Bioware: FF13 is not an RPG

[Warped_Ghost]

Bioware makes a good arguement. My opinion might be biased considering I love Bioware and Im not into JRPG's but this is a point of classification instead of which games are better.

Edit: i noticed everyone is pulling their evidence agaisnt Bioware mostly from Mass Effect. Dragon age has a bit more freedom in your choices for example (spoiler) at one part you come acroos some dalish elves who fight werewolves. You can help the elves, cure the werewolves or kill the elves. This type of decisions are not in Mass Effect but Mass Effect isn't the only bioware game.

 

[sindremaster]

To me, RPGs have and always will be about the stats, the levelling, character gear and turn-based combat. If anything, its their games that aren't RPGs.

just because you can level up doesnt make it an rpg, in a real rpg you can make choices and decide what to do.

 

[gmaverick019_v1legacy]

As a fan of both Bioware and Square Enix, I agree, especially in the case of FF13, linearity isn't a bad thing but it does go against what an RPG is all about.

yes. same here. ff12 might have been considered more an jrpg, i think, but ff13 definitly not, i did enjoy the games tho, wether or not they are jrpg's

 

[More Fun To Compute]

If real rpgs are anything like real ale then I should probably avoid them as they will give me wind and keep me up at night. This whole subject is sort of trollish and irrelevant in my opinion.

 

[tycho0042]

-snip-

Rude comments aside the tabletop RPG games I've played the writers even say that the point of role playing is to put yourself in someone else's shoes. Role playing is about not what I think "I" would do but what I think my character would do. I never said that playing any role makes it an RPG but you're too stuck in your jackassery to see that

Right, but FF doesn't offer you that, so...
I just think that 'adventure game' is more suitable for 'JRPGs' because there isn't any difference between them and generic Western adventure game. Just different stylistic choices. I think inherently, we have the same opinion. Just focused on different polarizations XD;

I still think of them as RPG's but probably FF games have more in common with graphic novels with mini games than bioware's rpg's. When I think of Adventure games I think of Zelda

Ohhh, so single player, real-time combat, and equipment based as opposed to stats? I could see that. Hmmm, but I still qualify RPGs as games that you can change based on, well, role-based decisions.

No matter how I look at it, T.B.A.G is the best label (and most epic idea EVAR) presented in this thread. XD

As far as your sarcastic remarks are concerned Final fantasy/Dragon quest really brought the idea of RPG's to light, yes there was earlier games like ultima and such but I don't know about anyone else I only really played RPG's once those games were out.
Seeing as how they set the standard at the time it's still valid to call them RPG's. Yes, bioware has in fact made leaps and bounds towards making the best option to role playing without having friends to gather in one of their parents basements and even I dare say has set the NEW standard for RPG's
I think that T.B.A.G is a hilarious label though it's not exactly accurate since final fantasy has been using active time battles since FF4. Sure you have to take a turn to announce what action your character is going to do but honestly auto battling is just lazy

 

[Joshimodo]

In my opinion, it's not even a game. Awful, awful everything.

 

[RanD00M]

Isn't it the same case with Diablo? All the characters you can play with are already created and there are no choices to be made by the players. But it's still considered an RPG. Same with Zelda.

I completely agree with that.Diablo is one of the best RPG's of the last decade.It's story was quite interesting,it had fun combat,vast environments and was just addicting as hell.

I don't know... I always considered a game an RPG as long as you can level up at your own pace, have an inventory stuffed full of objects, and a reasonably open world to explore. And maybe armor you can switch around that changes the way you look.

Indeed.

 

[Yureina]

Yeah, i'll agree with that sentiment. Still, calling it a JRPG, even if it may not deserve the RPG part of that, still at least makes it known what type of game you are talking about. If anything, the term can still be useful for making classifications.

 

[Tony2077]

If real rpgs are anything like real ale then I should probably avoid them as they will give me wind and keep me up at night. This whole subject is sort of trollish and irrelevant in my opinion.

i was just starting to think that

 

[Mr. In-between]

Ok, Bioware, keep crying about it. Honestly, no one cares and if anyone does they probably need to be shot (or just have their computers taken away) because they're annoying.

Bioware is probably just butt-hurt that both the Japanese and Americans enjoy playing Square-Enix games.

 

[Glademaster_v1legacy]

Seriously can people just fuck off about this especially Bioware of all people. JRPGs are rpgs get ovet it. Just because you think and define an rpg in terms of WRPGs does not make everything else not a RPG. Just because you don't make a character or choice does not make it not an rpg. Rpg is no longer defined by choices and making your own character that is staple of WRPGs.

