JRPG versus Western RPG

[NeXodus]

Which one do you prefer?
JRPG or Western RPG

For those who don't know what an RPG is:
A RPG is a Role Playing Game which you take the role of a protagonist and do various things wether it's fighting monsters, or doing daily things.

As for a JRPG and Western RPG:
A JRPG is a Japanese Role Playing Game, which is usually a turn-based/strategy/real-time and focuses on a Main Character in which you take control and usually fight demons, monsters, creatures, etc. The setting is mainly Japan with dubbed actors and usually has a darker, deeper story tone than Western RPGs.
A Turn-based RPG usually has random encounters or you must run into a monster in order to activate the battle sequence. Most of the time, JRPGs don't have a setting in modern times, rather in more ancient times where you use swords and bows rather than guns. Sometimes though, it will take place in Modern times, and usually when the setting is modern, the RPG focuses on you summoning monsters or using modern spells say a spell in which is uses a gun to shoot a giant ball of fire. Other times it will use the standard magic and sword gameplay.
A Real-Time RPG is mostly running into monsters and not having a transition screen to the battle sequence, and just starting it where you encountered the enemy. Real-time is a mix between modern times and more ancient times and uses magic and sword gameplay rather than summoning or modern magic.
A Strategy RPG is usually the same as a turn-based RPG, sometimes though, it can be an overhead RTS/RPG.

Example Games include:
Turn-Based:
Persona series, Final Fantasy Series, Pokemon Series, Dragon Quest Series, etc.
Real-Time:
Magna Carta series, MMORPGs, Devil Summoner series, Tales of- Series, etc.
Strategy:
Final Fantasy Tactics series, Vandal Hearts, Disegea series, Valkyria Chronicles, etc.

Western RPGs:
They usually have Real-Time combat mechanics and focus more on a Modern/Futuristic Setting, though when RPGs in the West were just beginning, they focused alot more on SRPGs (strategy RPGs) and more magic and sword gameplay. Focusing more on guns, Western RPGs usually contains minimal amount of spells and focuses on skills such as lockpicking, hacking, shooting, punching, meleeing, medical, etc. Most of the time, Western RPGs have a more lighthearted tone rather than a deep, dark tone like in JRPGs, not to say WRPGs don't have dark tones, but it just seems JRPGs can get more "gothic" than WRPGs. Most of the time, leveling up in WRPGs is different than in JRPGs, such as, leveling up means doing side-quests rather than in a JRPG where your mostly grinding with an occasional side-quest or two. WRPGs tend to have less comic relief characters too.

Example Games include:
Fallout series, Oblivion series, Mass Effect series, S.T.A.L.K.E.R series, and alot of single RPG games that didn't really go anywhere and stayed as a single game, rather than trailing off to other sequels and prequels.

So tell me what you think of the two. I believe I like JRPGs more, but I guess cuz I'm asian? Nah.

[Spoon]

The Japanese RPGs, and that's definitely not because I'm asian... because, well, I am not

Mainly because I grew up with them, the Playstation Final Fantasy's (especially IX) let my love for this genre grow, and ever since then, the genre still manages to impress me once in a while: Vandal Hearts, Star Ocean III, Tales of Vesperia, Eternal Sonata and Resonance of Fate, just to name some of my favourites. The (most of the time) way slower battle systems, the deep (and sometimes confusing) stories, the characters, the cinematic experience, that are all things I love about JRPGs, at least if they can tell their story right and have a compelling gameplay. I play every kind of JRPG, Strategy (Final Fantasy Tactics, Vandal Hearts, Resonance of Fate), Real-Time (Star Ocean, Tales of...) or Turn-Based (Final Fantasy, Lost Odyssey) are all equally representing my collection (which sounds bigger than it is)... but I have to admit that there are also ones that I can't stand. Persona for example... I mean seriously, do you want to socially interact with your stuppid classmates... in a VIDEO GAME? I want to kill monsters and save the world... not ask a girl out for dinner (In a video game )

While my love for the JRPGs continuously grows, my antipathy for the other genre does the same. I'm allergic to open-world games with quests (save for Borderlands, but the RPG-Part in that was kept to a minimum anyway), because the story feels downplayed, and the character profile of the protagonist you're playing is more often than necessary close to non-existant, and if you create the character yourself, it get's even worse. I won't deny that there are good Western RPGs with a deep story and great character design... but I just can't play them.

[NeXodus]

[quote name='Spoon' timestamp='1289856834' post='4787406']
but I have to admit that there are also ones that I can't stand. Persona for example... I mean seriously, do you want to socially interact with your stuppid classmates... in a VIDEO GAME? I want to kill monsters and save the world... not ask a girl out for dinner (In a video game )[/quote]

My blasphemy pursues me! My favorite JRPG of all time is Personas 3/4. They are truly.... AMAZING.
Opinions, opinions...
Social Links are important to Persona because it gives you bonuses for your Personae count on these social links.

It personally think it's a great concept that's not done in many RPGs. I mean, The Sims is like real life. It's an option to socially interact with your classmates, you can do that, which helps in completeing the game, but not mandatory. You can just go in head first with your main Persona and grind the cherry-pancakes out of Shadows.
But that's no reason why to be able to stand a games, Persona 3/4, (atleast 4) has intresting characters, story and settings. With good gameplay mechanics.

[Kiyo]

I'll take JRPGs for the win, and not because I'm Asian
I've played a lot of them, and loved most of them.

The only WRPGs I've played are MMORPGs, but I'm more into story-driven RPGs rather than open-ended.

[Skirts]

WRPG > JRPG. Imo. :/

The Elder Scrolls (Morrowing, Oblivion, etc), WoW, DdO (Dungeions & Dragons Online), Diablo, Diablo II, Diablo II: Lord of Destruction, Fall Out 3/ New Vegas, and many many more.

[Tentacruel]

I'm not into that many different RPG's, but Japan does them better.

Pokemon>ALL

[encapturer]

Eh. I don't really like your descriptions, simply because I treat them differently. In my mind, the default JRPG have character driven stories with separate-screen turn based battles, and the default WRPG has event driven stories with seamless action based combat. Even then, that's only good for generalizing new titles, since established series tend to have their own quirks (sans Final Fantasy and a few others, it seems).

That said, it is easier for me to get into a character driven RPG game, though a good event driven RPG, if it catches my interest, usually lasts me a good while longer.

So my answer? I don't know. Character driven if I had to choose, though. That may be because most character driven RPGs are Japanese, and they tend to be more pleasing to the eye. So I dunno. =/

[NeXodus]

[quote name='encapturer' timestamp='1290047658' post='4792620']
Eh. I don't really like your descriptions, simply because I treat them differently. In my mind, the default JRPG have character driven stories with separate-screen turn based battles, and the default WRPG has event driven stories with seamless action based combat. Even then, that's only good for generalizing new titles, since established series tend to have their own quirks (sans Final Fantasy and a few others, it seems).
[/quote]

I don't see how you don't like my descriptions, your's are basicly the same but with some re-wording to it.

Final Fantasy plays out like a general JRPG with little to no story because back when the first console RPGs were being developed, Final Fantasy being one of them, they didn't really have stories.

I think Final Fantasy is the Japanese version of a D&D console RPG. Just my thought since around that time, Tabletop D&D were getting popular and still kind of are... Getting side tracked again...

[Quicksilver]

JRPG, becuase Tales of Symphonia is the best game ever. Though I love games like KOTOR, I find the combat shallow.