No.957
What is your PERSONAL definition of a Roguelike?
imo, a Roguelike is a game that is LIKE ROGUE (thus the name) and has to have ALL of the following features:
>ASCII graphics
>randomly generated levels
>permadeath
>TURN BASED
Honestly, anything that doesn't have AT LEAST these four criteria can't ever be referred to as a roguelike. It'd be like calling Super Mario Sunshine a First Person Shooter. Yeah there are some similarities, but it's just too radically different to categorize it in that subgenre.
No.958
I disagree with the ASCII graphics part, the gameplay stays the same no matter what the graphics are.
No.959
>as much random generation as possible
>graphics are used for conveying gameplay relevant information, rather than decoration
>highly interactive world. you should be able to alter the terrain
Bonus - these are more technical limitations than things that make a good game:
>tile based
>turn based
I don't agree with permadeath as a criteria because it's almost always the players choice whether they play that way or not.
No.961
For me it has to be:
>turn-based
>random level generation
>be a RPG
>permadeath
If it's not turn-based it's too wildly different to belong into the same category. See The Binding of Isaac, which easily classifies as a shooter first and everything else second.
If there are no randomly generated levels you couldn't keep the game interesting long enough.
Universal and reliable wins could be archieved without any effort by following a stategy that applies to every game session.
If it's not an RPG you're also far out of genre.
I will never understand how some could seriously believe that Rogue Legacy, an action platformer much like a Castlevania, can qualify as a roguelike.
There is no point in having the definition if it doesn't mean more than "shares one mechanic of Rogue in some remote way" we might as well not have it.
Without permadeath a game that was like Rogue in all other regards could very well be called "roguelike". It would miss a large part of what made Rogue what it is, though.
It'd be roguelike but it'd be a mistake.
Tiles or ASCII isn't that important. Gameplay doesn't care about graphics as long as they don't get in the way of it..
No.978
>RPG
>gameplay advances in steps rather than turns
>tile-based, top-down maps
Things like "procedural generation" and "text-based graphics" don't really fit; I've played several games which are unmistakably roguelikes, yet have very little in the way of level randomization.
No.990
>Turn based
>Graphics don't really matter as long as they don't slow down the gameplay
>Permadeath, or at the very least the player's actions having a permanent effect on that particular savegame
>Lots of random generation (levels, items, monsters, player's starting stats/equipment, whatever can be done while keeping things fun)
I'd say these are at least the basics. I usually enjoy a roguelike if it's an RPG and there's lots of room for the player to be creative, though.
No.997
>978
>gameplay advances in steps rather than turns
huh?