Hey gamers!
This is Gian, host of VGATW!
The RPG genre is one of my most favorite genres in video games.
Why?
Because in RPG you get to explore the world around you, take part in fun sidequests, yet
at times they can be quite a pain in the neck.
What I also love about RPG's is the action, the story, the music and also the character
development.
Not to forget that there are some characters you can relate to, as well as funny, sad,
epic and heartbreaking moments.
There have been lots of great RPG franchises over the years, bad titles too and also some
solo devs have worked independently on making RPG games of their own using apps like RPG
Maker, Unity, Game Maker Studio and many more while wanting to create a story of their own
inspired by whatever RPG title is their favorite.
So ladies and gentlemen, today's episode is the History of Role Playing Games.
Enjoy A
role-playing game or RPG for short is a game where players assume the role of characters
in a fictional setting.
Players take the responsibility for acting out in these roles within a narrative, either
through literal acting or through a process of structured decision-making or character
development.
In such games, players solve puzzles, interact with NPCs (Non-Playable Characters), and gaining
experience points by defeating enemies in turn-based or real-time combat to increase
their characters' various statistics (Strength, Stamina, Agility, Intelligence, and so on.)"
Actions taken within many games succeed or fail according to a formal system of rules
and guidelines.
There are several forms of RPG games and these are the following.
The original form of RPG is a Table-top RPG video game, is conducted through discussion,
whereas in live action role-playing games (LARP) players physically perform their characters'
actions.
In both of these forms, an arranger called a game master (GM) usually decides on the
rules and setting to be used, acting as referee, while each of the other players plays the
role of a single character.
And finally there is the MMORPG, in which is a role-playing game where not one but thousands
of gamers from around the world can play online in the game.
RPG games usually have a re-enactment of history in it's own fictional way, like the War of
Roses for example.
And also creating fictional religions based on various real-world ones like Christianity,
Islam, Taoism, Shinto Buddhism, Jodo Buddhisim, Zoroastronism, Wicca and so on.
Role-play began as soon as humanity started developing imagination.
People would often do historical re-enactment, an educational or entertainment activity in
which people follow a plan to recreate aspects of a historical event or period.
This may be as narrow as a specific moment from a battle, such as the reenactment of
Pickett's Charge presented during the Great Reunion of 1913, or as broad as an entire
period, such as Regency reenactment or The 1920s Berlin Project.
Such things were practiced by adults for a long time.
An example is the ancient Han Chinese Dynasty, which enjoyed occasionally organizing events
in which everyone pretended to be from an earlier age, and entertainment appears to
have been the primary purpose of these activities.
In 16th century Europe, traveling teams of players performed a form of improvisational
theatre known as the Commedia dell'arte (Art Comedy), with stock situations, stock characters
and improvised dialogue.
In the 19th and early 20th century, many board games and parlour games such as the game Jury
Box included elements of role-playing.
Mock trials, model legislatures, and the "Theatre Games" created by Viola Spolin arose, in which
players took on the roles of characters and improvised, but without the formalised rules
which would characterise modern role-playing games.
What also inspired role-playing games is not just references to history and religion, but
also board games like Chess, Checkers and Chinese Checkers in which the nobles would
often play in times of war during the Middle Ages.
According to RPG designer John Wick, Chess can be turned into a role-playing game if
chess pieces such as the king, queen, rooks, knights or pawns are given names, and decisions
are made based on their motivations.
According to Wick, Dungeons & Dragons was a "sophisticated, intricate and complicated
combat simulation board game that people were turning into a roleplaying game" just "like
giving your rook a motive" in Chess.
Even in the old days before video games existed, little kids would often play games of cowboys
and Indians, Pirates, Knights slaying dragons, fighting tyrannical Kings, rescuing maidens
and princesses and so on.
Some children would also imagine themselves as soldiers in war and at times superheroes
like Superman, Batman, Captain America, Wonder Woman and so on.
Dave Arneson and Gary Gygax were avid war gamers and fans of JRR Tolkien's Lord of
the Rings series.
They had been working on a war game involving controlling small groups of Mid-evil soldiers.
It started gaining aspects from Tolkiens series.
