Beginner Tips for New RPG Gamers
Roleplaying video games (RPGs) stand out as uniquely immersive adventures letting you level up mighty heroes saving mystical realms through story-driven quests and strategic combat. But for gamers trying their first RPG after playing other video game genres, their vast worlds and complex systems can feel intimidating barriers to entry.
As an experienced RPG gamer across fantasy and sci-fi franchises since childhood through PC and console platforms from Elder Scrolls to Mass Effect, I’ve mastered tips for getting started as well as navigating deeper intricacies. Read my beginner’s guide to help RPG newcomers pave their victorious quest faster!
What are Roleplaying Video Games?
RPGs (roleplaying games) let you create customizable avatar characters and directly steer their heroic journeys through extensive conversations, exploration-driven plots, turn-based or real-time battles and skill progression systems reflective of tabletop games like Dungeons & Dragons.
Core elements in many top RPGs span:
- Roleplay different personalities with dialogue tree decisions that impact stories unfolding uniquely
- Build characters via distribution of attribute points at level-ups
- Choose special battle skills and magic abilities complementary to weapons and armor equipped
- Embark on story-based quests Talking to Non-Player Characters also gives side quests for big XP (experience) rewards
- Explore vivid fantasy or sci-fi worlds ranging from medieval towns to intergalactic planets talking to inhabitants for helpful clues and lore
- Defeat enemies through strategic equipment and ability usage for loot drops to then craft improving gear
Now let’s cover need-to-know tips for starting and advancing your inaugural roleplaying adventure!
Choosing Your First RPG Game
With so many legendary RPG franchises spanning decades like Elder Scrolls, Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest each touting numerous intricately crafted installments, deciding where to start can feel overwhelming!
I always recommend the following thought process when selecting a debut RPG based on personal interests:
Consider your favored genres/settings
Fantasy epics or interstellar space crews? Select whether magic and dragons or aliens and spacecraft better match interests. Top examples include Skyrim, Dragon Age and Mass Effect.
Assess complexity and difficulty factors
Some series like Divinity: Original Sin or Pathfinder have steeper learning curves due to heavy number crunching systems. Save those for when you have more experience.
Decide group dynamics or solo protagonist focus
In RPGs like Baldur’s Gate 3 or Dragon Age Inquisition, you steer whole adventuring parties. Other story-driven games emphasize singular leads like Geralt from the Witcher letting you better immerse in their shoes.
Determine preferred RPG quest and pace style
Western RPGs often have action-packed quests and flexibility for open exploration from minute one like Fallout or Borderlands. Traditional Japanese RPGs prioritize heavily scripted storylines over nonlinear freedom early on.
Choose real-time or turn-based battling
Real-time combat depends more on player reflexes for dodging and attacks whereas turn-based makes victories hinge more on strategic thinking.
Hopefully thinking through those preferences helps identify a memorable first RPG perfectly suited to how you personally envision best embarking on heroic odysseys of your own!
Getting Started in Your New RPG World
Once you’ve decided which epic quest calls your name, use the following tips when taking initial steps into those magical realms as a promising new hero ready for adventures (without quickly dying from silly mistakes!).
Carefully Read Any Tutorial Tips or Manuals
It never hurts to thoroughly read all instructions about core gameplay basics so you don’t unwittingly make missions harder fumbling with what certain buttons make your party do.
Adjust Difficult Settings Appropriately
Most games nowadays allow toggling difficulty options. No shame starting gentler while learning controls before ramping up mortal peril later on!
Strategize When First Creating/Customizing your Character
Your starting avatar and specialization choices dictate initial battle advantages. Read through all skill trees first before distributing points on traits and magical abilities so you know best combinations.
Explore Every New Environment/Settlement Fully
Loot every house, talk to all curious characters no matter how mundane dialog seems initially and peek down back alleys! You never know what valuable coin stashes and inventory upgrades hide seemingly nowhere until you methodically poke around.
Review Maps Often So You Don’t Get Lost
It’s easy losing direction when trekking through sprawling terrains between locations central to key missions. Check area maps so you know what markers mean with clarity.
Manual Save Early and Often!
Nothing stings worse than losing hours of hard fought progress should you fall in battle. Routinely hit save points instead of relying on autosaves alone so you don’t rerun huge chunks unnecessarily.
