Strategic Role-Playing

After getting to know the definition of a TRPG (Tactical Role-Playing Game) isn't it basically the same as a regular RPG - aren't they all the same? Contrary to popular belief, a TRPG, sometimes known as a strategic role-playing game, is a different type of video game entirely. Although it's part of the same family, a different level of skill is required. A good comparison would be blackjack and baccarat; this sub-genre is a popular alternative to classical role-playing games.

Much like the traditional form, players are in charge of controlling their own party and battling a number of enemies to meet an ultimate goal. The real difference is in the actual gameplay, which becomes much more tactical. For example, TRPGs employ tactical movement on an isometric grid, and unlike the originals, very few of this subgenre are actually multi-player games.

The style isn't separate in the sense that it was created to be intentionally so. Early Western RPGs contained a decidedly strategic brand of combat. But the originators of this sub-genre were the Japanese, who are responsible for much of the world's videogame technology. Today's TRPGs are descendents of table-top role-playing games - think "Battleship."

Since the Internet is able to bring millions of people together instantly, the culture of TRPG isn't as prevalent. The subgenre is considered by many RPG players to be the solitaire of card games, only good for going solo. As such, this branch is celebrated on personal game consoles, starting with Nintendo. Games like Fire Emblem and Dragon Quest were and still are smash hits in many circles.

Once the 32-bit era of gaming took the world by storm, even classics like Final Fantasy were receiving a makeover. With Final Fantasy Tactics, we see the first time that a widely popular RPG released something overtly strategic for its audience. FFT is considered the game that brought the role-playing rush to America.

Today's tactical role-playing games, played on seventh-generation consoles, are highly detailed and carefully blend a mix of exciting combat with original storylines. With the PlayStation 3, TRPGs are now more accessible and even more accepted. However, this sub-genre is still considered to be extremely difficult and time-consuming. Study on strategy all you want, but once you're actually holding the dice, no tips will help you roll them. The difficulty level and do-it-yourself nature of this sub-genre, though popular, has its critics.