What is an RPG?

[DocFrance]

It's because you create and mold the character, ie develop them, HOW YOU WANT!!!

Let's take the "hero" of FFX, Wanky McWankerson, AKA Tidus, for example. Sure, you can travel all over the sphere grid improving his skills and teaching him new abilities. That's all fine and dandy, but what if I want him to act differently? I don't have any choice over what his personality is like - no matter what I do, he's always an irritating whiner. So, by your logic, FFX is not an RPG, because I'm not allowed to mold the character how I want.

[ljkkjlcm9]

molding the character is for battle, not how he acts outside of battle. You mold him for what you actualyl control. DO you control the story, no, but you control battle and mold him for battle. It is an RPG... you knew what I meant, you all do, stop trying to twist it.

Tales of Symphonia is definitely an RPG, you choose how you're character grows and what abilities they learn, what title to give them to increase stats at each level. In battle you even choose which attacks to perform by assigning them from a list or accessing that list in battle. It's an RPG, with action battles.

THE JACKEL

[DocFrance]

I wish you'd stop acting like what you say is cold, hard fact.

I'm not saying I want to change the story. I want to be able to mold my character, and not just in the sense of stats. Why do you think it's called a "Role Playing Game?" I don't consider building stats to be role-playing. Role-playing involves getting into character and making decisions that determine who your character is. KotOR is a perfect example of this - your character is pretty much a blank slate, and you make crucial decisions throughout the game that will define your character. The only chances you get to define your character in FFX is by renaming him and by making a few inconsequential decisions. Otherwise, it's all spoon-fed to you with the plot, and it's the same every time. If you just want to build stats, why don't you go crunch numbers on a calculator? The result is the same. You're confusing a Role-Playing Game with a Stat-Building Game.

And that is why Half Life is more of an RPG than FFX.

[strawberryman]

Bah! does it really matter? An RPG is an RPG. Who cares about classifications?
I play video games to play the damn games! As long as you enjoy it in one way or another, does it matter?

just getting that off my chest...

[DMKA]

"If it's not Halo, it's not an RPG" - Someone at school who told me I need to die by a shot to the head.

[Xander]

Bah! does it really matter? An RPG is an RPG. Who cares about classifications?
I play video games to play the damn games! As long as you enjoy it in one way or another, does it matter?

just getting that off my chest...

I agree. Also something like the game Boktai is officially classified as an RPG but I'd say that's more like Legend of Zelda than it is like Final Fantasy. And there isn't any customizing of your character in that. Also, Pokemon is an RPG, and you don't really have customising in that, although it does have the whole levelling up thing I suppose. But basically I don't think RPGs are black and white and does it really matter anyway? It's pretty much the same as arguing what can really be classified "pop" music, or "rock", or whatever. Really there is no clear definition. I guess RPG really comes from the whole Dungeons and Dragons, and the old dice rolling thing anyway.

[Zante]

It's because you create and mold the character, ie develop them, HOW YOU WANT!!!

In Warcraft 3 you can chose which abilities your heroes lean or which equipment they use, and it is up to you how you build up your forces, but it is still a strategy game.

In Jedi Knight Academy, you can chose which force Jaden learns and you can also chose a light or dark ending, and it still inst and RPG.

In my opinion, an RPG is a game that doesn't fit in any other category or combines more genres together. There are many kinds of RPG's so I don't think you can say exactly one thing that makes them out.

Also, for me the Zelda games will always be RPG's. You walk around the world, find items and equipment, fight monsters and progres the story- things that I consider RPG-ish.

[Rase]

There is no "true" definition of what makes an RPG, just different people's opinions. That's basically what this thread is, right from the first post, so I doubt we'll "find the truth" about what an RPG really is. It's just a title given to games that most people have thier own definition of.

[Craig]

Uhm, would Fable be a good example of an RPG?

[Cless]

I don't know what it is that technically makes an RPG an RPG. However, I think that I know one when I see one, if that makes any sense. I go by the general feel I get from them. A few games that, to me, are "true" RPG's:

-Final Fantasy (well duh)
-Tales of series
-Star Ocean series

Games that I feel blur the lines somewhat, and that I wouldn't class as "true" RPG's:

-Kingdom Hearts
-Zelda

Before someone gets up in arms about the nerve of me using the term "true RPG", I do understand that the only "true" RPG's are probably games like D&D. To me however, I loosely base my preconceptions on what an RPG should be, rightly or wrongly, off Final Fantasy. And those are the type of games that come to mind when I hear the term "RPG"

[DMKA]

To me however, I loosely base my preconceptions on what an RPG should be, rightly or wrongly, off Final Fantasy. And those are the type of games that come to mind when I hear the term "RPG"

Yeah, that's about how I am.

[Yuffie514]

i can remember you saying in a previous thread that all FFs aren't RPG 'cuz i can't control the characters or customize them, but i beg to differ:

if you're also talking stats:
1. FFVII...equipping materia and weapons certainly sounds controllable to me
2. FFVIII...i can evenly or unevenly distribute GFs/magic spells to characters and decide what magic they get
3. FFIX...equipping abilities
4. FFX...ok, each person has different abilities (Lulu=Black magic/Yuna=White magic), but there is a way to get all the characters to learn both Black/White magic spells.
5. FFT/A...loads and loads of Jobs, ninja, alchemist, neomancer, samurai, dragoon...

if character development:
1. in the start of FF8, Squall was a tactiturn (or a pessimist), until he met Rinoa. same thing kinda goes for FF7.
2. Tidus, a care-free guy, learns the meaning of love in FFX upon journeying with Yuna.

look, a lot more people agree that Zelda is an RPG , so it's not just my opinion . and the fact whether FF is truly RPG material or not, so many people already say it's an RPG .

[Azure Chrysanthemum]

Dungeons and Dragons is the only true RPG. All else is cheap imitation.

[DocFrance]

i can remember you saying in a previous thread that all FFs aren't RPG 'cuz i can't control the characters or customize them, but i beg to differ:
if character development:
1. in the start of FF8, Squall was a tactiturn (or a pessimist), until he met Rinoa. same thing kinda goes for FF7.
2. Tidus, a care-free guy, learns the meaning of love in FFX upon journeying with Yuna.

Sure, that's character development, but I have no control over it. What if I want Squall to get it on with Quistis instead? What if I want Tidus to grow some gonads? FFVIII has about as much roleplaying as reading a book.

[Doors]

An RPG is just what it says.

An MMORPG however is something horrible created to enslave people, make them pay money for working on virtual things online and make them act as wood-elves.