an automatic contact list, schedule sheet, game world encyclopedia, and task organizer seem appropriate? -------------------- Just waiting for the mothership...

Take a look at Discworld Noir. It had a notebook that kept track of people and clues. Nicely done too.

In a game which is not hack and slash yet is still RPG... I would have to say ''I don''t care if it has something small that detracts from the gameplay.... give me such a game!''

Nuff said

-Chris Bennett of Dwarfsoft - The future of RPGs
Thanks to all the goblins over in our little Game Design Corner niche

Sounds like a great idea to me, but why not take it a step further and allow the game to optionally interface with an application on a real Palm Pilot, the data can be updated through serial or IR port and then you can browse the info when you''re not playing or when the game is paused.

Also, I once considered a game where such information was held in a book or digital device that exists within the game and therefor subject to events within the game. E.g. Your edventurers journal could be stolen or somebody could read the stuff you write and use the information against you. I think that might annoy the player too much though.

-Forxl

Look at Zelda: Majora''s Mask for N64, there was an entire town whose occupants interacted with each other and the player over a predescribed timeline. The player was given a notebook to keep track of quests for each NPC, and the where they would be at certain times. Beutiful game most inovative form of interactive plot ive ever seen.

Morrwind is going to have a large display of all the game info like people, places, etc. They said it will be similar to a windows help file where everything''s integrated.


A CRPG in development...

Need help? Well, go FAQ yourself.

I like the idea of the journal being an in game object... If you lose it then you have to remember stuff yourself, and redo your map etc.... (perhaps your character can automatically remember a certain amount based on his intelligence)

You could also make money from it if you were desparate for cash - bards might pay good money for interesting tales.... The more thats in it, the more you make (but the more info you lose when it is gone) Obviously you''d have to find someway of making sure the player doesnt abuse this too much...