LEVEL UP & Game on Fearlessly
By thoroughly talking to non-player characters for local lore clues, meticulously searching nooks of dangerous dungeons before battles and frequently manual saving progress, the expansive world now eagerly awaits your adventuring imprint, brave hero! Game on!
Character Building Strategies to Strengthen Your Party
The best element of RPGs entails carefully crafting your protagonist and/or supporting characters over dozens of hours until they transform into ultimate badasses saving realms from apocalyptic threats single-handedly.
But nurturing characters effectively takes foresight. Follow these pointers:
Always Read Full Skill Tree Before Allocating Points
It never fails – I spend points upfront on sword mastery for battle mages, then discover killer spells deeper requiring those same points only accessible way later. Learn ALL specialization options available to inform earlier decisions.
Equip Gear Interactively Supporting Strengths
Don’t randomly throw on new looted robes and weapons solely because ratings seem higher. Boost Strength or Willpower specifically according to whether you intend fighter or magic wielder paths so bonuses actively reinforce role.
Use It or Lose It with Weapon and Magic Skills
Unlike earning XP organically through quests automatically, you must wield swords or cast spells repeatedly to gain opportunity investing more points into that specific skill set. So pursue identical battle tactics consistently.
Cultivate Balanced Party Dynamics (in Group RPGs)
Solo adventuring looks cinematically badass charging at dragon solo, but even toughened tanks need healers patching them up or stealthy rogues detecting ambushes ahead in most RPGs. Grow varied protectors.
By carefully planning skill and equipment boosts throughout your journey plus balancing character strengths and weaknesses as a cohesive unit, your party will be decently conditioned for later arriving formidable foes.
Crushing Quests in Your RPG Journey
Beyond battle stats, completing sprawling quest chains proves essential leveling up faster and unlocking key story revelations impacting endgame outcomes. Adopt these reliable questing strategies:
Read All Quest Instructions Thoroughly Before Departing
Skimmed details often hide nuances like time limitations, pointers where objectives get obscured from obvious sight, or important backstories that inspire going above and beyond bare minimums later.
Use Area Maps Strategically to Track Target Locations
With multiple quests stacked involving fragmented explorations across vast distances, I easily spent helpless hours sorta wandering hoping to randomly stumble over solutions. Maintain clear bearings using area maps marking pinned places methodically.
Finish All Connected Quest Parts Before Advancing Main Plot
It’s tempting plowing ahead into beckoning main quests unlocked after pivotal cutscenes while leaving lingering side quests hanging. But quest chains grant huge XP rewards by series completion which aids defeating main villains easier later with leveled up avatars.
Return to Earlier Areas Later When Stronger
Once armed with new battle gear or skills, revisiting locations of earlier challenging encounters like bandit camps allows satisfying redemption, new secret discoveries and leftover loot obtaining where initially stumped.
Carefully navigating quest storylines proves indispensable leveling up adeptly over time. After dozens of hours practicing tried and true principles of savvy RPG gamers, your leveled up warriors will stand taller conquering mystical worlds!
People Also Ask About Getting Into RPG Gaming
What is the best first RPG for beginners?
Skyrim, Dragon Age: Inquisition, Final Fantasy X, Undertale, Pokemon series. Easy to grasp mechanics and explorations to introduce RPG elements without overly complex stats.
What RPG has the best storyline?
The Witcher 3, Final Fantasy VII, Mass Effect 2, BioShock, Dragon Age: Origins, Elder Scrolls: Morrowind. High marks for world-building, compelling characters and branching cinematic dialogues woven into extensive questing narratives with themes of love found, vengeance, moral dilemmas.
What RPG should I play based on my interests?
Tabletop RPG backgrounds, magic systems – Dragon Age series; Sci-fi space settings, choices carrying over across trilogy – Mass Effect; Open world high fantasy, substance side quests – Elder Scrolls; Emotionally complex characters, choice dependent outcomes – The Witcher 3.
How do RPG video games work?
Players customize unique characters who embark on story quests gaining experience points to increase combat skills and special abilities through battles won using turn-based or reflex actions. Dialogue trees and gear upgrades further roleplaying elements.
Are RPGs too complex for casual gamers?
Some legacy franchises boast heavy stat management better suited for hardcore fans, but contemporary RPGs focus more on accessible character interactions and exploration accessible to wide appeal audiences beyond fantasy genre lovers alone. Difficulty toggles, guided tutorials and compelling cinematics ease entry.