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Annoying JRPG aspects or tropes you personally dislike?

Nimby

Nimby

Member
Oct 27, 2017
4,228
I unlocked a new outfit for my girl party member, wonder what it is

*booby armor*

okay... how about this o-

*maid outfit*
 

rics2980

Member
Oct 28, 2017
157
Antony said:
I never ever see this.
Either I've missed out on the weirder side of the genre in 20+ years or this is more something people parrot rather than actually experience.
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I'm with you on this one. What games feature 1000 year old children? I thought this happened in some anime(s) but I guess JRPGs feature this too?
 
exodus

exodus

Member
Oct 25, 2017
9,958
Overly complex and poorly designed leveling systems nested in countless menus. Xenoblade 2 is one of the worst offenders. Dragon Quest and Shin Megami Tensei have shown that you can still have depth while keeping it simple.
 
Ramsay

Ramsay

Member
Jul 2, 2019
3,625
Australia
Two in particular:
  • Playing anime tropes straight. If you're going to use anime tropes, then at least do what Persona 4 and Fire Emblem: Three Houses did and take these tropes in an interesting direction (as well as use it to flesh out the game's worldbuilding in the case of the latter). I cannot count how many JRPGs this generation have shoved in anime tropes without any regard for the game's overarching story.
  • Fanservice. It's especially bad when numerous JRPGs this generation feel like they were designed as a vehicle for fanservice first and a game second.
 
Vincent Grayson

Vincent Grayson

Member
Oct 27, 2017
5,902
Mount Airy, MD
Weird sex/romance shit, as referenced already by many.

I love sex and romance, am super sex positive, etc., and it's just forever made me sad how immature JRPGs (and let's be real, most games) are when it comes to that stuff. Lots of dumb jokes and not nearly enough just showing these two elements of how most humans at some point in their lives relate to each other, even if they're appropriately masked/hidden/alluded to for whatever the target audience is.
 
TurdFerguson

TurdFerguson

Member
Oct 28, 2017
272
Norway
PlanetSmasher said:
Little kid characters. Perverted jokes. Characters with catch phrases or annoying verbal tics that pop up in every line of dialogue. Incest. Characters whose entire artistic design is built to facilitate zettai ryouiki regardless of functionality or believability within their profession of choice. ANYTHING regarding idols, especially in game settings where idols shouldn't even exist.

Basically, anything that's targeted specifically at hardcore otaku.
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Couldn't have said it better.
 

Deleted member 11626

User requested account closure
Banned
Oct 27, 2017
4,199
Curler said:
I have heard that high school is a common setting used, not only because the demograph for these games are usually for teens, but this was like the most memorable/nostalgic time for people in Japan (before heading off to their overworked jobs), so it also resonates to adults due to remembering this time in their youth. Western RPGs always focus more on typical western heroes, mostly being adults that have muscles, wisdom, etc. Strong/wise, masculine, figures. High schools/teen-years for the western world... are not always as fondly remembered.

So in that case, I'm sure it's a cultural thing. Could be similar to the western worlds' "remember the 80s/90s??" when the memories were more of the time period, than your own experience. Something like that :x (And trust me, I'm tired of everything being high school too!)
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Meant to reply the other day. I hadn't considered the differences between cultures on the value of teenage years, this actually helps me view teenage casts more favorably. Appreciate it.
 
Bear Patrol

Bear Patrol

Member
Oct 27, 2017
1,050
Looks like everyone has pretty much covered my most hated tropes:
- underage looking girls who are actually 1000 years old or whatever
- "harem" pandering bullshit where all the female characters fall for the completely unremarkable, clueless MC and suddenly all of their life events revolve around his growth
- lack of subtlety in storytelling


The Unsent said:
White haired guy is the ultimate antagonist. Like Beseria's intro, you know Arthur will be the baddie because of his hair.
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I've got Berseria in my backlog and this post spoiled at least this part of the story for me :/

Could you please put it in spoiler tags?
 
P-Tux7

P-Tux7

Member
Mar 11, 2019
1,344
Curler said:
I have heard that high school is a common setting used, not only because the demograph for these games are usually for teens, but this was like the most memorable/nostalgic time for people in Japan (before heading off to their overworked jobs), so it also resonates to adults due to remembering this time in their youth. Western RPGs always focus more on typical western heroes, mostly being adults that have muscles, wisdom, etc. Strong/wise, masculine, figures. High schools/teen-years for the western world... are not always as fondly remembered.

So in that case, I'm sure it's a cultural thing. Could be similar to the western worlds' "remember the 80s/90s??" when the memories were more of the time period, than your own experience. Something like that :x (And trust me, I'm tired of everything being high school too!)
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Saying that your life is downhill after 18 when you have 50, 60, or even more years ahead sounds like a horrible way to live one's life.
 
Renteka-Bond

Renteka-Bond

Chicken Chaser
Member
Dec 28, 2017
4,309
Clearwater, Florida
Bear Patrol said:
Looks like everyone has pretty much covered my most hated tropes:
- underage looking girls who are actually 1000 years old or whatever
- "harem" pandering bullshit where all the female characters fall for the completely unremarkable, clueless MC and suddenly all of their life events revolve around his growth
- lack of subtlety in storytelling



I've got Berseria in my backlog and this post spoiled at least this part of the story for me :/

Could you please put it in spoiler tags?
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He's revealed as the villain in like the first 30 minutes of the game.
 
The Unsent

The Unsent

Member
Oct 25, 2017
19,476
Bear Patrol said:
Looks like everyone has pretty much covered my most hated tropes:
- underage looking girls who are actually 1000 years old or whatever
- "harem" pandering bullshit where all the female characters fall for the completely unremarkable, clueless MC and suddenly all of their life events revolve around his growth
- lack of subtlety in storytelling



I've got Berseria in my backlog and this post spoiled at least this part of the story for me :/

Could you please put it in spoiler tags?
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Ok, I just thought there would be spoiler examples all over the thread.
 
Nocturnowl

Nocturnowl

Member
Oct 25, 2017
26,206
Not my most hated or anything, but this is currently on my brain...

*character shows blatant signs of distress*
"hey, is something wrong?"
"urrrgh, no, it's nothing"

Playing Xenoblade and FF7R back to back is really highlighting this one to me
At least Reyn called Shulk out on this shit early on (and then he still proceeds to do it until the rest of the party keep forcing it out of him)
 
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