Do you consider Disco Elysium an RPG?

[gurugeorge]

No, but time will ultimately tell. The question is whether there's a surge of DE clones in development, and whether they get lumped into the RPG category on Steam or shoved over into Adventure or VN.

As for people talking about the lack of combat, there's plenty of TTRPGs that are basically devoid of combat so it's kind of a blockhead perspective.

Welcome to the forum, may your first post be a non-retarded one.

Oh. Too late.

For the record, PnP and cRPGs diverged over three decades ago, largely becoming their own thing. Consider that Zork was also an attempt to model D&D into videogame format, spinning off into the text-adventure and later point-and-click genres, yet no one considers Escape from Monkey Island an RPG. Things can have a common origin and end up totally different.

Those non-combat PnP games basically don't sell, and are designed for the same reason that Disco Elysium was: bitter attempts by butthurt storyfags to do away with real gameplay in favor of pretending to be a gay vampire princess and feeling each other up while taking ecstasy.

That's strangely ... specific

 

[Harthwain]

It's too verbose and slow to pass as a Role-Playing (aka Life larping) game. But then again, I've yet to see a single CRPG that gets conversations right.

I liked what Griftlands did when it came to conversations. As in: each argument is treated as a "fight". While I am not that keen on using the idea of combat (or cards), I do like that conversations are more than a line you pick (with an extra skill check to determine success/failure). Divinity: Original Sin had a cool concept where disagreements between the party members were resolved by best-of-three games of rock-paper-scissors. The main reason I liked it is because you could lose the argument and have to do something else.

PST has combat

I trust I don't need to explain why that statement is laughable?

and dialogues are directly impacting the game and its outcomes

There is really only one ending in Planescape: Torment. If you mean the "style" of the ending - Disco Elysium has that too (at least three, if I am not mistaken, although they don't have the same "feel" as Planescape: Torment's ones). In addition to that, both Disco Elysium and Planescape: Torment have various "game over" states.

It's obvious that at the core it's still a CYOA, and all the other layers were added on top of it as an afterthought.

Actually, there is an early mockup screenshot of Disco Elysium showing tactical combat in X-COM style (I can't link just the picture, so I am posting link to the whole topic):

https://www.reddit.com/r/DiscoElysium/comments/vys90c/the_original_pitch_document_for_the_game_that/

I think the reason they went with what we have in the game was mainly because they didn't have time and resources to add tactical layer and the content it would require on top of finishing the game (which they probably have to limit in scope, too). But that's just my opinion and nothing more.

I just think they did enough work to fit their CYOA into an RPG genre, to make the line blurry enough that it's hard and pretty pointless to argue against it being an RPG. Disco meanwhile, isn't even approaching that line, it has absolutely nothing to do with RPGs other than basic aesthetics.

It's disingenuous to say Disco Elysium "isn't even approaching that line" considering how close it is to Planescape: Torment (in pretty much everything) and how its design is built heavily around core tabletop RPG concepts (and not just "basic aesthetics").

It is even more funny when people effectively claim that simply adding some shitty combat would instantly elevate the game to RPG status.

 

[Zombra]

It is even more funny when people effectively claim that simply adding some shitty combat would instantly elevate the game to RPG status.

It really is the dumbest of all commonly cited requirements for What Is RPG.

 

[Gahbreeil]

It's disingenuous to say Disco Elysium "isn't even approaching that line" considering how close it is to Planescape: Torment (in pretty much everything) and how its design is built heavily around core tabletop RPG concepts (and not just "basic aesthetics").

It is even more funny when people effectively claim that simply adding some shitty combat would instantly elevate the game to RPG status.

What? Core TTRPG concepts? Did you know TTRPGs are a derivative of war gaming? Literally, combat only. And it's funny that half of an RPG makes it an RPG?

What are you, a moron?

 

[Grampy_Bone]

It's disingenuous to say Disco Elysium "isn't even approaching that line" considering how close it is to Planescape: Torment (in pretty much everything) and how its design is built heavily around core tabletop RPG concepts (and not just "basic aesthetics").

It is even more funny when people effectively claim that simply adding some shitty combat would instantly elevate the game to RPG status.

What? Core TTRPG concepts? Did you know TTRPGs are a derivative of war gaming? Literally, combat only. And it's funny that half of an RPG makes it an RPG?

What are you, a moron?

The argument is that every rpg ever has combat as a primary gameplay feature by accident, and they kept it in only to appeal to the filthy plebs who can't read. The true sophisticate rpg player only cares for the intellectual content of reading shitty prose by failed English majors, not puerile interest such as killing and looting.

Also, they only read playboy "for the articles," not the titties.

 

[TheDarkUrge]

Tides of numenera is the best RPG in a decade and had no combat either

 

[Butter]

It is even more funny when people effectively claim that simply adding some shitty combat would instantly elevate the game to RPG status.

This is your problem right here. Something isn't elevated to RPG status. We're all RPG fans here, but it's not a higher form of video game than visual novels or shooters or platformers or anything else. Adding shitty combat wouldn't elevate Disco Elysium, but it would make it an RPG. Just like if you added shitty shooting to Myst, you wouldn't be elevating it, but you would be turning it into a shooter.

 

[Vic]

It is even more funny when people effectively claim that simply adding some shitty combat would instantly elevate the game to RPG status.

