My "How To RPG" videos are a series of educational videos I'm producing as part my broader efforts to spread the love and knowledge of RPGs to a wider audience and lower the barrier to entry. If you like what I'm doing please consider supporting me and this channel, which will enable me to acquire some really cool stuff to do some hands-on demonstrations in future episodes! patreon: www.patreon.com/SuperDerek

I am squarely in the "already love RPGs and just want to hear someone ramble on at end about the role playing game genre for a while." My lifetime love affair with this genre started in the 80's, when I was kid, playing Dragon Quest/Dragon Warrior 1 and Final Fantasy 1 on my NES, and has held steadfast for over 30 years. I'll love these games till the day I die.

Derek pulled out the suit and bow tie, so you know this is for real! Looking forward to more in this video series, the tone and welcoming atmosphere are something we can all use more of in the RPG fandom.

Dude, seriously... this new variation in content is working SO WELL. Not only do I get to see more Derek on the youtube, but hes also got great thoughts to share on the types of games we love and the culture that surrounds them. These vids are a lot of fun, and judging by your 'class dismissed' comment at the end there, I'd say its fun for you too LOL!

I think this breakdown is really accessible for someone who isn’t well versed in this particular genre(s). There’s a lot of info here that I take for granted and almost think of as implied, but this was a nice refresher and crash course into my favorite genre. Also - loving the Franklin badge on your suit - definitely the cherry on top here!

Great timing, I was recently trying to describe to a friend what ties together the motley assortment of games within the RPG category and found it hard to say. Also happy to be in that category of "I need more RPG stuff in my life so I'll listen to ramblings on related to them for hours".

This video was an insta-watch! I'll admit Ive never played an rpg all the way through, but I'm slowly getting back into playing games and def needed something like this

This along with the backlog advise videos have been so excellent. Thank you.

Info was really straightforward and insightful, right to the point with lots of depth. Adding a little chart or graph here and there might help visualize the information better too in this series.

Nice! I've been playing RPGs my whole life, but even in this 101, I was prompted to think about that RPG spectrum in ways I hadn't really considered before. Tons of great insights in this short vid. Looking forward to more videos like this!

In the 1980s I fell into Dragon Warrior. My Uncle and I (who is only 2 years older than I am, he was like an older brother.) decided to delve into it. We got it through our Nintendo Power subscription, and thanks to that I was all about the patterns and designs of RPGs.

One distinction between Western RPGs and Japanese RPGs I would also make is the western ones often provide the player with the ability to make choices in the story and forge the narrative they want. This can come down to character creation, what build/class they want to do and how the game reacts to the players choices. JRPGs are more about putting you in the shoes of a pre determined character and seeing how the story unfolds most of the time. I like both styles but I generally enjoy the western style games more because I like that freedom of choice.

I've been watching your channel for years now- great as always!

Idk if it gets said enough, but I really appreciate the "professionalism" and production quality of your videos. Despite still being warm, friendly, and "informal" it's very clear how much effort goes into the writing, scripting, production, recording, and editing of your videos. You don't "have" to do all that but you do anyway and I just hope people realize how hard you work on this channel to produce such phenomenal quality videos. Also you look mighty fine in that suit and bowtie ;)

Love you're work SD. Thanks for the content 😀. Have an awesome day. 👍🏽

I first got into rpgs when I was about 10, and the thing that drew me in was how you didn't necessarily have to become more skilled at the game to progress. I wasn't very good at action oriented games, so it was nice being able to experience all a game had to offer. For me, then, an rpg is a game that has some form of non-skill-based progression system. How prominent that non-skill-based progression is determines how strong the rpg elements are.

RPGs, can never have enough RPGs! This was a fun lesson today, look forward to the next lesson plan you got stewing SuperDerek

Awesome Derek! We really needed you for this role! Thank you so much and guide is in this RPG learning journey.🐎

I can tell you are enjoying doing these videos way more than the jrpg weekly update videos. Keep up the great work!

They were just the games my older brother played a lot. He was six years older, so had more pocket money and could get a part-time job much sooner than me. So most of the video games in the house were ones he bought. And the Super Nintendo we played them on was his, too. A combination of them being the ones readily available and just little kids wanting to do what their big brothers and sisters do, I got into them, too. But I was well into my 20s before I learned how to play them WELL.

Very accessible breakdown, thanks! Would love to hear a personal reason why you, yourself tend to radiate more to JRPGs rather than western games - nostalgia? themes? etc..

