A Discussion of Story and Setting in Video Games

Definition:

“A CRPG is a video game in which the primary driver of progress is the interplay between the game’s narrative elements and the defining traits of the characters.”

Explanation:

A CRPG is a video game…

I’m sort of stating the obvious here, but a computer role-playing game (or CRPG) is, in fact, a video game. The more important function of this phrase is to differentiate a computer role-playing game from a pen-and-paper role-playing game or a free-form activity. Many definitions of CRPG emphasize the historical origin of the genre, either tracing it back to simulations of Dungeons and Dragons or to the attempts of D&D (and its contemporaries) to imitate classic war games. By separating the CRPG from its predecessors, this definition attempts to liberate the genre from its predecessors. The CRPG is its own genre, and deserves to be considered on its own merits.

…in which the primary driver of progress…

It is an easy trap to try and define a game genre by its features. After all, for over twenty years you could do just that. Even when Deus Ex and System Shock began to advertise skill system and statistics as “RPG Elements”, no one mistook those games for CRPGs. Recent years have tested the usefulness of this method, though. The 2010 release of Mass Effect 2, for example, seemed to cause quite an uproar within the RPG community as players split over whether a game with such heavy third person shooter influences could really be called a CRPG. To be honest, these developments have only emphasized a far-older issue in the community. I don’t think there’s been a time in my life when the CRPG hasn’t been split between the linear plots produced by Japan and the more open-ended approach favored by Western developers.

That said, I don’t think the situation is going to become more clear-cut any time soon. This definition attempts to take that into account. By emphasizing the main way in which the player advances through the game, it tries to take the emphasis off of potentially ephemeral systems (turn-based combat, inventory management) and place it on the aspects that differentiate it from other game genres. Not only does this hopefully produce a longer lasting definition, but a more streamlined one. It should not take three conditions to separate the Baldur’s Gate series from the Masters of Orion series.

… is the interplay between the game’s narrative elements…

Many definitions of CRPGs place a heavy emphasis on strong plots, to the point where a few have treated it as a key element of the genre. This is not an unfounded claim, as strong narrative execution is perhaps more important to the RPG than other genres, but it underestimates the storytelling capacity of other game types. The Metal Gear series often received attention for its prominent stories, to the point that one of the common criticisms of its later installments is that they seemed to forget there was supposed to be game between the cutscenes. Super Mario Galaxy drew quite a bit of attention for the plot that slipped in, to the point that there was backlash when Nintendo developer Shigeru Miyamoto announced that its sequel would feel more like a traditional Mario title. When asked for an explanation, the answer seemed to be that he felt deep plotlines belonged in The Legend of Zelda games, not Mario. Neither of these series are mainly RPGs, though to be fair the Mario Bros. have starred in a few.

What truly separates the CRPG approach to narrative from the other genres is the degree to which its elements are developed. Detailed settings, characters, and plots are hallmarks of many games, but few are so elaborately built and explored. It is the attention to all the narrative elements that distinguishes the great CRPGs from the classics of other genres. Yet I must against stress that this is not what makes the CRPG itself distinct. It is how those elements interact with the game.

…and the defining traits of the characters.

Specifically, it is how those elements interact with the playable cast that truly separates the CRPG from other genres. What makes the CRPG unique is how central the ability of the qualities which form the characters to effect how the game progresses, and vice-versa. This manifests in many ways, based often on what the “qualities” in question are.

First and foremost, “attributes” represent the core capabilities of the characters: How strong, smart, or fast they are. While these play the most obvious roles in combat, where the statistics influence how effective a character’s actions are, they can also influence social situations. Games such as Planescape: Torment often use attributes like Charisma and Wisdom as thresholds to advanced dialogue options, allowing players to talk their way out of situations. Some games will introduce similar elements governing aspects less essential to progress, such as the skills of Icewind Dale or the social attributes of Persona 3 (and 4). While these aren’t quite as critical, they still play a major role in deciding what the player can or cannot do. So important are attributes to CRPGs that some have claimed the real definition is little more than “a game in which you make numbers go up”.

Another way characters are defined by their qualities is through the implementation of “meters”. These are scales representing moral integrity, organizational standing, and relationships with other characters. Each of these are directly effected by how the character interacts with the game world. This enables a game to produce complicated systems of cause-and-effect, giving choices greater weight, as a single action may effect multiple meters. Changes to these scales are almost never insurmountable, though. It is entirely possible to murder an entire family and still be hailed a virtuous hero, providing the effects on the corresponding meters are offset by other deeds.

The third, and increasingly popular, method of describing the character is through what I’ll call “history”. These are choices and events the character has been involved in that directly and irreparably shift how the setting reacts to him or her. In the past these were pretty much fixed qualities, as the history of the character and his journey was often forced by the progression of the events. The protagonist of Suikoden 5, for example, is always the prince-in-exile of Falenas. The player character of Baldur’s Gate 2 has always saved the Sword Coast from Sarevok prior to the game’s events, as otherwise the events of Baldur’s Gate 2 wouldn’t have occurred. Player choice was often limited to elements outside the main plot, and therefore non-essential to how the greater narrative unfolded, or was only acknowledged at the end of the game, giving the player some control over how the story ends. Furthermore, any sequel would have to decide how things ended before, making large amounts of player agency a tricky thing to work with. This has changed in recent years, as companies experiment with transferring old save data and providing choices between protagonist backgrounds, making historical definition a much more player-driven affair.

To be honest, this is probably a rubbish definition, and I fully expect to be proven wrong. An annual event here on Playing With Premise will be taking the definitions like this and revising them as I learn more about modern gaming. Until that happy time comes, however, this is the Working Definition of CRPGs for 2011.