Originally posted by ReSublimity

I think the OP got mixed up with the term RPG and MMORPG.

Diablo was a offline RPG with a few multiplayer functions. In that regards, it is a definitely a RPG.

It is not a mmorpg, where players would roleplay in a community perspective with each other, diablo roleplays in the perspective of the player as the hero of the story.

As whether Flagship studio is the RPG authority is another matter. For one, I personnally hated the fact that they created Hellgate instead of DIablo III, so I am inclined to feel that they don't quite know what the public really want from them in terms of RPGs.

If Diablo was a RPG then Baldur's Gate 1 was an adventure detective game.

OP might be arguing to hell and back who is an authority on RPG.... anythings... One thing he has made perfectly clear though...

There might be many people in the world to claim the title "RPG authority"... He is not one of them.

I humbly submit my theory that the classical application of the term "RPG" is incorrect for the majority of modern games. In order to qualify as an RPG today a game need only provide some very basic control over the character's development, a story to follow, and perhaps a basic item/consumable system.

Of course, RPG used to refer to multiplayer, deep, involved, complex games that had freedom of choice, quantized character abilities and probability based mechanics. However these qualities have been chipped away since the golden age of table-top RPGs. It probably began when we got solo gamebooks and text-based computer games, eliminating the multiplayer component, the depth (although some made up with pretty amazing stories), the complexity, and much of the freedom of choice.

Then came graphical video games such as Gauntlet. It was a hack and slash game in a fantasy setting that allowed you to choose your character from four fantasy archetypes, each with different attributes. It had potions, keys, food, hit points, magic, melee & ranged combat. Most interestingly, it brought back the multiplayer aspect by letting up to four people to play at the same time. Unfortunately its story was non-existent. I have never come across the arcade game but several console and computer versions were made.

Because of graphical limitations, every single RPG game up to the groundbreaking Dungeon Master could not be first person and real time. What you had instead was a tactical overhead view or a static 1st person view, and turn-based play. Dungeon Master changed all that, bringing back the immersion and complexity of traditional table-top gaming (I just played it last year and it is STILL a great game!). They went one step further and made magic something to be discovered and understood, as opposed to just cast at the touch of a button. But for all the success of Dungeon Master, the tactical top-down and isometric views didn't go away, nor did the simplified hack and slash Gauntlet gameplay. And soon, the explosion of console RPGs led to 100% scripted games that offered zero control over the story.

Somehow, somewhere along the way, the term RPG came to mean something vastly simplified compared to its original meaning. I see Diablo and "action RPGs" or "hack and slash RPGs" in general as the spawn of Gauntlet. They're not real RPGs to a purist. But they have some of the elements, often simplified, of RPGs. Diablo 2 in particular is not a serious offender, at least it offers all the basic staples of RPGs (including being multiplayer) except for the fact that a true RPG calculates events based on formulae, and can't be hack and slash - button mashing is not an RPG concept! And that's why they get called "action RPGs" or similar.

In short, what is and isn't an RPG  really depends on your view. Personally I think if the label "RPG" were applied a little more strictly, games and gamers would benefit a lot - think deeper games, better immersion, smarter interfaces, etc. I mean, why should S.T.A.L.K.E.R. (a great game) be an FPS-RPG, when Jedi Outcast (an amazing game) is simply an FPS? Is it because the latter is older, or because it doesn't require the insane amount of item management? It's all pretty vague, so not really worth getting worked up about it.

LOL .. the OP has too much time on his hands.

"Action RPG" is just a name for a category of games. It is pretty much accepted usage. Wasting time debating a name is idiotic.

Word use changes all the time.

It's an RPG.

You go on quests, level up and talk to people while exploring a world of adventure.

Traditional, bod standard RPG.

Originally posted by Thillian

 

Originally posted by Coman

 

You also gonna make thread about the 100s of Asian MMO website claiming they have the most awared game in [Instert Asian country]?

 

Also Diablo is an action RPG, infact seeing there core members have created Diablo they have an right to claim the titel for first, last and only voice.

No Diablo is not RPG nor action RPG nor combat RPG or whatever. And I don't care who or what calls it that way, I don't care if those 18 years old kids called reviewers, writing for pseudo review websites like IGN or gamespot. RPG is a genre with its specifications. Diablo doesnt meet any of those.

 

Is tropico a game called political RPG? Sims called life RPG?, Europa 1400 Guild called economical RPG? No same as Diablo is not action RPG, it's just action game.

 In tropico or Europa 1400 guild you have a story, you have a character with traits you pick and improve. That's just not enough to call a game a RPG. And Diablo has nothing more.

What is Diablo 2 then if not an Action RPG?

---

Originally posted by Duilyon

---

Originally posted by Thillian

 

---

Originally posted by Coman

 
You also gonna make thread about the 100s of Asian MMO website claiming they have the most awared game in [Instert Asian country]?
 
Also Diablo is an action RPG, infact seeing there core members have created Diablo they have an right to claim the titel for first, last and only voice.

---

No Diablo is not RPG nor action RPG nor combat RPG or whatever. And I don't care who or what calls it that way, I don't care if those 18 years old kids called reviewers, writing for pseudo review websites like IGN or gamespot. RPG is a genre with its specifications. Diablo doesnt meet any of those.
 
