[General Discussion] An Ideal RPG?

Discuss what your ideal rpg would be

- Ideal Battle System cont.

- Main Character in depth
-Male Characteristic - and ideal character
-Female Characteristic - "

- Party System - Ideal Number to characters - what's to little or to many

- Music Genre? Score Composition if you want to talk about it.

- Life Topics - to drown out the save world main plot as it were - what life topics would you talk about in the rpg. obviously it would have to link in with the story (like tales of symphonia and racism)

- Do you find in RPGs that sometimes they go a bit over the top with dungeons (should they be short with a decent puzzle, or just keep to a plain long dungeon) What dungeons would you have - locations you thing would make good dungeons and what kind of enemies would roam there?

- Shops - what shops - lots or little

- Change the way you level up a character? Make it more interesting?

- "RPGs are basically interactive story books" is this a good thing?

- Back to incrypting genres - Wild Arms 3 had horseriding battles - did this work well - could you do some other customised genre battle?

- Final Battle - Something big and all powerful, epic location, abilities and skills??

- Save anywhere, and scrap savepoints?

- Boss Retries (referring to Baten Kaitos and Skies of Arcadia) - if it comes to game over, should you be given the oppertunity to restart the battle and try again instead of having the annoyance of going through events and location to get to it again?

RyuFAN

Jam it back in, in the dark.

*Real time battle systems

After playing many of both, I have come to like Real time much more, with Diablo, Dungeon Siege, Oblivion, X-Men Legends, etc. The action RPG is a much more fluid way to do battle and hope that more games continue this trend. I do hope that if FFT2 were to ever see the light of day, they would keep the same battle system (Turn based grid system).

*Male lead

If you're going to have a central story, you need a central character, and a male lead would be preferrable to me. Girls when they are done seem to be too over-the-top; they are either too girly in that delicate princessy sort of way, or to manly in that they are depicted as greater combat machines than men (which I find unrealistic). If you are going to do a woman, how about making her act like a woman? Otherwise, leave it as a man for me, and not one of those "metrosexual" men. How about a man that people can actually identify with and find cool based on his actions and attitudes rather than his dress?

*A party array

I like the choice a party array gives you in that it lets you tell many different stories. As well, it could give you the option to create your own characters (ala Tactics) which would be even better.

*General Theme? Medival

I am really starting to hate the "cyberpunk" style settings. I just want a good medival themed game that is well done. That's not to say it can't have some futuristic element. Which Final Fantasy didn't have an airship?

*Should there be transition between field screen to battle screen, or should battles take place on the field itself

With my real time battles, action should be on the field, so it doesn't pull you out of the game. With the Tactics style gameplay, then sure, transition elements are needed.

*Should it feature a world map, or should areas be interlinked/ linear

I like the option of having a world map to look at, but that's about it. The Tactics style linear map I actually didn't like.

*Should there be more focus in RPGs - in other words, intergrating more gameplay genres - such as sport, racing, etc. Okay you see this in mini games, but should there be a grander focus?

Good lord no. I hate mini games. They pull you out of the immersiveness of the world to play some sort of button fest. As well, the style seems very out of place when it is done. If a minigame can be done to fit it within the realm of how the game plays naturally, then I don't have a problem with it, but I haven't seen it done well yet...

*Cut out the cliched elements such as 'romantic love stories' or 'save the world storyline?' or the 'annoyingly pathetic heroine who is always in distress' - How would you go about changing these cliches?

Cliched elements are not all bad. You simply understate it, and make us feel for the characters. Then the cliches become acceptable. See Final Fantasy VI and Setzer's love or Locke's love vs. Cloud's love for Aeris and then Tifa...nothing like beating us over the head to force us to "love" a character. That I don't like, and doing that only makes the cliche stand out.

That being said, the "'annoyingly pathetic heroine who is always in distress" should be nixed completely as it is unrealistic to how your characters act, especially when she is in your party. Get rid of crappy "stuck in" humor and give us more character. Get rid of the Steiner-esque characters that have no business being a Knight, let alone in charge of others, and give us more Cyans.

*Should it be more about gameplay than storyline?

Story of course, but the gameplay should be bearable, to the point that we can focus on the story without being taken out of the immersion.

*Weaponry - What would you have, what would you cut out...like the main character almost always has a sword, and the heroine is a weakling with a staff

I would leave that choice up to the player. Have the player choose what he wants the characters to have, so that he can identify more with them. I would cut out the crap weapons, like dolls and the like because they have no place in the game.

*What would be an ideal battle engine - combos, limit breaks, magic system stc - how would you like it

A good battle engine would be like X-Men Legends, where you determine the overall AI of the characters that you are not directly controlling, but you can switch to them on the fly if you need to. Focus on using your skills and such in such a way that the team is successful, rather than making it a 1 man team, or even worse, where you need to do special things in order to win.

There's nowhere I can't reach.

*Turn based or real time battle systems
I'd prefer a mixture, like the ATB system or Baldur's Gate's pause-anytime feature. Ideally, the engine would be customizable like those systems to allow players to make things more or less real-time as they see fit.

*Male or Female lead
Male seems pretty standard; while there's something to be said for letting you choose a gender, that does get in the way of storyline development.

*A single main character or party array
Definitely a party array. And not one of those parties made up of computer-controlled characters either--you should be able to control everyone's actions or leave them on autopilot.

*General Theme? (e.g. Futuristic or medievil)
Modern or near-modern. 90% of RPG's are medieval/steampunk, 10% are sci-fi, hardly any feature a modern setting. In addition to originality, such a setting would force some interesting plot and game engine dynamics.

*Should there be transition between field screen to battle screen, or should battles take place on the field itself
I could go either way on this. Suffice to say, any transition should be as seamless as possible, without abrupt fades or wipes.

*Should it feature a world map, or should areas be interlinked/ linear
Definitely a world map. Interlinked/linear RPG's almost always feel tiny and constrained, no matter how many actual areas they have.

*Should there be more focus in RPGs - in other words, intergrating more gameplay genres - such as sport, racing, etc. Okay you see this in mini games, but should there be a grander focus?
No. A possible exception might be transportation on the world map--driving, flying, etc. or minigames, but trying to cram too many genres into a game dilutes it.

*Cut out the cliched elements such as 'romantic love stories' or 'save the world storyline?' or the 'annoyingly pathetic heroine who is always in distress' - How would you go about changing these cliches?
Simple--make the love stories optional, based on your character interactions or moves within the storyline. Better yet, place the hero in distress and remove them from the party.

*Should it be more about gameplay than storyline?
No. Gameplay's extremely important, but without an engrossing storyline, there's no point. It becomes an exercise in elementary statistics.

*Weaponry - What would you have, what would you cut out...like the main character almost always has a sword, and the heroine is a weakling with a staff
Guns, guns, guns. Not enough RPG's use firearms, especially as main character weapons (even if the setting demands it, as in Star Ocean). Firearms also bring additional variables to the table--ammunition, etc.--that make for interesting situations.

