While PC RPGs come in a variety of subgenres and styles, there are a few core elements that most titles share. While a particular RPG may not offer all of the following elements, I’m sure you’ll find that each one shares at least one or more. Please note that there are some exceptions to these precedents and that the act of classifying a game’s genre ultimately rests with the decisions of the game’s developers and players.
Possibly the most recognized of these core elements is the process of gaining experience and leveling up. Almost every PC RPG game released in the past incorporates this idea to one degree or another. As players progress through a title and fight enemies along the way, it is common practice to reward a player’s character (or team of characters) with victory experience points, commonly abbreviated as “XP”. As a character reaches set XP milestones, he or she will gain a level. Often a character will learn additional skills as various levels are reached.
Another fairly common element is turn-based combat. Although this element was much more popular in PC and console RPGs of the past, it is still widely used, especially among series where the original titles offered this type of gameplay. As the name implies, enemy battles are usually conducted much like a chess match where an opponent can perform an attack or use an item only after their enemy has done so. Battles continue this way until one opponent has lost all HP (health points) and a victor is decided.
The final PC RPG element I’d like to discuss is interchangeable weapons and armor. While this is probably the least used of the three items, it’s still a very recognizable ingredient within the genre. When playing a game that offers this style of play, players have the option to collect multiple sets of defensive weapons and armor throughout the game. Most of the time, a character can only wield a single weapon or wear a single set of armor at any given time, but the ability to change these items at any time adds a more personalized experience to titles within the genre.