PC RPG v.s. Console RPG
 

I think It's kind of sad how bad rpg's are on the pc compared to consoles. Sure they have bonuses like mods and what not. However there stories suck and they are usually pretty bad at telling a story. I liked Neverwinter Nights but it doesn't come close to touching a game like FF7, Xenogears, or FF Tactics. What do you guys think?

There are good RPGs for PC and good RPGs for console. There should be a "both" option!

-Lasereth

Your right, there are good rpg's for both. Yet there are more good rpg's on the console IMHO.

More good ones, perhaps; but it doesn't say "which one has more good RPGs," it says "PC vs Console RPG -- which is better." There's not really a "better;" only one that may have more advantages.

-Lasereth

you cant beat a good RPG on the computer...especially like diablo II....such a good game...but can get old after a while...but still a good game

Console RPG's aren't really RPGs. You do play a ROLE, but it's a pre-determined character. PC RPGs let you decide what kind of character you are going to play, which is closer to the old P&P RPGs. In FF7 you get to play Cloud, that's it. No one else really.

The closest electronic RPGs we have to real P&P RPGs are probably MMORPGs or MUDs. Everything else is too pre-set.

Diablo isn't a Real RPG. Its close but not exactly there. If you want a great RPG look at the computer and the PC only RPGs. All the major console RPGs have been on PC and not the other way around. All the Final Fantasy games can be found on PC in some form or another.

First is Bioware. They are the current kings of the pc RPGs and dugeon crawlers. Baldur's Gate, Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn(BG has 2 expansions Tales of the Sword Coast and Throne of Bhaal) are wonderful RPGs.

Black Isle Studios developed Planescape:Torment that is also an amazing RPG. The have also released Icewind Dale and Icewind II, two of the best dugeon crawlers on the PC.

Then you have the Fallout games by Interplay.

Yeah D2 is an ACTION RPG.. Its more Action than RPG, which explains why the Action part came first. ;) Its not quite there. Prophecy did a good job at explaining it all.

I also agree with Lasereth. They both have good games that are classified as RPGs.. but to name which one has a better game is quite hard to choose. If we were talking console based, I personally would have to vote for Chrono Trigger. Its pretty linear, but then again it has multple endings, and once you lose chrono, you can ignore tons of quests. Then there is also the Golden Sun Saga. The first one is very linear, but OH the story line! The second is pretty non-linear you can go where ever you want for the most part. Again the storyline and characters are sweet. Then you look at a computer and you have the Likes of Baldurs's Gate and Icewind Dale... Tough Choice, I request a both option.

That's amazing, I never felt as if MMORPGs were true RPGs. They all felt like some giant game of Diablo 2 to me. Yes, I get to interact with tons of people, but only if you find the right group, server and right time. The storylines seem drab and playing feels more like a dugeon crawler than true RPG (A true RPG should have good story, not decent but good. Great is even better :) i.e. Planescape:Torment ) I have yet to see a MMORPGs that I truly enjoy, MUDs are fun though, the Zork games are/where great fun.

Yeah I agree with you 100%. I have tried MMORPG's, but they don't have the FEEL of a true RPG. You essentially run around and kill things. Where as in a true RPG, there is a storyline. Something that gets you really submerged into the plot. Even when its linear, it still gets you thinking... "Its all scam! I must save the king!" (like in Chrono Trigger when you're proving the existance of the Rainbow Shell). In a P&P RPG, the story is EVERYTHING, unless its a hack'n'slash campaign, which is rare.. The story is what you live and die upon. Some of the best games I've played in RARELY involved a fight.

i have to say pc rpg's. mainly because i cant stand anime. and thats what most console rpgs are.

It still just depends on what you like...

If you don't like the game designer leading you around by your ear, you play PC RPG's. The storys not the main part of the story, exploration and discovery are.

If you want a story then you play Console RPG's. You're kind of lead through the game without a lot of freedom but you get a, usually, good story.

I say console rpgs. How else are they gonna hook you in to paying $199 for a new system then $49 for the game? IT BETTER BE GOOD!! LOL

Um.. Computer RPG's are huge on story too. Baldur's Gate for example... Sure there is lots of exploration, but its all just one HUGE storyline. But I do see your point.

No they cant. The ones up to FFVII can be. FFX nope. Ireally hate pc RPG's. You may think console RPG's arent real RPG's but at least they are fun.

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Prophecy
[B]Diablo isn't a Real RPG. Its close but not exactly there. [QUOTE]

Diablo is an action RPG, just because it's not turned based, like final fantasy, doesnt mean its not an RPG.


I love Diablo, for the PC. But ive never seen a game like a Final Fantasy game on the PC. I dont know why, it would work......

Either way, i would vote both, even though i voted for concle because all my favorite RPG's are there.

Its really just a lack of games, for the PC.

Actually they made FFVIII, for the PC, it sucked though. I have FFVII for the PC, and its awesome. Infact, there is a windows XP patch, that fixes any bugs, and enhances some of the graphics, if you have a good video card. ( Jaggies, stuff like that)

Well, to get technical I said they could be found in some format on the PC. FFX can be found on the PC but only as a ROM and emulator for the PS2 in America, I believe a PC version was released in Japan called FFX International or something.

**shrugs**

I'm sure that's not you what you meant, but it was what I meant when I made my statement.

Also, I never said I didn't think console RPGs aren't real RPGs. I love console RPGs too. KOTOR and Xenosaga are a few of my more recent favorites on consoles. What PC RPGs are you playing that aren't fun??? The games I have for my PC are wonderful and I enjoy them more than most console RPGs to date. Of course its all perspective, PC RPGs are closer to P&P in most cases. They also tend to feature American RPG styles whereas consoles feature a Japanese RPG style, maybe that's the problem?


