What do you think makes an RPG

[Deleted]

Simple enough question, I want your answers.
If you have read this sub-forum recetly you would see the majority of Dragon age threads and it got me thinking.


What is YOUR idea of what an RPG is like?

I'll go first, in my opinion, an RPG is where you make your character in the world made up by the developers, and a good RPG is one that lets you play out your indivudual role as much as it can. If you want to be a master thief, it lets you, if you want to be a noble warrior, it lets you, if you want to run things from an economical point of view, it lets you.

Basically, a Roleplaying game gives you all the tools to make your own other identity in a game, and guides you along pathways via quests for you to discover stuff about the game and even your character.


I'd like to hear what your opinion on an RPG is.

[Yooya]

I like everything. I must admit though my favorite games -ever- where the ones that let me be the suave thief, and allowed me to produce a story that made sense around my character (ie. joining a thieves guild, flirting my way out of trouble).

I have not run into many RPG 's I don't enjoy. I love: Diablo, Daggerfall, Morrowind, Baldur's Gate, Mass Effect, Neverwinter Nights, Dragon Age, KOTOR, KOTOR 2, Final Fantasy (some), Vampire Bloodlines, Fallout (all), The Witcher, and heck I even liked Oblivion at times. I've played most RPG 's in the last decade - I didn't play all of them all of they way through (I didn't like Gothic!) but for the most part I at least tried them all.

I don't think RPG 's need to be so one dimensional in the way they play. I can play a predefined champion, and have just as much fun as I would have playing a nobody of my own creation.

[Mengucekli]

Atmosphere. It is most important for me. Meanwhile, IM DYING FOR SKYRIM! 11.11.11 oh so long so long...

[Strakha]

Story, environment and character development.

[Bearshield]

To me the single most important thing in any RPG is the story. I still enjoy many of the oldschool sprite-based RPGs because the story is far more important to me than the graphics. Does the story draw me in? Do I want to keep playing to find out what happens next? Are the characters interesting? Do they have personalities that either entertain me or make me care what happens to them?

I'm probably weird, but I honestly prefer all of my characters to just be part of the story of the game and not to actually role play myself into the game. I know the game you first mentioned, Dragon Age has you RP yourself into the story and I did really enjoy the first Dragon Age (never finished the xpack) but in general I prefer games where even the main character has a predetermined story and role.

What I dont like is the new trend toward making RPG's so action focused. There have been good action RPG's over the years but in general when I play an RPG, that is not where I want the focus to me. It seems a lot of newer games are more focused on action and graphics and less on story and character development.

[Mashpotaters]

To me the single most important thing in any RPG is the story. I still enjoy many of the oldschool sprite-based RPGs because the story is far more important to me than the graphics. Does the story draw me in? Do I want to keep playing to find out what happens next? Are the characters interesting? Do they have personalities that either entertain me or make me care what happens to them?

I'm probably weird, but I honestly prefer all of my characters to just be part of the story of the game and not to actually role play myself into the game. I know the game you first mentioned, Dragon Age has you RP yourself into the story and I did really enjoy the first Dragon Age (never finished the xpack) but in general I prefer games where even the main character has a predetermined story and role.

What I dont like is the new trend toward making RPG's so action focused. There have been good action RPG's over the years but in general when I play an RPG, that is not where I want the focus to me. It seems a lot of newer games are more focused on action and graphics and less on story and character development.

I'm with you, and I think the reason why RPG's are becoming so action focused is because developers are trying to keep people engaged in the game. That and the fact that when developers go making changes to a game, some changes just don't fit with what's already there, so they in turn change other things to make it fit.

[Deleted]

Well, in short I'd say I like a RPG that is like a movie, but instead of watching what the movie is showing, I can go and see that which I find the most interesting.
I mean in a movie, you move from A to B to C etc, until the end. A game on the other hand lets you decide when you wanna see what, but it will happen nevertheless.
I'm confusing myself, but I hope somebody understand what I mean..

[Deleted]

What I hear here is that people enjoy games with a good story and a good enviroment.
Things I enjoy greatly and parts of a game that can really make them memorable.

But are those what makes an RPG game? is that what you define what an RPG has in it? Is the Legend of Zelda series an RPG? Arguably Zelda has all these points you explain, does that make it an RPG?

