It was hard for me to choose exploration over combat, so I understand your point. I think a game that did a lot of combat while keeping up the rpg elements was Divine Divinity—it used some of the Diabo style but put in way more quests, dialogue and characters. More games ought to try that.

That's pretty funny as exploration is my second favorite element, at least when playing in the first or third person perspective. I love finding secret nooks and crannies most especially when the developer puts something cool tucked waaay off the beaten path. One of my fondest was finding a super cool sword in the game King's Field II where I was in a coastal region poking around and noticed something , only just visible really just a glint, while peering over the side of a cliff. I took a chance and somehow managed to get all the way down to the shore, barely surviving multiple falls, to find an awesome ship wreck with some great gear… Good Times.

Now put that same scenario into a top down isometric perspective and it's just "meh" to me.

Why not makle a second poll ?

"Your second important RPG element" ?

Speaking of exploration.. I always heard about a REALLY hard place to get to in Gothic II NOTR that had an abandoned car - An easter egg that mayhave signified that the devs intended for the game to take place in a post-apocolyptic setting.

I never managed to find it though…

if I am not mistaken, the car was behind the wooden wall in the mining colony. Not sure about it, I know the alien dwarf was there.

Originally Posted by titus
if I am not mistaken, the car was behind the wooden wall in the mining colony. Not sure about it, I know the alien dwarf was there.

Actually it was in Jarkendar, back in the canyon behind the cliffs that one of the 'dungeons' was built into. You had to use snapperweed or a speed potion and get lined up just right to run up the side of the cliff, supposedly. I never managed.

You could add "murder/death/kill" to the options. Its easily one of the most popular ones.

What's that phrase from? Maybe that movie with Stallone and Snipes? I can't remember and it's bugging the heck out of me.

yep demolition man. and there is also a game called mdk (murder death kill)

Ok, so out of the above I went for character development as I'm into worlds & rules - more worlds really.

Voted Exploration, but really, for an RPG to work for me it's got to have a good balance of all of those features. Exploration without NPC interaction is bland, combat without character development is tedious, questing without any decent amount of all elements lacks imagination.
A good RPG needs open exploration, good quests, interesting NPCs and the freedom to develop your character in any way the player wants and still be able to interact with all the elements of the game.
But the reason I voted Exploration is because once I feel railroaded and hemmed in, I rapidly lose interest. If I feel I have to stick to the path the developers intended, I don't care any more. Let me explore and do things backwards and out of order, the way I've always played RPGs….

My favorite element of RPG are NPC interaction, especially dialogues. This and storyline. So the storyline would be my second choice. But all other option's are also important, I like to explore, develop character etc. The only thing I dislike is a combat. I like to fight once in a while, but if I play singleplayer I dislike to fight often. It's different in multiplayer, where I like to just kill some enemies with team.

All games with an online component or something that prevents you from returning. NOVA Inotia and keep my back to the game online, but not, Inotia is saved on your side.

To tell you the truth, I love all of them, especially the Puzzles. Puzzles brings psychological elements in it, yet trains your mind.

I voted for Questing, 'cause quests are the reason why you develop your character,explore, fight, collect treasures, follow the lore or the stories, interact with NPC, and resolve puzzles (btw, I agree with the user who cited Soul Reaver as a game with great puzzles, I loved that one too and it's one of my favourite games).. That is my humble opinion of course