Dragons of the World: Unite!

I’ve been playing the bejeezus out of some Dragon Age lately. Num num num that is good ole fashioned fantasy. But that epic scene (you know the one) in the game got me thinking: How have dragons influenced gaming?

In order to explore that topic, we have to go back to the great granddaddy of our current DIKU gaming scene; D&D, or Dungeons and Dragons. This title really epitomizes the fascination gamers and developers alike have with dragons. They are the ultimate goal of any hero’s quest, are challenging opponents, and always sport a healthy treasure trove to boot. So in one fell swoop, dragons have provided the holy trinity of most games; something to do, something to kill, and something to loot.

Most, if not all, western fantasy places the dragon squarely in the role of villain. They’re lazy, greedy, and liable to cause havoc at the drop of a hat. Oh, and they like kidnapping princesses, although their purpose is never quite clear. Do they want a bride? Are they that hard up for female dragons? Regardless of how they’ve come into the story, these monsters of legend almost always end up at the tip of a hero’s Sword of Dragon Slaying +3 by the end. And that is as it should be; the great evil that has taken the form of a sleepy reptile must be destroyed.

One of the forerunners of the MMO scene, Everquest, was rife with dragons. Little dragons, big dragons, dragons of all shapes and colors came out to donate their hard earned gold and epic drops to gamers across the world. Anybody remember the Velious Dragon Raid? 6 Dragons in a row in the Western Wastes, plenty of loot (even managed to loot the corpse of a local guide from the first dragon), and plenty of good times were had by all. If you don’t, then you’d certainly remember the queen of the Permafrost, Lady Vox. She was the epitome of an evil ice bitch, and had many a raid group fall before her mighty frost breath before we finally took her down.

Even Bioware, these holy masters of the elusive “narrative storytelling” skill, could not break from the norm in their best selling fantasy epic, Dragon Age.

There are few western single player games that cast dragons in the role of protagonist, Drakan comes to mind, and did they ever make a game about that movie Dragonheart? That would make two.

Even an eastern MMO like Conquer Online has decided to go with the flow in its new expansion pack. While featuring the addition of a traditionally eastern class, the monk, it also includes a significant storyline about evil dragons wreaking havoc on the world. Granted, these evil dragons were deceived in some sort of elaborate demonic plot and twisted to malevolent ends, but still, evil dragons are evil dragons no matter how much backstory you give them.

But there is hope for dragons yet. Horizons: Empire of Istaria, now called Istaria: Chronicles of the Gifted, allows players to step into the role of a maturing dragon for the first time in online gaming. You can start your game as a dragon whelp, slowly crafting, fighting, and hoarding your way to a full fledged flight capable dragon of tremendous power. Traditional fantasy, eat your heart out.

So what am I getting at with all this dragon talk? Besides sharing some fond memories, I’d like to know: can games get away from the “kill the grand bad dragon” format? What other ways are dragons used in gaming besides as a gatekeeper to “teh uberlootz”?