Has World of Warcraft lost it's RPG?

Community General Discussion
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Wow initially was described as an mmorpg ( massively multiplayer online role-playing game). I have read that to some players now Wow is more of an mmo ( massively multiplayer online game). If this is true. What happened to the rpg part?

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  • I play my role as a tank.

  • An ultra casual raid progger.

  • A helper of new IRL friends returning to the game.

  • Forum dweller extraordinaire

You yourself are a creator of thought provoking ‘wider’ questions threads. Though I find you go hands off after you make em.

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I believe player housing will be the RPG in mmorpg. This is a great win for that component of the game.

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It is obviously still an RPG. We play the role of a character in the world. It’s that simple.

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Yes, I was not born the chosen one

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Sacrificed along the way to keep the game alive as it was slowly turning into an e-sport driven game.

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Sure but, you could make that argument for any game in which you play a character. Wow certainly has lost some of it’s rpg elements. I still feels like it’s a it’s a MMOrpg, but the rpg is lowercase now. I kind of agree with OP a little.

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You have to do mental gymnastics to say WoW doesn’t have major RPG elements.

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Wow stopped being an RPG when they started homogenizing all the classes and making it to where everyone shared the exact same buffs and abilities and group support.

Basically from Cataclysm forward WoW has been more of an Action / Adventure game than an RPG, there 's no meaningful choices that are being made, everything is homogenized, everything’s basically the same. The gearing system exists, but everyone’s gear is exactly the same stats, ect.

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I like creating topics for conversation. And enjoy reading the replies. I usually don’t post much after that. Because I want people to feel free to express their opinions and I want people to discuss the topic and avoid negativity. Most of the good faith people have some very interesting opinions and many infuse their replies with humor.

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I would argue the opposite. Its still an RPG (like Diablo or Skyrim). Its not much of an MMO anymore. Sure, thereare these pesky other characters moving around my realm… but I can mostly ignore them like NPCs or decoration. Its like a matchmaking lobby with extra steps.

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Massive - Millions of accounts
Multiplayer - Millions of active players
Online - Not a local game
RolePlay - You play the part of a character in a story
Game - The story as it unfolds

I wish you would try harder. This is like your 4th thread in as many days that has been a let down. 3/10. Will not be back.

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By this definition literally everything is Role Play, no?

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Every story game is technically an RPG if you are a character who is not the main character in the story. So Resi-Evil stuff, not an RPG. Zelda, not an RPG. Diablo 4, RPG cause you are only a supporting champion.

“RPG” in video games stands for “Role-Playing Game,” meaning a type of game where players take on the role of a character within a fictional world, making decisions that affect the story and character development, often with elements like character stats, quests, and a detailed narrative.

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That is one of the worst definition of RPG I have ever heard.
No where in the definition you quote does it state it has to be a side character.

You’re telling my Skyrim isn’t an RPG…?
Witcher? Mass Effect? Fallout?

RPG implies a level of player control and a sense of “the bumpers are coming off”. A common example would be dialogue options.

An example and why WoW isnt an RPG to me would be the Sylvanas/Saurfang conflict. It in a rare occurrence in this game actually let you decide a side, but ultimately it meant nothing and the story forced you into allegiance with Saurfang.

Your own quote even states this lol

“making decisions that affect the story and character development”

This does not occur in WoW.

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Sorry, it doesn’t count as an RPG if it doesn’t have this single specific thing that is absent in hundreds of other RPGs.

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People will just argue about what “RPG” means in a computer game. I think this discussion would be more productive if we focused on the specific features and experiences that have changed over time, rather than debating terminology.

For instance, think about how the social aspects have evolved - remember when forming a group meant actually talking to people in cities, sharing jokes while waiting for everyone to arrive at the dungeon entrance? Or how getting your first mount felt like a real achievement because you had to save gold for weeks?

The way we develop our characters has changed too. Back then, you’d journey to specific class trainers in different cities, each with their own questlines and lore. Warriors had to prove themselves to their trainers, Warlocks had to complete dangerous rituals - it wasn’t just clicking a button when you leveled up.

Classes used to have these quirky, flavorful abilities that might not have been “meta” but made them feel special. Like Shamans having to craft their own totems, Hunters needing to feed their pets and maintain ammo, or Warlocks having to gather soul shards. Sure, some of it was clunky, but it gave each class a unique identity.

The world itself felt more alive too. Remember how you’d randomly stumble upon these questlines that weren’t marked on any map? Now everything is streamlined and pointed out with markers and arrows.

These are the kinds of specific experiences worth discussing, rather than getting stuck in a debate about what RPG means in computer games…

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No because it never had it.

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From Wikipedia:
“When Blizzard first announced World of Warcraft in 2004, they described it as a massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG). Players create avatars and explore a virtual world full of adventure, magic, and mystery.”

Just saying.

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