JRPGs vs. RPGs. Japan speaks!

[jenova_9]

Japan's 2ch. Replies To RPG Complaints - Japan - Kotaku

It's very deep how Japan community feels about western games! normally that site isn't translated.

[Jei]

Re: JRPGs vs. RPGs. Japan speaks!

Not too different from Thai's opinion :D

[cidbahamut]

Re: JRPGs vs. RPGs. Japan speaks!

"I call 'cultural differences'!"

I think that's all that needs to be said really. Everything else is just splitting hairs and arguing semantics.

[BurningPanther]

Re: JRPGs vs. RPGs. Japan speaks!

The "cultural differences" line was probably the wisest one in the bunch.

"Japanese RPGs are created for the express purpose of letting one experience the blooming of their full powers from a total zero starting point. They're necessary for keeping public order in Japan."

But this one made me laugh. It's inappropriate, but something inside me said "that makes sense."

[Omgwtfbbqkitten]

Re: JRPGs vs. RPGs. Japan speaks!

The big irony here has that much like our Western RPGs fanboys over here credit the west too much for the genre is that Japan credits the West too little for the genre they've come to enjoy. Final Fantasy would have had nothing to be based upon without D'n'D and Wizardry as a starting point.

RPGs are of western origin, but JRPGs have become more prolific over the years. Western RPGs, for all the "innovations" the western RPG neophyte claims, has been doing what they do for well over 30 years, starting right from the pen-and-paper experience to present. Western RPGs, however, are a much more rare occurence.

And its funny one of the JP guys mentions Megami Tensei never coming to the west. Its developed a respectable cult following since 2004 in the US. True, they've never brought over or remade the Megami Tensei and Megami Tensei II games, but they have brought use Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne and each spin-off that followed. Persona is a spin off of main series SMT and the only game to pre-date Nocturne in a US release back in 1996.

And over the years many of the directors and designers of the series have professed that thier inspiration comes from classic western PC RPGs, like Dungeon Master. The Director of Strange Journey said pretty much the first thing he was going to do after finishing that game was go back to playing Fallout 3 and Left 4 Dead 2.

So I think even JRPG designers and thier fans are of totally different mindshares. Much like the western fanboys over here, JRPG fanboys don't have much knowledge of RPG history. Western RPG fans ARE more annoying though, because they think the shit they're doing in Dragon Age or Elder Scrolls is some kind of new concept when in reality they were just introduced to it after getting high on Grand Theft Auto. WRPGs were open-ended well before GTA ever was.

I will also admit that much of western RPG character is gaudy, but no less so than JRPG character design is, but that's why I tend to like the concepts of Torchlight and Shin Megami Tensei more - they boarder on cartoonish, but also bear a more modern look to them. You know rather than skinny guys with too many buckles and zippers or armored warriors with shoulder pads that dwarf their heads.

[Neverslip]

Re: JRPGs vs. RPGs. Japan speaks!

(0,0) vs. (-,-)

We each merely see things differently =D

[Feba]

Re: JRPGs vs. RPGs. Japan speaks!

Personally, I just hope there are Japanese nerds who spend their time translating and then talking about comments on 4chan.

[Tsikuro]

Re: JRPGs vs. RPGs. Japan speaks!

I agree with some of 2ch's comments, and some of IGN's.
There is a ton of room for improvement in JRPGs, but the same goes for WRPGs.

[Malacite]

Re: JRPGs vs. RPGs. Japan speaks!

I will also admit that much of western RPG character is gaudy, but no less so than JRPG character design is, but that's why I tend to like the concepts of Torchlight and Shin Megami Tensei more - they boarder on cartoonish, but also bear a more modern look to them. You know rather than skinny guys with too many buckles and zippers or armored warriors with shoulder pads that dwarf their heads

Isn't Torchlight pretty much a bad Diablo clone?

WRPGs just don't grab my attention the way I'd like them to. I guess I just find them too open-ended.

For example, Fallout 3 is fairly big and there's a lot to do (any many ways you can do it) but the actual plot of the game is extremely short. This is why I tend to favor JRPGs, because while there are side quests, they are just that - freaking SIDE QUESTS. Games like Fallout & Morrow Wind put far more emphasis on the side quests and very little detail into the main plot. I would much rather see a WRPG that's still open ended, but instead of a million fucking side quests, allow for the main story itself to be done in a plethora of fashions.

