A good griping story can forgive a lot of shit in rpgs. That being said choices run a close second (reason 1 i hate JRPG feels like im a straight path with no input from me)
Poll: How to you like your RPGs?
- Thread starter AngryBritishAce
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Character Customization can mean different things to different people. If it means dressing up Barbie, then no thanks. On the other hand if it means customizing your play style then hell yes, although that definition would make every first person shooter with a choice of weapons qualify as an RPG.
A lot of the options in the poll are things I like about ANY game. Varied environments? Yes please! Deep story? Yes please! Going wherever I want? Sure, why not! Good and evil choices? I suppose, if they're done right. Problem is, none of these things are exclusive to RPGs.
What I like about what I consider to be RPGs is the ability to customize my character's play style to a greater extent than I can in non-RPGs, which almost always means stats and numbers. But those stats and numbers have to (a) make an appreciable difference to gameplay and (b) offer more than one "good" option. If one option is best, and all others are not best, then there's no real choice.
A lot of the options in the poll are things I like about ANY game. Varied environments? Yes please! Deep story? Yes please! Going wherever I want? Sure, why not! Good and evil choices? I suppose, if they're done right. Problem is, none of these things are exclusive to RPGs.
What I like about what I consider to be RPGs is the ability to customize my character's play style to a greater extent than I can in non-RPGs, which almost always means stats and numbers. But those stats and numbers have to (a) make an appreciable difference to gameplay and (b) offer more than one "good" option. If one option is best, and all others are not best, then there's no real choice.
At least Bioware hires. . .what are those guys called that make the drawings on the page that people talk. . .WRITERS!Mr. Moonshine said:
Numbers.
This is mostly due to most rpgs having plots so laughably bad that BLOPS outclasses them all. Shit's sad.
This is mostly due to most rpgs having plots so laughably bad that BLOPS outclasses them all. Shit's sad.
They hire shit writers who can't get into the proper industry. Just look at Mass Effect.Austin Howe said:
Here's what I like. (Using Gothic as a test case)
-The setting and the occupants of the world to fit the plot. It helps sell the concept of a new world for you to explore. Gothic done this quite marvellously. The scumbags SOUND like scumbags,instead of cheery brits.
-Advancement. Whether it's zero to hero (or nobody to nightmare),peon to chief,or even Demigod to Overgod. So long as you don't stagnate until just before the final phase of the game,you feel like you're playing as an evolving character. Just look at Gothic,fresh meat in the penal colony,and you slay an [SPOILER! Play and find out!].
-Evolving world (NOT THE BETHESDA WAY!). Keep the world's populace unaltered,species wise. With each advancement (plot,prefferably),instead of beefing up the enemies...Repopulate the old ones,in greater quantity. Gothic done this,and it worked wonders.
-Wiggle room. I don't want to be constantly railroaded with plot. Sometimes,I just wanna screw around and impale people or animals on my Ultimate Infinity Plus Eleven Zweihander of Apocalyptic Doom. That doesn't mean hide the plot behind side-quests,or make it hard to find otherwise. Make it easily accessible if you want to persue it,but otherwise,let the player roam. Gothic done this with a journal system.
-Fitting music. Many a scene can be absolutely RUINED by poor music choice. If something epic is happening,make the music equally epic. Is something sorrowful is happening,turn the music down a few notches,and make it slow,and heartwrenching. Gothic made marvellous use of music,except for when you have fled combat. Big musical cue saying "Turn around and pelt them with arrows!"
-Proper justifacation. Prohpecy? Bullcrap. It's the easy way out,right alongside amnesia. How about some poor shmuck gets put in the wrong place at the right time? That isn't used quite as often these days. Don't even let the protagonist spit out their name (even though they try at times) in order to cement them into the position of either "nobody" or "blank slate for you to run with". Gothic starts you out as the fresh meat in the penal colony. And you pull some MAJOR heroics,just because you were the lucky guy (or unlucky guy) to be there. And volunteer. Or get told to do so. You're just the "Right Man in the Wrong Place",really.
-Fun gameplay. Seriously. I've seen games that forsake a good plot and setting for solely gameplay,and games that forsook great gameplay for a story. They don't have to be segregated,in fact,they SHOULDN'T. In Gothic,I found that nothing was forsook for either gameplay or story. Melee combat is skill based with a dash of luck,magic is all about proper placement,as well as ranged combat. And it makes sense,story-wise. Furthermore,Gothic takes great pains to point out to you how to properly use those weapons in-universe. They don't just say "Hold it with the blade down". They say "Hold it with the blade down;you'll get more power outta that first swing!"
