RPG stands for "Role Playing Game," and refers to any of several types of interacive games in which the player assumes the role of a character in the game. There are two main types of RPGs: Videogames and Table-top.
RPG Videogames follow a set story, and are usually layed out in a similar fashion. Your character and comrades that you meet along the way fight badguys and monsters together, meet people, help people, uncover plots, and usually end up having to save the world. The scope of most Videogame RPGs is almost comically large. Battles are usually fought in a very unrealistic, menu-based manner, in which a certain number of your comrades (usually three) takes on a certain number of enemies. These battles normally happen at random intervals while traversing hostile territory. Personal statistics, like attack power, defense, and life, are displayed as numerical values on the screen. Once all of the enemies are defeated, the battle ends. An RPG videogame is like a novel: its replay value is based mostly on the player's desire to wittness the story unfold again.
Tabletop RPGs are much different. They are played by a group of people who take on different identities for the game. There is usually one person, the Game Master (or similar title) that creates a story and provides the narration. Battles are fought using rolls of dice, or other means, which represent unique attacks and abilities created by the players. Characters in tabletop RPGs have stats as well, and just like in VG RPGs, their attributes increase numerically with their conquests.
RPG Videogames follow a set story, and are usually layed out in a similar fashion. Your character and comrades that you meet along the way fight badguys and monsters together, meet people, help people, uncover plots, and usually end up having to save the world. The scope of most Videogame RPGs is almost comically large. Battles are usually fought in a very unrealistic, menu-based manner, in which a certain number of your comrades (usually three) takes on a certain number of enemies. These battles normally happen at random intervals while traversing hostile territory. Personal statistics, like attack power, defense, and life, are displayed as numerical values on the screen. Once all of the enemies are defeated, the battle ends. An RPG videogame is like a novel: its replay value is based mostly on the player's desire to wittness the story unfold again.
Tabletop RPGs are much different. They are played by a group of people who take on different identities for the game. There is usually one person, the Game Master (or similar title) that creates a story and provides the narration. Battles are fought using rolls of dice, or other means, which represent unique attacks and abilities created by the players. Characters in tabletop RPGs have stats as well, and just like in VG RPGs, their attributes increase numerically with their conquests.
by Daniel Joseph November 17, 2005
A Role-Playing Game is a game in which you create a character and have relative freedom in choice. The best RPGs are tabletop/pen-and-paper style, closely followed by those run on IRC channels, because computer RPGs are incredibly limited in choice due to the relatively small amount of information they can contain.
Contrary to popular belief, the more recent games in the Final Fantasy series were not RPGs as such, because you had very little control over the storyline, and the character. I'm not sure at this point in time what genre they were, but despite the level-up system, the games weren't RPGs.
Contrary to popular belief, the more recent games in the Final Fantasy series were not RPGs as such, because you had very little control over the storyline, and the character. I'm not sure at this point in time what genre they were, but despite the level-up system, the games weren't RPGs.
Dungeons and Dragons is a perfect sword/sorcery style RPG, while Spycraft fits the bill for anyone interested in espionage.
by Tharrick D'Entremont September 15, 2004
Relative Proximity to Girth. RPG occurs when a group of the opposite sex is comprised of larger, average looking people, leaving the least chunky person, by default, more attractive. This person tends to get noticed disproportionate to their actual attractiveness. Thus, the RPG effect.
by SgtDriller July 30, 2010
RPG (Report Program Generator) is a programming language that originated
as a report-building program used in DEC and IBM minicomputer operating
systems and evolved into a fully procedural programming language. Its latest version, RPG IV, is supported by IBM's leading minicomputer system, the AS/400. Historically, RPG has probably been the second most used programming language, after COBOL, for commercial applications on mid-range computers.
as a report-building program used in DEC and IBM minicomputer operating
systems and evolved into a fully procedural programming language. Its latest version, RPG IV, is supported by IBM's leading minicomputer system, the AS/400. Historically, RPG has probably been the second most used programming language, after COBOL, for commercial applications on mid-range computers.
by UberNerd October 20, 2004
The RPG7 entered service with the Soviet forces in 1962, and is massively used by former forces of the USSR, the Chinese Military, North Korea, as well as by a large number of countries that have previously received weapons and training from the former Soviet/Communist Bloc, like the Arab countries.
by Pope Smot, BSC April 24, 2003
Short for Roleplaying Game. Table top or otherwise that allows one or more people to assume a fictious alter-personality, or personalities, and live a story while having the ability to make choices to directly alter the experience and/or the outcome.
Not to be confused with most "Japanese console rpg's" or as the kiddies refer to as "RPG-Lite" games such as Final Fantasy, Wild Arms, Dragon Warrior, Secret of Mana, etc. Such games play on the sensationalizing of the term "RPG" to make a buck in the market and in all actuality offer no authentic "Role Playing" experience.
The most they can be described as is simply "interactive anime" or "pop up books with batles".
Not to be confused with most "Japanese console rpg's" or as the kiddies refer to as "RPG-Lite" games such as Final Fantasy, Wild Arms, Dragon Warrior, Secret of Mana, etc. Such games play on the sensationalizing of the term "RPG" to make a buck in the market and in all actuality offer no authentic "Role Playing" experience.
The most they can be described as is simply "interactive anime" or "pop up books with batles".
by Hic January 12, 2005
Any Final Fantasy, Vagrant Story, Legend of Dragoon, Seiken Densestsu (Secret of Mana), Kingdom Hearts, Xenogears/Xenosaga, etc.
by Kuriin April 30, 2003