Tim Cain, co-creator of Fallout, explains that complaints about “realism” in games often stem from inconsistencies in their own rules, highlighting how his RPG Arcanum carefully maintained the separation of magic and technology.

Tim Cain, one of the minds behind Fallout, believes that when players voice concerns about realism in games, they are often really seeking consistency instead.

In the gaming world, it’s not uncommon to hear complaints about a lack of realism, even in titles like Assassin’s Creed Shadows or God of War Ragnarok, where realism isn’t a core focus. Cain suggests that these calls for realism can sometimes serve as a catch-all for other grievances players might have with a game.

During a discussion on his YouTube channel, Cain pointed out, “It’s interesting how people will say, ‘this isn’t realistic,’ while playing a fantasy game filled with dragons and spells.” He elaborated that the issue often arises from a misunderstanding, where realism is confused with consistency. This confusion is prevalent not just among players and critics, but also among developers, which Cain sees as problematic.

He explains that developers might dismiss player complaints by stating, “We’re not aiming for realism in this game,” when the real issue is that the game’s lore lacks internal consistency. To Cain, “realism” refers to features that mimic reality, while “self-consistency” means establishing rules for the game world and adhering to them.

Cain shared an example from his work on Arcanum, where he, along with Leonard Boyarsky and Jason Anderson, decided early on to create a rule that magic and technology could not coexist. He described magic as “suppressing natural law,” while technology “utilizes natural law.” This led to a system where both elements weakened when confronted with powerful entities from the opposing side.

He cautions that if a game’s lore becomes inconsistent, “eventually, you’re going to lose players.” However, he notes that it’s acceptable for NPCs to present inconsistent lore. “You can’t point to an NPC’s dialogue and say, ‘Aha, the lore is inconsistent,'” he explains, adding that NPCs might lie for their own reasons or simply be misinformed, like believing a bear is a fire-breathing monster based on rumors.

Cain also emphasizes the importance of leaving some mystery in a game’s lore, suggesting that if everything is revealed, players may lose interest in future installments: “If you tell everything, players will want nothing.”