Can we pull off another Sonic-based RPG?

[Splash the Otter]

The best way we could pull off a Sonic Action-RPG is a 2D Platformer (Something like Dust: An Elysian Tail) that's going to have fun platforming and intense platforming.

That wouldn't be an RPG, though. It would just be a platformer with RPG elements. And really, I only suggested an Action RPG to make Indigo Rush stop whining. I'd rather see Sonic in a pure RPG.

 

Is that before, after or during those segments of game play which is just me reading or watching a cut scene long period of dialogue for a long period of time?

We already have that problem in the main series, so it wouldn't be anything new. Plus, it isn't like extended cutscenes or dialogue would be required for an RPG. It would be interesting to see the writers do something with as little of either as possible.

 

Don't get me wrong, I like my RPG's, but to say RPG's are fast is misguided, fights 'can' be fast, but not always, Some RPG's have fights in which attacking isn't the best method to defeat the enemy, or the player MUST use some defensive spells/buffs in order to win, this slows down even the combat.

 

Add onto that the inevitable 'grind' segments, you've got yourself a slow paced game.

Sonic games don't need to be fast in order to be good. What they need is to be dynamic. The Mario & Luigi RPG's have an overworld with platforming elements and a very dynamic battle system, both of which I think would do really well in a Sonic-themed RPG.

[Enesephus]

There's no reason Sonic can't make an RPG with a well written, charming story. I'd personally like to see a Sonic RPG on a main console. An RPG may not be speedy, but that's not the point of one. As long as the game was well made, from the story to the gameplay, I'm sure people would love it anyway (I would).

[Kaze no Klonoa]

There's no reason Sonic can't make an RPG with a well written, charming story. If personally like to see a Sonic RPG on a main console. An RPG may not be speedy, but that's not the point of one. As long as the game was well made, from the story to the gameplay, I'm sure people would love it anyway (I would).

I also wish the game will be challenging but not frustrating. One major problem with Chronicles was how easy it was. And please, no crappy gimmicks during the battle system.

[Badnik Mechanic]

We already have that problem in the main series, so it wouldn't be anything new. Plus, it isn't like extended cutscenes or dialogue would be required for an RPG. It would be interesting to see the writers do something with as little of either as possible.

 

lol you what? Since when?

 

Name me one cut-scene in a Sonic game which is as long as the average cut scene/dialogue section in any one of the following games. Ni No Kuni, Final Fantasy (any one). Persona (any one), Record of Agarest War (any one), Atelier Meruru (any one).

[Splash the Otter]

lol you what? Since when?

 

Name me one cut-scene in a Sonic game which is as long as the average cut scene/dialogue section in any one of the following games. Ni No Kuni, Final Fantasy (any one). Persona (any one), Record of Agarest War (any one), Atelier Meruru (any one).

I haven't played any of those games, and that isn't the point. What I was trying to say is that we already have games in the main series with long cutscenes (take Sonic NextGen, for example). At no point did I suggest that they were longer than cutscenes in the games you listed. Also, did you even read beyond the first sentence? Being an RPG doesn't automatically mean having long cutscenes.

[Enesephus]

I don't know if Chronicles did this, but I think it'd be neat if characters dropped rings during battle upon taking damage, and that there were a "grab rings" option a character in your party could take. I don't know how well it'd work, but I think little touches like that to keep things "Sonic-y" would be a good way to keep it from just being an RPG with Sonic characters.

[Badnik Mechanic]

I haven't played any of those games, and that isn't the point. What I was trying to say is that we already have games in the main series with long cutscenes (take Sonic NextGen, for example). At no point did I suggest that they were longer than cutscenes in the games you listed. Also, did you even read beyond the first sentence? Being an RPG doesn't automatically mean having long cutscenes.

 

No I think you'll find that was the point. 

 

I raised the issue that most if not all RPGs have huge chunks of them which is just sitting there and talking for long periods of time which greatly slows the game down, despite you claiming that RPG's are fast.

 

Which they're not. Only parts of the game play are fast and that greatly depends on the event within it. 

 

And if your argument is now 'Well there are long slowed down almost waiting moments in Sonic games' Again... which ones? The only ones which come to find are Werehog stages which you play as an under-levelled werehog.

