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RPGs where party members have their own agendas

For discussing role-playing video games, you know, the ones with combat.
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rusty_shackleford
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RPGs where party members have their own agendas

Post by rusty_shackleford »

I'm looking for games where most party members only join you when interests align, leave if you upset them, etc., :wizard:
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Post by logincrash »

Obvious one, but Dragon Age Origins.
Sten tries to take over the party outright if he doesn't like the way you do things.
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Post by Tadeusz »

Does Arcanum qualify? Party members often have alignment requirements and they can leave due to PC's alignment shift or some story-related choices.
MotB also has leaving requirements of party members - it can be some story choice or a drop of the relationship with them to -50 or -75.
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Post by rusty_shackleford »

Tadeusz wrote: November 29th, 2025, 08:49
Does Arcanum qualify? Party members often have alignment requirements and they can leave due to PC's alignment shift or some story-related choices.
Sorta, but I'm looking for a game that really leans into it. Like party members that join up for a single dungeon(unless you can convince 'em to stay I guess) or something
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Post by Tadeusz »

rusty_shackleford wrote: November 29th, 2025, 08:52
Sorta, but I'm looking for a game that really leans into it. Like party members that join up for a single dungeon(unless you can convince 'em to stay I guess) or something
Many RPGs have temporary companions along with permanent ones. I think Alpha Protocol really leans into character's agendas as they all have their own motivations and personalities. They are not party members per se but they can be present in some missions if the conditions are right.
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Post by rusty_shackleford »

I was inspired by this video btw
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Post by Manny V »

Warband, to a degree.

All the companions have someone they like and someone they dislike, so having two that dislike one another in your party gives you dialogue popups where they voice their annoyance, and eventually one of them will leave the party.

Similarly there are certain actions companions like and dislike, i.e more righteous, nobler companions hate it when you do ****** up **** like robbing innocents or raiding a village, while the scumbag companions love it. Scummy boy companions in turn get pissy with you if you do honourable actions like letting a Lord go free when given the option to capture him after a battle, or helping peasants and so on
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Post by Lich »

In the Megami Tensei II part of Kyūyaku Megami Tensei, the friend you start the game with leaves the party with half your stuff if you side with the tower witch against Pazuzu.
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Post by Tangerine »

Baldur's Gate 1/2.
- Has characters join you for a specific goal and leave if you **** around for too long.
- Player reputation affects characters' desire to stay. Evil prefers low and good prefers high. Characters will warn you about changing your ways or they leave.
- Characters are scripted to fight with other characters they dislike.
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Post by Kolgrim »

In New Vegas Boone gets angry if you get positive reputation with the Legion. He also gets pissy if you do things that hurt the NCR.
logincrash wrote: November 29th, 2025, 08:41
Obvious one, but Dragon Age Origins.
Sten tries to take over the party outright if he doesn't like the way you do things.
Which is why I always leave him in the cage.
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Post by logincrash »

Kolgrim wrote: November 29th, 2025, 14:49
logincrash wrote: November 29th, 2025, 08:41
Obvious one, but Dragon Age Origins.
Sten tries to take over the party outright if he doesn't like the way you do things.
Which is why I always leave him in the cage.
Just don't act like a ****** and you can easily talk him down.
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Post by J1M »

Neverwinter Nights 2 does this with multiple party members but the consequences only happen at the end.
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Post by asf »

whining companions the game
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Post by Dorateen »

The Gold Box games featured NPCs who joined the party, thus making them party members, some who had hidden agendas including betraying the characters. One example is Brinshaar from the Luskan tower in Treasures of the Savage Frontier.
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Post by Kolgrim »

logincrash wrote: November 29th, 2025, 14:52
Kolgrim wrote: November 29th, 2025, 14:49
logincrash wrote: November 29th, 2025, 08:41
Obvious one, but Dragon Age Origins.
Sten tries to take over the party outright if he doesn't like the way you do things.
Which is why I always leave him in the cage.
Just don't act like a ****** and you can easily talk him down.
Talk down the angry black former prisoner and hope he doesn't kill you in your sleep? I'm going with no. That's almost as bad of a suggestion as trusting the *** elf assassin.
Last edited by Kolgrim on November 29th, 2025, 21:58, edited 1 time in total.
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Post by MrTwinkls »

PoE2. You can have companions from different quarreling factions. If you ally with one of them aside from pirates two of those three companions will leave.
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Post by The_Mask »

Black Geyser. Although the "agendas" are pretty superficial and it's pretty easy to keep people in the party, but they're present.
Just like Yves, I chase tales
rusty_shackleford wrote: October 28th, 2024, 07:36
Mediocre or bad games can still have parts that are good.
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Post by jdcp »

Kolgrim wrote: November 29th, 2025, 14:49
In New Vegas Boone gets angry if you get positive reputation with the Legion. He also gets pissy if you do things that hurt the NCR.

Cass will get mad at you for having bad karma and will eventually leave you if you keep being a ****.
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Post by maidenhaver mk3 »

She should have been a bad karma companion, she wanted a massacre.
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Post by Norfleet »

J1M wrote: November 29th, 2025, 17:32
Neverwinter Nights 2 does this with multiple party members but the consequences only happen at the end.
It's more like multiple characters who will either join you or oppose you in the final showdown depending on what choices you make and what stat checks you pass. And then ROCKS FALL, EVERYBODY DIES.
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Post by Tweed »

Ultima V had Saduj. Who's entire purpose of joining your group was to steal a plot item.