What are the cRPGs

[Darkened_Ra1n]

What are the cRPGs that introduced groundbreaking mechanics or innovations that have reshaped the genre over time?

 

[lukaszek]

oblivion

 

[Tweed]

What are the cRPGs that introduced groundbreaking mechanics or innovations that have reshaped the genre over time?

Kill yourself

 

[Mortmal]

What?! It's already that time of the month? Time flies so fast. And it hasn't gotten better since COVID. Anyone else feel like we've lost two years?

 

[Kev Inkline]

Four years. And after that font color, eyesight, too.

 

[Dark Souls II]

Dark Souls II - poise mechanic.
Black Souls - the option to rape every female NPC in the game mechanic.

 

[Zed Duke of Banville]

What are the cRPGs that introduced groundbreaking mechanics or innovations that have reshaped the genre over time?

Largely the ones that were widely copied by other games and thereby formed their own subgenres:

1. Rogue-likes
2. Wizardry-likes a.k.a. "turn-based blobbers"
3. Ultima-likes
4. Dungeon Master-likes a.k.a. "real-time blobbers"
5. Tactical RPGs (no one originator)
6. JRPGs (no one originator)
7. Underworld-likes
8. Diablo-likes
9. Fallout-likes a.k.a. "Choice & Consequence" RPGs
10. Morrowind-likes a.k.a. Open World RPGs
11. Souls-likes as the dominant type of Action RPG

Though there have certainly been many other RPGs that provided specific impactful innovations.

 

[Ryzer]

What are the cRPGs that introduced groundbreaking mechanics or innovations that have reshaped the genre over time?

1. Morrowind-likes a.k.a. Open World RPGs

Excuse me but do you mean GOTHIC?

 

[ColossusCimmerian]

What are the cRPGs that introduced groundbreaking mechanics or innovations that have reshaped the genre over time?

1. Morrowind-likes a.k.a. Open World RPGs

Excuse me but do you mean GOTHIC?

What the....? You guys mean ULTIMA?

 

[anvi]

EverQuest

 

[Jaesun]

Ultima VII. Wizardry VII. The SSI Gold Box series. Eye of the Beholder. Morrowind.

 

[ColossusCimmerian]

What are the cRPGs that introduced groundbreaking mechanics or innovations that have reshaped the genre over time?

None.

Original D&D 1974, AD&D 1977-1983, every cRPG tried to emulate these RPGs in a way or another, focusing in a game mechanics or in other game mechanics.

So, that you have it. cRPG are not original... They are just a copy.

You can close the thread now...

 

[Gregz]

The OP is essentially asking for the following, but it would also require a branch after the invention of every new feature, which was later copied with considerable frequency.

 

[Zed Duke of Banville]

Eye of the Beholder.

The only innovation of Eye of the Beholder was to adapt Dungeon Master to AD&D rules.

Original D&D 1974, AD&D 1977-1983, every cRPG tried to emulate these RPGs in a way or another, focusing in a game mechanics or in other game mechanics.

So, that you have it. cRPG are not original... They are just a copy.

There are two types of RPGs: Dungeons & Dragons and games derived from Dungeons & Dragons.

 

[Berengar]

 

[Mortmal]

Eye of the Beholder.

The only innovation of Eye of the Beholder was to adapt Dungeon Master to AD&D rules.

Original D&D 1974, AD&D 1977-1983, every cRPG tried to emulate these RPGs in a way or another, focusing in a game mechanics or in other game mechanics.

So, that you have it. cRPG are not original... They are just a copy.

There are two types of RPGs: Dungeons & Dragons and games derived from Dungeons & Dragons.

In fact, Dungeon Master was more complex with its runic system for spells, while Eye of the Beholder was much more mainstream. Then, the second revolutionary game was Ultima Underworld.

 

[Gandalf]

What are the cRPGs that introduced groundbreaking mechanics or innovations that have reshaped the genre over time?

Wizardry, Rogue, Dungeon Master, Ultima, Darklands, I think.

 

[octavius]

In fact, Dungeon Master was more complex with its runic system for spells, while Eye of the Beholder was much more mainstream. Then, the second revolutionary game was Ultima Underworld.

DM was more complex in every aspect, except EoB had NPCs and more diverse graphics.

 

[Nifft Batuff]

If you can play it with a mouse, then it's a crpg.

 

[Harthwain]

What are the cRPGs that introduced groundbreaking mechanics or innovations that have reshaped the genre over time?

The cRPGs are simply games that try to emulate RPGs (PnP RPGs).

But if you are looking for "groundbreaking mechanics or innovations"...

1) Tying up stats to what a character can do is basic of an RPG, but in cRPG this very often gets overlooked (possibly because it is difficult to include the amount of changes/permutations that each skill level would introduce to a video game that has no self-checking system). Planescape Torment is a very good example. Disco Elysium is another, but with a different angle of how your stats operate (which is what made it so innovative compared to other games before it).

2) Having a truly dynamic world would be a groundbreaking achievement, because this means your relationships with NPCs/factions/whatever are in the state of constant flux, and not limited simply to what a very rigid narrative allows you to do. If you can't do fully dynamic world, then going the route of Deus Ex (2000) is the way: you have an open world (albeit small) and a degree of freedom of operating within it. You could find out something after exploring and that gave you an option to do something else, like learning a secret phrase to blow up a (mini)boss or even change the course of the story by opening a different path, without the game even telling you that's possible.

3) Make the world feel alive by reacting to you: one of the reason I loved Gothic 1 was because pulling a sword near guards would make them warn you to put it away (and them also pulling their own blades) before beating you to the ground. Then they would take away some of your money as penalty. If you tried to pull that trick twice, they would simply kill you on the spot. Having a guardsman in Skyrim tell you to stop shouting, because you're scaring the people was also a good touch that added to the immersion value beyond you just having skills. Simply there were rules in the game world and they had to be followed.

 

[NaturallyCarnivorousSheep]

One of codex favourites, kotor, introduced cutscene-dialogues into western RPGs. StOrYfAgGoTs love them

 

[NaturallyCarnivorousSheep]

Pretentious crap borement showed you can con nerds into liking a shitty game by just appealing to social acceptance of their hobby. Games are deep man. Like highschool existentialist novel. Man.

 

[MerchantKing]

What are the cRPGs that introduced groundbreaking mechanics or innovations that have reshaped the genre over time?

Largely the ones that were widely copied by other games and thereby formed their own subgenres:

1. Rogue-likes
2. Wizardry-likes a.k.a. "turn-based blobbers"
3. Ultima-likes
4. Dungeon Master-likes a.k.a. "real-time blobbers"
5. Tactical RPGs (no one originator)
6. JRPGs (no one originator)
7. Underworld-likes
8. Diablo-likes
9. Fallout-likes a.k.a. "Choice & Consequence" RPGs
10. Morrowind-likes a.k.a. Open World RPGs
11. Souls-likes as the dominant type of Action RPG

Though there have certainly been many other RPGs that provided specific impactful innovations.

If anything, the first JRPG as it would be understood today would probably be Dragon Quest though it's undeniable that JRPGs got most of what made them what they are from drpgs like Wizardry.

 

[roguefrog]

JRPGs likely wouldn't exist without Wizardry. It's true. Dragon Quest 1986 is an RPG for total noobs. Everything about it is very simple. Basic. Babies first RPG. Ultima IV was already out. Lesser known is they also have elements from Japanese adventure games which is still widely a poorly understood genre outside of Japan I think. They aren't very good.

CRPGs are just RPGs on a computer instead of the tabletop, and all the sub-genres spawn from there.