What makes an RPG…a RPG?

I’ve been thinking about this for a long time now…, but, snice I first got my hands on a Role Playing Game, it was very new style of playing games for me. I played games like Super Mario RPG, Paper Mario, and a Pokemon games here and there, but were they the real deal? I’ve heard alot about Final Fantasy games, soundtracks, and stuff like that, I mean HECK, this WHOLE WEBSITE is dedicated to Final Fantasy. I know you guys might say…"Sayu…you never played Final Fantasy before? Your really missing out!" I heard that pharse so many times, I even feel GUILTY about it…

So I want to know, the recent games I played, Super Mario RPG, Paper Mario 1 & 2, and Pokemon games…are they the real deal? Is Final Fantasy the game that I should be playing? I just want know…what makes a RPG… a actual Role Playing Game?

For the most part in videogames there really isn’t much roleplaying involved. So the simple thing that defines an RPG is simply levels and character stats, more often than not involving a turn based battle system too.

As far as what game you should be playing, whatever game you have fun with.

I see. Thanks. ^_^

actually, the definition of a role playin game is playing the role of a character with no end goal for the game…(such as dungeons and dragons)…which means that there is no real RPG out there…also…it jus so happens that usually leveling up, and stats are the mainstream type of RPG out there right now…but its not required to be an RPG

The term RPG shouldn’t be taken as literial, it would kind of involve every single game out there since you do play a role of a character in most games.

An RPG does involve stats, some sort of battle system, a story of some sort and countless numbers of text. So games like Final Fantasy, Pokemon, Super Mario RPG are pretty much RPGs. Games like the Zelda series are not.

But the RPG term is pretty general, some RPGs are unique in their own ways, most RPGs can be divided into two major catagories: Japanese Style RPGs and American Style RPGs. Japanese RPGs are more based on consoles (Final Fantasy ish) while American RPGs are more based on the PC (Diablo, Neverwinter Nights ish).

I’m really learning alot from this, really. ^_^ I always thought that Zelda games were RPG’s.

Traditional RPG’s were pen and paper ones. Ones where you would buy and study a rule book and from there, as long as you followed the rules and stayed somewhat within the boundries of the race or whatever it was you wanted to be you could pretty much make anything up. You would write out or make up a history and background and actually build a character yourself and then play as that character.

The main aspect of this that got tranfered over to video games were the stat building and storyline parts of it. Mostly all characters you play in video RPG’s already have a set background and already have a future/storyline written for them.. you don’t really control any of that… what you control is the stats and whatnot of the character. A lot of traditional RPG players don’t like the video game RPG’s because of this fact.. they found the storybuilding the best part of being a roleplayer.

There are games that are getting better and some that just about almost relieve this tho. MUDs are one thing, but those are just all text anyway.. they are practically the same thing as pen and paper RPG’s with a few restrictions here and there. MMO’s have also played a big part for roleplayers… they still have a lot of restrictions but you are pretty much free to make a history and storyline for your character in them. You can play the character however you want really…

Most video game RPG’s are defined by having deep storylines, historys and in-depth character (stat) building. While Zelda doesn’t really have the stat building part down, I don’t agree with not calling it an RPG. Other than that one fact it has pretty much everything else you need for a great RPG and the gear upgrades and everything you get for him can be considered stat development, just not in a traditional sense. Instead of fine tuning stats you are just fine tuning gear, which is a major thing in any RPG regardless of it being video or pen and paper or what.

[edited] Because I can’t type for shit, so I fix’d it so I don’t look like a tardshit. I also hate how I wrote it… but i’m not gonna rewrite it.. it’s good enough I guess.

O.O Amazing…

It’s common knowledge really. It’s just that most people who got into RPG’s because of FF& or some other video game RPG’s really haven’t taken the time to research the origins of RPG’s. There’s actually a lot of pen and paper and LARP (live action role playing) stuff that goes on. You can find rule books for them in most bookstores. Usualy around the sci-fi/fantasy, graphic novel, manga, etc section. There’s lots of people in my city that still play Dungeons and Dragons, Vampire: The Masquerade, and one that’s pretty local called Magistar. There’s lots of others… just ask around comic shops and shit, I’m sure you can find people.

Also a few roleplaying games come from CCG’s (card collector games) like Pokemon, Digimon, Yugioh and the like (I’m pretty sure all of them have spawned an RPG game or two).

If you really want to technical about it I’d really say no video game rpg’s are real honest rpg’s because you aren’t actually playing the role of anything. It’s basically just like reading an interactive book. Sure you can sypathize and put yourself in the characters shoes.. but it’s not actually you bringing a character to life. But I don’t like to be technical about it.. besides I like books. 🙂

that is true…i dont really consider any video games RPGs either…unless the term got redifined somewhere, and i didnt hear about it

I see…you know, I’ve seen a couple of those pen & paper RPG’s in a bookstore when ever I head over to the manga section. They would be those cardboard made-like books that stick out like a sore thumb. ^_^

they don’t have to be pen and paper.on ffx-2.com they have a section for rps.on x-2 we call rpgs rps in case you where wodering what it meant.you name your own rp and then people join the rp and the story develops.there have been a few ideas for a x-3 e.g ffx-3:farplane core.

