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

[Gospel Knight]

As far as how bad endings go in Video Games, I know a lot of is based on more than just the Good Guy vs Bad Guy thing where you are either all the way good, or all the way bad.

When it comes to a bad ending, you have to make it clear throughout the game that if you do not take a certain action, consequences will be met. Gamers never take this seriously at first, so it has to be reinforced.

Say, for instance, you were playing a game where you had to pilot a mech through a warzone to defeat the big boss. You are told at the beginning "Maintaining and upgrading your mech is essential. Without doing so properly, you will fail."

Then, about maybe halfway through the game, a person asks you, "Have you been maintaining your mech? I hope so. I hear the enemy will wipe you out if not."

Then a couple more times before the end, have someone say something along the lines of, "I hope you've been upgrading your mech. We are going to needs it's increased firepower to take out the enemy."

Then, at the end, say something like, "Before you fight the enemy, is there anything else you want to do to your mech?"

This way, if the player bombs the boss fight and gets the bad ending, it's their own fault.