It's borderline. You at least can customise stats and which class you focus on, and you have a lot of options to express personality in dialogue. So you can play it through multiple times with very different experiences for the main character.
Baldur's Gate is pretty borderline too. You have no choice over your parentage, over the fact Imoen is your beloved sister-figure, over the fact you've been living in Candlekeep for 20 years, and over most plot progression from there. You could write a pretty lengthy summary of charname's actions that would sound like a book synopsis and does not include a single event that can be changed by charname's actions in-game. Even the things you can change are often fairly minor (either you kill X and are arrested for it, or someone else kills X and you are arrested for it).
Much of the freedom (aside from dialogue choices) is freedom of NPC association and sidequests, when it comes right down to it. And then you run into the tricky fact that all of those elements are present in, say, FFVII. To a lesser degree, sure, but then the difference starts looking like degree rather than kind.
Have you wondered why computer RPGs never manage to get even half of the popularity of other indipendent games like Undertale? I don't mention the juggernaut that is FNAF because that would be an unfair fight.
And as I said, any definition of RPGs that excludes a huge percentage of games that are marketed as, sold as, and consumed as RPGs is a flawed definition.
(Also, the JRPG and WRPG terms are extremely misleading, since many Japanese games are "WRPGs", and some western games have more in common with classic JRPGs than they do with something like Skyrim.)
The problem is that @Diogenes42 ended that discussion on the first reply. Not literally, granted, but for all intents and purposes. There is no agreed-upon definition of an RPG, no criterion that applies to the whole genre. Both this thread and that one are microcosms of this. Most people's definitions tend towards their personal tastes (i.e., games with action-based combat systems are not "real RPGs").
The discussion isn't to find a *real* answer, at least, I don't think it is. I just find the topic enjoyable and like seeing everyone's opinions and why they think that way. Like for example in my opening post though the Tales series is marketed as a jrpg the director was like, "Ehhh, they're not really RPGs."
Like It's amazing that can be a sentence stated by someone that supposedly makes JRPGs.
At the same time, I'll have to find it, by the director of FFXIII stated that Hit Man and Tomb Raider were RPGs or something. I have to drive but when I get back I'll find the interview and post it in the "What is an RPG" thread.
I, personally, still have yet to be convinced that stuff like Final Fantasy VII and such are RPGs. That doesn't mean that they are bad games or should change or anything. I'm just saying they were given a genre title that doesn't really fit what they are. I think I stated this in my OP but I really think that genre is identified by the users "intent of play."
If they intend to play the game as an rpg it's probably an rpg. But by that same logic, when I play Bravely Default I'm not looking to play an RPG because if I were I'd be sorely dissapointed and rate the game like 3/10. Thankfully I view it as an adventure game with rpg-like elements and therefore bring it up to like 7/10 (As long as you ignore the dreadful last few chapters).
Anyway, whole point of posting was so we could continue this discussion in that thread since I don't think it really has anything to do with "Why crpgs are so niche."
Have you wondered why computer RPGs never manage to get even half of the popularity of other indipendent games like Undertale? I don't mention the juggernaut that is FNAF because that would be an unfair fight.
Have you wondered why computer RPGs never manage to get even half of the popularity of other indipendent games like Undertale? I don't mention the juggernaut that is FNAF because that would be an unfair fight.
I'm dubious about calling the Witcher games RPGs at all. You play as a preset character with limited customisation, with a largely twitch based combat system.
I believe you think so - but from that perspective Morrowind is neither, or Dragon Age. You are the Nevarine, you are the Hero of Ferelden.
Having a Dragon Age Origin is in my view no worse than being the Witcher, lore-wise - in principle.
Only that the Witcher's game-world is written for a narrow target audience, from my perspective. The game-play and combat innovations meanwhile ware pretty compelling!
I'm dubious about calling the Witcher games RPGs at all. You play as a preset character with limited customisation, with a largely twitch based combat system.
I believe you think so - but from that perspective Morrowind is neither, or Dragon Age. You are the Nevarine, you are the Hero of Ferelden.
Having a Dragon Age Origin is in my view no worse than being the Witcher, lore-wise - in principle.
Only that the Witcher's game-world is written for a narrow target audience, from my perspective. The game-play and combat innovations meanwhile ware pretty compelling!
Having a set backgroud is one thing - without it it's quite difficult to have the protagonist engage with the story. But Morrowind, Dragon Age, etc allow you to choose your class, race, gender, appearence etc. In the Witcher games ALL those things are preset, the level of customisation is zero.
Back on topic, sort of, I was looking on craigslist the other day at used computers and found tons of desktops with amazing specs for sale for cheap, ones that are water cooled with specs to run just about any game. Maybe one reason cRPGs are so niche is because people are getting rid of their desktops for more mobile computers, like tablets and notebooks. Thus the demand for cRPGs goes down. Or maybe they're getting rid of them because the market is turning away from cRPGs and going more towards the mobile gaming platforms in general. I don't know, supply and demand are kind of two sides of the same coin.
Back on topic, sort of, I was looking on craigslist the other day at used computers and found tons of desktops with amazing specs for sale for cheap, ones that are water cooled with specs to run just about any game. Maybe one reason cRPGs are so niche is because people are getting rid of their desktops for more mobile computers, like tablets and notebooks. Thus the demand for cRPGs goes down. Or maybe they're getting rid of them because the market is turning away from cRPGs and going more towards the mobile gaming platforms in general. I don't know, supply and demand are kind of two sides of the same coin.
IMO Tablets have a lot of untapped potential for CRPGs.
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Much of the freedom (aside from dialogue choices) is freedom of NPC association and sidequests, when it comes right down to it. And then you run into the tricky fact that all of those elements are present in, say, FFVII. To a lesser degree, sure, but then the difference starts looking like degree rather than kind.
Five Nights at Freddy's
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It's amazing that can be a sentence stated by someone that supposedly makes JRPGs.
At the same time, I'll have to find it, by the director of FFXIII stated that Hit Man and Tomb Raider were RPGs or something. I have to drive but when I get back I'll find the interview and post it in the "What is an RPG" thread.
I, personally, still have yet to be convinced that stuff like Final Fantasy VII and such are RPGs. That doesn't mean that they are bad games or should change or anything. I'm just saying they were given a genre title that doesn't really fit what they are. I think I stated this in my OP but I really think that genre is identified by the users "intent of play."
If they intend to play the game as an rpg it's probably an rpg. But by that same logic, when I play Bravely Default I'm not looking to play an RPG because if I were I'd be sorely dissapointed and rate the game like 3/10. Thankfully I view it as an adventure game with rpg-like elements and therefore bring it up to like 7/10 (As long as you ignore the dreadful last few chapters).
Anyway, whole point of posting was so we could continue this discussion in that thread since I don't think it really has anything to do with "Why crpgs are so niche."
Though I guess I could be wrong.
/shrugs.
Anyway, I have to go for a bit. Be back soon-ish.
I guess you have a different internet than mine.
Having a Dragon Age Origin is in my view no worse than being the Witcher, lore-wise - in principle.
Only that the Witcher's game-world is written for a narrow target audience, from my perspective. The game-play and combat innovations meanwhile ware pretty compelling!
Why do you say buyers beware? If the system has been erased and the OS re-installed, where is the danger? Just curious.
But it's always been that way.