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Forums - Gaming Discussion - What defines a RPG?

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HoloDust on 23 September 2012
famousringo said:
Everywhere else? A game where players take on an active persona in a fictional world, shaping the narrative of a story from that perspective. Without the players, it's called storytelling, without the fictional world, it's called madness, and without a role in shaping the story, it's called acting.

In video games? Apparently, if it has a levelling system, it's an RPG.


Nice definition, really like it. Though I do think some sort of (at least basic) stat sytem that can be manipulated by player, and that plays role in how his character is progressing through the story is required, otherwise most action-adventures can come under that definition as well.



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Ajescent on 23 September 2012

Freedom to a vast and expansive world, where you are free to explore it as you please without being forced down a part for story, speaking of story there has to be one. Your character(s) have to contribute to it. They have to have a personality (as well as stats) that develops along with the engrossing story, not you choosing how your Nameless Voiceless ultima hero reacts to a scenario.



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adriane23 on 23 September 2012
Mnementh said:
adriane23 said:
Mnementh said:
adriane23 said:
For me, any game where the main character (be it created by the player, or created by the developer) can increase their base stats is an RPG to me. Final Fantasy is an RPG, Mass Effect is an RPG, etc. The gameplay (Hack/slash, Turn-based, shooter) of the game don't really factor in to me.

Is it important for you, if the game makes the decisions about the development of the character or the player? Because that is the main difference between the definitions of Torillian and me.


A few years ago, I would've said that the game making the decisions for development were the most important to me. This was mainly due to me being very indecisive when it comes to make choices in games and due to RPG's being better story-wise when the development is out of the player's hands. I was completely content with playing an RPG, leveling up and getting some predetermined stat boost or new ability.

AFter playing games like Dragon Age: Origins, Demon's Souls, Dragon's Dogma, and Kingdoms of Amalur, I'm more or less 50/50. Both types of development fit my criteria of what an RPG is.

Yes, if the game makes the decision for you, it is an action adventure for me. Pandora's Tower has experience points and levelups, stats that increase, but as you play every time the same guy you play the game, it is no RPG for me.

So you consider pretty much all turn based RPG's, where you can't choose which stats increases when you level up as action adventure games?

That would mean games like Dragon Quest are not RPG's and where a game like Mass Effect would be, even though one is very action oriented and the other is more strategy........I like my definition better.



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Jumpin on 23 September 2012

The Adventure game genre is one of the oldest; and was popular in both Japan and North America - but remained much more popular in Japan. The core mechanic of the genre involves players being presented with situations or dialogue, and are given options with how to proceed. An example of a recent adventure game would be Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney. Games like Mass Effect 2 are often mislabeled as RPGs, but they are action-adventure titles (due to being dominated by those elements) with traditional adventure elements and some RPG elements.



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adriane23 on 23 September 2012
Jumpin said:
The Adventure game genre is one of the oldest; and was popular in both Japan and North America - but remained much more popular in Japan. The core mechanic of the genre involves players being presented with situations or dialogue, and are given options with how to proceed. An example of a recent adventure game would be Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney. Games like Mass Effect 2 are often mislabeled as RPGs, but they are action-adventure titles (due to being dominated by those elements) with traditional adventure elements and some RPG elements.

Never really thought of it like that. Like Choose Your Own Adventure books.



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famousringo on 23 September 2012
HoloDust said:
famousringo said:
Everywhere else? A game where players take on an active persona in a fictional world, shaping the narrative of a story from that perspective. Without the players, it's called storytelling, without the fictional world, it's called madness, and without a role in shaping the story, it's called acting.

In video games? Apparently, if it has a levelling system, it's an RPG.


Nice definition, really like it. Though I do think some sort of (at least basic) stat sytem that can be manipulated by player, and that plays role in how his character is progressing through the story is required, otherwise most action-adventures can come under that definition as well.

A system of rules is necessary for a game to be a game, but a numerical stat system is optional. Plenty of role-playing games don't use one. Live action role-playing most (in)famously.

I'd say most action-adventures don't qualify, as few of them allow the player much control of the narration. An RPG needs to give the player decisions which have a real effect on how the story unfolds.



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HoloDust on 23 September 2012
famousringo said:
HoloDust said:
famousringo said:
Everywhere else? A game where players take on an active persona in a fictional world, shaping the narrative of a story from that perspective. Without the players, it's called storytelling, without the fictional world, it's called madness, and without a role in shaping the story, it's called acting.

In video games? Apparently, if it has a levelling system, it's an RPG.


Nice definition, really like it. Though I do think some sort of (at least basic) stat sytem that can be manipulated by player, and that plays role in how his character is progressing through the story is required, otherwise most action-adventures can come under that definition as well.

A system of rules is necessary for a game to be a game, but a numerical stat system is optional. Plenty of role-playing games don't use one. Live action role-playing most (in)famously.

I'd say most action-adventures don't qualify, as few of them allow the player much control of the narration. An RPG needs to give the player decisions which have a real effect on how the story unfolds.


It doesn't have to be numerical, FUDGE (and it's derivates) for example has no numerical stats, but it does have a way to define how good (or bad) are you in certain skills. As for LARPs, lot of them have stats, abstract or otherwise, though I do agree lot of them have very few rules.



Mnementh on 24 September 2012
famousringo said:
HoloDust said:
famousringo said:
Everywhere else? A game where players take on an active persona in a fictional world, shaping the narrative of a story from that perspective. Without the players, it's called storytelling, without the fictional world, it's called madness, and without a role in shaping the story, it's called acting.

In video games? Apparently, if it has a levelling system, it's an RPG.


Nice definition, really like it. Though I do think some sort of (at least basic) stat sytem that can be manipulated by player, and that plays role in how his character is progressing through the story is required, otherwise most action-adventures can come under that definition as well.

A system of rules is necessary for a game to be a game, but a numerical stat system is optional. Plenty of role-playing games don't use one. Live action role-playing most (in)famously.

I'd say most action-adventures don't qualify, as few of them allow the player much control of the narration. An RPG needs to give the player decisions which have a real effect on how the story unfolds.

That's nearly no game at all, as it is hard to let the player decide over the story instead of using a scripted story.



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Jumpin on 25 September 2012
adriane23 said:
Jumpin said:
The Adventure game genre is one of the oldest; and was popular in both Japan and North America - but remained much more popular in Japan. The core mechanic of the genre involves players being presented with situations or dialogue, and are given options with how to proceed. An example of a recent adventure game would be Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney. Games like Mass Effect 2 are often mislabeled as RPGs, but they are action-adventure titles (due to being dominated by those elements) with traditional adventure elements and some RPG elements.

Never really thought of it like that. Like Choose Your Own Adventure books.


Yeah, you could accurately say that adventure games began in paper form, not unlike RPGs.



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Alby_da_Wolf on 25 September 2012

I like good RPGs fitting into the classic definitions, but I like also good games with RPG elements but that don't fit exactly into the definition.



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