You loved it like a young child.

[Meiscool-2]

Everyone here has played an rpg before. Now, I'm pretty sure this has been done before, perhaps by me long ago, but I want to know:

What was your favorite rpg plot-wise?
What was your favorite rpg character-wise?
What was your favorite rpg musical track?
What was your favorite rpg battle system?
What was your favorite rpg graphically?

And, of course, your overall favorite.

Feel free to explain the reasons why so and such is your favorite. In fact, I encourage it.
I've gotta go eat now, but I'll be back to state what my favorites are.

My favorites
Plot - RPGs are keen on having a well thought out plot with several twists and turns, but the greater majority of them are kind of predictable. "Sin is actually your father", "Your memories are a lie", "Your best friend is actually working for the enemy", etc were all easily guessed. However, one plot stands out in my mind as to what always had me guessing and thinking: Final Fantasy Tactics. The plot is simple, non-complex, yet quick and everchanging.  Nothing was predictible due to the fact that you had no idea where the game was going. You didn't have one single central objective until 3/4 of the way through the game, and because of that it was hard to tell when a plot turn would occur. There really was never a time when you could sit down, play the game, and know exactly what battle awaited you and how you should prepare for it because the plot never revealed such details to you. Overall, this wins my favorite for plot purely because of its unpredictibility and continuous changing.

Characters - Very hard. Most prominant in my mind comes the Tales of series, but then there's also the incredible character cast from Final Fantasy Six. In the back of my head still are games like Breath of Fire 2 and Fire Emblem. Still more are some titles that you wouldn't think of that have a great cast of characters, such as the first .hack series. However, above them all, I believe that Shadow Hearts 2 takes the cake. Each player character is unique not only in personality, but in age and ethnicity, as well as abilities and stats. There really are no clone characters to speak of. The history of the main character, the future of the secondary main character, and the atmosphere given off by all the supporting roles all gives off a feeling of a very complete cast lacking in no department. At times the characters go out of personality in order to do some odd bit of lack-lustor comedy, but I've decided to overlook that. As far as non-player characters go, the game is somewhat lacking in that department. There are quite a few memorable characters there, such as Rodger, a Yoda clone. All three of the major bosses in the game are also quite well developed, as two of them are playable at certain parts of the story, making their tales as in-depth as your main characters. Overall, it is basically the same in terms of character cast as any other game. What makes me pick this game is the diversity of the characters, and how well it is exacuted.

Music - This one I might have to give a tie to. I can't pick at all. Dark Cloud 2 has some awesome moments. Chrono Trigger has some great works, easily the best of its time. And a new game for me, Jeanne D'Arc, has some very addictive battle songs with a unique feature of having a different one play on each map (over 50 playable maps for the tactics battle system) .
If I've got to pick one though, it would be Dark Cloud 2. The quality of the songs outclasses Chrono Trigger's, and the fact that I've heard all the songs makes me pick it over Jeanne D'Arc. Not much else to say here... just excellent music for all occasions (except the intro... kind of an odd place for the music to be lacking at). Also worthy of note is Wild Arms, which has fantastic dungeon themes.

Battle System - Dark Cloud 2 hands down. I'm a sucker for abs games with character customization. There are two characters, each with their own secondary fighting style (Max has a Robot, Monica can transform into about 25 different monsters), as well as main weapon and secondary weapon styles (Max has three main weapon styles and four secondary weapon styles, Monica has five main weapon styles and two secondary weapon styles). The ability to create and change your characters to make them how you want makes the game very enjoyable. I found myself building up 3 through 4 weapons for each character just for the fun of it and to see their various uses.
A great addition to the battle system are the 10 elements to the game. Each weapon seems to have a main element, like fire or wind, and then a secondary "element" type that the weapon is good against, such as Scale or Beast. Since each character had two weapons, you could effectivly dedicate one each to the four main types of monsters: Scale, Beast, Rock, Undead. This made switching between characters in fights and using the correct weapon very important, otherwise you could waste a great deal of time causing little damage with the wrong weapon.
An equally great addition was the random dungeon generator. Everytime you entered an area to level up or item hunt, the area would be one you havn't yet played. You never know where the enemies are at, and where each hall leads. Really an excellent feature.
Thus, Dark Cloud 2 wins because of its customization, its Zelda-like play style, its original weapon leveling systems, and its replayability.

