Would You Rather: RPG Edition!

It’s been some time since we’ve done the Would You Rather game here at GamerSushi, so I thought it would be best to unveil one, this time with a theme: Role Playing Games! We’ll probably do one of these for different genres in the next few weeks, and I’m particularly excited about some of the answers you guys will no doubt unleash upon us.

In Would You Rather, I simply ask a series of questions, and you follow up with your answers. Give as much or as little explanation as you want for your choices, but we all know that we like to see the reasoning behind the madness.

Don’t let your answers suck, though. Your punishment will be to sit and watch Anthony play through each Final Fantasy game. He’ll do it, too, just to be a stickler.

 

For an RPG, Would you rather…

1. Have random encounters or see the enemies before you fight them?

2. Play a shooter with RPG elements (Mass Effect 2), or an RPG with shooter elements (Mass Effect)?

3. Listen to dubbed English voiceover or have the option to listen to the original Japanese in a JRPG?

4. Play a game with turn-based combat, or real-time combat?

5. Experience a linear story or an open world?

6. Create your own character and personalize the stats, or follow a more traditional JRPG level-up system with preset classes?

7. Have the game be set in a faux Medieval period (Fable II, Oblivion) or a sci-fi/futuristic setting (Final Fantasy 13, Mass Effect)?

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I write about samurai girls and space marines. Writer for Smooth Few Films. Rooster Teeth Freelancer. Author of Red vs. Blue, The Ultimate Fan Guide, out NOW!

22 thoughts on “Would You Rather: RPG Edition!”

  1. 1. Depends, a console I would rather it be random, PC I would rather see them because most chances on PC I’d be playing an MMO.
    2. Id rather play a game more like borderlands than mass effect. an FPS with RPG.
    3. Japanese voices with subtitles…
    4. Tactical turnbased like the games Legend of legaia, and Legaia 2: Dual saga.
    5. neither. I want a linear that gets changed depending on how you play the game, such as a good/evil natured ending.
    6.Create and personalize.
    Neither I WANT A STEAMPUNK RPG!!!!!!!!

  2. [quote comment=”12145″]1. Depends, a console I would rather it be random, PC I would rather see them because most chances on PC I’d be playing an MMO.
    2. Id rather play a game more like borderlands than mass effect. an FPS with RPG.
    3. Japanese voices with subtitles…
    4. Tactical turnbased like the games Legend of legaia, and Legaia 2: Dual saga.
    5. neither. I want a linear that gets changed depending on how you play the game, such as a good/evil natured ending.
    6.Create and personalize.
    Neither I WANT A STEAMPUNK RPG!!!!!!!![/quote]
    for got to add a 7. infront of my steampunk answer.

  3. 1. See my enemies. I hate random encounters.

    2. RPG with shooter elements

    3..Dubbed english. Even if it’s terrible, i enjoy knowing whats happening.

    4. It depends. I would like to have the option of both, like in fallout 3 where the vats system injects a bit of turn based combat, but on the whole i’d rather have real time combat.

    5.Open world games. I can take it at my own pace and make it linear if need be.

    6. Create my own character

    7. Futuristic. It’s cooler to be in space than rolling in a forest, IMO.

  4. 1. See ’em
    2. Mass Effect 2
    3. Either
    4. Real-Time
    5. Linear w/ open world elements
    6. Create your own
    7. Sci-fi/future
    BAM! Quick and easy…

  5. 1. See them first. FPS’s teach me that. (Spies). Unless it’s beneficial like they add a big new story element or something like that.
    2. I don’t play enough of each to give a really fair vote, but I feel like a strong shooter with the extra bonus of RPGness in them is really nice. It’s more bang-for-your-buck than RPG with shooter elements because they don’t do enough of the first one.
    3. Original japanese. No contest. Subs>Dubs anyday. (It actually makes me think of how foreign viewers see English shows being dubbed for them in their own language and their views compared to ours.
    4. Real – Time. I’m an impatient person.
    5. Depends really. An open world environment really depends on the player a lot and isn’t as risky as a linear story. With an open world, you don’t know if the players are playing the better or the worse parts of the game while in linear gameplay, you know the players are following how it was meant to be played.
    6. Create your own character. Real life to virtual life bonding times are created (i.e. you love them more)
    7. Dur… anything with magic and swords.

    Should add a question 8 to MMORPG players: Do you play as a guy or a girl?

