Forums > Game Forums > S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl > RPG?
Patrick Bregger (301035) on 8/22/2013 5:07 PM · Permalink · Report
OK, the question mark is misleading; I only chose it because of the other topic of the same name. Stalker is no RPG. It has a few RPG elements, an inventory and a basic quest system, but that does not make an RPG. Character development does and unless my memory is very bad, this game has none. It is about as much RPG as Zelda; and we certainly discussed that one in detail.
I assume that did not change for the successors?
Unicorn Lynx (181775) on 8/22/2013 5:24 PM · Permalink · Report
The line between an RPG and a non-RPG is sometimes a damn fine one. I think Stalker is a borderline case, certainly it's not an RPG in the conventional sense of the word, but its quest-based, decision-based gameplay is much closer to true role-playing than a lot of games we mark as such only because a character levels up.
The more games I play, the more I realize how vague genre distinctions are.
Indra was here (20755) on 8/22/2013 5:27 PM · Permalink · Report
[Q --start YID YANG wrote--]The more games I play, the more I realize how vague genre distinctions are. [/Q --end YID YANG wrote--]...and people wonder why I whine constantly... -_-
Patrick Bregger (301035) on 8/22/2013 7:05 PM · Permalink · Report
I don't think Stalker is borderline. It has RPG elements, but the lack of character development is a clear disqualifier. Sure, we sometimes hand out the RPG genre too lightly to any game with experience points. Why is Far Cry 3 marked as RPG while NOLF2 is not?
We really need a distinction between main and secondary genre. Almost every shooter nowadays has RPG elements. I want to document this, but I don't want the RPG genre be abused. It also goes the other way around, I am not a fan of having action associated with every RPG with real-time combat.
In conclusion, our genre system is too inflexible.
Patrick Bregger (301035) on 8/22/2013 7:19 PM · Permalink · Report
Thank you. But please remove if from Blood Dragon, too, please. It has even less RPG elements.
Unicorn Lynx (181775) on 8/23/2013 2:16 AM · Permalink · Report
Whoa, whoa! Why removed from Far Cry 3? It has user-defined character growth! That's more RPG than most Japanese games!
Blood Dragon has no manual distribution of experience, but it does have experience and levels. I don't see how they both fail to qualify as RPGs.
Sciere (930490) on 8/23/2013 9:50 AM · edited · Permalink · Report
It has a minimal amount of customization, something many action games share, but that would need to be defined through the secondary RPG-genre (RPG-like elements) not the primary one. They do not influence the character development in any way, just the tools available. In Far Cry 3 skill progression is like choosing which one of the four tires to put on a car first.
Unicorn Lynx (181775) on 8/23/2013 12:53 PM · Permalink · Report
I see your point, and yet it is strange that Far Cry 3 gets no RPG when a game like Borderlands does.
Indra was here (20755) on 8/23/2013 1:20 PM · Permalink · Report
I'll try this Fry Cry game and see what the fuss is about. Borderlands is its defense is a strange hybrid. An FPS version of Diablo. I'd be inclined to identify it as a Diablo variant, if its primary genre wasn't an FPS.
Indra was here (20755) on 8/23/2013 1:32 PM · Permalink · Report
Blimey, 32 screenshots for Far Cry and nothing remotely RPG-ish.
Unicorn Lynx (181775) on 8/23/2013 1:44 PM · Permalink · Report
Far Cry 3, not Far Cry. There is at least one screenshots where you choose skills to upgrade.
Indra was here (20755) on 8/23/2013 1:57 PM · edited · Permalink · Report
Strange. Why is there an Endonesian word in the screenshot? Trials of the People (Rakyat).
Patrick Bregger (301035) on 8/23/2013 2:17 PM · Permalink · Report
http://far-cry.ubi.com/fc-portal/en-US/community/detail_news.aspx?c=tcm:19-74054&ct=tcm:6-231-32
Indra was here (20755) on 8/22/2013 7:43 PM · Permalink · Report
[Q --start Patrick Bregger wrote--]We really need a distinction between main and secondary genre. [/Q --end Patrick Bregger wrote--]Proposed this five years ago. Way ahead of you. :p
Unicorn Lynx (181775) on 8/22/2013 5:31 PM · Permalink · Report
All other Stalker games still have RPG... it should be removed too, for consistency.
Indra was here (20755) on 8/22/2013 5:43 PM · Permalink · Report
Adding corrections. Also requesting real-time. Sometimes I wonder if I'm doing this right.
Indra was here (20755) on 8/22/2013 6:03 PM · Permalink · Report
Just real-time as opposed to not being a turn-based game. Though personally, I've never played a turn-based FPS before. One never really knows.
Indra was here (20755) on 8/22/2013 6:16 PM · Permalink · Report
[Q --start Sciere wrote--]I can't even think of a hypothetical action game concept that would use turn-based gameplay ... consider real-time implied in the main action genre. [/Q --end Sciere wrote--]Point taken. My original argument by that premise is then faulty. It would make sense to argue real-time as a time frame category, to differentiate it from semi-real time games. Though since we don't a semi-real time category, that argument doesn't work either.
So my last remaining argument, is just to say it's real time for completions sake. :p
Unicorn Lynx (181775) on 8/23/2013 2:12 AM · edited · Permalink · Report
You should withdraw those corrections - first, Sciere seems to already have removed RPG, and second, requesting real-time for an action game is wrong.
Indra was here (20755) on 8/23/2013 2:32 AM · Permalink · Report
Yeah, my bad. Additionally, I wonder why all these collector editions have an add-on tag on them?
Unicorn Lynx (181775) on 8/23/2013 2:39 AM · Permalink · Report
They shouldn't, really...
Patrick Bregger (301035) on 8/23/2013 3:44 AM · edited · Permalink · Report
I think I heard there is is some Russian version of Clear Sky and/or Call of Pripyat which is indeed an add-on (i.e. requires Shadows of Chernobyl).
Indra was here (20755) on 8/23/2013 4:09 AM · Permalink · Report
Perhaps, but such instances should be mentioned in the description. So far, has not been mentioned in any of the collector editions of stalker here.
Indra was here (20755) on 8/22/2013 5:24 PM · edited · Permalink · Report
I requested the correction for the RPG genre to be removed, due to one vital attribute it lacks: character development. No stats, no RPG.
At least I think that was the reason. Can't remember squat these days.
Indra was here (20755) on 8/22/2013 5:52 PM · Permalink · Report
Poor guy has been waiting to be added as a credit source since 2007.