Dark_castle
Junior Member
Starting towns are the best for me. Many examples here were great.
For me, I have the fondest memory of Tristram. Absolutely love the music, the atmosphere and the characters. Rogue Encampment too was amazing.
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GAF, what is your favourite starting town in RPG's?
- Thread starter Lightning Count
- Start date
Starting towns are the best for me. Many examples here were great.
For me, I have the fondest memory of Tristram. Absolutely love the music, the atmosphere and the characters. Rogue Encampment too was amazing.
So many great examples around, I think Tazmily Village from Mother 3 is worth a mention. Ok I'm biased towards the game, but Tazmily Village is also one of the reasons I'm in love with the game. Not "just" a starting village, it's integral to the heartrending story, it doubles as a location and as a "character"
RecRoulette
Member
It better because that's my pick.
Duggie_Brown
Member
Exactly, now close this thread, no need to go on.
Kamina
Golden Boy
Base Morrowind runs on everything nowdays.
https://youtu.be/9f_CfpCnESA
There aren't many other starting areas that work to introduce you to the world as well as the Citadel in ME1.
Violence Jack
Member
I really loved the look of Fenmont in Tales of Xillia.
LegendofLex
Member
Alexandria from FFIX is one of my favorite sequences in any video game.
Rhys Wilde
Banned
Not too sure if this counts because there are a few little towns in it, but I have really fond memories of the old tutorial island from Everquest 2. I remember staying there as long as I can to complete all the collections and stuff, haha.
CopperPuppy
Member
The GOAT is Alexandria (FFIX), I think.
After that, it's Midgar (FFVII), Rabanastre (FFXII), and Colony 9 (Xenoblade), in some order that I will never settle on. Arni Village (Chrono Cross) as well, frankly.
After that, it's Midgar (FFVII), Rabanastre (FFXII), and Colony 9 (Xenoblade), in some order that I will never settle on. Arni Village (Chrono Cross) as well, frankly.
brandonh83
Banned
Kalm.
The real starting town.
The real starting town.
Nameless
Member
Maklershed
Member
Megaton!
nicoga3000
Saint Nic
GOAT
Onett from Earthbound
Theodoricos
Member
Without question or hesitation it's the Citadel from ME1 if it counts as a "starting town". Next on the list would probably be Taris from KotOR.
From JRPGs alone, I'd say Alexandria tops the opposition.
From JRPGs alone, I'd say Alexandria tops the opposition.
https://youtu.be/9f_CfpCnESA
There aren't many other starting areas that work to introduce you to the world as well as the Citadel in ME1.
This is a great answer! First time in the wards and you look outside... That view gives you a great sense of scale. And the atmosphere was brilliant as well, bustling space port, center of the galaxy stuff right there.
But there are tons of other great ones, Alexandria from FFIX, Midgar,...
This thread makes me want to replay all the games.
Lord of Ostia
Member
Wow I forgot about this place but yeah...Phenac city is great. I love pokemon colosseum, underrated game for sure.Phenac City
The music. The calming sound of the water. You don't want to leave.
And yeah, Midgar.
NipplesAndToes23
Member
Alexandria for me.
I don't think a Garden, that's a military base. The town Balamb I think is the first one in the game.
Balamb Garden - FFVIII
Not particularly special, but the music is beyond lovely and the concept is all kinds of awesome. VIII was my first RPG as well, so it gets a few extra points there. Honorable mention to Pallet Town.
I don't think a Garden, that's a military base. The town Balamb I think is the first one in the game.
Krappadizzle
Gold Member
Gonna go with Seyda Neen from Morrowind too. It looked incredible when it launched and it's exciting to wonder what is out just past the town limits. Inside had a Silt Strider, a few shops, a lighthouse. It's a great starting town.
Also Flotsam from Witcher 2 was awesome. It was packed with detail, people running for shelter when it rained, people going about daily tasks, pigs rolling in the mud, cooks cooking and tailors tailoring. It was also surrounded by a huge, gorgeous forest that was fun to get lost in.
Also Flotsam from Witcher 2 was awesome. It was packed with detail, people running for shelter when it rained, people going about daily tasks, pigs rolling in the mud, cooks cooking and tailors tailoring. It was also surrounded by a huge, gorgeous forest that was fun to get lost in.
Muffdraul
Member
Let it go. Balamb Garden had more explorable areas and was generally larger than Balamb town proper. So what it if it isn't technically a "town". It's the place where you live at the beginning of the game.
Since a couple of my favorites have already been posted (Earthbound, Chrono Cross / Trigger), I'll say Pioneer 2 from PSO!
(Still counts because you have the other city in Episode 2 of PSO... while I liked episode 2 more than I did episode 1, I didn't like the other starting city).
(Still counts because you have the other city in Episode 2 of PSO... while I liked episode 2 more than I did episode 1, I didn't like the other starting city).
