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I also found this fascinating. I never really saw CRPG being used as an acronym however I have always and always will specify "computer based role playing game" where appropriate vs cerebral role playing games involving books, cards or thoughts/conversations.

There are some errors in the text here and there but hopefully we can all nit pick it to death before the hard cover version goes to print.

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> I never really saw CRPG being used as an acronym

I've always called them CRPGs, to distinguish them from "real" RPGs that involve actual roleplaying, imagination, improvisation and other elements that computers can't really handle. For a roleplayer, a CRPG is a bit of a crutch that can scratch the itch until you can get some friends around the table again.

Though perhaps that doesn't quite do CRPGs justice. There are some excellent ones exploring some really interesting subjects in a way you rarely get to do at the table.

It's certainly a worthwhile distinction. Especially in the modern day where 'rpg' elements have been tacked on to everything. Not a lot of actual role playing in something like Mass Effect.

Way more role-playing potential in Mass Effect than, say, your typical JRPG. And than most of the story's-barely-there stat-bashing dungeon crawlers, Western or Eastern. For that matter there's more in Dishonored, and your character doesn't even speak in that one. Of all the games under the RPG tent I'd say Mass Effect is well in the top half as far as having role playing in it, though it's admittedly a pretty low bar.

I have also never heard the term CRPG. Normally the distinction I hear is "tabletop RPG".

While RPGs started outside the computer world, they are in the small minority compared to popular culture's digital RPGs.

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