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So... Just recently found myself contemplating hundreds of hours of free time, and really nothing to do with them. With that in mind, I decided to turn to you, dedicated GBers, for help. Like the title says, hit me with your best suggestions for the best use of my free time. I'm willing to try anything, really, even an MMO, so far as it is reasonably solo-friendly and in a fairly interesting setting.
There's only one condition: I want to play an interesting science fiction RPG. Since there are apparently very, very few games that match that description, I'm even willing to allow a degree of wiggle room in the definition of sci-fi. Arcanum would fit, for example, even though it's not sci-fi by a longshot. But I'm kind of desperate here, and nobody is going to make 'Foundation: the RPG' just because I'm bored out of my skull.
For better reference, here's a list of the games of the genre and similar, I have already played to exhaustion, along with my impressions of them:
Both Fallouts. 1 and 2. Loved them, LOVED every second of them. However, those seconds have tallied up a rather respectable sum over the years, and I find myself in need of something a little different. Which brings us to:
Fallout 3. Loathed it. Like... Couldn't really get past Megaton. It just was so friggin' boring. I liked, I dunno, maybe one ghoul. One. Amata, the father, the overseer, everyone and its mother, all boring beyond hope. Still, I pushed further, only to find that, even though the wasteland seems huge, and kind of pretty to look at, in it's decayed sort of way, there's preciously few things I'm interesting in doing. So, no.
Arcanum. Loved it, too. Not really science fiction, I know, I know, but come on! Dwarfs with guns! They sold me on that alone. Pretty great story to boot, so it's kind of a favourite of mine.
Deus Ex. Great game, too. I love creeping up on people, all casual like, and bashing their skulls in. That's the way peacelovin' police securitykeeper do it, haven't you heard? Enjoyed the storyline a great deal. Say what you will about a mash-up of conspiracy theories, but they make for plenty good entertainment.
Mass Effect. Boring. I don't know why people like this game so much. Yes, there's lots of promise early on for political play and a intriguing storyline. But they never really deliver on that. It was fine on the ship, but Eden Prime was unconfortably shootery. Which would be fine, where it not for the fact that I like my shooters veering on the Deus Ex, Thief or even Splinter Cell side of things. Then, the citadel happened and I was amazed. Then, Udina happened. Then, the council happened. And the trial. And so much bull**** that I had to quit. They just don't have the writing chops, I guess. No cookie for them.
KoTOR. To proof than I'm no Bioware hater, I actually loved KoTOR 1 & 2. Yes, even though the second doesn't have an ending. Played them multiple times, and they are one of the reasons why I think that someone who says 'it's developers aiming for console releases that are ruining RPG's' is talking out of their ass.
Tried Geneforge 3, I think, which again, is strechting the genre label a great deal. Didn't like it. The GUI was horrible, having to open the inventory every step to insure I don't miss anything? A hoarder's worst nightmare! Thanks, but no thanks.
I'm currently playing Rift and fairly enjoying it in small doses. Defiant side. I know it's not sci-fi either, but since I mentioned Arcanum, I thought I might as well mention Rift.
I played City of Heroes too, and Champions Online, but found they were not really my cup of tea, comic book lover or not.
Now, for some games that I played, regardless of genre. Maybe it will help communicate my tastes further.
Planescape Torment. Loved it, of course. Where people idolize Minsc and his hamstery brand of crazyness, I'll always have a soft spot for Morte, my wisecracking flying skull... Of love.
Baldur's Gate I and II. Ok. I know this makes me an outcast, but... Didn't really like them. It's not that they are horrible, or anything. They just... Didn't click with me. Maybe it's because I didn't like the characters, maybe it's because I had been spoiled by Ps:T, but... Yeah, I don't like Baldur's Gate. Woe is me.
Neverwinter nights. Well. Sorta liked it. Good for a spin, but nothing great, really. The second one wasn't very good, either. I've heard good things about Mask of the Betrayer, but I never dared play it after finishing the original campaign. Maybe I'll give it a try now, but it won't really scratch my particular itch.
Morrowind Ah, Morrowind. I loved Morrowind. I still love Morrowind. I must have spent in the isle of Vvanderfel as much time as I spent in Sigil or the outskirst of the NCR. And that's no small feat. Very nice game. Liked it quite a lot
Oblivion. Let's just forget about this one, shall we?
Dragon Age: Origins. Well, it was quite good, then boring, then good again. My thinking went along the lines of 'kill, kill, kill, man, Alistair is cool. Kinda reminds me of Morte in some ways. Always a good vibe to get from a character. And Sten is growing on me. I can't believe it. Leliana... Well, Leliana is fairly inoffensive. Not like Morrigan, who won't ever shut up. Listen to her bitch, bitch, bitch, bitch. Hey, Alistair did something silly. Joy and jubilations!' Seriously, with Morrigan, is it ever not 'I'm Morrigan. Listen to me bitch, bitch, bitch, bitch'? I likes me some Claudia Black as much as the next one, but Aeryn Sun in full bitch mode was more likeable and relatable than this. Again, didn't like the writing. It's kind of a tradition with me, I guess.
Alpha Protocol. Really enjoyed it, seriously. It was very, very, very good. Dunno why it was trashed to the ground. I much preferred it to certain other recents attempts at RPG developing gone wrong. *cough, cough* Mass Effect *cough, cough*
Bioshock... Eh, not really that interesting, was it? Besides, I ****ing LOATHE Ayn Rand, so, that may be a problem.
I've tried some older RPG's, like Betrayal at Krondor, but got tired of the aesthetics quite fast. It's not that they are bad games, and I'm no graphics buff, but... I couldn't bring myself to play them any longer. Fallout is the most outdated I can take, I guess.
Aaaaaaand, I think that's it. I've played many more games, but that should give you an idea of what I'm looking for. Thanks for reading! And suggestions, of course, will be very welcome.

