From Dice to Digital: The Origin of RPG's

[Mike Arcade]

http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/RolePlayingGame

A bit overdue to have this topic I'd say, this is regarding RPGs in general for Video Games. I was going to make a separate topic for both Western and Eastern RPGs but I decided against that. As RPGs in gaming for both PCs and Consoles are not only all inspired by Dungeons & Dragons but also each other.

Take note for example, the first Dragon Quest was inspired by Wizardry and Ultima as Final Fantasy is inspired by those 3 games and so forth. So having them separated just doesn't feel right to me, it would be keeping history apart and for this topic I'd like us to look at RPG Video Games as a whole from both the past, present, and future.

So what series do you want to talk about? What sort of differences do you like between Eastern and Western RPGs? What's you're Favorite Type of RPG game? Let us know and let's discuss this broad genre!  

[Mike Arcade]

Apparently there isn't anything interesting lately going on with RPGs. XP

In any case, thought I'd share with you a krudzu tree of a series that helped spawn JRPGs as we know it. Hopefully you guys will find this interesting.

https://aaltomies.wordpress.com/tag/dragon-slayer/

Before there was Dragon Quest, there was games like Hydlide and Dragon Slayer. This blog post is about the latter from the developer now known as Nihon Falcom. Simply put, the original Dragon Slayer was the Acorn that hatched into a series that (through spin offs) is still going on to this day. Every sequel after Dragon Slayer has a different type of game play, so it's one of those games. To be fair, the first game in the series was made way back in 1984, it's not like there were a lot of examples for how to make RPG games on PC. Well, other than the ones from the West anyway.

The other reason why I shared this is because I just got done with completing Ys I & II Chronicles+, which I just reviewed over here. Recently beat both Nightmare Difficulties of both games, so yeah I'm not usually a completion but those games were really something.

If you want to check out the Glorious type of soundtracks that Falcom is known for, check out these links below.

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLzFTGYa_evXgKXcihPWwK74Q2El_B29AS
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLzFTGYa_evXinWUTmgjOfZQMx9bOzW4d8
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLzFTGYa_evXiVCPkodEtYCCoiPuV3LUqj

 

[Mike Arcade]

So does anyone have some RPG experiences they want to share?

@TheRedStranger Got any Skyrim stories to tell?

@Wulfsbane How has it been playing the Persona games?

@Sorzo Got any Balder's Gate stories?

[TheRedStranger]

On 8/28/2021 at 2:33 PM, Mike Arcade said:

Got any Skyrim stories to tell?

Eh, sadly nothing unique. That is the flaw of video games over tabletop, you can never truly get a unique experience. It's all a railroad in the end, even if it has a marshaling yard of dialogue options. Mass Effect proved that stunningly. I love many games, like Resident Evil for example, and Sonic Adventure, and Metal Gear, yet Mass Effect and Skyrim, though having rich lore, just can't really inspire me to blab for hours...its all cookie cutter, no matter how you slice it. So its a waste of time to tale a tale you can look up on a million live streams and you tube videos. Want a Skyrim story? Go watch @Nagol's hardwork. Least he puts time in reacting cleverly to it.

The only real games you can make a story out of are ironically simulation games, not roleplay. Sims for example, due to its non-linearity and emergent goal making, allows one to make a truly unique and individual story per player. Minecraft can do this too. But even then it is limited by the complexity of the randomly-generative programing and content. That is why modding communities are so huge for games like this. They widen the possibility space for unique experiences. 

But, for all that time, and mods, and progamming, and paying to get a 3K computer to play it all...you could have actually done all of that and more for less than 20$ over Discord, or at your house, with a couple of friends, some dice (or random number generator), and a few D&D or Fate Core PDF's. Even better, you have a unique experience you will share forever.

Summation: This is why your life-wasting grind-slog JRPG's suck. XP

[Mike Arcade]

10 hours ago, TheRedStranger said:

Summation: This is why your life-wasting grind-slog JRPG's suck. XP

To be fair, I don't play a lot of them. I like some series overall, although Dragon Quest III and IV were an experience.

Perhaps the name of the video game genre, RPG,  is misleading? I mean they can be an experience in regards to either gameplay, strategy, story, or all of the above can be a highlight. Like Final Fantasy VII, Dragon Quest IV and V, or the Persona games.

Not to mention Mass Effect, as blurry as that line is. Heck, I'd argue that Legend of Zelda is an Action RPG.

