Online Role Playing Games, or sometimes refereed to as
Computer Role Playing Games, are a wide range of games
that requires the player to build a hero or a
character based on his preferences and fancy. These
are types of games where one interacts with other
players in the virtual world (usually in groups).
As the game advances, the player’s character should be
able to acquire experience as he or she will be
needing this in order to succeed with other rounds or
quests. The character must be able to become more
powerful and should be able to obtain new and advanced
abilities.
Electronic role playing games is a broad genre under
the video games category. These were the early
beginnings of inline role playing games. These games
were originally from Dungeons and Dragons, a
traditional role playing game which had been the basis
for advance online role playing games nowadays. The
game mechanics and the settings of the games were
formatted from this game.
Interactions in online role playing games are done in
the virtual world using the internet. These may be
done individually (single player games) or with a
group of friends or team mates (multiplayer games).
Computer role playing games offer almost identical
features with online role playing games.
Avatar
Online role playing games revolves on making or
building your own character. These characters are also
called avatars. More often, players find it fun and
put effort in choosing their avatars. There are
different abilities that your avatar can excel on.
However, the abilities and powers of the characters
depend on the progression of the game.
The characters represent the skills and abilities of
the player himself. It shows how he or she decide or
control the game outcomes. A status screen displays
the attributes of the player and his character. It
uses numerical values instead of meters, bars, and
other simple abstract graphical representation that
the usual video games utilize.
Fantasy Setting
A fictional and high fantasy setting is another
feature of online role playing games (and other RPGs
in general). These settings come from science fiction
or space opera themes. However, some online RPGs also
utilize historical settings and backgrounds.
Exceptions to these trends are online role playing
games such as Bloodlines (“gothic punk), Arcanum
(steam punk), Darklands (a combination of medieval
German legend and history), Fallout
(post-apocalyptic), and Mount and Blade (Medieval
Europe with no magic or fantasy).
Quests
Team members or a group of characters (usually called
a party) join forces to complete their missions
(usually called “quest”). However, a single player may
also do this by himself with the help of other
players. These quests are usually fantasy fiction
inspired. But classical mythology and science fictions
are also used as basis for the missions.
These missions comprise different adventures along the
way. Some challenges are defeating the evil boss,
rescuing a princess, or clearing a dungeon of
monsters. Some games require the character to talk to
a Non Player Character (NPC) to know and receive his
or her mission or quest.
Fetch quest, locational puzzles (such as opening
locked doors by means of a hidden lever or a key), or
engaging in dialogues are some of the requirements to
proceed to the next level or challenge.
Majority of the online role playing games are played as a linear narrative. Meaning, one plays the game in a predetermined sequence. They just have to comply with the requirements for the next level to complete the entire mission.
