Why are RPGs developed in Europe so unoriginal?

[TheTygerfire]

So after having play time with both Divinity 2 and Gothic 4, I have to ask why are European developed RPGs so cripplingly bland and unoriginal?

They're all in the same setting with the same mechanics and the same types or battle systems and missions. Most are just single player versions of MMOs at this point too.

It's a genre more in need of an injection of freshness than the Japanese RPG market.

 

[crudus]

I am guessing Western RPGs take their inspiration from Romantic stories which are highly formulaic.

 

[IBlackKiteI]

Much as I dislike JRPGS in general I agree that they are often a hell of a lot more diverse and original than the Euro/US/Whatever ones.

 

[SturmDolch]

A JRPG vs Western RPG thread with a title designed to enrage people? An OP that lumps all WRPGs into the same group and says they suck?

Nice try, but you cannot fool me, troll.

 

[DustyDrB]

Maybe...look for ones not set in a medieval-inspired time?

 

[DirgeNovak]

He's not talking about western RPGs, he's talking about european RPGs. And he's half right, too.

I think the problem is that there a too few RPG developers in Europe. With Bioware, Blizzard and Bethesda in North America, other, smaller developers can have trouble keeping up.

 

[JUMBO PALACE]

Because Europeans have had enough of swords and armor to last a long ass time.

 

[Lotet]

becasue some people, like myself, enjoy those kind of games.

the people who make them are probably the types who say "hey, I like this game but I wish it had this, this and this but removed this" and so they make it. thus you end up with a game that lacks anything truly unique.

 

[Defense]

I think they're just trying to play it safe. Medieval and Sci-Fi areas are easy to do and they're well worn settings. I can imagine that it took a hell of a lot less effort to go to Google Maps and copy a square kilometer of Bedfordshire than to create something like the Gapra Whitewoods or Gran Pulse.

 

[Zhukov]

Helloooooo flamebait!

I don't know if you're doing it intentionally or not, but comparing WRPGs to JRPGs is always just asking for it.

 

[seditary]

So you're basing this off just 2 examples?

 

[Xylis]

So after having play time with both Divinity 2 and Gothic 4

This is your entire basis for your arguement? 2 games constitute the entire genre does it?

Thats like saying 'I've played Gears of War 1 & 2 and now I'm going to say that through my experience of these two games that all FPS's must be bad. Because every other FPS must be exactly like these two as they seem to be similar.'

 

[Lolth17]

Fable. Quite Original. Involves farts and chickens. Made in England. Look into it.

 

[Defense]

So after having play time with both Divinity 2 and Gothic 4

This is your entire basis for your arguement? 2 games constitute the entire genre does it?

Thats like saying 'I've played Gears of War 1 & 2 and now I'm going to say that through my experience of these two games that all FPS's must be bad. Because every other FPS must be exactly like these two as they seem to be similar.'

But?Gears of War is a Third Person Shooter

He has a point, many European RPGs use similar settings, but it's not like they just managed to accidentally find out that their fluted armor and giant castles have been used since Pong. Settings are much easier to do when you're not the first person to do it, having overused environments is common in many genres, not just European RPGs. Hell, even JRPGs used medieval settings for quite a while.

 

[Saulkar]

I agree. Not entirely though because there will always be somebody in Europe who can ass pull something quite original. Maybe not now but sometime in the future. But ultimately there are inumerable RPGs from all across the globe that lack any originality. You just need to keep your eyes open.

P.S. I fucking hate JRPGs, not the poeple that play them, the games themselves.