The World of Warcraft stand at the Gamescom 2017 trade fair in Cologne,
Germany. Role-playing games mean a lot of different things to different people. For some, playing an RPG means sitting around a table, rolling dice and telling stories with friends. For others, RPG games feature character builds, interactive storylines and discussing with
Friends how their version of a game played out. Whether you are a hardened veteren that’s played for the past fifty years or someone that heard about them from a friend, here’s a guide to the most common types of role-playing games. Find the right game to try for the first time or expand your horizons with a new type of game. What Are Role-Playing Games? RPGs allow players to take on a character within a game that also functions as a story. The choices a player makes as they play affect their character and the path the story takes. Once they’ve made their choices, the story reacts to those choices. Sometimes the story is controlled by a computer. Other times, the story is controlled by another player. The most common structure of a role-playing game features most players taking on the role of a single character. They decide what the character looks like, how they act and what they can do within the story. The characters remain part of the story until one of three things happens: they die, a game element removes the character from the story or the player wishes to play a different character. In this classic arrangement, one player takes on the role of the Game Master, though the role can also be called Dungeon Master, Judge, Referee, Keeper or some other evocative title. This person keeps the story on track, reacts to player actions, plays any supporting or antagonist characters and settles rules disputes when they arise. Game Mastering can be a challenging but rewarding role for players who want to be at the center of every game session. Some RPG games offer a more collaborative structure. Everyone has an equal control of the narrative, with the rules of the game settling who controls the story at any one time. These games often seek to emulate a style of fiction or the feel of another form of media like film or television. Most experts point to Dungeons & Dragons as the earliest role-playing game. Other games may have existed before it, but few captured an audience like it did. It was first published in 1974 and has inspired hundreds of other games since, including many video games. RPG games on home computers and game consoles began in the 1980s and become more elaborate with each year. Today, Dungeons & Dragons remains the most popular tabletop role-playing game on the market. It recently made a big splash on the computer side as well with Baldur’s Gate 3. But there are several different kinds of RPG to explore, each one with unique strength that their fans enjoy. Types Of RPG Games There are dozens of different types of RPG. Few fall into an easy category as they often blur the lines with different features and focuses. Here are some of the most common styles of role-playing game with some examples. An MMORPG features a game played online by thousands, even millions, of people. The players log in to a central server, create and improve their character and go on missions. Some servers focus on the missions and getting the most performanc out of their character. Others encourage role-playing and staying in character at all times. The most popular MMORPG remains World of Warcraft. Other well known examples include Guild Wars 2, EVE Online,
Star Wars The Old Republic and Black Desert Online. Guests test out the new World of WarCraft expansion at BlizzCon 2017 at Anaheim Convention Center in ... [+] Anaheim,
California. Action role-playing games focus on combat as a major component of the game. Players are expected to learn how to fight and keep their characters well equipped. These games are often focused on single player battles though some have a multiplayer component as well. The Diablo series is an excellent example of this RPG. Elder Ring also fits this type of game, as well as Dark Souls, Bloodborne and Borderlands. This broad classification includes any RPG that is played using a computer or a video game console. It usually means a single player pre-scripted experience where players go through a specific storyline with some allowance for explorations within dungeons or other enclosed areas. Bioware games such as Mass Effect or Dragon Age are what most people think of when they hear this term. It’s often used to refer to cgames like Planescape: Torment, Disco Elysium and Shadowrun Returns. Japanese Role-Playing Games first originated on game consoles. These games tend to blend genres like fantasy and science fiction while focusing on party management and finding drama in the relationships that match the save the world storylines. Arguably, either the Final Fantasy series or the Pokemon series could be held up as the most popular example of this genre. Other examples include Chrono Trigger, Monster Hunter and the Persona series. Performers dressed as Pikachu, a character from Pokemon series game titles, march during the Pikachu ... [+] Outbreak event hosted in Yokohama,
Japan. By contrast, Western Role-Playing Games offer a central storyline surrounded by optional content and dozens of side quests that players may or may not choose to go on. They are closer to open world video games with their style of engagement. Skyrim and The Elder Scrolls series of games are the most popular examples of this style. Others include the most recent Fallout games, Cybperunk 2077 and The Witcher series. Tabletop role-playing games feature friends sitting around a table, either in real space or through a virutal table top, telling stories and using the rules to help them see where the story goes. The game is a conversation bouncing back and forth between different players during the session. Dungeons & Dragons is the most popular type of this game. Others include Pathfinder, Call of Cthulhu, Vampire: The Masquerade, Fiasco and more. Tabletop role-playing games offer in-real-life engagement. What Are RPG Classes? Many RPGs have classes, though they may also be called roles, clans, archetypes, playbooks and so on. Classes focus the player on a type of character that gives game mechanics and play suggestions on how to have the most impact during the game. Most games have between five and ten classes. Choosing a class helps players focus on how they’ll solve problems in the story and where they will shine during game play. Combat classes tend to be simpler in play as they usually focus the player during battles and give the spotlight elsewhere during other parts of the story. Magic using classes tend to be more complex because players have to manage spell slots, magic points or some other additional resource. But they also tend to reward creative solutions to problems that aren’t the most obvious ones. Bottom Line Whether playing on a computer, console or around a table with friends, role-playing games can be a rewarding experience both as a game and as a creative exercise. RPG games encourage players to think beyond winning and losing to more about how the story is told. There are many different types of RPG games that could easily be the best fit for you.