Thank you for making this video, I'm sure it will help people get started! It looks like you had a ton of fun making it too!

Fantastic new series! High quality, thought provoking content as always! I'm super excited for the next episode and where the series goes as a whole.

This a series I would love to learn from!

I'm a long time RPG fan and this episode was still very enjoyable! Thank you for sharing all this cool rpg info! Mario RPG on SNES got me started into the genre which was probably a great beginner RPG..still love the game to this day too!

Very Dapper Indeed Derek! Like this RPG Class theme because for somebody who enjoys a RPG every now and then, I don't know it all so its nice to have a lesson or two!

Great video! To build on what you said, I think that RPGs are as much defined by what they are NOT, as what they are. I think the earliest RPG video game distinction that comes from the arcade era where it was basically used to tell the difference between games that were high score based vs games with characters and a story. As more games were created and more genres spun out from that general idea of characters and a story, like Action, Adventure, Fighting , etc, the definition evolved to exclude games without character progression and growth. Then more games came out and more subgenres are created to define them. Some subgenres that were previously considered RPGs are now their thing like Rogue-like, and Metroidvanias (both Rogue and Castlevania 2 were uncontroversially considered RPGs 30+ years ago but now not as much), and we subdivide RPGs itself into more specific categories like Dungeon Crawlers vs Strategy RPGs vs MMOs vs Soulsborne they take on a life of their own. RPG may become a less useful term in the future, but it's for a positive reason, that there's so much to choose from, we have newer terms to define them.

I have now enrolled into the SuperDerek Academy for all things RPG...and it's going to be a good fall semester!

I like and play many different types of RPG's. JRPG's, CRPG's, western RPG's etc. It's a rewarding genre with many different types of experience from simple to very complex and even non combat games like Disco Elysium and Gamedec which are really good. Tales of Arise, Pathfinder Wrath of the Righteous and Gamedec are 3 very different RPG's that released within one month and are all different and enjoyable in their own way.

I always take as "a table top RPG implemented in a video game." Some let you create your characters, others some rolled up already. Some are wide open full of discovery; others are breadcrumbs rail road sessions.

That tidbit about how you eventually came around on Earthbound and that sparked your love for the genre was really cool to hear. It's funny how sometimes it takes more than 1 go around with something to appreciate it, only for it to end up being one of your favorites. Technically my first RPG was Pokemon Yellow when I was around 5 or 6 I want to say? But having been privy to the anime and how battles worked in the context of the show, the whole turn based combat thing didn't really strike me as odd or jarring back then. The first time I really felt that way was when I played Megaman X: Command Mission. Though I think a huge part of the shock that came along with that was seeing such a drastic shift in genre, having played more than my fair share of Megaman games prior to that. I'm looking forward to this series, largely because I wonder if it won't help me properly understand why I love the genre so much. And I truly do, I've been playing A LOT of RPG's as of late and while I certainly enjoy them, I'd be lying if I said I fully understood why.

you remind of me an old friend almost, he had final fantasy 1 but had barely played it and didnt like it or rpg's. in his case he didnt know you had to equip stuff so things got hard fast and also in my first rpg experience (dragon warrior 1) i never understood saving. i would just walk out from the castle as far as i could untill i died and started over. we were both very very young mind you and since we have both been very avid rpg fans since.

I still prefer RPGs where the "Role" part is what has more weight and gets you out of situation (unlocking chest, choosing to steal or kill to get a key). Also your choices affecting whether or not you'll miss an event, even if the ending is the same.

Man these videos are great. I love the voice too. Your video about how to defeat your backlog was really informative. Same with this one sent it to my cousin that I’m trying to get into RPGs

A lovely little breakdown of what makes the genre tick. Great work, dude!

Love your videos recently!

I am HERE for that shirt tie combo.

As someone who is brand new to RPGs, thank you!

A really awesome video and i absolutely love the idea to bring more people to RPGs. One small gripe i have, would be the speed of information you are bringing. I know, you dont want to make the video too long or else the "new" audience wont watch it, but i find the speed a bit to fast for an explanation and/or teaching video. For the rest, keep up the great ideas and i surely will watch every episode of How to RPG 101.

Nice video really a 101 of the genre, once you start in RPGs you can check anytime you like but you can't never leave, a deep rabbit hole that shines light to the imagination

I really look forward to seeing more from this series. I’d say I’m close to your age and grew up watching my brother play FF6 and Chrono Trigger and not really getting it at the time, but now find myself wanting to dive into the genre. I have started FF7 a few times but can’t get too awful deep into it, simply due to the time required for a good RPG. Ya know, adulting and stuff. But I have been watching your backlog series and getting some ideas 👍

Awesome video and love the tie!

