JRPG don't need to be WRPG. *Read post, before posting*

[Korten12]

Its common for people to hate on JRPGs on here becuase they are for the most part linear, it seems as BioWare and Bethesda have started something as of late that make people hate any form of RPG linearity. Calling them "Not really RPGs" becuase they're stat based and you mostly don't have say in the story.

Most people wish for them to turn away from this and become much liek WRPG or really just become WRPGs. If this happened we would lose JRPG heritage in a sense. Now mostly people also just don't like how they're becomnig a bit samey, as a lot of them are very similar in story and setting, but does that mean they're bad? No just stagnating a bit, do they need to change. Probably but do they need to become WRPG, hell no.

I think they need to find their own unique innovation to make them fresh again without having to make them WRPG.

So what do you guys think? Should JRPGs just become basicaly WRPG just made by japanese companies? Or should they find their own unique innovation to make them fresh again?

 

[Jandau]

The thing is, JRPGs have been getting quite stale. I like them myself, but since I never owned a platform with too many of them, they never managed to get boring for me. However, for the general audience, JRPGs need something new.

People are pointing to the recent directions WRPGs have been taking simply because there's nothing else to point to. JRPGs aren't trying much new. WRPGs have went two routes, one being the open world thing (Fallout 3, Elder Scrolls series, Gothic series, etc.) and the other being player-directed stories (Bioware games and the like).

What I'd like to see is JRPGs making something new and original and take themselves in yet another direction. Barring that, I'd like them to take some direction from WRPGs and make it their own, do it their own way and perhaps produce something new as a result.

 

[rockyoumonkeys]

JRPGs are great, but they're not true RPGs, since they almost always just stick you in the role of a predetermined character (i.e. you get no control over character creation), and the story is linear (i.e. you get no control over the story). You're not "role playing" any more than you are in action games or shooters.

 

[Aiddon_v1legacy]

thing is I've actually gotten a bit tired of WRPG structure. The whole branching paths, the dialog systems, and the moral choices have started to blur together for me. I wouldn't want JRPGs to ever copy the Western formula exclusively, though I guess the occasional title would be a nice change of pace. However, the general linearity design (and no, FFXIII's was awful before anyone comments) does lend itself to more complex tales even if they must sacrifice player choice.

 

[Kpt._Rob]

Really I feel like it's some of the concessions to a more western conception of gaming that has worsened the state of JRPGs. For instance, now every time I get a JRPG, it isn't like playing Final Fantasy X, we've lost a lot of the turn based gaming, and even when we have turn based gaming there's stupid shit, like you have to hit a button at the right time to determine the strength of the attack, stuff like that. One of the things I really enjoyed about playing FFX back in the day was that you could take it at a leisurely pace. I actually really liked the simplicity of it. That is to say that modern additions to JRPGs have made them worse in my opinion, I'd like to just go back a bit, to a simpler time.

 

[Canadamus Prime]

Of course not! On the other hand a game where you can completely customize an anime/JRPG style character and unleash him/her in an open sandbox world doesn't sound like a bad idea either.

 

[gmaverick019_v1legacy]

while i love me some bioware, i absolutely love me some jrpg's also, and i've played quite a few and it seems as of the past years they have really slowed down to being repetitive and the same old same old. If they could revamp some of their ideas or just take a stab at trying something new i would be happy and try it out.

hell no do i want them to become wrpg's, i love my jrpg's with a passion but as of the past 5 years or so i haven't seen too much that wasn't seen the 5 years before that and the 5 years before that...

 

[gmaverick019_v1legacy]

Really I feel like it's some of the concessions to a more western conception of gaming that has worsened the state of JRPGs. For instance, now every time I get a JRPG, it isn't like playing Final Fantasy X, we've lost a lot of the turn based gaming, and even when we have turn based gaming there's stupid shit, like you have to hit a button at the right time to determine the strength of the attack, stuff like that. One of the things I really enjoyed about playing FFX back in the day was that you could take it at a leisurely pace. I actually really liked the simplicity of it. That is to say that modern additions to JRPGs have made them worse in my opinion, I'd like to just go back a bit, to a simpler time.

YES! finally someone who feels the same as i do =\ i missed just laying back and letting my strategy of which attacks i picked do the job. i dont care if its simple its fun and leisurely.

 

[Ironic Pirate]

Frankly, most people who don't like them (me!), don't like them because of the irritating characters, odd plots, turn based combat, and the general aesthetic. The only way to get us to like them is too make it completely a WRPG.

So anyway, no. They should keep carving their own niche, because people like that. The only way they'll win over the WRPG crowd is by becoming WRPGs, and they wouldn't be able to compete with Bioware and Bethesda, among others.

 

[veloper]

Actually, most do not hate JRPGs their linearity. Gamers have other reasons.

 

[fire-exit-man]

While it's true that JRPG's have become a bit stale recently, I'd rather not see them become anything like WRPG's. I think some fresh ideas and maybe a new IP or two in the JRPG scene would help enormously against the stagnation. I like the linear nature of most JRPG's and they usually have better stories than WRPG's but I think FFXIII was taking it WAY too far.

Although, the linearity of a JRPG does stop my major problem in most WRPG's, being the simple question of "Where on earth do I go from here?"

 

[pretentiousname01]

I think they need to find their own unique innovation to make them fresh again without having to make them WRPG.

jrpgs? innovation? I'm not sure you really understand what your talking about.

Also a lot of the recent hate comes from the travesty that is ff13.

