4. Non-Static Time
A big point of criticism for video games used to be replay value. This area of consideration has been diminished over the years, mostly due to the abundance of franchised IPs. Its a bit difficult to complain about Arkham Asylums somewhat limited replay value when the reviewer is well aware that it is the first of many games. However, DLC should have sparked a return of focus on replay value when the idea of regular updates became a reality. A big killer of replay value in RPGs is that time is largely static. Wherever the player isnt, time stands still. The player can pick up multiple quests, all of which seem fairly urgent, and then spend as much time as theyd like completing one quest with no linear consequence to the other quests. A Star Trek game cant do this, when faced with a choice, that choice should be quite real complete with linear consequences. This helps the developers create drama and tension and even more reason to care about whats happening. This also creates a considerable amount of replay value in terms of making different choices the next go-round and seeing what those changes do.