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Liv: Hello and welcome to this month's exciting Roundtable! Thank you all for coming! Tonight's topic is non-traditional RPGs.
Liv: The first sub-topic is...
Liv: What makes an RPG non-traditional? Are there any games that could be labeled as both traditional and non-traditional?
Matt: Interesting...
Matt: Well, I think there are many different ways of looking at the term "traditional".
Jesus: Well, "non-traditional" is a rather nebulous category.
Derek: Indeed.
Matt: You could say a game has a traditional storyline, or that it has traditional gameplay.
Liv: Yeah.
Matt: For instance, I'd say that a game that has strictly turn-based gameplay is "traditional" in that sense.
Liv: Most people think more on the gameplay side when trying to determine what kind of game it is.
Derek: I suppose games like Lost in Blue would count as nontraditional then, right?
Matt: But if it takes place in a spacey environment with robots... well…
Jesus: Well, I think for this conversation, we'll need a framework of what is "traditional."
Liv: Yeah, most definitely.
Derek: Yeah.
Jesus: Traditional being...
Jesus: Perhaps the FF/DQ model?
Liv: I would say that "traditional" games would most likely be some sort of turn-based battle system.
Matt: "Typical", perhaps.
Liv: Yeah, the typical ones.
Matt: Yeah, I agree with both of you.
Derek: Works for me.
Jesus: Yeah, turn-based is the traditional RPG mechanic.
Matt: So, indeed, as Roku said... Lost in Blue would definitely be nontraditional.
Jesus: As well as being in a D&D-style fantasy world.
Matt: See, shades of grey pop up there, though!
Matt: What is Xenosaga, then?
Matt: (good thing to bring up today!)
Jesus: As well as something along the lines of King's Field.
Jesus: Matt: A movie.
Derek: Lol.
Matt: Haha :P
Derek: I'd say it's pretty traditional based on our current definition.
Derek: Turn-based, etc.
Liv: A game like Secret of Mana would probably be non-traditional, especially considering these guidelines.
Jesus: Yeah, it is an action RPG.
Derek: Indeed.
Matt: Indeed! Good example.
Matt: Mario & Luigi would be delightfully non-traditional.
Jesus: Oh yeah, wonderful example.
Derek: What about games like Dragon Quarter?
Jesus: Though mostly turn-based, M&L does have a good timing-based element.
Matt: Exactly- it's a neat spin on an old idea. :)
Matt: And Dragon Quarter is not traditional, I'd say.
Matt: I think it's more of a tactical RPG.
Jesus: Matt: Tac RPGs, there you are.
Jesus: FFT and Disgaea are good examples.
Matt: Mmhmm!
Derek: Want to try to classify the Megaman Battle Networks? ^^
Matt: I haven't played them myself, so I couldn't say.
Steve: I classify them as ASV/Xero territory that I refuse to touch.
Jesus: Hard to classify that one.
Derek: Fair enough.
Jesus: There's elements of action, turn-based, tactical and card gaming.
Derek: Exactly.
Matt: Oh, there's yet another.
Jesus: Makes for a very good non-traditional.
Matt: Card-based RPGs are definitely not traditional.
Jesus: Oh?
Jesus: Indeed.
Matt: So, I guess we've gone about answering this first question... by talking about the things that traditional RPGs AREN'T.
Derek: Indeed.
Jesus: Yep.
Steve: I'm as lost as ever, but that’s to be expected.
Jesus: I've noticed.
* Matt steers Steve in the right direction ;)
Liv: Ahahaha.
Liv: I don't like card based RPGs...
Jesus: Matt: We were talking about what makes an RPG non-traditional.
Jesus: Liv: I'm not the biggest fan of them either.
Matt: The only RPG that I've ever played that was card based was Mega Man: Network Transmission, which wasn't really an RPG.
Jesus: The battles in such games are too chance-based for me.
Steve: Oh.
Steve: Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories.
Steve: But that was...somethingsomething…
Matt: Mmhmm.
Jesus: Pure "bleh," that one.
Derek: Didn't like that one very much.
Steve: It wasn't too bad.
Steve: It was "interesting."
Steve: To say the least…
Jeremy: Sorry, I'm late.
Jesus: No problems.
Jesus: Okay, now that we've established what a non-traditional RPG is, what makes a good non-traditional RPG?
Jeremy: Well...
Jeremy: Solid battle system, story, and so forth.
Matt: The operative word being "good"?
Matt: Yeah.
* Steve chimes in.
Jeremy: They actually tell you where to go next instead of leaving you clueless.
Steve: Good translation.
Jeremy: Indeed.
Steve: GOOD TRANSLATION!!
Matt: If you're going to do something different... make sure it's done equally strongly.
Jeremy: Though not a direct translation.
Matt: And yeah, that IS very important, Steve.
Jesus: Well for me, the trick is to successfully mix elements.
Jeremy: Since you can get some unusual dialogue.
Steve: Indeed.
Steve: Involving bloody excretements. >.>
Jeremy: And translations have to be good when there's voice acting.
Jesus: Well, translations need to be good no matter the game.
Rebecca: Would someone consider innovative features, like the drawing pictures to cast spells in LostMagic, to be non-traditional?
Matt: Yeah, I agree, Jesus.
Derek: Indeed.
Matt: Oh, definitely Rebecca.
Jeremy: Yeppers.
Derek: Yeah.
Steve: Now now, Jeremy, you're missing Jill sandwiches!
Jeremy: Though what exactly makes a traditional RPG if it hasn't been answered already?
Liv: Shall we move on to the next question?
Rebecca: Even if the story is as traditional as...well, there's no talking tree, to say from what I've found.
Matt: I guess another thing is... if a game is non-traditional, then things are bound to be unfamiliar.
Matt: It's important to have the unfamiliarities well-explained.
Jesus: Matt: Yeah, unfamiliar.
Steve: I guess.
Matt: And if those unfamiliarities become familiar by the end…
Matt: Then, it has done its job.
Jesus: Matt: They also have to mix with RPG elements seamlessly.
Matt: Yeah.
Jeremy: Though it's pretty hard to come up with innovations nowadays.
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