This is something I agree with more and more over time, but that's probably because I am such a JRPG fan and I see threads like this where both groups that are supposedly fans of the same genre just try to bash what the other side likes instead of attempting to understand it.  You also get these strict definitions that force the stigmas, like the idea that JRPGs don't evolve, but then you get one that evolves and people don't want to call it a JRPG anymore, damned if they do and damned if they don't.  

Well, as I assumed everyone defines it differently.

For some a JRPG is simply any RPG developed in Japan. For others differences in gameplay, artstyle, character-development or story make a difference between J or W. These criteria are also differing defined, some here claim JRPGs have less, other claim they have more character-development than WRPGs.

After all the classification in JRPG and WRPG makes no sense, thank you to clarify this.

JRPG example

RPG example

One is a boring,large and has a grey world with no memorable chars and no relations. And this western stuff like dragons, blood and a good skill system.

The other one has an japanese art style, filled with many colours and beautiful environments, with love storys and round turned combat.

Oh and some weird storys.

But yeah they are my favourite genres ahead of racing.

The bias in this thread is hilarious.

JRPGs stories are usually recap of old care bear episodes, always going off about the power of friendship and some other shtuff. Also, the dialogue contain about 80% more "shocked" or "in-pain" groans and moans than in WRPGs, a lot like in anime and it is usually cheesy as fudge.

WRPGs are RPG for manly men. prime examples are Mass effect and Skyrim. I mean, all you do in those games is fuck bitches and get money. Protagonist in JRPGs couldn't get laid if the entire universe depended on it, probably cause it's usually a bunch of goddamn 8 to 14 year old kids saving the world.

WRPGs are generally more open to choose what you want to do and and where to go, and how you want to build you character, which, depending on the game, can have lot of influence of how game plays.

I often tend to see trend in trying to put all WRPGs in one basket, which is a huge mistake. For example, Morrowind, Fallout 1/2, Planescape: Torment, Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines, KoTOR and Gothic (just to name a few without going way, way back in history) are all WRPGs, and all play and feel completely different, as well as having very different World/Story ratio. Some are very open and world driven, some are quite linear, with deep stories, some are in between world driven and story driven (best kind IMHO).

As for combat, it's all over the place too, everything from turn-based, real-time paused, to action oriented, so there's no one defining system. It is very open genre, but unfortunately it has suffered massively from "mainstreaming" in this generation. Luckily, there are still developers dedicated to making "true" WRPGs, so with titles like Wasteland 2, Project Eternity, Torment 2, next Witcher, Cyberpunk 2077 and others I'd say it's again in renaissance (which one is this, 3rd or 4th?), so there's lot to be looking forward too.

JRPGs are made in Japan and WRPG are made in western countries. That is the only true difference. Everything else is just correlation, what games from each region tend to entail.

WRPGs tend to be about open worlds and choices. The developers are trying to make you feel like you are the protagonist and you have a say in what happens in the game.

JRPGs tend to be more about telling a very specific story. The developers want you to play through the very specific story that they crafted.

Obviously this isn't always true.

For example Dark Souls is a JRPG, but if the developer was never listed, 90% of people would have thought it was a WRPG. Big open world. No set specific path. Story you piece together on your own.

Recently JRPGS have not been too popular so there haven't been any big cases of western developers copying their design, but it still happens. For example Dust: An Elysian Tail.

I still don't get why people write JRPG/WRPG as jRPG/wRPG. The J/W part is the part that should be capitalized.

Do women really look like that one in Iceland?

WRPGs allow for too much freedom. Some JRPGs are too constrained, but the best of them have the right balance of freedom and guidance, and don't let you completely fuck up your own character build by not telling you what any of the stat modifiers actually do.

Edit: JRPGs also utilize this novel concept called color.