Fundamentals of Role-Playing Game Design

Game Features

In order for the story to progress and the characters to develop, the characters have to have something to do; therefore, exploring and combat make up a big part of most CRPGs. In most such games, the stories and challenges are prescripted, so the player experiences the same things each time he plays. In a few cases, individual levels are randomized on each play, which makes the games more replayable—the Diablo series is a well-known example.

Themes

CRPGs generally allow the player to experience a pivotal role in solving some hugely important problem. The premise of most role-playing games can be summed up in the statement “Only YOU can save the world!”—or the tribe or city or whatever level of society is threatened. However, saving ...