R P G A M E R . C O M   -   E D I T O R I A L S

A Change is Gonna Come

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Michael "Macstorm" Cunningham
STAFF EDITORIALIST

Why are people so resistant to change? Why do people always think that change is going to be bad? I could understand if the change has taken place and it really is bad, but most people seem to fear change before it ever happens. They see one sign of possible change and start screaming bloody horror! Well, I hate to break it to you, "but I know a change gonna come, oh yes it will."

Does there come a point in the progression of RPG development when it should just stop? "We have created the perfect RPG. The battle system is great, the story is told perfectly. This is now the template by which all RPGs should be made." Please, I hope, I pray that never happens. Do all RPGs have to have the same battle system, the same composer, the same graphical style to be good? Is there one right way to make an RPG? No. Then why do people get so upset when a change is made? When does it change from improving and being innovative to destroying the genre or series? How do you know you don't like it until you try it?

The great Jerry Swain once said, "Ifrit ain't broke, don't fix it." While I fully agree with this statement, it doesn't always apply to making innovative changes to a new product. If it did then we'd never have anything new and we'd still be playing Final Fantasy, Zelda, and Dragon Quest with their same original battle systems and a new story. Someone had to come along and say, "Let's try something new," and I'm thankful for that. If I wanted to play the exact same game over and over again, I would do just that. Changes in gameplay, battle systems, and style are what keep the RPG genre fresh.

Don't hate change, embrace it. It's gonna come whether you want it to or not, so you might as well. I'm not saying to accept everything new that's thrown at you, just that you should keep an open mind about new ideas. These innovations might just be something really great. Just think how stupid you will look when you've been bashing some change and then that change turns out to be something really great. You don't want to look stupid, do you? The answer is no. Give change a chance because, "I know a change gonna come, oh yes it will."