This evolved into what is known as Dungeons and Dragons (DND) and a category of games
called Table Top Role playing games.
Currently the biggest names in this genre are Dungeons and Dragons, GURPS and White
Wolf, which all offer their own worlds, rules and types of games.
Table Top role playing games still exist and are quite popular.
While these are played, the big name companies also have but out numerous RPG video games.
While games have existed on the computer for some time, but it was the Arpanet and a game
called Adventure that first offered a glimpse of the future.
The first commercially available role-playing game, Dungeons & Dragons (D&D), was published
in 1974 by Gygax's TSR.
TSR marketed the game as a niche product.
Gygax expected to sell about 50,000 copies.
After establishing itself in boutique stores it developed a cult following among college
students and SF fandom.
The game's growing success spawned cottage industries and a variety of peripheral products.
In a few years other fantasy games appeared, some of which blatantly copied the look and
feel of the original game.
One of the earliest competitors was Tunnels and Trolls (1975).
Dungeons & Dragons was so popular that it spawned a cartoon series in the 1980s.
But at the same time, despite it's popularity the game found itself under attack by various
Christian groups, for alleged promotion of such practices as devil worship, witchcraft,
suicide, and murder, and for the presence of naked breasts in drawings of female humanoids
in the original AD&D manuals (mainly monsters such as harpies, succubi, etc.).
These controversies led TSR to remove many potentially controversial references and artwork
when releasing the 2nd Edition of AD&D.
Many of these references, including the use of the names "devils" and "demons", were reintroduced
in the 3rd edition.
The moral panic over the game led to problems for fans of D&D who faced social ostracism,
unfair treatment, and false association with the occult and Satanism, regardless of an
individual fan's actual religious affiliation and beliefs.
Christian groups have a reputation for attacking entertainment because they believed they were
unholy, evil and would teach people to hate God.
Dungeons & Dragons has been the subject of rumors regarding players having difficulty
separating fantasy from reality, even leading to psychotic episodes.
The most notable of these was the saga of James Dallas Egbert III, the facts of which
were fictionalized in the novel Mazes and Monsters and later made into a TV movie in
1982 starring Tom Hanks.
The game was blamed for some of the actions of Chris Pritchard, who was convicted in 1990
of murdering his stepfather.
Research by various psychologists, starting with Armando Simon, has concluded that no
harmful effects are related to the playing of D&D.
The game's commercial success was a factor that led to lawsuits regarding distribution
of royalties between original creators Gygax and Arneson.
Gygax later became embroiled in a political struggle for control of TSR which culminated
in a court battle and Gygax's decision to sell his ownership interest in the company
in 1985.
In 1980, the dungeon crawler RPG game Rogue was very popular.
This game introduced the ASCII graphics where the setting, monsters and items were represented
by letters and a deep system of gameplay, it inspired a whole genre ("roguelikes") of
similar clones.
The 80s also introduced various new RPG games such as Wizardry, Shin Megami Tensei, Final
Fantasy, Dragon Warrior and so on.
In the 1990s, with computer games advancing at new levels, video games were becoming even
more popular.
These games, which use settings and game-mechanics found in role-playing games, do not require
a gamemaster or require a player to remain in-character.
Although they helped to introduce new gamers to the hobby, the demands of time and money
on players were split between the two.
In 1993, Peter Adkison and Richard Garfield, a doctoral candidate in mathematics at the
University of Pennsylvania, released a competitive card collecting game with a fantasy setting
reminiscent of fantasy role-playing games called Magic: The Gathering.
The game was extremely successful, and its publisher Wizards of the Coast (WotC) experienced
phenomenal growth; A new genre of collectible card games emerged.
The sudden appearance and remarkable popularity of Magic took many gamers (and game publishing
companies) by surprise, as they tried to keep pace with fads and changes in the public opinion.
In terms of video games during the 1990s, a very popular RPG series for PC was The Elder
Scrolls by Bethesda Softworks was released in 1994.
The game was Bethesda's attempt to create a true "pen and paper" style experience for
personal computers, with the fifth major game, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (2011) being one
of the most frequently released games in the history of the industry.
