A response to 'Stereotypes within RPGs'

by Josh Maciel

There once existed a pen and paper game called Dungeons and Dragons. It centered around those things -- Dungeons and Dragons. Eventually, the technology came about for games to be made for consumption through the medium of television and a console system. Some of the people who designed the console games had played this Dungeons and Dragons game, and in a stroke of genius, tried to transfer the essence of one into the other.

In Dungeons and Dragons, it is the case that as one gets more experience, one gets more abilities. The reason people get stronger with experience, is because you learn the tricks of the trade, and just generally get more wise about the whole adventuring concept. Granted, it makes no sense to suddenly gain hit points with a level, but if you think of it in a different way, it can make sense. First of all, in Dungeons and Dragons, the original concept was that once you had experience, you have to go back and train to gain the level. This doesn't happen in Console RPGs, so how do you explain the sudden gains in skills? Think of them as gradual gains, but you just notice them when you go up levels. If you don't like using a little *gasp* imagination in your RPGs, then go rent a movie -- it's cheaper.

For instance, Mugwump the warrior has slain 200 foes, and thus learned a few tricks -- he can now dodge attacks better, learn to roll away when getting his across the side of the head with a big club, incurring less damage to himself. He's also learned how to gauge distances, and hit someone in more sensitive places, causing more damage, and hitting more often. Now how do you program a character getting all these abilities? Do you know what a headache that would be? So they just made people gain simple stats through simple equations, to keep it fun and to leave you with the understanding of what was going on.

Monsters are in all RPGs. Dungeons and Dragons had monsters in it. They were just there. Nobody questioned that, "Oh, I see, we're in a world with monsters in it, let's kill some and steal their treasure!" Now there are lots of explanations to why the monsters are around in games, Zelda 64, FF7, to name just a couple... But the point is that as soon as story became a factor, the idea of monsters was incorporated in. Personally, I don't care one way or another -- just the fact that there are monsters in the world is enough of an explanation. I would detest it if every RPG started by saying, "Back in the Precambrian Era of Planet Amphetamine, there was a mutant strain of Protozoa X. This Protozoa soon grew a nasty temperament, ate a rock that put it into a state of constant hibernation and asexual reproduction. Once the effects of the rock left it's system, it and all its children populated the earth, nasty temperaments and all. The rock itself was made from the element, Unniquilanonoctium which causes many mutations, especially in shape and color. Thus this explains the sudden outbreak of monsters, and why different monsters look similar, only with different colors."

Now why can't monsters carry money? They eat people, right? You ALWAYS hear about people disappearing when going out, where do you think the money they have on them goes? Into the big bad monster's belly. That's where. And then you can't forget that these things have lairs, where they probably stockpile lots of shiny things -- gosh, that sounds like money! It's a common Dungeons and Dragons tenet that monsters have lairs with money. There are very few without cash. Also, don't forget that there's probably money to be made in their hides and whatever equipment they have. Genuine Blurble Hide wallets! Only 36 gil!

Almost every game has you pegged as the "chosen one(s)." The reason nobody else can do it is because you are the "chosen one(s)." Also, let's look from a more practical view here. What would the fun of the game be if you get to the end, and you find out Fou Soo Ya and Golbeze have already killed Zemus? RPG makers know that gamers don't like time limits, or anything else to compete with generally. How many RPGs nowadays do you see with a fixed time limit, say 50 game hours? People just want to play the game, and feel like they are the super-special "chosen one(s)" and kick some evil people's tooshes.

Buying spells is another whole theory from Dungeons and Dragons sort of. You get to pick your spells in D&D, you don't just get every spell for the level. You have to find them or get them taught to you. Ever noticed how the people in magic stores in FF are wizards? *gasp* They couldn't...teach you spells, could they? People didn't like that system, and complained, or just bought Dragon Quest games instead, so Squaresoft started singing a different tune starting with FF4. But why would you suddenly learn a spell with a level? Possibly because magic is a mystical power, therefore it isn't a "this is why magic works." I would detest any RPG that started by saying, "Back in the Precambrian Era of Planet Amphetamine, there was a big jolly man in a red suit named Yahweh. He made stuff. He granted one strain of Protozoa Y with Chromosome X, the time-release MAGIC Chromosome..."

These "stereotypes" aren't inherent in games because they need to be. They're inherent because they sell, and because they follow a time-honored tradition initiated by pen and paper RPGs. The reason that there is stuff that isn't explained, and stuff that doesn't make total sense, and why some things just don't sit well with people is because RPGs require imagination, just as their pen and paper counterparts did. Playing RPGs is like believing in God. There are going to be some things you can't explain. Just assume that the powers that willed it wanted it that way, and that it makes sense for that reason. Anything gets destroyed with over-analysis. So why analyze? Role-play and enjoy. I'm the Dragon Quest 1 hero, monsters have always carried money, I always get stronger after killing 10 or so slimes, I get magic as I kill lots of slimes, the little hersheys kisses always carry some cash, and I'm the only one who can save the day...

Original Editorial: Stereotypes Within RPGs