Gamespy's 'Top 10 Ways to Know You're a PC Snob'

[Dark Jaguar]

I'm not debating strategy games or sims. I will however debate pretty much everything else. RPGs, well again it's a matter of taste. I've played FFXII and I've played Oblivion. They tend in different directions. One is open ended and is very flexible in character creation, but the combat system is pathetic. There is no real strategy involved. It's all determined beforehand by your stats. Don't get me wrong, I love character development, but it is what it is. On the other hand, while the character are predefined in Japanese RPGs, the combat systems are usually VERY rich. "Stand in lines and take turns stabbing each other" more accurately describes American RPGs. I really don't recall ever actually having to come up with a strategy in battle. Whether I won or not was already determined by my equipment in a game like KOTOR. Now there's something to be said for that sort of development, but I much prefer having to develop an overly complicated chain of special abilities that leads to a single conclusion. For example, I don't recall ever having to use a "jump" ability to avoid a major spell in a battle where draining MP is the way to victory, remembering to case "Reraise" on my characters to prepare for a scripted "Ultima" spell at the end of the battle, but these sorts of complicated strategies are par for the course in Japanese RPGs. All the bosses have unique abilities that require complicated battle plans. Of course, you could just power level yourself so you can just use the sword over and over until they fall down, but that's the boring way to play it.

Really what I look forward to is an RPG that combines the strengths of both styles.