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Faceoff: Open World RPGs vs. CRPGs - The RPG Files at MMORPG.com

SBFordSBFord Former Associate EditorMember LegendaryPosts: 33,129
edited October 2015 in News & Features Discussion

imageFaceoff: Open World RPGs vs. CRPGs - The RPG Files at MMORPG.com

October is the most mainstream month isometric RPGs have seen in years. Wasteland 2, Sword Coast Legends, and Divinity: Original Sin Enhanced Edition just around the corner, this is the month where CRPGs hit the mainstream like never before. Not to be outdone, November will push back with the open world juggernaut, Fallout 4. So, we’re going to do what any self-respecting gamer would do: compare the hell out of them.

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Comments

  • ScalplessScalpless Member UncommonPosts: 1,426
    CRPG means Computer RPG and has little to do with isometric camera. Sure, some isometric games are CRPGs, but many of the genre's first games, like Wizardry or Might And Magic, were first-person RPGs. And some of them were open world games, too. Actually, some isometric CRPGs (like Divine Divinity) are open world games, so... there's no versus here.
  • LoktofeitLoktofeit Member RarePosts: 14,247
    Open World RPG is a subset of CRPG, Chris. So weird. 

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  • Slapshot1188Slapshot1188 Member LegendaryPosts: 17,686
    I'm a bit confused about the thought process in the article. I mean.. the roots of what you consider Open World RPGs is actually what you refer to as CRPGs. Just think about the Ultima series. The MMO concept was just about taking those types of games and making them massive...

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  • GameByNightGameByNight Hardware and Technology EditorMMORPG.COM Staff, Member RarePosts: 811
    edited October 2015
    Over the last three years, the term CRPG has been used to describe older style RPGs in the vein of Baldur's Gate. That is the reason for its usage here; however, you are correct that CRPG in the literal sense is any RPG. I chose to use it, and the term "open world," as easy reference points to current gen games.
  • jc234jc234 Member UncommonPosts: 91
    CRPGs by its own rights, should be the go-to de facto design frame. 

    RPGs these days, I'm assuming being the modern version is heavily focused on Action Combat. Flashy, fast paced and entertaining. But this should be a second order consideration... A game with no depth or complexity in design is just another waste. I think there was a thread that runs similar to this debate, was called "Gameplay vs. Graphics" or something along those lines.
  • ScalplessScalpless Member UncommonPosts: 1,426
    GameByNight said:
    Over the last three years, the term CRPG has been used to describe older style RPGs in the vein of Baldur's Gate. That is the reason for its usage here; however, you are correct that CRPG in the literal sense is any RPG. I chose to use it, and the term "open world," as easy reference points to current gen games.
    I get what you tried to use it for. It's just confusing, because CRPGs can very well be open world games. For a classic example, look at Arcanum. It's a well-known open world party-based isometric CRPG.

    CRPG is generally a retired term that was used back when PC games stayed on PC and console games stayed on consoles. Back then, it was CRPG vs. JRPG. In other words, its closest alternative right now would be WRPG. People still use it to describe games like BG2, because back then they were called CRPGs. However, it's not specific to Infinity Engine games like BG2 and also undeniably includes games like Wizardry, Might and Magic, Ultima, Fallout 1&2, etc. They were CRPGs even before BioWare became a thing.
  • AntiquatedAntiquated Member RarePosts: 1,415
    DMKano said:
    Very confusing article.

    As others have pointed out open world rpg and crpg are not competing but rather part of the same set.

    A rewrite with clearly defined terminology is needed IMO

    Someone needs to invent a new acronym...
  • ScalplessScalpless Member UncommonPosts: 1,426
    Torval said:
    By the way if you are the curator (just going by your avatar icon) of Quality Narrative on Steam. It's a great list!
    Oh, I'm not. I guess I'm far from the only guy who likes Morte.
  • GreteldaGretelda Member UncommonPosts: 359
    edited October 2015
    with all due respect this article doesn't make much sense. being Open World is not what defines an RPG. (neither does Isometric view but i totally understand that one) also all of the points you mentioned depend on developers and the budget. with the right amount of money and creativity any design choice has it's potential. so are we just comparing available titles or something? cause if so after BG/Torment/NWN era CRPG there isn't much to brag about. Shadowrun returns etc revived the genre but didn't evolve it.

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  • fivorothfivoroth Member UncommonPosts: 3,916
    I thought CRPG was used to refer to computer RPGs back in the 90s to distinguish them from tabletop RPGs. It just so happens that back at the time CRPGs were isometric due to hardware limitations. Nowadays most RPGs are first or third person with the occasional isometric RPG for the nostalgia.

    Skyrim, Fallout and teh Witcher are CRPGs. I think the whole term CRPG died out because people assume that they are played on a computer as few people play tabletop RPGs.

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  • TeraficusTeraficus Member CommonPosts: 3
    Scalpless said:
    Torval said:
    By the way if you are the curator (just going by your avatar icon) of Quality Narrative on Steam. It's a great list!
    Oh, I'm not. I guess I'm far from the only guy who likes Morte.
    Not the only one! Anyway, I liked Xachariah even more - only a second plan character but still more interesting than most of the NPC ever created. And at this point I agree with the OP - roleplay was better in isometric cRPGs.
  • QuizzicalQuizzical Member LegendaryPosts: 25,507
    I think the author doesn't know what "isometric" means.  None of the games in the original post are isometric.  As the name implies, there should be an isometry involved.

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isometry

    If you don't want to delve too much into the math, the telltale sign of an isometric viewpoint is to check whether lines that are parallel in the 3D game world appear parallel on the screen, or whether there is some perspective involved such that the lines seem to meet off in the distance.  The latter is conclusive proof that the game isn't isometric.

    "Isometric" doesn't mean a far away camera.  If the camera corresponds to any particular spot in the game world, that's not isometric.  You could perhaps think of isometric as being the limit as the camera position goes to infinity, but the definitions involved to make that true are pretty delicate.
  • waynejr2waynejr2 Member EpicPosts: 7,771
    fivoroth said:
    I thought CRPG was used to refer to computer RPGs back in the 90s to distinguish them from tabletop RPGs. It just so happens that back at the time CRPGs were isometric due to hardware limitations. Nowadays most RPGs are first or third person with the occasional isometric RPG for the nostalgia.

    Skyrim, Fallout and teh Witcher are CRPGs. I think the whole term CRPG died out because people assume that they are played on a computer as few people play tabletop RPGs.

    Crpgs existed back in 1974. 

    I take the wide view of RPG on a computer.
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  • 43%burnt43%burnt Member UncommonPosts: 162
    And to harp on other aspects of the "article": The tacked on excuse for multiplayer in Mass Effect beats out cooperative play in story mode ? Nope.
  • TheocritusTheocritus Member LegendaryPosts: 10,022
    This sounds like an exercise in mental masturbation
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