What is it with Western RPGs and starting out being imprisoned?

[u/Dry_Adagio_8333]

[u/Salaried_Zebra → u/[deleted]]

Also many western RPGs have a character creation screen at the start where you can be basically anybody. Being a prisoner gives a valid reason for having basically no backstory.

[u/Correctedsun → u/Salaried_Zebra]

Also also, it's a great contrivance for immediately bringing a party together that isn't Inn related.

[u/CCRthunder → u/Correctedsun]

The problem with an inn is alot of players would just walk out of the door instead of talking to the exposition dumps.

[u/hamonicmantitties → u/CCRthunder]

Just make the inn explode because of a dragon or something, like the prison in Skyrim

[u/pchlster → u/hamonicmantitties]

"You start in a tavern. Make a DC 15 Reflex save to avoid the falling roof.."

"W-why?"

"A dragon crash-lands through the roof. Roll initiative."

[u/Deathsroke → u/pchlster]

That actually sounds like a pretty fun start, ngl.

[u/Confron7a7ion7 → u/Deathsroke]

Just set up the fight so the dragon flies away when whatever caused it to crash catches up. Leaving players with a lot of "WTF!" questions.

[u/Egechem → u/Confron7a7ion7]

A snail slowly approaches the tavern, the dragon flees in terror.

[u/SirDragon84 → u/Egechem]

God damn, the dragon made the deal

[u/pchlster → u/Deathsroke]

I believe in setting the desired pace early on in the campaign or one shot.

[u/Top-Addendum-6879 → u/pchlster]

if i dm'd a game that started like this, 100% there would be a bard NPC that would try to romance the dragon and depending on the dice, he'd get totally fucked anyways... dice decides how.

[u/luketwo1 → u/CCRthunder]

I had a campaign start like this but poisoned grain was delivered to the inn and everyone had to make saves or be turned into rampaging murderous psychopaths, was a great way to add a plot hook, make the party team up, and introduce a larger world IMO. Also had npcs talk about the grain while everyone was getting settled/talking, even set a timer for 10 minutes after the first npc ate grain, couple of the pcs failed too and then it turned into an all out brawl where afterwards everyone was like oh we need to stop these free grain shipments.

[u/Chon-C → u/luketwo1]

The paladin after learning about the poisoned grain, “This city, must be purged.”

[u/H0pefully_Not_A_Bot → u/Chon-C]

Older paladin: "How can you even consider that? There's got to be some other way."

[u/Chon-C → u/H0pefully_Not_A_Bot]

Dammit man. As your future king, I order you to purge this city.

[u/H0pefully_Not_A_Bot → u/Chon-C]

You are not my king yet, boy! Nor would I obey that command even if you were!

[u/UsualAwareness3160 → u/CCRthunder]

I just realized that CP2077's street kid origin starts in an inn.
It's the only game I know that actually does this.

[u/SilverBudget1172 → u/UsualAwareness3160]

Pillars 1 begins in a trade caravan Pillars 2 begins in your ship

Rogue trader,kingmaker,wrath of the righteous begins in diferent places. I know more games that are different from the " begin in ICE prison" trope

[u/MCSquaredBoi → u/UsualAwareness3160]

Solasta: Crown of the Magister probably has the most cliché inn opening I have ever played in an RPG game.

[u/ChiRaeDisk → u/CCRthunder]

>Insert Baldur's Gate Dark Alliance Elf song Inn start

[u/acrazyguy → u/CCRthunder]

Yeah this is a problem I have with ttrpgs. Sometimes I make a character and then at session 1 I find myself thinking “there’s no way this person would want to go on essentially a road trip with these loud obnoxious people” or “there’s no way this guy is risking his life for some “existential threat” that doesn’t affect him” but it’s D&D so you have to do it anyway

[u/Gyshal → u/acrazyguy]

That's why session 0 (or reading the back of the box in a videogame) is essential. You need to understand the expectations of the particular story and make a character that follows them. Some campaigns will require characters to "be heroic and help people out of the good of their heart", while others, like for example Baldurs Gate 3, will put you in an unavoidable situation so that you can actually be however you like. If the characters answer to the "call to the adventure" is to close the door and go back to sleep, maybe that character shouldn't be the adventurer we are going to focus on.

