Comments on: Fallout 3: The Challenge of a Gaming Morality

By: The Dane

The Dane — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 22:01:40 +0000

A game of the style and caliber of Fallout 3 operates well as a window into the moral values of its developers, functioning as something of a pedagogue—not to teach players how to behave in the real world, but how Bethesda Ethical Systems work. One thing I really found interesting with Fallout 3's karma system was that it was only partially based on NPC witnesses. In other like games, so long as you do something bad yet no one sees or your victim doesn't have time to cry out, your karma doesn't take a hit. Yet in Fallout 3, while the result of being caught red-handed can be mild or terrifying, there is an invisible deity (the F3 game system) who tracks and reports on your every infraction. So whereas in many other such role-playing experiences, I would find myself playing the stealthy thief character who would commit a multitude of crime but never get caught, in Fallout 3 my style of gameplay changed dramatically. My first time through, I played as a genuine do-gooder and because of the moral system, I was unable to engage in any of my typical subterfuge without getting caught. It was fun and a bit of a challenge and it was a struggle sometimes to not just end certain characters in the most utilitarian fashion. This was the first time that a game's moral system actively altered my manner of play. (I think The Witcher would have done something at least vageuely similarly had I continued playing—I was experiencing hardware issues at the time). The second time through, I played as a lawless Asian woman, punked out and essentially of raider disposition, both in look and attitude. I nuked the good town of Megaton (after killing and looting everyone there). I joined the slavers of Paradise Falls. I turned in the android. I destroyed both the superhero and his masked nemesis. I had people trying to jump me at every turn. In it's way, it was crazy and wonderful. And unlike with Bioshock, there is a huge benefit to being an evil character in Fallout 3. The game was not only easier to complete and interact with if one held no concern for the rules of society, but I was never at a loss for money or guns. I actually kind of prefer it when it's harder to be quote-unquote good than it is to be bad. The Danes last blog post..20090406.outOfControl

By: The Cultural Thermometer: Obese 4 Year Olds, Vegetarian Teens with Eating Disorders, Transgender Bathrooms, Recession Egg Donations Up, and Moral Decision Making in Video Games « Elect Exiles

Tue, 07 Apr 2009 16:35:42 +0000

[...] The Challenge of Gaming Morality: More and more games today are giving gamers the challenge of making difficult moral decisions. [...]

By: Drew

Drew — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 14:20:13 +0000

Very interesting post Alan. I think such decision making is what makes games such a unique and potentially powerful medium. I find it interesting that Fallout only gives you those two choices in such a situation, but I agree with your final assessment. Just because a game forces us to chose between two choices, neither of which we are completely comfortable with, doesn't mean that we should not play the game. If you are mature enough to think about such a decision and evaluate why you were not comfortable with it, then I think that is a good thing in some sense. Obviously there are a lot of games out there not worth playing, but at least Fallout challenges players to think and to make difficult decisions--at least then we have something to talk about! Drews last blog post..Should My Child be on Facebook?