There were other games in the 1990s that had a lot of fame and popularity such as Final
Fantasy IV-VIII, Lufia and the Fortress of Doom, Lufia II: Rise of the Sinistrals, Chrono
Trigger, Illusion of Gaia, Secret of Mana, Pokemon Red, Blue and Yellow and many more.
Final Fantasy VII would bring the franchise into 3D where in the main series, characters
would no longer be sprite rendered unless some games of the series were handheld.
Final Fantasy Tactics would be a blend of 3D and 2.5 dimensional rendered sprites.
In the 1990s there was also a decline in the RPG genre.
It was due to the gamers time and money split three ways.
Articles appeared in Dragon Magazine and other industry magazines foretelling the "end of
role-playing", since face-to-face time was spent playing Magic.
TSR's attempts to become a publishing house further drained their reserves of cash, and
the financially troubled company was eventually purchased by Wizards of the Coast in 1997.
Articles criticising WotC's game in TSR's magazine stopped.
WotC became a division of Hasbro in 1998, being bought for an estimated $325 million.
In the 2000s up until now, well known RPGs that were once seen in 8 to 32 bit graphics
would evolve into 3D and then using engines such as Unreal in later years.
And even many MMORPGs would become very popular.
However, some aspiring game designers would create their own RPG games using the program
called RPG Maker and it's many editions in the hopes of getting their opportunity to
work in the gaming industry.
Some RPGs can have a tactical gameplay combining chess, checkers and even rock paper scissors
like Final Fantasy Tactics, Fire Emblem and so on.
The MUD stands for Multi-User Dungeons.
MUDs are text-based RPG games that are usually heavily driven by the players.
In this type of game, players create their own characters, quests and storylines as they
go.
These early games were very popular and they would be the precursors to MMORPGs.
How popular they were?
Well, multiple players would log in simultaneously and play together.
These games, while sometimes created by corporations, were usually made by people who liked games
and knew enough programming.
To make one a person just needed to know enough programming or have the right programs.
This means that there are hundreds of thousands of these games.
Due to the ease of finding free MUD's, subscription based MUD's failed.
As time moved on Mud's lost popularity to console and computer games with graphics.
To play on a MUD one needs a mud client, a freeware trial client is available at Zuggsoft
and I'd recommend The Final Challenge as a MUD to play.
So what exactly is an MMORPG?
An MMORPG stands for Massively-Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game.
It is a type of genre in which not one but multiple online gamers from around the world
play in one RPG game.
In MMORPG games, players create their own avatars and they can choose to be male or
female and select a specific race be it Human, Elf, Hobbit, Dwarf, Reptilian or if it's futuristic,
they could choose a Vulcan or a Yoda-like type of race.
The very first MMORPG is believed to have been released in 1995.
It was titled Meridian 59 and it was a huge success that it won multiple awards, including
the fantasy-role-playing game of the year for 1996.
It was a finalist for Computer Gaming World's 1996 "Role-Playing Game of the Year" award,
which ultimately went to The Elder Scrolls II: Daggerfall.
The game is known as the first 3D graphical massively multiplayer online role-playing
game (MMORPG) and stands as one of the longest running original online role-playing games.
MMORPG's evolved out of the MUDs types of games.
There have been several attempts to create successful MMOs, but none of them would appear
until the classic Everquest, which was released in 1999.
RuneScape, released in 2001 by Jagex was loved by many, but scorned by others and it did
not surpass Everquest by Sony Online Entertainment.
Everquest was extremely popular until 2004, when it was surpassed by an extremely popular
MMO that still holds it's reputation, World of Warcraft by Blizzard Entertainment.
World of Warcraft is one of the most popular MMORPGs that spawned expanded storylines,
a live action movie, comic books and many more.
There are also various YouTubers who stream their playthroughs of Warcraft live and have
collectibles such as Danielle Mackey, also known as Panser.
Panser on YouTube is also known as TradeChat.
Easy boys, easy!
Some companies such as LucasArts and Square Enix would try to create their own MMORPGs
and put them on the market.
LucasArts succeeded with creating Star Wars: The Old Republic and became extremely popular.
While Square Enix created Final Fantasy XI and spawned expanded games such as Chains
of Promathia, Seekers of Adoulin and more.
