ABSTRACT
A computer role playing game is a type of videogame derived from pen and paper role playing games. (is section only deals with the single-player variant; the massively multiplayer online role playing game, a related form in which many individuals share the same virtual world, is instead considered in the section dealing with online worlds.) ese games are characterized by detailed and extensive ctional settings and by the existence of characters wholly or partially controlled by the players who have markedly dierent abilities to their master. e characters thus serve not only as alternate personalities for the player but also as their physical incarnations within the game’s world. Players’ actions are mediated through the abilities of their characters, which could include such mundanities as a minor pro ciency at lock picking or reality altering levels of psionic power. Battle systems in computer role playing games o en resemble those found in tactical computer wargames, whether they are turn-based (meaning that the player’s and the computer’s characters make alternate moves) or real-time (indicating that events occur continuously). While a player’s success at combat in a rst person shooter depends primarily on their own physical skills, in a computer role playing game, it is generally determined by a combination of the character’s abilities and the player’s tactical intelligence and (in real-time versions) their ability to make decisions rapidly. Another important feature of the form is its openness; players typically expect to be able to move freely within
the simulated environment and solve problems using a variety of dierent approaches. Gameplay normally revolves around exploration, interaction with computer-controlled characters, combat, and puzzle solution. ese elements may be combined, as in a puzzle that can be solved by persuading mutually antagonistic characters to resolve their dierences and work together.
