RPG discussion

[Akuta]

Sorry for being boring and technical, but i consider any game that employs a status system (with numbers for str, int or any similar aspects) to be a kind of rpg.
Games that are turn-based (without being set in a square-based movement and action system like Final Fantasy Tactics) and have these status aspects are considered RPGs by me.
Games that are real-time (such as the "Tales of" series) and have these status aspects are considered Action-RPGs by me.



Now the fact that most games that hold one of these aspects strive towards a rich and good story, that's just a -huge- bonus :3

[Wan]

In all of those aspects it seems that games will, instead of being one type of genre they will go for more than multiple. Sort of how GTA:SA went. And since we got the next gen, they will go on a grander scale.

But what is everyone's thoughts of this? Do you think the RPG genre will be used more so than any other since it offers alot to the gaming, such as customization.

[wave killer]

Well if you think about it, genres are never just pure action or pure FPS.

[Kaito Fujiwara]

on that note, I raise the following question:

What seperates an RPG game from am Adventure game?

[Maromi]

on that note, I raise the following question:

What seperates an RPG game from am Adventure game?

Well, for one, and most obviously, a statistics system, if you're talking straight up from each genre.

[Kaito Fujiwara]

True, but that's not what I was aiming for with the question.

By Mr. Wan's Logic games like MGS could be considered role-playing games, but at the same time could be considered an adventure game.

My question is, in terms of things other than the gameplay mechanics, what seperates the two?

[wave killer]

This is just off the top of my head, but I guess an Adventure game is different from other genres besides gameplay would be your given a choice. Adventure games mostly make you have to continue with the main story to get the full experience while RPGs allow more freedom.

[hawthorneluke]

This is for any RPG, MMORPG, ORPG, etc. fan. We discuss our views on them then debate on them.

For instance.
RPGs in my view RPGs are any game with a role that you must fufill. Such as dmc, mgs, ff, .hack, etc.

I consider games like MGS or DMC to be RPG. How and Why? Look at the term RPG, it stands for Role-Playing Game. In MGS you are solid snake(role) to defeat whomever is the meance(playing) on a console (game). Same goes for DMC.

In that sense, almost every game is a RPG. However RPG is generalized as a type of genre where fantasy, imagination and western themes come into play. Though im not a huge fantasy person, nor not of western themes (like Catholic Monks) I will go for imagination, like .hack.

Those are what I consider RPGs, what are yours?

i think you're being too technical
i wouldnt even consider games like oblivion to be true rpg's
i'd consider the hardcore console rpg's from japan to be real rpg's

[S1lentOp]

Distinctive characteristics of a game decide what it is. Simply because a game has a story, you can play the role of a specific character, and there is some level of customization, it doesn't mean the game is a RPG. By that overly-general criteria, every single game short of chess and checkers is a RPG. Metal Gear Solid is definitely not a RPG at all. It is a Stealth Action game. Why? Because it is an action game that's emphasis is stealth and espionage. Devil May Cry is definitely not a RPG at all. It is an Action game. Why? Because the emphasis of the game is hack-n-slash action that is confined to linear gameplay.

What separates a role-playing game from other games is the emphasis of the game. A Role Playing Game (RPG) is a genre of video game in which the player controls one or more characters, usually on some kind of quest.

The emphasis in role playing games is on increasing the abilities of the characters (stats such as strength, magical power, sword skill and the like) and collecting items (better armor, healing potions, etc) that allow the completion of the quest. Most role playing games are set in fairly open environments that allow the player to choose from many possible paths, and often include side quests not necessary to the completion of the main goal.


You can't just define some general criteria and say "These are RPGs" when nearly every single game fits within that criteria. What you are saying defines what is and is not a RPG is completely vague and utterly false. What you fail to see is that games are categorized by their primary and secondary emphasis. When the creator makes a game, they design it to have a certain feel and a certain gameplay. These things are molded by the different things the designer puts emphasis on. If they want it to be a first-person shooter, than they will put it in the first-person viewpoint and emphasize on shooting. If they want it to be action, than they will tone down the role-playing aspect and make it geared more towards the non-stop action (like DMC). In Metal Gear Solid's case, Kojima wanted to focus on stealth rather than run-and-gun fighting, but still keeping some aspects of an action game. Therefore, it is a Stealth Action game.

