RPGs and FPSs and RTSs, Oh My!

RPG, MMORPG, FPS, MMOFPS, RTS, and on, and on...What do we choose? And, for those that may not entirely know, what do they all stand for?

I don't say this as a superiority thing, because I don't believe in that way of thinking. I do believe that I've been playing games for almost 27 years, spanning PC and console, pencil-and-paper tabletop game to minature hobby tabletop. Most of the people that I'm gaming with have either not been alive that long, (oh gosh deary me, did I just actually date myself?) or only play a very specific set of games, and may not have any exposure to the wonderful world of gaming as a whole. I will cover only the RPG genre in this article. So, let me briefly enlighten you.

-RPG- Role Playing Game. That is exactly what it sounds like. In these games, you typically start off with some sort of character creation, which, right off the bat, gives you a little sense of ownership and immersion. But, let me dig a tad deeper into that. I've been asked, for both digital media and tabletop gaming, what, exactly, does it mean to 'create a character?' Well, in short, just that. You are given a set of guideline style rules; i.e. character classes, such as Paladin, Rogue, Warrior, etc., to choose from at your will. This is the beginning of feeling your connection with the in-game character you will be playing for your duration inside whatever virtual world you choose. Once you have 'created' your character, given them the desired looks, name, race, class, and moved around some skill points that are specific to the class, or, in another way of looking at it, profession, you have chosen, you move on into the game world.

Like a newborn baby, the light burns your eyes, the sounds are a little bubbly, and you can't quite make out what anyone is saying. Well, some games begin this way. For all intents and purposes, you become this character. You 'Play this Role', as if it were you, hideously over-developed muscles, maybe blue-tinted skin, with a large battle axe strapped to your back, and in a room full of all different shapes and sizes of men and creatures. This is where you get to make your first choices- do you talk to the shadiest character in the shadiest spot in the room? Do you walk up to the largest, meanest guy there, and punch him square in the face to prove who's the biggest? Or, do you walk outside the room, block the door, and set the building on fire? These choices define who you are in the game world, how people will react, and what your stay here will be like. That is playing a role, choosing your own adventures, and learning to live with the consequences.

That is the essence of a roleplaying game, or RPG. I won't lump the other subsets of the RPG in here, as I think they all deserve their own write-ups. In this particular type, you have a visual representation of what the world looks and sounds like, as well as the character you created and shaped. You learn about everything as your character does. It's an immersive style game, meant to bring you in with twisting plots and humorous nuggets. Just like that book your started reading on a rainy Friday night, and finished sometime Saturday afternoon. You couldn't stop reading, you had to go one more chapter, one more page, see where that plot twist ends up... There are all shapes and sizes of the RPG, meant to cater to the hardcore enthusiast, who can spend hours and hours at a time in these worlds, as well as more casual, light-hearted versions that are no less immersive, but offer an easier time for those that are just entering the genre, or don't have the time available for such a thing.

In closing, ask some friends, you know the ones, about which RPGs they play. Give one a shot. Who knows, you might like it.