A Western developer doing JRPGs?

[bluestarultor]

This is a nasty thought that just hit me. I have a buttload of RPG ideas, but most of them wouldn't take well to the WRPG setup. As in not at all, because most of my ideas are very character-driven and linear. I suppose some COULD be modified to offer more player choice in the storyline, but in all honesty, I've essentially got a folder full of unique and amazing games with interesting and new systems... that are all fucking JRPGs.

Not that there's anything necessarily WRONG with that, but it limits where I'd have luck bringing them to life. I'd like to think I could do it independently only hahaaaa, no way in Hell do I have that kind of time and talent. I've spent over four years now on my MMO and have zero code written for it, two songs, and only basic tiles for the art. Granted, the tiles are REALLY PRETTY, but I think it just shows where I've been dumping my effort. Also, I doubt anyone wants such a low-graphics MMO that the interface is a virtual handheld system. Easy on the CPU, maybe, full of interesting ideas, hell yes, but salable, probably not as long as 3D is so easy to find on the market.



Believe it or not, the point of this thread is not for me to bitch, but to ask if anyone can think of all the developers that do stuff nobody else does. In my case, I tried to think of a Western developer that might risk trying out a JRPG and couldn't think of any, because Japan's got a monopoly on that sort of thing and they seem more apt to creep into WRPG territory than vice versa.

Alternatively, if you're a fellow "ideas person" feeling the crushing weight of reality, I suppose you could use this thread for that, too. Or maybe we can all take down names and numbers and join forces someday in hopes of combining our varied and useful skills into one company to start producing stuff. Then again, maybe it'll rain marshmallows and we'll all be selected by secret committees to run the gaming megacorps already on the market. :p

On the other hand, if any of us do make it big, I'd like to think we'd throw each other a bone or two, or at least come back and hang with the plebs.



Edit: Wow, looking at this again, I'm all across the board, aren't I? Probably could have titled it better, too. >>;

[Regulus Tera]

Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood was pretty badly-received.

[Premmy]

The minute you put "dark" into the title of a Sonic game, you know you've fucked up.

[bluestarultor]

Originally Posted by Premonitions

The minute you put "dark" into the title of a Sonic game, you know you've fucked up.

You have to admit, putting "dark" in ANY title generally means it's a shitty game.

Edit: There are exceptions, but it's still a good rule of thumb.

[Kyanbu The Legend]

Lame question but what's the major difference between JRPG and WRPG?

[Premmy]

Originally Posted by Kyanbu The Legend

Lame question but what's the major difference between JRPG and WRPG?

JRPG: Final Fantasy
WRPG: Mass Effect

[Kyanbu The Legend]

Originally Posted by Premonitions

JRPG: Final Fantasy
WPG: Mass Effect

Thank you. Looks like most of my RPG game ideas (D-Universe) would be JRPGs by that standard.

EDIT: Wait never mind. What defines WRPG is the player being able to control the flow and direction of the story. Which would make my stuff actually WRPGs.

[bluestarultor]

JRPG vs WRPG is kind of a sliding scale. Things to look for include:

JRPG:
- linear story
- closed-world gameplay
- certain character tropes (plucky idiot hero, calculating 2nd-in command, etc.)
- tendency to "Swords and Sorcery" settings
- often a lighter tone
- colorful world filled with many races, explored by a 99% human party
- turn based / active time battle

WRPG:
- story determined by player choice
- open-world gameplay
- certain character tropes (grizzled space marine, moral choice system, etc.)
- more varied settings
- often more serious
- colorful world filled with many races, explored by party comprised of those races
- real-time battle


There can be major variations, but you can get a good indicator by the tropes that are most prominent.


Edit: In my case, I usually end up with something like:
- overall linear stories with maybe certain differences generated by player choice
- largely closed-world gameplay
- fuck tropes, I'm going to write complex and interesting characters with more depth than a teaspoon
- varied settings
- mostly lighter in tone
- colorful world filled with many races, explored by a party of those races
- active time battle

[Premmy]

Originally Posted by bluestarultor

- fuck tropes, I'm going to write complex and interesting characters with more depth than a teaspoon

Tropes aren't bad, you know.

[Regulus Tera]

Originally Posted by Kyanbu The Legend

Lame question but what's the major difference between JRPG and WRPG?

Region of origin.

Demon's Souls and Etrian Odyssey are considered JRPGs, for example. The term JRPG is very loose, and encompasses everything from Pokémon to Kingdom Hearts to Fire Emblem.