What do you look for in an RPG?

[xS]

Well what exactly is your motivation for playing RPG's? Story? Characters? Non Linearity? I'm curious about what you guys think are the essential elements to games in the genre.

As for me, I have no fixed answer. I enjoy Xenogears for it's story, Suikoden for it's characters, Panzer Saga for it's battle system, etc, etc.

[Jeremy]

The first thing I look for is characters that I can get into for some reason or another. After that, the story.

[Yoshi]

Unfortunately, there is no clear-cut reason I either enjoy or don't enjoy an RPG. The result has been that I have started many RPGs, only to put them down for good part-way through. If I had to pick one thing that helps me enjoy an RPG though, it is usually the battle system. It just isn't 100% effective.

[NeoZeedeater]

Your Xenogears-Suikoden-Panzer sentence sums it up for me for those aspects.

What I would really like to see is some PC RPG influence in Japanese RPGs. The freedom and character development of something like Morrowind combined with Japanese visuals and weirdness would make for the ultimate RPG.

[Frogacuda]

1. Gotta have combat I actually enjoy delivered at a pace at which I can continue to enjoy it. This can be done many ways, but generally speaking battles should be deep, challenging, but over fairly quickly.

2. Gotta have quality level design. The same old find the swithc thatopens the door shit's not gonna cut it. I want puzzles. Good ones. And some variety from dungeon to dungeon.

3. Should have characters I can relate to and enjoy, preferably with relationships that develope throughout the course of the game.

Story doesn't really matter that much to me. Out of context almost no RPG really has a good story by book standards or anything.

Originally posted by NeoZeedeater
What I would really like to see is some PC RPG influence in Japanese RPGs. The freedom and character development of something like Morrowind combined with Japanese visuals and weirdness would make for the ultimate RPG.

The freedom is exactly what I hate about PC RPGs, feels like a repetitive buttload of nothing. I prefer deliberate and well-thought out level design. Maybe doesn't last as long, but alot more fun.

Of course most RPGs have shit level design anyway, but...

[NeoZeedeater]

Some PC games manage to pull off freedom of choice and focused level design, like Deus Ex and System Shock. They have the perfect balance. Then again, those are more action than RPG.

[Frogacuda]

Originally posted by NeoZeedeater
Then again, those are more action than RPG.

Totally different kind of level design too. What I said was more of a stab at Elder Scrolls and Diablo than anything else.

[Mr_Furious]

The #1 thing I look at w/ RPGs is artistic style. I look for uniquely artistic realised world that I can get absorbed into.

[Shakey]

I love games with quirky battle systmes, but I don't like it when they stray too far from tried formats. I love sidequests too... good sidequests are really important.

[Roufuss]

Anything like the Baldur's Gate series, where it's deep, tons of hours, and always fun.

Also Morrowind is good, just because I can do ANYTHING I want, when I feel like it.