wait, are you saying Final Fantasy 16 isn’t a true role playing game?
Are you saying it is?
How do you role play in Final Fantasy 16 or any Final Fantasy game?
Which is why I'm asking for your definition of "role playing" only and not a medley of very specific game mechanics. Horizon Forbidden West would be an RPG based on your criteria for example but that would anger some people if you said HFW is an RPG 2hile suggesting FF16 is not.
I didn't list a single mechanic as being core to rpgs. I listed them as tools to effect roleplaying which, to me, IS THE INTERPLAY OF CHOICE AND CONSEQUENCE EFFECTED THROUGH NARRATIVE, PERSONALITY AND COMBAT.
Too vague? How about this:
RPG - Can I make a meaningful Narrative choice? Yes. How? The tools are plot-specific dialogue options, world events, Killing or sparing npcs, etc.
What is the consequence of that choice? The narrative changes and the progression and nature of plot events changes based on my choice, the world might have different end states based on my choices. I can discuss the merits and demerits of my choices and their consequences with a friend who made other choices and received other consequences.
RPG - Can I make a meaningful Personality choice? Yes. How? The tools are character background customization, backgrounds, charisma skills, experience points to show differences in capability, general dialogue options, non-combat clothing, relationship preference, etc. What is the consequence? I am able to interact with certain characters differently based on my personality or I can access certain areas based solely on expressing a cunning or charming personality.
RPG - Can I make a meaningful Combat choice? Yes. How? The tools are classes and/or class-based weapon restrictions, builds, class-specific skills, proficiency progression through experience points.
What is the consequence of that choice? Being forced to play a certain way that another player wouldn't, prioritizing different things in combat to bring out the most of your character. It is not playing as an everyman who is simultaneously great at ranged, melee, magic, summons, and so on, while also having a particular fixed, canon weapon preference outside of gameplay.
Still too vague? How about this:
Typical scenario: "Oh, this new rpg is out. Fantasy, huh. Okay, I'll be playing as my cursed scholar character this time. I'll only make choices that reflect a personality that hates magic use in general, combat will be strictly with non-magic weapons and abilities and his narrative choices will be those of a person who detests the proliferation of magic and lead to a minimizing or complete removal of magic use in the world. "
Typical scenario 2: "Oh, space sci-fi rpg this time, huh. Okay, time to pull out my frail technomancer build and see how well it carries over. Oh, this game doesn't let you decide your background, shame, well I guess he'll just be the chosen stranger but all his decisions will be based on him being an outsider and not caring much about the lives of people outside his own group. I wonder what ending I'll pick since I heard you have to decide between multiple end states"
Still too vague? How about:
RPG - Game over. Now I get to roleplay as this other character and see what different cutscenes and story beats I get as a result.
Which is what led me to my other question of why you're going after FF16 in particular as not being an RPG. What's changed between it and old FFs which were considered RPGs.
I'm not going after FF16. It is just the latest game people are trying to point out some imaginary roleplaying in. People considered them jrpgs first and foremost and not as games that allowed roleplaying (outside of I, and II maybe). They are all jrpgs first and foremost because there is very little roleplaying to be had in most of them. And even that is severely limited.
I'm confused, JRPG stands for Japanese role playing game so of course "roleplaying" comes to mind
Oh, come on. It's not what it stands for, but what it's supposed to literally means. And that literal meaning is being muddied because of games like FF16 and the others I mentioned being considered roleplaying games. Ask anyone if they ever look forward to roleplaying in jrpgs and they'll give you a confused look. Are GTA games considered fps or a racing games because it has first-person shooting and racing elements?
which is a medley of very specific game mechanics?
Again. Those very specific mechanics are tools to enable roleplaying, not markers for roleplaying in and of themselves.
As does Detriot Become Human but that's not even considered an RPG at all. It's an adventure game.
Yes, it's considered a *narrative* adventure game. And it does contain choice and consequence through *narrative* roleplaying, but absolutely nothing else. No-one comes to Detroit or The walking Dead to play specific characters, they come to effect narrative roleplaying through the lens of fixed characters. Notice how all of these games have very strong personalities presented to you in key moments to suggest what is and is not a likely choice based on their fixed personality.
Man, I know you're leading to the point that the act of 'playing a role' in inherent in controlling a character in any video game. Except in roleplaying games you get to decide who the character is and how they interact with the world, while in non-roleplaying games you get to have fun within the limits of the character you are forced to play as. It's why most rpgs leave you with little personality beyond a title like 'Chosen one', 'Nameless wanderer', 'Hero of x', so on.