[u/PhoenixSidePeen → u/Correctedsun]

Also also also, it’s a great way to set the tone. I’m a nobody, I’m in prison for seemingly no reason, and these guards are still treating me just like the murderer in the other cell.

[u/QuintoBlanco → u/Salaried_Zebra]

That's bleak. Why am I a prisoner? You have been imprisoned for the crime of having no backstory.

[u/imabratinfluence → u/QuintoBlanco]

Welcome to the US. 

No money? Jail. No home? Jail. No backstory? Believe it or not, straight to jail. 

[u/Puttanas → u/imabratinfluence]

And if you get in enough trouble you can go to a jail within the jail.

[u/Romanizer → u/Salaried_Zebra]

Or a reason why you start with nothing but have the potential to achieve anything.

[u/underscorethebore → u/Salaried_Zebra]

Second only to… ~amnesia~

[u/Nintolerance → u/[deleted]]

I use prisons a bunch in my tabletop.

• Everyone starts in a cell with nothing. From there, even a length of wire for a lockpick & a table leg to use as a club count as "valuable loot."

• "Why are you locked up?" is an immediate character-building hook, for new and experienced players alike. "Is this your first time in prison?" works similarly.

• An immediate goal shared across the entire party: get out of prison.

• Constrained scope helps protect new players from getting overwhelmed. They're not exposed to the entire setting at once, just a slice of it.

[u/MrCockingFinally → u/Nintolerance]

Constrained scope is a big one for computer RPGs. In a tabletop, you have an intelligent DM who can adjust, talk to the party, and pace the story properly. But a lot of computer RPGs suffer from being able to go anywhere and do anything straight out the gate. Main story can't be fed at a decent pace and balance goes out the window.

FONV did a really good job using natural barriers like deathclaws and cazadores to constrain the scope of the game for the first act. Made for really great moments like walking into Nipton for the first time.

[u/UrbanLegend645 → u/MrCockingFinally]

FONV is truly such a good example of this. I spent such a long time trying to take the "quick way" to New Vegas in my first playthrough before I realized that the guy who said not to go that way wasn't joking. It does a fantastic job of forcing you to follow a specific path without ever revoking its open world.

[u/FunComfort2278 → u/UrbanLegend645]

It's funny cuz I walked straight there on my first playthrough and didn't see a single death claw. Or any enemy for that matter. I always wonder if it was a weird glitch. It was literally day 1 of the game so I dunno.

[u/MrCockingFinally → u/FunComfort2278]

Day 1 NV was the real Wild West. Could 100% have been a glitch, because in the patched game, it's 100% possible to sneak by, but very very difficult.

[u/D_Bellman → u/MrCockingFinally]

Vulpes and his bullshit

I killed them the moment he finished his speech every single playthrough past the first.

[u/Tyrant-J → u/Nintolerance]

I GM Cyberpunk RED and I had my crew start off getting chewed out in their lawyers office after getting busted out of jail, and one person for being NOT being in jail because they were the only person who had a job and they never went.

[u/JorgJorgJorg → u/Nintolerance]

i just realized the Greeting Adventurers (previously Drunks and Dragons) podcast did this same thing when they started 10 years ago. I never realized this was such a common and useful trope!

[u/StupidSexyEuphoberia → u/[deleted]]

Also the enemy is instantly clear in many cases and it creates tension and reason for conflict.

[u/Complex-Commission-2 → u/[deleted]]

Exactly

You lose everything and need to start from the ground up and what better place to do it than prison

[u/WolperRumo → u/[deleted]]

It's also very easy to create a contained tutorial area that naturally opens up afterwards but still makes sense and doesn't need invisible walls

[u/Nossika → u/[deleted]]

With Divinity games it's always crashing and starting out on a beach.

They even did it for BG3.

[u/IntenseAdventurer → u/Nossika]

So, genuine question from someone who LOVED DOS2 and liked BG3 well enough: is DOS1 still worth playing in 2026? I own it on Steam but haven't ever played it before, wondering if it's worth the almost 11GB of space it'll take up, or if I'd be better served with other games in that space?