Why am I making these wall-o-text's lately?
-The setting and the occupants of the world to fit the plot. It helps sell the concept of a new world for you to explore. Gothic done this quite marvellously. The scumbags SOUND like scumbags,instead of cheery brits.
-Advancement. Whether it's zero to hero (or nobody to nightmare),peon to chief,or even Demigod to Overgod. So long as you don't stagnate until just before the final phase of the game,you feel like you're playing as an evolving character. Just look at Gothic,fresh meat in the penal colony,and you slay an [SPOILER! Play and find out!].
-Evolving world (NOT THE BETHESDA WAY!). Keep the world's populace unaltered,species wise. With each advancement (plot,prefferably),instead of beefing up the enemies...Repopulate the old ones,in greater quantity. Gothic done this,and it worked wonders.
-Wiggle room. I don't want to be constantly railroaded with plot. Sometimes,I just wanna screw around and impale people or animals on my Ultimate Infinity Plus Eleven Zweihander of Apocalyptic Doom. That doesn't mean hide the plot behind side-quests,or make it hard to find otherwise. Make it easily accessible if you want to persue it,but otherwise,let the player roam. Gothic done this with a journal system.
-Fitting music. Many a scene can be absolutely RUINED by poor music choice. If something epic is happening,make the music equally epic. Is something sorrowful is happening,turn the music down a few notches,and make it slow,and heartwrenching. Gothic made marvellous use of music,except for when you have fled combat. Big musical cue saying "Turn around and pelt them with arrows!"
-Proper justifacation. Prohpecy? Bullcrap. It's the easy way out,right alongside amnesia. How about some poor shmuck gets put in the wrong place at the right time? That isn't used quite as often these days. Don't even let the protagonist spit out their name (even though they try at times) in order to cement them into the position of either "nobody" or "blank slate for you to run with". Gothic starts you out as the fresh meat in the penal colony. And you pull some MAJOR heroics,just because you were the lucky guy (or unlucky guy) to be there. And volunteer. Or get told to do so. You're just the "Right Man in the Wrong Place",really.
-Fun gameplay. Seriously. I've seen games that forsake a good plot and setting for solely gameplay,and games that forsook great gameplay for a story. They don't have to be segregated,in fact,they SHOULDN'T. In Gothic,I found that nothing was forsook for either gameplay or story. Melee combat is skill based with a dash of luck,magic is all about proper placement,as well as ranged combat. And it makes sense,story-wise. Furthermore,Gothic takes great pains to point out to you how to properly use those weapons in-universe. They don't just say "Hold it with the blade down". They say "Hold it with the blade down;you'll get more power outta that first swing!"
Why am I making these wall-o-text's lately?
Can't pick just one... all of these are great things to see in an rpg when implemented well. So other (mix and match em).
Other.
TC, you don't get it. It's ALL of the elements you're listing things that make a great rpg. You obviously still can make one with not some of them, but some are more central than others.
Also, notice how "story" gets the most votes...and despite that, Diablo is still popular as hell...and that's JUST because of the numbers. They're basically the whole gameplay aspect. Numbers make these games not exact copies of fantasy action games.
TC, you don't get it. It's ALL of the elements you're listing things that make a great rpg. You obviously still can make one with not some of them, but some are more central than others.
Also, notice how "story" gets the most votes...and despite that, Diablo is still popular as hell...and that's JUST because of the numbers. They're basically the whole gameplay aspect. Numbers make these games not exact copies of fantasy action games.
All of the above, but I really like how you grow into a hero, the story, the world, good and evil choices and the gameplay...Just make it unlike Two Worlds and you got yourself a RPG...
I love the stories and characters most of all, I love every single thing about Final Fantasy.
I liked the turn-based combat in FF10, it seems to me that it allowed for much cooler looking attack, Blitz Ace for the win.
I liked the turn-based combat in FF10, it seems to me that it allowed for much cooler looking attack, Blitz Ace for the win.
Hey, Just saying, anyone with a iPhone or iPad or what ever should check out this RPG game called Battleheart, where you build a party of adventurers and have to cleanse the land of monsters. May sound a bit simple but it is supper addicting, well animated and uses lots of variety. It will remind you of Castle Crashers, in a good way, and it even has some humour and a few references (example, the discription for the black knight is "Rumour has it that he once survive having all his limbs cut off) Check it out, it's well worth the money, and so cheap