Graphics - Haha, that's a tough one. As of right now I have to go with the Fire Emblem games, just because I'm a sucker for 2d games with excellent sprites. Sure, there are 3d games with amazing graphics, but for what can be done with 2d graphics, Fire Emblem seemed to be near perfection. Honestly, I think my own personal game creations beat it as far as 2d graphics goes, but hey, we're talking about professional games here, and Fire Emblem impresses me damn much.

Overall - Chrono Trigger, hands down. I've played it so many times, seen all the endings, collected all the weapons, etc. Though the characters, music, graphics, and systems might not of been the best of all, it is very unique in the time travel, exploration, side quest, and plot aspects. The battles were fantastic as character placement mattered greatly, as well as the fact that you could do combo moves. More over, you could avoid most battles if you moved right, making it easier to get from point A to point B without having to do a lot of mindless fighting. The game had just the right amount of difficulty, just the right amount of humor, just the right amount of gameplay (time), and just the right sounds for just the right occasions. Overall, it is just the right game for me. I'm hella excited that it is coming to the DS by Xmas.

Those are my opinions, what are yours?

[Felix-0]

Plot wise- Star Ocean Till the end of time Probably the best plot twist other than CC
Character - Golden Sun- Felix duh
Music- Chrono Cross- cool BGM and Battle music
BaTSys- SMRPGLOTSS(GS)- The button interactions and the battle angel itself ( golden sun ties here)
Grapically- Lost odyssey- Amazing battle graphics-
Favorite - Chrono trigger- Is full of win

[Prpl_Mage]

What was your favorite rpg plot-wise?
Oh, hard one, many games had good twists and turns everywhere. I'd go for FFIX though, I've never been so entustiatic about playing through the game as back then.

What was your favorite rpg character-wise?
I'd go with Vivi, he brought a face to the blackmages, and not one of those shallow "heck, I could destroy the world if I wanted to but I'm to arrogant and cocky to even bother." He was a great character, really brought life to the party.

What was your favorite rpg musical track?
The king dedede theme and most songs from FFIX, the first because it was realyl different, all speedy and amazing against that fat pice o' junk. The FFIX was just grand though, it fits with the original(NES-SNES) ff games and really did well at all the locations it was played. The cutscenes and such felt more alive with fitting music. Especially the "Dark messenger theme", still beats one winged angel.

What was your favorite rpg battle system?
I'd say Septerra core. You had the ATB meters, but you had 3 points where you could stop, certain skills could only be used after passing the 2nd, some after the 3rd. The power of spells and such also increased the longer you waited. It was an awesome feature and made you plan a bit more, brought an element to classic RPG battles that I wouldn't get enough of.

The second part about Septerra Core battles I loved was the fact that using beam against an enemy and there were another one in front of him(from your angle) that enemy was hit as well. Skills like "Grenade", "Beam", "Heat seeker", "Buzzaw" and such finally became more than just extra damage. And of course, your own character's position in battle affected how well the enemies' skills worked against you.

The third and last part that was completely lovable with Septerra core was the magic. All characters shared the same mana. You had to use cards to do magic. You could match cards like "Summon bowman" and "geo strike" to get a "summon Geo" and stuff like that. Heal+Mirror dealt damage, Barrier+All+Thunder strike= Thunder barrier. And to match cards, at least one other character had to be able to act. So that added yet another fien element to the ABS and the tactics used. Just loved that game.

What was your favorite rpg graphically?
Oh, I donno. For the time, everything was great really, I'd say FFIX though. People may say that the graphics became worse than FFVIII, I don't care. They might not have looked as realistic as Squall and the team. But FFIX just wouldn't look well in the graphic of FFVIII, what about Brahne? The hippo kid in Alexandria, The rat people? Just think about those poor black mages, they would look like Osmose on steriodes or something.
FFIX graphics was made to fit the theme, culture and nature of the game. The studio was tired of doing all those futuristic games after FFVIII and decided to go back to the old school Final fantasy, sword and spells.
That's how I wanted it, and nothing can beat the look and match up of the monsters and cahracter in FFIX.

[Grandy]

What was your favorite rpg plot-wise?
Suikoden II, play it and see it.

What was your favorite rpg character-wise?
It's a tie. BoF4, because of Scias, and Suikoden II, because of Shu.

What was your favorite rpg musical track?
Suikoden II takes the cake by far. Just search in YouTube for "Reminiscense"

What was your favorite rpg battle system?
Final Fantasy Tactics

What was your favorite rpg graphically?
I never pay attention to those things.

[Archem]

Oh Jesus. This might take me back...

Plot: Final Fantasy Tactics. It just always felt believable while throwing you in an unfamiliar area, and the way all the pieces fit together at the end felt so great. So much love for it.

