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10 Harsh Realities Of Being A Party Member

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While RPGs have plenty of exciting adventures for gamers, the role of a party member isn’t easy.

There are constant sources of entertainment that fight to secure the audience’s attention, but video games work extra hard when it comes to immersion into new worlds. Video games continue to evolve in staggering ways and each new gaming generation offers unprecedented technology and freedom. There are many eclectic genres of video games that appeal to the diverse nature of gamers, some of which have achieved a higher level of popularity than others.

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There’s typically a rich story at the center of an RPG, many of which represent sprawling narratives that can take hundreds of hours to finish properly. The characters in role-playing games fearlessly accept the call of adventure, but the life of a random RPG party member is anything but easy.

10 Party Members Are Subjected To Constant Death

Death is inevitable in most video games, and it’s impossible to avoid in an RPG. The whole RPG genre revolves around constant battling, grinding to grow stronger, and the constant need to heal and repair one’s party. Some RPGs have a rule that a game over will only occur once the main character dies, which makes the rest of the party vulnerable and prone to attacks. It’d be ridiculous to imagine some RPG party member making it all the way to the end of their quest without ever having passed away.

9 Weapons And Armor Can Be Sold Without Warning

Video Games Dragon Quest Items

A town encounter can be a soothing experience in RPGs, it often provides the opportunity to upgrade the party’s weapons, armor, and equipment. There’s no need to hold onto inferior equipment once something stronger is acquired, players will repeatedly sell off old materials for something fancy and new. It must be quite destabilizing to be a party member who constantly gets their equipment pawned off, sometimes in service of another character. It makes it harder to grow confident with a particular weapon or type of armor when they’re always in flux. 


8 Party Members Can Be Pushed Into A Random Working Class

Video Games Final Fantasy III Job Class

The ability for a player’s party to be divided into different classes is a rewarding element in RPGs. There is also the ability to choose a character’s working class, which will in turn set them on a specific path when it comes to their job and abilities. 

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Pushing random party members in new classes they’re unfamiliar with in an attempt to create a more balanced party, can be quite reckless. 


7 Party Members May Not Get Story Closure Or Be Essential To The Narrative

Video Games Chrono Trigger Party Time Travel

Some RPGs focus on a very small party that heads out on an adventure, but other titles have dozens of possible characters to choose from when it comes to the supporting party members. It’s not easy to create an original story that correlates to each of these figures. This can result in certain party members being strong and efficient, but fairly superfluous when it comes to the game’s larger narrative. There’s a level of satisfaction in aiding a victory, but it’s not easy for some party member to become an afterthought after constantly risk their lives.


6 There’s No Control Over What Techniques Party Members Learn

Video Games Breath Of Fire Fight

One of the most enjoyable aspects of any RPG experience is when a character progresses to a new level and gains the ability to learn powerful new attacks. RPGs often limit characters to a finite roster of techniques, some moves are discarded in exchange for others. These decisions aren’t automatic, so the respective party member is forced to follow the leader’s plan. They learn or forget whatever techniques that they deem important. This would be pure chaos and leave the party member feeling like they have no agency.


5 Party Members Can Be Used Purely As Support For Others

Video Games Super Mario RPG Peach Heals Party

A logical goal in any RPG is to put together a balanced party where each member offers something important and unique in battle. This strategy is designed to protect the lead character above all else.

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4 Party Members Might Be Abandoned For Another Character

Video Games Suikoden II Full Cast

There are certain RPGs that provide the player with a tremendous amount of options when it comes to the makeup of their party. Players aren’t always forced into a set group of characters and sometimes individuals outlive their purpose. RPGs frequently have an infrastructure that allows the leader to ditch this dead weight in favor of a more appropriate partner. Most of these party members are individuals who have given up everything to help the hero with their cause. So, abandoning these brave souls is quite callous.




3 Party Members Are Outcasts Or Come From Poor Backgrounds

Video Games Super Mario RPG Geno Attacks

An uplifting element present in many RPG stories is that the various individuals who make up the player’s party are anomalies from their respective hometowns. These party members are treated like outcasts and find a sense of purpose when they align with the hero. It’s comforting that these misfits can find meaning among each other, but it’s still a tough history for these characters to accept. The central party in an RPG are also usually on the run or actively being hunted by others, which would take a toll on anyone.


2 Party Members Can Be Completely Ignored

Video Games Final Fantasy V Party

There’s endless party management in an RPG. Stats, strategy, or their general approach can always be tweaked. The amount of freedom that many RPGs provide means that some party members can be completely ignored. Some party members can be neglected in battle and have their stats ignored, but others allow the leader to shelve party members and leave them relegated to the dialogue in cutscenes. Party members can be completely cut out of the story.


1 There’s Non-Stop Peril

Video Games Final Fantasy IX Random Encounter

RPGs are calm before disaster sets in and the heroes are forced to head out on their cataclysmic journey. Party members have tremendous responsibility which results in a life of constant turmoil. They’re in perpetual danger and subject to random attacks from the enemy. There’s honor in fighting for an important cause, but enduring endless attacks can be draining for party members. 

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