What an amazingly written and superbly executed script. Not that the other videos are any lesser well made, but this one raised the bar, hands down. Well done, Derek!

Can't wait for more!

Cool new series, Super Derek!

Great idea Super Derek!

It was early 1994 i was 13 i played secret of mana hours after hours this was the time i fell in love with rpg's and still after many years still love rpg's, think i have played 10.000's hours

Wonderful way to start my day

Looking forward to the next class.

This video was so good great job dude!

The age old question, "What is an RPG". RPGs are definitely a bit of a spectrum and hard to nail down. Any time I've tried discussing this topic things invariably devolve into arguing over semantics and throwing up curveball examples of games that are kinda sorta RPGs if you squint your eyes and tilt your head just right. But by and large I think your breakdown description of them was great. Nice duds btw.

Derek talking about a higher barrier of entry while showing Trails from Zero... Barrier Bannings approves :D

I applaud your attempt at answering the question "what is a RPG?". Technically, any game that let's you play a character could be argued that it is a RPG, regardless of the game mechanics. For me, I typically associate the RPG term with more traditional JRPGs.

what a sharp young man. his mother must be very proud of him!

Bless this dude channel allways appear on my youtube recommendations ♥

I feel like I’m watching a rpg game show and I love it

I always thought of WRPGS as being closer to DnD in the sense that the player writes their own story, where as JRPGS are more about the player being told a story by the developer. And of course JRPGS tend towards turn based combat.

Excellent video!!!

Great video my rpg friend! Greetings from Arequipa Peru!

Thank you ! This is amazing !

The bow tie 👌🤌 Awesome video as always dude 🤙

I remember when you used to do jrpg weekly updates...those were good videos

I'm here for the rambling. Love the video.

Earthbound was my first RPG too. It is still my favorite, but I haven't beaten many other RPGs (yet)

The amount of effort you put into your videos (sets, costumes, etc.) gets me every time. Great video! You did, however, miss one amazing subset of the genre: the racing RPG, which as far as I know contains only the TG16 version of Final Lap Twin.

Keep up the good work !

You have such a good voice for this!

In Zelda botw link gains experience points and gains levels. It’s in the background so you don’t see his level or amount of xp, but as you kill monsters overtime the xp link gains is what causes the higher level monsters and weapons to appear.

This was very informative, your videos are so nice to listen to and learn from! Btw, what's the game at 3:12?

Technically I accidentally fell into the genre. Everyone at my school was talking about and playing Pokémon(Pokemania), so I got Pokémon Red for my birthday without knowing it was a RPG and played it for over a year without knowing what a RPG was, and then I saw someone playing Dragon Warrior Monsters and I went to get that too, but the store only had Dragon Warrior 1 and 2 so I got that and that was when I started to really get addicted to RPGs and finally a year later I talked to someone who played Final Fantasy games and that was when I finally understood the genre.

I think I will like this series. I've been playing RPGs since FF7 released and it has been my go to genre ever since. But it's always nice to hear other perspectives. There's a few things I hadn't really thought of that you'd mentioned here. Hopefully consoles will continue to be a place to find good JRPGs. Mobile and PC gaming aren't enjoyable to me, but I also have 228 platinum trophies on PSN. It wouldn't make sense to play elsewhere at this point

An argument that I had with a friend a few years ago was in regards to whether the Assassin's Creed games could be regarded as RPGs. He vehemently denied that they could, while I argued that due to the optional town building and character development activities, that franchise has been just as much RPG as stealth action title ever since Assassin's Creed 2. Assassin's Creed Odyssey included branching dialogue trees, rarity based enemy loot drops for armor and weapon(all including the typical console RPG stat spread), and even character leveling and skill trees, but he still refused to accept that modern Assassin's Creed games are more RPG than stealth action game. In the end my final word on the subject was that the developers said it was an RPG, and therefore it was, which is my ultimate point. People can argue all they want about what is and isn't an RPG, but as long as the developer categorizes their game as an RPG, we do not change the facts by claiming otherwise.

I'm really enjoying your channel and this video series is a really good idea. I have a few friends on the Eiyuden Cronicle Discord group that linked your video here. This was a very well educational look on what is a RPG game so I think anyone who is a newbie to it would understand it very well. I also liked your Professor outfit and the watch in the end. I noticed your video reaction to Eiyuden Cronicle, did you also see Sea of Stars and Sacrifire?