*What would be an ideal battle engine - combos, limit breaks, magic system stc - how would you like it
That would depend on the engine, of course. I prefer systems that are combo-optional, in which button presses lead to more damage but are not crucial. RPG's aren't fighting games, after all. As far as magic goes, I'm not sure I'd use it--but it's hard to come up with anything other than the standard MP-or-equivalent bar.

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.

*Turn based or real time battle systems
I would favour turn based. Much prefer to think out each move, and so speed stats are crucial, not just trying to get that attack move in.

*Male or Female lead
Seen enough male leads, female one, but suitably clothed (!) or none at all...

*A single main character or party array
A party for the depth easily.

*General Theme? (e.g. Futuristic or medievil)
Medievil, that way you can't just make some well weird stuff out. Maybe allowing to link to a bit of history.

*Should there be transition between field screen to battle screen, or should battles take place on the field itself
I would like to see on the field itself, let the scenery come into play perhaps. It'd be like Chrono Trigger.

*Should it feature a world map, or should areas be interlinked/ linear
World map. People should have the freedom to explore where they want and let the story unfold that way.

*Should there be more focus in RPGs - in other words, intergrating more gameplay genres - such as sport, racing, etc. Okay you see this in mini games, but should there be a grander focus?
A football RPG? Perhaps there would be sports minigames. Competing in these could build stats for the characters in the game.

*Cut out the cliched elements such as 'romantic love stories' or 'save the world storyline?' or the 'annoyingly pathetic heroine who is always in distress' - How would you go about changing these cliches?
Well I believe a story occurs from a coincidence, it's hard to look beyond these examples.

*Should it be more about gameplay than storyline?
I would want both to figure highly. But generally gameplay > story

*Weaponry - What would you have, what would you cut out...like the main character almost always has a sword, and the heroine is a weakling with a staff
The usual catapults axes swords bow and arrow etc. I would actually cut out armour like 'fancy dress' or 'burberry cap' (!) things like that.

*What would be an ideal battle engine - combos, limit breaks, magic system stc - how would you like it
Suikoden like? A mix of Front Mission 3 kinda combos and Suikoden combined attacks. Magic would be quite rare perhaps.

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*Turn based or real time battle systems

Turn based. I like to stop and analyze my options, and plan ahead. A tactical battle engine would be even better.

*Male or Female lead

Ideally, a choice would be nice, but it is hard to come up with two different storylines to cover both possiblities, so I guess whatever works given the storyline at hand.

*A single main character or party array

Definitely a party. It allows for character development for more characters, and better character interaction. It also creates more interesting battles.

*General Theme? (e.g. Futuristic or medievil)

Whichever is picked needs to work with the story. If it's medieval, it needs to strictly follow it. But both could be good. Futuristic/alternate universe allows for more creativity.

*Should there be transition between field screen to battle screen, or should battles take place on the field itself

If they take plave in a seperate battle screen, leave out the ten second intros before and after every battle that every game has now, they just detract from the game and make battles boring. In the field could work better, as it allows scenery to be strategically used in battles.

*Should it feature a world map, or should areas be interlinked/ linear

World map. Linear RPGs aren't very fun. With a sense of exploration, you an relate to the main character easier, because then it feels like you have more influence in their decisions.

*Should there be more focus in RPGs - in other words, intergrating more gameplay genres - such as sport, racing, etc. Okay you see this in mini games, but should there be a grander focus?

Hell no.

*Cut out the cliched elements such as 'romantic love stories' or 'save the world storyline?' or the 'annoyingly pathetic heroine who is always in distress' - How would you go about changing these cliches?

I wouldn't necessarily eliminate them, but the story can't solely depend on those cliches. They also can't be overdone, and constantly forced upon you. If the world, or a damsel needs to be saved, there should be some period of time to develop said character or world first, and make the player like the character, then endanger it, so the player feels a need to save it.

*Should it be more about gameplay than storyline?

I think gameplay is more important. I couldn't finish either Kingdom Hearts game because I found the gameplay so horrendous, despite enjoying all the Disney references. But, the story still needs to be decent, otherwise there is no incentive to do anything in the game, and it feels like most MMORPGs to me: pointless level grinding, which leads to more pointless level grinding.

*Weaponry - What would you have, what would you cut out...like the main character almost always has a sword, and the heroine is a weakling with a staff

The weapons would have to fit in with the time period above, whichever it may be. I like the idea of a character being best with a certain weapon, maybe getting bonuses with certain types, but being able to use any type of weapon if desired.

*What would be an ideal battle engine - combos, limit breaks, magic system stc - how would you like it

I would say no to combos. Limit breaks might work if they hold some rarity, but they can't be abused as in Final Fantasy 8. A magic system is good because it allows for moves that are potentially stronger at some cost.

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My sentiment can be essentially sum up in two words, "Open World". I believe that if the game design is done right with the right aesthetic to accompany it, A real RPG could be a truly fun and engaging piece of entertainment. Although so far I haven't play anything like that.

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*Turn based or real time battle systems

Neither. There should be a way to progress through the game world without fighting. I think the model in which we are so use to as in "go out, kill stuff, gain experience, and go out and kill stronger things" is really only there because technical restrictions and lack of imagination in terms of the game design. We should be able to travel the world as a beggar if we so choose. Start a shop, become an entertainer, a local bully, whatever.

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*Male or Female lead

It doesn't matter, you should be able to choose.

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*A single main character or party array

Again, you should be able to choose, between going solo or surround yourself with your allies and friends, your choice.

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*General Theme? (e.g. Futuristic or medieval)

Why can't it be both? It really depends on our concept of what element can be considered to be futuristic or medieval anyway.

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*Should there be transition between field screen to battle screen, or should battles take place on the field itself

Again, it is moot. Considering that the reason in previously so call RPGs, this is done mainly because of technical restrictions. Unless there special requirements I don't see any reasons to have the battle taken place outside of a integrated control model.

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*Should it feature a world map, or should areas be interlinked/ linear

See above.

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*Should there be more focus in RPGs - in other words, integrating more game play genres - such as sport, racing, etc. Okay you see this in mini games, but should there be a grander focus?

I have no problem in terms of integrating other type of genre of game into role playing game when appropriate, like some of the tycoon simulation, sports simulations, trade simulations for example, as an alternative to progress through the game. In fact, it would be most interesting if that some how we would be able to balance the advantage and disadvantage of different way to progress through a game, as oppose to how it was usually done.

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*Cut out the cliched elements such as 'romantic love stories' or 'save the world story line?' or the 'annoyingly pathetic heroine who is always in distress' - How would you go about changing these cliches?

There is no reason to actually cut them out, if you have an Open World where the player get to decide for themselves whether or not to participate in the larger world event in the time of their own choosing. For example, if the world needs to be saved, if the player doesn't participate in that event, other heroes in the world will rise up, but the player can help if he want, of if he doesn't. Or maybe the player will go against the heroes if they so choose. If the player can have the choice, they can choose if they want to be pathetic or not, or whether or not to fall in love.

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*Should it be more about game play than story line?

Story line is a game play element, is it that much of a stretch of imagination? If the player can progress through the time line of the game however they choose, there should be possibilities for good story line if the game is well designed, as difficult as it might seems.

