A question about the "RPG" Genre.

[Jin]

I suppose I sort of jumped the gun and tried to define "role-playing game" without defining what "role-playing" is... which could vary in meaning from person to person.

Actually, it would be better for both of us if I make it clear that I am not attempting to define "role playing" nor am I attempting define "role playing game". I am using the term after the fact, after it has already been defined as meaning table top role playing games (which happened before video role playing games, obviously). All I am arguing when I say that video role playing games are not "true role playing games" is that they are dubbed RPGs not for the same reasons that table top games are, but rather because they were based on the statistical system of character progression that already existed in table top games already termed RPGs.

I think we may have been debating two separate points.

[SOLDIER #819]

... What were we debating again? Our topics of debate must be so close that it seems like we're on the same page, but far enough away to render it all pointless.

I was trying to say that role-playing is possible in either, and that some computer RPGs are not so sorely lacking in the elements that tabletop RPGs have that role-playing is impossible. Therefore, some computer RPGs are potentially of the classical RPG genre.

... Oh well!