The Elder Scrolls: Skyrim is a better RPG than Dragon Age: Origins

A point about RPG's in nature/Point of Every Video Game objectionRPG:A role-playing game is a game in which players assume the roles of characters in a fictional setting. There is nothing in the definition of RPG that makes it a video game. My opponent has a false notion that all RPG's are video games or a subset of video games, as given a example of Dungeons and Dragons. There are actually three different types of RPG's, Live action role-playing is one, table top role-playing is another, and electronic media role-playing is another. But we are speaking broadly in terms of RPG's in general and therefore focusing on the only electronic media leads to the conclusion of which is a better video game but not necessarily the best RPG, and many of my opponents point are irrelevant to RPG's in general, this simply the point I was trying to make in round 2. I would like to remind my opponent of the point of role-playing games, it is to make you feel like your in a new world making new choices in order to see the outcome. As a RPG, Dragon Age implicitly and explicitly defeats Skyrim.Accusations of Grammar issuesI thought it was rather inappropriate in a debate setting to say someone's grammar is terrible as that is for the voters to decide, but if the voters are interested, they can check my profile as I am from Scotland I may not spell or say things the exact way you guys do. Sorry if this hurt my opponents feelings.My core argument and my opponents blatant assertionAccording to a 1999 survey in the United States, 6% of 12- to 35-year-olds have played role-playing games. Of those who play regularly, two thirds play D&D. (Dancey; Adventure Game Industry Market Research Summary), Products branded Dungeons & Dragons made up over fifty percent of the RPG products sold in 2005. (Hite; State of the Industry 2005). These statistics show that Dungeons and Dragons are the most popular RPG ever. It is the inspiration for all RPG-type games. Even if my opponent were correct, it would refute his own case! For example my opponents says:"More options appeals to a wider range of people and therefore makes for a superior game. " More options=More ChoicesSo while my opponent writes off my argument as being irrelevant when his case supports mine. The fact is that a key aspect of role-playing is choice without choice you cannot consider it a role-playing game. Furthermore, at the beginning of the paragraph I said aside from fantasy. My opponent either didn't read my paragraph or simply assumed that since I said aside from Fantasy I meant only Fantasy favours Dragon Age. She concedes basically."The world in Skyrim is so vast that not having the option to fast-travel would be absurd"Just a point on this Daggerfall had no fast travel and it was 188,030 square miles while Skyrim is only 14.3 square miles. Almost Never and all randomI am sorry I should have flat out said never not almost never to be modest. I retract the almost. But I would like to show what my opponents logic entails, "and in any game (with the exception of Pokémon,) even one pointless random battle is too much." that entails Skyrim by comparison has thousands upon thousands of pointless battles, there is no particular reason to have a mine that can be explored and everyone in it killed near Riverwood. Furthermore, there is no reason to include ice trolls up the way to High Hrothgar, in fact it seems more than just counter intuitive, when you first get to the mountain for that you can offer to take up the food for them, why would the older man be able to fight a Ice Troll, that more than just being pointless makes absolutely no sense. There were pilgrims that obviously would have been killed by such a creature. My opponents argument here is completely irrelevant because it is illustrated clearly in Skyrim that there are pointless random battles, and I still contend that no battle is random and pointless in Dragon Age.College of WinterholdMy opponent mentions that persuasion option, but in order to get 35 persuasion you have to actively work for it(I just tried it to make sure) and my reference comes from experience and The Elder Scrolls: Skyrim Official Game guide. Furthermore at level one their is no possible way to join, you would need many, many items or have worked on your persuasion so extensively you would have leveled up. Objection stands.MANY CREATURES?What is a Falmer? A vicious snow elf that has been underground for so long that it is blind. Not exactly unique or interesting. What about Dreugar? I don't think its a leap to say they are based on conception of the undead. Chaurus' are simply big bugs similar to frostbite spiders are to spiders. Now my opponent may say well there are still some made-up or non-familiar creatures, which is true but the vast majority are not. Graphics have been the weakness of Skyrim not its strength. Not my opponent makes the outlandish claim that Dragon Age has a one hit wonder of enemies. Dragon Age has a multitude of unique and chilling monsters much more so than the humanoid-like Dreugar. Simply comparing the Dreugar and Darkspawn, which are respectively the most fought monsters in each game, they both have monsters that do different things but Darkspawn features include Race,Class, Status, and Type. The variety of the primary of enemy of Dragon Age vs Skyrim immensely favours Dragon Age, with regards to my opponents point about one hit wonder, here is a brief list of different Darkspawn alone: Genlock, Hurlock, Genlock emissary, Hurlock emissary, Genlock Alpha, Hurlock Alpha, Genlock Rogue, Shriek, possibly Shriek emissary, Ogres, Ogre Alpha, Hurlock Vanguard, etc. There are also many more creatures that are not Darkspawn(Demons, Abominations, Blood Mages,etc) so the fact my opponent says they are a one hit wonder is false and misleading.Fantasy in RPG's My opponent is right to a certain extent here, fantasy is not a essential characteristic of RPG's BUT Skyrim and Dragon Age are both based in Fantasy worlds and furthermore both are appealing to a audience that enjoys worlds that are based on not real but theoretical worlds. So if this was a debate about two RPG's in a post-apocalyptic world then my opponents assertion would be true however since we are talking about Fantasy worlds, and since both games are fantasy-based I think it is relevant to say that fantasy plays a key role in both games, furthermore the one with the most unique fantasy should get a edge in which is the best RPG.Skyrim's Linearity vs Dragon AgeMy opponent has not responded to the defense of Dragon Age on the basis of it not being linear since my opponent has dropped that point I will take it as a concession. Now my opponent does attempt to make a small defense of Skyrim in that she admits in order to do the main point of the game and fulfills part of your role you must complete two quests, my opponent has made a serious error after this. She says that you never have to worry about the main quest again, WRONG, if you are intent on obtaining words of power you need to at least do up to meeting Delphine. Why? Because you will not get the most useful shouts in the games which is definitely a aim of someone who is trying to be a Dragonborn type of character. In order to play the game one must complete the main quest because to do otherwise seems trivial given the role the game forces on you. My opponent may say that Dragon Age does the same thing, but this is false because the Warden always has something else he can do. What I mean by that is the Warden can always have a agenda that makes the main quest more fun and helpful.(I.E. Nature of the Beast/Dalish Elf). The main quest seems non-essential in Dragon Age while Skyrim makes it always there.ConclusionMy opponent clearly has failed to meet her burden-of-proof, I have shown extensively the weaknesses of Skyrim compared to Dragon Age and shown Dragon Age is better as a RPG. Vote Con.Oghren: I'm not bloody two feet tall, you swishy nug-licker!