Crispy™ Controversial opinions about RPGs that you know deep down are true.

[Cryomancer]

The idea is that some people believe "turn-based" is the crux of defining an RPG as a "JRPG", but many others believe the importance lies in the story focus.

FF VII remake will be real time. It will not make it a wRPG by any means.

As for focus on story, IMO Lore > Story.

---------------------------------------------------

My first rpg was M&M VII - For Blood and Honor. I loved each part of the game, then talking to a friend about RPG's, he recommended FF VII and i borrowed his disc one to use on my PS1. Found the game annoying as hell. I was used to be able to explore the world, be anything, from a Elf Sorcerer to a Goblin Thief, those my fate and even become a lich if i follow the dark side an on FF VII i could be Cloud and use a completely unpractical sword and the game was so railroading that i din't even fell like i was in another world. Immersion is extremely important for me. This is something that i don't like about jRPG's. Immagine playing baldru's gate, icewind dale, neverwinter nights and the game forcing you to be human, fighter, at 16 yo, specialized in sword fighting and not letting you even pick another weapon by no reason. That would be awful.

 

[Lord_Potato]

Imagine FFVII is still not a typical jrpg: after some linear areas you get access to the world map and can explore parts of it(and eventually: all there is) freely, visit towns in different sequence, break with the linearity a bit.

You also have some options concerning your companions. Until Sephiroth makes the decision for you, you can choose your waifu among widely different options: Aeris and Tika.

Ofcourse in the end the illusion of choice is cut to pieces (by Sephiroth's katana), but for a long moment it seems like the game actually provides you with options.

 

[JarlFrank]

Imagine FFVII is still not a typical jrpg: after some linear areas you get access to the world map and can explore parts of it(and eventually: all there is) freely, visit towns in different sequence, break with the linearity a bit.

You also have some options concerning your companions. Until Sephiroth makes the decision for you, you can choose your waifu among widely different options: Aeris and Tika.

Ofcourse in the end the illusion of choice is cut to pieces (by Sephiroth's katana), but for a long moment it seems like the game actually provides you with options.

It still has that hideous JRPG style of dialogues where you get zero input, while western RPGs either go for keywords or trees.

 

[JDR13]

Things like stats, C&C, story focus, etc., do not determine whether an RPG is Western or JRPG. To even suggest that is pure autism.

 

[aweigh]

It still has that hideous JRPG style of dialogues where you get zero input, while western RPGs either go for keywords or trees.

Dialog trees aren't an RPG mechanic.

 

[JarlFrank]

And static cutscene-like dialogues are not a game mechanic at all and don't belong in a computer game

 

[barghwata]

D&D defines role-playing as what the character attributes can allow the player to do in relation to the game scenario, for example how having a high amount of Strength might allow a character to break down a door, or something to that effect.

This is called "game play".

What you're talking about, "role in relation to the plot".

RPGs are about attributes, character advancement, exploration, itemization, party building, skill utilization and most importantly: conflict resolution (combat); and how each of these systems interplay with one another. Plot developments are, at best, a distant consideration.

I recommend for you some games like Detroit: Become Human or Heavy Rain which allow you to play a "role" in the "plot". I think you will enjoy those games a lot.

Meh, there is absolutley no reason as to why you can't have both, RPGs like fallout, arcanum, FNV and VtMB provide both roleplaying (character attributs that influence gameplay) and non linear plot lines and C&C, however the difference between a game like fallout and something like "heavy rain" is that the role you play in the plot is not only expressed through your personal choices but most importantly through your character build, in FO your stats influence not only the way you solve quests, but also the way you interact with people through dialogue and how they react to you, and can change the way the plot progresses in general.

I don't think it's just a coincidence that all the games i mentioned above are all in the top 10 of the codex's top 100 games, and this is because RPGs that have character building that is important to both gameplay AND plot generally make for the best roleplaying experiences.

 

[rusty_shackleford]

pnp RPGs aren't the same as CRPGs and people who judge them on the same criteria are wrong

 

[aweigh]

the role you play in the plot is not only expressed through your personal choices but most importantly through your character build, in FO your stats influence not only the way you solve quests, but also the way you interact

Bingo.

 

[aweigh]

And static cutscene-like dialogues are not a game mechanic at all and don't belong in a computer game

Yes. Games are an interactive medium and should capitalize on that.

 

[Delterius]

It still has that hideous JRPG style of dialogues where you get zero input, while western RPGs either go for keywords or trees.

Dialog trees aren't an RPG mechanic.

ok boomer

 

[FuckLiefeldGiveMeChew]

C.R.P.G.s are almost entirely ripoffs of Star Wars and Lord of the Rings.
Super Mario R.P.G and the Might and Magic and Dragon Quest franchises are the most boring, pointless shit.
Realism is boring and surrealism is necessary.
Final Fantasy 7 and World of Final Fantasy are better than any C.R.P.G.

