What is a feature or thing you want in an RPG that you've never seen in one?

[dtthelegend]

Just a few questions for you guys today...

What is a feature or thing you want in an RPG that you've never seen in one?
OR
If there is a feature or thing you want in an RPG, but its not done right, how can it be fixed?
AND
What features do you like about certain RPGs?

I for one sometimes wonder why they never offer bulk discounts for potions I buy
at mom and pop item stores.

 

[Danceofmasks]

On the subject of potions, I always wondered why chugging excessive amounts of potions don't give you diarrhoea.
Fallout: New Vegas didn't go hardcore enough.

 

[dtthelegend]

On the subject of potions, I always wondered why chugging excessive amounts of potions don't give you diarrhoea.
Fallout: New Vegas didn't go hardcore enough.

I like this.

Anyone else?

 

[Palademon]

I'd like customisation options that include my hair style.

Seriously though, I'd like customisation that isn't immediately covered by armour, and that actually makes me feel unique.

 

[DeadlyYellow]

Fallout: New Vegas didn't go hardcore enough.

Or at all really. It only made the game more cumbersome rather than adding interesting gameplay.

Personally I've always wanted more depth and feel to the combat of "Action RPGs" like Oblivion.

 

[Ando85]

Non exploitable casinos. I notice a lot of JRPGs especially Dragon Quest games have a casino. I also like the fact that in these games you can actually get very useful items only in the casino. Most games that rewards aren't really all that special. The problem is however, you can simply save and reload the file if you lose. If only I could do that in real life...

 

[Captain Hat]

More "New Game+" options.
If I've beaten the game then I should be able to make it my toy-box for replay value. Chrono Trigger did it pretty good back on the SNES, but to be able to actually go in and customize a character's stats or tweak with how many of what item I have... Yeah, I'd dive back into any game if I could be a juggernaut at it.

A feature I like in RPG games (I'm talking turn-based here, not Fallout or Zelda,) is being able to see the enemies on the world/dungeon screen and not just have random encounters. Earthbound and Symphonia games always have me thankful when I'm about to die. Final Fantasy VI had me two steps away from a save point in Kefka's fortress but POOF. Random encounter, all party-members killed. Blargh.

RPG's made these days need to have more in-game minigames. Final Fantasy 7 had the whole "defend the Phoenix eggs on top of the tower" defense-thingy, and Super Mario RPG had -more- than enough bonus things to do then just walk down the tunnel, check the dungeon, random encounters, blah-blah-blah. So, more minigames to get lost in. Mm.... Blitzball......

 

[Rapamaha]

real harsh consequenses, many RPG developers keep saying that their games have consequenses depending on your actions, however these effects are usually pretty much meaningless and dont have big effect on the story, I want to see something that have real effects on your gameplay (kill your companion, take away your money, give you shitloads of guns for free) good & bad big outcomes that effect directly to YOUR story & gameplay

 

[dtthelegend]

Non exploitable casinos. I notice a lot of JRPGs especially Dragon Quest games have a casino. I also like the fact that in these games you can actually get very useful items only in the casino. Most games that rewards aren't really all that special. The problem is however, you can simply save and reload the file if you lose. If only I could do that in real life...

What about a detector in game that senses your winning streak then shuts you out like in real life if you win too much?

 

[Captain Hat]

real harsh consequenses, many RPG developers keep saying that their games have consequenses depending on your actions, however these effects are usually pretty much meaningless and dont have big effect on the story, I want to see something that have real effects on your gameplay (kill your companion, take away your money, give you shitloads of guns for free) good & bad big outcomes that effect directly to YOUR story & gameplay

Fire Emblem on the gamecube or GBA.

Character dies, then they're DEAD. No revivals.

Brutal.

 

[VoidWanderer]

A moral system that cannot be simulated by flipping a coin. I am getting bored of games that tout these systems but boil down to 'Nice Guy' and 'Douchebag' with subsequent rewards. How about not giving a damn and getting reqarded for it. Is it really too much for games to give more than two options?

 

[krazykidd]

On the subject of potions, I always wondered why chugging excessive amounts of potions don't give you diarrhoea.
Fallout: New Vegas didn't go hardcore enough.

There are games that give you poition poisoning , can't remember which though.

real harsh consequenses, many RPG developers keep saying that their games have consequenses depending on your actions, however these effects are usually pretty much meaningless and dont have big effect on the story, I want to see something that have real effects on your gameplay (kill your companion, take away your money, give you shitloads of guns for free) good & bad big outcomes that effect directly to YOUR story & gameplay

Fire Emblem on the gamecube or GBA.


Character dies, then they're DEAD. No revivals.

Brutal.