Final Fantasy XIV online was first released in 2010, but it was panned due to bugs and
glitches and didn't sell so well.
But Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn was released and became a very improved version
and became popular.
Not to forget that this game spawned a Japanese Netflix series titled "Final Fantasy XIV:
Dad of Light", which was about the bond between a father and son through the game.
Final Fantasy XIV also had various expansions such as Heavensward and Stormblood
Other MMORPGs include games like The Matrix Online, Star Trek, Dungeons and Dragons' Neverwinter
Tera, Skyforge, EVE Online, Star Wars Galaxies, Guild Wars 2, Elder Scrolls Online and more.
MMOs not only allow players to fight monsters, gain experience, interact with NPCs and so
on.
But they allow gamers to interact with other players, befriend them, join a party with
them and at times, some players would often enter the game looking for relationships in
which at times most female MMO gamers do and males as well.
In terms of male and female demographics in MMORPG games, most male gamers enjoy befriending
while exploring the world, becoming strong, fighting monsters and destroy things.
While female gamers would at times do the same, a lot of them would befriend other gamers,
seek a possible relationship, explore and immerse themselves in other worlds.
However, sometimes there could be bullying incidents in MMORPGs not just towards females
but also towards males as well.
Of course, playing MMORPG and interacting with other players can have their pros and
their cons.
In RPG games there are plenty of well known love stories not just in games like in the
Final Fantasy series.
Of course, in Final Fantasy we remember couples like Cecil and Rosa, Cloud and Tifa, Squall
and Rinoa, Zidane and Garnet, Tidus and Yuna, Snow and Serah and many more.
But who doesn't remember Shana and Dart from Legend of Dragoon?
A lot of us who played that game do.
And we also remember how the Male Shepard in the first two Mass Effect games romanced
only characters of the opposite sex.
But then in Mass Effect 3 the MaleShep could romance someone of the same sex.
While the FemShep in all three games romanced both the opposite and the same sex.
In Fire Emblem, characters could support one another.
In titles before Fates, characters of the opposite sex with an A or S support could
end up romantically involved.
But then in Fire Emblem Fates and Echoes of Valentia, characters can end up romantically
involved with the same sex as well.
Who doesn't that cute moment with Mustadio and Agrias in Final Fantasy Tactics?
It was unlocked during a scene where Agrias birthday was celebrated.
In Skyrim you could have your avatar romance someone of the same sex or the opposite.
And you could have the option to marry.
But it's not just in RPGs that you can romance NPC or playable characters.
In MMORPGs you can romance only NPCs.
In MMORPGs people have married NPC characters as well.
However, some players looking for relationships while playing in MMORPGs have found their
better half in the game, met in person, started dating, later popping the big question and
finally tying the knot.
Romances in RPGs and MMORPGs are just like watching a romcom movie, a romance movie or
reading romance novels.
Like other game genres, RPGs and MMORPGs have many references to culture and religion.
And what is culture?
The customary beliefs, social forms, and material traits of a racial, religious, or social group;
also : the characteristic features of everyday existence (such as diversions or a way of
life) shared by people in a place or time.
In games, culture is used primarily for world-building, often processed into fantasy or sci-fi setting.
RPG games usually take place in a medieval world, just like Medieval Europe and England.
However, there are various places which references different cultures such as Japanese culture,
Chinese culture, Arabic culture, Indian culture, Native American and other aboriginal cultures
as well.
Illusion of Gaia, an action-RPG game is known for making various cultural references.
In this game, the main hero named Will, travels to various wonders of the world in search
of Mystic Statues.
These wonders of the world are the following: the Inca Ruins, the Nazca Paintings, the Cambodian
temple of Angkor Wat, the Egyptian Pyramid, the Great Wall of China and the biblical Tower
of Babel.
There can also be some type of feminist-like places in RPG games like Troia in Final Fantasy
IV.
The Troia kingdom in Final Fantasy IV is a matriarchal kingdom led by eight female Epopts.
Women fill other primarily "male" roles as well, such as being the guards, soldiers,
doctors, and shopkeepers of the castle and its village.
A peaceful nation, it has been known for never having participated in a war, although it
appears to have a disciplined military.
