So why are some games called RPG when they're not?

[DuplicateValue]

Some offenders of this are the Final Fantasy series, in the versions I've played you follow a set character where the only choice there is do you want to complete side quests or not.

Choices are not what makes an RPG.
In Final Fantasy, you play the role of a character on their quest and, while you don't get much choice in the path you take, most things are customisable. You choose what weapons to bring, what armour to wear, and who to bring in your party.

Western RPG's have spoiled you.

That would mean Halo is a RPG because you take the role as Master Chief (or an elite, or an ODST), Tomb Raider must be a RPG because you play the role of Lora Croft.

Neither of those games give you the option to upgrade your stats or choose your equipment, which are very central features of almost all RPG's, both JRPG and western.
The stats in particular is the feature that I would use to identify a proper RPG.

 

[dreadedcandiru99]

It's not just JRPG, but also some games like Diablo

Don't forget with Diablo, it's old, so the options for choice haven't really begun. The code is to long and complex for a CD.

More over, older games and JRPG's allow you to role play as another person, you might not be able to make the important choices, or any for that matter, but your still role playing another person.

Um, if you're not allowed to make any choices, if you can't do anything that affects the behavior of the character you're playing as--if, in other words, your only job is to steer the character from one non-interactive cutscene to the next, and then to put the controller down while s/he does whatever s/he was going to do anyway--then in what sense are you playing the role of that person?

I mean, I like the Final Fantasy games, I've been playing them for years, and I'm looking forward to XIII, but I don't think I've ever honestly considered them role-playing games. Really, all you do in those games is run the characters around, manage their equipment for them, and give them suggestions as to how to win fights. I think of it this way: if, say, Mass Effect was a golf game, you would be playing the role of the golfer. If Final Fantasy was a golf game, you would be playing the role of the caddy.

But that's me, anyway.

 

[Akisa]

I found an article that was written by an angry man that addresses this topic better than I could:

http://insomnia.ac/commentary/on_role-playing_games/

This is the best answer...

You need to go learn what roleplay actually means. I've already discussed this at length in another thread so I will just post a link to the definitions given by various dictionaries:http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/role-play

**rolls her eyes** Yes that would mean Halo is a RPG because we play the role as the Master Chief (or an Elite, ODST), monopoly is also a role-playing game because you take the role of a capitalist in his or her goal for a monopoly control of the real estate market.

 

[Axeli]

Semantics.

It's commonly accepted that RPGs that don't include role playing are still RPGs. You can ***** and whine all you want about the literal meaning of Role Playing Game but it's not gonna change a thing.

Game genres are almost always defined by the mechanics than the narrative anyway (not that you can't categorize them by their narrative genre anyway, but it's separate from what type their game genre is).

 

[shadow skill]

I found an article that was written by an angry man that addresses this topic better than I could:

http://insomnia.ac/commentary/on_role-playing_games/

This is the best answer...

You need to go learn what roleplay actually means. I've already discussed this at length in another thread so I will just post a link to the definitions given by various dictionaries:http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/role-play

**rolls her eyes** Yes that would mean Halo is a RPG because we play the role as the Master Chief (or an Elite, ODST), monopoly is also a role-playing game because you take the role of a capitalist in his or her goal for a monopoly control of the real estate market.

You can roll your eyes all you want but the fact remains that you and the guy who made that long and rather well thought out rant are wrong. Your opinions don't matter at all in the face of facts.

 

[BaldursBananaSoap]

Especially things like Fallout 3 and Oblivion which get called RPGs because they have a few stats.

 

[Booze Zombie]

**rolls her eyes** Yes that would mean Halo is a RPG because we play the role as the Master Chief (or an Elite, ODST), monopoly is also a role-playing game because you take the role of a capitalist in his or her goal for a monopoly control of the real estate market.

It's a role playing game because you play as the character, with all the advantages and disadvantages that come with being said character.

This is why the sometimes loved, sometimes hated stat system is in place.
By having a system where by instead of your actual skill it's your character's skill effecting the game, you've gotta try surviving as your character, not as your character projecting you, though you still control the character otherwise, you are bound by their limitations and the limitations imposed by the narrative and the world.

This differentiates from an FPS, for instance, where your characters success is directly effected by your skill in shooting things, not his/her own skill in shooting things (excluding cinematics).

That's not to say you need no skill to beat an RPG, it's just a different kind of skill.

 

[Onyx Oblivion]

I'm not even going to bother at this point...Defending JRPGs on this site is as hard as hating on JRPGs is on GameFAQs.

 

[L3m0n_L1m3]

It's not just JRPG, but also some games like Diablo

How on earth is Diablo not an RPG? You make a character, determine a sex/class, level up, etc.

It's most definitely an RPG, would you kindly check your facts before making threads like this?

 

[Akisa]

It's not just JRPG, but also some games like Diablo

How on earth is Diablo not an RPG? You make a character, determine a sex/class, level up, etc.

It's most definitely an RPG, would you kindly check your facts before making threads like this?