X-Com comes to mind as a good old scifi game. I will point out, however, there isn't much in character development (which is a major feature of the gams you listed). Other than that - I've been playing Deux Ex Human Revolution and found myself quite enjoying that lately.

X-Com it's a great series of games in its own right, very true. Not really RPG's, more tactical strategy titles, but that's not really a problem. The real problem is I've already played all of them, and, even though they are fun and very enjoyable, and worth every cent, I don't really want to replay them.
Now, Deus Ex Human Revolution sounds great. Problem is I don't want to spend 50€ to find out it runs like **** on my rig. It's kind of dated now, you see, and I'm not in a position to upgrade it any time soon.
Still, thanks a lot for the suggestions. I might even risk burning on the DX:HR thing, just because it sounds so bloody tempting. I'll cross my fingers, I guess. Thanks!

I just looked at my list in respect to your own - came up with squat that really gets what you are looking for.

If you haven't played them I'd recommend:

Thief I & Thief II - played in the dark with a gaming pad like the Belkin n52te. It's more victorian'esq/steam-punk, but does make use of a modest range of technology - particularly II. It's *heavy* on role-playing, but nearly non-existent with character "leveling". Perhaps my favorite games. ..the 3rd one sucked.

Wizardry 8 is a pretty hardcore *classic* rpg, an excellent game - IF you know how to play it properly. It also has some classes and character's I'd not describe as "magical". It also starts with crash-landing a space craft, if that helps. Considering your love of Morrowind this game might be interesting to you - LOT's of territory to explore.

..and finally I'd recommend Jade Empire (PC version) if you haven't played it already.

Still, if it were me I'd spend my nights playing Thief I and then progressing on to Thief II.

Sci-Fi ones are a little thin on the ground...

Anachronox if you can find it might be worth looking into (graphically similar to Deus Ex)

Septerra Core is not that bad (get it from GOG) has a slight tactical edge to it but doesn't go too jRPGy

If you have the paitience to search through the vault, there are some Sci-fi Mods for NWN and NWN2 that are pretty good.

I'll second Darth's comment and suggest you try out Septerra Core.

