xrick wrote:Well, that was a really nice and educating rant of your part, and don't worry, at least I'm not mad or anything of the sort, quite the contrary.
With this, we can see that JRPGs are in most tons of anime stereotypes and storylines shoved together in one place, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. Life itself can be very stereotypical, depending on people, so for those who criticise JRPGs but can't take even the least of goodness they may have, they must have a out-of-normal everyday life or something, or else they are only too demanding with the games' creators originality and creativity, and remember, today's world demands alot, somethimes even a bit too much...
Also, PS4 is not a bright one, right, but it isn't a dark one as well, it makes a really good mix, being why it became the best of the saga until nowadays, for most of the fans
Edit: I just checked the size of the post...
IT'S LONG!! BRACE YOURSELVES!
I'm not saying that using stereotypes is a bad thing in itself. The problem is the overuse and abuse of it. Let's take Chaz as a good example: Chaz is a teenaged young man (16) with a mentor he respects and looks up to. During the course of the story, he loses said mentor. This traumatic event then triggers a maturation in him that sets him as a leader of sorts, with Rune, the most experienced adult, who also contains a wealth of extra experience thanks to the Lutz thing, acting as a consultant, but not a mentor. The whole story culminates in Chaz overcoming the Big Bad and returning as an enriched man.
This is a variation of the Hero Myth that is common to every culture throughout human history. A youngster who goes through an ordeal and returns as an experienced person in the end. Hell, the Epic of Gilgamesh follows this template as well, and take a look when it was written. The year the devil farted.
Now, then. Characters who are there to enrich the story are the mentor, the best friend, the enemy that must be toppled, the love interest, an unrequited love or even the parents who must be left behind for the hero to mature. In Chaz's case, it could go like this:
Parent figure/Mentor: Alys
Love interest: Rika
Experienced person to consult: Rune and Wren
Et cetera.
Stereotypes are not going anywhere. They're part of how we tell stories and it's a trait of how human society interacts. However, there are the BAD stereotypes, which have been overdone to the point of turning into annoyances for many people, and which is the reason some people frown at how the JRPGs of late tell their stories.
Let's take a few examples I have mentioned before:
The retard: A hero who is plain stupid, can't understand even basic processes and so leaves the thinking to someone who is smarter than he or she is. Yet, this imbecile is monstrously powerful. Prime examples: Goku/Usagi Tsukino (Sailor Moon)/Atsuma (Enchanted Arms)
The unrealistically cool guy: These ones invariably are followed by those of the opposite sex and even some from their own. They are almost invariably proficient at ANYTHING.
The pervert: Needless to elaborate. A variant is the perverted old fart.
The tsundere: A girl who reacts violently towards the main hero, beats him, insults him, abuses him, belittles him, but yet... She can't stop drooling all of her saliva, covering the surface she's on for him.
The disgustingly cute little girl: Do I even have to elaborate? This is designed... DESIGNED to sell more, attempting to touch on our instinct of protecting a weaker person, especially a younger, defenseless female.
There are hundreds more of these, so it's pointless to make a list. My purpose is to show that there are stereotypes that are used in a manner that can render a story annoying for those who play it, and a good way in which it can be managed, like PS4. It's not just games. Anime is a prime example. Right now, the anime industry is in a so called slump over what some call the "Moe Bubble Burst".
Taking a look at anime from a few years back, one can see LOTS of titles that drive their appeal, and logically sales, mostly from moe characters.
This directly affects games, since what sells in one market, many times can sell in the other. That, and videogame storytelling is directly descended from book, movie and tv storytelling. Imagine them as markets placed one next to the other.
In games, however, the problem is not just storytelling. Another of the reasons JRPGs are seen by some (including me) as stale is because of the method in which they play. Repetitive combat systems (in terms of similarity with other games).
How many games have we played in which the attacks are divided into physical attacks and magical attacks, where there are status damages and recovery items?
While this configuration can be seen as a logical form due to the setting, and well, the logic of "if you get sick (poison), you need medicine (remedy)", the way it is implemented has been done in almost the same way since the eighties.
The problem is the rehash of concepts that occurs. There are different methods, of course, but they are a minority when placed next to a typical JRPG. This is not to say they are all bad, not by a longshot. Still I can say that there is a lot of crap in the genre. Not just because of repeating methods, but because of not innovating in even telling a story.
There still ARE good games being produced, of course, with the best example I can name being Valkyria Chronicles for the PS3. Sure, you play as a young commander who is pivotal in saving his country and has to EARN the respect of two of his squad members who are more experienced than he is, loses someone he cares about, matures, etc. But it is his intelligence what puts him one step ahead even the most skilled generals, his reliance in tactics, instead of brute force and firepower. But most of all...
He doesn't save the world...
He only plays a very small part in a much grander conflict.
That alone warranted making me pay full price for admission (the game cost me, but I was happy to pay every single cent), and I haven't even mentioned anything about the combat mechanics, which are VERY different from everything I had played up until the point I picked it up.
So yes, there is still quality being produced, even while there's a sea of garbage and fun, but still not enriching JRPGs, as much as stereotypes being well used and in the worst of ways.
If you have the chance as a non gamer, I recommend you to look for a playthrough of Valkyria Chronicles from start to finish, especially if it involves the actual combat, as every mission is different in its objectives and strategies involved. Or if you can, play the actual game.
.........Another long rant... WTF... O_o
And yet, to enrich the experience, here is a link to TV Tropes' Anime Character Types. It's a fun read, and can even be enlightening instead of damaging to the experience of watching anime.
Anime Character Types
And of course, RPG clichés. An even funnier read
