What makes a RPG a RPG?

I here alot about how ME isn't a true RPG, but I really don't understand why. There are so many different types of RPGs its hard for me to tell what an RPG is or isn't suppose to have.

A french maid costume and a duster.

*Joke shamelessly stolen from some awesome dude whose name I don't remember. But he is awesome, and that's all matters.

Like you say there are many types. To me ME is an action rpg. When I think of simply rpg I think of cRPGs like Baldurs Gate or Fallout, so freedom, character progression, story, stats.

Character progression, character development. I won't mention story since I can think of a lot of RPGs especially older titles that didn't tell any type of story.

RPG is such a failure of a genre name.Birdy09

In the case of ME 2 being something more than a TPS and giving us some character customization would suffice.

Stats, for me at least.

A game world that reacts in a satisfying manner to the character you've made or a meaningful choices & consequences system or both. Oh, and character skills as opposed to player skill.

But really, it's a genre where people want and expect different things, so we'll always have those tiresome discussions about how Mass Effect 2, Dragon Age 2, Skyrim etc. are dumbed down or whatever.

A poorly implemented "court case" quest. An RPG just isn't an RPG unless your quest to save the universe is interrupted by having to decide whether or not Farmer Joe is guilty of killing Farmer Bob's prize pig.

Being able to interact with the game world in any way you wish, only being constrained by your creativity and imagination (i.e. instead of doing a quest for a reward, you just kill the quest-giver and loot their corpse).foxhound_fox

A game world that reacts in a satisfying manner to the character you've made or a meaningful choices & consequences system or both. Oh, and character skills as opposed to player skill.

But really, it's a genre where people want and expect different things, so we'll always have those tiresome discussions about how Mass Effect 2, Dragon Age 2, Skyrim etc. are dumbed down or whatever.

RobbieH1234

RPG is such a failure of a genre name.Birdy09

Being able to interact with the game world in any way you wish, only being constrained by your creativity and imagination (i.e. instead of doing a quest for a reward, you just kill the quest-giver and loot their corpse).foxhound_fox

Wow are these definitions are so bad, the original defintion of rpg is role playing game but that obviously isn't accurate considering every game is a role playing one in some sense, but what the genre rpg tends to refer to is leveling up and improving your characters stats and abilities a main focus of the game, when it's not a main focus but it is included the game is a different genre with rpg elements in it, and the whole argument around Mass Effect is the whole is leveling up the character a main focus or does it take a back seat to the shooting and isn't all that needed to play/complete the game

I here alot about how ME isn't a true RPG, but I really don't understand why. There are so many different types of RPGs its hard for me to tell what an RPG is or isn't suppose to have.

i5750at4Ghz

I think the first ME is actually an RPG.

ME2... I couldn't even play it after 4hs, it didn't feel like the same game. I'd rather play a good TPS instead.

So, having played RPGs for a long time, I'm always expecting some stuff to be there:

- Being able to earn XP in a free worldmap, or places where you can explore freely.

- Equipment customization. You should be able to choose what items to wear, weapons to held, etc that can help in specific areas (Fire protection, Ice damage, etc)

- If it's action oriented, I don't expect a heavy story game but a very addictive gameplay (Diablo, Demon's Souls). If, it has kind of a more turn-somehow-based battle system, it must have a great story (Baldur's Gate, most Final Fantasy games).

- Looting, this is pretty obvious, but ME2 has a shooter approach were you find ammo, it's not like you can find an improved helmet, armor, weapon or somethin.

- A lot of options when you level up! Not like you should spend 10 minutes to level up, but I don't like that I just have to add some skill points from a very short list and that's it.

I won't go on, but I'll say my favorite RPG of all time is Baldur's Gate (both I and II), it has all the classic RPG features plus an awesome story. Dragon Age: Origins was also pretty good, to mention a more recent game, but story was not as good.

Stats and levelling up do have their place in RPGs, but that's just the surface mechanics of the game. The underlying experience is in the name itself - role playing game. And role playing involves two main things;

* the role is defined by the player - this is what distinguihes RPG from other genres where you are in control of a character but not in their role
* interacting with the world around you - each interaction being driven by the player and not scripted, how they define the character

It's these two principles in which the player can emulate acting as if they were the given character, and how that character would react to certain situations. In a sense the connection between player and role is that the character is an extension of the player, or is that players own unique alter ego from another perspective.

To me what makes an RPG an RPG is one that lets me play out as my own character. And emphasises character stats over player skills, furthermore world interactivity is a must and I should be able to interact with quests, NPCs and the environment in a variety of ways. If my character is bad with guns (or any combat skill for that matter), he shouldnt be able to finish most combat quests. Furthermore, how I solve quests and interact with the world should have consequences. How characters treat you should dephend on your charisma, your choices and actions, your deposition, your backround, and sometimes even your species or even gender.

Being able to interact with the game world in any way you wish, only being constrained by your creativity and imagination (i.e. instead of doing a quest for a reward, you just kill the quest-giver and loot their corpse).foxhound_fox

Just wanted to add a few more.

• You knock the quest giver unconcious, then loot him
• You Threaten the NPC to give you the reward perhaps through slander, hostage, death threats, ect
• You do something horrible to the quest giver and the only way to undo it is through giving you the reward, maybe you kidnap his friend, steal a valuable possession
• In some rare cases you can convince the NPC to just give you the quest reward, like in the beginning of Fallout 2 with your flintstone
• Perhaps he has the reward stored in a crate or chest somewhere, lockpick it when he doesnt see, steal the reward afterwards.
• Ask for an alternate quest for the same reward
• If the quest involves getting money from someone and then giving it to the questgiver who said you needed to give the money back? Keep it for yourself.

A french maid costume and a duster.

