What aspects must an RPG have to be seen as ‘Good’ by you? Or what are some standard features of RPGs?
For me it would be:
Any input appreciated!
I think it really ends up depending on what sort of RPG it is. However, I’ve always had a thing for Item Collecting/Crafting type games, a la Atelier Iris/Mana Khemia.
My list would be:
Single player? Story, hands down. Planescape Torment was a cakewalk, game-wise but there were parts of the story that actually had me in tears, and those parts were in plain text.
Variety. I think this is one of the core elements of any good rpg’s.
If your rpg doesnt have enough variety, then chances are that it will be boring and repetitive.
Also with variety i mean the variety of items, maps (really important, you dont want to be walking on the same map over and over and over again) and mobs.
Also i think that customization can be a fun part, but this is depending on the type of rpg you are talking about.
Story, obviously. I love stories where things that happen to one character impact another character later on, and every (main/supporting) character needs a past, a goal, and a motive.
Replay value is important to me as well. That can be designed as simple as having a certain number of skill points to spend in the game. That’s why I don’t care for Fable. My character shouldn’t be able to become God. I should be able to become godly with, say, daggers, but not everything. That’s boring.
Story…but there are different kinds of stories. There are games like Skyrim, where the main story actually leaves much to be desired, the characters are flat and rather boring…but it’s so packed with other quests, the little stories behind them and details that you “write” your own story while playing it.
On the other hand, there are games like Witcher 2, where the story is very dense, interesting (especially when you’ve read the novels) and well written and the quests are unique and complex. But in comparison to Skyrim, it lacks the freedom of an open world.
And then (to mention a negative example), there are games like Earth and Legend (a 3D rpg for Android), which looks nice for a mobile game but it’s story (if you can call it like that) is so dumb and pointless and the quests are so stupid that it hurts.
Edit: Good book about how to write a good story: http://www.amazon.com/Ultimate-Guide-Video-Writing-Design/dp/158065066X
Or if these wasn’t enough, go play about 2-5 great titles of JRPG. You’ll receive something.
Thanks a lot for the book suggestion.
Tsk Tsk,
No one even hinted at soundtrack yet.
Should give you a hint as to how important a soundtrack is then 
But then, you’d only notice if there wasn’t one.
Cas
That depends. I think a person or two play roguelikes and the last time I looked there are MUDs running.
MUDs and most roguelikes are nonrepresentational. Once you have representational graphics, where what you put on the screen really intends to describe the object, even hardcore mudders will be put off by ugly characters and environments. Maybe not enough to stay away from the game, but they won’t ignore it.
Hmmm, though if there’s at least a stylistic theme in the artwork, even “bad” artwork can be palatable.
However, it’s when the artwork doesn’t have a theme to fit together that it starts to go really off for me. Like pixel art characters in a 3D world never did it for me. It just looks too off. Sort of like ‘Cartoons’ in real life, but even worse than that.
I’ve always had a preference for simplistic sprite games, in fact I’m still playing NES and SNES games because of it. And many games that are graphically beautiful today seem to be rather blah otherwise.
:o
Cas, I swear I saw you preaching about the importance of sound in game in another topic…
Especially in RPG’s. Take the Final Fantasies for instance, those scores are passed around the internet completely removed form their original medium. Perhaps cause im a sound guy I pay attention more than others but I know full well that all my favorites have great scores.
Also another important one for me is characters with strong division between their strengths and weaknesses.
If i pick up an RPG and I am some fantastico spell casting fighter I will put your game down faster than your NPC can give an introduction. Perhaps because I am a D&D players from way back I enjoy character weaknesses and strategically finding a work-around.
+1, though I don’t think it’s a 100% necessity for RPGs…
I’m thinking of Final Fantasy 10. That game had really boring game play in my opinion and I just played through everything to make the story continue. It was like a movie with an insane amount of commercial breaks…
I’m thinking of Final Fantasy 10. That game had really boring game play in my opinion and I just played through everything to make the story continue. It was like a movie with an insane amount of commercial breaks…
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Keep clicking and you will get more story!
That game lives off Story + Art + Score imo.
Sound effects, not music. I almost always turn the music off in games I play because frankly it’s usually not too good and it grates after a short while. Notable exceptions being… er… Quake. Which I listen to. And recently Pineapple Smash Crew, of which I just simply wish there was more music.
Cas
yes. story, characters, level design and look, music
and of course freedom - what can you do ?
I have bought and read this a couple of months ago, I can recommend it aswell
I guess you dont like Metal Gear either. I love Final fantasy (7 and 10 in particular) and the Metal Gear Series.
A great thought-out story is just so emerging.
I also likes Heavy Rains gameplay, but unfortunately I thought the story was dull.
And I think FF X had the best gameplay of all - but thats just me. Being able to strategize without timelimit. Maybe FF 7 is better, but I think FF 13 is too frantic for you to come up with unique tactics amidst a battle.
Also note for FF X: most people play of course long after the end, getting all the special stuff, and as everybody knows, gameplay-wise a JRPG only really begins after the main story is done; because only then you try optional dungeon, reach insane levels and stuff - Most FF games are like this and also for example the star ocean games, which I also love
talking about RPGs, I would call Mass Effect 2 a RPG, and since its easily one of my top 5 games, its a good example for a great RPG too