JRPG lovers unite

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jezz8me

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Mar 27, 2008
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This is a no JRPG hate zone :p I see many people complain about the linearity or grinding of JRPGs but i myself find they give me hours and hours of fun. More so than any other form of game.

I only really play the FF series as they are what i know and i do not have much money to experiment with games but i also played chrono trigger which was the most advanced NES game ever. Honestly played more like a GBA game. I also love pokemon if they count.

The stories in JRPGs just seem to be superior and although the characters are cheesy and sometimes angsty i much prefer say a boy with an abusive father that is actually
a dream
to generic medieval hero. The worlds are also more interesting for me in JRPGs than WRPGs even though they are more linear.

So come say what you like about JRPGs and also recommend some great games (preferable on sony consoles as i own them)
 

GothmogII

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Apr 6, 2008
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The point of that feature in Western RPG's is that you're provided the freedom to create your -own- character rather than get stuck with a set one or group that you may not like.
That's not to say that a lot of JRPG's don't have good protagonists, but the focus here is more on that person's story than actually playing through the story of the world.
I guess, a WRPG's hero is generic, because more often than not it's up to the player to make them who they are hehe.

Say that's the difference between them isn't it?

JRPG: Character driven plot.

WRPG: World/Environment driven plot.

As for JRPGs, yup there's a lot of great stuff put there. Most recently I've been playing Eternal Sonata, cutesey as hell, but a joy to play, and the little infotainment sections on Chopin were actually quite interesting.

Beyond that...or behind maybe, I still count FF6 as my favorite, FF7 too, being the first FF I've played, so I still go back to it sometimes. VIII..meh...didn't even finish it. IX, I'm also fond off, although a lot of people seem to hate it *shrug* don't really know why.
X..way too hyped. Okay, not -that- great. Skk dream..wth. And crummy voice acting too.
As for *kaff* X2 *kaff* ER...I played it. That's all. *kaff* Nice costumes though. >.>
Haven't played enough of the latest to say what I feel about it, but, the map is awkward.
 

Mr Wednesday

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Jan 22, 2008
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GothmogII said:
That's not to say that a lot of JRPG's don't have good protagonists.
Well, I'd kinda say they tend not to. Tidus, Squall, Cloud, I'm looking at you. Why in god's name couldn't Auron have been X's lead? He was much cooler.

Still, I have a soft spot for Vyse, cookie cutter character he may be.
 

PedroSteckecilo

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Feb 7, 2008
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I'm one of the few JRPG proponents around here.

I've played and beaten every Final Fantasy, still like VI the best, but X and XII come close. I am least fond of X-2 and VIII, X-2 for crappy plot and VIII for too many samey characters and a bad battle system.

My PERSONAL favorites are the Suikoden and Shadow Hearts series's
 

Strafe Mcgee

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Jan 25, 2008
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I love Jrpgs as long as the plot's good. Final Fantasy X, despite having the best battle system of the series, is a downer in my book because I can't stand Tidus. He's probably the whiniest player character I've had the misfortune to spend about 50 hours with in a game. FF6 and 7 are ace, never played 8 or 9 though.

Also, Chrono Trigger DS has been announced by Square for the DS.

*Does a little dance of happiness*
 

L.B. Jeffries

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Nov 29, 2007
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It's very hard to stay appreciative of such a plot-heavy genre when, with some excellent exceptions, it mostly targets little kids.

I like JRPG game design as much as anyone, but whether it's due to shoddy translation or cookie-cutter characters...the stories rarely make them worth playing.
 

-Seraph-

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May 19, 2008
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I grew up on RPGs from Dragon quest, FF1 to todays RPGS like FFX and XII. Personally I never understand why people ***** an complain about the "linearity" when the purpose of an RPG, the MAIN purpose is the tell a story. Stories have set paths, you can have some variation in it which can work but stories have a predetermined beginning and end set in mind. So I don't mind watching the story unfold because it is like a book or movie that you the player get to be involved with in some way. Many where very good at containing some deep themes that would make you think, and sometimes you might catch some other hidden meaning or allegory while replaying it when you are older. That is what i truly love about it, the story that you get to be a part of.

I also have never had much problem with their characters either because most of the time you find out WHY they are who they are. Heres a good example: Cloud, yes we all hear the allegations that he's an emo blah blah, but then I guess those people were not really paying much attention to the story, and all the stuff that happens to make him like that. I'l end it there.

