What Makes an RPG?

[ninja_lord666]

So, an rpg is a game that lets you create a character of your own, and then drops you in a nice big world, where you can create your own story. Obviously most have detailed main stories, but they still allow you to flesh out your character, and play him/her as you like, affecting the rest of the world as you do so. If a game forces you into some preset mould, then it isn't an rpg.

What about JRPGs like Final Fantasy? Now while many people say those suck, they are still RPGs. Yet, they shove you into a mould with [almost] no choices.

[NewtC]

To me, an RPG is anything were you can effect the environment, talk to people, by your own stuff, and on.....(In other words, anything even remotley like morrowind)

:D

[delphinus]

Well, as the word says, the rpg should be something that asks you to act a role, think like the character you are playing and so on. Unfortunately most people see in the RPG mainly the numbers, the points, the abilities, and videogames RPG are mostly based on these stats, except a few ones, like Morrowind or Oblivion, where you have a great freedom to act, visit, see, fight.

 

When i lead a roleplaying campaign "on board" i leave total freedom to my players in the creation of their character, and i try to create a world as original as possible myself, but i ask them to get into the role. many ppl aren't used to this, they don't like originality and they only care about stats and abilities, but there are others who appreciate, and so the real purpose (for me) of roleplaying can be satisfied.

 

PS: in my modest experience, i noticed a thing: The best roleplayer is the player who never played a RPG

[Viblo]

Well, as the word says, the rpg should be something that asks you to act a role, think like the character you are playing and so on. Unfortunately most people see in the RPG mainly the numbers, the points, the abilities, and videogames RPG are mostly based on these stats, except a few ones, like Morrowind or Oblivion, where you have a great freedom to act, visit, see, fight.

 

When i lead a roleplaying campaign "on board" i leave total freedom to my players in the creation of their character, and i try to create a world as original as possible myself, but i ask them to get into the role. many ppl aren't used to this, they don't like originality and they only care about stats and abilities, but there are others who appreciate, and so the real purpose (for me) of roleplaying can be satisfied.

 

PS: in my modest experience, i noticed a thing: The best roleplayer is the player who never played a RPG

 

I can believe that. People that are used to RPG are totally lost into the statistics part of the game; how to gain new items and moar lvlz-- in other words "Power-playing" which is usually strictly followed by metagame thinking. I notice this as well in various of roleplaying sessions I've been in. There are some who only care about the money, items and levels, the "is there any loot????" etc. These are usually the people who have been used to the crpg, or at least the new-genre crpg because those who have played the crpgs that I think are truly roleplaying like the "old-school" Baldur's Gate series, Planescape torment, Fallout series etc are the ones that are by far more superior roleplayers and understand the beauty of deep dialogs and storyline behind the game more than the new-genre "crpg" players.

[xenxander]

A role playing game doesn’t necessarily mean “invent a role and play it”, it simply means “play a role”. Weather or not you have the freedom to choose your role is irrelevant.

 

Games like the Final Fantasy Series, Dragon Warrior Series, Neverwinter Nights, Baulder’s Gate – all of them are role play games. Some simply offer more choices, more quests / sub-quests, greater variety, better immersion, deeper story – and some offer less of these elements.

 

Table Top and LARPS (Live action role playing sessions for those who don’t know) probably originated the concept of “role playing”, then it matured from there. Just like the English language evolves with time (so by definition, “role play” will too), so will what it means for a game to be an “RPG”.

 

In a very broad category, the RPG games have some type of status (or character) leveling, that other games (action/adventure or FPS) just don’t have. Better items or deep storyline don’t define the RPG, but personal character status does (I.E. does the character get more health, improved strength, another “level”, etc).

 

Example:

The first Castlevania game was an action/adventure game, but Castlevania II: Simon's Quest, was an RPG. You got character "HP" levels in that game, along with shopping for items and a number of other things.

On the other hand, Kingpin: Life of Crime is 'not' an RPG game. Yes, you can get money and mod your weapons (thus improving their 'level' so to speak) but your character doesn't really develop any more (and by that I mean personal 'status' and not in character developement).

[Abramul]

In a very broad category, the RPG games have some type of status (or character) leveling, that other games (action/adventure or FPS) just don’t have. Better items or deep storyline don’t define the RPG, but personal character status does (I.E. does the character get more health, improved strength, another “level”, etc).

By this standard, Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory counts as an RPG, rather than just an FPS with XP and levels.

[ninja_lord666]

In a very broad category, the RPG games have some type of status (or character) leveling, that other games (action/adventure or FPS) just don’t have. Better items or deep storyline don’t define the RPG, but personal character status does (I.E. does the character get more health, improved strength, another “level”, etc).

By this standard, Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory counts as an RPG, rather than just an FPS with XP and levels.

Yeah? So? Hellgate:London is an rpg, yet it plays like an fps, too.

[ResidentWeevil2077]

Let me put this to you guys - EVERY game ever made is an RPG. Why, you ask? Very simple - all games put you into the role or one or more characters. Some of you may not see it this way, but the fact is every character you play has a role, and you are playing that role. It all depends upon what kind of game the game developers want you to play - some roles are rather rigid, while others allow you to choose how you want to role play. That's just my 2.5¢ :thumbsup:

[ninja_lord666]

Let me put this to you guys - EVERY game ever made is an RPG. Why, you ask? Very simple - all games put you into the role or one or more characters. Some of you may not see it this way, but the fact is every character you play has a role, and you are playing that role. It all depends upon what kind of game the game developers want you to play - some roles are rather rigid, while others allow you to choose how you want to role play. That's just my 2.5¢ :thumbsup:

If you consider an rpg by the term 'roleplay', you're correct. However, roleplay and roleplaying game are different; they have different definitions. An rpg game is a specific genre of game. Now while some games might blur the lines (like Hellgate: London), they can still be discerned as one or the other. HG:L is an rpg because of it's stats, levels, weapon damage based on stats not human accuracy, etc.

[xenxander]

Another game that blurred the lines many years ago was the old NES game "River City Ransom".

 

You were one of two "heros", beating the crap out of gang mambers, nabbing their dropped coins, and using said coins to shop. There were item shops for better equipment and food shops. Munching certain types of food improved certain types of status; strength or HP etc...

 

this game was probably clasified as an action/adventure game but you could save your progress so it 'may' fall into the RPG standard.

 

Also I've noticed that most RPG games (of the earlier generation) had save games, while action/adventure or puzzle games didn't - they had to be played through in one session. This doesn't apply to early PC games like Wolfenstien 3D where you could save after each level; it's merely a 'console' generalization.

 

Now however, just about every game lets you save so this princple won't stand up to games "post-SNES" era as I like to call it; games for the N64, Playstation etc. on up.