The "Decline" of RPGs

by Ryan Mays

Remember the good old days of RPG gaming? Dragons, knights, sorcerers, witches, all of the medieval brewery to really whisk you back in time. It was incredible how it seemed to make you feel like you were in a different dimension. Alas, to some, though, for as time and technology changed, so did the fads in RPGs. The dragons were quickly replaced with cars, staffs with guns, and knights with soldiers. Was this a bad fad? No, just because something changes does not make it worse. Sure, it doesn't do as good a job of making you imagine you are in a different dimension (even though the hour-long spells should...), but it is more realistic, making you feel for the characters more. And isn't that what RPGs are all about? Not the setting, not the time period, not the weapons, but the characters portrayed. We play RPGs to get a feel for a character, to sort of "get to know" the character and feel closer to him/her. That's what role-playing is all about, folks. After FFVII was released, people thought it was the end of RPGs, simply because the setting was changed. But people, the deepness of character development and plot remained the same. Through all of the nitty-gritty urban locales and high-tech weaponry, didn't you feel as attached to Cloud as to Locke in FF3? Basically, what I'm trying to say is, I don't care if they start making RPGs set in the prehistoric age, as long as the plot and characters that I FEEL for are still there, I will play, and I will enjoy. Don't judge a book, or an RPG, by it's cover, people! Thank you for your time in reading this, and feel free to e-mail me with your opinions, positive or otherwise.....