# \[rant about RPG\] **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [December 4, 2004, 5:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rant-about-rpg/278029 "2004-12-04T05:43:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2004, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rant-about-rpg/278029/21 "2004-12-07T23:13:17Z")
> [@ShockingAlberto](#): > > Getting in to the actual words “Role-playing” makes things difficult. It’ll be hard to argue you’re not playing a role in any game. Ha! Just watch me. For the purposes of this discussion, I’m drawing a distinction between “assuming” a role, and “playing” a role. In your average Final Fantasy game, you assume the role of the main character, but you don’t “play” it, in the sense that who the character is, what motivates him, what he does, and how he does it is part of the gameplay. All of that stuff is predetermined and, for the most part, unalterable. The game isn’t about creating and inhabiting a role, the game is about fighting monsters, getting treasure and experience, and passively watching the character you play develop as a reward for killing some particularly nasty boss, or finding an especially valuable gewgaw. In a true RPG, the heart of the game is choosing what sort of person your main character is. The trappings usually associated with an RPG (character leveling, stat building, item acquisition) are, in fact, wholly secondary to this definition. A game could conceivably be an RPG while having no inventory, no experience points, even no combat, so long as the central emphasis of the gameplay is on building an artificial personality and using it to interact with a virtual enviroment. > [@](#): > > If you want to get really literal, the only real “role-playing games” are create-a-character statfests, from MMOs to Gauntlet. I agree that, with the proper group of players, an MMORPG is probably the closest you can come to a “pure” RPG in a video game. Gauntlet, however, is nothing at all like an RPG in any incarnation I have ever played. ---
**Author:** ![TVeblen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/4bbf92/32.png) [@TVeblen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TVeblen)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2004, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rant-about-rpg/278029/22 "2004-12-08T00:32:52Z")
**phais** , I changed your thread title after several reports that people had to read the thread to figure out what it was about. You’re a guest so probably not too familiar with our ways. Not trying to bust your chops, but we try to keep thread titles clear enough that people get a good idea of the topic. It helps them decide whether or not to spend the time reading them. And now back to your regularly scheduled rant… TVeblen Pit mod ---
**Author:** ![smiling\_bandit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9a140/32.png) [@smiling\_bandit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smiling_bandit)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2004, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rant-about-rpg/278029/23 "2004-12-08T01:22:44Z")
> [@](#): > > Anyway, if you want to compare Fable to a superior RPG, you can do a lot better than the tepid Knights of the Old Republic. Come back after you’ve played some real CRPGs, and then we’ll talk. While I would agree that KotoR was not as good as PS:T or Fallout, its not like we’ve had any other really great contenders in the last few years. KotoR is the best since Morrowind, and that one had equally large problems… ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2004, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rant-about-rpg/278029/24 "2004-12-08T01:24:42Z")
Sad but true, **smiling**. ---
**Author:** ![HPL](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/3da27b/32.png) [@HPL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HPL)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2004, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rant-about-rpg/278029/25 "2004-12-08T02:27:24Z")
> [@Nightwatch Trailer](#): > > Give me Earthbound any day. 🆒 BTW, a piece of abstract art has teamed up with a some heirogyphics and are sneaking up behind you. Luckily, the teddy bear will likely block the first blow. ---
**Author:** ![Talon\_Karrde](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Talon\_Karrde](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Talon_Karrde)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2004, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rant-about-rpg/278029/26 "2004-12-08T02:42:41Z")
Since this is the pit and all, and Earthbound was mentioned… has anyone else bought the house for sale in Onette? :mad: ---
**Author:** ![paperbackwriter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/53a042/32.png) [@paperbackwriter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/paperbackwriter)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2004, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rant-about-rpg/278029/27 "2004-12-08T02:50:30Z")
> [@TVeblen](#): > > **phais** , I changed your thread title after several reports that people had to read the thread to figure out what it was about. > You’re a guest so probably not too familiar with our ways. Not trying to bust your chops, but we try to keep thread titles clear enough that people get a good idea of the topic. It helps them decide whether or not to spend the time reading them. > And now back to your regularly scheduled rant… > > TVeblen > Pit mod Thanks for clearing the earlier title up, **Veb** , although I thought the new one was referring to Rocket-Propelled Grenades, and expected a rant about Iraq. ---
