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sc94597 on 02 August 2015
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Wyrdness said:
sc94597 said:

There are plenty of realtime RPGs that are not Action RPGs. Practically every MMORPG, Dragon Age, CRPGs, Final Fantasy XII, Xenoblade are examplss of realtime RPGs that are not ARPGs. In order for a game to fall under the action genre it needs button/key mapped attacks. Xenoblade does not have this.


Button mapping is not what defines it, it comes down to the system  of execution, KH as mentioned is an example of this using menus but still being an ARPG, another example of this are games like Diablo. A number of MMORPGs have button mapping and even a various JRPGs have button mapped actions, ARPG just means you have real time control over the characters with out being subject to any turn based mechanics.

MMORPGs and FFXII have a turn based mechanic in their system hence why they aren't ARPGs, games like XC, Diablo, KH, Phantasy Star Online etc... utilize menus but do not have a turn based mechanic everything is executed in realtime, it can have a menu but still be an ARPG you're using an out of date definition.

KH also has permanent button-mapped attacks/commands. Name me an Action-RPG that has been labeled as such that doesn't have permanent button-mapped (or key-mapped) attacks. 

In a (standard) MMORPG you can use hotkeys to designate an skill, but it can be any skill you want (like Xenoblade), and it only is utilized for skills, not basic attacks. Most people don't qualify the MMORPG system as Action-oriented unless you have full control over your character and you have a few permanent attacks on a few keys, as well as a dodge key, sprint key, etc. Xenoblade doesn't have this. The only ARPG feature it has is that you can move during combat, but so do many non-Action Real-time RPGs and all MMORPGs. You still have cooldowns for certain skills like in an MMORPG. 

How is XC's system different from a typical MMORPGs? In fact, with premonitions and combos XC truly does have full turn-based in its combat, unlike MMORPGs. I can't dodge, parry, block, or anything manually in XC, and my basic  attacks are auto-scripted (all I have to do is be near the enemy and I attack) like an MMORPG. In an Action-RPG I must do all of these things manually. I don't attack unless I press a button to do so, and that button is dedicated to attacking. Another button is dedicated to dodging. Another to parrying/blocking, etc, etc. 

The combat in XC is much closer to WoW than it is to KH or Diablo.