 

The other issue here is that your saying now 'well RPG's don't always have long cut-scenes' Well no they don't... but most RPG's do have that, the ones which do not tend to fall into games which have RPG elements, these games are not RPGs, not in the truest sense at all. 

[Mania Pipe]

This is one of the major concerns I have when it comes to making another Sonic RPG game; people will instantly think it's doom to failure because it's the Sonic series and say that it'll never ever work.

I, however, think that they can make another Sonic RPG, but make it much better than Bioware's Sonic Chronicles. If not an a Turn-based, then maybe an Action-based RPG could work better in my opinion. Although, instantly making it an Action-based RPG won't work alone, but I think it's just how they implement the elements of Sonic and making it work.

[Splash the Otter]

I raised the issue that most if not all RPGs have huge chunks of them which is just sitting there and talking for long periods of time which greatly slows the game down, despite you claiming that RPG's are fast.

No, I said that Action RPGs are faster in general than regular ones. And like I said before, a Sonic game doesn't need to be really fast in order to be good. It just needs to be dynamic. The biggest problem with Chronicles (aside from the story) is that it wasn't dynamic enough.

 

The other issue here is that your saying now 'well RPG's don't always have long cut-scenes' Well no they don't... but most RPG's do have that, the ones which do not tend to fall into games which have RPG elements, these games are not RPGs, not in the truest sense at all.

That doesn't mean a pure RPG is required to have long cutscenes. And even if it did, so what? As long as they don't outweigh the actual gameplay and are kept to a minimum, there shouldn't be a problem.

[Salamander]

I don't know if Chronicles did this, but I think it'd be neat if characters dropped rings during battle upon taking damage, and that there were a "grab rings" option a character in your party could take. I don't know how well it'd work, but I think little touches like that to keep things "Sonic-y" would be a good way to keep it from just being an RPG with Sonic characters.

 

I really like that idea.  Maybe you could have rings be HP, and each attack knocks off a suitable quantity of rings, and you can then choose to miss an opportunity to attack - and potentially leave yourself vulnerable to more attacks - by running around and grabbing them to recover your HP.  This would also add a significant element of decreased difficulty, not just in making recovery easier, but in meaning that you can never be one-shotted so long as you have even one ring.  Might be interesting for a beginner RPG or something with a highly unconventional battle system.  I guess that, when levelling up, you would increase ring capacity; as for gaining more rings, probably enemies would also be ring-powered and would spit them out on death, and there'd be other opportunities to grab them, they could spawn in various places?  Or you could just plain old get healed by repurposed Goal Rings...

 

I do sense the key problem in a Sonic RPG would be the tension between any fast-paced gameplay you could construct, and distinctly un-fast-paced cutscenes and dialogue.  You could do something involving making a lot of dialogue optional and having significant story dialogue play on top of gameplay rather than in specialised cutscenes, but there comes a point where you're not making an RPG at all if that's the case.  Maybe a Sonic RPG would be better if it was a spin-off that just didn't feature Sonic, or at least not as a playable character?  Time was that you could probably have had a Blaze spin-off, send her on some mystic quest or other... I don't know if that's viable now, though.

[Remynaka]

 Honestly, A sonic RPG doesn't have to make a totally new combat system. What do I mean? Make a normal sonic game but with a bigger story, level up stuff and open world. Oh and longer game too. It doesn't need to be turn based or any of that shit, just make a long ass game with his normal gamestyle but with a more detailed level up system. 

[Enesephus]

 Honestly, A sonic RPG doesn't have to make a totally new combat system. What do I mean? Make a normal sonic game but with a bigger story, level up stuff and open world. Oh and longer game too. It doesn't need to be turn based or any of that shit, just make a long ass game with his normal gamestyle but with a more detailed level up system. 

So, basically, Sonic Unleashed 2?

[Diogenes]

Honestly, A sonic RPG doesn't have to make a totally new combat system. What do I mean? Make a normal sonic game but with a bigger story, level up stuff and open world. Oh and longer game too. It doesn't need to be turn based or any of that shit, just make a long ass game with his normal gamestyle but with a more detailed level up system.

See, I see literally zero appeal in this kind of "RPG" because leveling is the shittiest part of RPGs. I can't imagine it being anything other than a straight downgrade to the game. If it's for customization's sake, there's got to be a better way to go about it than leveling, and if not that...then I just have no idea what the appeal is supposed to be.

