Why do you play RPG's? No, really, why?

[King Crispy]

About the only thing we here at Codex can agree upon is that RPG's do exist, even if we'll never actually be able to define what they are.
But there's some reason why most of us can't or won't ever give them up.

What is it about them that keeps drawing you back to them like a retarded lemming year after year?

You can make as many selections as you like.

Edit: The final two choices in the poll were added later, but apparently XenForo lacks the ability to move those up into the previous sequence, so they do look a little awkward coming after the (kc) option, which is traditionally last. We apologize for any inconvenience caused or autistic fits triggered.

 

[Bruma Hobo]

You forgot the risk & reward kind of gameplay which tends to be the main appeal of games like Wizardry. It's not just combatfaggotry since it includes traps and level design, and can work equally well with simplistic combat (Telengard, Ultima 3, Dragon Quest, etc.).

 

[King Crispy]

You forgot the risk & reward kind of gameplay

How exactly would you word such a poll choice?

 

[Bruma Hobo]

You forgot the risk & reward kind of gameplay

How exactly would you word such a poll choice?

Role-playing.

Just kidding, no idea.

 

[Nutria]

What about progression? Isn't that a big part of what separates RPGs from other genres? I'm often a lot more interested in how I'm leveling up my characters than actually fighting out battles.

 

[King Crispy]

Ah, character building and progression. How silly of me. Adding.

Edit: Added. Feel free to change your vote(s) if you wanted to include that choice.

Thank you, Nutria.

 

[J_C]

None of the above. I'm not more passionate about RPGs than any other genres. A good FPS or strategy games brings me the same joy as a good RPG.

 

[Zombra]

Abstaining from vote.

My creativity matters in RPGs in a way no other genre can handle. I can make my own customized game pieces and run them through the story's challenges and have my character choices impact everything. What will it be like to play through Wasteland 3 with a bureaucrat, a metallurgist, a cryptographer, and a knife thrower in my party?

 

[an Administrator]

I can't resist cute 2D girls

 

[King Crispy]

ffs I forgot C&C. Making another edit.

Thanks, Zombra.

 

[taxalot]

I get to steal whatever I want.

 

[Bruma Hobo]

The ability to make my own customized game pieces and run them through the story's challenges and have my character choices impact everything. What will it be like to play through Wasteland 3 with a bureaucrat, a metallurgist, a cryptographer, and a knife thrower in my party? My creativity matters in RPGs in a way no other genre can handle.

This, with risk & reward and exploration, is what I like about RPGs. Sadly, I can't vote for any of them.

 

[King Crispy]

The poll choices will all be cleaned up as soon as one of the lazy admins reads my PM.

Apologies for the temporary imperfection.

 

[Excidium II]

habit.

 

[King Crispy]

Sadly, I can't vote for any of them.

Suggest a poll choice wording describing this within a limited number of characters and I could add it.

 

[Bruma Hobo]

That's your job.

 

[Scroo]

Exploring, fighting, leveling

 

[Zed Duke of Banville]

Exploration is paramount in RPGs, even above combat (though combat is also crucial, to be sure), and character building/progression is tertiary. These are the three fundamental aspects of RPGs.

 

[an Administrator]

The poll choices will all be cleaned up as soon as one of the lazy admins reads my PM.

You didn't send me any PM even though i am an Administrator.

 

[King Crispy]

It seems to me that the "creativity" part is covered under character progression and the exploration is inherently covered under escapism and/or immersion. Not sure if another poll choice is justified. Besides, exploration is not something that is by any means restricted to RPG's.

 

[undecaf]

I tend to play cRPG's for the "comprehensive" or "all-encompassing" (and PnP-like) experience only they tend to provide when they are done right. This, in basics, consists of organic simulation and progression of a created (or assigned) character through a comprehensive set of rules -> wealth of gameplay, interaction and character expression opportunities; combat and otherwise -> reactivity to character and style of play accordingly, and interactive storytelling.

 

[Maxie]

I seek validation from playing games far too complicated for their own good but not complicated enough to constitute an actual intellectual challenge
gets my mind off the booze

 

[Zombra]

"It's all about character building and progression for me. Unlimited power!"
is different from
"I'm a co-author! My creative character choices matter to the story."
I'd vote for that second one but the first one is wrong because I don't care about power. Optimizing number stacks is the last thing I want to worry about. In fact I usually make suboptimal characters on purpose because it's always more interesting. If my characters don't have weaknesses I might as well be playing an action game. Mario has an optimal build for the game he's in.

 

[Tigranes]

We think we can break anything down into enough discrete choices, put them into excel and figure it out, but that's not how it works. If it was just the combat, I'd play games with better combat... or just re-run JA2 & TOEE, or something. It's usually about the combination, and often, highly lauded or criticised features in X RPG succeeds or fails as a result of how it combines with other features (or lack of them) as well.

Also every RPG good or bad is a lifelong training exercise for the coming of Grimoire

 

[octavius]

Some games I like for their mapping challenges, especially blobbers like Bard's Tale and Chaos Strikes Back.
Some games I like for their tactical combat, like Gold Box and IE games, Nahlakh, Disciples of Steel.
Some games I like for exploration and "immersion", like Ultima Underworld.
Some games I like for the "logistics", like Magic Candle.
Originally I guess I started playing CRPGs as a form of escapism, and I remember it pretty much coincided with liking Lord of the Rings and "fantasy music" like Yes and some other prog groups, and generally discovering that I was a nerd.

I don't play games "for the story", and a pox on all the gamers that never read a book but play games "for the story".