What is a RPG?

[ANGRYWOLF]

JRPGs aren't really RPGs, and never have been. It's just a term that most people associate with "rpg-like stat progression". If you want games that actually try to be like an RPG, you need to play western RPGs, and even these only scratch the surface of real roleplaying.

Yeah, it's tough to develop a definition of RPG which incorporates JRPGs but somehow manages to exclude Action/Adventure games. The Adventure games just add a little plot and there's less and less which distinguishes them.

Modern JRPGs could just be considered console movies with some gameplay elements. At least, that's what the Final Fantasy series seems to be moving towards anyway (FFXII was an exception).

which of course you are entitled to have.

FFXII was inadequate as far as plot and character development imo.

an rpg...of course jrpgs are rpgs in my opinion, just like western games like Baldur's gate are.

I exclude Oblivion as you can do absolutely nothing in that game and still play it.
You can write your own mods where you do nothing at all and still play it.

An rpg has a purpose a goal you need to achieve. And you put your character or characters as actors in that role of achievers.
Usually there's some earth shaking goal to be achieved such as saving the world or your country or kingdom.
Some times the characters set out to achieve this goal and sometimes they stumble across it and must do it to achieve their main goal.

I like towns/villages/cities in my rpgs and npcs you interact with along the way but that's a preference not required for a game to be an rpg imo.

Anyway, that's my view but no one is required to accept it. Everyone is entitled to have their own view/vision of what an rpg is.