rpgs are a very broad genre of games that look messy on a flowchart.
rpgs deviate into eastern and western styles.
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eastern rpgs focus on existing characters, story, have turnbased / hybrid combat, linear / semi linear, and tend to look straight out of an anime
action rpgs are a newer genre of eastern rpgs that focus on real time combat and take elements of western rpgs. dark souls would be an example of an action rpg, and a damn good one
tactical rpgs focus on grid-like combat, and tend to sport an isometric camera angle. the games play similar to any sort of strategy title. final fantasy tactics comes to mind as one of these games.
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western rpgs focus on player customization, real time combat, open world exploration, freedom of choice, and tend to look realistic
sand box rpgs fall under "western rpgs" and focus on exploration, customization, and interactivity. games like the elder scrolls would be considered a sandbox rpg
dungeon crawlers fall under "western rpgs" and focus on loot mechanics, combat, and grinding. a sub genre of dungeon crawlers would be roguelikes.
azure dreams, pokemon mystery dungeon, or any chunsoft game would fall under this category.
narrative rpgs fall under "western rpgs" and emphasize story, characters, and ambience above all. games like the witcher and mass effect fall under this category.
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mmorpgs fit into their own category. they draw from both eastern and western rpg characteristics and mesh it into their own design. these types of games are designed to support anywhere from the hundreds to millions of players at any given time.
most mmorpgs incorporate a team / party system, crafting, numerous quests, dungeons, and pvp.
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anyone that has ever played an mmorpg or any rpg before should be familiar with these terms:
xp
raid
grind
noob, n00b, fr00b, ch00b, nob, newb, n3wb, nub, nEWBZ, n3BWZ
level up
main
nerf
ninja loot
wtb
wts
lfg
if you played a bunch of rpgs in your life time career, see if you can recognize these quotes
"i fought mud crabs fiercer than you"
"i like swords"
"welcome to corneria"
"come and stay a while"
"you spoony bard"