All of which is are just statics, they all have the same personality, no chance of effecting the story/side quest nor do they try to disguise it. At least with Fallout series you feel like character is unique from all the other gunslingers. Depending on your choices people may view you as a horrible person or savior.

**rolls her eyes** Yes that would mean Halo is a RPG because we play the role as the Master Chief (or an Elite, ODST), monopoly is also a role-playing game because you take the role of a capitalist in his or her goal for a monopoly control of the real estate market.

It's a role playing game because you play as the character, with all the advantages and disadvantages that come with being said character.

This is why the sometimes loved, sometimes hated stat system is in place.
By having a system where by instead of your actual skill it's your character's skill effecting the game, you've gotta try surviving as your character, not as your character projecting you, though you still control the character otherwise, you are bound by their limitations and the limitations imposed by the narrative and the world.

This differentiates from an FPS, for instance, where your characters success is directly effected by your skill in shooting things, not his/her own skill in shooting things (excluding cinematics).

That's not to say you need no skill to beat an RPG, it's just a different kind of skill.

Well let say they release a new Halo game where you take on the role of a Spartan lets call him Gunny. Now the game allows you varied responses as Dragon Age and the other character respond to your actions and treat you according, but there are no stats. To me that is more of a RPG then Diablo series.

 

[Eldarion]

**rolls her eyes** Yes that would mean Halo is a RPG because we play the role as the Master Chief (or an Elite, ODST), monopoly is also a role-playing game because you take the role of a capitalist in his or her goal for a monopoly control of the real estate market.

Yes, all games are technically RPGs.

Any game where you play the role of a fictitious character is an RPG.

Get it now?

 

[hermes]

Most RPGs do not take from pen and paper RPG the customization of your character background or the freedom of the narrative, mostly because of technological reasons. Besides, the "playing a role" part is common to any game.

They do take other elements from pen and paper role playing, like the customization of your stats (through leveling, equiping gears or just customization), and how it affects the combat.

 

[Axolotl]

Yes, all games are technically RPGs.

Any game where you play the role of a fictitious character is an RPG.

Get it now?

Only under an inherintly incorrect definition. The arguement that all games where you play a role are RPGs has been used before but it isn't very accurate, as a definition it fails because it includes things that aren't considered RPGs such as Halo. An accurate definition of an RPG would be one which includes all games generally considered RPGs but does not include games that aren't cosidered RPGs. This is why I said an RPG is a game that roots itself in DnD, because that is an accurate definition of the term as opposed to a mess of semantics.

 

[Eldarion]

Yes, all games are technically RPGs.

Any game where you play the role of a fictitious character is an RPG.

Get it now?

Only under an inherintly incorrect definition. The arguement that all games where you play a role are RPGs has been used before but it isn't very accurate, as a definition it fails because it includes things that aren't considered RPGs such as Halo. An accurate definition of an RPG would be one which includes all games generally considered RPGs but does not include games that aren't cosidered RPGs. This is why I said an RPG is a game that roots itself in DnD, because that is an accurate definition of the term as opposed to a mess of semantics.

I kinda see what you are saying, but keep in mind I said "technically".

The simplest definition of a role playing game is any game where you play a fantasy role. Under the actual definition, most games are in fact RPGs.

Halo is a game where you role play master chief, under the definition it is an RPG. It is also called a FPS because you shoot things in first person.

 

[hermes]

Well let say they release a new Halo game where you take on the role of a Spartan lets call him Gunny. Now the game allows you varied responses as Dragon Age and the other character respond to your actions and treat you according, but there are no stats. To me that is more of a RPG then Diablo series.

You are taking the definition of the acronym "RPG" way too literal... Every game (even cardboard games) are role playing games since you are playing the role of someone that isn't you.

RPG videogames are consider a separate genre from, lets say, adventure games, because the combat is based on stats, the same way as pen and paper, traditional, role playing games (like D&D). When you shoot at something in Fallout 3, the chance of you hitting is determined by a formula that includes (among other things) your aiming stat, the enemy dodging stat, the weapon you are using, the armor he is using and a random factor (the emulation of the roll of a dice). When you attack something in Final Fantasy, the chance of you hitting works on a similar fashion...

 

[Thaius]

JRPGs were before what you know to be RPGs: it's that simple. Western RPGs like Mass Effect, the ones that really offer you choices and character customization and such, spawned out of them. Don't complain.

 

[dreadedcandiru99]

I found an article that was written by an angry man that addresses this topic better than I could:

http://insomnia.ac/commentary/on_role-playing_games/

Just read the article, and I highly recommend it to anyone here who thinks that endlessly tinkering with arbitrary numbers which somehow make swords hurt more is the same thing as role-playing.

 

[Axeli]

I found an article that was written by an angry man that addresses this topic better than I could:

http://insomnia.ac/commentary/on_role-playing_games/

Just read the article, and I highly recommend it to anyone here who thinks that endlessly tinkering with arbitrary numbers which somehow make swords hurt more is the same thing as role-playing.

Role playing and RPG (the video game genre) are still not the same, sorry.