Topic: Jrpg/Wrpg differences, balance of power, quality,and the future

[Neobelmont]

I have been wondering this for a while what the hell is the difference between them I just consider rpg as a rpg but recently I found out that it's been segregated. I really want to understand what the heck has happened my mind is like what.

So one thing I want to point out is the popularity of them hell Jrpgs seem to have lost momentum and lose touch to my guess with fans or something while wrpgs seem to be getting alot of rep.  I just do not know enough to from a good thought patern on this subject.

[Kale]

JRPGs... atleast from my distinction has less varying pathways in teh story. For the most part it's a huge story that goes from point a to b to z, with ... most of the time, end game side quests for more powerful equipment. While WRPGs tend to have a huge story that also goes from point a to b to z, but every other step has side stories and sub quests.

WRPGs also seem to have more generic items, rather than legendary weapons (one of a kinds).

This could all change, but this is how most of it is going and they've been separate like this for a while.

[Neobelmont]

An other thing I seem to see is hatred towards jrpgs and their anime look and how their stories playout it seems that I prefer jrpgs I do not know wrpgs all that much anyone have a recomendation? But regardless I think that for one it is the character them self like the traits they have like the princess who has been stuck in the castle or something like that. But what about age market like I know that in jrpgs most of them are young from red,isaac,lloyd, persona guys,some guys ff, and from the commercials what I see is that wrpgs may have generally older people like dragon age would that have a major factor.

[Kale]

Neverwinter Nights
Diablo series
Dragon Age, Dragon Age 2 is alright... but the fun combat isn't so fun when you just fight waves of 100s and 100s of similar enemies.
Skyrim is one of the big ones.

I also consider Deus Ex and Alpha Protocol as WRPGs. Though I dunno about other people, atleast for Alpha Protocol, since it's more of a shooter. But I loved it.

[Nagumo]

JRPGs tend to cite freely from mythologies from all over the world while western ones stick more to European lore. That's the only difference I can think of!     

[Mooning Freddy]

As far as I know JRPGs are more Final-Fantasy style, mostly the fighting is done RPG turn-by-turn style, and the game often has a more linear path. The story is of great importance.

WRPGs are more like Diablo, a combination of action and RPG. The game tends to throw hordes of enemies at you while you travel in an open world. There's also usually a shitload of side-quests which either effect or not effect the story, which is often not as complex as that in JRPGs (usually it's some evil villain trying to take over / destroy the world and you need to stop him / her).

Also, it seems like JRPGs usually have a big group of characters with various abilities while WRPGs concentrate on one protagonist with minor supporting characters (some / most of which have no importance in the story whatsoever).

[crimsonmist]

traditionally, wrpgs tend to allow you to create your own characters and leave it up to you to distribute their stats, advantages, and disadvantages and customize their classes and appearances, whereas jrpgs tend to have their player characters already prefabricated for you, and even as they level up, you can't do much to change their classes or stats freely (except with some stat-boosting items/equipment).
also jrpgs tend to be waay more prominent on gaming consoles than on computers, whereas wrpgs dominate in the computer/freeware/shareware rpg domains.

Also, it seems like JRPGs usually have a big group of characters with various abilities while WRPGs concentrate on one protagonist with minor supporting characters (some / most of which have no importance in the story whatsoever).

do remember that some jrpgs do focus on one main character (crisis core, for example) and that some wrpgs can star a party of various characters (like the ultima and exile/avernum series)

[VladCT]

...whereas jrpgs tend to have their player characters already prefabricated for you, and even as they level up, you can't do much to change their classes or stats freely (except with some stat-boosting items/equipment).

Most of the Megami Tensei games are a notable exception to this, as you can customize the demons to an extent if you know the demon fusion system inside-out, and you can decide the main characters' stat growth.

[Neobelmont]

One difference I would like to point out is the music
To me the Jrpg is on top of almost everyother type of gaming you have

Koichi Sugiyama :

Symphonic Suite Dragon Quest IV ~ Overture

Nobuo Uematsu :

Nobuo Uematsu 50th Anniversary Tribute: Top 50 Compositions

miki higashino:

Suikoden II OST - Reminiscence

And  Motoi Sakuraba  :

Kratos Battle Theme


MOTOI SAKURABA LIVE CONCERT/Cutting Edge of Notion

To tell the truth I do not know what wrpgs have in sense of music anyone know a good tune? Also one more question would darks souls and demon soul be considered a jrpg or wrpg?

[Vampire Killer]

I find the main difference being in actual choice. In jrpg's, as has been said earlier, you basically go from a to b to c, ect, but with some side quests for better armor and/or weapons. Wrpg's basically do the same, but with one main difference. Many wrpg's actually allow the player to make real moral choice is how their character develops, making it a true Role Playing Game, since you are in actuality playing a role by having your player made choice effect the games outcome. In jrpg's all you do is follow the story as written, ultimately your choices have no effect on the outcome.

I prefer wrpg's for this very reason.

Because of this, in some ways I don't really consider jrpg's to be true rpg's. Unless the term "Role Playing Game" simply means a game in which one's stats increase
(which would mean that SotN was an action-rpg), and usually comes with turned based combat of some sort.

[VladCT]

...In jrpg's all you do is follow the story as written, ultimately your choices have no effect on the outcome.

Again, the main Shin Megami Tensei games are a notable exception to this, with the Law-Chaos alignment system (or the choice to support one of the three Reasons or rejecting them all in Nocturne).

[crimsonmist]

Most of the Megami Tensei games are a notable exception to this, as you can customize the demons to an extent if you know the demon fusion system inside-out, and you can decide the main characters' stat growth.

i never said that fixed stat growth curves are a hard-and-fast rule in jrpgs XD they're just common

[VladCT]

i never said that fixed stat growth curves are a hard-and-fast rule in jrpgs XD they're just common

Yeah...I may have forgotten about the skill system.

[TheouAegis]

There's also the series of games on the SNES, forgot what they were called... but they were basically D&D games and you could have evil and good and lawful and chaotic and what not in your party 9and it was a Japanese game). Wanna say it was something like War Swords or something similar in title. I dun remember.

And I think the criticism on JRPG having predefined characteristics to the characters is a bit harsh. I mean, of course it's still an RPG - you're playing the role or roles of a specific person. I mean, if I made a game starring Abraham Lincoln and it had all the JRPG elements but you weren't allowed to make Lincoln kill a bunch of slaves, would that mean you weren't playing the role of Lincoln? Of course not, you're still playing as Lincoln even if you don't get to make very any choices about his personality.

That said, Sakura Taisen. One of the best RPGs ever made. True RPG. You decide what type of person the protagonist will be. Do you romance Sakura so she helps you out in the next battle or do you treat her like crap so she won't even talk to you anymore and in turn make the battle more difficult?