Computer RPGs have a bad habit of padding their content to increase the game’s playtime. They have a bit of incentive to do so, as many players measure the game’s worth in part based on the number of hours they can sink into it. Some games justify the length, but more often in my experience, the game becomes a grind. Hack-and-slash or action RPGs are particularly common examples, but even more plot-heavy RPGs like Final Fantasy VII or Mass Effect are guilty of this.
Random encounters, same-y enemies, and arbitrary objectives (Collect 30 Wolf Pelts) tend to leave me feeling burnt out (YMMV). Action RPGs try to keep things fresh by varying up the locations, periodically introducing new enemies (often location-themed), and tossing in the occasional puzzle or unique side quest. It’s a distraction (a welcome one) from the otherwise repetitive gameplay.
For StupidRPG, I’m aiming for roughly a 4-hour playtime. Even that length may be excessive; I’m not confident in my ability to keep a modern gaming audience interested in a text-based game for several hours, at least not without moving in more of a MUD direction. The exact amount of time isn’t important to me right now, however. What’s more important is the amount of unique, quality content. SRPG is more about interesting text than increasingly large numbers.
I have a lot of work to do.