Requirements for an RPG

[Xangba]

So I realize people have always had varying "requirements" for something to be considered...well anything, not just an RPG, like sports, ect. Anyway, I'm pretty curious as to the different things people think a game needs to be an RPG. Personally I think JRPGs must exist in an alternate reality, because I don't consider them actual RPGs since I believe there has to a choice system of some kind, a way to define that the character is what you want it to be. Let's try and avoid any raging please.

 

[Kahunaburger]

An RPG is a game where you play a rol-

lol, jk.

Nobody can agree on the definition for an RPG because there's no consistent definition for them. RPG elements are basically elements from P&P games (like stats, equipment, and experience) that work well in video games with complex, choice/consequence-intensive stories and an emphasis on tactics in gameplay.

 

[Xangba]

Right, which is why I was asking actually. I'm not looking to set a definition, I'm just curious as to what other people think a game needs to be considered one. I'm just a curious guy I guess lol

 

[hazabaza1]

Yeah, JRPGs are all completely set character builds.
Apart from stuff like Shin Megami Tensei.
Or FFVII's materia system.
Or the Souls series.
Or Dragon Quest.
Or Resonance of Fate.
WHOOPS.

Anyway, pretty much everyone on the internet and particularly over here gets whiny bitchy about what is and what is not an "RPG". To me, I can tell when a game is an "RPG" when I play it.

 

[DoPo]

Well, some freedoms, non-linearity (as in FPS style linearity), at least some choices and stats/powers/upgrades. Ideally, I want it would allow you to play an alternative "you" but that's not a hard requirement and even when implemented, it's really blurry what it actually is. So, to clarify what I mean, I'll just give examples - my best preference would go with the Elder Scrolls series type of character - a completely blank slate you can project yourself onto. Since there is no real limits on what your character is, it's easy to imagine it's you who's in the game (even though you may have scales and create fire by waving your hands). DA:O style still works, but it's a more restricted version - you can chose a race/class but your character still has his personal history that you don't control much. Finally, there is the worst, that doesn't really give you an option to what you play, for example, DA2 just gives you a character and you have little say in the details about him.

 

[Xangba]

Yeah, JRPGs are all completely set character builds.
Apart from stuff like Shin Megami Tensei.
Or FFVII's materia system.
Or the Souls series.
Or Dragon Quest.
Or Resonance of Fate.
WHOOPS.

Anyway, pretty much everyone on the internet and particularly over here gets whiny bitchy about what is and what is not an "RPG". To me, I can tell when a game is an "RPG" when I play it.

Haha fair enough. Yeah I'm hoping to avoid any bitching between people, I just am honestly curious about how other people view things. Example being one of my friends is still a big D&D guy and doesn't really like most game RPGs because they don't offer enough options for him, taking away from a real RPG experience he says. That's kind of what made me want to make this.

 

[Kahunaburger]

Example being one of my friends is still a big D&D guy and doesn't really like most game RPGs because they don't offer enough options for him, taking away from a real RPG experience he says.

That's true - no computer program can touch the level of interactivity a good DM can offer.

 

[Nigh Invulnerable]

Example being one of my friends is still a big D&D guy and doesn't really like most game RPGs because they don't offer enough options for him, taking away from a real RPG experience he says.

That's true - no computer program can touch the level of interactivity a good DM can offer.

As much as I can appreciate the freedom of games like Skyrim, they'll never beat playing some D&D with a few good friends around a table for sheer interactivity. Bethesda could improve things a ton, in my mind, by making your affiliations actually impact gameplay. Start down the Dark Brotherhood path? Okay, now the Warrior guild wants nothing to do with you so you're cut off from that quest tree. That'd make those games far better.

 

[SajuukKhar]

role-playing game (RPG and sometimes roleplaying game) is a game in which players assume the roles of characters in a fictional setting. Players take responsibility for acting out these roles within a narrative, either through literal acting, or through a process of structured decision-making or character development. Actions taken within many games succeed or fail according to a formal system of rules and guidelines.

