What makes RPG games so great?

[Tr33]

This is not a hate topic but I just never could get into the genre because I didnt like learning all the stuff and found these type of games complex for me. What makes them so good? What makes you RPG fans play RPGs and well. basically keep playing them? Is it to show off your skill in PVP? Is it do just keep doing quests? Cuz  always wondered why so many people are addicted to WoW and i tried it a few times way back but it bored me just as any RPG. Guess its just not the genre for me, but I wana give it a chance anyway after all I COULD like it in the long term. I dunno

[Volbet]

I have never played any MMORPG so i can't talk about PvP.

The reason I play RPG's (especially western RPG's) is because they offer a sense of involment in the world you are playing in. When I play The Witcher 2, I feel like Geralt of Rivia that is out to save the day.

[xToFxREAPER]

This is not a hate topic but I just never could get into the genre because I didnt like learning all the stuff and found these type of games complex for me. What makes them so good? What makes you RPG fans play RPGs and well. basically keep playing them? Is it to show off your skill in PVP? Is it do just keep doing quests? Cuz  always wondered why so many people are addicted to WoW and i tried it a few times way back but it bored me just as any RPG. Guess its just not the genre for me, but I wana give it a chance anyway after all I COULD like it in the long term. I dunno

depends on the game and the person, for me i like single player story based rpgs especially ones with different outcomes because i love to see how i can change and alter a story, i also love the sense of progression and satisfaction you can gain from beating a boss that maybe you werent able to beat the day before because you werent strong enough yet, and something you mention why you dont like them is their complexity, i find something more complex and challenging is way more likely to hold my attention and keep me interested, there are many good rpg's to start with but one them  that really got me into rpg's is star wars knight of the old republic 1 and 2 as well as final fantasy 7 even before star wars. although this doesnt count as an rpg in a sense age of empires 1 and 2 gave me the same sense of satisfaction though there is less story to it.

[Vitalius]

When it comes to WoW (which isn't the type of RPG I play), it's about completion and feeling powerful. In my personal opinion, that game is the lowest quality RPG you could ever play. I've played it. Enough to know I don't like it. MMORPG's are not my type of game, although I'm slowly getting into Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn. It's awesome so far.

When it comes to the RPG games I do play, which are JRPG's (Japanese RPG's), ARPG's (Action/Adventure RPG's), T/SRPG's (Tactical/Strategic RPG's) and the like, we play for the same reason that people play MMORPG's, but there's more to it.

It's to explore a story and the characters. 90% of the reason I play games is for the story. Gameplay is secondary but still important.

Example: I have sunk over 1500+ hours into the Disgaea series which is an TRPG. I love that game because the absurd amount of things you can explore is amazing. The story and characters are ones I'm very fond of as well.

Kingdom Hearts is an Action RPG, and it has the same things that Disgaea has, only it's much faster paced. Do note that this is my favorite video game series. Period.

Path of Exile is a F2P Adventure RPG akin to Diablo 2, and it's story is complex and mysterious though it's not finished yet. Same reasons as Disgaea and KH as well.

Disgae and KH are both JRPG's as well.

When it comes to MMORPG's, there's also the aspect of making your own story in a new and unknown world. I can make a character that's completely unique to me, with a name, powers, and backstory. I can influence the world accordingly as I write my story.

Basically, that. But that's all I got.

RPG is my favorite genre. 90% of my favorite games are these games.

[Eddyall]

I think RPG represent best what games are (most of the time) at their core: be someone else in another world.

[pjm0925]

I wish there were more RPGs set in something other than a fantasy world.  

 

I like the immersion/interaction with the game world.  I like to build up a character and see what the storyline is all about.

 

I played Eve years ago for the PvP, but other than that I play all single player games.

[shazzam66]

I think its because the gameplay is not so linear.

 

You can play the same game 5 times and have 5 different characters, weapons and potential endings.

 

You also get a real sense of involvement in the world and that your decisions affect your outcomes.

 

It can be immersive too.

[Breakdown]

Firstly, I don't play MMORPG's, only JRPG's and the likes. This includes games like Golden Sun, Jeanne D'arc, Disgaea, Valkyria Chronicles and Pokemon, though I stopped playing Pokemon after games were only being made for the Nintendo DS.

 

What makes them so interesting, you might ask?

 

Well it's definitely not the graphics. It's more the story, the gameplay and the development of the characters. Seeing them level, learn new skills and abilities, venture to new locations and meet new people and, not only that, but the level of thinking required at times to progress through the game is at such a high level where it makes the game fun.

 

When you're playing an RPG, you feel 'involved' in the world of the game. You want to play more and more, and see how things end up. And even though you've finished the game, you want to play it again, from a different stand point, employing new tactics and all.

 

These characteristics contrast those of the current-gen games, with their focus on graphics and 'realism', with absolutely no effort put into the story or even gameplay. And this applies to most, if not all, game genres.

 

For example, compare Need for Speed: Underground 2 with Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit (2010). The difference is clear. I would have stated some example of RPG's, but to be honest, I've never fully played any of the current RPG's, because I felt like they strayed away from the meaning of what RPG games should be like. But that's just me.

 

Also, RPG's require tons of time and effort. You could play an RPG for years, and not discover everything in the game, or even get tired of playing it. I don't even want to start comparing this to current-gen games. If it weren't for the long loading times, I might have finished Need for Speed Undercover in about 12 hours. Possibly less.

 

I only see game series like Uncharted, Assassin's Creed and the likes taking steps in the right direction, though they're obviously not RPG's.

 

P.S. The Golden Sun Series is literally the best set of RPG's I've ever played. The only thing that comes close is Jeanne D'arc. Man, what I would do for a sequel or two...

[WoodenMarker]

I think RPG represent best what games are (most of the time) at their core: be someone else in another world.

There are other important aspects in games such as feeling superiority and human interaction.

Being someone else in another world is at the core of RPG's and not all games. It's more of a definition more than the core of an RPG...

[rashdanml]

Freedom to play however you want. Whether it be MMOs or regular Adventure RPGs, choice always has to be the core feature. 

[Eddyall]

There are other important aspects in games such as feeling superiority and human interaction.

Being someone else in another world is at the core of RPG's and not all games. It's more of a definition more than the core of an RPG...

 

Playing XCOM I'm a commander who's task is defending a fictional version of Earth under the invasion of alien, not the same degree of immersion as a RPG but same idea.