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<blockquote data-quote="Gentlegamer" data-source="post: 3662246" data-attributes="member: 2425">If what you are asking is it possible for a video game to become sufficiently advanced to be an actual role-playing game, the answer is: maybe. The limiting factor in your example is that for all sentient beings in the game to be actual human players, that means all the blacksmiths, stable boys, farmers, harlots, beggers, as well as the king, the evil high level undead sorcerer, etc. would all have to be controlled by human players. Anyone want to sign up to play the stable boy?Before a video game could be seriously considered a role-playing game, the game engine would have to be so advanced as to allow players to do practically anything (within constraints of the fantasy universe's physical laws and any genre emulation considerations), and have AI so advanced that the NPC actors would behave such that one could not tell they were computer controlled and scripted. The first is far more feasable than the second (and still not something that can be foreseen at the current level of development). It is doubtful that a video game engine will ever be this advanced because of the astronomical development that would be required to create it. I love the game Morrowind, particularly how open-ended it is and how much choice there is within the game. I enjoy how I am able to &quot;role-play&quot; to the extent allowed by the game engine, but it is not itself a role-playing game because of its limits.That is the difference between role-playing games and RPG style video games.I hope my response doesn't violate Umbrian's warning to me.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Gentlegamer, post: 3662246, member: 2425"] If what you are asking is it possible for a video game to become sufficiently advanced to be an actual role-playing game, the answer is: maybe. The limiting factor in your example is that for all sentient beings in the game to be actual human players, that means all the blacksmiths, stable boys, farmers, harlots, beggers, as well as the king, the evil high level undead sorcerer, etc. would all have to be controlled by human players. Anyone want to sign up to play the stable boy? Before a video game could be seriously considered a role-playing game, the game engine would have to be so advanced as to allow players to do practically anything (within constraints of the fantasy universe's physical laws and any genre emulation considerations), and have AI so advanced that the NPC actors would behave such that one could not tell they were computer controlled and scripted. The first is far more feasable than the second (and still not something that can be foreseen at the current level of development). It is doubtful that a video game engine will ever be this advanced because of the astronomical development that would be required to create it. I love the game Morrowind, particularly how open-ended it is and how much choice there is within the game. I enjoy how I am able to "role-play" to the extent allowed by the game engine, but it is not itself a role-playing game because of its limits. That is the difference between role-playing games and RPG style video games. I hope my response doesn't violate Umbrian's warning to me. [/QUOTE]

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