Also, not sure if you would qualify it as a sci fi RPG but The Last Remnant is not too bad either. But it does lean more towards jRPG then western RPG.

First, I'm going to recommend a really old school (1986) sci-fi RPG, and one of my favourite games of all time, Starflight. You can read about it at www.starflt.com . Note that the screenshots on that page are from the Genesis port, the PC version is CGA/ EGA.

Second, have you looked at the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. games at all? They are RPG light, basically FPS games with character customisation, but they do an amazingly good job of making you feel like you are there. And since "there" is an alternate reality future Chernobyl where two reactor meltdowns led to an instability in local space, "there" is not a good place to be.

I'm sure that there's other games on my harddrive worth mentioning, unfortunately I'm not at home. If you still have free time next week I'll see if I can find more suggestions for you.

I second Septerra Core and Anachronox. Also, Final Fantasy has some episodes which are fairly SF/steampunky. Especially VI (probably one of the best games ever) and VII.
Both Vampire games are very good as well.
Dawn of War II (and the addon Chaos Rising) plays very similar to an Action RPG, and has a decent storyline.
Jagged Alliance II is certainly worth it. It's also at GoG, I think.

Ok, that's a lot of suggestions. Let's go through the list.
Both Thiefs. Sounds terribly enticing, I'll admit. I'm a sucker for steampunk. However, with my rotten luck, I only have Thief III, and it's the only one they have on Steam. I've seen they have copies at Gamersgate, but, I'm kind of reticent on subscribing to another DD service, bar GOG. Is Gamersgate a trustworthy stablishment? Is the thieving goodness worth the adding GG to my roster of DD services? This I wonder. Opinions welcome.
Anachronox. No, let me rephrase, friggin' ANACHRONOX. I liked this game a lot. The plot was brilliant, and yes, funny. Something that game developers have serious trouble pulling off these days, it seems. I don't know why I didn't include it in my list. Maybe because I'm still waiting for a sequel to complete the story. I almost cried when the game ended. I craved more Boots, Stiletto, Fatima, Mr. Strella... Well, you get my meaning. Great. Very great. But, played. To exhaustion, too. Not quite as much as Fallout, but it's not quite as huge. God, do I wish it was.
Septerra Core I have bought, played, grown bored and uninstalled. Didn't impress me much, really. It feels kind of... Grindy. Kill a hundred of these thingies so you are powerful enough to kill these thugs who don't have the best of intentions towards you. Eh, not really my thing. I'm also not a fan of jRPG's, no matter how western produced they are. Although I DID like, nay, love Anachronox. Second chance? Perhaps, perhaps, but only if I run out of other options.
Wizardry 8 I played and liked. But then an unexpected problem happened, I had to switch computers and I lost the game disc. Can't really find a legitimate means to own it again.It's not on GOG. Pity. Any suggestions?
Jade Empire, well, I'm intrigued by the suggestion. I was given to understand it can't really be considered science fiction, even with the ample parameters provided, but, as mask of the betrayer, might help a bit as a sort of substitute drug. Plus, it's on Steam, so no problem getting hold of it.
The last remnant I tried for the Xbox. however, I don't like gaming on the Xbox that much, so it might not be the game's fault that it didn't get a lot of play. Maybe I should get it for the PC. It's also on steam. Is it worth the price for a game I already have? Again, opinions and reviews welcome.
Starflight. Starflight looks like it might suffer Betrayal at Krondor syndrome. I'd love to play that, just... I probably wouldn't do it for a long time. Shameful, really. Still! Worth a try.
S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Uhmmm, dunno, it felt kinda clunky to me when I first played it. On the plus side, I already have it. Perhaps I should revisit it. Maybe a second time will be the charm.
Final Fantasy Yeah, I should have stated this at the beginning. No Final Fantasy. I don't like those games at all. I mean, I'm sure they are great and all, but... They are not my type. They don't click with me. In other words, it's not them, it's me, but I'm breaking up with them anyway. Sorry.
Vampire: the masquerade Aaah, that's where it's at. Specially the second. The first one was entertaining, but the second one... Oh, the second one. Bloodlines remains one of the most entertaining games I've ever played. I've gone through it as Toreador, Ventrue, Malkavian, Tremere, and finally, Nosferatu. Bloody good times, yes sir. Not really very replayable at this point, though. Great suggestion, though, even if not very science-fictiony.
Warhammer 40000: Dawn of War II. And expansions. It plays like an RPG? You sure? Because now I just have to get it. I still have fond memories of playing Spellforce. I'm liking this one so far, but I've yet to test the waters.
Lemmus, and anyone else really, I'm very interested in further suggestions. The more the merrier, as it is said. Also, any opinions on New Vegas? is it worth getting even if I didn't like the previous effort one friggin' bit? I mean, it's obsidian right there. I respect the guys. They can write good stories. But I'm king of weary now. Discuss.
Again, thanks everyone, and good luck