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*Weaponry - What would you have, what would you cut out...like the main character almost always has a sword, and the heroine is a weakling with a staff

Like I said, we should have the option to choose whatever that we want to use. Even with status restrictions, but we have no technical restrictions for such things. Even though a sourcerer would not be able to handle a war hammer very will, they can channel their magic into it to make it into enchained hammer, if you will, so that when it actually hit anything, it makes it counts, but not actually overriding the advantage of a barbarian that is using it much more effectively, in other words, the player get to choose different weapons base on the status of their character and proficiencies, rather then restrict the player to a class base weapons system.

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*What would be an ideal battle engine - combos, limit breaks, magic system stc - how would you like it

If there have to have a battle engine, it should be something intuitive. I personally think as long as it serves its purpose, it'll be okay. Although I generally prefer action game's approach to battle system (like devil may cry and some other hack and slash stuff).

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*Turn based or real time battle systems

-Turn based, but with plenty of customization and 5-8 characters.

*Male or Female lead

-Eh, doesn't really matter...I'd settle for an interesting party, with no set leader (basically a mute).

*A single main character or party array

-See above.

*General Theme? (e.g. Futuristic or medievil)

-War tends to breed the best storylines I think. I'm not picky in regards to the futuristic/medievil thing.

*Should there be transition between field screen to battle screen, or should battles take place on the field itself

-Fast transitions. Suikoden 1/2 or FF6 would be ideal...Get into the battle, fight, then get out as fast as possible.

*Should it feature a world map, or should areas be interlinked/ linear

-In my experience, my favorite RPG's all have world maps. The linear thing (FFX) doesn't work for me because I always think you should be able to explore the map.

*Should there be more focus in RPGs - in other words, intergrating more gameplay genres - such as sport, racing, etc. Okay you see this in mini games, but should there be a grander focus?

-Fun minigames are a plus, but the core focus should be on the balance of the battle system...It can't be too easy, it can't be too hard (although I mean in the sense that it can't be unfair...Hard is normally a good thing because it forces you to think about what you haven't been doing right up until that point). Give me an RPG with good-to-great character interaction and a smooth, polished battle system and I'll probably play it straight through.

*Cut out the cliched elements such as 'romantic love stories' or 'save the world storyline?' or the 'annoyingly pathetic heroine who is always in distress' - How would you go about changing these cliches?

-Leave some in, but do them right (in other words, do something to make me care about what's going on...). I mean, I don't mind rescuing a princess if its' a character I like from the game and they make it fun to do.

*Should it be more about gameplay than storyline?

-A good balance is needed...Something needs to drive the story forward well and give reason for the characters to do/say what they do, but that's no reason to skimp on the gameplay.

*Weaponry - What would you have, what would you cut out...like the main character almost always has a sword, and the heroine is a weakling with a staff

-Not too concerned here...Whatever works.

*What would be an ideal battle engine - combos, limit breaks, magic system stc - how would you like it

-Suikoden V's. Plenty of character positions (normally 6, with formations for 2-5 as well...RPG's not called Chrono Trigger with only 3 character slots annoy the hell out of me), runes for magic, formations to play around with, special attacks, plenty of preparation needed...That game had basically my ideal battle engine, although I might try mixing it with something like Grandia's and make timed hits more of a factor. Be less of an excuse to auto battle each time.

FELIPE NO

*Turn based or real time battle systems

I prefer real-time systems to the former simply because I'm forced to pay attention to battles a lot more. I found that after a while, turn-based battles became too predictable.

*Male or Female lead

Either one is fine. If the lead was female, I'd probably like to see her portrayed as a rather capable and serious character. If male, I’d prefer his character to be a little comical.

*A single main character or party array

A party. I think being able to experience the story from varying perspectives would be more interesting.

*General Theme? (e.g. Futuristic or medievil)

Either one is fine, but I favor a futuristic setting because I’ve already played many medieval-themed games.

*Should there be transition between field screen to battle screen, or should battles take place on the field itself

I think the transition shouldn't be noticeable. The battles can be in a different screen after an encounter, but I'd appreciate the speed of the game a little more if battles occurred seamlessly.

*Should it feature a world map, or should areas be interlinked/ linear

A map should only be available when traveling between towns. I don't think town or dungeon maps are necessary.

*Should there be more focus in RPGs - in other words, intergrating more gameplay genres - such as sport, racing, etc. Okay you see this in mini games, but should there be a grander focus?

This would add another dimension to the game. Sometimes going through towns and fighting common battles for hours can become tedious.

*Cut out the cliched elements such as 'romantic love stories' or 'save the world storyline?' or the 'annoyingly pathetic heroine who is always in distress' - How would you go about changing these cliches?

I'd rather see the romantic element presented in more subtle way. I think it'd be interesting if the love story were only suggested. I would also avoid the weak female heroine completely, and the heroes wouldn't necessarily save the world.

*Should it be more about gameplay than storyline?

Most games I've played seem to have trouble finding a balance between the two. The story should outweigh gameplay only slightly.

*Weaponry - What would you have, what would you cut out...like the main character almost always has a sword, and the heroine is a weakling with a staff

I'd try to integrate weapons that traditional RPGs haven't used before in addition to the swords, staffs, etc.

*What would be an ideal battle engine - combos, limit breaks, magic system stc - how would you like it

Magic and combos are fine. I think the concept of “limit breaks” is acceptable as long as they're difficult to build up, and when used, don't necessarily kill the enemy in one shot. I prefer a battle that's more challenging.

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*Turn based or real time battle systems
Turn based systems have mostly been the standard of all the great RPGs. I have to say that I would stick with Turn based systems, just because real time battles can seem a bit hectic at some points when you go for something and your character dies before you get to it and you're like, "WHAT?!"

*Male or Female lead
Female lead all the way, baby. However, it shouldn't be the totally cliche female lead. Usually the female lead is either the pretty girl who learns how to be nice in the end or some silent girl who can use magic and has a sword. Sure they can be pretty and use magic, but they would be a great character with a deep background and story.

*A single main character or party array
Ehhh, I'm iffy on this one. I like having a large party with unique stories, but as long as it keeps a small number of people. 4-5 people in the game is good, but when there are 20 different people and some are just there to look cool, that's where I draw the line.

*General Theme? (e.g. Futuristic or medievil)
I think I would have to say a beautiful futuristic environment. Not like giant computer systems and everything digital, but technology that makes cities fly and great man made wonders.

*Should there be transition between field screen to battle screen, or should battles take place on the field itself
I think there should be different screens. I just need some transition to tell me, "Hey, you're entering a battle right now."

*Should it feature a world map, or should areas be interlinked/ linear
I like a world map, mostly because linear stuff makes you walk everywhere, unless there is a teleportation spell or something. Plus if the map is good and detailed it's fun to just explore.

*Should there be more focus in RPGs - in other words, intergrating more gameplay genres - such as sport, racing, etc. Okay you see this in mini games, but should there be a grander focus?
Mini-games are just supposed to be fun little bits of the game. I think it should stay that way. If there is maybe one big mini-game within the RPG...maybe there should be a story behind it.

