What unique elements did an RPG you liked pioneer that subsequently became widespread?

[Stack of Turtles]

Tell me a little about other games that used the element and how it worked when your game did it first.

I'm not gonna start off with an example of my own because, some of you may know, I grew up as a strategy game player, so my depth of knowledge on RPGs is limited and if I try to give one I'll end up hearing "ackchully, that feature dates back to Revenge of the Wizardman on the Atari Commodore in 1938". I just want to know yours.

[Norfleet]

I don't think it really pioneered any particular elements, but it wrapped of ease of use, reliability, effectiveness, low cost, and replay value in a single package that has made it the most widely played RPG in the world for decades since its initial release.

[TKVNC]

Oblivion, for microtransactions.

[Norfleet]

I never did understand the fuss about that subject. I never paid for the horse armor. Or for Oblivion itself. Pirate Cat won't pay for his downloads.

[Val the Moofia Boss]

Final Fantasy Limit Breaks/ultimates have become a staple of JRPGs.

RIFT transmog has become ubiquitous not just in MMOs but also in offline games like Cyberpunk 2077.

[maidenhaver]

I don't think it really pioneered any particular elements, but it wrapped of ease of use, reliability, effectiveness, low cost, and replay value in a single package that has made it the most widely played RPG in the world for decades since its initial release.

Shame the original devs were pushed out and sold their shares in the company. If it were me, I'd have kept my vote to **** with future projects I didn't like.

[rusty_shackleford]

Skill trees, when done tastefully(that is, not a bunch of +1% crit chance etc.,) are nice. Can't say if it originated in Diablo 2, but it definitely popularized the concept of it.

[jdcp]

Final Fantasy Limit Breaks/ultimates have become a staple of JRPGs.

Likewise, I'd like to add Dragon Quest's map and a vehicle you could drive to avoid random encounters (this one didn't, future JRPGs would change this) or just get to other places.

This **** must've been mindblowing back then lol

Screenshot 2026-01-06 143616.png

And everyone took from it, even Pokemon.

And for a good reason, nothing's more fun in an FF than getting the airship and going out to do side content

[rusty_shackleford]

Final Fantasy Limit Breaks/ultimates have become a staple of JRPGs.

Likewise, I'd like to add Dragon Quest's map and a vehicle you could drive to avoid random encounters (this one didn't, future JRPGs would change this) or just get to other places.

This **** must've been mindblowing back then lol

And everyone took from it, even Pokemon.

And for a good reason, nothing's more fun in an FF than getting the airship and going out to do side content

Ultima games

[jdcp]

Ultima games

Right, I was too set into JRPGs I forgot about this one. My bad

But I figure DQ2 ship and FF1 Airship were still very important.

[maidenhaver]

Ultima games

Right, I was too set into JRPGs I forgot about this one. My bad

But I figure DQ2 ship and FF1 Airship were still very important.

Ultimas had flying cars.

[Tangerine]

Ultima is the "Simpsons did it" of RPGs.

[Norfleet]

Skill trees, when done tastefully(that is, not a bunch of +1% crit chance etc.,) are nice. Can't say if it originated in Diablo 2, but it definitely popularized the concept of it.

The funny thing is that they promptly refitted it into exactly that, so you have a small number of skills you take because you actually want them, and then a bunch of skills you take without any intention of actually using just to keep the actual skills you're using relevant because otherwise without the +boosts, they'd be useless.

[Kalarion]

Hidden/locked classes. The first game I can remember playing that did it was Ogre Battle, but if we don't want to call that an RPG than maybe Final Fantasy Tactics?

Reagent-based spellcasting/alchemy (bonus if it's combined with typing out the proper incantation!) The first game I played with this was Secret of Evermore, but I think the Ultimas did it first. Ultima 8 took it to a completely different level, with separate casting systems for each discipline of magic.

Heavy interaction between weapon skill, the stat, and weapon function in gameplay. Secret of Evermore was my first experience with this.

[Tweed]

Darklands was the first RPG to feature RtwP...it made the combat terrible and slow.