I'd add Crono Trigger, but if Final Fantasy isn't your cup of tea, it won't do any good.
DoWII plays very much as an action RPG, yes. Spellforce is an apt comparison, although there is less resource management. (i.e. none) You play with small squads, they level, you distribute points, which unlocks abilities, and you collect gear. There's plenty of dialogue between the squadleaders, and the story isn't bad. Nothing stellar, though, but passable. If you could grab these at a reduced price, certainly worth it.

Myrr Disparo wrote:The last remnant I tried for the Xbox. however, I don't like gaming on the Xbox that much, so it might not be the game's fault that it didn't get a lot of play. Maybe I should get it for the PC. It's also on steam. Is it worth the price for a game I already have? Again, opinions and reviews welcome.

This is probably one of those few ports that was better on PC then on consoles. At least from what I read. I played it on the PC. I would not call it a must have RPG, but it is interesting. The one thing I don't like about it, is that as you progress and your squad members gain new attacks you can't really choose which attacks to use. You'll just get a pick of 3 or 4 randomly picked attacks to choose from each turn, but you have have no way to say which 3 or 4 will be choosen. Although, it does add a bit of excitement factor to the game's battles. Love to see it when my squads are almost dead, and all of a sudden one of the main heroes pulls out his super attack to squash all the enemies dead.

Having said that, it's not a game I would replay. It's one of those games that's good for a one go around and that's it.

Maybe wait for it to go on a Steam sale and pick it up when it's like $5. Also, I just noticed that Steam has a Demo available. So might want to check it out and see if it's enjoyable to you.

One other potential suggestion would be the Privateer and/or Freelancer games. There is no real player development but there is ship customization. I rather enjoyed those games in my youth and break them out every once in a while.

Another series (not computer, but would work if you have an old playstation 2 around somewhere) would be the Xenosaga series. Never finished it myself, but I found it fairly enjoyable. Xenogears (a very good old game) would also work as well with the playstation

Myrr Disparo wrote:Ok, that's a lot of suggestions. Let's go through the list.
Both Thiefs. Sounds terribly enticing, I'll admit. I'm a sucker for steampunk. However, with my rotten luck, I only have Thief III, and it's the only one they have on Steam. I've seen they have copies at Gamersgate, but, I'm kind of reticent on subscribing to another DD service, bar GOG. Is Gamersgate a trustworthy stablishment? Is the thieving goodness worth the adding GG to my roster of DD services? This I wonder. Opinions welcome.


Wizardry 8 I played and liked. But then an unexpected problem happened, I had to switch computers and I lost the game disc. Can't really find a legitimate means to own it again.It's not on GOG. Pity. Any suggestions?

Jade Empire, well, I'm intrigued by the suggestion. I was given to understand it can't really be considered science fiction, even with the ample parameters provided, but, as mask of the betrayer, might help a bit as a sort of substitute drug. Plus, it's on Steam, so no problem getting hold of it.