As long as it fits that it is a RPG.

 

[Kahunaburger]

Example being one of my friends is still a big D&D guy and doesn't really like most game RPGs because they don't offer enough options for him, taking away from a real RPG experience he says.

That's true - no computer program can touch the level of interactivity a good DM can offer.

As much as I can appreciate the freedom of games like Skyrim, they'll never beat playing some D&D with a few good friends around a table for sheer interactivity. Bethesda could improve things a ton, in my mind, by making your affiliations actually impact gameplay. Start down the Dark Brotherhood path? Okay, now the Warrior guild wants nothing to do with you so you're cut off from that quest tree. That'd make those games far better.

Yeah, faction relationships are a good way to do this thing. I've also seen it done with time mechanics - in Devil Survivor, you have a 7-day time limit, things that advance the plot in a direction cost time, and certain events happen at certain times. The system essentially forces you to pick allies and long-term plans toward your eventual goal. It was a very effective way of giving the player agency in the main plot, and IMO WRPG developers should play that game and take notes. I feel like Bethesada has half of the equation (the "you can do lots of different things" half) down, and needs to work on the "the things you do have meaningful consequences" part of the equation.

 

[SajuukKhar]

Yeah, faction relationships are a good way to do this thing. I've also seen it done with time mechanics - in Devil Survivor, you have a 7-day time limit, things that advance the plot in a direction cost time, and certain events happen at certain times. The system essentially forces you to pick allies and long-term plans toward your eventual goal. It was a very effective way of giving the player agency in the main plot, and IMO WRPG developers should play that game and take notes. I feel like Bethesada has half of the equation (the "you can do lots of different things") down, and needs to work on the "the things you do have meaningful consequences" part of the equation.

Bethesda tired, and failed, to give quests have character defining consequences by locking specific Shouts and items in certain faction only dungeons.

The problem is there's so much normal magic shit, and people mod all those dungeon locks out it becomes useless.

 

[Xangba]

Example being one of my friends is still a big D&D guy and doesn't really like most game RPGs because they don't offer enough options for him, taking away from a real RPG experience he says.

That's true - no computer program can touch the level of interactivity a good DM can offer.

Yeah, and I mean I've played with him (no shame, I admit to it) and of course love the full interactivity and choices (which may be why that's one of my personal requirements for an RPG) but sadly games have yet to achieve that. Maybe a good part of what people believe a game needs to be an RPG for them has a lot to do with their background, such as a D&D player. I've heard a few different views on it and just find it interesting how so many different definitions of one thing there are. Honestly I think it's pretty cool that it can be open enough for people that way.

P.S. A Paranoia game with a purely diabolical person running it is some of the most fun that can be had. To quote the action of my friend at one point, in which he killed us all. "Pull pins on grenades. Hope for best." It's bad when our Computer is laughing as soon as he reads what our "comrade" is doing.

 

[Kahunaburger]

P.S. A Paranoia game with a purely diabolical person running it is some of the most fun that can be had. To quote the action of my friend at one point, in which he killed us all. "Pull pins on grenades. Hope for best." It's bad when our Computer is laughing as soon as he reads what our "comrade" is doing.

Someone needs to get the rights to that license and make us a Paranoia game. I'm imagining a cross between Super Meat Boy and NetHack.

 

[taiwwa]

Basically, an RPG is any game where the avatar you are controlling has a backstory.

So I would actually consider Halo to be an RPG.

I would not consider Sim City or Starcraft 2 to be RPG's. Those are Strategy and god games.

 

[Kahunaburger]

Basically, an RPG is any game where the avatar you are controlling has a backstory.

So I would actually consider Halo to be an RPG.

Taiwwa, you so funny.

 

[Xangba]

P.S. A Paranoia game with a purely diabolical person running it is some of the most fun that can be had. To quote the action of my friend at one point, in which he killed us all. "Pull pins on grenades. Hope for best." It's bad when our Computer is laughing as soon as he reads what our "comrade" is doing.

