RPG Games

"You're not truly a man (or woman) until you are at level 80." (WoW veteran)

Introduction to RPG Games

Role playing games (RPG) are a genre of games in which players assume the roles of characters, or take control of one or more avatars, in a fictional setting. RPG Games are the most fun and immersive games out there because they allow players to "immerse" into a character of their choice, and dictate its actions during the course of a game, following a set of rules and guidelines.

RPG games for PC are quite distinct from the traditional "pen and paper" RPG that originated in the 70s. The term "RPG" covers a broad range of game types, some of which are not strictly speaking games in which one actively plays a character.

In fact, many games categorized as RPG games can be played either as action type games or as strategy type. To achieve the truest role play you need to get online and play in a persistent world where the role play aspect is enforced – worlds often referred to as MMORPG or massive multiplayer online RPG games.

RPG games can be played on your PC, both online and against or with the computer offline. Some classic RPG games for PC are Baldurs Gate, Final Fantasy and Neverwinter Nights. Today there are massive persistent online worlds such as "World of Warcraft" or "Lord of the Rings Online". More recent RPG games such as "Second Life" also facilitate the immersion in a virtual world in the form of an avatar where players can choose to act as completely different personalities than they are in real life.

The Evolution of RPG Games

Many RPG now exist thanks to the dice games played around a table with friends back in the 70s, most famously of them being the fantasy game "Dungeons and Dragons", released in 1974. D&D was created by Ernest Gygax and Dave Arneson, frustrated by the limitations of traditional war-games, which allowed little in the way of player's creativity.

Many other companies produced RPG games throughout the 80s, but the other most significant game mechanics was released by Steve Jackson as GURPS (Generic Universal Role playing System). Whilst creative play, acting for stage, drama and children playing imaginary roles has been around for centuries, the modern urge to develop these games into a more structured set of rules can arguably be attributed to a fusion between war-games and the fantasy narrative.

In "Dungeon and Dragons" there is a free narrative development within the game, with mythical exploration and the development of an imaginary persona with skills and abilities. That RPG game was not about winning, it was about having fun and enjoying a quality time with your friends. D&D is a really hard game for us nowadays players, because it has all this rules and you have to note everything down... Thank God for modern RPG games!

Nowadays, computer versions of RPG games vary from the old "table top paper and dice play" (PnP) in the extent of acting against or with computers characters (NPC) that participate in combat and the development of events (narrative). This is in reference to purchased RPG games that are typically played against the computer and involves "dungeon crawling" (to get a better idea of the term we recommend playing Diablo 2), interacting with NPCs who deliver scripted events, allowing the player to participate in a "pick-a-path" type quest or "adventure". On the other hand, there are massive persistent online world where thousands of players get together to role play ("World of Warcraft" for instance).

How does Role Playing Work?

Basically, one or more ~~Dungeon Masters~~ Game Designers created a set of rules and guidelines players have to follow. You are encouraged to make a character by those rules. RPG games allow your character to have unique personality, attributes and skills, according to your personal preferences. You can choose your avatar's race, class or profession, face, and then assign skill points.

After you're done with the creation of your character, you enter the imaginary world with nothing more than a mouse and a keyboard. At first, you are alone in the tavern of a remote village, which is caught up in a war against the forces of evil - which usually happens. In RPG games, the goal is to "grow" and develop your character's reputation, skills and relationships with other in-game characters. This will bring you wealth, equipment, clothes and special abilities, all which will enhance your avatar's abilities.

In persistent online worlds (see WoW), much of the time is spent optimizing your character so that he is way cooler and more powerful than those of the other players. You achieve this by gaining experience ("leveling up") through killing monsters ("grinding") and making tedious quests.

To experience the true "role playing" we recommend you Fallout 2, developed by Black Isle and published by Interplay in 1998. The game has a post-apocalyptic setting in the 22nd century, though its story and artwork are heavily influenced by the post-World War II nuclear paranoia of the 50s.

Thank you for taking the time to read about RPG games. Hope you find the information useful.