Things All JRPGs should do

All JRPGs should

1)  Have a real time combat system
Turn based systems through menus are just too boring.  Usually too hard as well.

2) Star Real Men
Why is it that we're always playing as someone whose "discovering themselves" and usually is in the age range of 16-20 (well, in lost odyssey 1000, but whatever)

3) Be less anime
While there are jrpgs that aren't, I think it's well known that people just don't like to play as dumb cartoon characters

4) Be more generic
Because there's some weird consensus that makes any thought of japanese creativity generic and a dismissal of unoriginality in western games

5) Less swords, more steroids
I said it already, I like my big muscle men!  If they don't have roid-rage as a powerup, they're not suitable to be in a game







Super generic and gay!

1. Just played that part in Lost Odyssey where you have to juggle four arthrosauruses or however the hell you spell it. Turn based systems still rule, especially when you place some sort of time limit on them (like here).
2. Eh, good point. I guess the reason they still use that is because it's a very easy way to gradually build up character development.
3. Huh? Aren't most of the great video games filled with overly cartoon characters? Not anime necessarily, but you get the point.
4. I'm more of a magic man, but whatever, I see your point. (And I recommend you play Skullmonkeys, if you're into the whole roid thing.)

anime is japans art style..thats like saying western rpgs should be more anime

thats their main style of drawing cartoons..why should they get rid of it unless they were trying to appeal to the west?

Those are 100% subjective opinions and not at all possibly relatable to enough people to warrant being a must have feature (less swords???) but here's a good one for modern JRPG's: 

Your growing level is reflective in the actual combat you are viewing; for example, a character who uses a sword will have more moves or more stylish attacks as they level up, making the experience more visual then just numbers. 

And I've noticed that alot of your posts are very subjective in nature, but you seem to try to pass them off as objective, fact based arguments.  Your input is good, but you need to shift your style of writing a little.

Edit: I saw your second set of pictures just now, and am currently putting on a dunce cap. *sits in corner*

These things are some of the aspects of JRPGs that make them JRPGs, sort of like their signum or watermark. If you remove these features you have just RPGs.

(sarcasm)

I think he was being sarcastic this time, not just smug.

Actually, I'm pretty down with turn-based combat right now (playing Valkyria Chronicles.) Sometimes I like a game that lets me slow down and take things at my own pace. Kinda like...Chess.

This was obviously sarcasm, but I can't really play anime style RPG's.  Just a personal preference, I guess.  Loved Lost Odyssey though, as long as they make them like that I hope JRPG's never change.

I actually vastly prefer turn based battle systems to real time ones. There's a fine line between real time combat and a button masher.

I know you are trying to be sarcastic, but 1-3 are totally right, and the first part of 5 is too.  Nothing bugs me more than when an RPG is set in a world with guns where there is no advantage with shooting a guy from far away versus hitting him with a sword close up.  Dumb.

They should also have no need to actually play the game, you just watch it like one giant cut scene. 

The biggest problem I have with some of the latest JRPGs is the voice acting. I barely made it through Star Ocean 4's story and then sold it a few weeks later. It's the first game I can remember playing where I couldn't help but actively hate the main character for at least half the game.

I stopped reading at the first one since I disagree with it wholeheartedly. I decided I probably wouldn't agree with anything else.

What would be nice is if they all had a skill or option like in Dragon Quest 8's "Whistle" skill which allowed you to initiate a random encounter right then and there. This made grinding much less tedious.

Jeez, I didn't know you were joking for a minute there. I see what you did there now, let's turn all JRPGs into western RPGs. Jokes are so much funnier once you understand them.
 
Turn based battle is way better than real time battle. Waaaay better. And what's better than a sword? It's like a giant knife! In Lost Odyssey you can even make you sword into a Fire sword!

Yea, pretty much. You nailed it.

Good going, old sport.

JRPGS should also never have the words "final" or "fantasy" in the title

Get rid of the random battles and grinding and tone down the anime-style a bit and I would be happy. With that said though, I've still enjoyed most JRPGs that I've played (mostly old-school SNES or GBA titles).

This is a sarcastic post. Sarcasm may be hard to detect on the internet, but my sensors are overloading here.

Interesting critique, Smug...but, you know I really think some improvements could be made in Western RPGs, as well.  Personally, I don' t think there are enough cat girls in games developed in North American or European countries.  Sure, Mass Effect claimed to have an androgynous character, but she wasn't nearly as flamboyant as I would have preferred.  And with all the weapons options available to me in Fallout 3, how come so few are actually the size of a small vehicle?  Don't Western game designers understand that the only way I can counter my character's effeminate hairstyle is by lugging around an gigantic weapon.  I need my phallic symbols to be bold and blatant.  Finally, there's not enough amnesia in Western RPGs.  I need another reason to grudgingly accept my role as the world's last hope.  Saving the world because that's where I keep all my stuff isn't enough.  I need to uncover my past and prove my suspicions that I really am a prince and not related to my boring and mundane "parents".

Also not enough sailor schoolgirl uniforms in Western RPGS...but that's also true about life in general.

rofl so you don't like the huge swords (wink wink) but u wouldnt mind being in control of someone  hench and grunty :D

I laike the logic lol