Video Games and Morality Plays

One of the aspects of video games that I find both interesting and irritating, depending upon my mood, is the inclusion of morality into video game framework. There is a trend among many popular titles (Bioshock, Fable, Mass Effect, Knights of the Old Republic, ect) to include situations where the main character is presented with moral predicaments in which the different choices of action should (but not always) have an affect on future gameplay. There has been morality systems in video games for quite a while but recently there has been increasing usage of these systems in order to increase player immersion and replay value. There is an increased incentive to replay a video game if the player knows that the different moral choices made throughout the game can alter the storyline. Variety is the spice of life they say, and yes it is even for video games.

Although there are a variety of different moral systems found in games, they are generally very straightforward, simple, and conservatively thought out. A player is presented with a moral dilemma, and several choices in which to solve this dilemma. In some instances, there are only 2 choices, clearly marked as "good" and "bad". The overall moral value of the protagonist is measured on a sliding scale which moves close to either the good or bad side depending upon the choices selected. An excellent example of this type of system can be found in Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic (KOTOR), a round based role playing game (RPG) where simple dialogue choices shift a players moral ranking along a Jedi (G00d) and Sith (Bad) meter. In this game, good and bad choices counteract each other, so the moral ranking of a character is the sum of the good and bad decisions made throughout the game. This type of moral system is the most basic, and IMO least enjoyable type of moral system. To be honest, the game is a bit dated (7 years old) and was Biowares first endeavor at a player driven, active moral system. KOTOR's moral system brings to light several key issues of simple moral systems.

1. Moral choices are explicitly labeled, usually bad/good, wrong/right requiring little critical thought from the player. There are no shades of grey, or moral ambiguity.
   
2. Moral ranking systems are simple sums of the good and bad decisions with no mention of the context of the actions.
3. The moral choices lack the ability to inject meaning into the actions of the player.

Biowares attempted to remedy these problems when the developed a more complex moral scheme in the Mass Effect series. In the Mass Effect system, there are no longer a good/bad ranking system like in KOTOR. Instead, there are Paragon and Renegade actions. Based upon conversational choices and actions, players are awarded either Paragon or Renegade points. Unlike previous rankings, the points are not summed together so that Paragon choices counteract Renegade choices rather points acquired are separately summed. Paragon actions are not always defined as morally good choices and Renegade choices are not always defined as morally bad choices. Generally Paragon choices are polite, more compassionate or empathetic and Renegade choices are more aggressive, curt and sharp. The ends of Renegade options can sometimes result in "good" outcomes other times is "bad" outcomes. Non-playable characters (NPC) perception and responses to the protagonist are significantly impacted based upon previous Paragon/Renegade decisions. Moral decisions from the 1st game in the series are even carried over into the 2nd game of the series, extending the impacts of each decision. Unfortunately, there are still several issues which plague this system. While the system is more complex than previous efforts, it still lacks any sort of true reflection of real-life moral dilemmas where there is often no clear solution which will result in a desired outcome. It is also quite easy to predetermine which speaking options are Paragon and which are Renegade which dilutes the choice process.

Another big issues which is found throughout any Bioware game is the explicit nature of the moral decision system. The moral system hangs over the game at all times as an external force. Each decision is followed by an instant reward/punishment notification and this can cheapen the experience reducing it to gimmick rather than a true immersion tool. In reality we do not have a little gauge where we can quickly measure of the sum of our moral choices. If develops really want to integrate moral decisions into games which truly capture gamers into the point of view of the protagonist they will need to capture what happens in real life. Cookie cutter, clear cut morals are an insufficient means if games are to attain the interactive status gamers cherish.

One game which does not contain an explicit moral system but where gameplay decisions have such a prominent moral effect can be found in the Metal Gear Solid series, specifically Metal Gear Solid 2, 3, and 4. Game players are given the choice between shooting and killing enemies or tranquilizing them. It is possible to go through an entire game without killing a single enemy, including bosses. Metal Gear Solid does an excellent job of providing a subtle moral experience without any overarching ranking system. Once the game is completed, there is some tally of the choices that a player has made but little is said as to the players choices. The decision to tranquilize every enemy provides a completely different type of gameplay where new strategies must be developed in order to avoid killing anyone. Developers which are considering any type of moral system may want to consider taking a few notes from Metal Gear Solid.

So where does the future of moral systems in video games lie? There are some important issues developers mist weigh if they are considering including a moral system. First, a badly executed moral system can ruin gaming experience. Games with good moral systems usually have top notch voice acting, and a strongly written plot much like any classic movie. If the story and characters come off as contrived then the moral system becomes useless and gimmicky. Secondly, the choice systems currently found in video games needs to be revamped to more accurately affect reality and the actions of your character need to have real significance on gameplay otherwise there is little incentive to play along. Finally, not every game requires a moral system in order to be a successful video game. I would rather enjoy a video game which has no moral system than a game which has a crippled moral system.