  6. 1. I prefer to see my enemy before I face them. I fell in love with the feature ever since Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga.

    2. Um…all RPG’s have RPG elements. I don’t quite get how ME2 is an example of RPG elements and ME1 isn’t, but I’ll assume you mean RPG Elements = Persona or FF1 and such. In that case, I prefer straight-up RPG gameplay since RPG developers just haven’t quite grasped the FPS. They need to understand that fluidity and accuracy is paramount in FPS’s. It’s pretty ridiculous when you aim your weapon and have the sights right on a hostile and yet apparently your character doesn’t believe in shooting correctly simply because you’re not high enough level to shoot the gun in any recognizably correct fashion. Like in Alpha Protocol, aren’t you supposed to be an elite agent? Then why can Mr. Thornton not shoot his bloody gun straight? I mean the animation shows him aiming down the sight at the target correctly, so why are my bullets missing? This isn’t a sword that I’m wielding!
    The issue with RPGFPS’s is that they rely on stats to determine the strength of the weapon, when it simply doesn’t make logical sense that apparently the amount of gunpowder in your round is determined by your experience. So I prefer it when stats are understandably the only factors in combat, as opposed to stats being inhibitors on my personal skill.

    3. I always prefer options, and I just prefer Japanese voice-overs if the English is horrendous…and it probably will be. Nay, it WILL be. I mean take Mass Effect for example – ugh, terrible! (lol) The only good EngSubs that I listen to are for Full Metal Alchemist, Baccano!, and Kino’s Journey, and those are Anime, not jRPG’s.

    4. Turn-based. I just prefer not having to be swift on my feet. That’s for FPS’s which require less quick-thinking. Real-time is cool, but it’s not my cup of tea. And I don’t drink tea, neither.

    5. I like both linear and open-world RPG’s. I enjoy experiencing a story, even if it is linear (which isn’t a bad thing – people make it sound like it’s bad), and I also like experiencing a huge world where I can get lost for hours exploring the world and its stories and people.

    6. I prefer customization especially if there are only a few characters, but set classes are fine too.

    7. Post-nuclear. Or Steampunk – that would very awesome!

    Great questions, guys! I’d love to see an FPS “Would You Rather”! Can’t wait for the next questions!

  7. 1. Definitely see them. Random encounters are extremely annoying.

    2. I take offense to calling Mass Effect 2 a shooter with rpg elements. Bioshock is a shooter with rpg elements. Do keep in mind that customization and spec trees are only part of a rpg’s definition. And I love both mass effects, so I’ll go with both.

    3. Um I’d rather the one I can understand, and then make fun of how terrible it is (zing!). Sorry I’m a JRPG hater, I couldn’t resist.

    4. Real time. WoW like combat is good too, and when it doesn’t disconnect you from the experience and the world around you like a certain JRPG series with too many numbers. KOTOR was an example on how to do it well.

    5. I like more open world with my RPG’s, but a mix of the two like Dragon Age is fine too. And if the linear is done well, like Mass Effect, I’m fine with it.

    6. Well since my opinion on JRPG’s have been stated, and the fact that I own Bioware games, novels, and shirts, I think I’m a clear supporter of the western style of things.

    7. I honestly love em’ both (Although whether or not Fable is an RPG is still up for debate). Whichever fits them game, I’m down for.

  8. 1. Random encounters, but only if it takes less than a minute to get back to travel if you one hit the enemy.

    2. RPG with shooter elements

    3. English FTW!

    4. Real time if it’s smooth, otherwise turn based.

    5. Linear once, then an open world. Linear usually gets old fast like puzzle games that don’t change.

    6. Create my own character. It not called RPG for nothing right?

    7. Both are good but I would prefer sci-fi/future if it isn’t too cliche.

  9. [quote comment=”12145″]1. Depends, a console I would rather it be random, PC I would rather see them because most chances on PC I’d be playing an MMO.
    2. Id rather play a game more like borderlands than mass effect. an FPS with RPG.
    3. Japanese voices with subtitles…
    4. Tactical turnbased like the games Legend of legaia, and Legaia 2: Dual saga.
    5. neither. I want a linear that gets changed depending on how you play the game, such as a good/evil natured ending.
    6.Create and personalize.
    Neither I WANT A STEAMPUNK RPG!!!!!!!![/quote]

    Final Fantasy VI and VII are steampunkish.

  10. 1. I like seeing enemies before I have to fight them. That way I can avoid the confrontation if I really can’t stand another battle.

