What the hell is an RPG

Maybe Devil May Cry has RPG elements, that's why I was trying to distinguish RPGs with elements of other genre and other genres with RPG elements. It should be reasonable to say that character customization counts as role playing. For examle a person may choose to be a white mage, while another person may choose to be a fighter or something (i dont play too much FF, so i dont know what they are called). Aren't those two people playing different roles in the game? It should also be possible to play a role in the story without having any kind of ability to change the story itself. Maybe in a story I am suppose to aid someone to destroy a castle. I can choose different roles that I play while aiding that someone, but I don't have to change the event of aiding him to play different roles.

 

That's a sound argument, but I don't know if I agree with ya.

I beg to differ. While character customization can come off as a form of role playing, choosing between a fighter or a white mage in FF1 (or any similar game) is like choosing between the shotgun and a handgun in a generic FPS. What I'm trying to say is, being a white mage or a fighter does not really change your role as much as it change your approach to the gameplay, wich is far different from your role. You're still doing the same thing, only in different fashion. It's like trading one for 1. But then again, that's all my opinion.

 

After reading your post, I can't disagree with you. Even the meaning of "roles" is hard to define.

 

This. I think it's important to pinpoint the roles one can assume during a game. IMO, there are basically 2: your role in the gameplay (like being a fighter, a mage, or using the sniper rifle instead of the handgun), wich is present in any game, and the role you can take in the story (IMO characterized by the ability to make decisions that will alter the storyline), and this is the one that makes a RPG a RPG.

 

Most decisions I make in jRPGs are the "Yes or No" questions xP