*Cut out the cliched elements such as 'romantic love stories' or 'save the world storyline?' or the 'annoyingly pathetic heroine who is always in distress' - How would you go about changing these cliches?
Well, those cliches have been around since time began. So it's hard to change any of them. I'm a fan of the twist in the storyline. The best friend is really working for the enemy or something terrible actually happens in the end.

Spoiler:

I'd like to bring up the Mother series for this one. I like to have endings where you either don't do the ordinary or something bad happens anyway. Mother 1, the song was the key. Mother 2, you had to Pray using Paula. Mother 3, you did nothing and the dragon destroyed mankind's dependence on technology.

*Should it be more about gameplay than storyline?
There should be an equal balance. Very little people want to play an RPG with just an awesome battle system and the crappiest story you've ever heard.

*Weaponry - What would you have, what would you cut out...like the main character almost always has a sword, and the heroine is a weakling with a staff.
Again, I bring up the Mother series. You used Bats, Yo-Yos, and Frying Pans to destroy your enemies. If it's a serious serious, I don't mind the swords and everything, but why not try something different for at least the main character?

*What would be an ideal battle engine - combos, limit breaks, magic system stc - how would you like it
Combos like Mother 3 are fun. Using rhythm of the background music some awesome sounding combos.

Jam it back in, in the dark.

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*Turn based or real time battle systems

Turn-based. A lot of experimentation has been done in this realm, and results range from disastrous (FF ATB system) to bizarre (Koudelka's undersized grid field) to impressive (Star Ocean 2, Grandia series, SMT Nocturne/DDS). I'm going to have to go with the tried-and-true turn-based system of old, possibly with the Press-Turn mechanics of the recent Megaten games. Keep it simple, no funny business, and no insanely cheap "enemy cuts in and you can't stop it" XENOSAGA I AM LOOKING AT YOU.

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*Male or Female lead

Honestly, either way is fine by me. I've seen it done well with both genders. Phantasy Star 1 had a great female lead, PS4 had a great male lead. Parasite Eve, Persona 2, Koudelka, and Valkyrie Profile all had great female leads, and Xenogears, Digital Devil Saga, and Disgaea all had great male leads. Games like PSO and Neverwinter Nights got it pretty much right: When in doubt, have a silent protagonist whose gender and appearance are customizable by the player and go from there.

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*A single main character or party array

Small party of well-developed characters. See Lunar, Grandia 2, Wild Arms for examples. Single characters can work if they're done right, but there are serious plot constraints that are put in place as a result. Legacy of Kain, particularly the Soul Reaver story thread, is the best example I can think of off-hand of a single-protagonist story done right.

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*General Theme? (e.g. Futuristic or medievil)

Modern dark fantasy. Part of the reason I'm such an unrepentant fan-bitch of Atlus' SMT games and spinoffs is that they're set in the modern world, but that world has been twisted and darkened by the game designers to fit the mood of the games. Other series have done similar settings: Shadowrun springs to mind as the next-best example. It's slightly futuristic, but the world is still very recognizable and contemporary political problems and global concerns are still very much an issue.

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*Should there be transition between field screen to battle screen, or should battles take place on the field itself

I think there should be a transition, provided two guidelines are followed:
-The battle surroundings need to echo the map surroundings as closely as possible. Phantasy Star 2 had an excuse: it was an early 16-bit game. That excuse no longer flies.
-Transitions can be artsy, novel, flashy, show-offy of the hardware, whatever. If they take more than 2-3 seconds, I will hunt you down and beat you with a tire iron. To put it another way, FF7 good, Nocturne better. Legend of Dragoon BAD, and Xenosaga 2 un-fucking-forgivable.

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*Should it feature a world map, or should areas be interlinked/ linear

Most of the games I've played and really enjoyed made use of a world map. It may be an old convention, but it's a well-developed one and it really seems to work well. If you want to have interlinked areas, provide a means of teleporting/taking a cab/somehow-or-other getting to and fro quickly without wasting time on walking and fighting weak enemies.

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*Should there be more focus in RPGs - in other words, intergrating more gameplay genres - such as sport, racing, etc. Okay you see this in mini games, but should there be a grander focus?

IMHO, absolutely not. The RPG is a distinct genre because it has distinct gameplay mechanics and characteristics. Minigames are fine if there's an idea a developer wants to explore. With HD DVD and Blu-Ray on the horizon for game media, there'll be more than enough room to store minigame data. Otherwise, try spinoff games (if you really have to) or just let the other genres be. I've actually found that incorporating RPG elements into other genres works better than incorporating elements from other genres into RPGs. See Castlevania for a good example. The only games I've played that really successfully blur the lines between genres are/were Deus Ex and System Shock 2.

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*Cut out the cliched elements such as 'romantic love stories' or 'save the world storyline?' or the 'annoyingly pathetic heroine who is always in distress' - How would you go about changing these cliches?

Depressing games. Seriously. Save the damsel, only to have the hero realize he's played right into the villain's trap as said villain grins and unceremoniously shoots the damsel or detonates some kind of neurotoxin he implanted in her while she was unconscious. This serves a number of purposes: it gets rid of the clichés, it makes for interesting plot twists, it fosters strong feelings in the player (who didn't hate Luca Blight's guts as he slaughtered the villagers in cold blood?), and it enables one of my favourite plot themes: revenge. Part of the reason Soul Reaver was so gripping was that Raziel's unbridled hate and lust for vengeance were so well-developed and believable that they kept the player interested.

Alternatively, if you don't want to feed the teen-angst crowd, just leave romance out altogether. I've praised Nocturne enough for you all to know how I feel about it, and I'm not alone in thinking so. Incidentally, it has little to no romance whatsoever. If a developer/scriptwriter is at a loss for how to do a romantic subplot, please do us all a favour and instead of shoehorning it in via any lame means possible, just leave it out and focus on the prevailing story instead. The story will be that much better for the additional effort you can put into it, and we'll all be spared a whiny main character and a female supporting lead who we all want to string up and flay with a cheese grater 10 hours into the game.

Finally, one more thought on this one: this whole humorous-misunderstandings-leading-to-sexual-tension-with-timid-male-lead thing is really getting tired. See Lunar. Can we please, please, please have, just for once, a couple who are both sexually honest/assertive/mature and don't engage in these ridiculous and tired Love Hina anime cliches involving some hapless idiot getting his ass kicked by a female ally when not 5 minutes ago he singlehandedly ch0wned a 50-foot-tall axe-wielding cyclops? Please? It's not funny. It's not cute, it's not amusing, it's not interesting, it doesn't help to develop characters, it's completely fucking pointless. Maybe it's just late and I'm tired and blowing off steam, but for fuck's sake, newsflash: men and women generally like having sex with each other. Can we have characters who understand and acknowledge this fact, and pursue their relationship in a mature, educated, intelligent fashion? Or is this just asking way too much?

Quote:

*Should it be more about gameplay than storyline?

