Zelda isnt an rpg? (Its a dungeon crawler isnt it?)

[Erik_Twice]

People are taking the defnition of the term too literally and out of context for what the genre represents in video games.

I would argue that video gamers are taking the definition of the term too methaphorically and out of context for what the genre represents in the medium it was created

[Jmustang1968]

People are taking the defnition of the term too literally and out of context for what the genre represents in video games.

I would argue that video gamers are taking the definition of the term too methaphorically and out of context for what the genre represents in the medium it was created

Maybe but that doesn't change what it represents, it is just a label that describes a genre of games to better helps us identify and categorize them. What the genre represents and the implied meaning when you refer to a video game as an rpg or any other genre is what is important. Not the semantics of the words used in the label...

[dunpeal2064]

Maybe but that doesn't change what it represents, it is just a label that describes a genre of games to better helps us identify and categorize them. What the genre represents and the implied meaning when you refer to a video game as an rpg or any other genre is what is important. Not the semantics of the words used in the label...

Exactly. RPG is a label, so that when we discuss games, we can quickly describe the main function of the game.

[Erik_Twice]

Exactly. RPG is a label, so that when we discuss games, we can quickly describe the main function of the game.

But Roleplaying game doesn't describe Final Fantasy. It's a terrible label, like calling green "pink". Sure, it works, but why not call green, green?

[dunpeal2064]

Exactly. RPG is a label, so that when we discuss games, we can quickly describe the main function of the game.

But Roleplaying game doesn't describe Final Fantasy. It's a terrible label, like calling green "pink". Sure, it works, but why not call green, green?

What do you suggest we call them? They were labeled RPGs a long time ago, and if someone told me they were playing an RPG, I would definitely think of Final Fantasy.

And, if we called green "pink", then it would be pink, not green. Only those who made the change would know the difference.

Action is also a terrible label. As a single word, action means absolutely nothing.

thats why they are labels that mean a lot more than the definition of the single world used. Its categorizing, thats how it works.

[Jmustang1968]

Exactly. RPG is a label, so that when we discuss games, we can quickly describe the main function of the game.

But Roleplaying game doesn't describe Final Fantasy. It's a terrible label, like calling green "pink". Sure, it works, but why not call green, green?

It describes the progressive character growth and experience system that was borrowed from d&d role playing. The early games were pen & paper in digital form as far as game mechanics go, not necessarily immersion.

[isiolia]

Exactly. RPG is a label, so that when we discuss games, we can quickly describe the main function of the game.

But Roleplaying game doesn't describe Final Fantasy. It's a terrible label, like calling green "pink". Sure, it works, but why not call green, green?

What do you suggest we call them? They were labeled RPGs a long time ago, and if someone told me they were playing an RPG, I would definitely think of Final Fantasy.

And, if we called green "pink", then it would be pink, not green. Only those who made the change would know the difference.

Action is also a terrible label. As a single word, action means absolutely nothing.

thats why they are labels that mean a lot more than the definition of the single world used. Its categorizing, thats how it works.

RPG is a very broad term, and was there prior to video games. Pen and paper was one way to approach it, and recreating the pen and paper mechanics on a computer likewise a valid approach - particularly since, at the time, it was probably the best they could do.

The problem is, it's a moving target. Games now can convey information to the player in ways that games 30 years ago had no hope of doing.

It's less a matter of not calling the old games RPGs, if that was the experience they were trying to create, and more not leaving enough room for other approaches to the concept.

[dunpeal2064]

Immersion is completely up to the player though, it could never be used to describe a genre of games.

The action in Role-Playing, the number crunshing, the "chance" to crit or miss, enemies having weaknesses and strengths, having stats represent different aspects of your character. ... these are taken straight from DnD

When people reffer to Pen and Paper, and how RPGs are nothing like it, it makes me think they have only watched people play Dnd on tv, and not actually played it themselves, as the immersion is just a result of how well the game is crafted. The math behind the game was definitely used to make rpgs.

You don't have a dice-roll chance to miss in Zelda. Either you were close enough to hit him, or you werent.

[Erik_Twice]

What do you suggest we call them? They were labeled RPGs a long time ago, and if someone told me they were playing an RPG, I would definitely think of Final Fantasy.

Weird, I would think they were playing Vampire or Paranoia

I would consider Final Fantasy to be a simple strategy game, probably better defined as resource management. Surely not a roleplaying game for it has no roleplay.

thats why they are labels that mean a lot more than the definition of the single world used. Its categorizing, thats how it works.

Okey, then what is GURPS?

The early games were pen & paper in digital form as far as game mechanics go, not necessarily immersion.

I would say that acting and rolepalying are actually the core mechanics of Dungeons and Dragons. Or, if we accept Gygaxyan design as core D&D, then puzzles are the basics of gameplay. Many RPGs have no combat and no skill rolls at all, the only mechanics are acting!

Games like Wizardry emulate only a very small part of what a roleplaying game is. A part I would argue is the less interesting one.

[dunpeal2064]

What do you suggest we call them? They were labeled RPGs a long time ago, and if someone told me they were playing an RPG, I would definitely think of Final Fantasy.

Weird, I would think they were playing Vampire or Paranoia

I would consider Final Fantasy to be a simple strategy game, probably better defined as resource management. Surely not a roleplaying game for it has no roleplay.

thats why they are labels that mean a lot more than the definition of the single world used. Its categorizing, thats how it works.

Okey, then what is GURPS?

I have played many Pen and Paper games that involved no Role-playing either. It is up to the player. So, is Werewolf no longer a roleplaying game> Or Hunter?

Role-playing is optional. Always.

What you aren't looking at is everything else involved in the RPG game, as I already stated, which definitely influenced the system used to create the RPG video game.

Calling the games "strategy" would bleed it into all kinds of other strategy-based games. You could also argue that FF games requite NO strategy.

I suppose we could just use acronyms for all genres and sound even more retarded, and have even less people understand us, then we do now. Ask most folks what GURPS means, and they wont know.