Mass Effect is arguably one of the best games this gen. Being a great RPG is an understatment, its just an amazing game period.

I rarely pay full price for a game, but I'm probably going to give in and buy Mass Effect 2 soon.

That's kind of funny because Mass Effect 2 is barely an RPG (or what we generally think of as an RPG).

Dunno if you saw the other thread where I go 'round and 'round with some guy about that but I will argue that Mass Effect 2 is MORE of an RPG than any other game in history, it just shed some of the things we traditionally associate with that genre because previous to this generation, the technology wasn't there to break the mold as BioWare did with this game.

Really, the game is the closest thing to a D&D module we have in gaming. It hits the "role-playing" portion hard while letting stats and inventory fall to the wayside, which is how most GOOD modules end up (unless you're a Munchkin, which apparently several of the people on this forum are).

I didn't see that thread but in the sense of calling it a Role Playing Game I couldn't agree with you more, in the sense of calling it an RPG I don't agree with you.

The RPG may have started as Role Playing Game, but like you said, the things we associate with the RPG genre are now screwing with stats and all that.  Mass Effect 2 has much more in common with a common shooter than the common RPG.

Don't get me wrong, Mass Effect 2 has those stat things and RPG elements but with what's generally called a RPG today, Mass Effect 2 doesn't have a lot in common with it.

Which should make us question why we consider loot, inventory, and combat XP to signify "RPG", not whether Mass Effect IS an RPG.

It's like some are trying to punish the game for taking a technological leap forward and eschewing components that have stuck around since the NES generation for no apparent reason past a lack of imagination on the part of developers.

The funniest thing about ME2 is how every pen-and-paper traditionalist I know is absolutely raving about just how "RPG-ish" the game really is compared to most other offerings, ESPECIALLY JRPGs.

Don't get me wrong, I'm with you on this. 

I hate that RPG's are less concerned with character and story and more about fucking with stats and loot.  It *pains* me that just because some generic shooter that has stats or loot gets to put RPG Elements on the back of the box.

Which has convinced me that the video game industry is full of Munchkins who don't really know what constitutes a good RPG player.

Last night my friends and I just hashed out the details of our next D&D campaign and I bet huge portions of the "RPG crowd" around here would absolutely hate it. A few details include:

- No combat XP unless trickery and/or ingenious plotting is involved
- Linked weapons to characters (basically making most loot worthless)
- 90%+ of all XP generated by character interaction
- Animals will not attack (they're ANIMALS, for crying out loud)
- If you attack even a nest of Kobolds without thinking it over, you WILL die
- Oh yeah, did I mention virtually no loot?

I would hate that but mainly because I hate being stuck on the same level for more than two sessions.  :-p

In my current 4th edition DnD I actually give them anywhere from 25-75% experience than they're supposed to get.

As for loot, I just like loot and characters like getting loot so I give it to them.  I usually don't give them anything great, but they generally get something.  When they do something big, I give them something big (but they're going to have to work for that).

I really have to play this as it is sitting here this 3 weeks.
I have played about 3 hours and liked it.

I am playing mw2 on line and am kinda addicted but I intend to stop after this weekend as I will have hit level 70 by then.
I still suck at it but it is a blast.

Nice to hear this is good from a gamer and look forward to getting back ino it.

We role-play dysfunctionally so this system works really well for our crew. It allows me to get experience for playing in character, which is always hilarious because then I can actually level up characters like my Dendrophobic Ranger, which had everyone in hysterics (he was nicely complimented by my friend's Ogre Scout, who liked to stand up and yell "THERE THEY ARE!!!!" every time he spotted a potential enemy).

We actually accomplish very little in our campaigns but we sure manage to keep ourselves amused. I actually view combat as an ugly necessity in between the times when my character gets to do or say funny things. Loot is pretty much the same. We don't really care about it. We get it so we can level up and go harass bigger and better people.

I've actually played for several hours without lifting a finger in combat but had massive XP awarded to me because of the things my character was constantly doing to undermine the enemy or other characters.