Yes. I love a good plot in my games, but for godsakes, make them playable. I enjoyed PSO far more than Xenosaga despite the near-nonexistent story simply because the gameplay was addictive as crack. Xenosaga was plot-heavy, but the slow gameplay and, in the case of Episode 2, insufferably overcomplicated battle system made playing to get to the next plot point a chore and when you finally got to that plot point, the cutscene lasted nearly an hour. PSO had a plot thinner than paper and more full of holes than Swiss cheese, but I logged over 1000 hours without even having to go online because actually playing, slaughtering beasties, hunting for rare items, and challenging bosses was so much goddamn fun.

Quote:

*Weaponry - What would you have, what would you cut out...like the main character almost always has a sword, and the heroine is a weakling with a staff

If you want weapons, why not have a single weapon the character has for the whole game? See Raziel and the Reaver, the cast of Wild Arms 3 and their guns, or Nocturne and the general absence of weapons. Failing that, do like the PC RPGs and have weapon classes that correspond to character types and that can be trained with experience or other gameplay mechanics. SaGa Frontier had a good way of dealing with this in that the more you used a weapon of a given type, the more proficient the character became with that type.

Quote:

*What would be an ideal battle engine - combos, limit breaks, magic system stc - how would you like it

KISS: Keep It Simple, Shit-wit. Don't overcomplicate. Desperation moves always seemed somewhat gimmicky, and I never once caught myself missing them in games that didn't have them. Combos can be cool, but I'd prefer a SaGa Frontier-style means of handling them over a Phantasy Star 4/Crappo Trigger style. Leave the individual moves alone and let them be chained together to hit harder overall. Magic system...has been refiend to a science. People learn spells that cost them magic points. Leave it be.

One thing you left out that I feel really warrants mention in this day and age, and I harp on this in every RPG thread I read: NO GODDAMN SAVE POINTS. Blah blah save-on-the-fly in DooM 1 on my 486 blah blah PS2 more powerful blah why need special point to write to external storage? Save-anywhere has been done in SaGa Frontier, Lunar, Persona 2, and a few others. It works. USE IT. Don't give me bullshit about "strategy" or "challenge," or else I'll be forced to give you reality about "dinner," "work," "errands," or that dreaded enemy of geeks the world over: "power outages." Give me my fucking save-on-the-fly. Or else. TIRE IRON.

There's nowhere I can't reach.

Quote:

*Turn based or real time battle systems

A combination of both. Maybe like Valkyrie Profile. I love innovative new battle systems. Real time battle gives you more control over your attacks with timing but the turn based element will help you slow things down and figure out your attack plan.

Quote:

*Male or Female lead

Female lead. I am sick of male leads. Preferably not a female lead who is shy and weak minded. Not to say I want her to be "tank girl", but something new and refreshing.

Quote:

*A single main character or party array

Give the player the choice to have either. Have a core party of well developed characters in addition to a line of side characters that are playable that have storylines that intertwine with the main party.

Quote:

*General Theme? (e.g. Futuristic or medievil)

I am not a huge fan of futuristic or medievil. I liked Earthbound a lot so I want to see something modern or pseudo modern. I think an RPG set in 1940 Chicago Jazz type era would be cool. Like Detective noir setting.

Quote:

*Should there be transition between field screen to battle screen, or should battles take place on the field itself

Battle on screen. Just my preference. I always thought battle transitions were a vestige of older RPG programmers who could not effectively program smooth transitions.

Quote:

*Should it feature a world map, or should areas be interlinked/ linear

Not one of my areas of concern. Either is fine.

Quote:

*Should there be more focus in RPGs - in other words, intergrating more gameplay genres - such as sport, racing, etc. Okay you see this in mini games, but should there be a grander focus?

I am cool with extras introducing other gameplay genres. However, integrating it into the story at every major event can sometimes be troublesome. But who knows, maybe it can work.

Quote:

*Cut out the cliched elements such as 'romantic love stories' or 'save the world storyline?' or the 'annoyingly pathetic heroine who is always in distress' - How would you go about changing these cliches?

My feeling is that if you are going to do a cliche, pull it off strong. Skies of Arcadia was very cliched but it was also done very well. Nothing wrong with cliches. Personally, my ideal RPG is not about "saving the world." I would like to see more RPGs tackle real world issues like racial conflicts, homosexuality and sexism. In addition, I think the romances shouldnt be so obvious and cookie cutter. Falling in love is not that easy.

Quote:

*Should it be more about gameplay than storyline?

For me, storyline. Although I will not sit through bad gameplay just for a good story...oh wait. I already did. Xenosaga II ;_:

Quote:

*Weaponry - What would you have, what would you cut out...like the main character almost always has a sword, and the heroine is a weakling with a staff

Every character can use any weapon. The way it is in real life. Just because you aren't a swordmen doesnt mean you cant pick up a sword and fight. I think every character should have certain weapons they are better with but I don't think other wwapons should be restriction. Having every character wield any weapon would add customization, too.

Quote:

*What would be an ideal battle engine - combos, limit breaks, magic system stc - how would you like it

Fast paced and innovation. Definitely combos and heavy influence on magic. I have always felt that magic has been useless in RPGs. By the end of most RPGs, magic is not useful anymore which is a shame. I dont think I could effectively describe my ideal battlesystem so I will leave it at that.

How ya doing, buddy?

for me...one detail special....but not very important...is the ending of this games 'cause in some games the characters, music, graphics, etc are very spectacular or very good. but after fight and find a loot of wapons and magic gadgets the ending of some games are very...simple....like a two or three cinemas display or one CG movie and the credits, so... if you have 3 or more characters always have a cuestion... what happened with the life or the story about that favorite character that dont be the starring or the principal character of the game?

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Originally Posted by Firewings

for me...one detail special....but not very important...is the ending of this games 'cause in some games the characters, music, graphics, etc are very spectacular or very good. but after fight and find a loot of wapons and magic gadgets the ending of some games are very...simple....like a two or three cinemas display or one CG movie and the credits, so... if you have 3 or more characters always have a cuestion... what happened with the life or the story about that favorite character that dont be the starring or the principal character of the game?

True - but, specifically, if an ending lacks the detail of a character's future life after the game, may leave it open to sequel

But yes a good ending is important

I was speaking idiomatically.

*Turn based or real time battle systems

I'm a fan of either, but real time would probably be more engaging than waiting forever for some battles to end. Although turn based can give more thought into each action and is more flexible, real time can be fun in an adrenaline way.


*Male or Female lead

Since I'm a girl gamer, I almost always love to control a male. >.> When we have a choice of putting characters in a party, my party will almost never have a female unless she has some power that is necessary for battle.


*A single main character or party array

A party is a must for an RPG. Character interactions and not to mention character back stories can really add color to the people you are controlling. It can tell us that everyone has different reasons but are pursuing the same goal.


*General Theme? (e.g. Futuristic or medievil)

It really doesn't matter to me. As long as they can pull it off well in the story and not make it sound unintentional, then I don't care if they make a 21st century RPG. However I'm partial for old period genres.