But don't mistake me as some weeb drooling over some sort of "waifu" that doesn't know what being sociable is like in real life. Nothing beats out on Tabletop with Friends. Be it as Characters you create and play as, or even yourself.

I find it a majorly missed opportunity that these famous series don't license themselves out for Tabletop games. I wanna eat an octorock dang it. XP

[MoKat]

13 hours ago, TheRedStranger said:

That is the flaw of video games over tabletop, you can never truly get a unique experience. It's all a railroad in the end, even if it has a marshaling yard of dialogue options. Mass Effect proved that stunningly.

I'm inclined to agree with you there, Red. The ability to create your own modules was what made Neverwinter Nights good - it certainly wasn't the base game's storyline, which railroaded the player so much it's rife for mockery.

[TheRedStranger]

17 minutes ago, MoKat said:

I'm inclined to agree with you there, Red. The ability to create your own modules was what made Neverwinter Nights good - it certainly wasn't the base game's storyline, which railroaded the player so much it's rife for mockery.

It think Video Games are an excellent art form that will be with us forever, much like non-interactive cinema was never truly outmoded by video games. However, I think the way video games are now, are about to radically change. There new things that breech the boundaries of that genre of media, such as alternative reality games, virtual reality sandboxes, and the software used in online tabletop. Soon, I think the ability to utilize gaming engines and other software as a dynamic resource will grow to where gaming will be much more emergent and less scripted. It's what people seemingly want with Massive-Online games, but instead they get grinding repeats of fixed mechanics and quest lines. Imagine it this way, having the power of the Fox Engine, or RE Engine at your finger tips as a Game Master, and having all your players play with you via VR? Imagine arcades coming back from the dead as indoor amusement parks where digital assets and blended in real sets? I think the way we view video-based games will not just expand as technology advances, but synthesize and evolve into whole new forms of media.

Right now though, Indie games and large mod communities let us feel this same feeling these other future media forms could provide. Rom hacks are important for us in the Sonic community to enjoy a more emergent Sonic experience. And yes, mods for NeverWinter make the base game fresh. Same with Skyrim, and the fact Bethesda has embraced that (and VR) says a lot to the future of video-based gaming.

I don't think we will be dealing with the scifi drama of the holodeck, but...this may be in our futures.

 

[Mike Arcade]

I am all for a more emergence regarding games. Granted, at first I was taken aback by VR at first, but there's a lot of funny VR stuff out there.

Imagine Skyrim, except you could hold a conversation with someone. Adaptive AI and Programming upon the base game, to the point you could create new endings even!

Why stop there? Have that same Adaptive Programming and such, import an old ROM/Game, suddenly you are going on a First Person Final Fantasy!

Then all you need to do is make it dream-like, as in feel like your mind was playing for as long as you usually would, but when the game is off its only been less than an hour or so!

Granted, this is kinda off topic, sorta, but it raises so many questions and possibilities.

On that note, it's amazing just how far Western RPG games have advanced gaming over the years. I mean Wizardry and Ultima are the inspirations for JRPGs like Dragon Quest and Final Fantasy after all.

I really do need to play those older WRPGs, however unlike JRPGs which get multiple, usually easier ports and remakes, it's not like that for those titles such as Might & Magic. But I've heard they can be really fun in their own way.

@MoKat Perhaps you could say they were Dark Souls before Dark Souls. XP

[MoKat]

1 hour ago, Mike Arcade said:

@MoKat Perhaps you could say they were Dark Souls before Dark Souls. XP

Given that the early Might & Magic games were turn-based & not really -action- RPGs, I wouldn't say that. M&M also lacks the risk/reward dynamic of the Souls games. Also, I don't ever recall accidentally falling off a cliff in a Might & Magic game

{Edit: Or were you referring to the punishing difficulty? Wizardry was notorius for that; M&M not so much }

All fun games tho'

BTW, I still have the "Millenium Edition" set which collected M&M 4-7.

{Edit: also, I loved some of the Dragon Quest games ^.^ Was very disappointed when they discontinued Dragon Quest: to the Stars (mobile game) earlier this year

 

[Mike Arcade]

13 hours ago, MoKat said:

{Edit: Or were you referring to the punishing difficulty? Wizardry was notorius for that; M&M not so much }

Punishing difficulty in Early WRPGs in general. XP

Although that's interesting to hear that wasn't always the case.