subject: Important Features of an RPG [print this page] There are three features that are most important for any RPG and these are how players advance to higher levels, whether it has variety to sustain the interest of the gamers for long and finally the pay-off.
Advancement
Majority of the role playing games are real time based which means players have to play them for long time and perform the functions required by the developers of the game to earn point so as to be able to advance to next levels of the game. Advancement also depends upon acquiring new and better skills which help the player to beat other enemies in the game. But some players find it irritating to invest long hours of play to advance in the game. There is a very popular RPG called World of Warcraft, or WoW in short which requires players to collect gold, which is the in game currency to advance to higher levels. Rich players from the west, instead of spending time in the game, buy gold from players from poor countries who invest long hours in the game, in lieu of real dollars. This has become an illegal business and is known as gold farming.
Variety
This is the most important feature of any online game, as howsoever good the graphics and audio may be, any game can survive for a long time only if it has substance. Not only the storyline but also the game play must be such as to sustain the interest of the players for a long time. If there is monotony or there is repetition in successive levels, players lose interest and the game itself loses steam. This is why new versions of any RPG keep coming in to add some new features so as to catch the attention of the gamers and also to attract new players.
Pay-off
This is vital for any RPG to survive. You cannot expect players to spend hundreds of hours without rewarding them in some manner. With rewards, they get a feeling that they are getting something in return.
