What makes RPGs so addictive?

Its the interaction with people. You're not playing with the pc but with somebody else.jashnew

He is talking about RPGs not MMORPGs only. Most don't have interactions with other people. But anyways I play JRPGs for the superior stories they (usually) have. As for WRPGs they are starting to pick up over the last generation and this one with games like Fable and WOW. WRPGs are more for the diehards who never stop playing forever or until the next sequel. Just look at Diablo and WoW for the examples

To me, it's the story.

I think on one hand it´s the Storyline,because it can and is totally different told then in any other Genre.The artistic style does pretty much too.On the other hand it´s getting rewarded for the time you put into the game.If you killed 1000 Enemys you should be pretty strong and get Skills over Skills to bash even the Bosses.The stronger the Enemys are,the more Reward you get.

That´s not the case in traditional-made Action-Adventures like Zelda,so they don´t really motivate me to kill those thousand Enemys...even if I know the way I can leave them be,I´m getting strong without doing much.You won´t get rewarded for all your fighting.

Hmm... Tough, but good question.;)

For me its a lot of things. The storylines tend to be better and more involving than other game genres. So is the interaction with npcs. Being able to create or customize a character and turn him/her from a wuss into a badass is fun. There's more variety in what enemies you fight. You feel that your actions have an effect on what happens in the story, the world revolves around you. And you don't always have to be the good guy.

That's all I could think of right now.8)

I actually get bored of JRPGs very easily. I HATE grinding. That said, I love the Golden Suns--battles in those games are quick and easy, the music is superb, and so is the presentation. Grinding still gets to me, but not as bad as it could.

The only WRPGs I've tried are Morrowind, Oblivion, Fable, and the two Knights of the Old Republic games. I prefer the Elder Scrolls games because of the freedom and gigantic worlds, but I also love the world, story, and customization found in the KotORs. Fable isn't that great. I guess I like freedom in my RPGs.

That incredible feeling of being trasported into another world. No other genre does it anywhere near as effectively as RPG's.

That incredible feeling of being trasported into another world. No other genre does it anywhere near as effectively as RPG's.

UpInFlames

Definately this, its the kind of game that sucks you in.

Storyline and the freedom to mold your character any way you see fit in a unique world with its own lore and culture where you feel that casting a fireball is completely normal!!!

The less constraints there are in an RPG the better it is. That's why Oblivion is one of the RPG's out there!!!

RPGs are addictive because as you continue playing it, you learn new abilities and keep finding new and better equipment.

Lemme tellyou why

Japanese style RPGs:Many players like it AND focus on it. The cause of it is a psychological belief that if you level up and unlock secret items it won't get boring. They cause of them of thinking of it NOT boringbecause of it's level up nature and equipping item thingy.....and japanese styledrpgs get an award for EXCELLENT STORY /finalfantasy anyone?)

Western style RPGs:Same as above BUT the gameplay of this genre is targeted for westeners. It's called western not because it's made by westeners but because of MANYwesteners liking the gameplay(Kingdom hearts,Crisis Core)

Strat RPG:This one is focused mainly (Not alwayz) focused for asianz.Why? cuz of it's mind-overpower nature. (Westeners duntlike it for some reason)

MMORPG:rofl To leavereal-life hello? And be an internet gaming superstar by doing 3 things:leveling,getting IMGWTF items being friends with mods XD.

Character development does it for me.

One of my favorite things to do with an RPG is to play it through myself, then give it to my younger brother to play. It always highlights just how versatile these games are to see how we play with completely different strategies. Take Mass Effect for example. I made a Sentinel Shepard and played heavily with biotic abilities. I used Kaidan and Liara almost exclusively as my allies (but somehow didn't get the achievement for either one of them... :(). I was just about dead meat if I tried to go in with Ashley, Garrus, or Wrex in my party. The way I played the game made it more of a slow paced strategic attack than an all-out firefight, and when I tried to change my strategy I had very bad luck...

When I passed the game off to my brother, he promptly made a Sentinel Shepard who used mostly tech skills and kept Ashley and Wrex with him most of the time for their offensive firepower. He played the game as an all guns blazing free for all, from which he could usually sneak off and heal only when absolutely necessary. When he tried to slow the game down and play strategically the way I did, he died over and over again.

That's what hooks me about RPGs, not the way the characters develop throughout the story -- I have less control over than than I wish I did -- but how the combat style adapts itself to the way I like to play it. Many good RPGs feel like they were designed just for me, because they adapt themselves to my playstyle so easily, whereas other games sometimes demand I play their way.

I think it definately requires a certain type of personality. RPG's particularly reward people who need to feel like they are accomplishing something, people that need to know their perserverance has a point (and a reward).

While some other games reward you for putting in the hours, none are so clear with their feedback as the RPG, what with the communication of progress in the simplest forms -- through numbers. Gran Turismo was successful in large part because it was a stealth RPG (some called it a caRPG). It tricked you into wanting to get to the next level of skill or equipment and it also communicated those progressions in numbers (horsepower, cars ingarage etc...).