Characters: This is a tough one. Not because there are too many good ones to choose from (heavens, no!), but because I never truly felt for any of the characters in my game experiences. Oh, I cared for the story, but when I hit the power button, the characters never lingered in the back of my head. At least, not in any RPGs... Well, I might as well throw out the best answer I have. It's debatably an RPG, but it works: The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess. Something about Midna in specific almost made me emotional, and I don't know what it is.

Music: While it may be a stretch to call it an RPG, Castlevania: Symphony of the Night takes the cake for best music. Seriously, listen to the tracks, and you'll fall in love.

Battle System: Mario and Luigi - Superstar Saga. The semi-active battle system made every encounter fun for me. You had almost constant control of your attacks, even when it wasn't your turn. It was more like a damage avoiding mini-game than an RPG. Fun stuff.

Graphics: Mass Effect. Look at it, and you know what I mean.


Favorite: Final Fantasy Tactics. It was my first RPG, and it'll always be my favorite. I'd give up any game for a chance to play. I'm dead serious. In fact, I may go grab my copy from my friend's house right now...

[Egnio]

Plot wise- Chrono Trigger. It's deep and interesting. And I like it that it has many endings as well.
Character - Chrono Trigger - Magus. He's nice (a bit emo though)
Music- Golden Sun - I love the battle theme and boss fights
Battle System- Super Mario RPG - Well, it was active and changing. Stuff like pressing buttons and the like made it more lively.
Graphically- Mass Effect. Only rented it, played it for a while, and that's it. But it's the one with the best graphics, so there.
Favorite - Chrono trigger- Indeed.

[Almeidaboo]

Plot wise- FFT tied with FF7.
Character - Tough one. But I'd have to say...Shu, Suikoden II (tnks Grandy), tied with Fei, Xenogears. Actually Fei would take it, beucase he's the most complex RPG character I've ever seen.
Music- Xenogears, easily.
BaTSys- Hmm...Damn. Fallout.
Grapically- Rogue Galaxy, just mind blowing.
Favorite - No way, can't answer that. But the one I've played more times was Suikoden II, but not necessarily the best, no...Okay, FALLOUT 2.

Prpl_mage, awesome bringing Septerra Core back to my memories...awesome game man...

[Djanki]

Favorite RPG, plot-wise? Good question...

I can think of two that inspire the emotion of 'empathy'--Phantasy Star II and Grandia 2.

Phantasy Star II's story wasn't very deep, but it was still capable of fighting everything that Final Fantasy stood for. Then again, it's not so much the plot (I'll admit it--it's quite shallow) so much as the setting: it's thoroughly tragic.

While Final Fantasy mercilessly kills characters off to make room for others (Yang, Leo, Minwu, or Galuf, anyone?), Phantasy Star gave you a small group that you eventually grew attatched to, and for good reason--after going through so many tough battles (and not a single boss! 0_o), that cat-girl really becomes an asset...but, then, one gets killed, for the sake of the story. Other than the aforementioned FF characters, this pretty much was one of the first times a character was killed in an RPG, and couldn't be brought back. I haven't quite reached that scene, but I saw videos of it--terrible stuff, in a good way.

And then there's the ending...oh, good Lord--what a kick in the face for RPG norm! [spoiler]The main cast FAILS, and the GALAXY is DESTROYED!! WTF?![/spoiler].  While it sounds disheartening, PSII made it work; better yet, it was able to pave the way for Phantasy Stars III and IV.

As for Grandia...well, I'll admit: most of the plot is quite typical for RPGs. But, so many elements in there are entirely original...mainly, one scene in the game, concerning a little girl possessed by one of the villain's body parts (his eye, you pervs!). Usually, when kids are dealt with in RPGs, things end fairly well, and the usually join your party. Grandia 2 decided to have Jodi Benson kick that to the curb, while wearing red high-heels, and shoot the very idea with a crossbow, yelling, "DIE, YOU MONGREL, DIE!". The cast (or rather, Jodi Benson's character, Millenia) ends up killing the kid, for the sake of the power she conceals. I really couldn't believe they did that when I saw that scene...it remains today to be one of the most powerful scenes I've seen in an RPG.

Grandia also has one of the most well-done love triangles I've ever scene. Cloud/Tifa/Aerith? Pshaw. Try Ryudo/Millenia/Elena.....okay, okay, so it wasn't that big a deal, but it was the ending that dropped my jaw. In any other game, Millenia would have died off, leaving Elena and Ryudo to do the Horizontal Lambogo. In Grandia 2...the three of them stuck together. When Ryudo left on a journey to put the Holy Sword to rest, both of them knew he'd come back to see them. Forget the raunchy fan-art that'd cause...that's simply never been done, and Grandia 2 did it great!