Is tropico a game called political RPG? Sims called life RPG?, Europa 1400 Guild called economical RPG? No same as Diablo is not action RPG, it's just action game.
 In tropico or Europa 1400 guild you have a story, you have a character with traits you pick and improve. That's just not enough to call a game a RPG. And Diablo has nothing more.

---

 
What is Diablo 2 then if not an Action RPG?

---

probably somewhere in the genre of a adventure game lol

Originally posted by Duilyon

Originally posted by Thillian

 

Originally posted by Coman

 

You also gonna make thread about the 100s of Asian MMO website claiming they have the most awared game in [Instert Asian country]?

 

Also Diablo is an action RPG, infact seeing there core members have created Diablo they have an right to claim the titel for first, last and only voice.

No Diablo is not RPG nor action RPG nor combat RPG or whatever. And I don't care who or what calls it that way, I don't care if those 18 years old kids called reviewers, writing for pseudo review websites like IGN or gamespot. RPG is a genre with its specifications. Diablo doesnt meet any of those.

 

Is tropico a game called political RPG? Sims called life RPG?, Europa 1400 Guild called economical RPG? No same as Diablo is not action RPG, it's just action game.

 In tropico or Europa 1400 guild you have a story, you have a character with traits you pick and improve. That's just not enough to call a game a RPG. And Diablo has nothing more.

 

What is Diablo 2 then if not an Action RPG?

A Hack'n'Slash game, something like Mass Effect is more an Action RPG, it certainly has better action and is more of an RPG. 90% of RPG's contain action anyway so even having a genre called Action RPG is stupid...

Originally posted by ursin

 

Originally posted by Thillian

 

Originally posted by Fruti

If the Diablo series are not RPGs nor Action RPGs, then please educate me and explain what RPG games are. I really would like to know, i've always thought they are RPGs, or action RPGs at least.

 

I'd like a response from the OP

RPGames give full control over your character. You have plenty of choices how to complete certain activities like quests. You are able to gain reputation in the world, and form your own alligment. In RPG games you can actually think of your RP style (examples: you dislike elves and you will never help -- never undertake any quests from them and take all that wants you to do something bad to them, or you don't trust magicians and therefore you never even speak to them cause you are afraid of them etc.  RPGame should allow you to do such decisions, and not limit you in such an extent as Diablo does.

 

Games like these were not many, but only those give a real feeling of roleplaying that you know from RP pen and paper. Arcanum, Fallout 1/2, Greyhawk TOEE, Vampire the Bloodlines, Planescape Torment, BG1, Gothic1/2, older games I recall bard's tale 1 the version from 1987, lands of lore 1,...

RPgame should have :

• adventure (Diablo has it altho it's as linear as possible and doesn't allow you to do anything off the scheme)
• character customization (cookie cutter classes with a few talent trees , all just suited for combat and action. There's no single skill that wouldn't somehow improve combat) System with no social skills is no system at all for RP
• story (diablo has no story, no don't try to convince me that an evil diablo-guy is going to destroy the world and you have to stop him is a story)
• social interaction (there are no skills like diplomacy, bluff, persuade no reputation no sneaking, no pick pocketing, no open locking, no trap disarming ... , it's just as combat oriented as you could possibly imagine)
• subquests (I don't think there is a single quests outside of main quest line, I have to admit i didn't finish the whole game but I don't remember getting any quests outside of main quest line, very few optionals)

The game offers nothing more outside of combat, there is nothing, it's just stupidly linear and the only thing you need to do is to smash your mouse buttons. It's pure action game with a few RPG features. But that's also Tropico or The Sims.

 

1) Adventuring. First off you can go into caves and places that are not required by the story line just for the sake of EXPLORING and ADVENTURING!

2)  Customization: It has plenty of that. Each class has 3 specs then within each spec they can choose what skills they want to specialize in. Like Assassin, they can choose Traps then choose either Fire traps or Lightning to specialize in. That is some customization.

3) There is a story...so don't bullshit and say there isn't. It isn't good but meh, some RPGs have shit stories.

4) Social interaction..games like Final Fantasy do NOT have any of that social interaction, you cannot persuade people or any of that D&D stuff.

5) From what I remember you do not have to do all the quests and only some are "main story" quests. So technically the ones you don't have to do are sub quests I suppose..hehe.

Originally posted by Duilyon

Originally posted by ursin

 

1) Adventuring. First off you can go into caves and places that are not required by the story line just for the sake of EXPLORING and ADVENTURING!

2)  Customization: It has plenty of that. Each class has 3 specs then within each spec they can choose what skills they want to specialize in. Like Assassin, they can choose Traps then choose either Fire traps or Lightning to specialize in. That is some customization.

3) There is a story...so don't bullshit and say there isn't. It isn't good but meh, some RPGs have shit stories.

4) Social interaction..games like Final Fantasy do NOT have any of that social interaction, you cannot persuade people or any of that D&D stuff.

5) From what I remember you do not have to do all the quests and only some are "main story" quests. So technically the ones you don't have to do are sub quests I suppose..hehe.

IGN:

"No, I'm sorry, but no matter how much publicity Blizzard paid for, Diablo isn't a roleplaying game. A few stats don't substitute for real interaction with a fantasy universe, which is the hallmark of any RPG, paper-and-pencil or computerized. Diablo and its descendents are highly linear action games?"

http://pc.ign.com/articles/376/376019p3.html