FFS Baldur's Gate on the PS2 gave you fuck all choice of character creation. You pick one of the set classes and people and go. Bethesda games let you actually role play more than Biowares definition of RPGs. In fact the only thing Bioware RPGs have in their current definiton of a RPG is character creation and 3 moral choices Neutral, Jesus or Satan. Those are your three choices. Yes you can float around in between but you get little to no benefit for doing so. The games actually encourage to pidgeon hole you into either Pure good or Pure Evil.

Even going back to Bioware KotOR is turn based TURN BASED. Yes KotOR is turn based and not even well turn based it is some sort of half breed. So can we stop going on about JRPGs being the only one to do it. What's is so amazing and game changing about changing how your character looks? It adds very little to the overall experience except make it more personal well slightly and I mean very little. Example in FF7 you can choose all the magic and skills you want to use like in ME except there are no restrictions based on class.

I could go on but bottom line they are RPGs and Bioware needs to get over themselves. Yes they make good games but they can't decide what is and isn't a RPG when it is something vastly different in certain ways.

 

[evilgreenknight346]

it is a good point. what really should be put into rpg's is the ability to adjust the look of your character so each one is unique. plus being given options on what to do and where to go. and if you need to get to one place, why not have different choices on how to get there. for example, look at the shinra hq in ff7, you have the option to sneak in through the back or charge in through the front. i think that they should more give options (like that one) into rpg's. but that is just my opinion. all in all, i think they should build games so that we can have a lot more options in games and also be able to make the character look one of a kind. and if they can make the leveling up system feel like an accomplishment without having to grind so much. and be able to have a somewhat better equipment menu system. I'm not saying to completely redo it, I'm just saying to make minor tweaks to the parts that aren't working so well. and if they were to not focus on the story so much, and not focus on cut-scenes (pouting more game play in), it might attract even more praise from people who play the genre. but don't get me wrong. I'm a big fan of jrpg's. i just think that they should tweak all the mechanics that do work (mario rpg, final fantasy, dragon age) and try puting them together in different ways for the "new mechanics" that they always want to try out. i could go on onger about all this but it would turn into a drug out rant. and i really dont want to get sued by yahtzee

 

[Glademaster_v1legacy]

snip

Just to go on your edit JRPGs are not traditional RPGs as in DnD. They are video game RPGs which is what people are forgetting. Fair enough if you agree with them I can't change that but JRPGs are not about your story they are about the story. Although it may not seem like you have much of an impact character or story wise you aren't supposed to have a massive impact. You do have an impact in skill development which keeps them RPGs that is all I will add to that as I am off to bed.

 

[Necromancer1991]

Yeah I agree, the first Final Fantasy game was the only TRUE RPG of the bunch, all the other ones since have had you playing well-defined characters with you having minimal impact on the course of the story.

 

[Not-here-anymore]

Back in the good old days of table-top RPG's. the point of the role-playing was that you, well, played a role. You essentially were your character. This carries over into some console/PC RPG's, but if it doesn't, I would also argue that they aren't really RPG's. Many JRPG's where you have essentially no control over the story other than occasionally the order you do things in? Not role-playing. Borderlands? Not role-playing. Bioshock? Kinda role playing. But not really.

 

[Uber Waddles]

They dont consider Final Fantasy to be RPG's, but they consider their Third Person Shooter with shitty vehicle sections/RTS like mineral gathering an RPG? BioWare is so full of themselves. They dont consider games RPGs unless you can vary the ammount of hair on your back. Seriously, who cares?

Role Playing Games are where you take the ROLE of a character, pre-determined or not.Just because Final Fantasy doesnt like bothering the readers with usless dialogue for the sense of immersion (which, ironically, doesnt work at all) and they dont have you customize your hand size and ear lobes doesnt make it less of an RPG then, say, Mass Effect or Dragon Age.

In RPGs, you start out on an adventure, followed by shocking story twist, then concluding with a final boss fight. BioWares only deviation from that is you can choose a few extra options on how you can get to the final boss, and if parts of your party die or not.

I admit, Final Fantasy 13 was not as good as I would expect it, but sheesh. Talk about a company being petty.

 

[Mr. In-between]

Ok, Bioware, keep crying about it. Honestly, no one cares and if anyone does they probably need to be shot (or just have their computers taken away) because they're annoying.

Bioware is probably just butt-hurt that both the Japanese and Americans enjoy playing Square-Enix games.

Does it even matter? I don't think you can get much more childish then screaming to the press OH MY GAWD IT'S NOT A REAL *insert genre* GAEM BLASEAHSDIAHSPGAHSDHASPI. I think I've lost respect for Bioware here, regardless of how amusing that article was.

No it really doesn't. It's incredibly childish, I will definitely agree with you on that. I've put up with a lot of flak on the internet because I generally stick to buying games that are produced by Japanese developers, but I couldn't care less. Capcom, Konami, Square-enix, etc have all been around for a while and understand what makes a memorable game. EA and Rockstar do not, which is why none of their current games will be remembered in twenty years.