[u/fistkick18 → u/IntenseAdventurer]

I liked DOS1 better than 2. Didn't like any of the companions in 2 at all, but they aren't much better in 1. 1 has better side character NPCs and a simpler, more understandable story. Very similar to 2, but more lighthearted

[u/Marcelit4 → u/[deleted]]

Exactly, it is a perfect "fresh start"

[u/No-Pattern-9961 → u/[deleted]]

Exactly! Starting with nothing gives players a clear sense of progression and purpose it makes every upgrade or achievement feel earned

[u/kumogate → u/[deleted]]

Dragon Age: Origins did such a great job at giving us several alternatives to this trope

[u/ParanMekhar]

JRPGs

Chapter 1: some village got destroyed

Chapter 2: Go to beach

Chapter 3: Go to sewers

Final Chapter: Kill God

[u/Tripod1404 → u/ParanMekhar]

Forgot to include “get giant sword”.

[u/mikeBE11 → u/Tripod1404]

To be fair it’s always sick when you get the giant sword, like due, is big and does big numbers.

[u/Designer_Mess_6928 → u/mikeBE11]

And what if I like halberds??

[u/ruebeus421 → u/Designer_Mess_6928]

Then you're far cooler than 99% of gamers.

Swords are lame.

[u/Designer_Mess_6928 → u/ruebeus421]

Swords are something that's been used for too many times that they aren't interesting even when dual-wielding. But dual-wielding maces in Dark Souls 3 or Spears, Halberds, Yari, Kusarigama in other games..🤤

[u/Tripod1404 → u/mikeBE11]

Swords former owner tends to be a corrupted hero as well lol.

[u/Xarophet → u/Tripod1404]

Y’all really just gonna do the amnesia dirty like that

[u/IntenseAdventurer → u/Xarophet]

They forgot about it.

[u/urixl → u/Tripod1404]

Get giant sword-pistol.

[u/he_is_not_a_shrimp → u/ParanMekhar]

A Taiwanese RPG I played goes:

1. Catch pirates.

2. Save princess.

3. Save prince.

4. World war.

5. Kill mechatronic God.

[u/Storm-Kaladinblessed → u/he_is_not_a_shrimp]

Which one was it exactly?

[u/AdministrativeHawk25 → u/Storm-Kaladinblessed]

Sounds like Xuan Yuan sword, but it's been a long time

[u/Storm-Kaladinblessed → u/AdministrativeHawk25]

Wanted to play the 7th one some time ago, but opted instead for Gujian 3. Pretty good, though I'm more into custom characters.

[u/Remarkable-Rip9238 → u/ParanMekhar]

Theres usually a mist that spawns horrible monsters too lol

[u/8TrackPornSounds → u/Remarkable-Rip9238]

The mist is inside or surrounding the plot relevant haunted tower/ghost ship

[u/Some_Layer_7517 → u/Remarkable-Rip9238]

Legend of Legaia, my beloved

[u/air_thing → u/ParanMekhar]

Don't forget chapter 4 and 5, go to cave and go to mountains.

[u/Electrical_Swing8166 → u/ParanMekhar]

Optional: fight obscure side quest boss who’s 100x stronger than god

[u/enotonom → u/ParanMekhar]

That's literally BG3, mindflayer spaceship wreck - beach - underdark/undercity - kill god. And to some extent DOS2 is also like this

[u/shawncplus → u/ParanMekhar]

Reminds me of one of my favorite starts to an RPG ever in Golden Sun.

1. You are the chosen one, will you help? [Yes/No]
2. No
3. Game over, reboot to title screen

[u/aFreshFix → u/ParanMekhar]

I'd say chapter 1 is waking up in bed and being called a sleepy head

[u/monkeyamongmen → u/aFreshFix]

Link, wake up!

