Elden Ring can be the best RPG in the same sense as Star Wars could be the best SF.
Star Wars is Space Opera, a mix of SF and Fantasy, and not actually SF, which doesnt allow fantasy/magic. Thus it cannot be the best SF, because its not actually SF.
Elden Ring is an action RPG, a mix of regular action games and weak RPG elements, and not a RPG. Actual roleplaying games depend upon character stats to determine the outcome of actions. While Elden Ring very much relies on the actions of the player.
For example a player with poor reflexes but good intellect can shine at RPGs, because they require intellectual understanding of the game mechanics, but might get completely destroyed in Action RPGs, when you actually need good reflexes and coordination.
I call BS on this. RPG means Role Playing Game. Every single thing added to that definition is either fluff or personal preference. Elden Ring is just as much of an RPG as Diablo is, as Baldurs Gate is, as Eye of the Beholder is, as Final Fantasy is. It has zero to do with action versus intellect, or a predetermined role versus one created by the player, or lots of story versus little. You can most definitely suck at one and not the other yes, that doesn't make one an RPG and the other not though.
Also, Elden ring relies on stats in a massive, massive way. They determine everything you can do, wear, and how much of all of it. The brilliance however is that skill can compensate for lack of certain stats, something most RPGs can't even figure out so they come up with utterly cripple systems like THAC0. I would even go as far as stating that Elden ring is more of an RPG then 80% of the 'interactive story' RPGs out there where you follow a linear path and have to chose between the exciting Icebolt or the even more exciting Fireball.
/Cheers, Lahnmir
'the only way he could nail it any better is if he used a cross.'
Kyleran on yours sincerely
'But there are many. You can play them entirely solo, and even offline. Also, you are wrong by default.'
Ikcin in response to yours sincerely debating whether or not single-player offline MMOs exist...
'This does not apply just to ED but SC or any other game. What they will get is Rebirth/X4, likely prettier but equally underwhelming and pointless.
It is incredibly difficult to design some meaningfull leg content that would fit a space ship game - simply because it is not a leg game.
It is just huge resource waste....'
Gdemami absolutely not being an armchair developer
Elden Ring can be the best RPG in the same sense as Star Wars could be the best SF.
Star Wars is Space Opera, a mix of SF and Fantasy, and not actually SF, which doesnt allow fantasy/magic. Thus it cannot be the best SF, because its not actually SF.
Elden Ring is an action RPG, a mix of regular action games and weak RPG elements, and not a RPG. Actual roleplaying games depend upon character stats to determine the outcome of actions. While Elden Ring very much relies on the actions of the player.
For example a player with poor reflexes but good intellect can shine at RPGs, because they require intellectual understanding of the game mechanics, but might get completely destroyed in Action RPGs, when you actually need good reflexes and coordination.
I'll disagree here as well.
Yes, a role playing game does rely on stats but I see no reason that allowing another axis such as a player's skill, can't be a factor.
Otherwise that means the witcher isn't a rpg, Skyrim, Oblvion and Morrowind aren't rpg's, Mass Effect isn't a rpg.
Though if one wants to say it's a hybrid system then that makes sense.
Like Skyrim? Need more content? Try my Skyrim mod "Godfred's Tomb."
Roleplaying games are all about the players making choices about their role, and then seeing how those choices affect the way you play the game.
Sometimes those choices are about stats and gear for combat roles - choosing to be melee instead of ranged, mitigations vs health pools, burst vs sustained damage etc. This is often the main type of roleplaying used, but it is often quite shallow. In the worst cases, this type of roleplaying is limited to a single choice - what character / class you want to play.
Sometimes those choices are about personality. Am I good or am I evil? Am I greedy or am I generous? This is what the roleplaying in the witcher games was all about, as well as things like lightside / darkside choices in kotor.
Sometimes those choices are about economic roles. Am I a blacksmith, an armourer or a chemist? Do I focus on gathering or crafting? Do I just earn money from jobs and remain a pure consumer?
In an MMO, you also get social roleplaying with other players.
If you arent making choices about your role, then it's not a roleplaying game, its just a regular adventure game. I'm only a few hours into Elden Ring but there are certainly plenty of choices around your combat role. I've not seen anything to do with personality roleplaying, nor economic roleplaying, but they may come later.
Currently Playing: WAR RoR - Spitt rr7X Black Orc | Scrotling rr6X Squig Herder | Scabrous rr4X Shaman
Well my son, the games developer, loves it and has declared it to be the best thing since sliced bread and admits to slacking off his work to play it. That makes it official now.
He does know me well enough though to confine his comments to praise for ER without straying into the dangerous territory of bashing other open world RPGs like Skyrim or Witcher 3... at least around me
You see this is what everyone on here needs, a game developer in the family so we can blame them for everything that is going wrong.
Comments
Also, Elden ring relies on stats in a massive, massive way. They determine everything you can do, wear, and how much of all of it. The brilliance however is that skill can compensate for lack of certain stats, something most RPGs can't even figure out so they come up with utterly cripple systems like THAC0. I would even go as far as stating that Elden ring is more of an RPG then 80% of the 'interactive story' RPGs out there where you follow a linear path and have to chose between the exciting Icebolt or the even more exciting Fireball.
/Cheers,
Lahnmir
Kyleran on yours sincerely
'But there are many. You can play them entirely solo, and even offline. Also, you are wrong by default.'
Ikcin in response to yours sincerely debating whether or not single-player offline MMOs exist...
'This does not apply just to ED but SC or any other game. What they will get is Rebirth/X4, likely prettier but equally underwhelming and pointless.
It is incredibly difficult to design some meaningfull leg content that would fit a space ship game - simply because it is not a leg game.
It is just huge resource waste....'
Gdemami absolutely not being an armchair developer
Yes, a role playing game does rely on stats but I see no reason that allowing another axis such as a player's skill, can't be a factor.
Otherwise that means the witcher isn't a rpg, Skyrim, Oblvion and Morrowind aren't rpg's, Mass Effect isn't a rpg.
Though if one wants to say it's a hybrid system then that makes sense.
Godfred's Tomb Trailer: https://youtu.be/-nsXGddj_4w
Original Skyrim: https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/109547
Serph toze kindly has started a walk-through. https://youtu.be/UIelCK-lldo