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Inofficial/unauthorised summary - DAD's ingredients for a successful RPG cocktail:

interesting world full of mysteries, puzzles, quests and encounters (talk and/or fight)
combat + treasure
interesting story developing slowly
secrets, represented by powerful foes, their defeat/or encounter with them reveals the main scheme bit by bit
boss enemies should be honoured by a movie clip on defeat
romance (optional)
reward at the end - standing ovations for the heroine/hero; victorious return home, loaded with loot, honour (and a kiss?)
Kiya


Hmm... No offence, DAD, but seems obvious.
I just wonder if there are games who never had that?