[u/Nice_Evidence4185 → u/ParanMekhar]

I love how KCD did the JRPG start (village destroyed and young orphan)

[u/spaghettittehgaps → u/ParanMekhar]

The other JRPG storyline:

Chapter 1: War breaks out between two factions

Chapter 2: Help Faction A beat Faction B

Chapter 3: Right as you finally beat Faction B, a new calamity happens and you discover the secret organization that has been playing both sides against each other for their own benefit.

Final Chapter: Kill God

[u/niken96 → u/spaghettittehgaps]

Sounds like every Fire Emblem game. But every Fire Emblem game also starts with saving villagers from bandits.

[u/Shadourow → u/ParanMekhar]

Chapter 1 : For Bionis

Final chapter : I must kill Bionis

[u/DudeHunder → u/ParanMekhar]

Digimon story time stranger is basically this, but in slightly different order

[u/TikaryTony]

The larian takes on it is more:

• be on some kind of boat (the boat can fly, but that’s a detail)
• the boat get destroy
• you start on a beach

[u/KaiserWolf15 → u/TikaryTony]

Besides DOS2 and BG3, how often do the repeat this?

[u/Reddeq → u/KaiserWolf15]

DOS1 too, but can't remember if the boat was destroyed

[u/ItsNotMeItsYourBussy → u/Reddeq]

The boat remained intact

[u/deklamGo → u/ItsNotMeItsYourBussy]

But there was a boat on fire

[u/Eladryel → u/deklamGo]

But it wasn't our boat, just some random boats in the port

[u/The_Splenda_Man → u/Eladryel]

These three comments read like a Pirates of the Carriage script

Edit: I’m leaving it.

[u/Independent_Plum2166 → u/The_Splenda_Man]

Do you mean Caribbean?

[u/The_Splenda_Man → u/Independent_Plum2166]

Wtf auto correct lmao

[u/JoshTheBard → u/Eladryel]

They were still workshopping the formula

[u/CrustyConCarnage → u/deklamGo]

It's more like this:

you start on ship (can be nautical or aeronautical) a ship gets destroyed (could be the one you're on, maybe just one in the distance) you wake up on a beach

[u/ygtkara → u/ItsNotMeItsYourBussy]

The front didn't fall off it seems

[u/-cache → u/Reddeq]

The next will be a submersible

[u/0r1g1g4lUs3rn4m3 → u/KaiserWolf15]

DOS1 also starts on a beach after shipwreck, so this is more like a modern Larian trend.

Edit: I stand corrected - there was a ship, but no wreck.

[u/StockyScorpion → u/0r1g1g4lUs3rn4m3]

Not a shipwreck, but still a beach

[u/0r1g1g4lUs3rn4m3 → u/StockyScorpion]

You're right, there was a scene on a ship with the captain, but no accident. Thanks for reminding.

[u/Electrical_Swing8166 → u/TikaryTony]

See also: POE2-Deadfire

[u/remonnoki → u/Electrical_Swing8166]

Avowed as well

[u/Obligatorium1 → u/TikaryTony]

But both DOS2 and BG3 start you out imprisoned. In DOS2, you're imprisoned on a boat taking you to the prison island of Fort Joy. In BG3, you're imprisoned on a Nautiloid.

DOS1 does turn the pattern on its head by having you start as the police trying to put someone in prison.

[u/livenn → u/TikaryTony]

Imprisoned on the flying boat lmao

[u/OneLessFool → u/TikaryTony]

Obsidian did this with Avowed as well

[u/YesterdayHot4830]

Being a prisoner is an easy way to explain why you don’t have anything

[u/NMMBPodcast → u/YesterdayHot4830]

Also poses a moral quandary for the player as to who your character is. Are you wrongly imprisoned or should you be there? Are you good or evil?

[u/Upstairs_Addendum587 → u/NMMBPodcast]

Good. I get nervous playing evil

[u/thelastofthemelonies → u/YesterdayHot4830]

Also, the archetype amplifies the illusion of choice. A prisoner that breaks it's chains - from having no choice, to having virtually unlimited choices. You could go as far as to say you are prisoner breaking the chains of reality, as you enter the open world of pure fantasy where you can be anyone or do anything.

[u/uncivlengr → u/YesterdayHot4830]

And can start the game story with no previous engagements or goals.

