What do you guys/girls look for in a CRPG?

[Lady Error]

Is it the ability to role play free without limits or do you prefer more liner games?

Linear games are boring.

Is there a preference over Western styled RPGs or Japanese styled RPGs?

Anime style graphics are childish eye cancer. Some of the JRPGs have good systems though.

Is it the ability to level up your character, with many different abilities, skills, attributes and so on that allows for a deep combat and levelling system or perhaps a narrower class focused game where the play selects different well-balanced templates?

Templates are boring. Level ups and distribution of attributes and skills is pretty much the heart of an RPG.

Is it the games narrative, be it the main quests or side quests contained with the game? Is it the world building, ambiance and tone that's really important to you?

Those have to be all at least somewhat good.

Is it the type of gameplay such as Turn Based, Real-Time, Real-Time with Pause, Looter or even a hybrid genre between RPG and another video game genre?

Turn-based or RTwP only. Pure Real-Time combat is an action game, not an RPG.

Is there a preference to the camera view, be is isometric, first person, third person or any others that I've missed?

Isometric and first person are best. Staring at the ass of the protagonist in third person games is just weird and unimmersive.

Is there a genre bias amongst CRPG fans such as with Fantasy, Post-Apocalyptic, Horror, Western, Military or Space Opera (not like we get much beyond Apocalyptic and Fantasy but still)?

Fantasy with some scifi elements seems to be a good combination (Wizardry, Might & Magic, Grimoire). Post-apocalyptic is not bad, but has been done to death even by indie devs (Underrail, ATOM, Age of Decadence). Scifi RPGs are rare and usually not very good (Starcrawlers, Numenera). Could be a good choice if someone can pull off something better in a good scifi setting, such as the Colony Ship RPG. Cyberpunk is also not a bad setting (Shadowrun games).

 

[deama]

To be fair, this is a pretty effective technique, because A: Classic-style shooters have no real characterization anyway, and B: Marketing research indicates that women prefer playing as women more than men are concerned with playing as men. Therefore, the optimal protagonist is a hot chick who keeps her mouth shut.

I actually don't mind playing as a female, my issue is how they're trying to incorporate male themes but using a female as the main protagonist, and aren't doing anything interesting with it.
Like, it'd be a lot more interesting if instead of using guns to shoot demons, you would get a power to seduce demons/npcs and then use them as sort of like guns, they would form a barrier around you (standing in front of you?) and if you got hit, you'd lose one guy, losing damage potential too (or maybe tie it to hp or something).

 

[MarathonGuy1337]

Okay so thanks to all the new posters

(Cheers)

Now once more... to think on this feedback

(by menacingly looking of in deep thought)

 

[Victor1234]

On this topic, how do indie devs actually do focus testing and market research besides asking around on forums like this? From what I can tell, there are 4 methods:

Develop concept demos of approximately 2 minutes worth of gameplay and release it. Based on how many people download it, pick the most promising to turn into a full game. This is what mobile game devs seem to do.

Develop cool trailers and screenshots, with some blurb on how the game will be, setup a Steam page and count how many people wishlist it. If enough do, release a 'prologue' for free download and if enough people try it out and leave reviews, make the game. (Playway!!!)

Have something playable on Steam early access and grope around in the dark (what seems like 99% of indies do)

Get in bed with a publisher, they'll tell you what sells and how to tweak your game.

 

[CHEMS]

Replayability

I get very sad when i finish a cRPG

 

[bionicman]

What do you guys/girls look for in a CRPG?​

to romance the companions
/thread

 

[Tavernking]

On this topic, how do indie devs actually do focus testing and market research besides asking around on forums like this?

I just try to think of a cool idea and hope for the best and tell myself it doesn't matter if nobody buys my game as long as I had fun

 

[Reinhardt]

100+ floors dungeon in a party of 6+ characters.

 

[MarathonGuy1337]

100+ floors dungeon in a party of 6+ characters.

That has to be referencing Dungeon Siege can't thing of many RPGs with massive dungeons and six+ party members

Also thanks to the other contributors on this thread.

But once more I have to go duty calls.