What bothers you most about RPG's?

Western RPG or JRPG: 

None of the above, I love them to death that means id kill for my beloved RPG. That means U Billy Ray Cyrus.

Generally, with Japanese RPG's, it's turn-based combat.

I mean, really?  You're going to stand there as the dude you're squaring off against equips a Bahamut?  Please. 

Taking turns.

I used to hate random encounters but I have learned to tolerate them.   The thing that really still gets me is quests that require you to retrace you steps for long periods of times THROUGH AREAS WITH RANDOM ENCOUNTERS, that is controller smashingly annoying

When they're too slow. I love the genre, but playing an RPG where random encounters take like 5 minutes to beat due to long animation, slow movement, etc, tends to be frustrating.

I still love my RPGS, both Western and Japanese. I guess there are games that break all the traditional features you've listed there. But the one thing I'd agree with is random encounters: I hate having a fight when you don't want one, and I hate not being able to find one when leveling up.

More so in JRPG's, but the exact same plot, evil dude wants to destroy world, young anime looking protagonist finds the strenght (along with 3 - 4 companions) to kill evil dude, oh and someone central to the party generally dies

random encounters and the girl with a terrible fate that cant cook.

I dislike the trend that jrpgs have to be somewhat real-time. FFXII is an example. I like my jrpgs turn-based and I love all the features mentioned in the first post.

"More so in JRPG's, but the exact same plot, evil dude wants to destroy world, young anime looking protagonist finds the strenght (along with 3 - 4 companions) to kill evil dude, oh and someone central to the party generally dies
"

"I dislike the trend that jrpgs have to be somewhat real-time. FFXII is an example. I like my jrpgs turn-based and I love all the features mentioned in the first post."

I love turn based. And I don't see anything wrong with random encounters. You've gotta fight to get stronger anyway.
Also, all the people who are like "OMGZZZZ WHY DO BOMBS ONLY DO LEIK 10 DAMAGE BUT A PUNCH CAN DO LEIK 4000 !? WTFBBQ".
Stfu, it's not a simulation of any kind. Pluh.

The ADDICTION alongside with NO real sense of achievement.

"I dislike the trend that jrpgs have to be somewhat real-time. FFXII is an example. I like my jrpgs turn-based and I love all the features mentioned in the first post."

Turn-based combat grinds my gears.

I found the whole FFXII experience somewhat unfulfilling, not just the battle system, the whole game.  I tried hard to like it but couldn't get into the story or behind the characters. XIII is bound to be better... bound to be

Constant random encounters like in Skies of Arcadia. Every five steps you have to fight some enemies.

In some RPG's where you can get quests from random people, i hate having a bunch of them, it just annoys me.

1. Grinding

biggest problem I have is that after you spend all that time upgrading and making your character great. THE GAME ENDS. MMO games handle that much better.

Sometime between FFX maybe and Lost Odyssey I lost my tolerance for random encounters.

In LO I made it to some large factory where I needed to find a key to continue.  The key is apparently found randomly on one of the guards who you fight in random encounters.  After a half hour or so of running in circles to trigger the encounters and not finding the key I just shelved the game.

Haven't played it since and probably never will again.

"biggest problem I have is that after you spend all that time upgrading and making your character great. THE GAME ENDS. MMO games handle that much better.
"

I hate JRPGs that try too hard to emulate WRPGs.  Case in point, Final Fantasy XII.  I didn't like the combat, I didn't like the lack of a world map (something which they started with Final Fantasy X), I didn't like the magic and equipment systems.  Give me a world map, random encounters and menu-driven gameplay in my Final Fantasy games, please.  Thanks.

Over the top plots, teen angst/melodrama.

Weapons so big, that they couldn't possibly be used.

Worst of all is having a group of X people, and only some of them fight.

"I hate JRPGs that try too hard to emulate WRPGs.  Case in point, Final Fantasy XII.  I didn't like the combat, I didn't like the lack of a world map (something which they started with Final Fantasy X), I didn't like the magic and equipment systems.  Give me a world map, random encounters and menu-driven gameplay in my Final Fantasy games, please.  Thanks.
"

Lately what has been bothering me in most JRPGs is the character design. They need to cut it out with the androgynous bs and come up with some badass protagonist.

