Bad Endings Options

[Jens of Zanicuud]

Some times ago I was working on a project (now dismissed - or rather, waiting for my current project completion) which was designed to end badly, with the death of every character in the party (this was however related to the plot).

I've seen quite a few RPG with a default (i.e. not optional) bad ending (FFXIII-2 / KH Birth by Sleep - if we can call their ending bad), so I wonder if it's a taboo to make your game ends in a tragic way, or simply players prefer an happy ending to every game they play, since they are playing not to think to their problems...

What's your point about it?
Would you play/create a game with a tragic ending (not optional - main ending)?

If so, why?

That's a feature I've never found in a RPG Maker game (excluding maybe survival horror...)
If you know some link 'bout that, I'd be pleased to give it a look.

Maybe my project will resurrect, who knows?

Jens

[Jonnie19]

I am going to start this reply by mentioning something that you should never do if a character dies...and for this I reference, once again, Final Fantasy X and X-2

[Show/Hide] Ending Spoilers!

As fans of X and X-2 know, the whiny bitc...I mean Tidus (the main character from X) dies saving Yuna...*Cheers*, now in one of the plotlines of X-2 is to find out about a certain sphere that sounds just like his whiny annoying stupid voice...The game continues blah blah but I digress, If you manage to get 100% completion you get the option of bringing Tidus back to life which is what ruins X-2.The knowledge that 100% completion gives you the opportunity to destroy a great ending...It just ruins the entire game. So if a character is going to die. MAKE SURE IT STAYS DEAD!

I love a bad ending...as long as it's done right. You need to literally bring people to tears. Once again a brilliant example is Finding Eden...I have shamelessly played the game so many times and every time I am devastated when

[Show/Hide] Finding Eden Spoilers

One of the main characters gives his life to save her.

Now normally I would harp on about how Voice Actors can bring the characters to life...however in this case the way that FE was written was so amazing, that you could hear the characters, even though it was a 30min microgame. The development that went into it must have been outstanding due to the amount the characters were developed throughout the game. The close-ness of the main characters, and then the disaster that occurs. (read spoiler...)

But once again I digress...The point is, if you want to kill the main characters, or cause a disaster that basically renders the entire game pointless then be very smart. Develop your characters to the point of exhaustion; that way when they die. You devastate the player, but it's good devistation because they know that they have done something that helps the world that they have come to love, which is of course the world of your game

TL;DR: Go ahead and do it, there is too many happy go lucky stories around. But remember to develop your characters and world so much that the player can become eveloped in the world...so much that WHEN it happens. The player can really feel it. and do not under any circumstances bring the player back to life, in a equal...or later in the game. It's just stupid. Plain and simple stupid.