Interesting, you seem to prefer online download and activation (like steam).. I'm exactly the opposite. If it's a major title and not on disc, then I don't touch it. Of course however loosing a disc is a problem. Though older titles often aren't very costly; case in point:

Anyway for Thief do a search on THIEF - THE COMPLETE COLLECTION, which provides I & II and should come with the instructions/update needed for playing I & II on more recent windows OS's and hardware (..there are also web instructions on getting it to work). Cost $13 US (plus shipping) for all 3 (though redundant for the 3rd game).

Now Wizardy 8 on the other hand is *scarce*, I've got no good solution for you there.

As for Jade Empire, it's not at all sci-fi - but it is a pretty good game with RPG qualities (both in decision/effects and it's leveling system), and can be played well with a typical "game-pad" (like x-box, not like the Belkin I mentioned previously) - and that does improve gameplay significantly in that it also has some actual action to it beyond point and click. It doesn't hurt that it's also very pretty.

On a largely unrelated sidenote, I'm glad to see someone else saw the great game Alpha Protocol was, despite all the hate it attracts, apparently.
Also on a sidenote: Deus Ex: HR is really good, but I guess you do need a powerful rig.
Borderlands is also an action RPG, in an SF setting, but very hard on the action part.

GawainBS wrote: Also on a sidenote: Deus Ex: HR is really good, but I guess you do need a powerful rig.

My next build will be focused on this game with stereoscopic 3D. Zeiss needs to hurry up and release its next gen. Cinemizer.

Might & Magic 3 thru 7 have sci-fi elements in them(usually towards the late part of the game), but that might be stretching your requirements. A steampunk title that I played and thought was ok was Silverfall with the Earth Awakening expansion(although most here did not like the game much).

Myrr Disparo wrote: Warhammer 40000: Dawn of War II. And expansions. It plays like an RPG? You sure? Because now I just have to get it. I still have fond memories of playing Spellforce. I'm liking this one so far, but I've yet to test the waters.
Lemmus, and anyone else really, I'm very interested in further suggestions. The more the merrier, as it is said. Also, any opinions on New Vegas? is it worth getting even if I didn't like the previous effort one friggin' bit? I mean, it's obsidian right there. I respect the guys. They can write good stories. But I'm king of weary now. Discuss.
Again, thanks everyone, and good luck

I've never played Spellforce so I can't compare but Dawn of War 2 plays like an action RPG meets Warcraft 3 minus the basebuilding.

New Vegas is good if you liked the original Fallouts. New Vegas also has most of the plot from Van Buren as a bonus.

By the way. I just recently picked up a game called Starpoint Gemini. It's a hybrid simulator/RPG so you might want to check it out. I haven't gotten far into the game yet, but from the reviews I've read, it's very much love it or hate it game. I like it so far...

Whiteblade999 wrote:I've never played Spellforce so I can't compare but Dawn of War 2 plays like an action RPG meets Warcraft 3 minus the basebuilding.

New Vegas is good if you liked the original Fallouts. New Vegas also has most of the plot from Van Buren as a bonus.

Spellforce is a very good game, but except for the "leveling" element of your character, it has little actual role-playing to it. It also has nothing to do with SciFi.

Disciples II is also a favorite of mine, but again - no real role-playing to it, nor any SciFi.

Both are tactical games, one real-time and the other turn-based. Frankly I like them equally.

