Umm....ewwww can we please keep bodily functions out of this debate...please....

Regardless what you think I am not a troll, I truly do detest the Western RPG art style. And just because I think JRPGs have better stories (And only because they're a STORY-DOMINATED GENRE) doesn't mean I think they're superior to WRPGS. Again on the contrary, there are alot of superior things to WRPGS such as a more open world enviornment WHICH IS A GOOD THING!!!! I actually think if they would just fix up their art style to look more anime-like they would farrrrrr surpass JRPGs.

I'm trying to say that I'm getting tired of the pure story-driven JRPGs and I wish I could try out WRPGs but I can't because the art hurts my eyes. :/

Even though I detest FFXII, it's art style is still much MUCH better than Western RPG art. The only remotely asthetically pleasing picture in those images you linked was the top one with the long white hair.

Beyond that, yeah I prefer Van's look and I'm not afraid to admit it.

The only weakness of WRPGs are it's artstyle and that's pretty much it.

They are that is true. But they are NOT on art style. Only on gameplay (and maybe story but I still prefer linear JRPGs for a pure story experience.)

Anyways I won't touch WRPGs until they do something about their atrocious art
style/graphics.

Shame too, I really really want to play one they really do seem right up my alley.

Yes Yes I'm sure everyone here is used to seeing this age old debate but let me just put in my two cents on the topic.

THEY'RE BOTH GREAT!!

Yeah I went there....

And here's why, they each offer something different to the player. WRPGs tend to focus more on gameplay and sim like stuff similiar to Harvest Moon and the Persona series. JRPGs however tend to focus on a strong storyline and characters even if they are pretty linear.  While there is some overlap in these two RPG genres such as some JRPGS adopting a bit of the sandbox feel, for example the Persona series and Star Ocean series. Western RPG's are still vastly superior in that department, whereas JRPG's are still more superior in the story department.

With that said though I have never played any WRPGs and have refused too not because I think they suck, on the contrary they'd probably be my most favorite genre. (Fable and Mass Effect sound epic.) The reason I don't play them is....well.... the art style sucks donkey's balls. If I don't have a pretty game to look at, there's no way in hell I'm touching it even with all it's open-ended awesomeness.

In my opinion the main problem with Western RPGs is just their art-style and that's it. Western developers should learn from the Japanese artistically and make their character designs look more anime like and less realistic ugly muscly.

Call me shallow but I stand by my opinion

So then romance points have priority over friendship points huh.  Does that mean there are gay endings after all.

Okay I love Star Ocean 2, but there are a couple of things about the pairing system that baffles me.

 I'm a little confused about the whole system. So apparently while same-sex characters can end up together only their FP counts and not their RP right?? Well if that's so then how come they still have RP for each other and it can get raised?? What's the point of that?? I know for sure Claude and Ashton have an Armlock Date PA that raises RP, and all of Leon's PA's with Claude raises not just FP but RP as well. Are there two different endings for Same-sex couples, one for friendship and one for romance???? Please explain this to me.

Also can Bowman end up romantically with any of the girls if he's already married??

Anyone who has played and beaten either/and Star Ocean Second Story and Second Evolution please help me out here.

I'm personally hoping they'll use the english version over the Japanese version. The english version sounds much prettier.

Also BOA. is. epic.

End of story.