LogFAQs > #937241726

If a level of story (since people are arguing an rpg doesn't need one) or gameplay mechanics (because people are also arguing they dont matter). Then what? We are left with a set of game system applications like levels, exp, stats and so on that simply get applied to a ton of games under different names.

So let me ask this. If you slapped on these game systems and rules to another game does it make it an RPG. Because adding experience points and levels to a game to call it an RPG is way different than changing actual game mechanics to differentiate different genres or in some cases "style" or the end goal (puzzle, casino style, simulation would fall here).

While I admit the call for a "certain level of narrative" is also not a game mechanic and the level needed is open to interpretation I can only conclude that the other ways to really see if a game is an RPG or not (be it mechanically or based on the game systems in place) have even more problems when trying to categorize games. Because if we are going to argue using things like dungeons and dragons systems I can very well bring up that the actual narrative, story telling, etc is important not only to an individual session but to those who are designing each official campaign and world. If dungeons and dragons was simply moving from one encounter to the next with a rest every now and then I could see it but that's not really how things go a lot of the time.