This is your problem right here. Something isn't elevated to RPG status. We're all RPG fans here, but it's not a higher form of video game than visual novels or shooters or platformers or anything else. Adding shitty combat wouldn't elevate Disco Elysium, but it would make it an RPG. Just like if you added shitty shooting to Myst, you wouldn't be elevating it, but you would be turning it into a shooter.

consequently, by not having combat, it doesn't put the game below RPGs

 

[Zombra]

The argument is that every rpg ever has combat as a primary gameplay feature by accident, and they kept it in only to appeal to the filthy plebs who can't read. The true sophisticate rpg player only cares for the intellectual content of reading shitty prose by failed English majors, not puerile interest such as killing and looting.

You're confusing content with format. Would you say that all comic books have to be about superheroes, because there was a time when all comic books were about superheroes?

 

[Shaki]

My favourite RPG is the Lord of the Rings trilogy from Tolkien, it's an RPG because it has VERY GOOD STORY LIKE PST, YOU LIKE PST SO WHY YOU DISAGREE LORD OF RINGS IS AN RPG?????????????

 

[Vic]

if LOTR was a visual novel, I'd be a game

 

[HappyDaddyWow!]

As for people talking about the lack of combat, there's plenty of TTRPGs that are basically devoid of combat so it's kind of a blockhead perspective.

For the record, PnP and cRPGs diverged over three decades ago, largely becoming their own thing.

Disco Elysium was originally imagined and designed as a TTRPG, and then adapted into a game format when it became clearer that there really wasn't a market for estonian D&D knockoffs. Wish there was a handy genre term to describe computer game adaptations of table top roleplaying...

Loved this game but on a repeat playthrough the magic is kind of ruined when you realize how linear it actually is, the main story gives you the illusion of choice when in actuality it's very on rails and segments play out basically the same way

Yes, because it's a single route visual novel. You're there to be fed a story, and that's it - some fake "gameplay" it has, doesn't actually relate to the game in any way, it's like videos on TikTok having Subway Surfers or some shit as visual, while some retard is talking in the background. It's purely there to keep zoomers' attention while they're being fed the story.

Yeah if you're going to argue that it's not an RPG the main argument I would go for is the storyline having very little meaningful interactivity or choices to be made, as you say like a visual novel.

 

[Harthwain]

Tides of numenera is the best RPG in a decade and had no combat either

Nice trolling, Mr 21/8/2023 - two lies in a single sentence:

This is your problem right here. Something isn't elevated to RPG status. We're all RPG fans here, but it's not a higher form of video game than visual novels or shooters or platformers or anything else. Adding shitty combat wouldn't elevate Disco Elysium, but it would make it an RPG. Just like if you added shitty shooting to Myst, you wouldn't be elevating it, but you would be turning it into a shooter.

Well, I am glad we finally found out what makes an RPG then: combat, not - you know - the OTHER aspects. Such as character creation, which impacts how you can interact with the world. Unless by "combat" you mean conflict resolution. Which Disco Elysium has. More traditional combat was also planned as one point (as evidenced by my other link), so it still proves my point about Disco Elysium being an RPG, even if the execution ends up towards being less conflict-heavy than some would like.

 

[Vic]

Bro, you're late to the party.

mhhh

 

[Butter]

Tides of numenera is the best RPG in a decade and had no combat either

Nice trolling, Mr 21/8/2023 - two lies in a single sentence:

This is your problem right here. Something isn't elevated to RPG status. We're all RPG fans here, but it's not a higher form of video game than visual novels or shooters or platformers or anything else. Adding shitty combat wouldn't elevate Disco Elysium, but it would make it an RPG. Just like if you added shitty shooting to Myst, you wouldn't be elevating it, but you would be turning it into a shooter.

Well, I am glad we finally found out what makes an RPG then: combat, not - you know - the OTHER aspects. Such as character creation, which impacts how you can interact with the world. Unless by "combat" you mean conflict resolution. Which Disco Elysium has. More traditional combat was also planned as one point (as evidenced by my other link), so it still proves my point about Disco Elysium being an RPG, even if the execution ends up towards being less conflict-heavy than some would like.

Combat is part of the equation, yes. Welcome to the 1970s.

 

[Shaja]

At least Numa Numa Yei has a pretty art style

 

[Maxie]

At least Numa Numa Yei has a pretty art style

good take new guy. boggles the mind how all the shitsticks on the net cream themselves over disco's 'artstyle,' which is just a bunch of smudges and druggie music. i sometimes wake up at night and just rage impotently at the idiocy of it.

 

[Vic]

 

[Lord_Potato]

At least Numa Numa Yei has a pretty art style

good take new guy. boggles the mind how all the shitsticks on the net cream themselves over disco's 'artstyle,' which is just a bunch of smudges and druggie music. i sometimes wake up at night and just rage impotently at the idiocy of it.

We already know you have no taste Maxie We got it already when you kept praising anime.

 

[Maxie]

At least Numa Numa Yei has a pretty art style

good take new guy. boggles the mind how all the shitsticks on the net cream themselves over disco's 'artstyle,' which is just a bunch of smudges and druggie music. i sometimes wake up at night and just rage impotently at the idiocy of it.

We already know you have no taste Maxie We got it already when you keot praising anime.

it's Maxie-senpai to you I joined in February '17

 

[Lord_Potato]

We already know you have no taste Maxie We got it already when you keot praising anime.

it's Maxie-senpai to you I joined in February '17

Before lying at least try to hack into RPGCodex database and change your info - Joined Nov 13, 2021

 

[Maxie]

We already know you have no taste Maxie We got it already when you keot praising anime.

it's Maxie-senpai to you I joined in February '17

Before lying at least try to hack into RPGCodex database and change your info - Joined Nov 13, 2021

the previous account also called Maxie had to be deleted due to Hitler-related reasons
what's amusing is that Liberal made a new account called Maxie like the next day and started impersonating me lol

 

[Cohesion]