The purpose of an RPG is not how much equipment you can get for your character, how high level you can get, etc. Hack and slash RPGs can be nice, but they too must tell a story. The story always comes before the action. A true RPG will develop a plotline and carry that plotline through to the action. A Pretender will develop the action first and then try and write a plot around it so that it can be sold as an RPG on the market.
Fantasy is a visual genre.
An RPG is a style of game, which includes a story with characters. These characters act as avatars for the player so that the player can experience the story through that character. An RPG can be based in the real world, in a science fiction world, a fantasy world, or in a historical world. The importance of plot in an RPG can not be overstated. Table top RPGs are a merging of the old tradition of sitting around a camp fire telling stories and acting.