I actually think the problems with modern Rpgs is that they started aping cinematic shooters more than them taking some pages out of Jrpgs. If something JRPGs are very different from WRPGs nowadays, and there is a lot of different types of JRPGs. Dark Souls is a technically a JRPG.
Yes, techniclally and literally, Darksoul is belong to JRPG.
it's map looks open worlded but actually linear.
and sometimes, Darksoul doesn't give enough information so players should use walkthough.
and it seems like using walkthough is kind of tradition of JRPG.
and yes, there are many kind of JRPGs.
but most of them are die out.
I haven't seen sequel of Live a Live or Romancing saga in these days..
it is too sad because they are few JRPGs that have great non-linear gameplay.
I think the big difference between WRPGs and JRPGs is that both were originally based on tabletop games that the people who made those games loved, but since Japan just doesn't have the tabletop industry and tradition that the west does, later day JRPGs were based on older JRPGs that the devs loved whereas later day WRPGs were based on tabletop experiences that the devs loved. So tabletop games aren't tied at all to specific mechanical conventions (name any "RPG mechanic" and I've probably played a Pen and Paper game without it), so the computer games inspired by them aren't necessarily either.
Although I'm not Japanese and I don't know much about them, it is not true that they don't have table top industry.
because many novel authors started their career from P&P game master.
From what I heard, simply, they didn't started from P&P while both Wizardry and Ultima started from P&P.
While Ultima was started from benchmarking P&P and used name of RPG be cause of that, they are seperated from P&P and create genre of quest RPG since Ultima 4.
but Dragon quest, which is the first JRPG, started from copying both Wizardry and Ultima 1~3.
but problem is, they didn't copied dungeon from Wizardry and Ultima 1~3 are so primitive that they don't have basis of quest which is started from Ultima 4.
so Dragon quest was born without dungeon of Wizardry or quest of Ultima but dumb downed skins of them.
that's how JRPG started: easy as pie so many non-gamers beat the game easily.
and that is the reason why JRPGs are sold well.
and for Alpha protocol, it's root is started from Deus ex.
and Deus ex was started from Thief, and Thief started from Ultima underworld..
for me, AP feel like Deus ex with stage select.
Well, that is because Final Fantasy used to have exploration as well. They weren't quite as linear. Final Fantasy V was fairly open ended with two large worlds to explore in. Final Fantasy X was the one that started the downfall I believe.
It's very confusing since FF used different numbering for Japanse version and USA version.
but yes, FF 5 and 6 has openworld part.
but that's all,open world didn't lead game to open plot or non-linear solution.
and for openworld, I heard Metal max series is great JRPG.