1) I never said Diablo 2 wasn't a RPG, I said Diablo isn't a true (pure) RPG. I will say this though, Diablo is a RPG but it is very heavy on action, hence the Action prefix. Mind you I'm not knocking D2, it's almost in the same boat as the dungeon crawler. I don't consider most dugeon crawlers a true story based in depth RGP either, but both dugeon crawlers and Diablo games are fun and I love playing them.


2) Your right FF could and has worked on the PC, its all perspective. However, most american companies limit the publishing of their games for certain platforms. I've seen plenty of games like Final Fantasy for the PC in the past, but they are all import games from Japan. :(

Lastly, for those thinking about the issue of a mouse and keyboard vs. a ps2, nes, xbox, etc. controller. Just use a gamepad. I've seen controllers that look just like the PS2 dual shock. Companies sell gamepads that match all sorts of console controllers perfectly for the PC (or at least they did...)

Neverwinter Nights, Dungeun Siege, and Morrowwind are the recent ones. I dont like them. I can however see why people like them though. Diablo 2 was fun though. you are right about the japanese and american style differences. I have noticed that a lot. PC RPG's are great for complete customization of characters and stuff but i just cant get into them just like i could never get into those board game type RPG's like D&D.

Another reason I tend to like PC RPGs over console RPGs has to do with replayability. I think its related to what Twister (edit: and YaWhateva :)) said, about how in PC RPGs you can customize your character. That gives me a good reason to play through the game again: character, abilities, storyline, and gameplay in general can be different for different types of characters. You can go through Baldur's Gate or Neverwinter Nights as a fighter, a mage, a druid, a thief.... the list goes on, and each time it's fun.

With most console RPGs, there isn't as much incentive. I mean, maybe you go through the game a second time, checking out stuff you missed the first time around. But its essentially the same experience.

P&P is the first and best. No computer (as of yet) can accurately emulate the fun of human interaction...nor does a professionally made story feel completely "mine" in the way that the P&Ps I participate in do. I've roleplayed everything from a bedwetting coward to a murderous lunatic to a cyberpunk AI to a kobold...I could go on and on, but each one of these games was infinitely more satisfying than an MMORPG or a single player.

That said, I find that console RPGs are growing increasingly linear while PC RPGs are becoming more open-ended. I prefer the latter.

FFXI is coming out soon for pc for those who don't know... :-) should be fun, I know someone who is playing the beta version.
What do you all think? It is a MMORPG so I don't know...

Definately PC... Cause it will eventually get all console RPGs too. Simple as that. Gotta love emulation!

I voted PC rpg's, or at leas PC style rpg's. I love the open-endedness of PC rpgs, most of the time they're not NEARLY as linear as console RPG's.

Pretty much every final fantasy game is like, "Thank you for helping us, now you must go here", and after you go there and beat the boss, they're like "Thank you for helping us, now you must go here", until around the end of the game where it's like "The big bad guy is in that big floating thing in the sky, but maybe you should prepare yourself before going!", and that's when you explore everywhere and do all of the side quests and stuff.

PC rpg's are usually like, "you should probably do this next, but I don't really care. Do whatever you want, knock yourself out". And I enjoy that a lot. Games like Fallout and Morrowind come to mind.

I say console RPG's all the way! And I will be one to b ash Diablo II. I played it for over a year and the online mode sucks now. It's all consumed with cheaters using hacked shit. So I'll be one to bash D2.

When Face of Mankind comes out next spring you will know what a true computer MMORPG is. Until then you just get cookie cutter RPG's.

Fallout up until this point has been about as good as you can get. FF is a great series but none have truly been an RPG.

Until what you do in the game actually affects the game as you play none of them are true.

Sign up for the FOM beta to have a chance to see what a true one looks like.

www.faceofmankind.com

Art

Can you really BASH a game when you first announce that you played it for OVER a year? I don't think this is possible. Thats like Watching the Matrix over and over and over again until its old news to you, and then say you're a Matrix Basher...

EQ isn't fun and I played it for over a year. There's a difference between addiction and fun factor; I'm sure D2 is addicting but not that fun online.

-Lasereth

I agree with you Xiangsu...while games like fallout and diablo 2 may be fun, I dont think they compare to games like Final Fantasy, Chrono trigger, etc.

Something about very heavy story driven games makes me all happy :)

If I didn't have such a crappy internet service when I tried to play Diablo 2 on-line at a friend's house, I'd probably go with PC RPG's. However, just memories of playing FF7 for the first time would be super-hard to topple. Then Super Mario RPG is great, and Chrono Trigger is pretty fun too (even though I've only played those two on ROM-format on my computer, I'm understandably counting them as console-RPG's).

Bottom Line: Console RPG's

Fallout Series, that says it all really. Try Arcanum..thats cool too

lol, silly consol users, again. I remember playing consol RPGs back for the snes. Too bad they havn't changed, excepting a bit of aesthetic enhancement, of course. I played a lot but haven't owned my own consol for a long time now.

I watched my freind play FFX for 2 hours wondering through this snowy place getting hit by the same random monsters time after time after time.

He kept saying "Wait, the coolest boss, or somthing is at the end of this stupid maze!" No thanks, I think ill go play through Baldure's Gate 2 again, rather than that crud. I think Doom has a deeper story than some consol rpgs.

i prefer the options capabilities in PC versions. the toolset in NWN for instance is BOMB!!! create your own dungeon, load it up with uber weapons, armor, items that you create from scratch...create a level 1 character, throw him/her into the created dungeon to collect all the items you made, and then play the game and DOMINATE IT!!! just what i like to do. and you sure as hell cant do that on any old console system.

oh yeah...i'm a hack and slasher anyway, not a rp'er so pc wins again.