More on Morality Choices in Video Games
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Unfortunately, videogames such as Mass Effect and Fallout 3 have a glaring tendency to completely ignore and disregard an individual's moral code with the introduction of an arbitrary morality meter. These meters judge a player's actions according to a hidden and often contradictory metric, and they assign a numeric value ranging between the extremes of right and wrong, good and evil, or paragon and renegade.
What purpose do these arbitrary morality metrics actually serve in videogames? Advocates of such systems would argue that morality metrics add consequences and weight to player decisions; these systems allow for a player to feel that they have more of an impact on the game world.
Is this actually the case? Does an extra tick mark in the bad karma slider actually serve as a consequence? Mass Effect's paragon and renegade system had no discernable impact on the storyline or gameplay. Fallout 3's karma system did nothing more impactful than provide unnecessary dialogue and ally options.
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The Witcher also exemplifies a video game that provides for real, ambiguous, consequence-oriented decision making. At one point in the game, an angry mob calls for the burning of a local witch, falsely accusing her of unleashing a hellhound on the village. The player either hands her over or stops the mob.
The decision, however, is complicated by the fact that the witch is not a typical innocent bystander. She is known to sell poisons and partake in dark arts, possibly making her worthy of some form of punishment.
One decision saves the life of a person falsely accused but also allows that person to continue a harmful trade. The other decision allows for the execution of an innocent, but also insures that said innocent ceases their destructive craft. Both positive and negative consequences are presented for each possible decision, even though they might not have any direct impact on the player. Further, no arbitrary morality system exists to circumvent the player's values.