In terms of some feminist themes in RPG games.
There are RPG games that feature strong female leads.
First example is being Final Fantasy VI, in which Terra is the main protagonist.
Terra is first used by the Gestahlian Empire, who exploit her abilities via a slave crown
controlled by Kefka.
After she is freed from the slave crown, the Returners attempt to recruit her to fight
the empire.
While she has no love for the empire, Terra is apprehensive about joining the Returners,
as she is confused by and afraid of her powers, while unsure of what is the right cause to
fight for.
She longs to learn what love is, but throughout the course of the game, she learns more about
herself, comes into her own, and becomes more focused and determined.
Other examples of female led Final Fantasy games include Final Fantasy X-2 and the XIII
Trilogy.
Female led RPG games also include the Mass Effect series, Dragon's Dogma, Dragon's Age,
Fire Emblem: Blazing Sword, Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones, Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn and
many more.
In terms of religion, RPGs are constantly making religious allusions and references.
The most used religion in RPGs like Final Fantasy is Christianity.
There are also other religious allusions in not only Final Fantasy but also Elder Scrolls,
Dragon Warrior, Lufia and so on.
Other religious references include Islam, Buddhism, Taoism and more.
However, RPG games like Final Fantasy X can message the dangers and the corruption caused
by organized religion.
Final Fantasy X's religious allusions are Islam, due to pilgrimage.
Shinto Buddhism due to symbols, customs and practices.
And it's based as well on the Roman Catholic Church due to it's strict and rigid doctrine.
In the first Final Fantasy game, Garland can be seen as an Anti-Christ type of character
while Chaos could be like Satan.
The four elemental fiends in the first game and fourth game are references to the Four
Horsemen of the Apocalypse.
In other RPG games aside from Final Fantasy the main character or supporting character
is at times a Christ-like figure.
And at times the lead could be some kind of agnostic or atheist character bringing down
a rigid doctrine that fooled and herded the masses like sheep for years.
Chrono Trigger is known for making many biblical references such as Crono eating with his friends
and Ayla as a Last Supper type of setting.
Crono's death and resurrection and also Lavos descending on Earth.
Lavos descent on Earth is a reference to the book of Revelations.
Chapter 8, verse 10 - Then the third angel sounded his trumpet, and a great star burning
like a torch fell from heaven and landed on a third of the rivers and on the springs of
water.
The name of the star is Wormwood.
A third of the waters turned bitter like wormwood oil, and many people died from the bitter
waters.…
Fire Emblem also has it's religious allusions as well.
Like Micaiah from Radiant Dawn, who is a Christ-like figure who performs miracles, forsee an outcome
and so on.
Also, another game known for it's religious allusions is Shin Megami Tensei, in which
players can either choose to side with angels or demons.
In the SMT games, the Judeo-Christian faiths seem portrayed as being extremist or one-sided.
For example, in SMT II you kill YHVH on all the paths, including Law, due to extreme authoritarianism
and megalomania.
Moreover, SMT I seems similar to IV in that it has an implicit bias for neutrality, and
the main neutral hero in I is Lao Tzu I believe that cultural and religious references
in RPG, not just roaming the world fighting monsters and saving the world can make the
game genre even MORE interesting.
People love RPG games because it's not just about fighting monsters, destroying and becoming
strong.
But also because of exploring an open world around them.
Not to forget, gamers love RPG games for these other reasons: Music, character appearances,
character development, fighting sequences and more.
Much like movies that have 3 acts, RPGs can have them as well in this usual chronological
order Act I - Call to Adventure, Refusal and Meeting
the Mentor.
Act II - Crossing the first threshold, testing allies and enemies, approach the innermost
cave, ordeal, reward Act III - The road back, resurrection and
return with the reward.
And finally in conclusion.
RPG games are loved by many and scorned by others like all other game genres.
To me, RPG games are really enjoyable due to exploring the world around you.
Most would feel that they would feel in a Roddenberry-esque type of world and at times
a Tolkien-esque type of world.
Even there are RPG games taking place in a contemporary era type of world like the one
we live in.
Until next time my fellow gamers.
This is Gian, host of VGATW.
Have a good one!
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