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Now what is truly the perfect role-playing game? To many, the question may go unanswered as
the Latin term "Mens Rea Ipsa Loquitor" would be more apt in their description of the perfect RPG.
The thing that speaks for itself, a basic phrase that has served as a foundation of law and forms the basic
tenets that define evidence. But, alas, I digress, for the main point of this editorial is to find what
gives an RPG panache, its perfection, like that 70's comedy "MASH."
I will begin with my very own definition of the perfect role-playing game. The perfect role-playing
game not only has an attractive story thick with delicious plot and history, but also music that sounds as if it were
composed by that great magician Mozart himself. Additionally, the game must have a battle system that does
not befuddle or frustrate its audience. These elements, I believe, give a game panache and I illustrate them thus with
examples.
Now what game could provide me with the perfect story line? An easy example could be garnered from the
Suikoden series, of which I think the first three games would satiate one's appetite for a deep story. The games
borrow extensively from history and seamlessly implement that history into the games. For instance,
the Emperor Barbarossa's, Leader of Toran (please fillet me if I get this wrong Suiko Fans), name is steeped in real history. One would know (through research, of course) that the real Barbarossa helped initiate the third crusade, and that the name itself could be linked to that madman Adolph Hitler. Hitler, believing in his own hype (the Goebbels's Effect), overestimated his military's ability to destroy the Soviets, not knowing that they had industrial capacity equal to that of the United States. So he launched Operation Barbarossa without concluding his affairs with the British.
Interestingly, the Barbarossa in Suikoden 1 becomes a bit maniacal himself, overcommitting and overestimating the abilities of his military force. Additionally, the political backroom drama of Suikoden 2 is well worth mentioning. The newly created Jowston states could be likened to that of the Western European countries or the Eastern Asian countries that were on the outskirts of the Iron Curtain. These nation-states, ravaged from the nature of war, resisted the strong will of communism and thus grew as democratic nations through the guiding hand of the United States. Likewise, the loosely connected Jowston States, with war knocking on its shoulders, almost pathetically fell without a decent fight. However, the great hand of an individual led these astray collection of states into a solid union that would defeat its greatest oppressor, Luca Blight. Royalty oppressing the masses? Luca Blight's character harks back to the time of King John and the signing of the Magna Carta, except this time the masses lay feeble in the face of oppression.
(author's note: I don't necessarily agree that the U.S. beat back "Communism." Both nations were scared into submission
because of their nuclear arms, but the juxtaposition could not be ignored. The U.S. record on creating democracies is a bit
scarred itself. Look at the despots that have held sway in Nicaragua and various other nations, and of course, the current quagmire in Iraq. The name of the game is Realpolitik.)
As far as a game's music is concerned, I must admit that I am not well-versed in this area. I have only begun to
entertain the thought of listening to RPG music because of that piece in Final Fantasy 8 titled "The Compression of Time."
But music is crucial in the RPG, for it sets the tone of the environment within the game. This aspect of music is extremely
important because if the music were to run afoul or not match its setting, the cacophonous sound may lead the game player to recommend his friends not play the game because of its bumbling music. Alas, that is all I can say on the subject for I am novice in this area of RPGs.
Innovative battle systems are much-needed in these games. The usual random battle of attack, defend, magic, enemy's attack is too boring and would disinterest the average gamer. A perfect battle system would not only conclude the battle in a timely manner, but would also include an array of abilities that the player could perform against an enemy combatant. The one series that actually satisfies me in this area is Suikoden. Not only do the battles end quickly, but there are a variety of attacks and spells at the player's disposal. Additionally, one could perform a combination attack with the right players in the party and vanquish an opponent that way. Plus, the option to automatically escape against low-level enemies heightens the battle system's appeal. In contrast, this aspect of an RPG is failed miserably by Final Fantasy 8. The battles can be excruciatingly long because of the junction system, then exceedingly simple once Squall receives his Lionheart weapon. Additionally, the ability to escape against low-level opponents isn't present in this game, forcing one
to labor through useless battles that add no value to the game.
Mens rea ipsa loquitor, let the thing speak for itself. This editorial speaks to the quality of an RPG in my view and only my view. I hope this editorial elicits responses from readers who will not only condemn my view, but will come up with their own qualities of what makes an RPG truly perfect. I do not wish readers to remain silent on the issue and let nature dictate whether an RPG is perfect or not. Let's not give nature the sole benefit "Mens rea ipsa loquitor."
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