Should America or Japan feel ashame of the lack of "Jrpg"

[Xeogred]

Super Mario RPG comes to mind for some "timing based mechanics", lol.

[MrPopo]

even in menu-turned based Rpgs there are still timing mechanics and rewards for good strategy.

I'm not sure what timing mechanics you're referring to. As for strategy, yes, strategy counts in a good cRPG as much as it does in a table top RPG. As it should.

In ATB systems you care about timing.

[Jmustang1968]

even in menu-turned based Rpgs there are still timing mechanics and rewards for good strategy.

I'm not sure what timing mechanics you're referring to. As for strategy, yes, strategy counts in a good cRPG as much as it does in a table top RPG. As it should.

Several RPG's have 'swing meters' for attacks. FFVI has Sabin special attacks where you enter Fighting game like special moves. The Tales series has action-style battles.

[MarauderEX]

I think another thing is the change in mechanics. By that I mean what defines a jrpg or wrpg other than where it is developed?

Bioware did a sonic rpg for the DS, that follows more traditional jrpg themes, but they are not a Japanese company.
Square-enix (albeit through eidos) did deus-ex human revolution and while not a traditional rpg has a lot of borrowed elements.

Which leads to my next point. The rpg genre has become quite encompassing, because originally zelda would be considered an rpg to western audiences, now its more an action platformer with rpg elements or guardian heroes which is a beat 'em up with rpg elements. Also blurring the lines more fallout 3 which goes a very different route from its predecessors is still an "rpg" but it borrows fps aspects or the later tales of series games that have very action oriented combat.Then there are other examples like castlevania symphony of the night, its an action platformer but very reliant on leveling up and getting better equipment to proceed with ease.

So is it more about defining current games by the standards of the 90's or limiting how much of the rpg bleeds out into fps or action for a "traditional" style?

[isiolia]

I think another thing is the change in mechanics. By that I mean what defines a jrpg or wrpg other than where it is developed?

JRPG or WRPG tends to be defined less by combat mechanics/etc than by how role playing is handled (or not).

JRPGs tend to tell pretty much a fixed story. You might assume the role of the plucky teenagers saving the world, but you have little or no influence on who they are as characters, how they handle events, and so on.

WRPGs attempt to allow for choice. A lot of the time you're making up your character. You're usually making moral or strategic choices for them that impact the story - though often not the end result other than a footnote in the ending.

It's not a matter of where it was developed per se. Demon's Souls is a Japanese game, but pretty much falls right in line with a lot of modern WRPGs. There have been attempts at JRPGs from Western developers as well - Anachronox, Septerra Core, etc.

A really simplified explanation is that "replays" or recorded gaming sessions of DnD/etc caught on in Japan when the pen and paper games were brought over. Some classic novels/anime, such as Record of Lodoss War, were based on them. In turn, when games were made, they kept the play mechanics, but stuck more to a script. Western developers - which until somewhat recently basically meant PC developers - continued with trying to approximate more of the dynamic storytelling that pen and paper games can have.

Related image:

[BoringSupreez]

^^^ That picture is full of win.

[jfrost]

^^^ That picture is full of win.

Unfortunately it's illustrated by stale anime characters.

[BoringSupreez]

^^^ That picture is full of win.

Unfortunately it's illustrated by stale anime characters.

Are they stale? I don't know who any of them are. Don't really like anime, TBH.

[Xeogred]

Naruto, I think.
The main guy from Bleach, I think.
And stupid Luffy, but hey watch it, I like my One Piece.

[MarauderEX]

See that graphic really gets the point across. because I was racking my brain with mechanics and not so much the level on linear