Justin W: Now it's time for our third and final question: "What things would you like to see future RPGs do to advance the genre as a whole?"

Cortney: I would like to see things that are intellectually stimulating. Not high-flown, but thought-provoking. I tend to see RPGs as playable books or movies, and therefore I don't want my brain to turn to mush while I'm playing.

Justin H: I'd like to see some RPG's from people who don't normally do RPG's. I'd like to see Hideo Kojima produce an RPG, or Shigeru Miyamoto. I'd like to see how other people approach the genre.

Alex: I would most like to see developers take more chances. The problem I see is that we are reaching a point where if RPGs change too much from what they are right now, then they simply become slower action games. Not that that is a bad thing. I would be content with a long, story-driven action game that builds on the foundation that RPGs have built till this point.

Justin H: Well, can we entirely blame the developers for that?

Alex: No, we can blame the fact that the idea of what an RPG is is too narrow

Justin W: Alex, you're right. Deus Ex and System Shock 2 were some of my favorite games, and they came close to being "Slower action games"

Justin H: Those of us who play RPGs shoulder some blame for that, too, I think. We can be very afraid to try new things, even from proven developers like Square or Enix.

Justin W: I'd like to see less of a party-focused atmosphere, as I said before. I'd like to play a console-style RPG in a living, breathing world. Something like Morrowind, except with a console-RPG atmosphere and engine.

Justin H: That would be really nice. I'd purchase a game like that tomorrow.

Alex: What I would really like to see is something like a mesh between a console RPG and Soul Calibur.

Justin W: so, kind of like an RPG where each battle is a matter of skill rather than experience?

Alex: Yeah, pretty much. And for the love of [insert deity], enough with the random encounters.

Justin H: Yeah. I really thought that Chrono Cross proved we don't really need those anymore. Or at the very least, give us an option to turn them off when we want to. I regularly wish for that feature. I'm going, "I have more than leveled up enough for this area! These encounters no longer give me any benefit! Go away!!!"

Justin W: yeah, I know what you mean. Skies of Arcadia is one of my favorite RPGs, but I can't bring myself to start a new game of it because I don't feel like letting the random encounters slow the pace of the otherwise excellent game. I liked Chrono Cross' system of limiting you to a certain skill level until you fought each boss. Now, if only they had made the bosses more difficult, it could have been one of the best-balanced RPGs out there.

Justin H: I think it's a real problem that needs to be addressed. It's a large part of the disturbing stagnation in RPGs these days.

Cortney: Indeed. Nothing is more irritating than tinkering with a dungeon puzzle while fighting off persistent monsters. While concentrating on which block to move, I'll be bombarded by slimes, jump to a battle mode, and forget my next move in the puzzle afterward.

Alex: Encounters during complicated puzzles/exploration are the devil!

Justin W: Yeah, Xenogears had a major problem with that.

Alex: Something like that detracts enormously from the experience for me.

Cortney: It seems like I played an RPG not too long ago that had no monsters around its puzzles.

Justin W: Golden Sun was like that. If you were in a puzzle room, the random encounters turned off. Even a minor change like that could greatly increase the fun factor in an RPG. I'd also like to see more RPGs take a more tactical approach to battles, too... not a full tactics engine, but one that requires skill rather than just fighting for experience. I think Suikoden had some battles like that, but it's been so long since I've played that

Justin H: And if we got rid of Random Encounters, it would be a lot easier to implement those kind of ideas, I'll bet.

Alex: Another thing that is sorely needed is a change in scenery. The thought of playing another traditional fantasy-based game right now sickens me. I'm glad to see something interesting--if complicated--like .hack come along.

Justin W: yeah, I think .hack will change a lot about traditional RPGs. I think that's why so many people are looking forward to it.

Justin H: Playing through the Halloween Town level in KH made realize that there needs to be an entire game with a setting that cool.

Justin W: Yeah, exactly. KH really re-affirmed my idea of what a modern RPG could be like.

Justin H: There are so many options, and the genre seems to explore so few of them. It's a shame, really.

Justin W: Well, that's about all the time we have tonight... Before we go, however, I'd like our roundtable members to make some parting comments.

Cortney: Tune in, turn on, and drop out. Rebel against the establishment. Don't trust anyone over 35. Make love, not war.

Justin H: So, remember, e-mail me with all your squid-based comments. 'Cuz RPGamer doesn't run the same without the squid! I mean that literally. We run this site on a squid-burning engine.

Alex: I would like to just suggest that people explore the genre a bit. Don't just buy the next Final Fantasy because everyone else does. Try something new. If we support the more obscure games, the developers will get the message that we want something fresh.

Justin W: Thanks for coming, and reading, and goodnight!