For the most part I enjoy majority of JRPG's, bin playing them from the very beginning for i am more forgiving towards them than most other people. I really try to find each and every games shining point, the positive aspects of them that make me want to keep playing, that make me like it for what it is. Grant it I don't like every RPG, but thats due to too many things to dislike. Some of my favourites have always shined in both story AND game play which together can make an unforgettable experience. Some of my all time fav's have to be FF4,6,7, 10, Tactics, Crisis Core, Chrono Trigger, Golden Sun, Tactics ogre: Knight of Lodis, Legend of Dragoon, Legend of Legia, Star Ocean Games, and the Tales of Series. Enjoyed every one of them to play some many times over.

I for one will always enjoy them and will continue to play them till I die. I was never big on reading books but this I guess was a good substitute.
 

BallPtPenTheif

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Jun 11, 2008
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i very much dislike the term "JRPG". genrefication based on the nationality of the game developers seems like a scarry slippery slope as if an implication is being made about the mentality of Japanese people and the games that "they" make.

there really should be a term that accounts for the structural differences of these RPGs rather than lazily using an ethnic or national identifier, since i don't see the relevance of noting Japan when referencing these titles. i mean does this open the door for Black or African RPGs?

besides that tanget, i do enjoy playing Character driven RPGs however they do seem to be stuck in cliched game mechanics with little hope for innovation.
 

Sylocat

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Nov 13, 2007
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BallPtPenTheif said:
i very much dislike the term "JRPG". genrefication based on the nationality of the game developers seems like a scarry slippery slope as if an implication is being made about the mentality of Japanese people and the games that "they" make.

there really should be a term that accounts for the structural differences of these RPGs rather than lazily using an ethnic or national identifier, since i don't see the relevance of noting Japan when referencing these titles. i mean does this open the door for Black or African RPGs?
Hear here. I'm sick of all this "There's only two kinds of RPGs: JRPGs and non-J RPGs" crap that gets spewed here every Wednesday afternoon.

GothmogII said:
The point of that feature in Western RPG's is that you're provided the freedom to create your -own- character rather than get stuck with a set one or group that you may not like.
So, basically, it's like a P&P roleplay with most of the real options removed because we haven't yet invented a computer that can handle them?
 

BallPtPenTheif

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Sylocat said:
So, basically, it's like a P&P roleplay with most of the real options removed because we haven't yet invented a computer that can handle them?
Wouldn't that be the total golden egg? an open ended pen and paper styled RPG with enough tools to allow limitless quality user created content?

hell, why stop there? i'm sure there's people out there who would love to host a server as a DM and manage the enemy mobs against incoming players. the Pen & Paper styled RPGs should continue to push things foward in that regard.
 

Prozoquel

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May 14, 2008
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I agree with the above posts, I'm not a fan of labeling these games 'JRPGs' since racism can be an easy thing to fall into. But since I can't really think of any other classification, I too am forced to classify RPG's as either Japanese or Western.

That said, I think that both kinds offer something different and I really don't see why there's as much hate as there is towards JRPG's when they are so effective at telling a story, and usually a good one. Recently WRPG's have been breaking a lot of ground, especially Bioware, while JRPG's have become stagnant when it comes to gameplay mechanics. Games like Golden Sun and Earthbound have shown to be exceptions to this, however, with the addicting little powers that can be used outside combat in Golden Sun or just the sheer genius that is Earthbound.
 

PedroSteckecilo

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Feb 7, 2008
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Prozoquel said:
I agree with the above posts, I'm not a fan of labeling these games 'JRPGs' since racism can be an easy thing to fall into. But since I can't really think of any other classification, I too am forced to classify RPG's as either Japanese or Western.

That said, I think that both kinds offer something different and I really don't see why there's as much hate as there is towards JRPG's when they are so effective at telling a story, and usually a good one. Recently WRPG's have been breaking a lot of ground, especially Bioware, while JRPG's have become stagnant when it comes to gameplay mechanics. Games like Golden Sun and Earthbound have shown to be exceptions to this, however, with the addicting little powers that can be used outside combat in Golden Sun or just the sheer genius that is Earthbound.
Don't forget though that the Original Baldurs Gate drew HEAVY inspiration from the "Classic Made-In-Japan Console Style RPG", the bioware dudes looked at games LIKE Final Fantasy and said "There's no reason why we CAN'T mix classic Made-In-North America PC RPG sensibilities with Made-In-Japan Console RPG storytelling now is there."
 

