What actually makes an RPG an RPG?

[The Funslinger]

Games in which the story and characterisation take precedence over other aspects of gameplay, and the player is able to define and shape their own character to their liking and make meaningful choices, both in dialogue and action. Usually feature 'levelling-up' up or a similar method of persistent progression and performance-related statistics, though this isn't really necessary.

Not just numbers.

This. For that reason, I don't see Final Fantasy X as an RPG. Sure, it has all the game mechanics we now expect from those games, but there's not really any choice making. No influencing character decisions, or the world around you. You're not really playing the role. You're watching a completely preconceived story, and trying to win some fights. In fact, it's possibly one of the most linier games I played for Playstation 2.

 

[Treblaine]

YAY RANT TIME!
Firstly, Ever game is an RPG IN THE NARRATIVE SENSE ONLY(If the game has no narrative ala Tetris then no it isn't) but a game is an RPG GAMEPLAY WISE if it has stats. Stats represent the skills of the character you are roleplaying and are not supposed to be dependent on you(the player). Seriously, If I hear the "Every game is an RPG/Games with stories are RPG/RPG don't need stats to be RPG" ever again, I will unleash a flurry of incomprehensible words that will probably get me warned.

What do you means by stats? Do you actually have to have numbers on screen changing often for it to be an RPG? And those numbers affecting your own avatar/character/party?

Like the tonics in Bioshock, they do change your stats, but you have to go online to find out what stats are actually changed by how much. Same with all the perks and attachments and equipment of Modern-Warfare/Black-ops.

Isn't it a pedantic how the stats are visible, whether on screen or through the obfuscation of separate guides?

It is probably better to actually design your class OUTSIDE of any game with spreadsheets and paper at the ready to tweak for maximum advantage and with quick access to forums and then load the game with a ready made plan.

 

[F4LL3N]

I would described RPGs as:
1. Playing the role of a character(s).
2. Completing quests. Generally where you have to physically walk up to an NPC an accept/initiate the quest, as opposed to mission based levels (e.g. Call of Duty). Side quests are generally available.
3. Building your characters stats, skills, leveling, and acquiring gear. As the game progresses your character should become physically stronger.
4. A progressive storyline that effects you and the world around you. Your character should also grow as a character, not just physically.

I wouldn't say an RPG requires choice. As many RPGs do not offer a lot of choice.

TL;DR: Play the role of a character, complete quests, character building, progressive storyline.

I'd say it's the closes genre to a good novel/movie.

 

[Echo136]

There hasnt been a single consistent answer about what an RPG is on this thread, other than Stats and needs to be Story driven, both of which can be disproven because many games outside the RPG genre use stats and lots of game are story driven, so in fact there hasnt been a single good answer for what an RPG is.

 

[Vibhor]

YAY RANT TIME!
Firstly, Ever game is an RPG IN THE NARRATIVE SENSE ONLY(If the game has no narrative ala Tetris then no it isn't) but a game is an RPG GAMEPLAY WISE if it has stats. Stats represent the skills of the character you are roleplaying and are not supposed to be dependent on you(the player). Seriously, If I hear the "Every game is an RPG/Games with stories are RPG/RPG don't need stats to be RPG" ever again, I will unleash a flurry of incomprehensible words that will probably get me warned.

What do you means by stats? Do you actually have to have numbers on screen changing often for it to be an RPG? And those numbers affecting your own avatar/character/party?

Like the tonics in Bioshock, they do change your stats, but you have to go online to find out what stats are actually changed by how much. Same with all the perks and attachments and equipment of Modern-Warfare/Black-ops.

Isn't it a pedantic how the stats are visible, whether on screen or through the obfuscation of separate guides?

It is probably better to actually design your class OUTSIDE of any game with spreadsheets and paper at the ready to tweak for maximum advantage and with quick access to forums and then load the game with a ready made plan.

Stats as in numbers that represent a character's skills.
The game needs random rolls and less player involvement in the mechanic. The combat should be based around the skills of the character, not the player.

 

[ZippyDSMlee]

While other kinds of video game genres/styles/types can be defined quite well it doesn't seem there is any solid definition for what a Role Playing Game actually is.

The literal definition is useless; "playing a role" almost every non-RTS game has that, Half Life you are playing the role of Gordon Freeman, most First and Third person shooters, plat-formers, fighters, it's all about "playing" a "role" of some sort. Unless I am missing some semantic distinction of "role".

now obviously, there are games that are RPGs, like: Final Fantasy 6

And obviously those that are not: Time Crisis

But of all the "official" definitions no one is able to say what is not-RPG-enough

But what about in the middle? Where does it stop being and RPG and become a... wait what is the antithesis of "RPG"? Arcade Game? See this is my problem with the term

-Is Super Metroid an RPG?

-or Symphony of the Night?

-or Bioshock?

-or Doom 3 even? Why not if not?

-or is any game where you have a large persistent arsenal and items?

Or is the real determining factor the element of being able to change your character stats permanently in some conscious and measured way? Is that enough?

