Is there any game that actually lets you play the way you want?

and encourages you to do so?

the only one I can think of is deus ex 1...you could go lethal or non lethal or avoid combat at all, and, besides a few comments at the beginning of the game, nothing change.

but games usually tell you "PLAY THE WAY YOU WANT, THERE IS NO WRONG WAY" but I think this is just grade A bs...most games dont let you play the way you want, or at least dont reward you for doing it...most games allows you to be non lethal or lethal, but the non lethal way is crawling with rewards, material rewards and plot rewards (getting good endings and stuff) and if you go lethal then you get the worst result possible.

Ultima Online. Heck, take any sandbox mmo as an example of a game where you can do pretty much anything you want within the game's limits.

As for a non mmo example, I guess several 4Xs or Grand Strategies would be what you ask for as well.

Diablo 2? Iantheone

Not really. It's not like you can do anything as a Telekinesis Sorc.

Goldeneye for Wii has alot of levels you can stealth through, which in essence means avoid getting detected; use a silencer, kill patrolling enemies when they are out of line of sight for others, avoid/shoot cameras/turrets, use vents to get past guards facing you and that sort of thing.

But it's more like an alternative way of clearing/getting past an area, not "rewarding" other than saving health/ammo, but fun and really well made. I remember spending hours on one of the later levels to see if I could manage to stealth through the entire level and it worked!

Chrono Cross, to an extent.

At the start of the game, there's various paths you can take that play out differently and take you to different parts of the story otherwise unseen. As the game gets closer to the end, thouugh, the path to the end gets narrowed down considerably. You can still skip a scene or two of the game here and there without major consequence, though.

Guess it isn't easy to make such a truly open ended experience, especially with RPGs and tight narratives.

You can do anything in modded oblivion.

TES games, Mass Effect games, etc

Warcraft, Starcraft 2, Minecraft, Infamous, Fallout 3.

im shocked no one said HitmanLP4EVA2005

Warcraft, Starcraft 2, Minecraft, Infamous, Fallout 3.

Animal-Mother

no, no, yes (especially on SMP), no, no.

giving you a chioce between 2 options or in Fallout 3's case, a few more is probably not what the TC was asking for.

And as for Warcraft and SC2, Do you mean with the map editor? Because in that case, I definately agree with those as well.

[QUOTE="Animal-Mother"]

Warcraft, Starcraft 2, Minecraft, Infamous, Fallout 3.

Maroxad

no, no, yes (especially on SMP, but still much less open ended than Dwarf Fortress), no, no.

giving you a chioce between 2 options or in Fallout 3's case, a few more is probably not what the TC was asking for.

[QUOTE="Maroxad"]

[QUOTE="Animal-Mother"]

Warcraft, Starcraft 2, Minecraft, Infamous, Fallout 3.

Animal-Mother

no, no, yes (especially on SMP, but still much less open ended than Dwarf Fortress), no, no.

giving you a chioce between 2 options or in Fallout 3's case, a few more is probably not what the TC was asking for.

If you are talking about the map editor, I will agree with you. But otherwise, I will disagree.

[QUOTE="Animal-Mother"][QUOTE="Maroxad"]

no, no, yes (especially on SMP, but still much less open ended than Dwarf Fortress), no, no.

giving you a chioce between 2 options or in Fallout 3's case, a few more is probably not what the TC was asking for.

Maroxad

If you are talking about the map editor, I will agree with you. But otherwise, I will disagree.

[QUOTE="Maroxad"]

[QUOTE="Animal-Mother"] Please I would love to see you explain how I can't play Wc3 or SC2 the way i wanna play it.Animal-Mother

If you are talking about the map editor, I will agree with you. But otherwise, I will disagree.

They arent limited, (except for early missions), but they arent really open ended either. They are in the middle ground.

But they sure as hell arent open ended either. The campaigns are linear and scripted. Victory is only obtainable in one way. Civilization is open ended, and so is Master of Orion, where in both games you can achieve victory without ever fighting.

[QUOTE="Maroxad"]

[QUOTE="Animal-Mother"] Please I would love to see you explain how I can't play Wc3 or SC2 the way i wanna play it.Animal-Mother

If you are talking about the map editor, I will agree with you. But otherwise, I will disagree.

