I like simulation RPGs (SRPGs), and I often play both console and free titles.
When you play many games, you'll inevitably come across some that you find particularly interesting.
I'd like to delve a little deeper into why I found it interesting.
I hope you'll read this as just one player's musings.
I understand that what people find interesting varies from person to person, so please consider all the statements in this text to be from my own perspective.
(This doesn't mean I don't want you to argue.)
About the types of fun
When I thought about what makes SRPGs that I find interesting, I realized there are two main reasons why they're so enjoyable.
One reason is the enjoyment of the "gameplay," and the other is the enjoyment of the "story."
The former refers to the part of the game that the player actually interacts with and plays.
In the context of an SRPG, this would refer to the parts where you are clearing stages or preparing for battle.
The latter includes aspects such as the world and character settings of the work, the scenario, and the dialogue.
This section mainly consists of reading material, such as the scenario progression between stages, events during stage progression, and dialogue.
Regarding the fun aspects of the game
As mentioned earlier, the game portion of an SRPG is,I think the game will consist largely of two parts: controlling units to progress through maps and developing those units.
While other elements may be included depending on the work, I feel that these two points are the main ones.
The core of an SRPG (Strategic Role-Playing Game) is the ability to move units like pieces on a grid and defeat enemies.
Since that aspect is the same for all works, I feel that what's important is not whether it's interesting or not, but whether there are any points that cause stress.
Stage walkthrough section
I believe that the "just right" level of difficulty is crucial to the enjoyment of clearing stages.
However, determining what level of difficulty feels just right depends on the player's skill level, so I think it's a difficult aspect to adjust.
Recently, more and more games allow players to select the overall difficulty level, so to some extent, players can adjust it themselves.
That being said, it's difficult to create a game with a comfortable balance for all players, and it's inevitable that a certain number of players will be excluded.
Therefore, it may be necessary to standardize the difficulty level of the entire game to a certain extent, or to prepare mitigation measures for exceptionally difficult maps.
This would reduce the significant difference in difficulty between stages, allowing the overall adjustments made through difficulty selection to become more effective.
If a game is too difficult, it becomes stressful, but if it's too easy, it becomes repetitive. Finding the right balance is a tricky part.
It depends on the concept of the work,I tend to get engrossed in and find works interesting when they maintain a state of being "a little difficult" throughout.
Other aspects I found interesting included the abundance of events set up on stage.
For example, if various situations change as the turns progress, it becomes exciting to wonder what will happen on the map, and you're less likely to get bored."Hero's Road"、"Hero's Shadow"(etc.)
Typical examples include reinforcements appearing over time, but interesting mechanics also include the appearance of friendly forces or the weakening of certain attack methods due to weather changes.
Having too many events packed into one place can feel chaotic, but personally, I find it exciting and fun.
Another point I'd like to make is that if the same strategy works every time, it can become a bit repetitive.
The game isn't designed so that you can just overpower your opponents with units that have high strength and defense; sometimes you need flying units, sometimes you need magic units, and so on. A variety of units are useful and meaningful in their own way, making the game never boring.
「Crescent Moon EmblemThis design eliminates the need for scrolling, resulting in a compact map that can be viewed at a glance.
Also, if the map is unnecessarily large, you'll end up doing a lot of just moving all your units, which can make the game feel like a chore.
To avoid this, we are seeing a growing trend to make maps more compact these days ("Jigokuron」「Landia X」「Simple SRPG: Crescent Moon Emblem(etc.)
Ultimately, I believe that games that incorporate features to keep players engaged are the ones that maintain a fresh and enjoyable experience.
The longer a work becomes, the more likely it is that event patterns will overlap, so I imagine it's quite difficult to keep players engaged.
「Royal capital knight incident story」「The Ghost Knight IncidentI thought that the method of concluding a story abruptly in a short format, before players get bored, was also a novel approach.
「ImperializerThe game system itself is dense and challenging, so it takes time to get used to it, and I feel that it's designed to keep you from getting bored easily.
Training elements
Unit development is also one of the enjoyable elements that is essential to SRPGs.
It's really fun to see your units level up, their stats increase, them acquire new skills, and become stronger through class changes.
However, with a large number of units, it's inevitable that some units won't be able to be leveled up, which can be stressful.
In various works, efforts can be made to alleviate the "stress of choosing" by making the deployment units completely fixed or by always deploying all units.
"Yggdrasil"The strength of the units that were not deployed will increase the "Rear Support Rank," which will affect morale during the stage.
Alternatively, another approach would be to create a system that allows units that are not deployed to grow stronger."Flame Espadia"Conversely, the advantages of keeping high-level units on standby ("Yggdrasil"Some works have solved the problem using new systems, such as ).
「Flame EspadiaIn some cases, it's easier to train your units by having them wait rather than sending them out into battle.
I think some people enjoy being able to freely choose their favorite unit, while others feel stressed when there are units they can't choose.
Both options have their pros and cons, but personally, I find it easier when the units to be deployed are completely fixed, as it eliminates the need to worry about which ones to choose.
However, in games that are designed for multiple playthroughs with branching storylines, there's also the enjoyment of raising units you didn't train last time, so both approaches seem to have their advantages and disadvantages.
Regarding the interesting aspects of the story
The appeal of the story lies in aspects such as the plot development and the compelling characters.
Even if the gameplay isn't particularly outstanding, if the story is interesting, I think people will still have the impression that it was enjoyable.