I know that this is highly unlikely, since I'm talking about JRPGs...but a man can dream.

ReTarDedFisHy really hates bad voice acting. Can't stand it.
Having said that, some voice acting in RPGs are nailed dead-on. And it really makes ReTarDedFisHy happy.

I agree with Cleric... JRPGs need to cut it out with thier crappy characters as of late... what ever happened to the great characters from the good ol' days? the SNES RPG heaven days...
I guess it's just a dream to have any of that stuff come back... but I'm allowed to dream, right?
the last time i've played a JRPG with characters that I cared about was Skies of Arcadia on the Dreamcast...

A weak story.

Also Eternal Sonata's achievements are pretty much impossible to get without a serious time dedication and a strategy guide.

I generally hate bad voice acting, too many fetch quests, too many escort quests and bad AI.

Speaking in the third person is so fucking cliche.

I hate fiddly minigames that you can stop you in your tracks half through jrpgs, for example Breath of Fire 3 or the utterly dismal Blue Dragon.

Like Yahtzee would say, the game trying to distract you from playing it

When the random encounters are 3 steps apart.

"More so in JRPG's, but the exact same plot, evil dude wants to destroy world, young anime looking protagonist finds the strenght (along with 3 - 4 companions) to kill evil dude, oh and someone central to the party generally dies
"

The difference is WRPGs often have the option to play it evil to a certain extent

Fetch quests do suck, but I don't actually mind random encounters or long cutscenes, so long as said cutscenes have an actual point to them. (Huge MGS4 fan here) What does annoy me about them recently is two fold.

1- Poor achievement integration

Likely poor trophy integration soon as well.  Some of them in games like Lost Odyssey, Eternal Sonata, and Blue Dragon are flat out stupid.  Not quite "Seriously" stupid, but way up there.  Blue Dragon in particular has two achievements tied into mini game portions that are overtly difficult, and are a one time deal as well.  It's silly.

2- Partner AI/ Real time battles

FF12, for all of it's large flaws, made a lot of leaps forward in partner AI, at least you didn't have to constantly babysit them like in a game such as Star Ocean 3.  But I still find games that use this system are vulnerable to turning into a giant chaotic mess of either poor use of spells, over use of spells, healing people who don't need healing while people who do need it die, and just general stupidity on the whole when battle begins.  I hope Tales of Vesperia has a grip on the AI as well.

for JRPGs I guess it would be random ecoutners and protagonists with crazy unrealistic hair.

Not enough action.

Wussy ass characters

"Lately what has been bothering me in most JRPGs is the character design. They need to cut it out with the androgynous bs and come up with some badass protagonist.

I know that this is highly unlikely, since I'm talking about JRPGs...but a man can dream."

"Western RPG or JRPG: 

My top 5: 

1. fetch quests

2. random encounters

3. not being allowed to save anywhere 

4. long cutscenes 

5. over done voice acting 

"

I hate uninspired sidequests, unnecessary backtracking when there is no warp/teleport option available, random encounters if there is no way to disable them, and JRPG puzzles that to an extent force you to use a FAQ (or maybe I'm just dumb).

RPGs are love, but there are annoyances with them.

The same rehashed games with different titles and (maybe) graphics is what bothers me the most. Boy has something bad happen to him, his village, or his family that causes him to be an outcast and, ultimately, the savior of the world. We need better story lines on a whole.

Bad/Boring battle systems. I don't mind if it's turn based or real time, but if it's not done well I won't like it.
Lack of voice acting in recent console RPGs.

FUCKING OPEN ENDINGS!!!

Those reasons that the TC listed are why I play Oblivion... It doesn't have any of those =]

Random encounters, where there's absolutely no way to get away from them. I love the Golden Sun games, but IIRC they are guilty of this.

having to do too many side/unnecessary tasks.