I should also mention--Jodi Benson's and Cam Clarke's voice acting were impeccable--I barely knew it was Cam Clarke to start with, and I didn't notice 'The Little Mermaid' with all of that awesome demon-fueled 'kick-@$$'! Well done!

Character wise? I'd say Fire Emblem: The Blazing Sword (i.e., the first one we got). Some characters are pretty generic, yes, but the way that they interact in the Supports is incredible. You really fall in love with the characters once you get inside their heads; I myself like Nino and Jaffar, Rebecca and Llwem (?) and Florina and Hector; they mesh well together. Characters are really one-sided on their own, however...

I also want to mention Persona 3 here; we've all seen battle-crazy sword-maniacs in RPGs, but it's a lot easier to identify with them when we see them wearing our kind of clothes, eating hamburgers, and hanging out where we'd hang out. They're still rather stereotypical (Akihiko, the 'Effort' man, Fuuka the "Shy Girl", etc), but it's a lot easier to understand them as they are than if they were, say, sky pirates.

My favorite characters in an RPG, btw? Junpei Iori (we all know someone who's like him--play Persona 3, and see!), and Red XIII. I mean, he's a wolf. A native-American wolf, with (quickly resolved) Daddy-issues. I find him to be the only character who had any appreciable growth as a person in FFVII; that, and not many animals are as cool as Nanaki. ^_^

Battle System? Well, I never played FFX-2, and all of my RPGs seem rather rudimentary in battle systems...I'll say Persona 3; it's quite streamlined, and battles are never that long. You only control your main character, and you can do all of the usual RPG stuff in a turn--use a spell, change Persona (i.e., spell stock), attack, wait, etc. Striking an enemy with an attack it's weak against (or landing a critical hit) knocks an enemy down and grants you 1 MORE (seriously, it's called that, even in normal conversations) attack. Knock down all of the enemies, and your party crashes down on them in a comic-book-style could with POWs and BANGs and CRASHes and everything. It sounds like it's too easy, and over-dependant of spamming attacks, but remember that enemies can use it, too--and they will nail your weak-spot every turn if they can. Also, the spell animations are simple and to-the-point, but still cool (Final Fantasy, you should take note). In short, battles are quick, no-nonsense events that aid in the progress of the massively repetitive dungeon.

I also want to mention Super Mario RPG's and Paper Mario's battle systems--the Action Command never gets old! ^_^

In addition, Tales of Symphonia needs credit for this. Every character handles differently, even though most people will just blow through everything as Lloyd. However, if you want to unlock EVERYTHING, you need to learn how to use EVERYONE. I quote EGM when they described it as 'taking a moment to learn and a lifetime to master'--it's hard to get bored with the battles in ToS.

Music? Hmm...again, Persona 3 gets special mention--not many RPGs let you take down demons to J-Hip-Hop (Shut up, The World Ends With You--I haven't played you). I also want to mention FFVI--I think that some of the best songs in Final Fantasy come from there. Terra's theme, Dancing Mad, Atma Weapon's theme, the Opera, Gau's theme...screw 'One-Winged Angel' (it's a Carmina Burana rip-off anyway). Final Fantasy VIII gets special credit, too, as does X (Otherworld--the world's most head-bashingest Boss Theme!). Chrono Trigger also has some of the best music in gaming, however, as does Chrono Cross. Can I also mention Shining Force 2? Because I just did.

Also: Catgirl fighting evil monsters to rock-music in Breath of Fire 2. MAN, that would look awesome on a heavy-metal album cover...as well as the side of someone's van! ^_^

PS: Phantasy Star Online: Episode One and Two are incredibly addicting...even offline!

Graphically:
ODIN SPHERE. ODIN SPHERE IS KING.

Seriously, the sprites honestly look like they're BREATHING. The detail on them is astonishing; I'd give Odin Sphere a 10 on style alone!

Persona 3 has an interesting look--like a graphic novel, hence the cel shading. Unfortunately, things look really plain after a while, and not being able to get as detailed a look as you want on things doesn't help.

Fire Emblem's battle animations never cease to impress me, honestly. Specifically, Lyn's critical hit animation (as well as her 'bounce'-tastic normal-attack as a Blade Lord...hello, Nurse!^_^) and the Dragon's entrance.

