Five things you look for in an RPG.

[Wolf Kanno]

Not counting being fun/enjoyable because that's kind of the point of the medium, what are the top five elements that make you decide "hey, this game has everything I want/need for the genre." Think of it less about what you like about games you enjoy and more about hearing about a new game that you may potentially buy in the future.

[FFNut]

First: It needs a good story. You can have a flawless game fall flat if it isn't well written.
Second: An enjoyable score to listen too. So many great composers out there who never get the credit they deserve.
Third: unique abilities. If you are just doing what everyone else is it can become stale.
Fourth: A great villian. You want to have someone so hateable that you only want to see him defeated. Kefka was one of the best ones that come to mind with VI
Five: Secrets to explore and find. One thing that made me hate XIII was it was a one direction game which took away from me being able to move on when I chose to after scouting the area. If I'm going into a cave I'm looking through the whole thing at my pace. I don't want to be forced out before I'm done.

[Rin Heartilly]

1. Content: Mini games, a fleshed out story, character development, post-game content...etc I want my money's worth, even if the story is amazing, games in Australia are expensive and I'm not paying $60 - $80+ for a game that's >15 long (I'm looking at you bioshock infinite). I'll wait for the price drop.

2. Characters: Even if the story falls short, memorable characters are what makes a game worth playing. The game can have an amazing world and plot but if you don't care about the characters, it lessens the impact and overall fun of the game. Characters are crucial to a games popularity, people love characters you can relate to, sympathize with or laugh with. Once you have great characters that's when the fan-art, fanfics, forum discussions all take place, amping the popularity as more people learn about it and add to the fan base, for example Persona 3&4, Disgaea, FF, KH, Fire emblem..etc

3. Gameplay: If the gameplay is terrible, what's the point of playing? Gameplay is a crucial part of a game because if the story is cliche and the characters are lame but the gameplay is super fun, that'll be enough to motivate most players into finishing the game at least. For example Pokemon, Yokai watch, harvest moon, advance wars...etc games like these generally have kind of cliche story, 1-dimensional characters but the gameplay is so addictive, you get hooked.

3. Story/plot: I don't even need to explain this one.

[Pike]

Kinda depends on the genre of RPG for me. Overall I'd say, roughly in order:

1. Gameplay - is it fun to play?

2. Character creation/customization

3. Good lore/world that I can play around in and get lost in, and that I care about

4. Gotta be available on PC - BIG plus if it's on Steam, GOG or Battle.net

5. Good soundtrack

[Pumpkin]

1. Engaging story

2. Characters I like

3. Fun to play

4. Appealing art style

5. Affordable~

[Vermachtnis]

1. Character creation/custimization - I love making characters. It's so much fun. I spend way too much time.
2. Class/job - I also like it when I'm not stuck being a sworder the entire game. Some times I want to be a puncher or maybe a magicker.
3. Sidequests/optional areas - I like going off and doing my own thing. Especially when it has nothing to do with the main plot. I mean, the less it has to do with the story, the more I'll be there.
4. Show don't tell storytelling - I love it when the game doesn't tell you everything and you're left to figure stuff out on your own.
5. Girls - I'd rather play a game with a female lead then a boring guy.

[Ayen]

I don't really have five specific things I look for in an RPG. I usually base my decision on recommendations from people who know my taste, or by looking at the back cover of something and going, "Hey, this looks like fun." I'm old school that way.

[Fynn]

I actually can't find five either. I can enjoy RPGs with weak stories if the world and gameplay are incredible, and vice versa.

I do have quite high expectations when it comes to story. It has to be well-written and subtle. Even when it's a light funny game, its humor still needs to be something that is actually funny.

[Del Murder]

To have 'everything I need' (with an example of a game that does it well):

1. Well written story - Something more than 'a bunch of scrappy heroes join together to save the world'. Plot twists, major themes, good dialogue, and sidestories are desired (Final Fantasy VI).

