Game Design Deep Dive

Game Design Critic Josh Bycer is back with another entry in the Game Design Deep Dive series to discuss the Role-Playing Game genre. Arguably one of the most recognizable in the industry today, what is and what isn't an RPG has changed over the years. From the origins in the tabletop market, to now having its design featured all over, it is one of the most popular genres to draw inspiration from and build games around. This is a genre that looks easy from the outside to make, but requires understanding a variety of topics to do right. - A breakdown of RPG mechanics and systems, perfect for anyone wanting to study or make one themselves - The history of the genre - from tabletop beginnings to its worldwide appeal - The reach of the genre - a look at just some of the many different takes on RPGs that have grown over the past 40 years - An examination of how RPG systems can be combined with other designs to create brand new takes

Joshua Bycer is a Game Design Analyst with over a decade of experience writing for major sites, doing YouTube, and the author of the Game Design Deep Dive series. In that time through Game-Wisdom.com, he has interviewed hundreds of game developers and members of the industry about what it means to design video games.

Foreword Acknowledgements Chapter 1 Introduction 1. The Goal of Game Design Deep Dive: RPG 2. The Breadth of RPG Design Chapter 2: The Tabletop Beginnings 1. Discussing Dungeons & Dragons 2. Examining Tabletop Design Chapter 3: The Foundation of CRPG Design 1. The Legacy of Ultima 2. Delving Into Dungeon Crawlers 3. Origins of Open World CRPGs 4. The Success of the Elder Scrolls 5. The Retro Future of Fallout 6. Bioware's Redefining of CRPGs 7. Morality Trends 8. A Quick Collection of CRPGs Chapter 4: JRPG's Takeover of the Console Market 1. Dragons and Fantasy 2. The Golden Age of JRPGs 3. Pokémon's Pop Culture Dominance 4. JRPG vs. CRPG Chapter 5: Basics of RPG Design 1. Abstracted vs. Action-Based Progression 2. Class-Based Design 3. RPG Progression Design 4. Asymmetrical Balance 5. Examining Equipment and Items 6. Is Grinding Good? Chapter 6: Subgenres of RPGs 1. The Experimentation of RPG Design 2. Devilish Action RPGs 3. Strategy RPGs 4. When RPGs Got Massive 5. The Height of Immersive Sims 6. Creature and Hero Collectors Chapter 7: Modern RPG Design 1. The Blurring of CRPG/JRPGs 2. Studying Soulslikes 3. RPG Action Games 4. RPG Maker and Indie Development 5. The Wonders of The Witcher 6. The Unique Indie RPGs of the 2010s 7. What Do RPGs Look Like Today? Chapter 8: Putting RPGs Everywhere 1. How and When Everything Became an RPG 2. The Impossible Balance between Action and Abstraction 3. The Mobile Game Market Chapter 9: Advanced RPG Design 1. Understanding the Market for RPGs 2. Creating Choices through Customization 3. Combat System Creation 4. Enemy and Encounter Design 5. Advanced RPG Progression 6. Basic Rules of RPG Balancing 7. To Break or Not to Break Your Design 8. UI (and UX) by the Numbers 9. RPG World Design 10. A Primer on Subsystems 11. No Rules to the Rules Chapter 10: Conclusion 1. What Does "RPG" Mean Today? 2. Potential Trends 3. Wrapping Up