Can WoW even be classified as an RPG anymore?

[ano2024]

The world and characters in this game are very static. The game design in general is very lazy and lacks creativity because of the developer's cheapness.

There's little interactivity with the world. There's little actual decisions you can make in this game.

It's all very streamlined, you just go through a bunch of systems to acquire gear and whatnot, the same systems everybody else goes through, with no deviation or individuality or player agency at all.

Even the "quests" aren't quests, rarely are any of them more than kill X boars and bring me their asses. Nowadays they don't even bother adding proper quest text, it's literally just 2 paragraphs full of filler sentences that boil down to "I need boar asses for this".

So how exactly is it an RPG? Cause you level up and get xp and unlock stuff? Doesn't that make Call of Duty or Fortnite an RPG too?

[Jonnusthegreat]

You play the role as a character and progress that character. It's definitely an RPG. Not as many role playing elements as I'd like though.

[Edward Wu]

The core of an RPG is not choice, I don't know where people decided that was fact. The core of an RPG is progressing your character, and WoW has that from level 1 to max level, all the way past endgame now. Multiple systems in the game to progress in various ways. It's certainly an RPG.

Besides, if the measuring stick we're using is choice, then WoW was never an RPG, so I don't get your point regardless. Classic/BC/Wrath were premium theme park experiences.

[Mysterymask]

Sigh...what is with people here and trying to create reasons that X isn't a Y anymore

sigh what's next "Hearthstone isn't a card game because the RNG is beyond shuffling the deck", "Overwatch isn't a shooter because of the reliance of Melee in the metagame" "Pokemon isn't a Monster Battle RPG because THERES CURRY"

the travesty...

by all technicalitys Wow can be an RPG, an action game, or the worlds most expensive version of AOL instant Messenger for all I care...

[jzhbee]

The core of an RPG is not choice, I don't know where people decided that was fact. The core of an RPG is progressing your character, and WoW has that from level 1 to max level, all the way past endgame now. Multiple systems in the game to progress in various ways. It's certainly an RPG.

Besides, if the measuring stick we're using is choice, then WoW was never an RPG, so I don't get your point regardless. Classic/BC/Wrath were premium theme park experiences.

I think the idea that RPG means choice comes from the fact that the root there is ROLEPLAYING, which means making meaningful discussions and advancements.
"Progressing your character" is also a choice, and choice comes from the different ways you can progress.

[NoiseTank13]

No it's always just been an MMO. The RPG system has been barebones at best, and overtime slowly bleached out of the game.

[Mysterymask]

I think the problem is game genres in general are a bit of a loose definition AT BEST

I mean to piggyback on LarryfromHumanResources.... Megaman Battlenet can be a damned RPG, Final Fantasy 13 is an RPG, Pokemon is an RPG, etc etc etc...

sigh at this point there's like this little subset of people that think anything less than fully modded Skyrim, The Witcher 3, and friggin Path of Exile does not deserve this magical esteemed title of "RPG"

[ro9ue]

It's pretty much just a casino at this point.

[Divinex]

Its still an MMO
The RPG part is kinda dead though

[Kokolums]

WoW currently seems focused on esports and it really tries to mimic what pro sports does (in that Blizz throws a ton of systems at you then overlays a "time attack" mode on top of it all) at the highest level of mythic difficulty. Below that, they just heavily nerf everything and throw busywork content at you.

I've often wondered if what Blizzard is doing is actually how a "post-scarcity" human society might look like. If everyone has everything they could want for free due to automation, then how does society even function? The problem becomes the overachiever types that want to do everything at a super high level. They don't fit into a post-scarcity society. One solution is to create an alternate and voluntary "hard track" where they work themselves to the bone for like 5% better living conditions. That is kinda what mythic raiding and high m+ keys do to solve the problem and it actually works.

[Jastall]

The game has always been much, much more MMO than RPG. A proper, red-blooded RPG allows you to use your various skills (not just combat) in gameplay to achieve your goals and influence the story. WoW has literally always been about following the plotted line with next to no story choices whatsoever, and solving all problems by reducing said problem's HP to 0 or grinding until the problem goes away. At most WoW did away with some flavors. Brewing poisons and having to carry totems in your magical inventory is hardly what I'd call an important RPG element.

Play stuff like Divinity Original Sin, Dragon Age Origins, Fallout New Vegas, Planescape Torment or Pillars of Eternity if you want RPGs of this nature, with a focus on story choices, world interactivity and player agency. WoW's always been a playground in comparison.

[Powerogue]

...what?

There's more decisions that have an impact on the game than before. BFA is the first expansion in the game's history to let you actually make a choice rather than just do the quest. (barring very very minor stuff like that shovel quest in cata. I love that one...)