**Author:** ![ShockingAlberto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/7ea924/32.png) [@ShockingAlberto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShockingAlberto)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2004, 3:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rant-about-rpg/278029/28 "2004-12-08T03:25:55Z")
For the record, there’s been some strong hints Earthbound 3 will make it’s way to America. ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2004, 3:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rant-about-rpg/278029/29 "2004-12-08T03:33:32Z")
> [@TVeblen](#): > > **phais** , I changed your thread title after several reports that people had to read the thread to figure out what it was about… What could anyone possibly have against **Rocket Propelled Grenades**? Ohh, that’s not what this is. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2004, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rant-about-rpg/278029/30 "2004-12-08T03:41:37Z")
> [@Miller](#): > > A game could conceivably be an RPG while having no inventory, no experience points, even no combat, so long as the central emphasis of the gameplay is on building an artificial personality and using it to interact with a virtual enviroment. As was the game “Alter Ego”, if anyone remembers that. You take control of a person from infancy to old age, and, in a series of vignettes where you’re faced with choices, live out his or her life. ---
**Author:** ![JRootabega](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/8e7dd6/32.png) [@JRootabega](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRootabega)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2004, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rant-about-rpg/278029/31 "2004-12-08T03:45:01Z")
> [@TVeblen](#): > > **phais** , I changed your thread title after several reports that people had to read the thread to figure out what it was about. > You’re a guest so probably not too familiar with our ways. Not trying to bust your chops, but we try to keep thread titles clear enough that people get a good idea of the topic. In the BBQ Pit? Heh. Isn’t there at least one “Fuck you, you absolute goathumping blah blah asshat” title through here every hour? ---
**Author:** ![pilzner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f17d59/32.png) [@pilzner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pilzner)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2004, 8:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rant-about-rpg/278029/32 "2004-12-08T08:56:37Z")
Neato. Some years back I spent money on Black+White. I read all sorts of reviews saying how great it was. You know, more revolutionary then pac-man, street-fighter2, and deus-Ex combined, shit like that. So I bought it and Whoo-Whee did that game suck. The little gorilla guy wouldn’t feed my people right, so I tried getting a few villagers working on food. But I moved the mouse too fast and instead lobbed the poor guy into the ocean. Gorilla guy suddenly shits all over the place, and a bunch of loggers stopped work to gawk at the dung everywhere. After an hour of play, I just NEEDED a rocket launcher. The indirectness and lack of control in the game was killing me. I’m not normally ne to hold grudges, though I cant deny that seeing mr peters games do poorly gives me a feeling of good and well-being. Gotta say I had never heard of this game, didnt even know it was coming out. Anyone care to elaborate what makes it so crappy? Im certainly not going to buy it so spoilers are ok, though it may be safer to put them in a black box anyway. Is it really as bad as you folks say? ---
**Author:** ![D\_Odds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/d_odds/32/2882_2.png) [@D\_Odds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D_Odds)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2004, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rant-about-rpg/278029/33 "2004-12-08T14:29:43Z")
I’ll always remember Pete as the mind behind the Dungeon Keeper pair of games. DKII still occupies room on my hard disk. Really, what’s there not to like about a coven of pain-loving Dominatrix in leather leading Angels into a battle charge? Back in Cafe Soceity, there’s a thread about Japanese RPGs. I used to love them; now I can’t really get into them. Too much watching, not enough doing for a game. In my opinion, computer games along the same lines (Wizardry, Might & Magic) do it better because you play more and watch less. I’ve plenty of anime DVDs to watch when I want to see edgy anime-style characters. Black Isle Studio made the best computer RPGs, bar none. Some were more open-ended, some were more linear; all were good. Bethesda comes in second. Overall, I liked Daggerfall better than Morrowind, but both had places where they shined and both were top notch. None of these replace the PnP RPG experiences of my youth, but I can no longer commit to (and really don’t know where to look for) a regular group of my peers. _“If you can’t be with the one you love, love the one your with”_ ---
**Author:** ![HPL](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/3da27b/32.png) [@HPL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HPL)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2004, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rant-about-rpg/278029/34 "2004-12-08T20:19:41Z")
> [@Talon Karrde](#): > > Since this is the pit and all, and Earthbound was mentioned… has anyone else bought the house for sale in Onette? :mad: I did. Luckily, I saved beforehand. Too bad there is no option to beat up the guy who sold it to you. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rant-about-rpg/278029.md?page=1)