 

[Grauken]

BaK has aged terribly

 

[HeatEXTEND]

It still has that hideous JRPG style of dialogues where you get zero input, while western RPGs either go for keywords or trees.

Dialog trees aren't an RPG mechanic.

But they are a cRPG mechanic. Be it trees or keywords. And for the record, to me CRPG and cRPG are not the same thing. Simplified, CRPG = "dungeon crawl", cRPG = "Fallout". Combining these into one nomer seems dumb.

 

[the mole]

Storyfags are holding back the genre, that's why we get something like age of decadence with no player agency, simplistic braindead combat that has less complexity than any rpg ever created

We could have moved past what jagged alliance fftactics and xcom offer, and it could be seamless with a fleshed out story and exploration and looting, instead Story fags have estrogen levels that go out of control when they are forced to kill a creature, they want a 20 minute long diatribe between them and their emotions referencing their undying love for animals, with 20 different categories of emotion brought up in speech checks and the choice and consequence for every action

 

[Grauken]

It still has that hideous JRPG style of dialogues where you get zero input, while western RPGs either go for keywords or trees.

Dialog trees aren't an RPG mechanic.

But they are a cRPG mechanic. Be it trees or keywords. And for the record, to me CRPG and cRPG are not the same thing. Simplified, CRPG = "dungeon crawl", cRPG = "Fallout". Combining these into one nomer seems dumb.

what the heck is the difference between CRPG and cRPG, its both computer role-playing game

 

[the mole]

Storyfags want a textbox for walking, they want a walking skill in the game

The act of walking needs skill checks and dialogue

Oh you were walking but stubbed your toe which require a 10 walking skill, you'll suffer slower movement speed and textboxes urging you to get a bandaid and some ice every 20 seconds

Then you'll need to pass a pain tolerance check to make the textbox go away and allow you to play the game

Otherwise you're softlocked, should have invested in walking I guess, time to restart the game and make a walking based character, sounds like fun right

 

[Cryomancer]

Dialog trees aren't an RPG mechanic.

Yes, dialog trees is due a limitation of computers over TT games since no computer can act as a DM. Is not a RPG mechanic.

Super Mario R.P.G and the Might and Magic and Dragon Quest franchises are the most boring, pointless shit.
Realism is boring and surrealism is necessary.

Are you crazy? Mario RPG sure, is boring. Dragon quest too. But M&M is a amazing game.

Final Fantasy 7 and World of Final Fantasy are better than any C.R.P.G.

If by better you mean force you to be a androgynous teenager with a oversized sword fighting a SCI-FI army and completely railroading, yes, FF VII is """better"""

-----------------------

Here is another controversial opinion. Magefags do good to the RPG genre. Storyfags, Graphics whores and Console Peasants are the responsible for the biggest declines.

 

[HeatEXTEND]

what the heck is the difference between CRPG and cRPG, its both computer role-playing game

"role-playing game on a computer" is a useless denominator that fits games so vastly different by now, it's unfit to begin hardly any specification at all.

 

[Sigourn]

All I know is that I'm playing Dragon Quest III and it looks, plays and smells like an RPG.

 

[Grauken]

what the heck is the difference between CRPG and cRPG, its both computer role-playing game

"role-playing game on a computer" is a useless denominator that fits games so vastly different by now, it's unfit to begin hardly any specification at all.

It fits its purpose to differentiate between P&P RPGs and computer RPGs

 

[rusty_shackleford]

CRPG refers to a specific kind of RPG, the first thing that pops into my head when I read it is Fallout.

 

[HeatEXTEND]

what the heck is the difference between CRPG and cRPG, its both computer role-playing game

"role-playing game on a computer" is a useless denominator that fits games so vastly different by now, it's unfit to begin hardly any specification at all.

It fits its purpose to differentiate between P&P RPGs and computer RPGs

Well you got me there. But that purpose has lost it's use a long, long time (in gaming terms) ago.

 

[Silva]

I used to think CRPG standed for "COMBAT RPG" because it was associated with Diablos and then Baldurs Gates.

 

[Sigourn]

To me "cRPG" as a genre means games like Baldur's Gate, Fallout, Icewind Dale, Shadowrun, Age of Decadence, ATOM RPG.

• You create your character from scratch, stats at the very least.
  
• You can actually talk to NPCs as opposed to simply demanding services or hearing them quip.
  
• You actually have a voice in dialogue, you can choose what you say in meaningful dialogue options.
• Your character has not a defined personality.
  
• Combat is turn-based or real time with pause.
• The game world is not just a dungeon or a building, but an actual world.

A cRPG is basically everything that you can do in tabletop (within the realistic limitations of the medium) put into a videogame.