[Remynaka]

It was late. LOL. 

 

 

 

  Tho seriously, the term action combat comes to mind. I don't see what would be wrong with a fun fighting system that's also fast. Devil may cry, mixed with Kingdom Hearts I think would work pretty good. Tho what kindof RPG are people even thinking about? As I'm thinking JRPG. I feel like people are thinking WRPG, and seeing the many different kinds of WRPG there are no wonder people are like "what?" Tho on the flip side, JRPG's aren't any less random either. I thinking action combat for the fighting tho, as far as story.... THAT'S the REAL problem I believe. Combat is easy compared to what the hell sonic's posed to be doing, and how do you pan that shit out for 40 plus hours. 

[Enesephus]

THAT'S the REAL problem I believe. Combat is easy compared to what the hell sonic's posed to be doing, and how do you pan that shit out for 40 plus hours. 

That's where the grinding comes in.

[Mania Pipe]

For the gameplay, it can be like Kingdom Hearts' combat and magic system, but mixed with the speed of Devil May Cry.

 

For the world map, then they could make it like the Adventure Fields from Sonic Adventure where you can roam the expansive field, encounter or avoid enemies on the field, have branching sections to discover and find hidden items, and it can also make for some platforming sections too. It could have the gameplay of Sonic Adventure where you're picking up speed and blazing through the fields. Flow Motion from Dream Drop Distance would definitely be a godsend for this sort of thing. 

 

As for expanding the game's length enough so you don't complete it so fast... well... that might be where the story will come into place; focusing on the story narrative, character growth, learning about the worlds that you're exploring and how big these worlds can be. That may extend the playing 40+ hours without the need to constantly grind. There's also the many sidequests that can extend more playing time too.

[\Lennox]

While we'reon the subject of grinding, there are in fact, several RPG's that tend to do away with levels entirely and focus on stats in two different ways.

You have equipment-based growth, where all stats can only be grown (or reduced) with the use of gear, such as armor, clothing or weaponry. Games that do this include Monster Hunter and Chrono Cross (that's right, THAT Chrono) where gear customization is key to making player characters stronger, even if only for combat. This customization can be seen in forging new armor, upgrading existing ones and adding new materials to types of clothing or headgear, and materials affect the types of abilities/stat growth a character can develop. To some extent, the stickers in Paper Mario Sticker Star can be considered a form of equipment-based progression, in which effects like damage or recovery increase depending on the type of sticker.

 

If we look at the Sonic Adventure series (and to a lesser extent, games like Sonic Colors, Generations and Lost World), equipping characters with new implements is nothing new in the franchise. However, customizing them and pairing them together can add a whole new dimension to gameplay, especially if they manipulate stats and damage values.

 

Then there's stat-based growth, known in TV Tropes as stat grinding. All stats have to grow by using them to death. Games that do this include the entirety of the SaGa series and its spiritual predecessor, Final Fantasy II where characters are sometimes encouraged to hit each other to build stone walls after battle ends. These games also had weapon levels that would increase with use, and the SaGa series introduced technique mastery and sparking new moves as you use weapons. Magic works much in the same way, however, increasing magic-related stats and the likelihood of learning new spells along the way. To some extent, games in the Elder Scrolls franchise also have stat grinding, as skills can be levelled and as a result, become more powerful with use.

 

If we look at the Sonic franchise as a whole, you can see that there is NO example where characters techniques become stronger with use. However, something close to it was achieved in Sonic Heroes, but required arbitrary 'level-ups' that would wear off at the end of every Zone that changed visuals, strength and the AoE of every individual attack.

 

Games like Pokémon are prone to mixing these together, as by catching stronger monsters, your character becomes stronger. However, every 'weapon' in the form of the Pokémon creatures can get stronger through the most classic method of charater growth--levels through combat. And even then, stats grow with the use of battling certain Pokémon or grinding it directly in Super Training.

 

But no matter what you do, video games are always about showing off your creativity and being able to bridge that with what the player wants, so the possibilities for character growth are endless!

 

What, do you see it now? Speaking of creativity, I might upload some ideas for a Sonic-based RPG myself, sooner or later. Keep your eyes peeled!