2. Engaging characters - Not blank slates or standard tropes. Characters who are funny, dynamic, deep, diverse, have a personal interest in the plot, and interact well with each other (Lunar Silver Star Story Complete). A charismatic villain is also required (Suikoden II).

3. Diverse sidequests - Simple fetch quests, monster hunts, and 'talk to this guy then talk to that guy' quests are archaic. You can have some, but that can't be all of it. Quests should require different actions/objectives, show you how they are relevant to this world, and should also have rewards that are actually useful and match the difficulty or time involved to complete them (Final Fantasy X).

4. Tactical but appropriately paced battles - My favorite is the grid-based tactical combat because you can really plan your moves effectively but it needs to be fluid enough so that you aren't spending an hour for normal battles (Tactics Ogre: Let Us Cling Together). Standard turn-based systems are also fine as long as you aren't waiting a long time for the turns to play out and there's something 'extra' besides the standard 'pick all your actions and watch it play out' (Bravely Default). I also don't mind action-oriented systems as long as you have some ability to pause the action to pick specific actions or take stock of the battlefield (Dragon Age Inquisition).

5. Some character customization - I am not picky about this. Job systems are the best, especially if what you learn in your jobs can be applied when you are in another job (Final Fantasy V). But even if the game has specific equipment and skills per character, as long as you have some flexibility as to which of that equipment or skills you can apply to make them useful, or it requires certain actions to access them other than level up, I'm fine with that (Final Fantasy IX). I actually don't prefer pure blank slate characters where you determine all their stats and skills from scratch.

[Laddy]

1. Strong, Explorable, and Realized Game World - Is the setting filled to the brim
with lore? Are the people's and places that inhabit unique, engaging, or creative? Can I explore and discover the little nuances of the world? What makes it different?

2. Beautiful Art Direction - So much of what makes an RPG great is immersion. Is the game visually arresting? Does it evoke a sense of wonder and fantasy? Do I feel emotionally and physically engrossed in the visual design of the game?

3. Good Writing - Whether it's an open-ended game a la Fallout or something more akin to Final Fantasy, is the plot and dialogue presented in a coherent, cohesive, and engaging way? Does it resonate emotionally or does it make me think? Does it ask philosophical questions in a new way? Does it surprise? Does it inspire?

4. Complex and Strategic Combat - It's excellent to have a lot of options at one's disposal: weapons, characters, skills, attributes, spells, formations, equipments, etc. Are there a variety valid of valid options to choose from in combat? Does the game offer a degree of challenge that scales reasonably but is unpredictable enough to warrant experimentation, and yes, even trial and error? Do I feel like combat is something to look forward to or is it just a burden?

5. Character Development, Preferably Mechanic and Narrative - Do the characters develop in interesting ways, both in plot and gameplay? Can I have a lot of options in how my characters advance in ability? Is it reasonable to create a team of specialists or try to cover as many bases as possible? Are the character endearing, or at the very least, interesting? Do they bend and break to the drama of the narrative? And are these two approaches to character advances perfectly capable of co-existing in a fully fleshed-out and complete way?

[Zanmato]

1. Freedom of choice, because non-linear storylines are awesome!
2. Must be team-based (you know, more options).
3. Must be class-based (because everyone should be important).
4. Side missions... LOTS OF SIDE MISSIONS!
5. Bonus content (like mini games, collectibles or secrets/easter eggs)!

[rhophiehalul78]

1. Fun and believable characters
2. Exciting battles
3. Town or Base improvement
4. Fun sidequests
5. Beautiful art direction

[Madame Adequate]

Good lore, setting worldbuilding

Well-executed plot (It doesn't actually have to be that good in itself, but it does have to be done well)

Interesting characters

Strong sense of progression and growing stronger

Gideon Emery voices a major character

[Quindiana Jones]

Gratuitous nudity, heavily scarred men, pornographic unicorns, a fluid and intense combat system, and massiveness.

[Zanmato]

Gratuitous nudity, heavily scarred men, pornographic unicorns, a fluid and intense combat system, and massiveness.

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