Western RPG TV Tropes. The term Western RPG WRPG for short sometimes also referred to as Computer RPGs or CRPGs, due to their historical preference for PC platforms instead of consoles can be used in two different ways. YUWi.png' alt='Arcanum Character Editor' title='Arcanum Character Editor' />The position of woman in society has given rise to a discussion which, is known under the name of the woman question. Most RPG genres, such as fantasy and futuristic science fiction, are cloyed with clichd storylines and boring action. Of the remaining few, the most underused is. A Role Playing Game developed in the Western world, specifically North America and Europe. Or a Role Playing Game following a style popularized by Western computer developers, which is sometimes differentiated from Eastern RPGs by having several or more of the following features. Usually made in North America or Europe. However, there also have been Japanese examples, most of them influenced by the local popularity of Wizardry and Dungeon Master. Often released on the PC instead of consoles though recently they have been on both. Aimed to satisfy the players need for self expression and fantasy fulfillment by allowing them to become something that they can never be in real life. The game rules resemble and are often licensed from Tabletop RPGs such as Dungeons Dragons. Often has a Wide Open Sandbox game experience, but can be a Dungeon Crawler, or in recent years, a plot based game focused on the Character Development of both the customized PC and the NPCs. The main hero is generally customizable, and is more of a blank slate than a predetermined character. In some games, encounters can be resolved at least, in theory without combat, through diplomacy or stealth. Turn Based Combat was the dominant combat form in the past, but has been steadily losing ground to action based real time. Real Time with Pause is the genres popular middle ground. The art style tends to be more realistic than in Eastern RPGs. Usually enemies are fought on screen rather than cutting to a separate battle screen, though the latter was not uncommon in early Western RPGs. Terrain and party formations often play an important role in combat. Background dice rolls are often visible, and stats are directly shown as they interact with the rules. In recent years, however, many of the more action oriented Western RPGs have been moving away from this. Often features numerousoptional quests. These are usually recorded in a quest log or a similar system to keep track of them. Computer RPG is a flexible format, having gone through several dominant design paradigms since its nascence around 1. The earliest examples Temple of Apshai, Ultima, Wizardry were inspired by Dungeons Dragons and are best described as dungeon crawlers as the player, you were supposed to get through a dungeon, killing monsters and looting treasurein essence, a more forgiving version of the Roguelikes which had been codified around the same time. For a while, RPGs in the West remained all about. Turn Based Combat, but something extraordinary happened in 1. Richard Garriots Origin Systems released Ultima IV, which codified the sandbox RPG subgenre, where you could go wherever you wanted and do whatever you pleased. For the longest time, Wizardry and Ultima were the pioneers of Western RPG tradition, with Wizardry codifying such things as a Player Party of pregenerated NPCs and Karma Meter, while Ultima codified things like interactive dialogue via a Text Parser and NPC Scheduling. Ultima even gave birth to the Immersive Simnote with the Ultima Underworld. Spin Off and the MMORPG genresnote Ultima Online had not invented the genre, but it was its first commercial success. Although the Ultima series reached its high point, withered, and died by 1. The Elder Scrolls series, which climbed to the heights of commercial and critical success in the following decade. But in the mid 9. Western RPGs. Ultima was not the only reputed series that didnt make it to the 3. D Wizardry, The Bards Tale, Might and Magic, the Gold Box, The Magic Candle, Quest for Glory, Eye of the Beholder, Lands of Lore. From the ashes of the old Western RPG tradition, two phoenixes rose around 1. One was Diablo, a perky little dungeon crawler that captivated the masses with simple, action oriented gameplay instead of traditional turn based and a consistent and moody Gothic atmosphere. The other was Fallout, a game that profoundly changed the Western understanding of role playing video games by focusing on a single PCs story rather than a party and on the choices the players must make, from building their character to story shaping decisions to figuring out their path to victory. On the shoulders of these giants, the third and, so far, the youngest subgenre of Western RPG arose the narrative RPG. Although its earliest specimenBetrayal at Krondor and, unsurprisingly, the Ultima games from Ultima VII Part II onwardsemerged at the dusk of the Golden Age 1. Planescape Torment and Baldurs Gate II towards the end of the decade. These games put a greater emphasis on intricate plots and interesting characters and hit gold. As the sixth generation approached, this allowed the Western RPGs to go on an offensive and plant boots on the console ground with The Elder Scrolls III Morrowind a sandbox RPG and Knights of the Old Republic a narrative RPG. The jump to full 3. D and Multi Platform brought with it new sensibilities, however. Some Western developed games Septerra Core, Anachronox, Summoner, Sonic Chronicles, etc. Gobelin Scheme. RPG feel. Other developers embraced real time combat and Game Pad controls and started streamlining traditional RPG mechanics and pitching their games as Action RPGsa term that has never been particularly well defined in the West, but one that now posed the critical question just when does an ARPG stop being an RPG and become an Action Game At the same time, RPG Elements started to bleed into other genres shooters, strategy games, MOBAs, sandboxes, etc., and by The New 1. Western RPG was suffering from a severe identity crisis that could be summed up in one sentence as Its an RPG if the publisher says it is. Perhaps as a response to this, the genre has experienced a renaissance of sorts in The New 1. The rise of crowdfunding and Kickstarter in particular and affordable game tech like Unity has allowed some veteran developers to go back and reevaluate the gameplay and story ideas that were on the table during the Golden pre 1. Silver Ages late 9. Western RPGs went down the triple A road. For more details on the Western RPG renaissance phenomenon, see the Analysis tab. On the triple A side of the industry, the narrative RPG subgenre is currently defined by the rivalry between Bio. Wares flagship franchises, Mass Effect and Dragon Age, and CD Projekt REDs The Witcher games. The sandbox RPG niche is dominated by Bethesdas massive The Elder Scrolls and Fallout franchises. Pure dungeon crawlers have largely gone out of favor with the big publishers, but Blizzard has made a resurgence with Diablo III, and Diablo clones like the Torchlight series still bring in the cash. See also our guide on how to Write a Western RPG. D     E H     I L     M P Planet Stronghold an independent 2. D game with many Western RPG elements, created by Winter Wolves with RenPy, released for computers in February 2.