Lacrymas, you said that D:OS1 was no RPG because your interaction with other chars is not based on your char (stats, skills). In that case, up to 90% of the games we talk about (in a forum about a supposed to be RPG ) are not RPGs at all (like BG1+2).
At some point I defined RPG as stat based world interaction. I admid that I was thinking mostly about combat mechanics, though I did not say it.
Yeah, *technically* they aren't, but like I said, both approaches are valid. There was a big hoo-haa over what constitutes a "true" RPG around 10-15 years ago. It all came down to menu-driven combat though. One is Role-playing RPG (confusing, I know, that's why it's a stupid name) and the other one is Self-insertion RPG. The Fallouts, Planescape Torment, Age of Decadence, Arcanum, the KotORs and, arguably, NWN2 (it's a stretch though) are Role-playing RPGs, while D:OS, DivDiv, Baldur's Gate, DA:O etc. are self-insertion RPGs. DA:O has Persuade but it's token. VtMB, Deus Ex, System Shock 2 are action-RPGs, while the Witchers are action games with RPG elements.
That's only your very own definition, not more not less.
For me personally, RPGs are all about choices and decisions, which includes both narrative and gameplay ones. I know the tendency of many to reduce that all to combat but I don't agree at all with that. In many RPGs narrative decisions are as important or even more important than combat (with Witcher being the best example). That's also the reason why Witcher is imo more an RPG than many others on your list - and a reason why DOS fell short for many in terms of being a fully fledged out RPG.
) are not RPGs at all (like BG1+2).