    2. Personally, I’d rather a game do one thing really well. Typically RPGs trying to be shooters don’t seem to do it all that well, so I think the reverse is better. Borderlands and ME2 were both awesome.

    3. I’d rather listen to the original Japanese if given the option. Most English dubs are pretty terrible.

    4. Call me a sucker, but I love a really good turn-based system.

    5. Open worlds are fun, but my most memorable game experiences are when the stories have really grabbed me in addition to the gameplay.

    6. I enjoy getting to personalize my character. This question is tough (even though I posed it, I guess) because there’s also something to having a unique character with a tale written especially for them.

    7. One of the things I loved about Dragon Age is that it was a legit fantasy setting with dragons and the like. I loved FF 9 for the same reason. But I wouldn’t complain if we saw more steampunk-y kind of games like FF6 and FF7. FF13’s blend of fantasy and sci fi was just a little too strange for me.

  11. 1. Enemies you can see

    2. I prefer shooters with RPG elements. Mass Effect 2 is one of my favourite games of all time, so I really cant argue with how it works

    3. I wouldn’t mind having the option of listening to the Japanese voice work (with subtitles) but I would probably end up just playing it in English anyway

    4. Probably real-time combat. I like the challenge of being able to think on your feet, knowing when to attack and when to save up for a healing or use other powers.

    6. Again going back to Mass Effect (1 and 2), I liked that each class had its own set of powers but that you personalize how far you leveled each one. It gave a greater replayablilty to the games, you can change class or change the build within each class, more so in ME1 because each class had a lot more skills to master.

    For 5 and 7 I can answer in 2 words – Chrono trigger 🙂 For each question, it has a perfect blend of each option – a fairly linear story but not one that prevented you from exploring the world. And you got to visit past present and future. But if I had to pick only one then I would pick open world and sci-fi/future.

    Great questions. i love these “would you rather” posts, cant wait for the next one.

  12. 1. See the enemy before I see them, that way I have a chance to dodge them.

    2. Playing an RPG with shooter elements is for me. While the combat in ME wasn’t thrilling, I disliked the lack of enough RPG elements in ME2.

    3. English voice-over, having the original Japanese voice which I can’t understand doesn’t do anything for me.

    4. Probably more real time but it depends what you mean by turned based aswell, because weren’t Dragon Age and Kotor both turn based but just hid it well? But if we’re talking FF turned based, Real time gameplay > turned based.

    5. Aren’t all RPGs essentially loosely linear due to the main plot? Sure I like having an open world, but if the main story is going to suffer due to it I’d rather just have it be linear. That being said, I do enjoy my side/character based quests.

    6. Create your own character and personalize the stats.

    7. Usually medieval/fantasy, Mass Effect is just an usually fantastic exception.

  13. 1. See the enemies. This is something that really annoys me about Pokemon (It’s an RPG!). I hate running into stupid mobs and stopping my forward progress.

    2. Shooter with RPG elements. Mass Effect 2 was just so fantastic.

    3. That depends. If the voice actors do that stupid stuttered anime gasp, then I’ll take the original Japanese with subtitles.

    4. Real-time combat, baby!

    5. Open world all the way.

    6. I like creating a personal character and experiencing my story. Again, this is the difference between the two RPG hemispheres.

    7. I don’t think enough good Sci-Fi RPGs have been done to grab my vote (like AceRimmer said, ME and KOTOR are exceptions) so I’ll stick with the classic fantasy setting.

  14. Great comments here! Wanted to respond to a few…

    @glebe Good point on number 5. It’s true that you can make open world games more linear if you play it a certain way.

    @Labeled I’ve never played the Legend of Legaia games. Any good?

    @wargeragon Totally with you on number 3. I almost always go subs over dubs when I get the chance.

    @Cossack69 The FPS one is coming soon, for sure.

    @SK Beans Regarding your number 2… you take offense? It’s not really meant as an insult at all. I totally agree with you about Bioshock as well. Both are games that did shooting well, and threw in some RPG things to spice it up. I was just illustrating the difference between ME1 and ME2 here. I love ME2!

    @Sylux Nice point on number 1. You don’t see too many people voting for random encounters, but it is nice if you can get back on your way quickly.

    @supernovaforce Props for bringing up Chrono Trigger!

    @AceRimmer True, KOTOR and DA:O are kind of turn based in their own way. I think I meant in more of the sense like FF turn-based, where the game pauses and gives your command options.