IB4 someone says this is an RPG:

There, the joke has been made. Move on.

Machanics make an RPG lite RPGs like bioshock and anything from bioware past BG2 do not count. They are neat little action games with lite RPG mechanics.

Metroid is more adventure than a RPG, SOTN is a action/RPG due to the mechanics which puts zelda into the lite action RPG category.

But sub categories aside an RPG needs equipment,buying/selling,items,levels (yes levels or some kind of deep equipment layering/leveling/upgradeing) and level layouts that tend to be more open than closed(DA/DA2). At the very least a pure or traditional RPG has depth in its over all mechanics and vision. Buldurs gate,Arcaneum,FF9/FF12,Tales of destiny 1,Dragon warroir 2-8, The Witcher 1 tend to fit into this category. The rest tend to more simplified thus more less filling...er.... lite.

 

[TokenRupee]

I don't think any one things makes an rpg an rpg. There are several characteristics that they usually have, such as a focus on storytelling, being able to level up and increase the stats of you and any companions, freedom and large worlds to explore, a battle system that relies heavily on numbers that involve your stats, etc. Granted these aren't set in stone and other genres can have the same things, but I think rpgs usually have at least a few of these to qualify them as an rpg.

 

[Richardplex]

I'm still going with "play a role". As in, you make your own role, such as in DA:O, not follow someone else's role, like in FF13, as 2 random examples. Though I have not played them, I recognise Table top games and RPGs of old are better rpgs, as they don't limit your RPing. Mechanics mean nothing, they just reinforce your RPing, and I reject that the mechanics make the game an RPG, or a game can't be an RPG without enough mechanics, RPG mechanics just happen to work well with RPGs, nothing more.

 

[Vibhor]

I'm still going with "play a role". As in, you make your own role, such as in DA:O, not follow someone else's role, like in FF13, as 2 random examples.

/facepalm at playing your own role.

Actually no. In games like half life you are playing a character. You don't take his role or have a means of changing anything. The best example I can think is Deus Ex. You define how the missions go down. Im Adam Jensen but you can play him in a few ways. Something like lethal or non lethal, how you approach a dialogue (being mean, intimidating, kind, bribing) there are so many options. You can also pick your gun or fighting style, go sniper with a side of pistols, or go straight shotgun and just creep up behind people.

That is an RPG, the other ones seem to have RPG elements, but games like FF seem to be TB (turn based) adventure games with an rpg element.

No that is narrative choice, a thing not necessarily exclusive to RPG.
Deus ex is a RPG because of its mechanics, not because of the way the you can play the game.

 

[Jordi]

I think that the main thing that distinguishes RPGs from most other games is their emphasis on character skill rather than player skill. Other than that, RPGs often seem to focus more on story (with choice), characters, exploration, crafting and trading rather than action.

Except that better fits the definition of Real Time or Turn Based Tactics genre and definitely contradicts the term "Role Playing".

TBT games is all about the strength and abilities of the characters, things like X-com and Jagged Alliance, your skill at aiming is irrelevant. It's all down to lady luck and how much the stats can stack the deck in your favour.


(PS: I play such games much like Zapp, only with possibly worse tactical thought and lower consideration for the lives of my men, women and war-elephants.)

Also, I can't see how you are "playing a role" if you are forced to have so little input to prevent any of your personal skill shining through. It's less role "playing" and more role "ordering". You aren't in the role.

However, if the stats were made HUGELY important and still gave you a lot of skill, I think that would be much better. So you can move and shoot, but you are either a massively huge and slow target that means you have to follow your skill strengths. But you still get the feeling of control, just within the limits of your character.

That's why I said that there is more emphasis on character skill and not that it is 100% character skill and 0% player skill. That would be boring. For that reason I don't think RPGs can (or should) be "pure". It is a matter of degree. You could classify a game as an RPG if the character/player skill ratio exceeds a certain threshold if you absolutely must assign games to a singular genre.

Most other games rely much more on player skill. Mostly physical (reaction speed, timing, accuracy, etc.), but sometimes also mental (strategy, tactics, resource management, etc.). In this case, you are not really playing a role, because you are just playing as yourself (at least with respect to the skills).

For my "definition" to work, you need to ask yourself who or what you are playing as, and how the relative importances of your and their skills are balanced. If you are not playing as a character, by definition character skill can not be emphasized over player skill. I haven't played the TBT games you mention, but from the sound of it you are playing as some kind of general/god, kind of like in most RTS games. It seems to be not about the player's physical skill, but very much about his tactical skill.

Now, as I said, relying 100% on character skill would make the most boring game ever. Therefor, even in RPGs there will be a part that involves player skill. This is where various game (combat) mechanisms like TBT, RTT, FPS, RTS, etc. come in. For instance, Baldur's Gate is an RPG with TBT elements.

 

[Sarry1433]

The thing that makes a rpg,rpg is the loud noise and being able to shoot rockets.There, the joke has been made. Move on.

 

[sageoftruth]

What do you mean by levelling? Do you actually have to have numbered levels to go up?