 

[Appleshampoo]

Really I feel like it's some of the concessions to a more western conception of gaming that has worsened the state of JRPGs. For instance, now every time I get a JRPG, it isn't like playing Final Fantasy X, we've lost a lot of the turn based gaming, and even when we have turn based gaming there's stupid shit, like you have to hit a button at the right time to determine the strength of the attack, stuff like that. One of the things I really enjoyed about playing FFX back in the day was that you could take it at a leisurely pace. I actually really liked the simplicity of it. That is to say that modern additions to JRPGs have made them worse in my opinion, I'd like to just go back a bit, to a simpler time.

YES! finally someone who feels the same as i do =\ i missed just laying back and letting my strategy of which attacks i picked do the job. i dont care if its simple its fun and leisurely.

Agree completely. I've been hoping for a game like this for a while. Tactics battles that didn't rely on quick time events or some other stupid idea.

And while I do enjoy having a say in the story, I also like being able to play through an epic story even if I have no say in it other than what colour my characters hair was when he sliced the bad guys arms off.

Gimme a turn based combat game over slam x every 5 seconds any day!

 

[gmaverick019_v1legacy]

Really I feel like it's some of the concessions to a more western conception of gaming that has worsened the state of JRPGs. For instance, now every time I get a JRPG, it isn't like playing Final Fantasy X, we've lost a lot of the turn based gaming, and even when we have turn based gaming there's stupid shit, like you have to hit a button at the right time to determine the strength of the attack, stuff like that. One of the things I really enjoyed about playing FFX back in the day was that you could take it at a leisurely pace. I actually really liked the simplicity of it. That is to say that modern additions to JRPGs have made them worse in my opinion, I'd like to just go back a bit, to a simpler time.

YES! finally someone who feels the same as i do =\ i missed just laying back and letting my strategy of which attacks i picked do the job. i dont care if its simple its fun and leisurely.

Agree completely. I've been hoping for a game like this for a while. Tactics battles that didn't rely on quick time events or some other stupid idea.

And while I do enjoy having a say in the story, I also like being able to play through an epic story even if I have no say in it other than what colour my characters hair was when he sliced the bad guys arms off.

Gimme a turn based combat game over slam x every 5 seconds any day!

yup this is exactly what i think, i love having my two cents in stories and how it affects it but sometimes jrpg's have some ball gripping stories, there is a REASON why we aren't all story writers, some of those jrpg writers just have some good fucking imaginations.

i also think this is why pokemon is as fun as it is, the turn based + set story of nostalgia = awesomeness

 

[gmaverick019_v1legacy]

man where is s69-5? normally he would be the leader of such a thread, i was anticipating seeing his wall of text to defend jrpg with all his might.

 

[Krantos]

I don't think they should become WRPG, I just don't think RPG is a good name for them. They are more akin to action/adventure games, though, they're not really that either.

JRPGs, are their own unique genre, they're just not really RPGs, not in the traditional sense anyway. I don't know what they should be called instead, so i suppose JRPG works. I just want people to stop claiming that they're actually RPGs.

BTW, I do like some JRPGs, not a lot of them, but some.

 

[Korten12]

man where is s69-5? normally he would be the leader of such a thread, i was anticipating seeing his wall of text to defend jrpg with all his might.

He probably will come, it shall be a good read.

 

[OManoghue]

I think they should innovate and make themselves fresh, because they aren't really RPGs in any sense. I don't think Lost Odyssey is any more of a RPG than Halo. You ARE this sad girly man, you WILL follow this path and you WILL see THE ending. Rather than the Bethesda/BioWare formula where you CAN be a girly man, or God forbid a real recognizable girl, you CAN follow ANY (within reason) path and you MAY see one of a few endings, giving players choice and customization options puts the R in RPG.

 

[CommanderKirov]

They do not realy need to turn entirely into WRPG's i just thing a larger step towards the Mass Effect style of gameplay would have been nice. I mean ME is still fairly linear with only a bit of faffing about that you can do but it plays realy well.

 

[Savagezion]

The thing is, JRPGs have been getting quite stale. I like them myself, but since I never owned a platform with too many of them, they never managed to get boring for me. However, for the general audience, JRPGs need something new.

People are pointing to the recent directions WRPGs have been taking simply because there's nothing else to point to. JRPGs aren't trying much new. WRPGs have went two routes, one being the open world thing (Fallout 3, Elder Scrolls series, Gothic series, etc.) and the other being player-directed stories (Bioware games and the like).

What I'd like to see is JRPGs making something new and original and take themselves in yet another direction. Barring that, I'd like them to take some direction from WRPGs and make it their own, do it their own way and perhaps produce something new as a result.

This. I personally have grown bored of them as of late. I personally am not a big fan of Bethesda products but Bioware has enough replay value out there to keep me all smiles. I know people have mentioned they like them for their laid back combat and I don't have a problem with that. But I don't spend money on them because they are not engaging to me. I think JRPGs could evolve into something better but I understand people don't like change so I will just continue to spend my money on the titles I do enjoy.

I also disagree about "epic story" is the reason you are not allowed options. There may be epic moments in some of them but overall they round out. Japanese romance is torture to watch and has bad writing all over it usually. Their charactors tend to be a mix between stereotypes or just very 2 dimensional. Now it isn't just JRPGs that suffer from this, alot of games in general do. But that is my point. No JPRG story stands out as anything exceptional to what else we have out there in any other genre or even just the RPG genre. It is about on par. It isn't like the "epicness" of JRPGs story puts even the rest of the RPGs on the market to shame. If anything it blends just like the rest.