I’m really learning alot from this, really. ^_^ I always thought that Zelda games were RPG’s.

Yay! A zelda fan! I think that RPG’s must be consistant in the story they tell, the must be atmospheric, and have outstanding/memorable moments.
Like whrn you first walk out onto Hyrule Field in Ocarina! Woooah!

I’m…not really a Zelda fan, I’m just asking a question. ^_^

Zeldas OK but there all the same. RPG must have good strong story line, great characters and some action

True to that. ^_^

Yay! A zelda fan! I think that RPG’s must be consistant in the story they tell, the must be atmospheric, and have outstanding/memorable moments.
Like whrn you first walk out onto Hyrule Field in Ocarina! Woooah!
I wanna kiss your furry toes!!! Zelda, Zelda, Zelda. In my reckoning, the best games out there, apart from Final Fantasy of course…

share characters in fight
have a story for continue the game
thinking battle system over skills
HP and MP and maybe SP in most of them
equipments and items and earn gold
in one word:
awesome characters
new selectable battle system
great story around characters
great world map for search
new quest and mission for take in
status level up exp gold earn
weapons equipments skills items
and anything you imagine for fan…

This thread is a year+ old, don’t revive it ;(

also prak should be happy with most of this thread’s contents!

This thread is a year+ old, don’t revive it ;(

also prak should be happy with most of this thread’s contents!

My thread was better.

Also, Dewey should go away because his English is crap and he doesn’t understand the guidelines of the forum. It’s nothing against him personally, but I always ignore his posts because it’s too much trouble to decode them.

My answer would have been: "Dwarves and shit"

share characters in fight
have a story for continue the game
thinking battle system over skills
HP and MP and maybe SP in most of them
equipments and items and earn gold
in one word:
awesome characters
new selectable battle system
great story around characters
great world map for search
new quest and mission for take in
status level up exp gold earn
weapons equipments skills items
and anything you imagine for fan…

Come on!

Everyone knows an RPG is not and RPG without the Square Enix symbol at the bottom right of the casing.

Come on!

Everyone knows an RPG is not and RPG without the Square Enix symbol at the bottom right of the casing.

Not true. Look at Nippon Ichi.

atlus

More like Bioware. I don’t think any of those companies you guys named have ever made a real RPG; they mostly make combat-oriented adventure games.

And even then, in the KotOR games, you’re not really playing a role–you just decide whether to be good or evil, via dialogue choices thoughout the game. So you’re either this peacenik goodie two-shoes, a brutal Sith bastard (no manipulative-evil like the Emperor), or a schizophrenic in-between. Don’t get me wrong; KotOR is about as close as you’re going to get on a console, but it’s still not truly role-playing.

and…
materia and magic
draw magic and junction
gf force and limitbreak
character race type
sphere grid dresskill
card game and like
…
i was trying all the time…
great music and sound and character voice
long good dialouge and conversation with talk
great CG animation and sub scene
secret quest and hidden area and weapon skill
unknown dream story of characters
…
when i want…
character optimistic skillful
rising powerful dreams in time
make decition with select destiny
gather experience for level up
find the friends and comrades
fighting against enemies all time
search the world for find the way
continue the complete hero story
in half word:
play the second life of true characters in dream world around fantasy story

i once pretended that i was karl malone out to save the world from evil monster i will tell u how that turns out in an hour or so

And even then, in the KotOR games, you’re not really playing a role–you just decide whether to be good or evil, via dialogue choices thoughout the game. So you’re either this peacenik goodie two-shoes, a brutal Sith bastard (no manipulative-evil like the Emperor), or a schizophrenic in-between. Don’t get me wrong; KotOR is about as close as you’re going to get on a console, but it’s still not truly role-playing.

This is mostly true, but the spirit of it is there nonetheless. Even if it is a poor imitation, it is still an attempt at making a real role-playing game, which is something that companies like Square-Enix have never tried.

By the way, even if you do ultimately have to pick one side or the other of the spectrum in KOTOR, you get to play out each scenario in the game as you see fit. That means if you find a situation you want to be magnanimous in, you can still do it even if you’ve gone as far as possible to the dark side. Also, the sheer number of different ways to play out each scenario gives room for a lot of differentiation between games. It shows that even if it isn’t quite possible yet, the possibility for real computer/console RPGs is looming on the horizon.

Still, I think RPGs will hit their peak and show all that they have to offer when we have decently developed a virtual reality console.

I personally think a really good RPG will not just have one fate and one ending, but multiple endings, different people you meet depending on the path you choose etc. So really, what happens during the game and what the final story is, is all depended on your actions. Kinda like what Fable tried (and i stress tried, using it very loosely) to do, only a lot with a lot more flair and diversity.
Like those really old books that at the bottom of the page goes like "If you want to jump off the plane, into the fiery deeps of Volcano Krakatoa turn to page 34, but if you just want to stand there and fart turn to page 2349523942898!

I personally think a really good RPG will not just have one fate and one ending, but multiple endings, different people you meet depending on the path you choose etc. So really, what happens during the game and what the final story is, is all depended on your actions.

True.

everybody i was karl malone

mvp of the league

37.8PPG/14.0RPG/7.6APG/4.3SPG/2.0BPG/0.10TOpg
monster year