What Constitutes an RPG

[MrPopo]

I generally feel that RPGs are defined by the nature of their character growth systems and combat systems. Specifically, there should be statistical-based character growth and statistical-based combat. As a consequence to these, there tends to be an emphasis on a story. Not necessary the Final Fantasy cinematic story, as Demon's Souls has proven, but there should still be an attempt to get you to care about the characters or the world that you don't tend to see in other genres.

There are some interesting border cases. Deus Ex and Fallout 3 are both FPS/RPG hybrids. However, I feel Deus Ex is best classified as an FPS with heavy RPG elements, while Fallout 3 is an RPG with heavy FPS elements. The key difference is in how they approach combat. In Deus Ex your stats affect things such as your damage and the bounding box. However, the actual combat, once adjusted for these values, is pure FPS. I aim at the head and the box is small enough to guarentee a hit? Headshot damage. Now compare with Fallout 3 (and ignore VATS, as that turns the combat into pure RPG). In Fallout 3 they take the Morrowind approach. I may aim at an enemy and from my screen's perspective I should be hitting him. However, I am completely at the mercy of dice rolls based on my stats. I do still have a cone defined by my weapon and my view that determines if I even have a chance of hitting something, but at the end of the day I'm at the mercy of the RNG.

[pepharytheworm]

How can people say Zelda has strong rpg influnces when it in fact influenced rpgs
I will aways consider Zelda an RPG no matter what. Its like new genres in music, Venom is technically NWBHM band but because they influnced and helped form Blackmetal people will always consider them blackmetal.

[Lusit]

How can people say Zelda has strong rpg influnces when it in fact influenced rpgs
I will aways consider Zelda an RPG no matter what. Its like new genres in music, Venom is technically NWBHM band but because they influnced and helped form Blackmetal people will always consider them blackmetal.

Please elaborate on how exactly it influenced modern RPGs. Or even RPGs that came after it but are made with a defunct style not used today.

[the7k]

How can people say Zelda has strong rpg influnces when it in fact influenced rpgs
I will aways consider Zelda an RPG no matter what. Its like new genres in music, Venom is technically NWBHM band but because they influnced and helped form Blackmetal people will always consider them blackmetal.

Would you consider Led Zeppelin and Jimi Hendrix to be Metal Musicians? Because I don't, but they did have an influence on the genre.

[pepharytheworm]

Not going to, don't need to I know its not techically an RPG but I will always consider it one. If you played any Zelda game and didn't see how it influenced rpgs then you are blind. I could be wrong but I somehow have a feeling you like Western RPGs. But don't worry about what makes a game an RPG, a person could argue the point that JRPGs aren't either and only western rpgs are because they are closer to non video game rpgs, where you make and develop your own character.

[pepharytheworm]

How can people say Zelda has strong rpg influnces when it in fact influenced rpgs
I will aways consider Zelda an RPG no matter what. Its like new genres in music, Venom is technically NWBHM band but because they influnced and helped form Blackmetal people will always consider them blackmetal.

Would you consider Led Zeppelin and Jimi Hendrix to be Metal Musicians? Because I don't, but they did have an influence on the genre.

Nope but AC/DC, and Kiss I do. I am not arguing that I am right, I know I am wrong, but why does it bother so many people when they call Zelda an RPG?

[Gamerforlife]

How can people say Zelda has strong rpg influnces when it in fact influenced rpgs
I will aways consider Zelda an RPG no matter what. Its like new genres in music, Venom is technically NWBHM band but because they influnced and helped form Blackmetal people will always consider them blackmetal.

Would you consider Led Zeppelin and Jimi Hendrix to be Metal Musicians? Because I don't, but they did have an influence on the genre.

Nope but AC/DC, and Kiss I do. I am not arguing that I am right, I know I am wrong, but why does it bother so many people when they call Zelda an RPG?

Because it's WRONG.

[AppleQueso]

I think that above all else, statistical growth systems are what really define an rpg. It's probably the one defining aspect of RPGs that remains consistent whether you're playing Morrowind, Final Fantasy, Pokemon, or Disgaea. The gameplay practically revolves around this, battles affect statistical growth, equippable items affect statistical growth, etc etc.

I don't think story is necessarily that important, though it's almost always there in some form. The closest thing to an RPG I can think of at the moment without any story whatsoever is SD Mode in Flying Dragon for the N64, and I don't even think that counts. I'm sure there's got to be a TBS RPG or something with no story.

Zelda's heart container system doesn't count as statistical growth. Mega Man has a method of increasing your health bar throughout the game, but nobody has ever insisted that it was an RPG. Zelda hasn't really influenced any RPGs either, at least if it has, it's not really apparent at all.

oh and also, I never did understand why people ever considered AC/DC or Kiss metal. I have never heard any trace of metal in their sound, and have never really heard a trace of their sound in other metal bands, so I'd hardly say they were even really influential to the genre.

[Snickerd00dle]

Nope but AC/DC, and Kiss I do. I am not arguing that I am right, I know I am wrong, but why does it bother so many people when they call Zelda an RPG?

This is what I call the Bill O'Reilly approach, you can't just deny the truth and then claim your own opinion as scripture- if everyone thought this way, there would be no need for genre classification and I could say Mario is an FPS, I know i'm wrong, but its just how I feel

[arion]

When you can right click on anything in your character sheet and get a detailed explanation you got yourself an rpg.