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

[Stalin the stall...]

Main ending must never be bad. Bittersweet, maybe, but not bad. Imagine this:

Player finally grinded his way to the final boss. After hours of playing he got heavily invested with plot, defeated countless enemies and faced great satisfaction, because he knows: he got to the end. He will beat Big Bad and save the world!
But in the ending all his party dies.
"WHAT THE F*UCK IS THAT SH*T?!" screaming player "I WASTED TWENTY HOURS OF MY LIFE FOR THIS? F*CK YOU, AUTOR, F*CK YOU!"

Allow me to show you the song on what player reeeeaaaallly wants.

So, that's my opinion on downer endings. I hate these VEEERY much.