Can we sum up the thread:
- the iPad has the technical capability to produce complex* graphics and run complex* games … but there are very, very few games that could remotely be described as meeting EITHER of those criteria that are not just ports of older PC games … and none of THOSE are RPGs.
- *the graphics and physics engine capabilities of the most recent iPad are on par with an 'Ultrabook' with a dual core ULV chip and last-gen integrated chipset. Which means it can play X-COM, etc … but in 'low end graphics' mode. And the iPad is not as powerful graphically or in terms of complex math as either the X360 or PS3.
- The iPad does best with games intended for 'point & click' style of interfaces - 'Run & Gun' does poorly.
- Even with 'point & click', themechanics of the touchscreen are based on 'fat fingers' rather than precision mousing.
- Getting to 'greatness' in an iPad RPG will require a new paradigm - because anything else will simply scream 'this would be better on the PC'.
There are definitely good games introduced on the iPad such as Ace Combat, Star Command, Ravenmark, Leviathan, etc … but none of these are in the RPG genre, and there has yet to be what I would describe as a 'system seller' game.
In other words, the iPad is NOT something you seek out for the purpose of gaming, but rather something you get for other reasons and then play games on. The massive compromises required to get 10+ hours of battery life into an ultrathin device that has solid general performance and multi-touch capability without burning your hands and while only costing as much as a video card directly impact performance.
As a contrast, the reason my primary laptops are Retina Macbook Pro and Alienware rather than a Macbook Air and a HP Ultrabook is that I sought out gaming-worthy capabilities in my laptops. And there are many here who still use desktops to get an even more powerful machine.