OMG RPG

When it comes to JRPGs, it often feels like the developers have some sort of cheat sheet or ingredient list that list all the necessary requirements to ensures’ their game’s success. Convoluted plot? Check. Hot ladies in skimpy/crazy outfits? Check. Cool cowboys/ninja? (or better yet some sort of hybrid like a cowja?) Check!! But I bet there is another hidden list that developers don’t really refer to unless they really, really want to set their game apart. And if such a list does exist, I know for sure that it will contain these 5 “optional-but-highly-recommended” elements:

I’m in a rut. I finally got to the final boss fight for Valkyria Chronicles but I’m unwilling and unable to move forward. Why? Because I’m intimidated by the final boss: he scares the crap out of me and I’m not looking forward to getting butchered by him. So here I am, two days later, and still procrastinating. 

Everyone who knows me usually describes me as a sweet, even tempered, and laid back person. Well, that’s fairly accurate…99.9% of the time.  Last week, there was a mission in Valkyria Chronicles that took me at least 3 hours to complete. I died and re-load the battle many times. It was frustrating as hell, so much so that I even dreamt about the battle that night! So the next day, I got my husband to play a skirmish using that same map to get extra experience points and money. He took less than an hour to complete it and only died once. Needless to say, I was so pissed off. My inner Nazgul was unleashed: I went around the house screeching and wailing and even brutally mauled an innocent pillow. It was not my prettiest hour, and I feel ashamed for my behavior. Thankfully, my dear husband did not run for the hills and all are well at our house again.

Recently, a guy wrote to PTOM editors stating that even though “female characters in games…are nothing more than laughable parodies of the female body,” male gamers must also put up with unrealistic depictions of male characters with their buff muscles and towering stature. “Don’t forget that it’s a two way street,” the writer reminded.

I was blown away: as a female gamer who complain endlessly about how women characters are designed, I rarely think about how guy gamers feel in general. So, I dug around the internet and came across this article (via Kotaku). The more I read, the more I realize that even though guy gamers have it tough, female gamers have it worse. Not only are certain female characters offensive, they are also sexist and out of touch. The worse offender, in my opinion, is Korean artist Hyung-Tae Kim for Magna Carta. However, this is not to say that I don't sympathize with guy gamers' dilemma. 

I confess: I'm taking a break from JRPGs. Even though I have Ar Tonelico 2 waiting for me, I am distracted by a certain cheeky, smartass prince from Persia. What can I say? I can't resist a handsome fellow especially one who is bloody rich...if he can find his donkey. 

Even though I love JRPGs, it's nice to take a break and play something less emotionally intensive. It's almost like eating a juicy burger after many days of eating vegetarian and being really good to your body. Once in a while, it's nice to play something...brainless. Well, yeah, playing Prince of Persia does require some brain work, but for most of the time, it more like thumbwork and memorization. Jump, run, slide down the ramp thinggies, whoa! jump! and fight. Level clear.

Still, my all time favourite popcorn game is Diablo. Yeah, you read that right, Diablo, the very first one in the series and the Godfather of all hack-and-slash games, in my own opinion. Not only is it an incredibly fun and simple game, it's also the only one that can run on my aging laptop. For some odd reason, I keep going back to it every few years or so. Another one of my favorite all time replay non-JRPG game is Castlevania: Lament of Innocence. Mmm, pretty guy with cool jacket. Yummy...hehehe.

What about you all, fellow gamers?  What other games do you play when taking a break from RPGs? 

Once, I played FF8 until 5 in the morning. Needless to say, I was a zombie the next day. On the next play through during another school holiday, I did not stop until 4AM. My fingers became claws and had to be slowly straightened out, one by one. Both incidents happened 10 years ago. These days, I can’t do late night gaming anymore (maybe I’m getting old!). By 2 in the morning, my bed exudes a powerful magnetic pull that I am unable to resist. Hence, I am really impressed and envious when people, especially WoW players, go the extra mile for the love of gaming: cutting down sleep.

Special thanks to everyone who participated in omgRPG’s Charity Comment Contest Part III.  We had a blast reading the comments! 

Congrats to KADOINK for winning Part III of our contest. Please email omgRPG at omgrpgemail@gmail.com with your name and address by Friday, 04/20/2009, so that we can ship you the brand new FFXII Strategy Guide. For the other commentators, please don’t be disappointed: we will be unveiling Part IV this weekend, so don’t forget to tune in on Saturday morning.

Click jump to see the receipt from San Jose Family Shelter.

For Week 3, we have a brand new, fresh-out-of-the oven FFXII's Strategy Guide up for grabs. What?! You’ve played FFXII already? But…but…but if you win, you can brandish this new strategy guide book about and tell the whole world how you won a contest with your funny and insightful comment. Plus, you can also mention very subtly to that sexy guy/girl sitting right across the room that you did it for charity. Sense of humor and a bleeding heart? What a lethal combo.

For those who are new to this, here’s a quick summary: I post a RPG screenshot and attach some lame comment to it, while you, dear reader, try to do better than me. Sounds simple, right? Plus, for every single comment that gets posted, I will donate $1 to San Jose Family Shelter. That’s right, 1 comment = $1. (See here for proof)

This week’s competition ends on midnight of April 10th PST, and the results will be posted the following Monday. So hit jump to see the picture of the week and start commenting. Now.

A big shout out to the commentators who participated in omgRPG’s Charity Comment Contest! Although we didn’t get as many comments as we hope, the quality/funny factor this time was impressive.  Thanks so much for entertaining us. *winks*

Special congratulations to TRILLER for winning Part II of our contest. Please email omgRPG at omgrpgemail@gmail.com with your name and address by Friday, 04/03/2009, so that we can ship you the WoW Cinematic Book. For the other commentators, please don’t be disappointed: we will be unveiling Part III this weekend, so don’t forget to tune in on Saturday morning.

Click jump to see the receipt from San Jose Family Shelter.