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So, I've been playing a number of RPGs lately on a multitude of platforms, consoles, PC, mobile devices, even watching a small portion of a DnD game. This is mostly due to me putting off work on my own projects because I'm a lazy punk with the physique of an obese telly tubby, and partly because I've been trying to find an answer to a question I've had for awhile, the question being "Why do we always say that story is the main strength of RPGs?" This is a common opinion I hear, "The gameplay is generic, but the story is good, and honestly, that's really the only part that matters in these games." or something similar, mostly when going through RPG Maker forums. I always want to challenge this stance, but whenever I think about the metric ton of RPGs that I've played, I honestly can only ever come up with one or two examples, that I end up realizing later were just as boring as other ones. Now, this is probably just me, and I'm perfectly willing to except that. I know a few people who really like the gameplay in Earthbound and the Persona series, but I honestly feel that the RPGs that follow in the veins of these game, or other Final Fantasy esc-games, have never had good gameplay, or un-engaging at the very least. I don't really have much of an answer to why this is, even after playing somewhere around twenty RPGs in the past three weeks, but I do have a few ideas as to why. First possibility: Gameplay that never really changes. Through the multitude of games I've played recently it struck me that most RPGs never really shake things up. For example: In final fantasy 4, you learn everything you ever need to know for the entire game. There is never a time where the game throws you a curve ball that forces you to adapt or radically change up your strategy or ways of playing, even games like Dark Souls fail at this, all you ever need to do in that game is roll around until you learn the enemy's moveset and then wait for an opening. There is the occasional boss that plays with this, but it's usually only one boss and you never have to adapt again. Second possibility: Slow, or uninteresting gameplay. Let's face it, turn based battle isn't the most interesting combat, now is it? And fancy side view battles can only remain fancy for so long. It's another thing that I've noticed in most of the games I've played recently, they always have either frontview/sideview TBB/ATB systems with the normal Physical attacks, four elemental magic attack spells, light magic for healing, dark magic for curses and the like, usually poorly balanced, or lacking in any real challenge, and those that do have "challenge" mistake overpowered enemies that take five hours to kill as challenge, and not, you know, giving them some kind of interesting patterns, or strange status effects, or any kind of ACTUAL challenge. And they usually when they have ATB, then the bar takes so long to charge that it might as well be TBB. And that's really all that I have, well, at least all I have that I can actually explain without going into fifteen paragraphs like I usually do. But anyway, what do you guys think? Do either of the two possibilities seem plausible? Am I talking out of telly tubby shaped rear end? Do you have your own ideas on why gameplay tends to suck in RPGs? Or do you think that the kind of gameplay we normally have is perfectly fine? Leave a comment and discuss away!

I want to be topless right now because of the heat nowadays. My area had a temperature rise that we are not used to and it causes me to roll around naked in my house because damn, i cant handle it! However, my answer is mostly yes. They should be allowed. However, apparently woman walking around in revealing clothing is an invite from guys and woman who dress with short clothing is "asking for it". I assume that would be the exact same case if woman were to go around topless. (Please note, I am not saying all men are like that, but it has been alot of reported cases on stuff like that). Also, woman can also be quite flirty and such and if given permission to go topless, I'm sure we'd see it everywhere... (currently generations are already wearing minimal clothing, i fear the future where i see everyones panty thong *shudder*) If the world was alot of maturer, filled with less idiocy and everyone respected one another like supposed to, then YES, boobies out ladies! But honestly, even if it was allowed, I wouldnt do it due to the types of people nowadays (Again, NOT everyone). I wouldnt want to risk myself, my friends or my future children by allowing that. Overall: Yes, I think it is acceptable, but no, in this day and age, I wouldnt risk it. If respect, maturity and in general decency came back, then I would totally nude that shit! (Finally, again, not everyone - I doubt anyone even on here is what I am talking about - if you are, then wow to you using RPG Maker and being productive, and not being out doing horrible things xD, but there is alot of butt-holes and scumbags out there that think woman are meat to be enjoyed, so no thank you~) [Everything in this post is a personal opinion, and was in no way intended to offend or insult anyone within the current discussion, thank you]

While possible I think it's important to take into account the origins of RPGs. I'm talking particularly combat here, but Pen and Paper RPGs resorted to turn based battles, and lots of number crunching out of necessity, not necessarily intent. If there was a way to have a battle system in which there was no turn order- or in which there were no stats, it would have be complete chaos. The technology and resources to simulate combat scenarios in real-time simply weren't available at the time. If they had been, turn based battle probably would be a gimmick compared to what it is today. Modern RPGs, particularly JRPGs it seems resort more to this style of play out of genre tradition more than anything. As for RPG Maker games, the engine's weaknesses are in it's strength. It has a very rigid design, so you really have do dig in and fight it to get anything out of the vanilla turn based systems, and someone has to rewrite parts of it to get even a side view going. Let's not even get into ABS'. Pure RPGs I think are becoming a fairly stagnant genre, and that's not helped by the fact that most of them are Fantasy (probably the most stagnant genre next to Western), nor the fact that it seems to be you're looking at games from an engine designed more as a very complex toy than anything else.

Well male nipples can be pretty sexual too actually, and woman can sure look at a muscular male chest as a sex object too. Heck even bare feet can be sexual objects... they do contain a lot of nice sensitive nerve endings. You ever tried getting your feet rubbed or licked? It feels nice. <3 I mean just because liking a woman's breasts is a very common fetish doesn't mean it's not a fetish. If a pervert goes to the beach to check out and leer at woman's bare feet (and don't think for a second people don't) that is the pervert being a pervert, but a pervert going out and leering at a woman's bare breasts in a setting where it is normal for a woman to expose them is the woman's fault now? Not to mention how it's okay to have clothing that leaves the top of the breast and the cleavage uncovered and that's fine but uncovering the nipples is a no-no? To me this is just about silly social taboos and really doesn't matter much. Just let woman be topless if they want to be, not many of them are going to anyway and is it really hurting you any? Though heck, I would be okay with public nudity too I guess. If everyone did it, it would just be normal and no one would bat an eyelash. People are not hardwired machines that can'[t help but sexualize everything at the drop of a hat, it's a situational thing, and has a lot to do with social norms, customs, personal preference, and the situation at hand. As much as I am a fan of harmless perversion, if you really feel you can't control yourself or deal with it a think that is an indication of a real problem. There is plenty of harmless smut online so that you don't have to become obsessed with doing something harmful to other human beings. Liking something does not mean being exposed to it should automatically make you a monster. But the reverse is true too of course, people shouldn't assume that just because they think something is sexy automatically makes them a predator. That it's okay for someone to like something and that doesn't mean they are a bad person. I guess that's about my feelings on the subject. It's probably more complicated then I make it out to be sure, but I think if we want to live in a mature and enlightened society this is the way we will get there.