What Can We Learn from CRPGS?

[Jd Smith1]

If I may inquire - adapting for a table top game?

If so what do you think it dies differently?

And how do you make it work with dice...?

The player development, in attributes, skills, quirks, and perks, are all clearly explained, complete with percentile bonuses.

It has a very clean, involved, and interesting PC development and customization system.

Several video games have been made into TTRPGs.

 

[GMMichael]

Absolutely nothing.

Every thing CRPGs do well, they do better than TTRPGs. The strength of TTRPGs is in the things that CRPGs can’t do (yet) that use a human DM and allow for a limitless world.

Welp, guess we'll just close the thread, then.

. . . Fast loading (compared to unprepared GMs).
Honestly, several times other players and I had the debate "why are we here playing lame D&D when we could be playing Skyrim?"

Ha, fast loading. That's an unfortunate debate you have. Yes, Skyrim allows you to sit at the bar, order a meal, rent a room for the night, get undressed, and crash out for 8 hours (10 if you've been killing dragons). But TRPGs allow you to invite the good-looking mercenary to crash with you. And replace the bard at the tavern the next day, because the old bard "had an accident."

CRPGs figured out that players wanted saveable games back in the 80s. I think TRPGs still haven't figured this out.

 

[zarionofarabel]

CRPGs figured out that players wanted saveable games back in the 80s. I think TRPGs still haven't figured this out.

In a way they have. Raising the dead is a thing, in D&D at least.

 

[MGibster]

- Teaching the rules as you go. This is a modern game convention in the form of "tutorial levels", but one that can be very useful to bring players into the game.

The 1st edition of Legend of the Five Rings had an introductory adventure designed to teach players about the setting, combat, and social interactions. Depending on the PCs clan choice and how well they do, it might even end with them committing seppuku. The 1st edition of L5R was particularly deadly but at least you couldn't die during character generation.

 

[MGibster]

- Gamism. Old school TTRPGs often erred on the side of simulationism. In the modern era, narritavism seems to be taking over. Sometimes it's important to remember gamist principles. CRPGs are rife with gamism that can be extremely rewarding. Of course, I say this as someone who prefers 3.Xe, so take this with a grain of salt.

I think this is fair. Often times I feel as though people treat RPGs as they would a work of fiction and forget the G stands for game.

 

[Bedrockgames]

I am probably a bit of a grognard on this front but for me, RPGs always offered a level of freedom that video games could never match. That is what first excited me about them, being the character in the movie and literally being able to try to do anything because you have a person there handling the process.

 

[Snarf Zagyg]

Welp, guess we'll just close the thread, then.

I just think that there is an interesting question when it comes to the focus of the OP. In other words, the OP pre-supposes that TTRPGs should be looking at CRPGs for specific things that can be borrowed and put into TTRPGs.

I think that is entirely wrong. I think TTRPGs should look at what CRPGs are doing well, and not do those things. The strengths of TTRPGs and CRPGs are entirely different. To use a simple example, CRPGs will always be able to do complex math faster and more easily than TTRPGs; it would be mistake (IMO) to think that because CRPGs are really good at this, we should have more and more complex math in TTRPGs.

Instead of looking at what CRPGs do well, and copy it, TTRPGs should continue to focus on what CRPGs cannot do well, and exploit that advantage.

 

[MGibster]

I am probably a bit of a grognard on this front but for me, RPGs always offered a level of freedom that video games could never match. That is what first excited me about them, being the character in the movie and literally being able to try to do anything because you have a person there handling the process.

You're absolutely right that TTRPGs offer an unparalleled amount of freedom that CRPGS have yet to and may never achieve. That doesn't mean we can't take something from the CRPG experience and adapt it from our table top games though.

 

[Bedrockgames]

You're absolutely right that TTRPGs offer an unparalleled amount of freedom that CRPGS have yet to and may never achieve. That doesn't mean we can't take something from the CRPG experience and adapt it from our table top games though.

Sure that is true. I just would be wary personally, as any time an RPG feels too 'video-gamey' for me, I tend to lose interest. Not saying it can't be done. I remember the Dragon Age RPG actually being very good for example. I think it depends on what you are taking from video games.

 

[MGibster]

I just think that there is an interesting question when it comes to the focus of the OP. In other words, the OP pre-supposes that TTRPGs should be looking at CRPGs for specific things that can be borrowed and put into TTRPGs.

The OP said nothing about what you should be doing.

But what can the TTRPG crowd learn from CRPGs?

I didn't say you should learn anything I asked what you could learn. And you answered nothing which, as Bobby Brown will agree, is your prerogative. You're answer is certainly valid but it doesn't exactly leave us with much to talk about.