99,9% of all games ever made let you experience a world through a character. Is Doom an RPG?
Not really, because you get given a role by the game, you’re not in control over what or who you play.
You need to gear up still, some classes shine better with specific secondary stats.
These are a couple elements to suggest the rpg element is still there.
Just the MMO in it has made it competive, better gear for more deeps.
So in other words - mundane boring tasks make a RPG ? Perhaps for some it is like that. For me RPG=story. If there’s no story, there’s no RPG. BfA is no RPG, Legion is. You see BfA has enough mundane and boring chores many RPG fans supposed to like. But has absolutely no coherent story.
The game mechanics for me are next to irrelevant.
Like I said - when we start arguing what is RPG we have 2 people and 10 opinions 
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Two fundamentals for me to classify a game as RPG:
- A game that is working in such a way that it’s possible for the player to form and act out a character based on the mentioned traits personality, background etc. These has to be chosen by the player.
- The setting (world, story NPCs etc.) has to react in different ways based on point 1.
Examples of games would be DOS and baldurs gate. They have persoinality customization both in character creation and in dialogue throughout the game.
I disagree that the player has no effect on the main story of DOS since it has different endings. But as you say of course you cant program a game to be as open and have an infinite number of ending like a pen and paper RPG.
I do want to play skyrim, just need to find the time 
If we consider that it is a MMORPG, probably yeah.
When you say “these” you mean the background, personality, etc? Because this isn’t a question of RPG, it’s a question of blank slate or existing template. For example in Biowere games the player chooses these things, however in Witcher for example, Geralt comes with his own background, personality, etc the player has no input here.
And regarding the player effect on the story by your definition MMORPG is a misnomer and shouldn’t exist.
If that’s the case with Witcher i wouldn’t call it an RPG. It gives no more freedom to roleplay than any other game. Then it’s just as much role play as Doom guy in Doom where you are given a hero to play.
Yes, I wrote in my first post in this thread that you could argue that WoW has never been an RPG. I guess around the time of WoWs release the RPG term had changed its meaning into “if it involves elves, stats and equippable gear then its an RPG, because all the original RPGs included those things”.
I actually really do get what Winehouse is saying. The Witcher isn’t really an RPG, you are playing Geralt, Doom is not really an RPG, you are playing the eponymous hero, nor is Duke Nuke’em or Tomb Raider. In all those the roles and persona are kind of chosen for you.
In WoW you -can- customise your character, not just in terms of what they can do, but what race they are, and what they look like (to an extent), add the RP realm to it, and you have an RPG (Not an actual Rocket Propelled Grenade, I would recommend a LAW rocket or the Milan, possibly the Carl-Gustav for that side of it) Add an RP Add on like MRP or TRP and you’re lit. There you have an MMORPG.
It is. But less so than it was in the early days.
Personally, I think it has an action/hack and slash, single-player feel to it. At least with recent expansions. Not my cup of tea, but I definitely understand that some people will prefer that over, let’s say, Classic (which I play).
This doesn’t make much sense, so basically if you had the “freedom” to customize Geralt at the start of the game, that would make the game an RPG, but if playing Geralt as he is then it’s another genre? Even though the gameplay and everything you do in the game would be exactly the same.
Yes, you are roleplaying as a fictional monster hunter.
If you have played any mmorpgs through the years its the same pattern. Imagine if only one guy could get an epic sword and nobody else could have it? In games like skyrim etc the game revolves around your decisions. Kill a boss and hes dead for good. Imagine raidbosses staying dead. Dungeon bosses are killed only once. Only you can have sulfuras in the entire game?
Buying progression goes against the rpg genre, levels are progressions.
Saying its just fastracking advancement is like comparing being born into a broke family and a wealthy family, “its just fastracking comfort”
Basically, if you are able to take on the role of your choice within the game, and act out that role, it’s a roleplaying game. The Witcher does not meet those criteria. Having customization options before you start the game is not enough to tick those boxes, so my answer is no.
Whats the difference between “…you are roleplaying as a fictional…” and “…you are playing as a fictional…”? If your answer is “none”, then almost every game that has ever been created could fit the RPG genre. Since you play as a fictional character in almost every game.
But don’t you see how your criteria is completely ridiculous? That you can have 2 identical games, but because one simple choice at the start of the game, that would make them completely different genres?
And that choice, there are degrees, for example choosing the background like in DA: origins, it’s a simple choice between 3 options, which side would that fall into?
Also what if you play another type of game (like a military FPS) but you can choose the character’s background and personality? would that automatically become an RPG?
Also why do you think the entire game industry and designers don’t conform to your definition?
That’s not my criteria, the last sentence of my last post includes “Having customization options before you start the game is not enough”.
I think I was unclear, by “act out that role” I mean having the option to go through the game with the traits i.e. personality i picked for my character. Either traits I chose in the game itself or just inside my head. If I decide that my character is a confused and lost individual, the game should to a high degree let me play as one.
To clarify my views and criterias I repost what I wrote earlier in this thread:
1. A game that is working in such a way that it’s possible for the player to form and act out a character based on the mentioned traits personality, background etc. These has to be chosen by the player.
2. The setting (world, story NPCs etc.) has to react in different ways based on point 1.
I suggest you look up the meaning of the word ‘Fasttracking’.
Buying a char boost has no effect on the game in any way whatsoever, the mechanics, the lore, everything is unaffected.
It may not be an RPG thing in your opinion but it doesn’t stop a game neing an RPG.
en wikipedia org/wiki/Role-playing_game
Being able to buy a boosted character doesn’t remove progression at all.
Even DnD had a boost facility in it, are you saying that isn’t a RPG ?
Unfortunately you don’t appear to understand so I’m not going to bother explaining it any further
Wikipedia…
You know that is not a reliable source of information, right? I mean Online Universities explicitly state that Wikipedia is not a reliable source for explanations or dissertations, and certainly not reliable as source material, and is not accepted, given that it has no quality control or obligation to link sources, and in many cases is simply wrong.
Hang on. No it didn’t. It never did. You started D&D at level 1, unless you were the GM’s Girlfriend/Boyfriend in which case maybe level 2.
AD&D didn’t have a boost facility in it either, you started at level 1, unless the setting of the chronicle meant that everyone started at a higher level.
Unless you’re on about some modern day cyber-hippy D&D version, then no, it never had a boost facility, though as a GM, if I was slipped a few packets of Roast Beef Monster Munch, I may have been tempted to give you a ‘Bag of Holding’ or +1 Sword…