You're right, but that's sort of the nature of RTS', rarely do you find a level in the SP that demands you to use one specific strategy, you can always tackle the level in different ways.

[QUOTE="Animal-Mother"][QUOTE="Maroxad"]

If you are talking about the map editor, I will agree with you. But otherwise, I will disagree.

Maroxad

They arent limited, (except for early missions), but they arent really open ended either. They are in the middle ground.

But they sure as hell arent open ended either. The campaigns are linear and scripted. Victory is only obtainable in one way. Civilization is open ended, and so is Master of Orion, where in both games you can achieve victory without ever fighting.

Metal Gear Solid 4 allows a lot of freedom. Whether it is to be stealth and sneak past everyone, non-lethally take them all out, or go in guns blazing and kill them all that way

I have to put a vote in for Fallout 3 and New Vegas. More New Vegas since it tried harder to work up the Melee Vats.

[QUOTE="Maroxad"]

[QUOTE="Animal-Mother"] How. Disagree how. If I wanna build one wyvern to fight an army of riflemen I can. Don't see how those RTS games limit my choices.Animal-Mother

They arent limited, (except for early missions), but they arent really open ended either. They are in the middle ground.

But they sure as hell arent open ended either. The campaigns are linear and scripted. Victory is only obtainable in one way. Civilization is open ended, and so is Master of Orion, where in both games you can achieve victory without ever fighting.

Which boils down to, destroy the enemy base, or have the enemy surrender no other way to obtain victory. Dont get me wrong, neither WC or SC are restricted. But they arent exactly open ended either.

How to Win in Civilization 4 (Multiplayer)

Conquer all enemy towns
Have the most points by 2050
Control a certain % of the population and land
Have 5 cities with maxed culture
Build a space ship that takes you to Alpha Centauri
Get 75% of all votes in the EU or apolistic palace.

I'm shocked nobody said Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines. The gameplay is very similar to Deus Ex. There's 7 different clans you can be, 3 of which play very differently.

Metal Gear Solid 4 allows a lot of freedom. Whether it is to be stealth and sneak past everyone, non-lethally take them all out, or go in guns blazing and kill them all that way

BPoole96

im shocked no one said HitmanLP4EVA2005

Garry's Mod.

Ultima online is one such game. You just be a beggar if you want. Some begging tips : http://vboards.stratics.com/uo-beggar/15820-begging-tips-rp-beggar.htmlnaval

It is a real shame they dont make games like this anymore.

Nowdays most mmos are themeparks. And with more and more player interaction getting removed as time passes on.

Ocarina of Time, Mario 64, and Mario Sunshine. Both of those mario games have some of the best controls ever implemented in a game. It is pretty incredible watching a really skilled player play those games.

Ocarina of Time, Mario 64, and Mario Sunshine. Both of those mario games have some of the best controls ever implemented in a game. It is pretty incredible watching a really skilled player play those games.

Heirren

Go buy Elder Scrolls V Skyrim when it comes out. Not only well it get GOTY, it also let's you play ANY kind of charecter you want in a HUGE open world. You can be a warrior or an assassin ro mage or any thing in between or anything else you can imagine, there is NO wrong way to play those games. You can be good or bad or whatever, you play the way YOU want to.

Skyrim is GOTY, I love elder scrolls.

I think your mistaking having a game let you accomplish an objective an several different ways,

Like if your playing an action game and the objectivce is to murder the other people, now whats the point of trying to play non lethaly? they game gives you several ways to dispatch your enemies and generally lets the player choose the approach they take.

Lik RTS games, there are choices on how you accomplish your goals,

Eve online

Animal Crossing. I can compete in the annual fishing tourney, watch the fireworks, go bug hunting, fossil hunting, plant trees and build upon my town, donate items to the local museum, catch the weekly KK Slider concert, design clothing patterns, run errands for my neighbors, work towards paying off my mortgage, or I can just chill at a friends house.

resistance 3 with the weapon wheel.

Deus Ex, I beleive.

Well most open world games I guess. The ones that come to my mind are Crysis or Red Faction armageddon. But I also think that it's almost impossible to judge that, in the end you can only do what the games allows you to :S