This isn't your typical RPG with hit points and fights
So it's a visual novel, okay.
On the RPG side, I was inspired by classic games of the 80s and 90s like… Might and Magic and the CRPG D&D games like Bards Tale, Pool of Radiance, etc.
That inspiration must've been very subtle indeed.
I wouldn't call it a visual novel per se. I spent a lot of time trying to make "gameplay" as opposed to choosing options in a typical VN. So the player has stats and attributes, skills, spells and items like an rpg. Opponents have stats and traits, but instead of trying to kill them, you are trying to gain leverage over them through blackmail, threats, magic or potions. The opponents are procedurally genererated with different desires, flaws and weaknesses that are susceptive or resistant to whatever strategies/skills you might use.
As for the inspiration from those classic games, its mostly in terms of the setting, lore, UI and aesthetics. You can see from the screen cap below the vibe.