Quests are more questy than ever, with them showing more story directly to the player rather than very ambiguously through the world of 99% bear asses. Again, the contrast to Classic is stark.

Pretty much everything you said is the most wrong it has ever been of any stage of the game's lifespan.

As others have pointed out it's more the "MMO" part that has been impacted by recent expansions, making teaming up with other players so easy that actually forming lasting bonds with said players becomes unnecessary.

[beanman12345]

It has XP, levels, & loot, so yeah it can still be technically classified as an RPG.

[Aucald]

WoW has all the required attributes to make it a standard RPG video game: classes, skills, levels, character attributes, skill points, experience points, a combat system based on degrees of randomness, etc. etc. It involves some degree of role-playing a given character class in a fantasy world full of evil monsters and diabolical plots. It is exactly what's on the tin - MMORPG, massively-multiplayer online role-playing game. Sure, I'd argue it's not quite as RPG as a tabletop game, but neither dialogue wheels nor branching story paths are required to make a classic RPG, as they surely didn't exist for old "Gold Box" AD&D games from SSI which are still considered the progenitor of modern RPG games for both PC and console. Back when RPG video games looked like this:

[huth]

I think the idea that RPG means choice comes from the fact that the root there is ROLEPLAYING, which means making meaningful discussions and advancements.
"Progressing your character" is also a choice, and choice comes from the different ways you can progress.

No, it doesn't. In fact, it means the opposite, your actions are predetermined by a script. You're playing a role.

Choices are part of the game aspect, not the roleplay one.

[Tumile]

Sigh...what is with people here and trying to create reasons that X isn't a Y anymore

sigh what's next "Hearthstone isn't a card game because the RNG is beyond shuffling the deck", "Overwatch isn't a shooter because of the reliance of Melee in the metagame" "Pokemon isn't a Monster Battle RPG because THERES CURRY"

the travesty...

by all technicalitys Wow can be an RPG, an action game, or the worlds most expensive version of AOL instant Messenger for all I care...

I think thats a very astute observation about overwatch there buckaroo, it is indeed not an FPS, because it is infact a concealed dog turd. who would've guessed? great work detective.

And to be fair this post made me google the definition of an RPG to see if there actually is any, and there isn't it's all guide lines and inspiration. so sure we can call wow an RPG but it did infact only match 2 descriptions on a massive Wiki wall, which was interactable story that is connected to the world around you (aka lore, more so than story) and the trend that the aim of the genre included but was not limited to character growth in strength. which even that could be argued against in wow's case, but yeah, it was generally kinda interesting how little it fit the descriptions or guidelines on the wiki

overwatch is still a dog turd though, lets stay focused on that.

[froschhure]

when you like producing gold and accepting timegated quest. Then, yes, Wow is the perfect "RPG" for you.

[huth]

And to be fair this post made me google the definition of an RPG to see if there actually is any

Because your search was way to unspecific. LARP isn't a PnP isn't a CRPG. Then there's roleplays in the context of workshops, theatre, musicals...

WoW is a CRPG, specificially an MMORPG. It still fulfills the requirements of that.

[Tumile]

Because your search was way to unspecific. LARP isn't a PnP isn't a CRPG. Then there's roleplays in the context of workshops, theatre, musicals...

WoW is a CRPG, specificially an MMORPG. It still fulfills the requirements of that.

considering my search led me to exactly what i was looking for including a wiki page specifying exactly that, a CRPG I would disagree with your baseless assumption?

"A role-playing video game (commonly referred to as simply a role-playing game or an RPG as well as a computer role-playing game or a CRPG)"

What in my entire post would make u think anything that was mentioned would have to do with LARP ? cringe.

[FelPlague]

The world and characters in this game are very static. The game design in general is very lazy and lacks creativity because of the developer's cheapness.

There's little interactivity with the world. There's little actual decisions you can make in this game.

It's all very streamlined, you just go through a bunch of systems to acquire gear and whatnot, the same systems everybody else goes through, with no deviation or individuality or player agency at all.

Even the "quests" aren't quests, rarely are any of them more than kill X boars and bring me their asses. Nowadays they don't even bother adding proper quest text, it's literally just 2 paragraphs full of filler sentences that boil down to "I need boar asses for this".

So how exactly is it an RPG? Cause you level up and get xp and unlock stuff? Doesn't that make Call of Duty or Fortnite an RPG too?

RPG does not mean you have choice, it means you play a role of a charecter.
usually that ends up meaning the game gives you choice, to allow you to play them as you wish.
but some of the oldest RPG's you had no choice, you played as this charecter, you have these skills, you use them.
The only choice you had was "Do i spend X gold to buy this better piece of gear? that gives me more attack?"