mechanical morality systems

This note last modified September 1, 2024

Morality systems that provide you with mechanical rewards. I dislike them because they encourage metagaming if done wrong.

There’s a thin line between having players feel consequences from their actions (which is good), and having a mechanical morality system (which is bad)

morality systems

moral decision making in games
- For in game benefits
hidden moral specatator
- In games, a hidden metric that judges your morality (or, in more interesting cases, faces you with the consequences of what you have done.)
Video Games and Moral Pedagogy-Staines
- Apparently Ultima IV uses moral dilemmas in its character creation. Recommends that UIV could have used consequences (aka skill points) and repeatedly modifying moral dilemmas
- Are mechanical morality systems that bad? People still understand the consequences and such.
Sicart
- Do not quantize with mechanical morality systems that simplify complex moral decisions, let them live in a world that reacts to their values
Challenges to Moral Engagement-Svelch
- discusses mechanical morality systems in Baldur's Gate and Bioshock
Bioshock
- In Bioshock, you have the opportunity to save the little girls or sacrifice them for a power boost. This is a neat mechanic, but it’s ruined because you later get the power boost even if you did save them. This turns a neat moral mechanic into a mechanical morality system, and a bad one at that.