Prozoquel

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j-e-f-f-e-r-s said:
Prozoquel said:
I agree with the above posts, I'm not a fan of labeling these games 'JRPGs' since racism can be an easy thing to fall into. But since I can't really think of any other classification, I too am forced to classify RPG's as either Japanese or Western.
To be fair, it's not exactly racist, is it? Due to cultural differences, games like FF are nearly always made in Japan, games like Morrowind in America, England or any other western country. Hence JRPG and WRPG. It's no different to calling a Honda a Japanese car, and a Chevvy an American one.

If you called the FF series 'those games made by the squinty yellow skins', then you would rightly be called a racist.
Haha, true, calling JRPG's that would be just a tad racist. But I didn't mean that calling them 'JRPG's' automatically makes you a racist. It's just that the way people say is often in a really derogatory way now, and I know it probably won't lead to racism, I'm just saying that the potential is there.
 

PedroSteckecilo

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Feb 7, 2008
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Prozoquel said:
Haha, true, calling JRPG's that would be just a tad racist. But I didn't mean that calling them 'JRPG's' automatically makes you a racist. It's just that the way people say is often in a really derogatory way now, and I know it probably won't lead to racism, I'm just saying that the potential is there.
but JRPG doesn't JUST mean "Japanese RPG" or even "An RPG developed in Japan", it means an RPG made in the "Style of a Classic Console RPG, the design conventions of which originated among Japanese Developers" as games developed in North America can still be called a "Japanese Style RPG", Septerra Core or Secret of Evermore for example.
 

Lazzi

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Apr 12, 2008
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PedroSteckecilo said:
but JRPG doesn't JUST mean "Japanese RPG" or even "An RPG developed in Japan", it means an RPG made in the "Style of a Classic Console RPG, the design conventions of which originated among Japanese Developers" as games developed in North America can still be called a "Japanese Style RPG", Septerra Core or Secret of Evermore for example.
Exactly the perefect example would be FFXI dispite that fact that it was made in japan i would deffinatly call it a western rpg.
 

Ragamuffin

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Jun 15, 2008
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Mr Wednesday said:
GothmogII said:
That's not to say that a lot of JRPG's don't have good protagonists.
Well, I'd kinda say they tend not to. Tidus, Squall, Cloud, I'm looking at you. Why in god's name couldn't Auron have been X's lead? He was much cooler.
I thought Tidus was a pretty good lead and an ideal choice given the story. It made great sense to have the player and the protagonist thrown into a new world together at the same time and learning as they go. Usually it's just "This is a world/galaxy I've grown up in, but remind me how this works again, and of events that I already know about." Although I agree, Auron was the coolest character by far.


Prozoquel said:
Haha, true, calling JRPG's that would be just a tad racist. But I didn't mean that calling them 'JRPG's' automatically makes you a racist. It's just that the way people say is often in a really derogatory way now, and I know it probably won't lead to racism, I'm just saying that the potential is there.
Is that meant as racism though, bashing them for where they're from? Or is it just because JRPG is a convenient label for a sub-section of RPGs that share traits and that the J is relevant not because of what it stands for, but because it gives a different name to said sub-section? I'd prefer to think the latter.

Personally I'd say it's only really racism if it's said with racist intent. For example you get a lot of trash talkers calling someone "homo" or "fag". While I don't like it, partly because I'm bi, and partly because sexual orientation is just a stupid premise for a derogatory term, it doesn't hugely offend me unless it's said because the guy's homophobic. Although that's almost impossible to know on somewhere like Xbox Live or something.
 

Jamash

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Jun 25, 2008
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I'm not too keen on Final Fantasy (too much BS fiction/lore & couldn't get into), but I love the Shadow Hearts series, especially SH: Covenant, since everything in is based on real human mythology & small grains of truth.

I love the real world history & occult references in those games, e.g. King Solomons key & the Biblical demons associated with that, Rasputin being in a soul pact with Asmodeus etc. Almost everything you see in Shadow Hearts can be cross referenced with history & mythology.

I fully recommend Shadow Hearts Covenant to anyone who like good fiction/mythology/theology even if you're not a fan of JRPG's.