Most important part of an RPG

[The Ninth Circle]

I'd prefer there be no forced combat at all. I never understood the need for combat to be such a focus.

It shouldn't be forced, but it should be good since it's the most common option.

I think that's a flaw in designers' logic more than anything. Combat is a focus due to tradition more than anything else.

 

[Darth Roxor]

Let's remove the shooting from FPSes, it seems like a stupid tradition and nothing more.

 

[Jaime Lannister]

And because the majority of players take the combat route?

Take Arcanum. One of it's major problems was that there was a large amount of forced combat and combat wasn't fun. Sure, you can add alternative routes to combat, but that doesn't change the fact that many players will take the combat route anyway and be turned off by the shitty combat. I don't mind forced combat if the combat is fun.

 

[Jasede]

I can't believe something like "story & dialogue" is winning. In old RPGs I grew up with those were nothing but excuses in your grind through the dungeon.

I honestly believe that if you care the most about story and dialogue, why not play adventurers? They are focused on that. No need to shift the focus of RPG to something that was traditionally never that important for the genre. I don't like it when genres mesh together; PS:T being a good exception, that's a JRPG/Adventure/RPG to me.

Let's remove the shooting from FPSes, it seems like a stupid tradition and nothing more.

Sheek also makes a good point. They are all part of what an RPG is, and when you take parts of that away you shift from the genre to a different genre.

 

[mondblut]

Combat, character development and world exploration are all mandatory and equally necessary. Any of these missing -> not RPG.

The other three are largely irrelevant on their own, but at least one of them should be present for an RPG to be decent.

Since I had to pick one, I voted combat, just to make storyfags cry

 

[Xaus]

Not sure if you can really keep Choice & Consequence separate from Story & Dialogue. What's the point of making choices with real consequences down the road if the story/dialogue was written by a 2nd grader?

 

[sheek]

Forget the poll, it's worthless.

 

[Jim Cojones]

I love the feeling I get when I play an cRPG for the first time, start creating character and seeing how much possibilities there are, planning what kind of character I'd like to play and waiting for a chance to use chosen abilities in a game. And then I love the feel of achievement provided by levelling up and the fact that something ridiculously difficult before started to be easy from now.

Combat and C&C go right after.

Character optimization on it's own isn't an RPG, it's spreadsheet masturbation

And it's better than any porn! *eagerly awaiting for other Codexians making laugh of me*

 

[Jim Cojones]

Forget the poll, it's worthless.

Polls on the forums are almost always worthless. Is this one any worse than most?

 

[Turok]

Story.

Without a good story and dialog the game sux.

 

[sheek]

Forget the poll, it's worthless.

Polls on the forums are almost always worthless. Is this one any worse than most?

No, and you're right. If it's a starting point for discussion that's good.

 

[Luzur]

Dibella temples. lots of them

 

[Spec]

Forget the poll, it's worthless.

Any poll without a sh17 bon3rz option has skewed results. People who think the poll doesn't include thier answer or have no opinion need an easy place to click or they'll click randomly or halfheartedly.

 

[Relayer71]

It's all necessary.
But I voted C & C since that's what's always lacking.

 

[Joe Krow]

Any game where the player's options are dictated by his character's stats.

I guess character development would be my choice but that assumes you get to see the developed character in action which would lead to just about every other option on the list.

Anything but choice and consequence, in the sense it's used here, which is not an rpg element and so cannot be the most important aspect of an rpg.

 

[Lemunde]

I'd prefer there be no forced combat at all. I never understood the need for combat to be such a focus.

It shouldn't be forced, but it should be good since it's the most common option.

I think that's a flaw in designers' logic more than anything. Combat is a focus due to tradition more than anything else.

Yeah, negotiating with the raging goblin and zombie hordes should definitely be an option. "I tell you what. You let us go on our merry way and you can have halfling Tomblebumble's brain." Great, I just made it sound interesting and totally blew my point.

 

[Jaime Lannister]

Combat, character development and world exploration are all mandatory and equally necessary. Any of these missing -> not RPG.

World exploration? Sounds like LARPing to me.

 

[1eyedking]

They are all very important, goddamit!

 

[Melcar]

Combat, followed by lore and exploration. Story and all that crap are nice to have, but I don't really care for it (a little story doesn't hurt either). I much rather spend my time building up my character and experimenting with different builds, seeing what can survive different situations; mind you that I also consider the ability to avoid fights a part of this (mental combat if you like). I also like to read little bits of lore to learn more about the world and characters of the game, as well to explore the land and dungeons to earn fat loot.
C&C would be a nice third "must have". I don't mind "fake choices", but having good C&C once in a while is always a good thing.

 

[Erzherzog]

Combat a million times over. I play these games for fun, not to have them reach the status of "art"

At any rate games are better suited towards stimulating my mind through problem solving through combat than they are through story and dialogue and all that shit.

 

[Satori (original)]

Atmosphere a million times over. I play these games for an experience, not to have them reach the status of "klik da buttuns in a sertan ordur to win"

At any rate games are better suited towards stimulating my mind through evoking an an aura that is particular to that game alone with bonus points for maintaining that even through replays.

 

[Erzherzog]

Do you work on coming off as the biggest retard ever or is it simply talent?

 

[Satori (original)]

Y u say dees fings?

 

[Erzherzog]

Well god fucking damn.

 

[The Ninth Circle]

I'd prefer there be no forced combat at all. I never understood the need for combat to be such a focus.

It shouldn't be forced, but it should be good since it's the most common option.

I think that's a flaw in designers' logic more than anything. Combat is a focus due to tradition more than anything else.

Yeah, negotiating with the raging goblin and zombie hordes should definitely be an option. "I tell you what. You let us go on our merry way and you can have halfling Tomblebumble's brain." Great, I just made it sound interesting and totally blew my point.

Those same goblins and zombies are placed in the world for nothing other than cannon-fodder anyway, so it kind of negates your point. In a game where combat wouldn't be the focus, I doubt any self respecting designer would place a bunch of meaningless monsters throughout the world.