RPGs, What Defines The Genre?

RPG/Role Playing Game, what defines an RPG if it’s a Role Playing Game then isn’t every game an RPG? In Goldeneye you play the role of James Bond, in sports games you play the role of an athlete. Well, what do you think makes an RPG?

IMO I always thought role play meant the on-going text that you read, made by the characters. Then comes the gameplay, then the text again…I dunno.

But I’m guessing it means taking on the position of the hero of the story. Whomever it may be. My first rpg was ‘The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the past’. From then on I assumed that role play was like playing through the story, reading the texts, nothing like some of those other games where you just hack and slash your way to the end.
Nowadays you can get rpg’s where the character’s can talk! The text thing starts to fade away.

I reckon there’s too much emphasis on genre these days, you just can’t tell anymore. Well for a couple of them anyway.

To me a RPG is, a game with a good story different charecters an experience system and lots of gameplay hours =).

I started the same thread under ‘Role Playing Games ‘ And While I was there I decided to look it up in the dictionary and got. . .

A game in which players assume the roles of characters and act out fantastical adventures, the outcomes of which are partially determined by chance, as by the roll of dice.

Well, We still debated more but I think it has a lot to do with battle systems

Since we’re talking about RPGs, I’m gonna move this to the RPG forum…

A number of things define an RPG. And then again a game could lack those things and still be an RPG. To me, an RPG is a game with a battle system (either turn based FF styley or hack and lash Morrowind styley) with a major storyline (Final Fantasy again), and side quests to complete that help define the character (Morrowind and Final Fantasy.)

I’ll agree though that the argument that you are playing the role of James Bond could be argued, but in that case, isn’t every game a role playing game of some sort?

http://forums.ffshrine.net/showthread.php?s=&threadid=8887

That’s a little bit of an older thread, but you can find some other peoples opinions there also. I won’t close this since that thread has been dead a few weeks, but be sure to refer to it for other answers 😛

Lemme see.. An interesting story, lots of unique characters, a resonable battle system, good graphics, a somewhat difficulty level and plenty of game play hours to keep you busy @_@

hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm…

*good story
*leveling system
*some cheesy and cool looking characters
*weapons
*monsters
* some sort of half-arsed blimp/ship
*some evil person who wants to kick the worlds ass
*MAGIC!!!

I think the term ‘role-playing’ is much more intense in an RPG, sure you are playing a role in some FPS games and whatnot, but in an RPG, the idea is to make you live the role, be the character(s). RPGs always try to make you feel something, and characteristically, the often try too hard which results in some ever-present melodrama, which is excusable because it’s part of the overall experience. Levels are always included, as are scores of enemies, cliche elemental magic, massive weapons the seem more designed to look cool than to function, and you always end up being a hero who plucks up party members throughout his quest to save some person, planet, village, whatever. Let us not forget the minigames, sidequests, default townspeople who wander around in circles for hours, dungeons, love-triangle subplots…

OH yeah! Almost forgot, nearly every RPG has to have at least one hot chic in the party, and usually, tho not always, there is a dumbass guy too (i.e. Steiner, Wakka, Zell, Nikki…)

well, i reckon i better study for that chemistry test i have in an hour or so here, didn’t mean to write an essay there, PEACE, LOVE, JOY and allll that other hippie stuff.
Mercury

I agree with all the points made above, but i have also always thought that an RPG should contain proper Role Play i.e. when you talk to a character you should have multiple things that you can say to them e.g. ask them questions or talk about a specific subject.

Although the final fantasy series is my all time favorite RPG, i don’t consider it a pure RPG because of the lack of options in conversations.

I believe a true RPG consists of a very interesting story that is consistant and relevant to what you battle, regardless if it is the traditional HP, MP thing, it can also be adventure…

You also need characters who have good stories behind them… well, basically, an RPG is an interactive movie because, while trying to compare it to, like, fighting games, plane games, etc… RPGs are movie-like. ^^;; 🙂