- We can discuss for eternities what a RPG is and what not. Here is a
link to gamasutra. Summary: An RPG is a game where the result of an action is more dependent on character stats than on player skills. By player skills I mean things like fast reaction and good aiming. The player must know game rules and something about tactics/strategy.
- The fact that Lacrymas like Beethoven and I like techno and heavy metal more tells us nothing about Beethoven. This is just our personal taste.
- Game companies are companies. Their goal is to make money. Lets assume that all Blizzard games are bad (just an example). Why should they care as long as they sell millions of copies?
- Lacrymas, your reference to peer review is useless. Science is about facts. Games are about fun. Games do not need to be true or realistic, they only need enough consistency so they do not break immersion. For example, if you have housing in a game, would you want to lock or unlock the door every time you leave or enter your house, maybe find the key first in your inventory?
There are games that do not care at all about realism or consistency but they are fun to play (Sam and Max hit the road for example. Nothing makes sense there but it was lots of fun.). But I think that D:OS2 should have a good amount of internal consistency.
- Of course one should look at the games/movies/books that already exist, analyze what was good and bad and how some of these things can be integrated (or taken out) of the games/movies/books that are developed now. That is what we are doing here all the time in case nobody noticed.
back to topic:
- good examples for stronghold:
+ NWN2: It has an important role in the game, it is well integrated in the main story, you can have lots of interactions with it, it gives you significant rewards (items, quests, easier battle to defend it)
+ Some people mentioned Divinity2, but I have not played it
- medium examples:
+ D:OS1: The main story is revealed here. But you unlock one room after the other more or less automatically and each new room is filled with one person (usually a shop). This make the place feel very empty. It would be nice if there are more people in one room and you can have interesting interactions with those chars. In the hall of echoes you could meet important people of the past or people that have killed in this game before (some of them by you). Some of them may give you a quest because they have some unfinished buisiness before they can be reborn. Or they seek vangeance because you killed them. Or it is a famous crafter who can make special items that you cannot get in any shop.
- bad examples
+ PoE: It is an obvious money sink and a boring mini game that produces random events.
Prof. Dr. Dr. Mad S. Tist 
