[General Discussion] An Ideal RPG?

*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.

Jam it back in, in the dark.