Well if you're not tired of the age old debate about what makes an RPG then head on over to Gamasutra where they have a guest blog about the lively topic.
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Gamasutra - What is and what is not an RPG?
- Thread starter Couchpotato
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TimtheTaxMan
Watchdog
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- April 9, 2013
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For me at least, an RPG is defined by the player having to deal with the limitations of the character he is playing. For example when picking a lock, the character's skill is the determining factor, not player skill. In action adventure games the opposite is true. Player skill rather than character skill is the primary determiner of success.
Lately, any game with a branching story line or narrative has been labeled a RPG.
Lately, any game with a branching story line or narrative has been labeled a RPG.
- Joined
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S
Sacred_Path
Guest
I would call that an extreme simulationist approach. If my character's sword skill determines how many attacks I get per round, but I have to aim manually, that's still in the RPG field. I argued for minigames i.e. on the Pillars of Eternity forums, when People went batshit crazy because that doesn't belong in an RPG. I then asked someone if he preferred a game that he just has to start up and then the game plays itself, with the character choosing advantageous dialogue options and fighting and picking locks automatically, and he said "yes".
I think these arguments are like arguing about what makes good kung-fu. Shaolin-style is best, but monkey-palm is acceptable too. Judo is not kung-fu, and wrestling is not even fighting according to some.
It will eventually get to be a bunch of hooey, and games will move toward an mma-like model. You use everything, and what works works, and people who stick to old kung-fu only will just suck at fighting compared to people who used things that worked from all genres. Shooters, adventure games, RPGs, sports games, they all have universal good parts that can be utilized as part of good gaming, whatever parts get highlighted the most.
It will eventually get to be a bunch of hooey, and games will move toward an mma-like model. You use everything, and what works works, and people who stick to old kung-fu only will just suck at fighting compared to people who used things that worked from all genres. Shooters, adventure games, RPGs, sports games, they all have universal good parts that can be utilized as part of good gaming, whatever parts get highlighted the most.
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- Feb 2, 2007
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- 278
I agree with you and that's also my rule for 'RPGness'. It's the character the one with 20 Dexterity, not me. To me what happens in action RPGs is the equivalent of having the game pop up a mathematical equation that you have to solve to successfully cast each spell, same as me having to timely block/parry attacks, I'm not the swordmaster, my character is.