So do you feel they'd be satisfied if the definition of an RPG would be: a story-driven game with a Blank Slate protagonist you can project onto?
If that's the definition, at least it excludes The Sims. Doesn't exclude Half-Life though. lol.
Well, not quite. BG1&2 still allows for variety of player expression - defining sex, race, class, romance, dialogue choices, keep to reflect our profession of choice, a very basic alignment system. Still, those are very basic, but I will take it for 2000.
And I still categorise Mass Effect or Witcher3 as RPGs, just different RPGs with different focus (although, playing Witcher3 did feel to me like playing BG2 for the first time. I will agree with you that BG at its best was a story driven adventure with roleplaying bits in it).
No matter what’s your definition of an RPG I still believe that if as a developer you don’t plan on defining and characterising your protagonist, then recording his/her VO is not the best idea. Just let player fill the blanks, instead of filling blanks with something not very good.
