Poll: RPG Cliches you want to destroy

[forever saturday]

look up the grand list of rpg cliches. its on projectapollo.net or something. i would give you a link if i knew how to do that.

i also had a thread called "natural laws of video games" which had video games in general but some were rpg stuff. again i cant link to it. but heres some examples from memory:

rule of nostradamus - prophecies are always true. always.

do it NIAOUGH! - unless theres a timer on the screen somewhere, you have as much time as you like to defeat the evil villain or whatever.

chosen one - if there is a chosen one, its you. if there was a chosen one once before, you are just like him.

these are the ones that really stand out for me. and i hate them all. but i dont usually play that many rpgs, so i dont have that much of a problem with it.

 

[forever saturday]

"Son, will you go pick me a flower"
"NO! NEVER GRANDMA!"
"Why not pooky"
"because, the moment i turn around, the village will be on fire, you will be dying, and telling me im not like the rest of you"
"pooky, thats crazy"
"Really? I got pink hair, Devil's wings, A tail, hoof feet, and i swing a sword that could make up for the entire village's manhood"
"Pooky, your grandpa used to pick me flowers"
"oh fine!"
*turns around, the village is on fire, his grandma is dying"
"Pooky...your not like the rest of us...."
"Call square enix, i QUIT!!!!"

I've seen that before, but for the life of me I can't remember what it was.

As for me, I want goblins to pose a real threat to people. Not the pussies you see these days. That way some RPG enthusiast will see a goblin and think "Easy kill!" and charge right in. The goblin will then stun the enthusiast and summon two dozen of his friends and rape said enthusiast with their weaponry.

ive seen that before also. like i said before i had a thread called "natural laws of video games" which i cant link to but still exists. i think it also appeared there, but it probably appeared first somewhere else.

 

[Clemenstation]

I wish more people died and stayed dead in RPG's. This was why FFT and Tactics Ogre was so awesome...when a character died (or was turned into a crystal) they weer dead.

...unless they still had something important to do in the story, in which case they just 'fainted'.

 

[Voltano]

Hmm, most seem to bash JRPGs for in this thread. I'm not fond of them myself, though not all are bad.

I would like to see more genres/worlds/environments then the cliche fantasy theme. The megaten series (Shin Megami Tensei if anyone doesn't know) sticks to modern day Japan setting with some pretty developed characters that are actually comical at times. Western RPGs also explore more about ethical choices and different settings then a static story where "the good guy always loose the ultimate power/item to the bad guys, no matter what" (That was hilarious!).

I haven't seen many JRPGs make a protagonist with a big sword and gender-confused outfit in awhile, and that's coming from playing "Summon Night" on the GBA, probably a really cliche JRPG. I would like to see some more character ideas as the protagonist though, like the idea of him being a 30 something detective dealing with family problems while hunting down a serial killer.

Though I doubt any of these would occur. JRPGs are mainly targeted at the younger audience, like any anime in the US.

 

[Infamous_Q]

It started somewhere between Suikoden and Chrono Cross but why the HELL do I need a group of 40+ individuals in this game? Makes me unable to get close to any of them on top of the fact that I have to go so far out of my way just to recruit these people. Glad its on the decline at least.

 

[PedroSteckecilo]

It started somewhere between Suikoden and Chrono Cross but why the HELL do I need a group of 40+ individuals in this game? Makes me unable to get close to any of them on top of the fact that I have to go so far out of my way just to recruit these people. Glad its on the decline at least.

It was stupid in Chrono Cross but in Suikoden you are building an Army, many of the 108 Stars are Merchants, Builders or Tacticians that make sense in terms of the plot. Being able to use them in combat is just a bonus.

 

[Arsen]

I wish more people died and stayed dead in RPG's. This was why FFT and Tactics Ogre was so awesome...when a character died (or was turned into a crystal) they weer dead.

...unless they still had something important to do in the story, in which case they just 'fainted'.

The age old "Why didn't Cloud just use a Phoenix Down on Aerith" argument.

 

[Durgiun]

All of you have numbered so many RPG cliches and here's one that I hate:

Diverting our attention from the ''save the world from a great evil'' plot-line by giving the main characters deep, emotional backstories. Translated: Have their parents killed when they were 8, have them molested when 10, losing a dear BFF in some great battle with many casualities, happily marrying only to have the wife or kids or both killed giving motive for... You tell me! THIS is the cliche I hate the most! Yet, people eat it up, time after time, sequel after sequel, knock-off after knock-off.

Let's not forget the main hero ALWAYS falls in love with some girl. Why can't he be gay, a zoophile, asexual, a necrophile... pedophile? Anything! You know what, screw the love completely. Make the main character a pimp. THAT would be cool and it would sell more copies.

 

[DirkGently]

Anytime I have a some kind of super-badass ability, like magic, but it can't be used out-side of combat. Or when I have some kind super-badass armor that is supposed to be able to let the wearer take on a battalion of troops armed with conventional weapons while myself is armed with a pistol, I had better be able to fucking do it.

 

[Dajmin]

The "Chosen One" prophecy one gets me every time. Forging your own destiny always seems cooler to me than simply living one by numbers.

Horrible limp female characters is another one. Or the polar opposite "way too cocky" female characters. There must be a balance. These guys must know some real women to model them on, surely!

And of course the arrogant best friend who you fall out with, joins the enemy and then redeems himself towards the end just as you're about to die or fail or something.

 

[Warushi]

The way that you know the good guys are gonna win. Sure, its what you play the game for, but just once I wanna see them lose and the world get pwned for it. S'only fair

 

[Dancingman]

necromancy!

 

[ZenMonkey47]

In regards to the heroic males that look like females, I've always wondered if that's life imitating art or art imitating life...

I've always hated forced stupidity in RPGs.
"Hi, my name is Judas Benedict Lucifer Hitler Dracula the sixth. I'm going to join your party."
"I trust you completely. Want to hold the nine crystals of ultimate power I just found?"
"Why yes, yes I would" *maniacal laughter*
"Let's get best friends tattoos!"

and of course there is the opposite
"I used to be part of the Evil Empire."
"Eghads! How can I possibly trust you, you horrible traitorous person!"
"Well, one because I said I 'USED TO be part of the Evil Empire' and two if I was going to betray you I wouldn't have just told you that."