Every fire emblem does that ( except the DS version ). Final tactics ( the original ) does that too , you have 3 turns to revive a dead player , if not he dissapears into a crystal where you can salvage 1 item he has on him. Monsters suffer the same fate after 3 turns , i think this was one of my favorite game mechanics and i wish it was impliment more .

 

[MagnetoHydroDynamics]

For hack 'n' slash -

I say: add a really good minigame based crafting system.
I say: add a magic system akin to that in Magicka.
I say: have all stats and inner workings of probability exposed to the player and have a really good wiki about all the builds and enemies.
I say: given all these, be about as hard as Diablo II Median XL.

For role playing games -

I say: have every. single. encounter. be avoidable by social options.
I say: have the entire plot be avoidable by social options.
I say: for god's sake don't do a bipolar morality system.
I say: for heaven's have player choices matter.

 

[WhiteFangofWhoa]

For a JRPG:

-Have enemies make better use of support and curative magic (like say, using a Null-Elemental spell to cover their weakness), but include unique spells that provide a counter for every single tactic they use. By comparison, every monster must have some kind of weakness, either elemental or a poor stat.

-Have a ranking system wherein doing well in battles raises your rank in a dungeon and causes weaker enemies to run from you, while stronger ones (with much better loot) decide that you're worth eating. Also if your rank is high enough you can avoid all battles in that dungeon, making backtracking much easier.

-Have romance options available for all characters, and impossible to get on loving terms with everyone in just one game. Better yet, have the romance options pertain to their unique interests, like minigames involving sports or climbing.

-No more items that are too rare to ever use that leaves you sitting on a pile of Mega-Elixers at the end. Just make them super-expensive, and the game difficult enough to merit their use.

-Allow all combat animations to be skipped.

 

[Furioso]

Non exploitable casinos. I notice a lot of JRPGs especially Dragon Quest games have a casino. I also like the fact that in these games you can actually get very useful items only in the casino. Most games that rewards aren't really all that special. The problem is however, you can simply save and reload the file if you lose. If only I could do that in real life...

What about a detector in game that senses your winning streak then shuts you out like in real life if you win too much?

They had that in Fallout: New Vegas, first they give you a suite key for making their place look good (which does happen in real life) and then after a while they kick you out permanently for taking so much of their money

 

[lord.jeff]

A balanced weapon system, I don't want my current sword to be useless just because I've reached the next town.

Also stop giving out so much money, by the end of almost any RPG I end up with over a million coins in my pocket and nothing left to spend it on.

Also the potion penalty ideas mentioned earlier is a good idea.

 

[dtthelegend]

Thank you all for the responses. Is there anything else?

 

[Zenkem]

Turn-based, complex choreographed battles and realistic wounding system are already in Dwarf Fortress, but I'd like more games to use them. Rather than spamming Fight or using spells, a system based on positioning, guarding yourself from multiple sides and seeking openings to attack would make fights more like chess with body physics than mathematics.

As for wounds and health, hit points are a hopelessly abstract way to handle damage, and there are only a handful of games where wounds can get infected and broken bones take time to heal. A minigame around first aid or healing rhituals would be much better than casting cure or eating a medkit.

 

[Silverfox99]

I think it would be cool to have a shape shifter rpg. One where you could take over the looks of a npc and gain their friends and their enemies. I know there have been very basic versions of this in games but I would like the handling of shape shifting to be the game. So you would be a spy/assassin but to get in the position to save the day, you would have to take over as people and use their status to help you out.

 

[Veldt Falsetto]

Give me GOD DAMN real time weather and active up to date banter with NPCs and I shall be happy.

I've ALWAYS wondered if the Wii can link up to it's weather and news channels into it's games.
I'm sure it's possible yet no one has thought of this. Now wouldn't it be AMAZING for it to be raining outside but also raining on Animal Crossing and then your friendly duck comes around and says, "QUAAAAAAAAAACK, it's a pure shame about that Steve Jobs fella dying, Quick Quack, I really like my iPod" or something.

As for something I LOVE in other RPGs, which adds on to my initial desire.

Pokemon has included a real-time clock for over a decade, when it's night, it's night, when it's day, it's day. Every console has an in-built clock now. There is ABSOLUTELY no excuse as to why more games can't do this, especially open world games in which story isn't affected by the time of day.

Link all 3 together, implement it into something like say...."SKYRIM" but based in the real world and here you have an ever changing, ever evolving, open-world game which is not only affected by what you do but also what's happening when you're at work or school or college or even what happens in the african government. Go into detail and give every NPC a personality and opinion (randomised, obviously, like in Animal Crossing) and throw in a great story worked on by proper writers and I guess that's the RPG I want...NOW PLEASE!