The interesting development of the story
What makes a story interesting varies from person to person, but when I analyze the SRPGs I've found interesting, I feel they all have distinctive features in how they build up the narrative and develop it.
For example, if there's a "mystery" that drives the story, you'll want to know what happens next, and your level of engagement will increase—this is true for any work of fiction.
If a country is destroyed by a mysterious army, the identity and purpose of that army will likely serve as a plot device to draw the reader in the story.
If you're suddenly transported to another world, the mystery of what that world is and why you were sent there will serve as a compelling hook to keep the story going in the early stages.
The reason mystery novels have always been so popular is probably because the cathartic experience of "presenting and solving a mystery" resonates with so many people.
Furthermore, the plot developments where the main characters awaken and discover new powers, and where they cooperate with those they previously fought as enemies, may be cliché, but they are incredibly captivating and exciting.
If you take another look at hugely popular manga and anime series, you'll find that kind of plot development to varying degrees.
Therefore, even if the plot unfolds in a predictable way, I think it's perfectly fine as long as there are solid reasons to justify that development.
「GraymercaThis work has a large storyline, and it's a story that keeps you hooked and wondering what will happen next.
I also find the way the story progresses rapidly to be interesting.
Although the story's ultimate destination isn't clear at the beginning of gameplay, the narrative unfolds as the immediate objectives change, creating a sense of freshness that keeps the experience engaging.
For example, suppose the objective is to "go to Country A to request reinforcements," and along the way there are battles against the army of Country B that try to obstruct the way, as well as encounters with bandits.
If, after several battles, it's revealed that "Country A has already been destroyed," and the situation changes to "In that case, let's head to Country C next," then it gives the impression that the story is moving forward.
If the journey to Country A is frequently interrupted by skirmishes, it feels like the story isn't progressing, and the pacing is poor.
The story's pacing is likely to improve when "achieving a goal" and "setting a new goal" occur at a moderate frequency.
However, if the characters' motivations are not convincing, the plot may come across as contrived or unrealistic.
If the gameplay itself is enjoyable, then having frequent battle maps isn't much of a problem.
The battles themselves are fun, and you can also train your units.
However, if a work relies on its story, then without the plot unfolding, the achievement of objectives, and the resulting changes, it can give the impression that the story isn't progressing.
Charming characters
I believe that having compelling characters in a story makes it more interesting.
It's fascinating just to watch how characters with strong personalities act and resolve the events within the story.
「GraymercaThis is an SRPG featuring a large number of fascinating characters on both the allies and enemies sides.
I'm not a creator, so I don't know the specific methods for creating compelling characters.
However, when I recall the characters I found appealing, I can see several common characteristics.
"Strong, intelligent, with consistency and individuality in their thoughts and ideas, and possessing some kind of contrasting element."These are its characteristics.
Of course, there are exceptions, but I think the traits of being "strong and intelligent" are fairly common among them.
Depending on the style of the work, if the strength and intelligence of the characters are not depicted in a convincing way that satisfies the player, it can spoil the experience.
It's easy to create a character who is "strong and intelligent," but portraying that in a way that convinces the player requires skill.
If a powerful character in the story is also a powerful unit in the game, and their parameters are set accordingly, it can be quite convincing, which I think is an advantage of the game medium.
Furthermore, once you become fond of a character, you'll want to keep playing, driven by a strong desire to find out what kind of ending awaits that character.
If they are the villains, then the morbid curiosity to see what kind of punishment they will receive will continue.
I actually quite like stories where the villain is the protagonist, and I think that's because I'm curious to see how it all ends.
Other elements
Besides the story and gameplay, I think other elements that contribute to a game's appeal include the graphics, background music, and user interface.
However, I think of these as something like seasonings.
While it plays a role in enhancing the flavor of a work of art, I believe that if the material itself is not well-made, it will not be able to fully demonstrate its effectiveness.
If a game has a luxurious and eye-catching appearance, it will have a strong appeal to encourage people to play it, and I think the absolute number of players will increase.
However, if the content isn't interesting enough to justify the effort, even if people play it, they'll probably end up dropping it halfway through.
If a game has rich content, and also boasts amazing graphics and background music, then I think it truly is the ultimate game.
Regarding the user interface, a difficult-to-use interface can be frustrating, but even if it's comfortable, the details are often subtle and easily overlooked.
In other words, even if you do a good job, you won't get extra points, but if you do a bad job, you can get points deducted, which I think is somewhat unfair.
While this might not be a major difference compared to the story or gameplay, I would be happy if this aspect were more comfortable to use.
summary
A work of art is made up of a combination of various elements.
Therefore, the points I've raised here are merely the least common multiple, and may be neither helpful nor harmful.
However, if I were to write a conclusion, I think that SRPGs that I find interesting have the following characteristics.
- Regarding the game portion
The difficulty level remains "slightly challenging" for that player throughout the entire game.
The events and gimmicks set up on the stage are fun and keep you entertained.
The same strategy doesn't work very often.
- Regarding the story
There is a mystery that drives the story forward.
The objective changes, and you can feel the story unfolding.
There are fascinating characters.
Regarding other elements
The graphics and background music are fantastic.
User interface is comfortable
That's all.
After reaching this conclusion, I looked back at my own introductory articles and realized that many of them praised these points.
Up until now, I've been thinking about my impressions of each work individually from scratch, but I feel that focusing on these points might make it easier to write articles in the future.
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