What do you mean by loot? Do you mean "shit you find on the ground" or do you mean actively searching corpses/boxes to find a bunch of stuff?

What do you mean by Gear and skills? Do you mean any items or abilities that can be added to your character?

Do the stats have to be numbered? IS it only an RPG if the Stats are in game, that if you have to check a separate website to know that a certain thing has a 15% boost?

Because by this... Call of Duty's online multiplayer is an RPG!

You've got the levelling with ranks to unlock more abilities.

You've got looting to a small extent with scavenger, weapon pick ups but especially care packages.

You have got gear and skills with the perks that variously increase your speed reloading, strength controlling recoil or items like Tactical mask, bandoleer, etc.

The stats are there, very in depth though you usually need to go online for any meaningful comparison but they ARE there and are a huge consideration.

Sure the emphasis is on action but the engagements are so fast paced just a small advantage makes all the difference to who wins each confrontation, is COD an Action RPG?!?

well... yeah it kinda is, it utilises RPG mechanical aspects- why would that not make it on some level an RPG?

EDIT= Though yes your right a focus on story is another important characteristic.

From looking at the list of RPGs I've heard of or played, I'd say there is a huge list of features that define an RPG, and very few video games have them all, but having all of them is not important. Basically, you check off all the features the game has that can be described as defining features of an RPG. If removing those features leaves you with a blank slate, then the game is 100% RPG, otherwise, it's just part-RPG.
Some features (listed from previous posters) are: 1) Being story-driven 2) Having stats 3) Gaining power as the game progresses 4) Having choices beyond simple combat that affect the story and/or the gameplay 5) NPCs you can engage in dialogue 6) A non-linear path to follow with the option of backtracking 7) An inventory of items to use when needed... Feel free to list any others that come up.

The only flaw here, is that this would probably make point-and-click adventure games 100% RPGs as well. Would anyone be up for considering them a subcategory of RPGs? Otherwise, it could be that RPGs require a combat engine to be RPGs. Even Planescape Torment has the option of combat.

 

[Jaime_Wolf]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Family_resemblance

Lists of necessary and sufficient qualities will get you approximately nowhere. There is no one, two, three, or ten qualities that successfully divide the genre from other genres without a ton of accidental overlap.

 

[DEAD34345]

Well... everyone has a different idea of what an RPG actually is, I personally for example don't actually think that the Final Fantasy games are RPGs at all. To me, what makes a role playing game is that it is designed to make you role-play. That means you usually get conversation trees, maybe a branching storyline, and you often get to choose whether or not you do a quest or a mission at all. The key aspect is choice, not of the "Which weapon will kill these guys fastest?" variety, but of the "What would my character do in this situation?" kind.

This means my list of RPGs includes Bioware games, The Elder Scrolls games and the Deus Ex games, but not most "JRPG"s like Final Fantasy (the Shin Megami Tensei games being a notable exception from what I've heard), and not hack & slash games like Diablo or Borderlands.

Although RPGs do tend to have an abundance of stats, they are nothing to do with whether or not those games are actually RPGs, in my opinion.

 

[newdarkcloud]

Here's my definition of an RPG:

It allows the player to make conscious choices that affect the WAY a game is played.
It has a large emphasis on story and plot.
The player character(s) develop over time (both in story/gameplay).

 

[UnderCoverGuest]

My definition:

RPG: "Playing a character who develops as a person, interacting in complex ways with an environment over the course of a game."

Gordon Freeman, Master Chief, Doom Marine, unnamed Call of Duty voice actor who does the player injury sounds etcetera:
- Do not develop as characters past back story and/or plot
- Do not complexly interact with their environment aside from putting bullet holes in things

Mass Effect's Commander Shephard, the player's chosen Hero in Diablo II, The Hero character in Fable, the player's custom created character in other games such as Dragon Age and The Elder Scrolls:
- Develop as characters beyond a base storyline, learning skills and abilities and acquiring items that further customize the player's gaming experience.
- Are given the opportunity to explore of their own accord, and are not limited to a linear environment.
- Frequently interact with that environment in complex ways, often having their decisions affect variables that then alter the environment they are a part of.


That's my definition of RPG.

 

[Fishyash]

I think the definiton of RPG has definately gotten wider. There really are barely any games that are really an RPG on its own anymore. It's always combined with another genre. Mass effect, dragon age 2, witcher 2, etc.

Anyways what I consider an RPG?

Statistical and story-relative character growth over time
Some sort of character creation process (can be limited if necessary)
Choices that affect the story
A world full of lore and history
And (of course) a fictional setting

I would have also said a focus on tactical play, but it really doesn't matter, otherwise ARPGs wouldn't exist. The genres basically overlap now, pretty much every RPG now is heavy on action.

And to rant a little bit, dragon age: origins is probably gonna be the last baldur's gate-like crpg for quite a while. I miss those games

EDIT: I forgot to mention that these things aren't exclusive to RPGs of course. I wasn't really thinking 'what would only an RPG have', rather, 'if this is taken out, I wouldn't consider it an RPG'.