Inquiry from an "Old Schooler"

mraskinski · Post by **mraskinski** » Mon Jan 12, 2009 2:01 pm

I am on an RPG quest. I am 38 and my all time favorite questing endeavors are the old Ultima series, we're talking awesome non-linear complexity at its finest (and on a cassette tape driven Commodore 64).

I am looking for some complex, non-linear questing and I ask you for suggestions. Below I have listed my tastes, as a guideline and I appreciate any help.

1. Ultimas 1-6 - Loved them all, addicted is a better word.
2. Morrowwind - Loved it, solved it 5 times and its starting to get old.
3. Oblivion - Liked it a lot, just didn't have that catch that Morrowind had though.
4. Diablo - Zzzzzzz way too linear.
5. Fable - So So, not very linear which is good, however, not epic at all, story was a little lame and the feel was cartoony.
6. WOW (World of Warcraft) - HATED IT, if I have another idiot preteen run up to me, with their avatar in their underwear, do the Margarina then challenge me to a fight I will puke. I was so irritated with WOW I broke the media and threw it all out (I know anger management issues).
7. Final Fantasy - If I wanted to learn how to play BlitzBall I would buy a sports game. However, it had it's positives, the Japanese can yarn an awesome story.

Is there anything out there?
Will there be another Elder Scrolls? (I am going to google this after I post)
Is there any hope?
I have everything but a PS3....

Thanks
m

dragon wench · Post by **dragon wench** » Mon Jan 12, 2009 2:05 pm

Well... if you like Elderscrolls, you might try the Gothic series.
To note though, the controls on the first two take some getting used to, and the third installment is extremely buggy and needs a wack of official and community-made patches to run.

In terms of the Elderscrolls, have you checked out the community-made mods for both ES3 and ES4? There are some excellent quests mods that have been made, well worth checking out if you haven't.

fable · Post by **fable** » Mon Jan 12, 2009 2:27 pm

Check out the Might and Magic 3-8 titles. 6-8 are in 3D, while the others employ a hybrid 2D/3D effect. All are non-linear (for the most part), with an engaging sense of humor, lots of spells, character classes, etc.

Also, check out my review of King of Dragon Pass, here. Fantastic, very atypical RPG/strategy hybrid, that really gives you a sense of being in charge in so many respects of your own tribe.

mraskinski · Post by **mraskinski** » Mon Jan 12, 2009 2:58 pm

I will Check out the Gothic series, thanks.

I am running the ES on a 360, are the mods still available?

Might and Magic, I remember this, I played M&M on an IBM 8088. I will check that out for sure.

Investigating King of Dragon Pass now.

Thanks!
m

dragon wench · Post by **dragon wench** » Mon Jan 12, 2009 4:32 pm

The only ES mods for 360 you can get are the Official ones..
By far and away the best mods (made by the player community, not Bethsoft) are produced for the PC versions.
Just for that alone, I'd strongly recommend picking up the PC GOTY editions.

Gilliatt · Post by **Gilliatt** » Mon Jan 12, 2009 4:36 pm

I am playing The Magic Candle right now and I am having much fun. (I thought Fable would have recommended it, since I got my recommendation from him.) The gameplay is original and it's not linear so far, but I am not far into it. I never played any of the Ultima or the Elder Scrolls though, so I can't compare it to them.

The Might and Magic series is one of my favourite series (topped probably only by the Baldur's Gate series), so I believe you already have a good start.

fable · Post by **fable** » Mon Jan 12, 2009 6:02 pm

Heh.

I thought about TMC series right after leaving here, and had several other things to do. Was just coming back in to recommend it.

Jimwth · Post by **Jimwth** » Tue Jan 13, 2009 1:17 am

Maybe you should try Arcanum too. There are a LOT of quests there, some are pretty simple, some are not and they're interesting at least. I'd also recommend Fallout 1-2 if you don't mind post-nuclear style.

