Ickorus said:
Ok, so a game that isn't an RPG game managed the RPG elements it incorporated better than an ACTUAL RPG game.
Arguing semantics is a bit ridiculous, it's pretty obvious what the OP was getting at and you should debate the points he raises instead of dismissing his entire post based on a single simple error.
Thank you, you've seen my point in all of this.
I know full well that FarCry 3 isn't considered an RPG, it simply struck me that it performs RPGesque tasks better than some fully fledged RPG's.
I remember playing the older TES titles in the late 90's early 2000's, as well as many JRPG's on the SNES. Two very different styles of game, yet under the same genre banner. Both styles with very different mechanics, very different presentations yet both considered an RPG.
After reading some interpretations of what an RPG is here, it seems to be that each individual is now associating titles with a genre rather than what the title actually consists of.
Mechanically, Farcry 3 and Skyrim are very similar. Perhaps Farcry 3 isn't as... fleshed out, in some instances (though I choke on that, Skyrim is not deep mechanically, its just convoluted.)what it does have is very functional and in almost all cases useful.
As I play through Farcry and develop the character, he becomes something within the world. A force within it.
As I play through Skyrim and develop my character, not allot happens. He gains skills sure, but those skills only exist to ensure that I can keep up with the arbitrary NPC leveling system. Basically rendering progress pointless.
When I select a skill in Farcry, I select it because it is useful. While yes, I can get every skill, it still requires that I play the game in order to unlock them and depending on the order I select skills the difficulty or my characters efficiency is impacted.
On the flipside, I find my self, more often than not with skyrim, choosing skills I have no real interest in simply to unlock a master skill some ways down the track. That to me is as pointless as having all the skills available to me. It simply gives an illusion of choice rather than actually letting me forge my own path.
Side quests, well... They're the same. The side quests within Farcry are very basic but serve to allow you a means to further develop the character and earn coin to restock supply's.
The same can be said for the quests in Skyrim, they're all fairly generic if with a little fluff at the beginning to make it seem like it may be more than a simple fetch/kill quest. The only thing I can think of that really stands out here is that I've not had a quest within Farcry bug out on me and not allow me to complete it. Besides that, its tie in my opinion.
As far as I can see, the story progression is about the same in both games. If you were to follow the main quest in Skyrim from start to finish without break, you can, and it will unfold pretty much exactly as Farcrys does. If with little to no exposition along the way. In both games you can go off on your own tangent should you wish. I believe that when I was at the same point in Skyrim, as I am now with Farcry, I found Skyrim to be just as compelling. Right up until I finished the main quest. Once I had finished it... well lets just say I think ME3 ended better...
I will have to wait until I finish Farcry to comment but so far its coming along well there.
The "Experience"; People often say that the fun within Skyrim is not the content found within, but the content you inject with your imagination. They also use this as a defense against its major glaring issues with its actual physical content. While I am thrilled for those of you happy enough to imagine things to be occurring, that just aren't, it isn't a tangible facet that can be offered in a debate. As it stands, if I am given a quest within Skyrim, more often than not I find it dull and unappealing.
The reason for this, is simple. Skyrim doesn't allow you a clean interaction with the world. It's combat is sloppy and you're never given the ability to resolve issues in another way unless specifically scripted that way. While Farcry is also very much a dog with one trick. It is very good at that trick. The gunplay is slick and the AI is intelligent enough to make encounters unique.
I am not trying to stand on toes or offend fans of any Genre or game. I started this thread in the manner I did to spur debate, and it has done so spectacularly. There are some very thoughtful responses in this thread and I thank you for those.