Get it?

[Maromi]

i think you're being too technical
i wouldnt even consider games like oblivion to be true rpg's
i'd consider the hardcore console rpg's from japan to be real rpg's

O.o

Which "hardcore" console JRPG's would you consider to be more true of an RPG than Oblivion? Oblivion's pretty damn straight-up old-school RPG.

[hawthorneluke]

i think you're being too technical
i wouldnt even consider games like oblivion to be true rpg's
i'd consider the hardcore console rpg's from japan to be real rpg's

O.o

Which "hardcore" console JRPG's would you consider to be more true of an RPG than Oblivion? Oblivion's pretty damn straight-up old-school RPG.

well it may fit in as an rpg technically, but i guess i'm going with rpg's must have one immense story you start and finish, which the developer's have spent most of their time on to make it turn out fantastic, more then just creating a huge game with good gameplay maybe. so i guess i'd be on about games like final fantasy, kingdom hearts, tales of whatever, xenosaga(?), .hack etc (most of which i haven't even touched :'()

i play rpg's to experience the story. the rest of the game is just icing on the cake. but i haven't played oblivion that much, so maybe if i got used to it, it could turn out to be more fun then i expect.

if you just have the basic categories like rpg, platformer, fps, adventure etc
i guess oblivion would have to be put in the rpg category . although i'm thinking that and other's (like mmo's) may fit in an adventure category, but more like an adventure game that has quests, abilities to play as differernt, unique characters and stats category lol. seeing as if you look at how all the first rpg's from japan work and how these newish ones from america are, i see a huge difference.

i may of got some facts wrong there, but all in all, i see those two types of games to be quite different

[Wan]

Distinctive characteristics of a game decide what it is. Simply because a game has a story, you can play the role of a specific character, and there is some level of customization, it doesn't mean the game is a RPG. By that overly-general criteria, every single game short of chess and checkers is a RPG. Metal Gear Solid is definitely not a RPG at all. It is a Stealth Action game. Why? Because it is an action game that's emphasis is stealth and espionage.

Devil May Cry has had more rpg elements than most action genre based games. Look at the weapon customization, the system growth in DMC3, the character growth (such as a longer devil mode),

What separates a role-playing game from other games is the emphasis of the game. A Role Playing Game (RPG) is a genre of video game in which the player controls one or more characters, usually on some kind of quest.

The emphasis in role playing games is on increasing the abilities of the characters (stats such as strength, magical power, sword skill and the like) and collecting items (better armor, healing potions, etc) that allow the completion of the quest. Most role playing games are set in fairly open environments that allow the player to choose from many possible paths, and often include side quests not necessary to the completion of the main goal.


You can't just define some general criteria and say "These are RPGs" when nearly every single game fits within that criteria. What you are saying defines what is and is not a RPG is completely vague and utterly false. What you fail to see is that games are categorized by their primary and secondary emphasis. When the creator makes a game, they design it to have a certain feel and a certain gameplay. These things are molded by the different things the designer puts emphasis on. If they want it to be a first-person shooter, than they will put it in the first-person viewpoint and emphasize on shooting. If they want it to be action, than they will tone down the role-playing aspect and make it geared more towards the non-stop action (like DMC). In Metal Gear Solid's case, Kojima wanted to focus on stealth rather than run-and-gun fighting, but still keeping some aspects of an action game. Therefore, it is a Stealth Action game.

Get it?

Got it, my thing is wanted to see just what stood inbetween. The way I saw DMC was that it was an rpg, gone through an action filter. A little bit too with MGS but possibly more for MGA.

One reason to say DMC was, at least 3, was because of the heavy customization involved. Then playing Vergil came into account (and Nelo Angelo). Seeing this, it seemed as if DMC3 was an rpg but presented in an action game.

MGS series had you using tactics but focused morely only character development rather than actual gameplay (even though you did get some items/guns/whatever along the way). Still MGA series was probably a better one to use rather than MGS series for an example.