*Should there be transition between field screen to battle screen, or should battles take place on the field itself

I would prefer a different screen for battle, but I've played games that had really good field battle tactics. However I've played many more RPGs involving battle screens, and in general the field looks much cleaner without monsters crawling all over the place.


*Should it feature a world map, or should areas be interlinked/ linear

I really miss the days when you can walk on a huge map and enter towns and such without anything linear holding you back. I prefer world maps; it gives a clear picture of where you are.


*Should there be more focus in RPGs - in other words, intergrating more gameplay genres - such as sport, racing, etc. Okay you see this in mini games, but should there be a grander focus?

Mini games are fun, but I rarely find myself doing any of these unless I really want this item or want more money. Basically put in a few mini games for items and money, and throw in one for those who enjoy battling, but don't make it detract anything else from the story.


*Cut out the cliched elements such as 'romantic love stories' or 'save the world storyline?' or the 'annoyingly pathetic heroine who is always in distress' - How would you go about changing these cliches?

Romance in RPGs never seem to work well... I can only name a couple successful RPGs that incorporated romance into the main theme of the plot (as in the main character is the lead for romance). If the RPG can have a successful love plot, more power to it; I'll probably play it first thing. Most RPGs should focus on one big plot, but sub themes wouldn't hurt. Any successful RPG in my book would have more to talk about than "saving the world", be it friendship, meaning of death, religion, revenge, war, money, justice, etc. Kind of like reading a novel... you want to expect some more and want something to warrant thought.


*Should it be more about gameplay than storyline?

Any RPG should have a good balance. Far too many RPGs have sacrificed one for the other, but the priority to me is story. Sometimes battles can be arduous and painful, but if the story proves good then I can painfully get through these battles to see the next scene. But, the game shouldn't be designed to screw you up like that. Get some good battles in there!


*Weaponry - What would you have, what would you cut out...like the main character almost always has a sword, and the heroine is a weakling with a staff

I hate those ridiculous stereotypes that women must use a staff and the main character use a sword. Have some creativity... come up with women that come out stronger than the lead or women that aren't just magicians. Have the lead use different weapons. Guns are fun too.


*What would be an ideal battle engine - combos, limit breaks, magic system stc - how would you like it

Whatever works for the RPG. Magic is fun, combos are fun. I can do without limit breaks.

What kind of toxic man-thing is happening now?

- A plot twist which could leave gamers stunned, something of the likes of "the old master which took care of the protagonist since he was a child was actually working for the enemy" or something like that.
- "Ultimate" special attacks should kick ass real hard instead of being used so cheaply; they should be able to wipe out anything save the last boss in a single shot.

FELIPE NO

*Turn based or real time battle systems
I've always prefered real time over turn based.

*Male or Female lead
Let's have a female lead for once.

*A single main character or party array
Definately party. More choices for team combinations.

*General Theme? (e.g. Futuristic or medievil)
Medieval. A valid reason for being able to use magic.

*Should there be transition between field screen to battle screen, or should battles take place on the field itself
Transition between the two. Otherwise the field can get too cluttered with enemies.

*Should it feature a world map, or should areas be interlinked/ linear
World Map. I like exploring places.

*Should there be more focus in RPGs - in other words, intergrating more gameplay genres - such as sport, racing, etc. Okay you see this in mini games, but should there be a grander focus?
I suppose some other genres would be good, they would break up all the RPGing, nothing to out of place though. It has to fit in with the game. Mini-games are also good for progressing part of a story.

*Cut out the cliched elements such as 'romantic love stories' or 'save the world storyline?' or the 'annoyingly pathetic heroine who is always in distress' - How would you go about changing these cliches?
I would go for a "saving the world" story, but it would have to be well done.

*Should it be more about gameplay than storyline?
Ideally both.

*Weaponry - What would you have, what would you cut out...like the main character almost always has a sword, and the heroine is a weakling with a staff
Swords, axes, staffs, spears, magic, hand-to-hand combat. But any character can use any weapon.

*What would be an ideal battle engine - combos, limit breaks, magic system stc - how would you like it
Magic system if it is done well. Limit breaks tend to be too easy to achieve, they should be harder to get.

What, you don't want my bikini-clad body?

The ideal RPG for me would be a sci-fi MMORPG in space.

*Turn based or real time battle systems

Real-time.

*Male or Female lead

Player's decision.

*A single main character or party array.

Both I guess. You decide if you want to join a crew on a large spacestation/starship or travel around alone in a one-manned vessel.

*General Theme? (e.g. Futuristic or medievil)

An enormous beautiful galaxy full with planets, nebulas, dangers and mysterious lost civilizations that you can excavate and explore.

*Should it feature a world map, or should areas be interlinked/ linear.

You should be able to travel anywhere in the galaxy from the start. Faster than light travel is availble.

*Should there be more focus in RPGs - in other words, intergrating more gameplay genres - such as sport, racing, etc. Okay you see this in mini games, but should there be a grander focus?

There would be a customization part in the game where you can build your own ship, NPC androids and planetary defence systems etc. In spacestations and starships you should be able to walk around just like in a FPS. In this mode you should be able to shoot, hack and build stuff etc. Everything in real-time. You would also be able to start your own factions and claim/conquer planets and spacestations etc.

*Should it be more about gameplay than storyline?

The players create the story since it's supposed to be a MMORPG. So I guess it's the gameplay that's more important here. There would however be lots of different background stories from ancient civilizations, factions and planets etc.

*Weaponry - What would you have, what would you cut out...like the main character almost always has a sword, and the heroine is a weakling with a staff.

Larger starships would have slow but powerful missiles and small starfighters that the crew controls. My dream would be to have something like they have in Battlestar Galactica. If your position is a fighter in the crew you'll have to shoot yourself out in space and fight large starships or other smaller starfighters. If you have your own one-manned ship you can buy and find all kind of different weapons.

*What would be an ideal battle engine - combos, limit breaks, magic system stc - how would you like it
Just normal simple real-time FPS and space fights.

I've yet to see this mix. Add some cool FPS gameplay like System Shock II (without the scary part unless you're exploring an abandoned ship) mixed with a little bit of Freelancer and Battlestar Galactica-fighting etc. The graphics would be beautiful, and the music would be very ambient.

To add some realism to it all you wouldn't be able to hear any sound in space, the only sounds you would be able to hear would be the sounds coming from the inside of your ship. So when you for example exit slipstream travel you would hear your engines cool down.

There would also be no levelup system. Items, materials and friends would be your strenght in this game.

Well it's my dream I guess. As a sci-fi geek I would love to explore a galaxy just like that.

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Turn based or real time battle systems
Real-time menu-based (maybe even grid-based). Any less is archaic.

Male or Female lead
How about this - no lead? Let each character get the equal amount of exposure and let the player decide which one should be considered the lead.

A single main character or party array
According to the above, party.

General Theme? (e.g. Futuristic or medievil)
Medieval. I personally don't like futuristic settings because they're usually too limited in terms of what could have developed in the future.

Should there be transition between field screen to battle screen, or should battles take place on the field itself
Do we even need a field screen?

