How do we improve the jrpg genre? Specifically their length (too long), their replay value (not enough), and most importantly their difficulty (non-existent)?
I think if they made jrpgs more focused on gameplay, strategy & action and efficient story-telling they would be greatly improved. Magic and items should be nerfed a lot, in battle player skill should be the deciding factor not how over-geared her party is. Boss battles should be short but difficult. There should be penalties for dying maybe even a perma "game-over" feature at certain points if you really screw up.
>Specifically their length (too long), their replay value (not enough), and most importantly their difficulty (non-existent)? All of these points are based on your own preferences. Why are you telling people to improve the genre based off your own subjective preferences?
Samuel Morris
those are objective realities, you can't deny that jrpgs go on for hundreds of hours sometimes, just for 1 playthrough, they are also defects of the genre, like being too easy (mindless gameplay doesn't warrant replay and offers no challenge)
>some people enjoy bad things yes, but we aren't worried about people with bad taste
John Perry
The thing is, all the aspects I lament about JRPGs now I loved as a kid because it meant a single could last me months or even years when my parents rarely, if ever, got me new games. Now they are just repetitive hassles, but there are a lot of things I enjoyed as a kid that I dislike now. To be fair, there may be some kids out there that use bloated RPGs to get them through gaming droughts as well. It doesn't seem as common, though. Most kids I know now, even the poorer ones, have the latest titles, probably because vidya isn't as demonized as it was back then.
Joshua Gutierrez
it's also super easy to get games for free now, so kids don't have the "one game per 5months" limitation or whatever we had growing up.
with more variety comes more expectations and competition for player time
Matthew Powell
Go play fucking Dark Souls
Andrew Hall
Dark Souls is an action game, with very little bloat, not a turn based jrpg with a big story, which this thread is about.
DS is fine
Kayden Hall
Jesus, normally a tripfag would warrant a hostile reply but the OP is just so fucking dumb. All those points are what makes a JRPG a JRPG. God forbid a game be fleshed out and have plenty to offer you for your money.
Ethan Gomez
I'll concede difficulty but isn't the trials of mana remake not a good choice as an example? It's on the shorter side(15-20 hours) and the replay value does exist to some extent(NG+ bonuses, party interaction, and 3 separate final dungeons).
Wyatt Lewis
I've seen this sentiment before, but I was never a contentcuck even as a kid. I couldn't imagine playing a less "gamey game" just because it has more.
Yeah I'd get 3 games a year in the best of times (birthday, christmas, saving $2 a week allowance and praying for sales) but that just made me really kick ass at those games, every millisecond mapped to muscle memory. I only need to half pay attention going through Dong 2 or Axelay even now. 3 hour and 90 minute games respectively but damn what a fucking kickass afternoon.
Maybe its because of this I have such a low tolerance for time wasting in modern games.
>All those points are what makes a JRPG a JRPG Nope, all those points hold back the genre. If you look at Ys Oath in Felghana it's an example of a JRPG done right. Very little story bloat, very little backtracking and wandering around aimlessly, everything is focused and efficient. While there are items and gear you need to progress the game puts a lot of demand on the player to actually learn the mechanics and get good. It also has higher difficulty settings, and can be beat pretty fast, so it warrants extra replays.
Now if only they could translate this formula to turn-based JRPGs, then the genre would have something to offer. But right now, it's dead and stagnant. Hence all the remakes and fan-service shit, banking on nostalgia and horny/lonely teens.
Camden Harris
Jrpgs were always glorified visual novels with shallow Gameplay.
Isaac Perez
>jrpgs go on for hundreds of hours sometimes, There is no jrpg I haven't beaten in under 80 hours. Even Xenoblade Chronicles and Dragon Quest VII. Get efficient OP.
Nicholas Cruz
>Ys Oath in Felghana it's an example of a JRPG It's not a jrpg. It's an action adventure title just like Zelda.
Austin Murphy
>There is no jrpg I haven't beaten in under 80 hours. That's not a good thing. Ideal time would be around 10-15hours. With maybe 2 or 3 difficulty settings. That way it warrants replay and can offer challenge.
The thing is, if you make a game 60-80 hours long, it just can't be very challenging because most of that content is going to be bloat. If it was Challenging, if it was hard, that 60-80hours would turn into 200 or 300, because the player would be forced to reset and do multiple attempts again and again.
Evan Reyes
>10-15 Nah man aim a little higher than that. 25-30 hours is more ideal
Parker Russell
Copy western RPGs and give you some actual role playing to do. Dialogue options. Decisions and dicerolls that change the story.
Blake Walker
>25-30 hours is more ideal already too long meaning it's been padded with garbage and the difficulty has been lowered, remember we need replay value and higher difficulty settings, multiple endings, maybe true bosses you only unlock after multiple beatings/new game+ modes, etc. Reasons to replay and get more out of a game.
That's why you want the game to be around 10-15hours. Plus with higher difficulty settings that 10-15 could get stretched out to 20+ because of doing attempts over and over.
Most jrpgs you blast through on your first try with little to no resets or game overs because they are piss easy, the designers expect them to work like that so they don't frustrate the gamers who are already investing in a 60hour slodge through mindless content.
Jackson Myers
>already too long meaning it's been padded with garbage and the difficulty has been lowered Seriously? Also if you want to play a game for the difficulty then why not just play something that isn't a JRPG
Samuel Lewis
>10-15 hours >Higher difficulties that unlock branching paths in the story >No grind, all tactical challenges with pre-set gear and abilities
Anthony Cooper
>That's not a good thing. Here we are again with your subjective opinion. I for one have 0 interests with games that are only 10-15 hours long. Too short to get invested in a game.
Jayden Thomas
Consider the following: hybridize real-time and turn-based combat systems.
XII is a fantastic start, and it can only get better by first prohibiting use of all Gambits by the character you control when they do FFXII's battle system again.
You can also go the Chrono Trigger route, or even the Secret of Mana route. Either way, hybridizing turns with action and making them seamless already makes combat so much better.
>Specifically their length (too long) That's good. >their replay value (not enough) That's good to, who wants to replay a game right after beat it. Besides JRPGs tend to be full of side quests. >their difficulty (non-existent) Play on hard or try to defeat the post game bosses.
Brody Davis
>How do we improve the jrpg genre? it doesn't need "improving," especially from soulless westcucks.
Nicholas Young
>you can't deny that jrpgs go on for hundreds of hours sometimes, just for 1 playthrough Dude xenogears was only like 100 and you're not gonna find a longer JRPG main story. Fuck outta here with your hyperbole.
Cooper Roberts
JRPGs are narrative games with mental puzzles. It sounds like you're looking for a whole different genre. Why not get play something else?
Leo Ortiz
>replay value (not enough) Point of no return feature is dumb
The first two are the most subjective points I’ve seen. Not to mention the existence of games that address these points. Plenty of short RPGs or ones which incentivise repeat play throughs due to additional or diverging route content or extra post boss stuff exist. Long RPGs are only an issue when it drags. Just promote the shit that does those sort of things instead of the cookie cutter stuff if it bothers you so.
Xavier Martinez
Implement story into the gameplay rather than have them separate. A vast majority of the game is spend doing tasks that essentially have nothing to do with anything. Fighting 100 battles to get to the next story part where there is likely a few minor battles then a boss then repeat 100 times. Instead of that have less fights, maybe make them longer, but have each one or at least most of them be impactful to the story to progress it quicker. During these longer more impactful battles you can do interesting mechanics to increase the difficulty and make them more unique. This would at least make them more interesting to me.
Isaac Jenkins
>80 bad, too short, no REplay >15x3 = 45, perfect. Replayability..greater value