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[Alpha-Bromega]

Heyo! From Fallout to Planescape i think i've experienced a good amount of the 'golden age' of RPGS or so its called. These games are phenomenal, some of the best ever in my opinion, but now... what now?

Wasteland?
Betrayal at Krondor?
Daggerfell?
Deus Ex?
Mask of the Betrayer? (can't play this on laptop yet can run New Vegas and Mass Effect... huh)

these are the only games out there that seem to live up to my 'standards', am i right in they are similar to what i've mentioned?

please convince me that there are still more hidden gems that focus on great atmosphere, quest structure, engaging characters and an engaging world. this is most important. I don't necessarily play combat focused games, which is why Icewind Dale isn't necessarily my favorite but i still like them.

i'm just unable to cope with all these fancy new RPGS and the way they are going in general. New Vegas, Demon's Souls and Mass Effect 1 are some of my favorite games this gen as i feel they are in general what i am looking for. but they are so rare!

 

[The Technomancer]

please convince me that there are still more hidden gems that focus on great atmosphere, quest structure, engaging characters and an engaging world. this is most important. I don't necessarily play combat focused games, which is why Icewind Dale isn't necessarily my favorite but i still like them.

Geneforge!
My review: http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=24339218&postcount=336

One of my favorite games of all time. It doesn't have "engaging characters" per se but its got everything else in spades.

 

[Reuenthal]

Try Vampire The Masquerade Bloodlines. Also Witcher 2, Witcher 1, Dragon Age Origins. And maybe Risen.

 

[Durante]

please convince me that there are still more hidden gems that focus on great atmosphere, quest structure, engaging characters and an engaging world. this is most important.

Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines
Alpha Protocol

 

[Tanolen]

I didn't see you mention Vampire: Bloodlines, it seems to have all those qualities that you are looking for.

 

[Orayn]

The King's Field series continues to hitchhike away from public recognition as the sad Hulk music plays.

 

[JakkuFurosu]

Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines

This. SO THIS

 

[archnemesis]

Arcanum: Of Steamworks and Magick Obscura might be another one you should give a chance if you haven't played it yet.

 

[Tucah]

Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines

Get on this right away.

 

[cartman414]

From the earlier 90s, Ultima 7 and Underworld 1 & 2. Been meaning to check those out.

 

[Walshicus]

What does the "IE" stand for in the title?

 

[Deleted member 13876]

i'm just unable to cope with all these fancy new RPGS and the way they are going in general. New Vegas, Demon's Souls and Mass Effect 1 are some of my favorite games this gen as i feel they are in general what i am looking for. but they are so rare!

Will recommend Anachronox. Not many people have played it but those that have tend to love it. Sci-fi RPG with turn-based battles that mixes story and humor incredibly well.

 

[Alpha-Bromega]

it stands for Infinity Engine

Oh yes! i've played a good deal of Arcanum and of Vampire Masquerade, both fantastic troika works that makes me regret their demise with a heavy heart.

i'm talking even older!

I've also played Alpha Protocol. some of the best writing in terms of cause and effect and an arching plot, but mechanically it was lacking

 

[Durante]

What does the "IE" stand for in the title?

Infinity Engine. Most notable for being used In Baldur's Gate 1 & 2 as well as Planescape: Torment.

 

[Van Buren]

Here are recent games that will probably not get too many recommendations otherwise -

Arcanum cannot be recommended enough if one likes games like Fallout 1. Unique setting filled with staggering amounts of choices. It can be hilariously unbalanced, but there's something special about roleplaying a necromancer who kills harmless NPCs, and taunts their spirits.

Temple of Elemental Evil and Knights of the Chalice are combat heavy games that put the Infinity Engine to shame when it comes to combat. I'm including these games here since they arguably feature the best WRPG combat in over a decade.

The Geneforge series (especially 4 and 5) feature solid writing, a unique setting and quest design with depth reminiscent of the classics. It's possible to play the entire game without engaging in combat, relying upon speech skills, stealth and lockpicking. The game also contains various factions that can be joined, and the narrative reacts to the player's choices. The only drawback is that the games look worse than Fallout 1.

On a related note, are you willing to look at games that are before the Infinity Engine's time ? If so, there are a lot more games that can be recommended.

 

[Alpha-Bromega]

On a related note, are you willing to look at games that are before the Infinity Engine's time ? If so, there are a lot more games that can be recommended.

this is exactly what i'm looking for. i'm talking about Wasteland levels of ugliness and lack of appeal.

this geneforge series is really got me interested.

 

[jesusraz]

Infinity Engine. Most notable for being used In Baldur's Gate 1 & 2 as well as Planescape: Torment.

