Unusual Feature in Indie RPG 'Quartet' Allows Players to Toggle Oxford Comma Usage

A fascinating development in the realm of video games has surfaced, with the indie RPG 'Quartet' introducing an astonishingly precise user interface option: the ability to toggle the Oxford comma on and off. This peculiar inclusion in the game's settings is an unparalleled example of developers catering to niche linguistic preferences, underscoring a surprising depth of detail in an industry often focused on broader gameplay mechanics. It exemplifies how small, dedicated teams can inject unique character into their creations, elevating subtle elements of text presentation to a configurable player choice.

This unusual feature stems from an internal debate among the four-person development team at Something Classic Games. Patrick Holleman, the director, shed light on the genesis of this option. Despite working remotely and never having all met in person—with their lead programmer, Pete, being a completely virtual colleague—the team maintains a highly organized approach to development. Their 70-page Game Design Document (GDD) served as a meticulous blueprint, ensuring consistency throughout the seven-year production cycle.

Amidst their structured development, unconventional ideas occasionally emerged. The Oxford comma toggle was one such concept, initiated by Pete, the lead programmer. Holleman recounted that Pete simply proposed implementing it on their Discord channel, initially met with a moment of bewilderment from the rest of the team who were more preoccupied with resolving critical bugs and creating extensive JRPG content. However, Pete, with a firm conviction in the Oxford comma's necessity, quietly integrated the setting after a disagreement over its use in a line of dialogue. He firmly believed in the clarity it provided, even going as far as to implement it without direct instruction.

The implementation of this grammatical toggle involved a custom markdown tag, 'oxfordComma /', inserted into the game's script wherever an Oxford comma could potentially appear. When dialogue is displayed, the game dynamically adjusts the punctuation based on the player's preference. Despite 'Quartet' being a dialogue-heavy RPG, a comprehensive text search revealed that the Oxford comma was applicable in only about 15 instances. This highlights the feature's rarity within the game's script, yet its mere presence has resonated significantly with players who appreciate such meticulous attention to detail and customization, far exceeding the developers' initial expectations.

This novel feature not only provides a minor, yet intriguing, level of control for players but also serves as a testament to the passionate and sometimes idiosyncratic decision-making processes within indie game development. It offers a playful precedent for developers and writers to defend their grammatical choices, providing an unprecedented form of linguistic self-expression within the interactive medium. For enthusiasts of well-crafted RPGs, 'Quartet' certainly merits attention, extending beyond its unique punctuation option to deliver a genuinely classic gaming experience.