Battles in the typical RPG are too... unwarranted. I would rather prefer there be a reason behind each battle - and not have battles end up being human slaughtering beasts/demons/undead/other.

Should it feature a world map, or should areas be interlinked/ linear
Hopefully world map, if we're looking at this style. In my ideal RPG, there's no need for one.

Should there be more focus in RPGs - in other words, intergrating more gameplay genres - such as sport, racing, etc. Okay you see this in mini games, but should there be a grander focus?
This is an RPG. Intermixing gameplay genres will create a lack of focus on behalf of the developers.

Cut out the cliched elements such as 'romantic love stories' or 'save the world storyline?' or the 'annoyingly pathetic heroine who is always in distress' - How would you go about changing these cliches?
Simply put... base everything off of a different premise.

Should it be more about gameplay than storyline?
Ideally both, but if I had to choose I'd take storyline.

Weaponry - What would you have, what would you cut out...like the main character almost always has a sword, and the heroine is a weakling with a staff
If we're talking strictly on medieval times, sharp weaponry should be the only thing on the field.

What would be an ideal battle engine - combos, limit breaks, magic system stc - how would you like it
I had an idea once... a constantly-changing stat that would decrease when fatigued (using actions including running) and increase when resting (or healing). It would force battles to be a lot more strategic, to say the least, and also keep "running" from being obsolete.

I mean, what is the point of running through a dungeon if the monster encounter rate is higher?

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Turn based or real time battle systems
Real Time - ideally a system that keeps you gripped to the game apart from the story
eg (like when you get the dissapointing plot twist in Star Ocean 3 - but I was hookied on the battle system. Tales of Symphonia had great story and battle and is by far the best RPG I have played - I hope FFXII offers something as similar)

Male or Female lead
I'd preferr to alternate

A single main character or party array
Party

General Theme? (e.g. Futuristic or medievil)
However appropriate - I like both

Should there be transition between field screen to battle screen, or should battles take place on the field itself
I like battle transitions ^^
As long as they don't last 20 seconds like Magna Carta or Legend of Dragoon.

Should it feature a world map, or should areas be interlinked/ linear
World Map with teleport system

Should there be more focus in RPGs - in other words, intergrating more gameplay genres - such as sport, racing, etc. Okay you see this in mini games, but should there be a grander focus?
I thought about other genres fitted into battle systems, maybe I misphrased

Cut out the cliched elements such as 'romantic love stories' or 'save the world storyline?' or the 'annoyingly pathetic heroine who is always in distress' - How would you go about changing these cliches?
"If I story line is good" - true

Should it be more about gameplay than storyline?
There needs to be a balance - and comfortabilty with battle systems and an engrossing story

Weaponry - What would you have, what would you cut out...like the main character almost always has a sword, and the heroine is a weakling with a staff
I have to say I like girls with staffs - but when they are used in a kung fu way I suppose - similar to the use of fans. As long as weapons look cool ^ ^

What would be an ideal battle engine - combos, limit breaks, magic system stc - how would you like it
It has to be enjoyable and somehow, not repetitve. Enemy encounters need to been balanced out. I like the idea of enemies on the field - but not to the oint where it is cluttering the area. Again - balance.






Discussion Topics Updated

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.

Preface:

I've already had some fantasy RPG, in my head for over 4 years now, I have changed my mind and experience new genres and games.

The storyling of all Final Fantasy's captivated my mind since I was in gradeschool (Note: not too long ago), but I have figured the recent Final Fantasies have the same storyline trend, (-XII, XI), So i began reconfirming what made Final Fantasy a game that satisfied millions. (Never got the answer, yet)

The reason I began disliking, the the "Tales" series was after playing 3 games, the "big picture" was exactly the same. I still enjoyed the minor events characters played, but it became bland and predictable.

Lastly, my ideal storyline, has been a W.I.P. for over 4 years, and would be in final script in the future. I'm can only say I wish, I would make up my mind.

It's headline is:

A Tale of True Love, the Gears of Politics, the Heights of War, and Unfathomable Fantasy

Setting:

The setting of my choice, must be mixed of medieval time period with a semi-technological era.

What I mean is the cliched* setting of;

A world with swords and magic, ruled by ancient forgotten technology. It's always nice to see a sword and gun fighting along side, or opposing sides. Also where magic and monsters ruled.

Characters:

It would be nice to have male and female main characters. More so, A supporting character later becoming a main character. For sure, it would add to a lot of the plot.

But, male main character have to have the cliched* sword main weapon. Just because I always picture axe men as mindless brutes, and spear men careless heroes, and magicians isolated geniuses.

A sword always reminded me of an evened* out character.

The female could use "Healing" Magic, the typical cleric, or a Bow -- the rightful support a sword needs (Not implying the female main character has a supporting role towards the male)

Party System:

It always bugged me that, in some games, you traveled with a large group of people, e.g. - 8 characters, but only one showed up on the map. And they appeared only for certain events.

I was always like Where'd they go? Are they invisible? What?

FFXII, Xenogears, and several other titles, did it correctly.
(FFXII not including town maps, nor boss battle cutscenes*)
If you have a party, they should be with at all times. You should be able to see them and they shouldn't just disappear.

I mean if your max member limit is 3 than, have three character walk with you and have everyone else loiter at some location. At least they are there and you know they are.

Also, exp shouldn't be shared, for two reasons. It's cheap to PLVL weak characters that are underleved (FFXII) and two, if I don't like a character, I don't wanna level him.

But, the character max should probably be 3 in your main party* (and a Non-Playable Guest) so a total of 4, (FFXII style)

Puzzles:

Yes, But no backtracking.
Also the "Obstacle" style puzzles are annoying, but should be kept there because it adds challenge and realism*

Battle:

The Gambit system was amazing in FFXII, and I would love to use it.
That kind of A.I. surpasses that of Kingdom Hearts.
I enjoyed the MMO-esque battle fluency of Active-Dimension-Battle of FFXII, but it lacked passed that I enjoyed of Kingdom Hearts.

Also a nifty combo system would be great for fighting fanatics, like that of Xenogears, or such. (Just made compatible for real time)

Basically, I would have to go with the Real-Time Fighting, with an advance customizable A.I. system.

Levels:

I always enjoyed the customizing abilities in MMO's like Ragnarok, FlyFF, Maple Story. And games like Shining Soul, so I must say being able to input your own growth chart would be extremely nice.

Again, experience is not shared.

Shops:

Make it realistic, would a general store have guns and swords?
Seperate the Item shops and Weapon/Armor shops. (further even, Armor and Weapon)

Also, Magic should be bought, like scrolls (prefered title - book) because, I mean you don't learn something from nothing. I expect people to read something and learn.

And inns, Games now a days, I rarely see or use the inns. In Golden Sun I and II I not once used their inns. And in games such as Xenogear or FFXII, i didn't see an Inn where you to heal. FFX and others. But still, Have them they are there for realism* (I use that loosely), there are other people in the world, and wanderers and travellers need them.

