What does "RPG" mean to you?

[LonestarHero]

With my main experience with the genre being Zelda, Final Fantasy and other Square titles through World of Warcraft, RIFT and SWTOR my loose definition of RPG is:

The grind of stat growth through the acquisition of experience points/ability points/action points/JP/etc, currency, reputation, gear, spells/abilities, transportation and/or ranking to pursue the goal of eliminating the strongest bad/good guy.

My definition probably leaves out many of the sandbox-type games that I have never played. It also assumes it is all about the quest to increase stats. Connections to one's avatar, comrades or even the story are completely absent from my definition.

Please share your definitions and understandings of what the RPG genre is about.

I do wonder how much of a future the "stat grind" I mention has. Obviously it has persisted since the old tabletop/pen and paper RPG's before video games were around.

[snodeath]

Rocket Propelled Grenade?

[Skillator]

Role playing game basically... obviously... and what u said, doing numbers to creatures to lower their numbers to get rewarded with many numbers!!11

[mizeri]

i started playing rpg's as i was getting older and the story mattered more then flashy graphics, i still adore ff6 over most rpg's

[Grrwaherr]

An RPG to me is being a guy with a sword killing bad guys in a big world.

[Flaks]

I'd define RPG as:

Defining your own role in the world through customization in a breathing world where you actions have an effect.

The last part of that definition would mostly disqualify MMO's from the RPG genre.

[The Backup]

Whenever I think of 'RPG' I think of numbers. Lots and lots of numbers.

[Snes]

Ron Paul Government?

[seas]

Rocket Propelled Grenade?

Beat me to it

[Warlight]

All I picture whenever I hear "RPG" is a guy wearing sweatpants and a Battlestar: Galactaga T-Shirt, eating a bowl of Fruity pebbles in his grandmother's basement. While also listening to dubstep, heavy/death metal, polka, and hip-hop/rock fusion.

[Xeones]

With my main experience with the genre being Zelda, Final Fantasy and other Square titles through World of Warcraft, RIFT and SWTOR my loose definition of RPG is:

The grind of stat growth through the acquisition of experience points/ability points/action points/JP/etc, currency, reputation, gear, spells/abilities, transportation and/or ranking to pursue the goal of eliminating the strongest bad/good guy.

My definition probably leaves out many of the sandbox-type games that I have never played. It also assumes it is all about the quest to increase stats. Connections to one's avatar, comrades or even the story are completely absent from my definition.

Please share your definitions and understandings of what the RPG genre is about.

I do wonder how much of a future the "stat grind" I mention has. Obviously it has persisted since the old tabletop/pen and paper RPG's before video games were around.

Zelda is not an RPG.

If you had asked me what was an RPG ten years ago I could have just pointed to any of a dozen titles and left it there. Now what an RPG is has become some what blurred, even series like COD is trying to take nods to RPG mechanics.

The most important part of an RPG is leveling. Put bluntly if you don't level it isn't an rpg in my world.
The second most important part is that it is strongly story driven. Even series like The Elder Scrolls where you can do pretty much anything still have a strong story element.
You have to have spells and abilities. Running around button mashing to cut people isn't an rpg.
I thought equipment would be important but then games like ME2 come out where gear is almost nonexistant and still makes a great rpg.

[Bane Falcon]

Role Playing Game.
Rocket Propelled Grenade.

[Lannen]

It should be noted that Zelda games are not RPGs. They are platformer/adventure games, awesome games at that don't get me wrong, but not RPGs.

An RPG is (obviously) a role-playing game in which you assume the role of a character, often in SOME way designed by you (though of course not always). One main thing that makes an RPG a true RPG is the acquisition of quest/missions/adventures and the ability to choose which - if any - you do. This is why Zelda games aren't RPGs, the character is pregenerated and predefined, and the story progression is overall linear. There are mini-games and such to do, but no actual questing just a prebuilt storyline for you to follow. Also a very important factor for RPGs (sometimes, like FF, the only thing that makes them RPGs) is the ability to gain xp/ep/etc and advance your character...yet again something Zelda games do not have. There are no stats, there is just text telling you this sword is stronger because [insert nifty lore explanation].

On a less technical level, to ME, an RPG is about becoming part of the story. A good RPG makes you feel like you are your character, helps you feel the emotions your character should be feeling in a given situation, and really lets you choose the type of person you want to be. Newer games like Fallout 3/New Vegas, Skyrim, Deus Ex: HE, and the Mass Effect series I feel are really the pinnacle of this playstyle. There are rewards and consequences for choosing to act, respond, or portray yourself in different ways. You gain different followers, quests, items, and often even game endings depending on your choices which makes them feel much more meaningful. And of course, you get many many XPs and many many lootz for to become leet ^.^

[Drsilverback]

RPGs are Deadlands, Shadowrun, GURPS, AD&D, Star Frontiers, and the numerous books series. RPG I do not identify with MMOs because most of the players do not identify with their characters. Also as Flaks mentioned your actions do not effect the world. Now in games like Mass Effect and the old Star Wars Knight of the Old Republic yes they were better examples of RPGs The effects were not great but it did effect responses between character depending on pass acts.

[Venziir]

Zelda is not an RPG.

If you had asked me what was an RPG ten years ago I could have just pointed to any of a dozen titles and left it there. Now what an RPG is has become some what blurred, even series like COD is trying to take nods to RPG mechanics.

The most important part of an RPG is leveling. Put bluntly if you don't level it isn't an rpg in my world.
The second most important part is that it is strongly story driven. Even series like The Elder Scrolls where you can do pretty much anything still have a strong story element.
You have to have spells and abilities. Running around button mashing to cut people isn't an rpg.
I thought equipment would be important but then games like ME2 come out where gear is almost nonexistant and still makes a great rpg.

An rpg is a game where you take on the role of someone else. Yes, that is probably the most vague nonsense ever - 'tis however true.

[Daverid]

Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind and Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic.

Those games are ALWAYS the first 2 things I think about whenever I think about RPG.

[Supermantra]

A game with a storyline which the player get involved i would define as a RPG.

Spiderharp for example isn't a RPG because it doesn't have a story to which the player can get involved into.

I would define Warcraft(1, 2, 3) as a role playing game just because there is a strong storytelling element to it. There is a great amount of RTS games I would call RTS-RPG.

ANNO 2070 is a great example or Battle Zone(1998(FPS-RTS-RPG-)).

An rpg is a game where you take on the role of someone else. Yes, that is probably the most vague nonsense ever - 'tis however true.

That sounds like a much better explanation.

[Skelington]

A game where you immerse yourself into the character and storyline.

Zelda is not an RPG.

It should be noted that Zelda games are not RPGs. They are platformer/adventure games, awesome games at that don't get me wrong, but not RPGs.

Zelda also falls under the genre of "Action RPG." It's still debated whether it is, but the series does contain light RPG elements, in addition to having set a template for RPGs very early on.

[rerk]

The ability to alter your character while the story unfolds the way you choose it to unfold.

I guess it comes down to wether the games lets you choose, or if the game chooses for you.

First game/games that comes to mind is definately the Elder scrolls series, now that's enjoyable!

[Deleted]

I think of those jacks that nuke my tanks to oblivion in bf3 >.>