What we are not seeing is Derek busting out laughing at the end of this video. It’s entertaining and humorous to me that this video has kind of a serious tone to it. I like it though. It’s great.

Great vid as Nd great comments too!

I haven't even watched the video yet. But i added it to favorites cuz of the suit. Looking good bro 👌

Good stuff!

EarthBound was also my entry into RPGs.

I am in the love RPGs and just want to hear someone ramble category

My brother in law and I have had a few discussions over RPG's...all in fun. Not taking it seriously. He likes to say every game is an RPG, because you're roleplaying as someone. I like to see RPG's as more the traditional sense with leveling and grinding.

Yay! Eroge got a subtle shout-out!

Looking snazzy!

thanks professor Derek :)

First off you're looking dapper and svelte as fuck. Second, what a great video. I just "discovered" you recently and have been going through your backlog. I'm excited to see more of the "How to RPG" series.

Fun video!

Earthbound, Super Mario RPG, FFVII, Tecmo Secret of the Stars, Little Ninja Bros, Pokémon, and Chrono Trigger were my first RPG’s. I was so mad when I finally found out about Dragon Quest which preceded them all! Then later came Paper Mario series, Mario Bros Super Star Saga, Skyrim Diablo 3, and other CRPG’s. With CRPG’s I can’t stand permanent death. Then more recently I played games such as Tales of Arise, Lost Judgement, Fire Emblem 3 Houses, and Yakuza 1-7. I really like 7. Of course there is Persona’s but I’m not fond of the calendar trapped in a super linear style of play. To me what feels like an RPG is any game that you can level up by experience points. It’s as simple as that for me. How it’s implemented it doesn’t matter as long as it’s not a chore and a bore to play.

Is this going to be on the exam? For real nice job really like the way you do these video's. It feels like RPG 101. Loved your video's about clearing your RPG backlog. I am 55 been playing video games from atari and the arcade right up till now and still going. I like to say I have gamer ADHD, I just start to many games and get over welmed. Your vidoe gave me some good pointers and been getting my back list in some order. Thanks, keep up the good work.

I generally define a video game RPG as a game where your character's stats, gear, and tactics contribute to your success more than your reflexes or skill at button pressing. Yes, there is a spectrum and 'RPG' is a vague AF term, but overall...I think that RPGs are games where physical skill takes the backseat, or isn't even required.

Have you ever delved into western CRPG's like Icewind Dale, Planescape Torment, Fallout 1&2 or Baldurs gate 1&2? Some more modern examples are Pillars of Eternity, Divinity Original Sin series, Shadowrun and many more. I've never seen you cover any games of this particular sub genre and think you would really have a blast with them! Nice tie btw.

Even levelling up isn't so cut and dry. 1st edition Traveller expected you to be an old dog (usually) military drop out/retiree who just isn't ready to settle down yet. They have advancement mechanics at all. I think the GM is supposed to allow you to get better at something "when it makes sense" but it doesn't spell it out in any of the books.

My mindset whenever I play RPG is Strength and Defense must be high so I can kill enemies fast. I don't usually care about other stats like INT, DEX, SPEED, and such. In Pokemon, I'd always have my Pokemons have attack moves rather than stat moves.

Yes! Just yes

Very nice outfit this time, ngl realy suits you. I like this style of video, keep them coming : D

The tie deserves a comment and a like

I love your tie and jacket!!! 😍😍😍

Nice ending, I often wonder if the PS5 is the last console generation. Once everything goes digital, it won't make much sense getting a console over an upgradeable PC, although there are barriers for new/casual PC users.

we missed you

the fit 👌

When I was in college and graduate school, I all but abandoned the JRPG genre because I didn't consider them to be roleplaying games at all. They're more like interactive stories with RPG progression elements... and considering I am a big reader I'd just rather get my stories from books, which tend to be much better written and more complex. Channels like yours, davidvinc's, Erik Landon's, etc have gotten me somewhat nostalgic for the JRPG's I used to enjoy, and I will admit that while I used to adore a lot of choice in RPG's like Fallout: New Vegas, I can at times find choice paralyzing now and given the limited time for hobbies adulthood gives can sometimes yearn for the "simplicity" of JRPGs... so I keep buying them on Steam sales, but have yet to play any of them since Fell Seal: Arbiter's Mark. Too many games, too little time. My backlog is still in the hundreds at this point, and gaming is not my only hobby.

Damn my man, you look good in the suit and bow tie!