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Message: <blockquote data-quote="I'm A Banana" data-source="post: 672726" data-attributes="member: 2067">Also, Japanese RPG's have a strong tradition in Japanese anime.I defy you to find one popular Japanese RPG that doesn't use an anime stereotype. <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" />So they've got a history of pumping out RPG-worthy fantasy and sci fi plots with a certain character set that works (Here's the strong, silent, brooding hero with a big sword. Here's the healing damnsel. Here's the slightly slutty-looking woman with dark powers. Here's the big muscular meathead), and they do constant variations on the theme.Also, a note on Chrono Trigger: How much characterization did *it's* main character have? <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" /> You ammounted to little more than a boy caught up in things, of course being the Hero, but I do believe he never said one word in the entire game. (I think during one ending he speaks....). The other characters are fairly rich and drawn out, however, and the plot very much pushes you along the first time, despire that lack of characterization.American RPG's don't have that strong of a tradition to draw from. The best thing American RPG's can draw from are things like Tolkien, or action movies. Not exactly the pinnacles of characterization (It may be blasphemey, but it's close to true -- Tolkien's characters were pretty neat stereotypes). And they have the granddaddy of all RPG's, D&D itself. Which was and is all ABOUT customization, and has been and can be, totally independant of plot. <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" />That's where they fill a void the Japanese market largely lacks -- the games perport to fill the void of customizability. Japanese games have reacted somewhat to this (the FF examples above work pretty well...the plot moves very independantly of anything mechanical), but have kept the plots and the stereotypes since those sell both to the Japanese audience (who get to play the main characters -- and, let's face it, these are archetypes that anyone can find and relate to, much like the Learned Wizard or the Heroic Paladin), and the American audience (because they were often weaned on games like Final Fantasy, where plot was important, and many prefer it over customization).In D&D, I'm more Japanese, I guess (I think my inspiration from the FF games is showing). The players can mostly do whatever they want, but the plot exists rather independantly of their abilities, and grows and is sweeping with colorful NPC's (and I do my best to make the PC's compelling, too). Heck, occasionally I have pregenerated characters with histories that many of my players enjoy taking the riegns of. Hurm...I guess this is more a cultural thing than I thuoght.But I think the cultural difference is really D&D vs. Anime. It's flexibility and options (sometimes at the expense of plot) vs. plot and characterization (sometimes at the expense of flexibility). It's each culture's respective Sword-and-Sorcery introduction.Me? Since I discovered Final Fantassy before I discovered D&D or Tolkien...I guess I'm Japanese. <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" />*whistles a certain '80's melody*</blockquote>

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