Glad that was cleared up, because all I could think of was Inazuma Eleven! :/

 

[The Technomancer]

this is exactly what i'm looking for. i'm talking about Wasteland levels of ugliness and lack of appeal.

this geneforge series is really got me interested.

Geneforge 1 is a standalone classic I would recommend to anyone who likes RPGs. Geneforge 4 and 5 are also strong entries, like Van Buren said. 2 and 3 are...decent, and if the first game really sucks you in they might be worth a look, but on their own merits they're only "good"

 

[Alpha-Bromega]

i've also got pretty damn far in the Witcher 1, the 3rd act. but the combat and quests just ended up totally boring me. the story is great, but the game is the very definition of fetch quest and i don't like that.

'go fetch me 10 herbs'
'you need a book to get these herbs'
'you need to get me 10 hides so i can sell you this book'
'you need the special key to get to the place where you get the hides'
ad infinitum

its like the core story was just padded unnecessarily by silly nonsense

 

[bloodydrake]

From the earlier 90s, Ultima 7 and Underworld 1 & 2. Been meaning to check those out.

These!

Plus other classics check out Wizardy 8.. was the newest of the sirtech games.

If you like classic Hacknslash RPGs as well Icewind Dale series was great
Also Much maligned but wasn't that bad after the patches came out is
Pool of Radiance: Ruins of Myth Drannor..must have the speed hack that makes the turn based combat AI move 10x as fast.

 

[peakish]

I wanted to dive into rpg's older than Fallout this last winter, it went alright.

Betrayal at Krondor is still great, though the presentation takes quite some time getting used to - for me three attempts and more than an hour figuring stuff out. Once I got past that initial stage of confusion an entire land opened up with okay-ish combat, an interesting trap system and some interesting turns in the story. Give it a try. Also, read the manual.

Ultima 4 is free right now and quite fun, but again, it took some time to get into the basic control systems.

Realms of Arkania 1+2 beat me senseless.

Then my Windows installation broke and I haven't been able to advance in them. Anyway, I'll be following this thread for more tips myself.

 

[Alpha-Bromega]

I want a true sense of progression, too. like starting out completely worthless, poor, etc. and working my way up.

it's what i love about Morrowind. you are literally nothing, a vagrant, ex convict (if you don't follow the chosen one story), and have to make your own way in the land. navigating the political environment as well as the literal environment is super fun, but i've had enough of that. i want that but better haha

 

[Sir Garbageman]

Hopefully one of these will scratch the same itch:

Dragon Age Origins
Freedom Force
NWN2
Vampire Bloodlines the Masquerade
The Witcher 1 and 2
Arcanum
Temple of Elemental Evil

 

[Hasphat'sAnts]

Dragon Age: Origins and NWN2: Mask of the Betrayer come to mind.

 

[Alpha-Bromega]

Dragon Age: Origins and NWN2: Mask of the Betrayer come to mind.

was only a mild fan of DA:O and want to get into NWN2 but the game is so poorly optimized for existence that i can't do it.

i wish i could just have a novelized form of Mask of the Betrayer :lol

 

[platypotamus]

I ain't going to lie, when I open a thread like this and see so many mentions of Vampire in the first several replies, it still warms my heart. You guys are awesome.

 

[Van Buren]

i've also got pretty damn far in the Witcher 1, the 3rd act. but the combat and quests just ended up totally boring me. the story is great, but the game is the very definition of fetch quest and i don't like that.

The last two acts aren't as long as the 2nd or 3rd act, so it might be worth powering through the game to experience the clever ending. The second game thankfully replaces those fetch quests with quests that are almost entirely morally ambiguous as well.

Anyway, here are a few more random old-school picks off the top of my head -

The Realms of Arkania Trilogy - Wonderful character system which captures the feel of adventuring like no other RPG. One can fall sick if one lacks the right clothes for a journey, one sets up watches while resting, one's shoes can wear out over trekking large distances, etc. Dungeons are filled with danger and puzzles, and the character builds have a huge impact on one's fortunes.

Darklands - The best medieval sandbox game I've played, bar none. Adventurers age, which is unheard of in most CRPGs.

Dark Sun: Shattered Lands - An exotic setting which epitomizes the survival of the fittest theme. Quests with multiple solutions, non-linearity and the wonderful atmosphere make it one of my favorite WRPGs ever.

Ultima VII saga - Needs no introductions. Its wonderful NPC scheduling system make a lot of today's RPGs seem sterile in comparison.

Daggerfall - This polarizing game is also Bethesda's most ambitious game, by far. If you are a completionist WRPG player, this game will drive you nuts. Instead, choose a specific goal - like completing the main quest (which I think is the best one in a Bethesda game). The depth to its RPG mechanics make it my favorite Elder Scrolls game as well. I doubt a modern Bethesda game will come close to including a lot of the systems that were present in Daggerfall.

