WRPGs vs. JRPGs: The Art of Story Telling

[.jayderyu]

@OP
Nope, it's a good try though. Scoobes is closer to being right. My 2 cents in terse.

JRPGs are a linear book with the old Fighting Fantasy mechanics thrown in. Your reading 3 pages then bam your told to roll some dice. On failing the fight restart reading the chapter. The story can be crappy, spiritual or magnificent. The book could be fully illustrated on high gloss paper making the book a collectible for the sake of collecting. In the end know matter how goof the book the experience is linear.

WRPG, first to stop the original OP. Story doesn't have to be simple. Planescape torment did not explain the story from the beginning. Only Bethesda games are so simple in knowing the arc. A good WRPG will a game where the experience is based around your choices. If you the player decide to Role Play and choose actions and characters based on a concept then the player will find the experience will change offering an incentive to play the game again

Heres an extra note on WRPG. WRPG aren't about what you can do, but what you can't do. If you have a character/team that covers all possible obstacles then the story/experience becomes linear since the player will always experience the game with success. Where as limiting the capabilities of the character/team to a smaller set will impede advancement in areas requiring alternative routes. This is what makes Bioware RPG like Baldurs gate a little more linear. The default story team covers most obstacles. The boon to Bioware RPG is that different chacters background stories will alter what happens.

As an example in KotoR Carth's son bacame a Sith soldier. If you bring Carth you can turn his son away from the Sith. Where as if you don't you will likely end up killing him. Essentialy the story changes.

An another example of gameplay story in Fallout 3. There is a town on the east side with the Ant Queen and the Robotmaster who are fighting each other. The town wants you to stop them. You have a variety of choice based on what you can/can't do. You can kill them both. If your diplomatic you can talk them out of it. You can wear the armour of one side and go visit the other and here the story about how their arch nemesis has invaded their lair. The story is yours.