RPG Battle Systems: Adjusting to the Times?
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The last type of battle system doesn't have a huge saturation in Japanese RPGs, but mostly their Western cousins - real-time battles. While various forms of action-based battle systems do have a real-time element, the fact that action pauses as you rummage through your inventory looking for an item doesn't quite fit the truly (real-time) feel. Games such as Oblivion, Diablo 2, Fable 2, Demon's Souls and others, while various other genre influences abound, are truly (real-time) in most ways. Typically these are more action-oriented titles, so they play to the gamer who wants to charge into battle and have all action all the time (although you will likely be decapitated in Demon's Souls if you attempt this). It seems many RPGs, especially those of the Western variety, lean toward more real-time battle techniques to cater to the FPS crowd, the impatient ones, the ones who have to be doing something all the time or they get bored and move on. Again, this, I believe, is a reflection on the way society in general has been moving - from a more slow-going, lackadaisical life to a fast-paced, must have everything now mentality.