Favorite:
.......
I can't answer that. I like Phantasy Star II loads, but I haven't finished it, so it wouldn't be fair. Persona 3 has a loveable style, but is quite repetitive, as well as Odin Sphere. So, while I decide on a victor between those three, as well as any other RPG I have ever played, I'll play Gunstar Heroes, and maybe Astro Boy: Omega Factor.


PS: Hey, Meis, question...who did you prefer in the first .hack games? Me, I liked Gardenia, Blackrose, Marlo, Sanjuro, and Natsume.

[ZeroKirbyX]

What was your favorite rpg plot-wise?
Legend of the Dragoon

What was your favorite rpg character-wise?
Final Fantasy 9

What was your favorite rpg musical track?
Final Fantasy 9/Skies of Arcadia

What was your favorite rpg battle system?
Skies of Arcadia

What was your favorite rpg graphically?
Skies of Arcadia

[shinotebasiiackh]

Arcanum
Arcanum
Arcanum
Arcanum
Arcanum

[coasterkrazy]

What was your favorite rpg plot-wise?
Final Fantasy IX

What was your favorite rpg character-wise?
Final Fantasy IX

What was your favorite rpg musical track?
Final Fantasy IX

What was your favorite rpg battle system?
Star Ocean 2

What was your favorite rpg graphically?
Tales of Symphonia

What was your favorite rpg overall?
Star Ocean 2. Despite Final Fantasy IX holding so many memories and winning the most categories, I just had the most fun with Star Ocean 2 out of everything.

[Almeidaboo]

Arcanum
Arcanum
Arcanum
Arcanum
Arcanum

I'll take that as "...Because I never played Fallout.", alright?

[Felix-0]

reason I <3 charas

I see some

CT
SMRPGLOTSS
Dark cloud 2
Legends of dragoon
FFT
Golden sun
M&L SSS


And thats good for the soul ^__^

[Moosetroop11]

I'm gonna disagree with you 300% on Star Ocean, Felix. I thought that plot twist was horrible and completely ruined a perfectly good game XD

What was your favorite rpg plot-wise?
FF6/FF7

What was your favorite rpg character-wise?
Much like the above... I probably let the characters influence my opinion of the plot too much. FF6 had awesome characters... FF7 had much worse characters but I got more attatched to them for some reason... Then again, if Bluhman's Alpha force continues introducing characters in as much depth as it has, maybe I'll choose that in the future :p
I'll go with FF6 just for Celes and Shadow.

What was your favorite rpg musical track?
Erm... FF7. I think. I loved some of FF4's music though. I generally love any track which I can instantly identify with the game. All the best games have a 'sound' to them, which means that years later when you hear a certain chord change or harmony the entire game comes flooding back in a wave of nostalgia. The sound track is the only reason I liked Star Ocean 3, for instance.

What was your favorite rpg battle system?
Fire Emblem. Nothing's ever been made that's so simultaneously fun and devastating. The time when Erk died right near the end of a mission that I'd tried and tried at stands out for me most... Unlike a preset plot death, the fire emblem deaths were so epic because you knew you'd failed them and just couldn't face doing the whole level again.

What was your favorite rpg graphically?
Mass Effect. It's one of the few games where I think poorer graphics would've disadvantaged it. Other than Mass Effect, maybe FF5. There was so much fun and expression in that game.

[Dragonium]

What was your favorite rpg plot-wise?
Breath of Fire 3 comes first for me, for being all kinds of epic. As was FFVIII. Going back a bit, FFIV. It's clichéd by today's standard's, but it's pretty classic.

What was your favorite rpg character-wise?
Breath of Fire 3 had Rei and Garr, who are pure win. Again, FFVIII. FFX's characters had their moments. Crisis Core too. Oh, and FFT. I'd still do Agrias.

What was your favorite rpg musical track?
The Price of Freedom from Crisis Core. Most beautiful final battle theme ever. Also, BoF3 boss theme, because when that intro kicks in you know you're in for epic battle. DAH DAH DAH DAH. In fact, all of BoF3's music - it has what I can only describe as a "unique flavour" to it for some reason. No other game music sounds quite like BoF3's. I can't quite put my finger on it.

What was your favorite rpg battle system?
Okay, so it's not strictly an RPG, but I'll say it: Monster Hunter. It's functional, but it works. Also, Crisis Core.

What was your favorite rpg graphically?
BoF3. FFVIII. Crisis Core. Monster Hunter.

I have very narrow RPG tastes. >_>