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dtgreene: I disagree. For me, for a game to be an RPG, combat (and preferably other things as well) needs to be decided based on the character's skill, not the player's.

To put it another way, in an RPG, the player tells the character what to do rather than directly controlling the character herself. That distinguishes RPGs from, say, action games.

Also, don't forget that non-RPGs have leveling systems in some way (for example, powering up your whip in the original Castlevania).

One more question: How would you classify a game that is similar to a typical Dragon Quest game, except that there is no leveling system (but combat is still turn based)?
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astroclay: Personally I've always thought that RPGs were best characterized by a system of stat/level growth. A player's characters would almost always begin a game in a fairly weak state and would be unable to handle all but the most basic and common enemies. However, over the course of the game -- and especially as a result of the player's actions and direct commands in battle -- the player's character would be gradually transformed to be able to fight progressively more difficult enemies. Therefore "control" in the sense of telling a character what to do still relies on a certain degree of player skill that is comparable to any other game.

The difference in my interpretation of an RPG from say, leveling up a weapon in Castlevania or Super Metroid, is that these other games focus on improving equipment but not necessarily the player's character. Therefore, growth becomes less individualized in the context of these other games as the player cannot change fundamental aspects of their character, limiting the degree to which a player may actively engage in "role playing" . Of course there are many exceptions to this rule, and genre boundaries are routinely blurred making the whole business of defining the critical elements of an RPG somewhat difficult... To side step this whole issue, I simply think of RPGs (or RPG-esque games) as having some form of stat/level growth. :p

Finally in regards to your last question... I can't think of any game in which a player might engage in a system of turn-based combat without actually experiencing the rewards of stat/level growth. Heck, even strategy RPGs rely on some form of character growth to improve a player's units over the course of the game.
What about SaGa 2 (Final Fantasy Legend 2), when played with a party of 4 Robots? (In that game, which has turn based combat, different races have different rules for growth, and Robots, in particular, have their stats solely determined by equipment.)

Also, I should point out that there are RPGs where growth isn't "individualized" as you describe it. Dragon Quest 1 and 2, for example. Also, Final Fantasy Mystic Quest (though that game has some interesting mechanics that aren't obvious, like the fact that Life acts as an instant death spell on enemies).

Also, what about Gradius (and similar games), where you get to control how your ship powers up?
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groze: Many wouldn't consider it a true RPG, more of some sort of JARPG, or something like that, but when I think of <span class="bold">Terranigma</span> (a game so good that makes me not care about Chrono Trigger never having been released in Europe on the SNES -- as far as I'm concerned, we got the better game out of the two), I can't help but think of Huballs.
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astroclay: If I recall correctly, Terrangima still has some sort of stat/leveling system correct? I think that's enough to qualify it as an RPG even if it's not strictly turn-based like other JRPGs :D Besides, I've seen other major series with similar gameplay mechanics (such as the Legend of Zelda) described as RPGs in the past.

While I may be reaching at this point -- since I'm beginning to enter game series genre-crossover territory -- I think that Mettaurs are a fairly common, albeit classic enemy in the RPG-esque Megaman Battle Network series.
Yup, Terranigma does have a levelling up system, though stat assignments are completely automated, the player has no input in that -- and they are randomly assigned, for better or worse, every time you level up. You only get to add/subtract strength and defense points by changing weapons and equipment and, sometimes, you raise your HP, STR, DEF or LCK when you find Life, Strength, Defense or Luck potions.

Personally, I think it's an RPG, it was more of a disclaimer on my part, since most of the hardcore RPG purists (who abound in the GOG Forums) have a very strict and close-minded idea of what a "true" RPG is.
Post edited September 27, 2015 by groze
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dtgreene: What about SaGa 2 (Final Fantasy Legend 2), when played with a party of 4 Robots? (In that game, which has turn based combat, different races have different rules for growth, and Robots, in particular, have their stats solely determined by equipment.)

Also, I should point out that there are RPGs where growth isn't "individualized" as you describe it. Dragon Quest 1 and 2, for example. Also, Final Fantasy Mystic Quest (though that game has some interesting mechanics that aren't obvious, like the fact that Life acts as an instant death spell on enemies).