[Khusheeto]

Story/Lore is important, i dont wanna feel like im just in a shitty type of world with nothing driving me to kill someone, i mean i need revenge.

i would say the most important is the UI... yeah i know UI? but think of it, most games out there like Rift and WaR have a similar tpe of UI with only the color scheme changed, but then think of WoW everything seems seemless, like well i dont know how to explain it, but i think everything has to do with what your interacting with, i mean the UI is a very big part for me, its the whole essence of the game in a way, like everything you will interact with will have to go thru the UI, so therefore i want a nice one.

[Dragonshardz]

RPG - Role playing game. Ought to have a believable world you can lose yourself into (made of defined characters, scenic locations, atmosphere), lots of customizable options (lots and lots of equipment, spells and abilities to define your playstyle), great and diverse storyline with several possible outcomes... Oh and that feeling when you forget you're playing a game (its a nerd thing, I know).

[Deleted]

RPG - Role playing game. Ought to have a believable world you can lose yourself into (made of defined characters, scenic locations, atmosphere), lots of customizable options (lots and lots of equipment, spells and abilities to define your playstyle), great and diverse storyline with several possible outcomes... Oh and that feeling when you forget you're playing a game (its a nerd thing, I know).

You just described to a tee what an RPG should be in my opinion, I thank you for describing it in a way I was failing to express in my Orginal post!

[Dragonshardz]

You just described to a tee what an RPG should be in my opinion, I thank you for describing it in a way I was failing to express in my Orginal post!

You're welcome

[Against the Modern World]

Lots of choices and consequences for making one choice or another. Different(sometimes opposite) endings. Possibility to choose you path, joining different sides, etc.

Defined and well written world - TES series is a champion for a "totally new world", and games in Forgotten Realms setting are the best for "already existing world".

Good stats/skills/abilities system is also important, so you could play lots of different roles, and have lots of character builds. I love multi-classing like in NWN (D&D 3.5 system).

[Deleted]

Alot of RPGs today, specifically Bioware ones and the Witcher put you in the boots of a character already created, such as Shepard.

While this can be done right, as with Shepard, I think this recent trend is breaking away from the RPG genre, to the point they are more story driven action games with a few RPG mechanics ala Mass Effect 2.

Does anyone else agree, if not can you explain why having a pre-existing character would increase the roleplay and roleplay potential.

[Yooya]

The way I look at it you are still getting immersed in a role just a predefined role. When you play Shepard you know the ultimate goal, the background, etc... but you get to be his moral compass. In a sense this is playing a role.

I don't really know though. I'm not very black and white I see all of the gray in between. But if I didn't put Mass Effect 2 into the RPG category I would put it into the action/adventure category.

I don't really role play any games except the Elder Scrolls series. I just play games because I enjoy them RPG or not.

[Against the Modern World]

Do you guys remember Arcanum and ToEE? Those were real choices, where you could side with the major villain, if you wanted.
Not like - I'll kick Reapers'/Darkspawn asses anyway, but in different style. Why there isn't an option to become new Saren?

[Curoch]

For me, free reign to do what I want, take on side quests or the main mission, and a good plot + atmosphere. Without these things, I can't be as interested as I would otherwise be.
Don't get me wrong, I loved games that were linear, but I didn't love them as much.

[Yooya]

Do you guys remember Arcanum and ToEE? Those were real choices, where you could side with the major villain, if you wanted.
Not like - I'll kick Reapers'/Darkspawn asses anyway, but in different style. Why there isn't an option to become new Saren?

Saren is a name. Not a title.

(Spoiler)

You're example is also poor. At the end of Mass Effect 2 you are given the choice to destroy the Reaper technology or leave it in the hands of Cerberus. Which is -very- important.

[Against the Modern World]

Saren is a name. Not a title.

I never said it's a title. But he was unique, so it was easier to say it this way than "humanoid agent of the Reapers augmented with their technology".

[Yooya]

I never said it's a title. But he was unique, so it was easier to say it this way, than "humanoid agent of the Reapers augmented with their technology".

Well in that case. The reason I think an option like that is not in ME1 is because the game was intended to be the start of a trilogy. If you decided to become 'Saren' that would of essentially been the end of the Shepard story. They would of had to pull a Fable where you shoot forward 100 years and Shepard is long dead.