*Joke shamelessly stolen from some awesome dude whose name I don't remember. But he is awesome, and that's all matters.

An RPG has some kind of leveling and stat building system, other than that, gameplay can vary alot between RPG's. All I know is that Zelda IS NOT and RPG.

Stat based combat.

Character developments, tons of various useful items and weapons, experiencing the characters growth in power. Also a good RPG should be story based. Action RPGs are more action oriented (i.e. dont have turn based combat, etc.) and tend to have a bit simplified RPG elements.

Typical great RPG of this generation is Witcher and Fallout 3.

Typical great action RPG of this generation is Demons Souls.

Mass Effect is on the borderline between action RPG and FPS with RPG elements - most importantly its an excellent game though (I especially enjoyed the first one).

RPG may refer to:

Rocket-propelled grenade, a shoulder-launched anti-tank weapon

Role-playing game, in which players act out the roles of characters in a narrative game

Role-playing video game, a type of computer or video game

:P

The opinion of people who think they're entitled to defining a genre, I guess. Those guys.

RPG may refer to:

Rocket-propelled grenade, a shoulder-launched anti-tank weapon

Role-playing game, in which players act out the roles of characters in a narrative game

Role-playing video game, a type of computer or video game

:P

metal_zombie

Nah... RPG stands for Really Profitable Game. :P

Being able to interact with the game world in any way you wish, only being constrained by your creativity and imagination (i.e. instead of doing a quest for a reward, you just kill the quest-giver and loot their corpse).foxhound_fox

And do you know which game exactly, lets you do that? :)

[QUOTE="foxhound_fox"]Being able to interact with the game world in any way you wish, only being constrained by your creativity and imagination (i.e. instead of doing a quest for a reward, you just kill the quest-giver and loot their corpse).SkyWard20

And do you know which game exactly, lets you do that? :)

[QUOTE="foxhound_fox"]Being able to interact with the game world in any way you wish, only being constrained by your creativity and imagination (i.e. instead of doing a quest for a reward, you just kill the quest-giver and loot their corpse).SkyWard20

And do you know which game exactly, lets you do that? :)

Can't you do that in Fallout?

To answer the topic, I'd say: every game that puts an emphasis on character progression ( through gameplay, not story only ), by gathering stat-based items, improving abilities, etc.

Ewwww, this thread should become popular soon... It always does :P

Personally, I try to avoid defining RPG's as you're bound to get attacked by one group or another :(

[QUOTE="SkyWard20"]

[QUOTE="foxhound_fox"]Being able to interact with the game world in any way you wish, only being constrained by your creativity and imagination (i.e. instead of doing a quest for a reward, you just kill the quest-giver and loot their corpse).turtlethetaffer

And do you know which game exactly, lets you do that? :)

Can't you do that in Fallout?

[QUOTE="turtlethetaffer"]

[QUOTE="SkyWard20"]

And do you know which game exactly, lets you do that? :)

SkyWard20

Can't you do that in Fallout?

I was just answering your question. Besides, didn't someone say Minecraft? Haven't played it, but it fits the bill, from what I understand.

Rpg stand for playing a role and no Halo is not rpg because you can play the role of master chief. Chief is an already established role and you have no say on how that character evolves or how he shapes the story. Dragon Age is a rpg. You decide on what race you'll be, either a a noble or a commoner. You decide how your character will go through the story. You shape the character in the way you want, in the way he fights and the way he communicates. Many rpgs like jrpgs or diablo have only the character building part (combat wise). For me these are lite rpgs.

There are many stads in the rpg genre and it all depends on how much freedom the game will give you to make your character your own. So yeah, ME is rpg. It gives you a bit of freedom to shape Shepard the way you want although the second did strip it down even more.

RPG to me has stats, items to collect (armor, weapons, fun things etc) a good game world, at least a bit of exploration, lots of character customization options, currency, vendors, and most of all a good story and soundtrack.

ME1 had a lot of these while ME2 streamlined everything so it felt more like a shooter then a RPG to me, but still a good game.

[QUOTE="SkyWard20"][QUOTE="turtlethetaffer"]

Can't you do that in Fallout?

turtlethetaffer

I was just answering your question. Besides, didn't someone say Minecraft? Haven't played it, but it fits the bill, from what I understand.

[QUOTE="metal_zombie"]

RPG may refer to:

Rocket-propelled grenade, a shoulder-launched anti-tank weapon

Role-playing game, in which players act out the roles of characters in a narrative game

Role-playing video game, a type of computer or video game

:P

Maroxad

Nah... RPG stands for Really Profitable Game. :P

[QUOTE="turtlethetaffer"]

[QUOTE="SkyWard20"] I doubt the only thing that constrains you in Fallout is your own creativity. Plus I believe there are benefits to setting the player through a plot where where there are boundaries and some important events can't be altered. It works well as long as you're given a long range of options with which you can react to those events.SkyWard20

I was just answering your question. Besides, didn't someone say Minecraft? Haven't played it, but it fits the bill, from what I understand.

Ok, whatever, it's obvious you will never find a game that fits that one guy's requirements or whatever. Even though, I'm pretty sure you can kill quest givers and loot their corpses in fallout if you wanted.

I here alot about how ME isn't a true RPG, but I really don't understand why. There are so many different types of RPGs its hard for me to tell what an RPG is or isn't suppose to have.

i5750at4Ghz

But why not just google and inform yourself for 10 minutes? You would feel enlightened.

Also, a RPG is a RPG if it has significant correlation with its roots laid decades ago by the computer form of DnD. There are many sub-genres that appeared over time from the first itteration of a computer video DnD game, and all have somewhat of a resemblence to that common model.

[QUOTE="Birdy09"]RPG is such a failure of a genre name.Randoggy

It has to be an explosive warhead propelled by a rocket fired from the shoulder.