  15. 1. Visible enemies all the way. I definitely like being able to avoid the grind if I want, and I always hated those last-step-before-town encounters.

    2. I think Mass Effect 2 is a pretty solid blend of RPG and shooter mechanics, and I’d certainly look forward to more of the same.

    3. I was extremely bummed when it came out that there would be no Japanese voice track option for FF13. For as much as the industry has advanced in the west, Japan still has us beat hands down when it comes to voice acting.

    4. Turn-based minimizes the likelihood of death when I fall asleep on my controller, but real-time minimizes the likelihood of falling asleep on my controller in the first place. Guess I’ve gotta go with real-time.

    5. For all that open worlds offer, I tend to lose the thread of narrative in all the options. Linear plotline is still king for me, though I don’t think that will hold true for too much longer.

    6. I’d much rather have the freedom to mix and match skills and abilities.

    7. Cop-out answer: as long as it’s a good story with a decent combat system, I’m up for either. That said, it’s getting to the point that much of the originality has been squeezed out of the traditional fantasy setting, so I guess I’d lean toward sci-fi. Might be interesting to see more in the near-future sci-fi vein.

  16. Woah, looks like I’m late on this one!

    1. SEE the enemy. Hate random fights.

    2. Whichever Fallout 3 was.

    3. English. Please.

    4. Real time!!

    5. Open world WITH linear story?

    6. Build-Your-Own dude/dudette and let me do what I want!

    7. Ugh, I’ve talked about how I hate Medieval games and films. Oblivion is really growing on me though. But for the most part, I like things that take place now. Deus Ex was fantastic though.

    Great questions boys!

  17. 1. See them, but some games force you to fight anyway, which is annoying.

    2. RPG with shooter elements. Fallout 3 baby!

    3. The option is nice, though I won’t always use it

    4.I enjoy both, depends on the system.

    5. um…both to a degree,lol. Open world is good.

    6. Premade is fine. I get so torn with choices sometimes.

    7. medieval baby!

  18. @Eddy I don’t really take offense, I was just joking, it’s because Mass Effect is my fav.

  19. 1. Definitely see them. I like to choose whether or not I want to fight or avoid the common enemies, and trying to sneak past some can prove to be more challenging then fighting them.

    2. Probably shooter with RPG, though I enjoy both a lot.

    3. I think I’d prefer the English dubbing because I like to understand what I hear, but I’ve never played a game with original Japanese voicing, so who knows?

    4. Definitely real-time. I’ve got nothing against turn based, but I prefer more control over my character.

    5. I like the freedom open worlds give too much to give them up. Sometimes I feel like working on the story, but sometimes all I want to do is explore and mess around, which you can’t do in linear games.

    6. Create my own character. Even when I mess up the character growth and the game becomes near impossible as a result, I think that it’s still much more rewarding playing with a character that you raised completely.

    7. Faux Medieval. Space is awesome and all, but I’m a sucker for swords and magic.

  20. I come back from holidays and I’m greeted with 2 Polls and a Would You Rather? Thank you GamerSushi! : D

    1. See them. Random encounters piss me off. Especially when being ambushed. FFXIII’s mechanic works really well.

    2. Both. Games like Final Fantasy, to me, work because they’re pure RPG. But games like Borderlands just couldn’t function in the same way either as a pure RPG or as a pure FPS.

    3. I’d like the option for both. If the game’s english dub is like Neon Genesis Evangellion, then I’ll hate the english dub and stick with japanese (although in Evangellion it kinda makes sense to listen to it in japanese, what with it being set in Japan and all).

    4. As with 2 it depends on the game. More specifically, it depends on the combat system. FFX’s turn based system works for me, but FF7’s didn’t. Real-time works better with Fallout, Oblivion or Dark Cloud/Chronicle. FFXIII’s combat system is a really nice blend though.

    5. Argh! Another “depends on the game”. Knock it off Eddy!

    6. Can’t… decide… but must… answer question… couldn’t bear… watching Anthony… play through EVERY Final Fantasy… *breaks down*

    7. Oh thank GOD, I can answer this easily. Sci-fi. LAZORS!

  21. 1. Random Encounters. Chaos FTW.

    2. Whatever fallout 3 would be.

    3. Dubbed English.

    4. Real-time combat.

    5. Open world.

    6. Create my own character and personalize the stats.

    7. Sci-Fi/futuristic setting

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