I never got the appeal of "surprise consequences." After the first few times, it just seems like some cheap "It turns out the baby was HITLER!" twist, and I think it somewhat diminish the point of making choices when it seems like you're just rolling the dice. I think the most compelling choices are the ones where the consequence is clear, but the game doesn't really tell what you've done is right or wrong.
[QUOTE=Mingebox;42170682]I never got the appeal of "surprise consequences." After the first few times, it just seems like some cheap "It turns out the baby was HITLER!" twist, and I think it somewhat diminish the point of making choices when it seems like you're just rolling the dice. I think the most compelling choices are the ones where the consequence is clear, but the game doesn't really tell what you've done is right or wrong.[/QUOTE]
Surprise consequences are good when they're not major story-defining points and are instead used for interaction with minor characters. My favorite example was killing the council in Mass Effect; if you let them die, a lot of merchants in the second game treat you with hostility and more conflicts brew in the background, whereas if you save the council you're treated like a hero by everyone. That kind of thing makes it seem like everyone has their own opinion of what you've done, which in turn makes the universe feel much more alive and believable. I do agree the best story points are ones with no arbitrary moral meter attached.
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