I would not ask about quantum physics on a electrical engineering forum. Simply because electrical engineers only know about the elements of physics related to the area they need. As such the question of what is an RPG or what makes an RPG is not best answered in a forum that is far from the source of RPG themselves. Your best bet is www.rpg.net
I will however attempt to clear up what makes an RPG what it is.
Avatar/Character, Choice and Consequence
In essence the Role you play defines your experience(I don't mean XP point) path as a player. Characters who are social can talk through a situation a fighter will have to fight through.
An example. Dixon(A weapons engineer) is being held hostage by his ex mistress who is pissed off at him. She is going to kill him. As a fighter type it is a near zero chance to talk her down. In the attempt to save him Dixon dies. Consequence is that you can't get any weapons Dixon provides down the road. Your games experience has changed based on what you can and can't do.
On the other hand a socialist might be able to talk her out of it. Not only that a particularly persuasive person of the opposing gender may be able to talk the lady into being a contact.
Consequence to success or failure.
If your game play is the same regardless of the choices you make or lack of choices. Then it's not an RPG. Failure even in combat need to lead to a consequence and allow the path of the story to change. If failure does not allow your path to change then that part of the game does not assist in the RPG element of the game.
Squilliam: On Vgcharts its a commonly accepted practice to twist the bounds of plausibility in order to support your argument or agenda so I think its pretty cool that this gives me the precedent to say whatever I damn well please.
