Well as reguards my website, no it's technically not mine, but does host
lots of my stuff. A friend of mine (one of the people I played through
Rpg's with), is a big Xenogears fan, after we'd run through the entire
game, I thought of novelizing it and she thought of making a website, and
there you go. Unfortunately bits of the novelization now make me cringe, and
anyway I haven't written any updates sinse September, which is making lots
of people unhappy.
As reguards action Rpg's, One of my favourite types
of games are the platform games that verge on being Rpg's, with much
equipping of items and actual story line ---- usually provided for me via a
Faq or Gamescript off the net.
i love MEtroid games for that --- though
admittedly you get lost a lot (though that's all part of the fun).
If I
want a more ongoing plot and some interesting messing with items I play Mega
Man X or Zero games ---- particularly the Zero series on the Gba (gba
player), sinse they involve a lot of ongoing plot, some really fiendish
bosses and even a bit of weapon leveling ---- unusual in a 2D side scroller.
I've also just picked up another game of that type, Astro boy on the
Gba, which has a lot of plot, a leveling system and (being made by
Treasure), some really interesting stages.
I'd certainly agree that non
plot related areas are needed in an Rpg, both to learn the controls (or
combat system depending if it's turn based or not), and also to hide some
extra good stuff like weapons or new plot elements in, the way all the
ultimate weapons and limit breaks in Ff7 were hidden in weerd places,
usually involving plot.
With our dreaming and singing, Ceaseless and sorrowless we! The glory about us clinging Of the glorious futures we see,
Our souls with high music ringing; O men! It must ever be
That we dwell in our dreaming and singing, A little apart from ye. (Arthur O'Shaughnessy 1873.)