Music:

1. RPG = classical orchestrated.
2. Techno, or Rave style music for battle music doesn't cut it very well. They aren't memoriable enough.
3. I love Rock, Zeppelin and Blues Rock... but they have no right barging in on something that they should not be found.

Save:

World Map = Yes
Dungeon = Save Point
Town = Save Point

The classic style is still the best for me

And boss retries should only be on loads* its fair.

Bosses:

Also I began noticing, in a few new games, Bosses don't give EXP anymore... Haha No more big exp boost for your weak party members.

I really dislike giant random enemies, that are bosses of caves and mountains. They hardly add to the plot and are useless in my eyes (Other than EXP)

Bosses should only ascertained when they will add a main plot line, and move the story-along. (And I don't mean, a town is scared of a giant animal, so you must go kill it to give peace to the town once again, that's a lame way of moving the story)

Bosses should, be as strong as your characters in every way. AS STRONG. I'm not sure how to put that, but in the Final Fantasy Series bosses, progressively get insanely rigged. As your characters growth remains the same it has been since previous bosses.

I mean too say, they should be strong enough to beat one time, but they do not drag a 30 minute battle because of its insane HP or insane DMG...

Normal enemies way weaker than your party, because you have to kill several of them. If they are your parties level, that means you'd have to heal after just beating one, and thats high-maintainance and tedious.

Lastly, The Final Boss Battle. Should be hard. That's all I can say. Not rigged, but Hard. Also they shouldn't drag into 3 (FFXII) seperate battles or 7 (KH). They should be one battle that ends all.

Finally:

RPG's are storybooks, where people choose the the story. The more ways you can end the book because of decisions the better. It's a story that you carved out from the pages that were given.

I am a dolphin, do you want me on your body?

edit.
Damn, net swallowed post. Please delete. Will write up anew

I was speaking idiomatically.

- Ideal Battle System cont.
Real-time. Maybe more in-depth control over the AI, but 3D battlefields and maneuverability make the battles at least interesting. Whether they're on a map or take place in a battle sequence, it's more interactive and fun to play real-time.
- Main Character in depth
-Male Characteristic - and ideal character
-Female Characteristic - "
I don't really mind the gender. Generally you'll have many character to choose from, so I'd like to be able to choice who I control. As for lead protagonist, either is fine. Maybe you could have both genders to choose from, both with different personalities and storylines, or they could have the same story and just be equally important. Even if they aren't, I don't really think it takes the fun away from the game.

Protagonist characteristics: Hopefully the protagonists won't be too ambitious or perservering. Character faults make them more realistic and fun, as long as they aren't annoying or distracting. I'm tired of generic cold or distanced party members or protagonists, or worse, silent ones. They'd also have to be logical. I get annoyed when they make irrational decisions or dialogue in cutscenes or such. Some decent personality traits would be ill-tempered, sarcastic, or arrogant.

- Party System - Ideal Number to characters - what's to little or to many
3 or 4 party characters at a time are fine. As for playable characters, hopefully no more than twice as much that can fit into a party. Variety is nice, but no matter how big the game is, I don't think they can give in depth personalities to a ton of characters without becoming repetitive.

I likes in Tales of the Abyss how the party formation could be screwed up when ambushed, or in Golden Sun 2 where if one party died the other party members would come in. Some faults with that, though, would be if you get ambushed and your other members are low-leveled. Characters should still earn EXP out of party. As for switching groups when the first party is killed, that can make the bosses too easy, and make it so the dead ones can't earn EXP if you finish the battle. Both of those features would have to be revamped.

- Music Genre? Score Composition if you want to talk about it.
The genre would have to be understandable for the setting and theme of the game. I personally wouldn't want any new age genre to go with it, like rock, rap, metal, or anything. Just typical RPG music would be fine, as long as it wasn't too simple or bland. Rather than just a few repeating notes, I think the music should be as detailed as possible, maybe each track having about 4 minutes of song that doesn't just repeat every 30 seconds.

- Life Topics - to drown out the save world main plot as it were - what life topics would you talk about in the rpg. obviously it would have to link in with the story (like tales of symphonia and racism)
Racism was actually really good. Maybe loyalty, respect, and trust would be a few good main points in the game's storyline.

- Do you find in RPGs that sometimes they go a bit over the top with dungeons (should they be short with a decent puzzle, or just keep to a plain long dungeon) What dungeons would you have - locations you thing would make good dungeons and what kind of enemies would roam there?
I like a big variation in them. Maybe huge dungeons for main bosses, short ones that you can breeze through just for getting from one place to another. Maybe mini-bosses in them could make them more fun. The dungeons should have some good, in depth puzzles too. Not stuff that you would never figure out without good ol' GameFAQs, but things that consume some time and require thought.

The dungeons should have many different landforms. Deserts, forests, plateaus, caves, watery areas, swamps, plains, mountains, snowcaps, and even indoors (maybe like palaces, temples, houses, barns, lighthouses, skyscrapers, anything really). The enemies should be a challenge, but battling shouldn't take forever. The enemies should also correspond with the place (i.e. no man-eating shark encounters while strolling through the forest).

- Shops - what shops - lots or little
Inns, equipment, and item shops. There should be a wide variety of towns or villages, and a shop in almost each of them. With a lot of shops, there's plenty of variety in equipment and items (healing, battle, etc). Maybe the stuff in shops will get better in towns further in the game, or based on if they're rich places. Still, you should also be able to find other items, preferrably better ones, in dungeons, probably with puzzles needed to obtain them as well.

- Change the way you level up a character? Make it more interesting?
Experience points are pretty fair. I guess having a choice to raise certains stats is good, but experience points are fine too since the amount required to level increases based on your level, the stats increase every level, making battling possible against harder enemies, and distribute to everyone.

However, I think stat increases should be granted to individual characters based on their mood. They could go away or be even for each character by the end of the game, but they should change often.

- "RPGs are basically interactive story books" is this a good thing?
Definitely.

- Back to incrypting genres - Wild Arms 3 had horseriding battles - did this work well - could you do some other customised genre battle?
I think some customization, or certain scenarios changing due to battle can be great. Granted, because some people don't like them, they should be optional or one-time only.

- Final Battle - Something big and all powerful, epic location, abilities and skills??
Not necessarily, but it should be the main antagonist, or at least related to the antagonist. Should definitely be powerful, but it's not really too important who or what it is, as long as it has an important place in the storyline. The location should be epic too. It could be an amazing dungeon, or a simple place. It should give you chills when you finally go there, or maybe when you revisit the place. It should be a long dungeon, and the final boss should be very challenging, with a wide variety of skills and abilities, hopefully that rival the protagonist's.

- Save anywhere, and scrap savepoints?
Save anywhere is all right, but savepoints make you more anxious and determined to find one. However, challenging battles in the middle of nowhere, far from savepoints makes it really annoying to start over if you lose, which I guess goes with the next point.

- Boss Retries (referring to Baten Kaitos and Skies of Arcadia) - if it comes to game over, should you be given the oppertunity to restart the battle and try again instead of having the annoyance of going through events and location to get to it again?
Only if you can't save immediately before the battle.

What kind of toxic man-thing is happening now?