One thing I truly hate is when videogames call themselves "RPGs." I love a good Dragon Quest or whatever, but just because you stole a couple mechanics from D&D like hit points that doesn't make your game anymore of a "roleplaying game" than Super Mario Bros., which nobody describes as roleplaying as a jumping Dago plumber for a reason.
New term needed. Badly. Any ideas?
.JPG)
I HUNGER
ReplyDeleteWhat? A lot of computer RPG's specifically steal everything from D&D et al. JRPG's like Dragon Quest are a bad example, try Fallout or Baldur's Gate or something. They're got STR and WIS and AC and dice rolls and are generally 1-1 emulations of TRPG's in computer form, as much as that's possible.
ReplyDeleteMaybe your argument is that CRPG's don't have any actual mechanics for role-playing? But D&D doesn't either.
No, the argument is that the amount of actual roleplaying is exactly the same in every videogame precisely BECAUSE they can't include things that there are no "rules" (programming) for. Super Mario can't decide to approach Bowser (aka King Kooper) with an offer for an alliance to oppress the Mushroom Kingdom together, Cloud Strife (*snicker*) can't get decide to murder Aeris before Sephiroth does or even do anything to prevent Sephiroth from doing it when the scene where it happens is scheduled to play.
ReplyDeleteAping some surface mechanics like strength scores or hit points doesn't allow you to approach the fundamental "soul" of what makes a roleplaying game what it is: Anything the participants agree can happen in a game session can happen. Imagination is the only limiting factor.
"Dago"? Very uncool.
ReplyDeleteCall'em Tactical Fantasy Games (TFGs). Calling them RPGs is like saying Monopoly is an RPG because I got to play the Shoe while you played the Car.
ReplyDeleteThat's pretty much how roleplaying began...
Delete"'Dago'? Very uncool."
ReplyDeleteOh, pshaw. I get a free pass on my own ethnic group(s)'s slurs, and I plan to use, dammit!
I've heard them called "Story Completion Games" because the story is already set out and you just have to work your way through it.
ReplyDelete