DaveO · Post by **DaveO** » Tue Jan 13, 2009 7:27 am

No love for Planescape: Torment?

rohitnairin · Post by **rohitnairin** » Tue Jan 13, 2009 8:00 am

If you still have a ps1 you should try to get your hands on vagrant story,chrono cross and xenogears.They have great storylines

Jimwth · Post by **Jimwth** » Tue Jan 13, 2009 8:09 am

DaveO wrote:No love for Planescape: Torment?

I've just burned to my bones out of shame. I don't understand how could I forget to mention PS: T. I think it wasn't me, really. Maybe I was posessed by something?

Anyway, PS: T is a great game (the best to my thinking), I think you should give it a try.

Gilliatt · Post by **Gilliatt** » Tue Jan 13, 2009 1:49 pm

DaveO wrote:No love for Planescape: Torment?

Planescape Torment is an awesome game IMO. The reason I did not mention it is because I don't think it could qualify as "old school" (not that Oblivion could anyway).

So, mraskinski, if you are also interested in more modern RPGs that are considered "must play" games, I would also add my vote to DaveO for Planescape Torment and to Jimwth for Fallout 1/2 and Arcanum. I would also highly recommend the Baldur's Gate series, my favourite as I mentioned in an earlier post.

If you don't have enough, I still have some titles in mind, but they would be games I heared about and not games I played (The Bard's Tale, Wasteland, Darklands, etc.) Fable knows much more than I do about these older titles.

fable · Post by **fable** » Tue Jan 13, 2009 2:36 pm

Gilliatt wrote:Planescape Torment is an awesome game IMO. The reason I did not mention it is because I don't think it could qualify as "old school" (not that Oblivion could anyway).

Same, here. I think it is probably the finest CRPG ever made.

If you don't have enough, I still have some titles in mind, but they would be games I heared about and not games I played (The Bard's Tale, Wasteland, Darklands, etc.) Fable knows much more than I do about these older titles.

That's just because I'm older than dirt.

And yes, I reviewed several of these titles for publications at the time of their release.

Darklands is the one I'd recommend, first. It's party creation system has never been equaled for depth and ease, let alone surpassed. And the whole "let's recreate the medieval German states as perceived in the myth-believing minds of its inhabitants" is brilliantly implemented. The class system move from D&D to Darklands is handled flawlessly, with alchemists throwing and applying potions that achieve a limited number of magical effects, while very religious types can pray to saints for a variety of limited clerical results. The way your skills influence and are in turn influenced by the environment (skills rise with use) is better than practically anything today. Too bad the graphics are necessarily primitive, because it limits the visual differentiation of each city/town/village you visit. But as a game per se, it was way ahead of its time, with weapons and armor wear, the ability to pause and give commands to each member of your party in detail during combat or in a dungeon, etc. Fantastic title.

Abandonia has the game, I think. (It's freeware.) And there's an excellent thread with hints over there, too. Though I'll gladly answer whatever I can on it.

kmonster · Post by **kmonster** » Tue Jan 13, 2009 6:19 pm

A great game is also Fallout, it offers a lot of freedom and a high roleplaying depth.
It doesn't have the stereotype setting with orcs and dragons, but it's one of the best rpgs ever made.

Jimwth · Post by **Jimwth** » Wed Jan 14, 2009 12:30 am

There's also SW: KotOR 1-2. They're good, I enjoyed them both, there're many quests with many ways to solve them. KotOR 2 is pretty buggy, though, even with the latest patch installed.

Yes, and I'd recommend Vampire: tM - Bloodlines. Finished it my first time a few weeks ago and liked it very much.

mraskinski · Post by **mraskinski** » Wed Jan 14, 2009 1:43 pm

Wow

Hey thanks for all the input, I will start amassing these games and report back with my opinions.

Thanks again.

m

dragon wench · Post by **dragon wench** » Wed Jan 14, 2009 2:34 pm

Oh yes indeed, another thumps up for PS:T
Best RPG ever made, no contest! (well IMHO anyway

)

The reason I had not suggested it before is because when I read your introductory post I was under the impression you prefer a wide open world where you can go anywhere at any time

And if you are open to PS:T... you can't miss Baldur's Gate Two (a very close second to PS:T in terms of "best rpg" in my view)