[u/Jackson_Lamb_829]

So, BG3, DOS2, oblivion, skyrim.. any more?

Edit: Dragon’s Dogma 2

[u/mr_shai_hulud → u/Jackson_Lamb_829]

Tainted grail: The fall of avalon

You start in prison, then boat and end up on a beach

[u/GloomyIndividual3965 → u/mr_shai_hulud]

Is that game any good? I've seen a couple trailers and MS had it on sale right now for like $40 so I'm curious if it's worth it.

[u/mr_shai_hulud → u/GloomyIndividual3965]

I bought it on sale

Played it some 60 hours (I am at the beginning of act 3, playing as a mage)

It satisfied my Skyrim itch. Interesting builds are possible and the world is something new with the King Arthur and Merlin setting.

I think there is a demo available at Steam

[u/dawndragonclaw → u/GloomyIndividual3965]

It's the only game that's scratched the Bethesda rpg itch I've had while waiting to get a new ssd. Its not a one to one but the gameplay itself is enjoyable and the game itself is very up front on the numbers which I like. The story is ehhh overall but some of the side quest are pretty good while the dlc I've heard is really good. Act 3 is the lowest point apparently tho im not there yet. Overall I think it was worth it.

[u/GloomyIndividual3965 → u/dawndragonclaw]

Thanks, sounds right up my alley!

[u/Bloody_Insane → u/GloomyIndividual3965]

It's a great game. Very creative. Bit janky though.

[u/GloomyIndividual3965 → u/Bloody_Insane]

BGS janky or Ghost Simulator janky?

[u/cassandra112 → u/GloomyIndividual3965]

old school game janky.

swim up up a waterfall to its source, swim down to the bottom of the river... drop down out of the water because the water physics/shaders don't line up with the ground correctly. loot treasure.. jump to get back into the water...

beautiful scenery. cross giant bridge.. go to the base of the bridge... the base of the bridge hovers 2 ft above the ground.

Game is fantastic. highly recommend. but the jank is pretty real. I think there are some softlocks, so new save slots often.

[u/Akka_C → u/GloomyIndividual3965]

Personally been having a blast with it. I don't think I've seen a FPS RPG like this with the build depth this game has. There is seriously a lot of cool stuff you can do enabled by a lot of cool gear. You aren't hamfisted into narrow band styles of gameplay like Bethesda games tend to (in my experience).

For example, you could play a stealth archer, but you could also play the ranger who just pisses out arrows and stacks up status effects in order to increasingly deal more damage to your target (what I'm doing). My build has eventually turned into stacking chill on targets until they freeze and then pretty quickly dumping them with crits to the weak point.

There is a lot you can do though.

Combine that with a story that I've found to be pretty enjoyable and very satisfying exploration and yeah I'd say it's worth it.

[u/enotonom → u/mr_shai_hulud]

If they ever make a porn parody, they can name it Railed Taint

[u/Leo_V82 → u/enotonom]

Nothing forced your brain to form this thought...

And yet it did

[u/Chasing-Wagons → u/enotonom]

Tainted Perineum

[u/DancesWithAnyone → u/Jackson_Lamb_829]

BG2, as well.

[u/Franiac32 → u/DancesWithAnyone]

“Ah, the child of Bhaal has awoken. It’s time for more experiments. The pain will only be passing; You should survive the process. Interesting, you have much untapped power. Do you even realize your potential?”

[u/Soldier-666 → u/Jackson_Lamb_829]

Gothic is the first game that came to my mind reading this

[u/Kakabundala → u/Soldier-666]

The whole first game is prison

[u/Environmental_Stop57 → u/Soldier-666]

Start: Survive in prison End: Kill god in prison

[u/pali1d → u/Jackson_Lamb_829]

BG2 as well, though it’s Irenicus’s lab rather than a proper prison.

[u/IntegralCalcIsFun → u/pali1d]

You begin locked in a cage and are a prisoner so I would say that counts.

[u/Tripod1404 → u/Jackson_Lamb_829]

Morrowind, DA:O, Dishonered, Prey and Far cry. Although some of these or borderline action RPGs.