Someone needs to get the rights to that license and make us a Paranoia game. I'm imagining a cross between Super Meat Boy and NetHack.

As long as the option to do ridiculously stupid things and somehow walk away from them is still there.
"I'm going to fly out of the room for dramatic effect!" "You're going to fly through a burning door attached to a crane?" "Yes." *rolls* "I...no...just no...You did it. Perfectly."

 

[DoPo]

Basically, an RPG is any game where the avatar you are controlling has a backstory.

You do realise that that makes around 99% of games RPGs, right? Quake, Half-Life, Super Mario Bros, Contra, Arkanoid, some racing games...Arkanoid

Spoiler: Akanoid!

Akanoid: the Ark...ening. Or something

P.S. A Paranoia game with a purely diabolical person running it is some of the most fun that can be had. To quote the action of my friend at one point, in which he killed us all. "Pull pins on grenades. Hope for best." It's bad when our Computer is laughing as soon as he reads what our "comrade" is doing.

Someone needs to get the rights to that license and make us a Paranoia game. I'm imagining a cross between Super Meat Boy and NetHack.

As long as the option to do ridiculously stupid things and somehow walk away from them is still there.
"I'm going to fly out of the room for dramatic effect!" "You're going to fly through a burning door attached to a crane?" "Yes." *rolls* "I...no...just no...You did it. Perfectly."

You know what? Thank you for that mental image. Now any pleasure from playing games will be dulled for the coming few weeks. Every time I'll just look at the game and say to myself "But it's not Paraoia!".

EDIT: swapped the second quote with a more recent one.

 

[BiggyShackleton]

Example being one of my friends is still a big D&D guy and doesn't really like most game RPGs because they don't offer enough options for him, taking away from a real RPG experience he says.

That's true - no computer program can touch the level of interactivity a good DM can offer.

As much as I can appreciate the freedom of games like Skyrim, they'll never beat playing some D&D with a few good friends around a table for sheer interactivity. Bethesda could improve things a ton, in my mind, by making your affiliations actually impact gameplay. Start down the Dark Brotherhood path? Okay, now the Warrior guild wants nothing to do with you so you're cut off from that quest tree. That'd make those games far better.

Which is weird because Morrowind did that and that was 2 games ago. If you joined one of the Great Houses, the rest were locked off. The guilds weren't as strict but had skill restrictions so unless you were going out of your way to play through everything you generally had to stick to one or two guilds that fit your playstyle. Why they got rid of that for this "I AM LISTENER, ARCHMAGE AND GRAY FOX" bullshit I'll never know.

OT: Yeah I agree, in it's purest form the ultimate RPG is D&D, although videogames are doing a decent job of giving us some degree of choice in your actions. Take Fallout for example, I was playing a woman called Jeff who hit things with a pool cue the other day. My character before was a laser pistol ninja. It's steps in the right direction.

 

[Blaster395]

An RPG is a game where the focus is on the story of the main character(s), and a major reason why you play is for this story. Many mechanics can be used, but typically, the game includes some form of character progressions such as leveling up or unlocking new equipment.
Its focus is usually away from combat and usually contains a greater proportion of dialogue than other genres.

For Western RPGs, most inspiration for mechanics comes from D&D, such as leveling up to improve various statistics.

 

[Xangba]

Take Fallout for example, I was playing a woman called Jeff who hit things with a pool cue the other day. My character before was a laser pistol ninja. It's steps in the right direction.

Funny thing is Fallout is a game my RPG picky friend likes to play. He enjoys bludgeoning a Super Mutant to death with a sledgehammer. A lot.

snip

You know what? Thank you for that mental image. Now any pleasure from playing games will be dulled for the coming few weeks. Every time I'll just look at the game and say to myself "But it's not Paraoia!".

EDIT: swapped the second quote with a more recent one.

I apologize for making you compare to Paranoia. It is not a burden I should have put on you.