Can you have an RPG without progression?

[Norfleet]

I recall a discussion where someone said that RPGs are all about their mechanics and systems being as complex and intricated as possible in order to render - in detail - what your character can or can't do. My position was that systems' mechanics are there primarly to provide a way to resolve situations so the Game Master and the players have an objective method of finding out if their interactions succeed or fail, and for that you don't necessarily need as complex system as possible, provided you can resolve the situation.

That's the distinction between PnP RPGs and CPRGs. PnP RPGs don't necessarily need systems, but a CRPG without systems is simply not playing to the strengths of the medium, which is the ability of the computer to crunch a ridiculous amount of data in complicated rules to produce an outcome. Also, computers can't exercise any kind of human judgement calls, so sort of need systems to determine what happens at all.