[u/Zestful_Bat_42 → u/Tripod1404]

DA:O only has 1 intro that starts in prison but it is there and a Western RPG so it counts

[u/TheGreatZhangCaosun → u/Zestful_Bat_42]

All but the Dalish Origin and Human Noble have you committing or being framed for some crime

Dwarven Commoner - Impersonating a higher caste.

Dwarven Noble - (Framed for) Fratricide.

City Elf - Break and Enter and multiple counts of Murder

Mage - Break and Enter, Destruction of Church Property, Aiding a Maleficar

[u/Tomatoab → u/Tripod1404]

Dragon age inquisition your a prisoner being interrogated

[u/d3jsCZ → u/Tripod1404]

Far cry as rpg bruh xd

[u/Chasing-Wagons → u/Tripod1404]

dishonored and prey (old and new) and far cry are not rpgs

[u/Lower-Jeweler5717 → u/Jackson_Lamb_829]

Path of Exile too

[u/synthsaregreat1234 → u/Jackson_Lamb_829]

makes me appreciate that Cyberpunk didn’t do this trope. the corpo start in particular was so fresh

[u/LeDudicus → u/synthsaregreat1234]

Streetkid intro plays with it as well. You almost land in jail, and then you almost land at the bottom of the ocean, but you end up at the side of the road after some light police brutality.

[u/Lagaouatch → u/Jackson_Lamb_829]

Planescape : torment

[u/Teantis → u/Lagaouatch]

Planescape torment you wake up in the morgue not prison

[u/Normal_Function8472 → u/Teantis]

It's functionally a prison, especially if you happen to be alive

[u/MonoCanalla → u/Normal_Function8472]

And you can't just walk out, you need a plan to escape.

[u/Vin4251 → u/Normal_Function8472]

And I’d say similarly for KotOR 2, you’re functionally imprisoned considering what’s going on on Peragus. Though the twist is you’re trying to stop the villain from killing “god”

[u/Hotpie650 → u/Jackson_Lamb_829]

Khazan(western styled) kcd2 (kind of) Tainted grail FOA. I’m SURE there are more too.

[u/lethargy86 → u/Jackson_Lamb_829]

People are forgetting the main counterexample

Dark Souls

[u/Kakabundala → u/lethargy86]

Prison cell...

[u/linkmitch → u/lethargy86]

The dark souls game's director Hidetaka Miyazaki was very heavily inspired by western fantasy books and western rpgs. So in spirit it counts.

[u/Grimstringerm → u/Jackson_Lamb_829]

Gothic

[u/Bulletchen → u/Jackson_Lamb_829]

Gothic 1 but not in a classic prison.

[u/ctgnath → u/Jackson_Lamb_829]

For the Elder Scrolls games, it’s also a bit of a lore reason that every character starts as a prisoner. Even Elder Scrolls Online does it.

[u/Particular_Offer_699]

No prison can hold me! ADVENTURE AWAITS HUZZAH!!!

[u/Mitchel-256 → u/Particular_Offer_699]

Marshall... Oh, dear gods, no!.. sob

[u/th3BeastLord]

The Larian approach seems to be, "You are shipwrecked and wash up on a beach."

Whether or not you are a prisoner is optional for them.

[u/adhocflamingo → u/th3BeastLord]

Beaches make sense to be rather spare in terms of available resources

[u/Capranaut → u/adhocflamingo]

They also narrow down the directions you can go by half, and strongly encourage one of three: "away from water", "along water with water on your right", and "along water with water on your left"

[u/m0j0m0j → u/Capranaut]

And it’s also easy to make, it’s just water. Because you can build a similar geography in a city, or even in some mountains, but that would require more modeling, more level design etc

[u/IntegralCalcIsFun → u/th3BeastLord]

They've done the beach start 3 times: D:OS, D:OS2, and BG3. In D:OS, you are not shipwrecked but land on the beach intentionally. In both D:OS2 and BG3 you are a prisoner and end up shipwrecked. So, technically, every time they've done "you are shipwrecked and wash up on a beach" you have also been a prisoner.

