I've been playing the bejeezus out of some Dragon Age lately.
Num num num that is good ole fashioned fantasy. But that epic scene
(you know the one) in the game got me thinking: How have dragons
influenced gaming?
In order to explore that topic, we have to go back to the great
granddaddy of our current DIKU gaming scene; D&D, or Dungeons
and Dragons. This title really epitomizes the fascination gamers
and developers alike have with dragons. They are the ultimate goal
of any hero's quest, are challenging opponents, and always sport a
healthy treasure trove to boot. So in one fell swoop, dragons have
provided the holy trinity of most games; something to do, something
to kill, and something to loot.
Most, if not all, western fantasy places the dragon squarely in
the role of villain. They're lazy, greedy, and liable to cause
havoc at the drop of a hat. Oh, and they like kidnapping
princesses, although their purpose is never quite clear. Do they
want a bride? Are they that hard up for female dragons? Regardless
of how they've come into the story, these monsters of legend almost
always end up at the tip of a hero's Sword of Dragon Slaying +3 by
the end. And that is as it should be; the great evil that has taken
the form of a sleepy reptile must be destroyed.
One of the forerunners of the MMO scene, Everquest, was rife
with dragons. Little dragons, big dragons, dragons of all shapes
and colors came out to donate their hard earned gold and epic drops
to gamers across the world. Anybody remember the Velious Dragon
Raid? 6 Dragons in a row in the Western Wastes, plenty of loot
(even managed to loot the corpse of a local guide from the first
dragon), and plenty of good times were had by all. If you don't,
then you'd certainly remember the queen of the Permafrost, Lady
Vox. She was the epitome of an evil ice bitch, and had many a raid
group fall before her mighty frost breath before we finally took
her down.
This is Vox's twin sister encountered in Velious.
Even Bioware, these holy masters of the elusive “narrative
storytelling” skill, could not break from the norm in their best
selling fantasy epic, Dragon Age.
Looking at that picture, what's the first thought that pops into
your head? Mine was: “I hope that mage has backup!” Yeah, first
reactions are telling. That dragon looks evil as hell, and our
naturally inclination is to cut it to ribbons (or freeze it then
shatter it to pieces as the case may be).
How about this guy? Feel like petting it a little bit and
feeding it some table scraps? I don't. I want that dude standing by
its stomach to stick it with that big pointy sword. Then I want his
dragon's hoard of goodies. Yes, precious shinies.
There are few western single player games that cast dragons in the
role of protagonist, Drakan comes to mind, and did they ever make a
game about that movie Dragonheart? That would make two.
Even an eastern MMO like Conquer Online has decided to go with
the flow in its new expansion pack. While featuring the addition of
a traditionally eastern class, the monk, it also includes a
significant storyline about evil dragons wreaking havoc on the
world. Granted, these evil dragons were deceived in some sort of
elaborate demonic plot and twisted to malevolent ends, but still,
evil dragons are evil dragons no matter how much backstory you give
them.
This is a traditional eastern dragon with a dash of evil mixed
in. Note the lack of wings and well developed forearms. Someone's
been working out!
But there is hope for dragons yet. Horizons: Empire of Istaria,
now called Istaria: Chronicles of the Gifted, allows players to
step into the role of a maturing dragon for the first time in
online gaming. You can start your game as a dragon whelp, slowly
crafting, fighting, and hoarding your way to a full fledged flight
capable dragon of tremendous power. Traditional fantasy, eat your
heart out.
Oh stubby wings, one day you will know the wonder of flight, but
not today. Look out below!
Big day today! This pic reminds of my first time spreading those
wings... Ah memories.
So what am I getting at with all this dragon talk? Besides
sharing some fond memories, I'd like to know: can games get away
from the “kill the grand bad dragon” format? What other ways are
dragons used in gaming besides as a gatekeeper to "teh
uberlootz"?