Theanine3D
Member
So many memories for this place. I liked Episode 2's Pioneer 2 because there were slightly more things to do (Gallon's Shop with its minigames, for example) but I like Episode 1's for its bigger size, made it feel more like an actual metropolis. Plus the government office in Episode 1 was more iconic and memorable (I'll never forget the first time I heard this music).
psynergylover
Member
How could it be anything but Vale from Golden Sun
The way it's used to set off the story is pretty damn cool and if you count Sol Sanctum as part of it... phew.
I like you
Definitely. I don't HATE Episode 2's Pioner 2 but I like Episode 1's more (actually, for the exact reasons you had mentioned).
Time to start replaying it!
NipplesAndToes23
Member
First off honey, you don't tell me what to do. I'm just correcting the man.
I always loved Gregminster from Suikoden 1.
Especially when you return. The whole game has a really lovely narrative symmetry.
Also the theme is killer. Youtube Link
Especially when you return. The whole game has a really lovely narrative symmetry.
Also the theme is killer. Youtube Link
Same game, different city. Oh man do I miss the glory days of this game. Even though it's not the same game these days, I still go back every few months just because I miss some of the locations in the game like some people miss real places in the world. The Federation of Windurst has been my second home on and off for 12 years now.
Soundtrack just for bonus: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VnP16Ypf4l4
Edit: Damn this slippery slope. Reactivated.
Fuck Windurst!!!
It's a pain to navigate and always been the hardest to reach. Sandy masterace reporting in.
Big fan of Lahan, especially after
I was a Sandy sucker when the game came out. The starting area right outside of the city always takes me back.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cw4IHZT7guM&ab_channel=SupraDarky
you blow it up in the first two hours. Super shocking turn of events when you thought it was a place you'd come back to often and character plot threads would continue during the game. Especially with Alice. Damn...
Same game, different city. Oh man do I miss the glory days of this game. Even though it's not the same game these days, I still go back every few months just because I miss some of the locations in the game like some people miss real places in the world. The Federation of Windurst has been my second home on and off for 12 years now.
Soundtrack just for bonus: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VnP16Ypf4l4
Edit: Damn this slippery slope. Reactivated.
I was a Sandy sucker when the game came out. The starting area right outside of the city always takes me back.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cw4IHZT7guM&ab_channel=SupraDarky
Fuck you and your bagpipes! We kept ourselves isolated from the rest of the world because the rest of the world is stupid!
But oh well, at least we're not LASTok!
In all seriousness though I love all three starting cities and have tons of memories that take place in all of them.
Morrigan Stark
Arrogant Smirk
Really? Every time I start a new JRPG, I expect
the starting town to get attacked and probably burned to the ground
I guess the twist here is that
the protagonist is the one who caused most of the damage
I'm going to have to agree with this. What makes Lahan stand out is how much effort and detail that went into it. The town has a very likable population, a bunch of unique minigames, and a few secret collectables that pay off much later in the game. It even has a Chrono Trigger cameo!
I thought Palm Brinks was pretty cool in Dark Cloud 2.
Okay, you've got a point there with the Citadel.
Okay, you've got a point there with the Citadel.
poodaddy
Member
C'mon GAF,2628 posts in no one mentions Narshe?
This is me. Best FF of all time by an extremely wide margin, closely followed by Tactics and 4.
I found the citadel to be a disappointingly sterile place that failed to embody any semblence of a lived-in location.
For me it has to be Flotsam from The Witcher 2. The detail and atmosphere and the way it embodies the nature of the world it lives in. A human leader manipulating an impoverished populace with the fear of an outsider boogeyman opposite a cruelly violent extremist terrorist that would almost seem to justify those fears.
In the citadel you went from hollow yet claustrophobic zone to hollow yet claustrophobic zone, devoid of much in the way of life. The Citadel and in fact hubs across the Mass Effect series have been some of the biggest let-downs to me in those games bar-none.
For me it has to be Flotsam from The Witcher 2. The detail and atmosphere and the way it embodies the nature of the world it lives in. A human leader manipulating an impoverished populace with the fear of an outsider boogeyman opposite a cruelly violent extremist terrorist that would almost seem to justify those fears.
In the citadel you went from hollow yet claustrophobic zone to hollow yet claustrophobic zone, devoid of much in the way of life. The Citadel and in fact hubs across the Mass Effect series have been some of the biggest let-downs to me in those games bar-none.
HappyBivouac
Member
Same game, different city. Oh man do I miss the glory days of this game. Even though it's not the same game these days, I still go back every few months just because I miss some of the locations in the game like some people miss real places in the world. The Federation of Windurst has been my second home on and off for 12 years now.
Soundtrack just for bonus: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VnP16Ypf4l4
Edit: Damn this slippery slope. Reactivated.
This was my pick.
And fuck, now I'm tempted as well.
Other picks:
Alexandria from FFIX
Onett from Mother 2
Midgar from FFVII
Clock Town from Majora's Mask (not really an RPG, but thread's had a few other cheaty answers)