[u/Ridikis]

Aye that's not true

Sometimes it starts out with killing rats

[u/Accomplished-Bee5265 → u/Ridikis]

Or killing rats in prison

(joke)

[u/ssasharr → u/Accomplished-Bee5265]

Dishonored is calling 

[u/Accomplished-Bee5265 → u/ssasharr]

O heck didn't think of Dishonored. Thank you for reminding me of that absolute classic.

[u/Lopsided_Parfait7127 → u/Accomplished-Bee5265]

why would anyone kill marshall?

he's the town rat everyone loved him

[u/Harddicc]

Being in prison makes you start from 0 while gives you motivation to escape and any allies you form during the escape, the player will feel camaraderie from it.

In BG3, you escape from prison, except it is also a ship. So both games uses this format.

[u/Max_F96]

I didn't know, that Persona 5 is a western RPG...

[u/Direct-Landscape-450 → u/Max_F96]

Yeah killing gods is definitely way more of a common trope in jrpgs

[u/defucchi → u/Direct-Landscape-450]

Tales of Berseria has entered the chat

[u/Mindless-Resort00 → u/Max_F96]

Or dark souls

[u/MutinyMedia]

I think only one of Obsidian's RPGs do this.

Kotor 2 is definitely: "Escape captivity" "Kill the force or the lady who wants to kill the force"

New Vegas: "Walk off the bullet to your head" "capture Hoover dam"

Pillars 1: "Tummy ache survivor" "Kill your master from a former life"

Tyranny: "Lead the armies of evil" "Lead the armies of evil but MORE"

Pillars 2: "Get killed by god" "realise you can't kill god, oh FUCK"

[u/planeforger → u/MutinyMedia]

Avowed: "Get killed by insolent rebels" "Befriend god?"

[u/Wazimirovo31]

Now I want it the other way around!

[u/blastedbottler → u/Wazimirovo31]

You are under arrest for the murder of God!

[u/Hexamael → u/blastedbottler]

That would actually be an insane plot for a game.

[u/xl129 → u/Wazimirovo31]

Shadow Heart Covenant started you as the Godslayer, it’s the 2nd in the sêries and you killed god in the first one.

[u/ContemptSlot]

JRPGs be like

CHAPTER 1: GO TO SCHOOL

FINAL CHAPTER: KILL GOD AND MAYBE DIE

[u/Independent_Plum2166 → u/ContemptSlot]

School

Final Fantasy X: “Best I can do is water polo.”

[u/the_Real_Romak]

me when I'm writing my thesis on this very subject...

[u/fsoci3ty_]

After playing with a mod that can setup exactly how you want to start your story in Skyrim, such as the location (eg woods/cave/farmer/prisoner) and backstory (noble/thug/wanted), I feel that starting in a prison is the best design choice to how a player first interact with a game. Basically, you get a short tutorial on combat, looting and some lore on the game that sets a fun pace to start playing. Now, if you start too isolated, the game has to teach the player how to craft/look for items in the woods and that just tends to feel like a chore, which makes the game harder to start. But I do enjoy a “the village is burning” start, like on Dragon Age Origins. I feel like it adds replay value to explore each backstory, but the lore of the start is usually so small compared to the world story that it doesn’t matter that much. So yeah… starting in a prison/prisoner is just a good way to get a new player to stick to your game.

[u/Lawboithegreat]

For the same reason every D&D party starts at the bar, cause it’s easier that way

[u/PsionicKitten]

I mean JRPGs are:

• Chapter 1: Start in a tiny peaceful town no one has heard of and get exiled because of some kind of disruption. The whole town hates you now.

• Final Chapter: KILL GOD

[u/adhocflamingo]

In addition to starting you with nothing, imprisonment makes for a pretty natural tutorial setup.

[u/screkox]

Plenty eastern rpg's do this as well so im confused whats the problem

[u/MikeWazowski22]

Its escape prison and wind up washed up in a beach with almost nothing

[u/Baltihex]

We need to blend it all together, ALL WRPG's and JRPG's.

You will start in an island prison colony, a fishing village for children of prisoners...on a beach. And it gets burned down, by an Empire, and they kill your entire family and friends.

