What is an RPG?

Yesterday I asked was Zelda an RPG with varying arguments it could go either way. So maybe the better question would be what is an RPG?

Not this one!!

Standard definition is a role playing game a game in which your play your self.... but that is literally every game you can think of. Ok some say it is a game with character development through levelling and experience again that is so many games including all Call of dutys, battlefields and well that sod almost any first person shooter that has an online component. So when it comes to table top such as Dungeons and dragons it isn't clearly defined as one might think you do take the role of your character but alot of what you do isn't chosen by you but on chance of a die roll. I want to open this door you rolled a one so nope not going to happen yeah you would chose that. So I was thinking maybe it's the world you take part in not fantasy or sci fi but what you are able to do in that world. Ok first it has to be an open world no linear corridors telling you where to go. But it has to be truly open no locked doors or people you are unable to talk to even to some extent kill if you so chose. 

Like these

Because these are thing you can chose to do in the game if you so wish a choice made by you not a dice roll or random encounter. So this automatically throws out the GTA games which the original definition kept in. You have to be able to name your character as your name (or farty mc fart fart if you wish). So this throws out Call of duty and first person shooters in general. Now the enemies have to be defeated by skill and experience so the less you have played the game the easier the enemies are to defeat the more you have played the harder the enemies so actually throws out many games like the arkham series because the enemies aren't based on this mechanic. So we have a truly open world, character named whatever you want, enemies difficulty due to the amount you played. Unlike most game genres which are easy to define RPGs aren't so easy as it covers so many plays styles from first person to Strategy.