Well, sorry for not having returned sooner. I should have contributed, seeing as how it is I who sparked the conversation Anyway, thanks everybody.
Ok, let's go through your suggestions.
Privateer/Freelancer. Well, I haven't player privateer, but some time ago I got a really cheap copy of Freelancer. Up until now, it's been a permanent install, meaning it's always on my hard drive, just so I can get in and get out for a couple hours. Always nice. It's not a game I'll play for hours on end once I finished the storyline. Which took me like, a week. I loved it, even though, yeah, it's not really very strong, but it has it's charm, at least up until the last third... Where, yeah... No longer a mistery. Not so much fun. Also, the pirates being 'spanish'? Priceless. So, good suggestion. I'm beginning to wonder if perhaps I've played too many games. Was mom right all along? Has my gluttony finally caught up with me? Food for thought!
Xenosaga. Well, I was a N64 player back then, so... No Playstation RPG's for me. Don't worry, though, the few that I got to play... Not really my kind, lauded as they are.
About the digital download thing... Well, it's not that I prefer digital download. I'd much rather have the disc in my hand. However, distribution is not exactly fantastic where I live, and I really don't trust the local postal service with my purchases. So, seeing as how I do trust my internet connection for the time being... Digital Download just seems like a godsend. I'm even willing to put up with its DRM for it. It's not like it's much stricter that the things that they sell you in boxes these days anyway.
Oh, and also, for the record? GOG rules.
By the way, I'm still on the fence about Gamersgate. On the one hand, well, Thief games. Nice. On the other, I don't know anything about them. I've figured right now Valve is too huge to fall. At least for the time being. And, even though I hope they stay in business, it doesn't really matter whether GOG does or not for the availability of my purchases. Gamersgate, however... yeah, no idea.
Postal service being what it is in my country, I'm sorry, but I don't think I can use your suggestion, Scottg. Thanks anyway!
I've been playing Jade Empire, by the way. Really nice game. Not exactly what I wanted, but, nice nonetheless.
Oh, and Gawain, because it bears repeating, Alpha Protocol was friggin' great. And I don't understand why everyone thought it was a bad game, was it very buggy at launch? I got it fairly recently, so it was a smooth experience all the way.
Borderlands I tried, but I'm not much a social gamer. On account of my friends not being gamers. Not a single one. And playing Borderlands alone feels... Well, HARD. Like impossibly hard. The intro had loads of style, though.
Deus Ex: Human Revolution I'm almost convinced I should buy, just because the game looks awesome and I want people designing awesome games to stay in business. On the other hand, I want to be able to play said awesome games if I own them. I wish there was a demo or something like that. I have an Intel Core2 Quad CPU at 2,40 Ghz, 4 Gigs of RAM and a Radeon HD 6670 video card, would that be anywhere near the requisites to play it reasonably smoothly and not looking like ass?
Aaah. Might and Magic. Great suggestion. I finished Mandate of Heaven some time ago and loved it. And I can see what you mean but the sci-fi approach, but, really, it's kind of an excuse more than an actual part of the plot. Still, very nice
So, Fallout: New Vegas is good if you liked the original Fallouts? Because, as I have said, I loved them. However, I despised Fallout 3. To the point that sometimes, while playing it, I wished I was playing Oblivion. Oblivion, for crying out loud! Do you know how rotten a game has to be to make Oblivion preferable? And I don't like that enemies scale with you thing that's all the rage right now (one of the reasons why I didn't enjoy Origins as much as I should, I guess) I like my monsters waiting for me, even before I visit them. Does New Vegas have scaling? I mean, it's not a deal breaker, but still... Anyone who hated F3 can tell me if they enjoyed NV?
Yeah, Spellforce is an RPG so light it floats, but it's solid strategy, with bits of character development to keep me distracted. Me likey. So, if Warhammer 40000: Dawn of War is anything like it, it might just be the thing. Although a little more depth would be preferable, to tell the truth.
Starpoint Gemini... No idea... Sounds interesting. It is, however, also on Gamersgate. Damned thing, should I just cave in and use it already?
Disciples II I played a loooooooooong time ago. I still remember it quite vividly. You know, it was the second game with any real depth I played after discovering it was possible for a game to have any with Fallout. So, good suggestion, if off-topic. Thanks!
As always, thanks to anyone who contributed! And if something should suddenly come to mind, hey, don't hesitate to share with us... It's not like there's that many sci-fi games. I wonder why that is? I mean, yeah, fantasy is more popular, but is it really that much more? I can't be the only one who prefers Asimov to Tolkien, am I?
Also, if there's Star Trek, Star Wars, you name it, RPG's, why isn't there a Foundation RPG series. Because I'd love to play a Terminus mayor, or an Anachreontian monk, or a space merchant. Or hard boiled Earth Detective I just love Elijah Baley. Thanks! I'm here all week