Deconstructing the Role-Playing Video Game

Re:Deconstructing the Role-Playing Video Game by bigger_cheese on Tuesday July 16, 2024 @10:06PM (#40981976)

I think everyone will have a different definition. In my opinion the "Role Playing" element is the ability for the game player to make deliberate choices which alter the character progression.

It can seem somewhat arbitrary. But to me a game like Diablo, Cyberpunk or Deus Ex where you are given a choice (to allocate skill points or similar) which changes the performance/abilities of the character makes its "roleplaying".

On the other hand something like Zelda or Metal Gear Solid the game play tended to change more based around obtaining certain items or reaching a certain stage of game rather than any decision based character progression

Something like Bioshock blurs the line as you make choices about which skills to obtain which alters the gameplay.

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Re:Deconstructing the Role-Playing Video Game by avereveard on Wednesday July 17, 2024 @01:16AM (#40982797)

I think the defining characteristic is that you can play in different roles within the same game world. Flight simulator is not an rpg, you're always a pilot. Likewise, the content react to your character. Diablo 4 doesn't have any dialogue or level related to character choices, it's an action game with a skill tree.

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Re:Deconstructing the Role-Playing Video Game by thiagoharry on Wednesday July 17, 2024 @08:00AM (#40984904)

There are some JRPGs where you control a single character (first Dragon Quest).

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Re:Deconstructing the Role-Playing Video Game by avereveard on Wednesday July 17, 2024 @09:34AM (#40985777)

Yeah, there are bound to be a few oddities, albeit in this case I think technical and market challenges are more a factor than design decisions, coupled with a bit of "this game doesn't really fit as anything else"

Anyway when I wrote different roles I didn't necessarily meant "trough multiple characters"

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Re:Deconstructing the Role-Playing Video Game by dahauns on Wednesday July 17, 2024 @12:37PM (#40987684)

"playing different roles" is kind of nebulous, though - and especially historically, it doesn't really mesh with what has been considered an RPG. Depending on your strictness of definition, quite a bit more than "a few oddities" among the RPG classics would not fit this definition, on the other end it would encompass a ton of non-linear P&C/VN/Interactive fiction in general.

I know that the moniker has it's issues when taking it literally, but doing so too strictly makes the term almost meaningless when discussing genres. (..."even more meaningless", some may argue. ;) )

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