Durlag's Tower quests come to mind. Find this, Find that, Kill this, Kill that, and do it in this order. I so hated the Durlag's Tower quests. I had to find a walkthrough to complete it.

True, but nowadays a lot of games specifically contain elements from RPGs, which would indicate the popularity of that genre again. On the other hand, what you said could also point to RPGs being popular because the more recent ones have become much more varied, accessible, easy and action-oriented by fusing with other genres (shooter RPG, stealth RPG, beat-em-up RPG, arcade RPG etc.).

Another observation from these threads is that many seem to dislike games that are rather prosaic and remind them of everyday life and chores or history and world politics, which could be another point for RPGs with fantasy and alternative world settings, where you can get powerful by easy means, without having to study or bother with politics, economics and other tedious or complicated stuff.

In any case, it seems that developers have discovered that RPG elements, especially leveling-up mechanics, are truly motivating and can make the most trivial things feel like great accomplishments. ;)

Ah cool, thanks. I should try those some time. There is only a small handful of JRPGs that I enjoyed - maybe my tastes are similar to yours.

It is very true that most of my GOG account is split between RPGs and adventure games :)

1/ fighting games
2/ shooters, especially when they involve zombies
3/ platformers
4/ driving games, especially when they are focussed on destructing other cars ( Flatout style). This does not include GTA though

I like most game genres but there are some I loathe or just never managed to enjoy:

1. Resource management type strategy type games. (Enough mining/logging etc. Just start the battle already).

2. I can't get into horizontal/vertical shooters (those games where you pilot this little spaceship against swarms of alien ships/aliens and then a battle against an oversized ship at the end of each level)

3. RTS

4. Western CRPGs

5. Games designed for "Casual" gamers. (e.g. move the blocks/balls/tiles, clear the field, rinse & repeat ad nauseum)

6. Any driving/racing games that over focuses on customization of the cars (engine tweaking, decals, skins etc)

RUNNERS UP:

I don't dislike the genre but most old Point & Click games have not aged well. (Hunt the pixel anyone? What a bout puzzles that could never be solved by any logical person - the only way to solve them is to guess by combining any/all items of inventory and trying them on the obstacle or give up and look up a FAQ)

I love the RPG genre but I hate games that are:
1. Merely a dungeon crawler (I like RPGs mainly for the adventure element - exploring new lands/towns etc. and for the storyline - esp. plot-twists)
2. A grind fest and/or has excessively high rate of random encounters

I don't hate the fighting genre but I dislike fighting games that place too much importance on combos over reactions (which is pretty much all fighting games these days). I mean who really wants to remember 20-40 long strings of button presses to pull a powerful combo? For every playable character in the game?

It's not that I dont like whole genres but I'm not really big on point and click games and sport managers.

Near as I can tell that leaves RPGs that aren't dungeon crawlers. I don't mean to come off as a smartass but I don't think that really equates to, " I like most game genres..." :P

I'm puzzled why the Sims franchise is so popular

Do you at least enjoy watching EVO?

Not quite but they are my favourite :P

Strange words from you ;) (I've seen some of your posts in other threads). ;)

Heh it does sound like that when you put it that way. But I think I'm right in saying I like most game genres. Here's the genres that I do play/don't dislike:

JRPG
FPS
Adventure
Sim (not sure if I have the correct genre. I'm thinking of the Harvest Moon franchise - it's neither Sim nor RPG)
Tactical RPGs
Action-Adventure
2D Platformers
Third person shooter
Puzzle games
Beat-em-up (incl. hack and slash)(fave=Streets of Rage)
Arcade Racing/Driving games
Cartoon/Kart Racing (fave=Mario Kart)
Music games
Rail shooter (fave=Starfox)
TBS Turn Based Strategy
Stealth (probably should go under Action-Adventure?)
Sports games
Tactical Shooter (fave=Tom Clancy games)
Sandbox RPGs
Fighting (I didn't dislike the genre itself - I don't like overemphasis on long combos)
Point & Click (I don't dislike the genre itself - many old P&Cs haven't aged well)


To the genres I dislike, add the following:
* 4x games
* Artillery games
* Pinball
* MMORPGs
* Rogue RPGs (I hate dungeon crawlers)

XD I know what you are saying, no harm was meant.
Regarding something else you just posted and this freaks me out, I love the Sims, but I have no earthly idea why. The only reason I have it is it was an Xmas gift and I play it all the time but I really have no clue why! XD Maybe it's because of the stupid stuff like being turned into a vampire or the time I my Sim accidentally electrocuted himself while lifting weights. Who knows?

You do know that long combos is not completely what fighting games are about?

Just watch EVO Top 8s of Street Fighter 4, Mortal Kombat 2011, and you can tell.

I was just thinking about this very subject a few weeks ago. There are several games I don't like, but I could never put them into a single genre. For example I like a good console based button masher such as Marvel Ultimate Alliance or Justice League Heroes, however games like Diablo and Torchlight are basically the same but I can't stand them. I like playing Fallout and Jagged Alliance but find Baldur's Gate to be painful torture. At first I thought it might be thee Turn-Based vs Real-Time mechanic but the Active Pause actually made the game worse. Yet I love RTS games like Command & Conquer, WarCraft and StarCraft which are (mechanically speaking) very similar in play style to titles like Baldur's Gate and Arcanum. I was beginning to think that the whole thing revolved around the use of the mouse-centric controls, however I really enjoy Point & Click adventure and puzzle games. So I'm at a loss as to how to define the games I don't like and it is quite frustrating because there are games I think I want but they could have this weird mystery mechanic that renders them unplayable for me.


Although I have been able to pinpoint certain Horror games as a genre I don't like. Not all Horror as I like Alone in the Dark, Resident Evil and Silent Hill style Survival Horror games. I also enjoy the more action oriented System Shock 2 style and what ever category you want to put Alan Wake in. What I don't like are the No Combat Allowed Horror games like Amnesia and Slender. If there is something scary and evil coming after me, I feel the safest course of action is to destroy it. Running away and hiding just isn't part of my personality.

I dislike racing sims (so much so, that I quit Half-Life 2 at the buggy level), grinding MMORPGs (with Sword2 being the only exception) and... that's all. I don't play sport sims or platformers out of plain indifference towards the genres, not because they make me feel uneasy or something.
Just think of those as of natural disasters. You (as an individual without anyone to aid you) do not destroy a tornado or, say, a tsunami, you run/hide from it. Well, at least that's the way I see those games.