Simply put, I got bored real fast just wandering aimlessly through the Capital Wasteland, nor did I find the dialogue all that interesting. KotR was a bit more tolerable, but then that game was made by Bioware who IMO are far better story tellers than Bethesda will ever be. On that note, if it wasn't for FF14 coming out I'd probably try out SWOTOR in 2011.

NWN was kinda bleh too. I know a lot of people enjoyed it but... somehow I've just always preferred to actually sit down and play D&D with friends. The gameplay mechanics in games like NWN and Baldur's gate just pissed me right off (to say nothing of the graphics... ugh)


It's not that I hate WRPGs, I just feel there's room for a lot of improvement. Ditto JRPGs. Less angsty coming-of-age stories please. Valkyria was a good breather from the usual JRPG fare. Crisis Core was awesome too, even if a bit cliche that game was just so well done, SE (and other JRPG developers) just need to rethink what they've been doing for so long. Love the heavy emphasis on plot, really getting sick of seeing the same God-damned stereotypical cast & predictable plot twists though. I kinda let it slide with Star Ocean 4, but only because it was fairly fun to play and well... @. @ freaking Meracle

[Omgwtfbbqkitten]

Re: JRPGs vs. RPGs. Japan speaks!

Isn't Torchlight pretty much a bad Diablo clone?

You don't deserve to be a Diabolo fan just for asking that. Had you bothered to look it up, you'd know a lot of the people that made Torchlight were a big part of Diabolo and Diabolo II. Torchlight is a very damn good game.

I've often said Blizzard is no longer Blizzard - the existence of Runic Games is why I say it. Those people left because they did not like working under the Activision version of Blizzard. Even most of the founders of Blizzard left. Blizzard is just a name now, like Atari.

[Takelli]

Re: JRPGs vs. RPGs. Japan speaks!

NWN was kinda bleh too. I know a lot of people enjoyed it but... somehow I've just always preferred to actually sit down and play D&D with friends. The gameplay mechanics in games like NWN and Baldur's gate just pissed me right off (to say nothing of the graphics... ugh)

I played NWN, I think it sucked as well, but don't bash Baldur's gate. That was a GREAT game, no matter what you say, just like the Champions games which owned as well.

[Malacite]

Re: JRPGs vs. RPGs. Japan speaks!

Up yours.

I haven't played the game, honestly wasn't that interested (particularly with Diablo III on the horizon) I was just asking on honest question because in all seriousness, that's exactly what it looks like.

It's free to play right? So I could give it a whirl if & when I feel like it, I just wanted to know if it really was what I've heard other people saying about (and what it looked like to me, Yahtzee's "review" aside >_>)

[cidbahamut]

Re: JRPGs vs. RPGs. Japan speaks!

I played NWN, I think it sucked as well, but don't bash Baldur's gate. That was a GREAT game, no matter what you say, just like the Champions games which owned as well.

Likewise, NWN was nothing to write home about but Baldur's Gate can still kick the ass of most games on the market.
How can you complain about the game mechanics when they're pulled straight out of D&D, yet you don't have a problem with them while playing D&D?

[Malacite]

Re: JRPGs vs. RPGs. Japan speaks!

How can you complain about the game mechanics when they're pulled straight out of D&D, yet you don't have a problem with them while playing D&D?

Pausing the game to manually issue commands to each party member got old, fast. Playing D&D live with the dice and a real DM vs a video game aren't even comparable. You never know when your DM is going to mess with you

[Firewind]

Re: JRPGs vs. RPGs. Japan speaks!

"Do foreign companies even make RPGs anymore? The only games that come to mind are first-person shooter action games. If we followed this 'advice' to the letter they'd have us making Grand Theft Auto clones."

I generally agree with that statement. Really, when was the last time an actual western RPG came out that wasn't some form of mindless shooter?

Dragon Age doesn't count since it's only half a game and there is absolutely no difference between it and any other Bioware game that has been released. Oh except the blood and rape scenes for nothing more than shock value. not counting Knights of the Old Republic either since it was more of a Dynasty Warriors style hack and slash than an RPG.