If one likes dungeon crawls, the Might & Magics, Wizardrys and the Ultima Underworlds are worth a look as well.

 

[cartman414]

Thinking of playing Eye of the Beholder if I get the chance. Any other Gold Box games that are musts?

 

[deim0s]

Thinking of playing Eye of the Beholder if I get the chance. Any other Gold Box games that are musts?

Azure Bonds, Pool of Radiance, Champions of Krynn, Silver Blades are notables back then.

edit: Oh yeah, Buck Rogers was fun as well.

 

[Alpha-Bromega]

I ain't going to lie, when I open a thread like this and see so many mentions of Vampire in the first several replies, it still warms my heart. You guys are awesome.

I understand that you were involved with its production? just so you know it's truly one of the very greatest i ever played and there's good reason so many recommended it to me then before i played it, and recommend it to me now!

it's got this crazy subtle surreality to it that totally just pulls you in. it's a shame this quality is so rare. If Obsidian ever were to close, the RPG as i love it truly would be gone forever


i've checked out Gene Forge; $25! it's worth this, correct? because 5.99 for Krondor seems more tempting!

Darklands - The best medieval sandbox game I've played, bar none. Adventurers age, which is unheard of in most CRPGs.

archnemesis showed me this game on another forum, and i said 'god damn!' cus it looks really good.

The Realms of Arkania Trilogy - Wonderful character system which captures the feel of adventuring like no other RPG. One can fall sick if one lacks the right clothes for a journey, one sets up watches while resting, one's shoes can wear out over trekking large distances, etc. Dungeons are filled with danger and puzzles, and the character builds have a huge impact on one's fortunes.

this sounds really really good. i love stuff like this.

 

[The Technomancer]

Van Buren you are adding to my backlog with every word you type.

I'd say Geneforge is worth it. Thirty to forty hours on your first run through probably, and another ten to thirty if you explore the game to the fullest. Even if you don't buy it now I'd keep it in your mind.

 

[Van Buren]

Thinking of playing Eye of the Beholder if I get the chance. Any other Gold Box games that are musts?

Pools of Radiance ---> Pools of Darkness covers a single story over four games, and is worth a look at the very least.

There's also the Krynn, Buck Rogers and Savage Frontier series, but the Pools of games were probably the most popular Goldbox games.

 

[Alpha-Bromega]

yeah Van Buren you're doing a good job here and living up to your avatar and name

 

[deim0s]

Some no-brainers:
Ultima VI and VII
Freedom Force

 

[Van Buren]

i've checked out Gene Forge; $25! it's worth this, correct? because 5.99 for Krondor seems more tempting!

I'd get BaK first. The Geneforge games might come down in price since its creator just recently published his first game on Steam.

Regarding BaK, it's a great story-driven CRPG. I feel Feist did a wonderful job with Betrayal at Krondor, no matter how one views his books.

 

[Deified Data]

I would always suggest TESIII: Daggerfall. Easily the largest TES game to date in scope. There's still alot of shit you can do in Daggerfall that they dropped in subsequent sequels, especially in regards to character traits and political alliances.

 

[Alpha-Bromega]

I didn't like the random map of Daggerfell
but man i should play it. i loved my Dark Elf in it, i felt like i was on an adventure

 

[Rad-]

Summoner (PC version, not the crappy console version).
Anachronox (maybe not exactly what you're looking for but it's basically a JRPG done by Deus Ex devs).

 

[Rolf NB]

Wizardry 8 motherfucker.

 

[DaBuddaDa]

Anything recent by Jeff Vogel of Spiderweb Software. Best old-school indie RPGs you'll ever find; the man has been doing it for decades now.

 

[Alpha-Bromega]

yeah the guy seems really great, an asset to the community no doubt.

thanks for the recs so far everyone! i have lots to choose from

 

[Joei]

Demon's Souls

 

[clashfan]

Lands of Lore: Throne of Chaos.

 

[marrec]

Azure Bonds, Pool of Radiance, Champions of Krynn, Silver Blades are notables back then.

edit: Oh yeah, Buck Rogers was fun as well.

That, Eye of the Beholder, and Might and Magic 1-6.

You'll be good with all that.

Might and Magic III was my personal favorite.

 

[djtiesto]

yeah Van Buren you're doing a good job here and living up to your avatar and name

Whenever I see him post, I totally think he is the foil version of myself... though I doubt he got his name from Armin, I still like to see it that way! Really awesome poster and definitely knows his shit about western RPGs.