Also, what about Gradius (and similar games), where you get to control how your ship powers up?
Well, I suppose there are other aspects of RPGs that I didn't explicitly discuss that may help define my position. For example, when I say "RPG" I usually think of multiple, co-occurring features of the genre that exist within a single game, such as a system of stat/level growth, player interaction with npc characters, equip-able items/armor/weapons, and the option to engage in side quests that are tangential to the main story line.

Nevertheless, you bring up several good points. Specifically, I had never considered the possibility of that a game might exist in which combat is turn based but leveling is irrelevant to play. However, I would wager a bet that playing SaGa 2 with four robots is quite the exception and doesn't necessarily define the game's genre as I outlined above. As a result, a playthrough of SaGa 2 with four robots might be less than typical (and somewhat contrary to RPG conventions), but not necessarily indicative of the game's genre. Therefore, I recognize that the term "RPG" does encompass several related, though not necessarily essential features of a certain type of game.

As for Gradius... well, I'd say what you'd described is more along the lines of "customization" rather than "individualization" insofar as role-play is involved. After all, I can certainly customize the Vic Viper to fit my play style, but I could never truly "role-play" in the conventional sense. In this case, I think it's best to rely on more common-sense notion of what a game's genre might entail (If it walks like a duck and talks like a duck...).

Of course, there's always the more confusing situation in which games begin to cross or bend genres. Case in point: Sigma Star Saga -- a shmup-RPG hybrid. I mean, how the heck would you characterize that game?


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groze: Yup, Terranigma does have a levelling up system, though stat assignments are completely automated, the player has no input in that -- and they are randomly assigned, for better or worse, every time you level up. You only get to add/subtract strength and defense points by changing weapons and equipment and, sometimes, you raise your HP, STR, DEF or LCK when you find Life, Strength, Defense or Luck potions.

Personally, I think it's an RPG, it was more of a disclaimer on my part, since most of the hardcore RPG purists (who abound in the GOG Forums) have a very strict and close-minded idea of what a "true" RPG is.
That's understandable, though I still think the term "RPG" is rather subjective. Of course, what makes conversation fun is the difference of opinion!

In all honesty though, I started this thread because I wanted to learn more about RPGs with unique and fun enemies!
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groze: Yup, Terranigma does have a levelling up system, though stat assignments are completely automated, the player has no input in that -- and they are randomly assigned, for better or worse, every time you level up. You only get to add/subtract strength and defense points by changing weapons and equipment and, sometimes, you raise your HP, STR, DEF or LCK when you find Life, Strength, Defense or Luck potions.

Personally, I think it's an RPG, it was more of a disclaimer on my part, since most of the hardcore RPG purists (who abound in the GOG Forums) have a very strict and close-minded idea of what a "true" RPG is.
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astroclay: That's understandable, though I still think the term "RPG" is rather subjective. Of course, what makes conversation fun is the difference of opinion!

In all honesty though, I started this thread because I wanted to learn more about RPGs with unique and fun enemies!
Well, then, here you have the entire <span class="bold">list of Terranigma enemies</span>!

(I still maintain the Huball is the flagship monster, though)
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MarioFanaticXV: "It is pitch black. You are likely to be eaten by a grue."
I just saw this thread and came on it to say:

One of the most memorable for me has always been a grue, but I don't have any idea what one looks like!!!
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Etrian Odyssey: Ragelope. This is the first F.O.E. that the player encounters in the first game. Also, the F.O.E.'s out-of-battle appearance could be considered iconic for the original DS entries of the series.

Non-RPGs have iconic enemies as well:

Super Mario Bros.: Koopas. Land on these enemies (which look like turtles) and they turn into a shell, collide into the shell and you will kick it, killing any enemies (and possibly Mario!) that they collide with.

Castlevania: Medusa Heads. Fly in a wavy pattern and can be hard to avoid (especially while jumping across gaps). In the classicvania entries, getting knocked into a pit, causing you to lose a life. In the metroidvanias, some medusa heads will petrify you, preventing you from moving (and possibly getting other enemies to hurt you).

Mega Man series: Mettaurs. These enemies hide under their hats, making them invincible. Every now and then, they raise their hats in order to attack (and are briefly vulnerable). (Are there any weapons that can kill Mettaurs when they're hiding under their hats?) Mega Man 9 uses a variant of this enemy as a funny (but non-fatal) trap late in the game.