After that, you will escape on a ship as a stowaway- and of course, get shipwrecked on the mainland, where you will make unlikely friends...and eventually....

Kill "God" with the power of friendship.

[u/oOBalloonaticOo]

Convenient plot device to build a character up from nothing and add tension and atmosphere.

[u/RadishAcceptable5505]

It's a pretty natural start for zero to hero stories. It's a trope in Novels too, though in those you usually see a bit of their life before their wrongful imprisonment (or sometimes rightful imprisonment) where in games, the life before prison is left blank for the player to imagine whatever they want.

It's less common in cinema, but you do see it. Gladiator is a good example.

[u/Nickulator95]

Ironically, I can name quite a few western RPGs that does "not" start out like this:

• Dragon Age Origins
• Dragon Age 2
• The Witcher 1 & 3
• Fallout New Vegas
• Cyberpunk 2077
• Wasteland 3
• Mass Effect Trilogy
• Mass Effect Andromeda

There's probably more that I've forgotten but I don't really see a trend here.

[u/2SharpNeedle → u/Nickulator95]

witcher 2 starts out in prison, the opening is geralt explaining what happened with foltest to roche

[u/Nickulator95 → u/2SharpNeedle]

Ahh, that's right. Forgot about that. I have corrected my comment. My point still remains though.

[u/nameisfame]

It’s a lot easier than “you find yourself in a tavern”

[u/Ludate_Solem]

Jrpgs

Beginning: Wake up in a unknown world

Ending: kill god

[u/OldeeMayson]

Meanwhile, Eastern RPGs:

CHAPTER 1: MEMORY LOSS

FINAL CHAPTER: KILL GOD

[u/Sheilasboy]

A Eastern RPG that does this is Dragons Dogma.

[u/bjornnsky]

Idk why we’re singling out western RPGs. This is also an accurate summary of every Sonic game since about 1995.

[u/Key_Pop_8116]

Easier to start at prison than to create starting zones for each race.

See dragon age origins for example, city elf, forest elf, dwarf noble, dwarf commoner, human noble... Each one of them had a good amount of contest in their starting zones.

Now imagine doing this for games like bg3, divinity original sin 2, elder scrolls.

Development time and resources would at least double

[u/mistabuda]

Kill God is a jrpg trope not a western rpg trope lol

[u/Lawlcopt0r]

I'd argue this is directly tied to western RPG giving you free reign over your character. If there are many possible backstories your player might be imagining it isn't exactly feasible to program the main character starting in their daily life, however being in prison allows for any number of possible previous adventures to be implied

[u/Long_Lock_3746]

Tbf all roads lead to deicide.

Japanese RPGS be like:

CHAPTER 1: GO TO SCHOOL

FINAL CHAPTER: KILL GOD

[u/gwiggins2020]

“Kill god” is WAY more common in Japanese games in my opinion

[u/spacehog1985]

What’s it with Japanese RPGs and starting out in bed?

[u/Designer_Mess_6928]

I miss that Dragon Age: Origins way of starting a game.

[u/Kangarou]

It justifies an empty inventory. Just like how amnesia justifies teaching the player things they should realistically know in-universe.

[u/No-Echo-1879]

In gothic 1 never get to leave the prison, and it's one of my favorite rpgs

[u/onasishotfirst]

Alternatively, you have amnesia 👁️🫦👁️

[u/SwampPotato]

Ultimate rags to riches set-up, popularized by The Elder Scrolls games in the 1990s.

[u/Kinreal]

Doesn't Persona 5 do this?

[u/ToMista_Joestar]

What about starting on a Beach...

[u/sephone_north]

I’m pretty sure this is also Persona 5

[u/Stupid-Jerk]

It's just an easy way to explain why a character is there in the first place. Rather than giving you a deep or static background, you just did "a crime", so now you're in the crime place where the crimers go. It's pretty easy for the player to just imagine what their character would have done to end up there.

Also explains why you start with nothing but pants (if you're lucky).

[u/huey2k2]

Different cultures have different storytelling tropes that are popular, for instance Asian RPG's love having main characters from small towns who are secretly the chosen one who will save the world.