Looking for an RPG

[Peasant Phill]

I'm looking for a good RPG that can run on a somewhat older system.

Great gameplay is what I look for the most. This means a good single player campaign, plenty of choices to make, ...

The setting and graphics aren't as important but they will of course somewhat influence my choice.

Are there any you guys would recommend?

[econ21]

What have RPGs have you already played? And what are your computer specs?

Baldurs Gate 1 & 2 and Fallout 1 & 2. still arguably represent the pinnacle of CRPG development. They should run on any computer and indeed, the older the better. There are literally 100s of hours of gaming in those four titles. Play them in order for best effect.

Deus Ex is an excellent RPG-shooter hybrid. System Shock 2 is even better, but hard to find legally.

A little more demanding in specs are Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic 1 & 2. They are superb cinematic single player games.

But any RPG fan will presumably have played all the above.

If your computer can handle Half-life 2, I strongly recommend Vampire Bloodlines.

[Fragony]

HI, MY NAME IS FRAGONY AND I'M AN ALCOHOLIC. Choices, only a few rpg have them, and even the ones that do really don't in fact, just an extra layer of paint. KOTOR games come close, more Starwars then Starwars, and great but simple gameplay. Baldurs Gate 2 sounds like your best bet, it's a beauty(despite looking dated even on release, it's in the artwork), and it's a legendary game for a reason. Maybe you should try Fable, overhyped and overall disapointing but it goes down pretty easily and it's shortcommings don't offend too much. No real depth, but being a very good or very bad hero is made fun because NPC behaviour, and the game has a great sense of humor.

[TinCow]

I'll state again (I think for the 47th time in this forum) that I think playing the Baldur's Gate series (1 & 2, with both expansion packs) right through with one character is the best gaming experience I have ever had.

Of course, no 'old RPG' discussion would be complete without mentioning Planescape: Torment.

[Out]

Thought I'd throw Neverwinter Nights out there - it isn't on the same level as some of the other games here, but it's legendary because of its modding community.

There's more content for that game out than I know what to do with, and the initial Campaigns that come with the game and its two expansions are long enough to be enjoyable, even if you never download any of the user created content.

[Kekvit Irae]

Anyone discussing anything remotely related to obtaining games illegally (including abandonware), even mentioning they can supply others through said means, gets a one-way trip to BANVILLE. This is your only warning.

[Tratorix]

I would second the KOTOR and Deus Ex recommendations. I'd stay JAde Empire, but i'm not sure if your PC would be able to run it. If it could, you should definitely check it out, as it's a very enjoyable action RPG, if a little on the short side.

[Xehh II]

Baldurs Gate 1&2 and Deus Ex and the Nights of Neverwinter(not as good as BG 1&2 but still good).

[Nikpalj]

Personally, I've always found BG 1 to be quite an overhyped and boring game, specially in the later chapters - and I *do* love rpg games! And BG2 had quite an unbalanced story, it felt much like a work of a team of different writers with different ideas that were all glued together not too well... There were good parts in it - but there were many bad and some downright boring.

The only blackisle game that I've ever truly fell in love with on first sight was Icewind Dale... it was the only one of their games that consistently had a fantastic atmosphere and held my interest all throughout the game and the only one that ever truly gave me a strong feeling of reading a high quality Tolkien-esque fantasy novel!

I don't know *why* this is so, because all the characters were user created, the dialogues are nowhere near those in, say, BG 2 and the game is much shorter and much less complex... yet it definitely has that special something for me, I like that small jewel SO much! I'd even go so far as to reccommend it over the BG series to anyone, anytime!

Shoot me...


Fallout 2 and Planescape Torment were an unforgettable experience, as was KotOR 1 (all were written by the same guy, methinks)...


If you're not so much interested in stats and exp points but rather in a great atmosphere and high quality story, as I am, try playing Thief: the Dark Project and Thief 2: the Metal Age... To this day they remain the greatest pc games I've ever played, the only ones in my experience I'd dare say are a piece of true modern art.


I'm pushing through my 28th year, so I'm not exactly an action rpg fan anymore... I want a good story with well written dialogues and believable characters.

I've played through BG1 and 2 10 years ago, but never got to neverwinter nights because I've read and heard that it's a dumb action oriented game that would like to be BG when it grows up...

Well, I'd like to know are there any user created modules for NWN that would give me what I want from a rpg... a fun, intelligent and immersive experience close to what, say, KotOR games are.

[Marshal Murat]

I'm sure you could find one on the black market. I would suggest a RPG-7. Most are Soviet made.

[end pun]

I would suggest KOTOR

[econ21]

Well, I'd like to know are there any user created modules for NWN that would give me what I want from a rpg... a fun, intelligent and immersive experience close to what, say, KotOR games are.

Yes, the Shadowlords/Dreamcatcher series of mods is superb. It starts out slow, as the modder was learning his craft, but ends up with stunning technical virtuosity. (Believe it or not, the mod has the player playing Space Invaders using NWN. ) The writing, plot and dialogue are nice too, including a sweet romance.

For a shorter, more compact experience, I recommend the Crimson Tides of Tethyr. It has a nice martial feel and delivers a tragic twist that I really appreciated.

There are no doubt others - the quantity and quality of NWN1 mods is very impressive.

[Sensei Warrior]

What have RPGs have you already played? And what are your computer specs?

Baldurs Gate 1 & 2 and Fallout 1 & 2. still arguably represent the pinnacle of CRPG development. They should run on any computer and indeed, the older the better. There are literally 100s of hours of gaming in those four titles. Play them in order for best effect.

I wholeheartedly agree with this idea. Fallout 1 & 2 still, to this day, are at the very top of my Best of RPG List. Insane amounts of time vested into these 2 titles alone.

I never managed to get my hands on BG 1 but have heard very good things from reputable sources. Still haven't managed to finish BG2, but not from lack of effort, its just so long and time consuming.

[Xehh II]

What is KOTOR?

[Tratorix]

It's an abreviation for star wars: knights of the old republic. It's an excellent RPG.

[Peasant Phill]

I'm going to my local library this afternoon and I know for a fact that they have Baldur's gate 2, Ice wind Dale and I believe even Neverwinternights. I'll see what's available.

Thanks

[Geoffrey S]

It doesn't have multiple story lines and is more in the style of Japanese RPGs, but I've rarely had more fun than with Anachronox. Stunning gem and a unique game. The plot is completely bonkers, starting off almost like a Blade Runner sci-fi noir story and somehow ending up with the party trying to save the universe. Combat plays a fairly small part in the game really, but it's fun, and the rest of the game is almost like an adventure game. It's a joy wandering around beautifully stylized areas (great use of the ageing Quake 2) and it's one of the few games which has made me laugh out loud on numerous occasions. Try it, it's very cheap by now, and it lasts a long while.

[FactionHeir]

I would agree with BG1&2 as good choices and also that the later chapters don't tend to live up to expectations, however, and this might not be too well known, there are many mods out there for the BG series which add additional content to the SP campaign so that each playthrough will be quite different and more interesting.
The BGT mod even allows BG1 to be played in BG2 style/rules/graphics, which is quite nice.

As for NWN, I've played it for ages and help run the nwnwikis, but the SP campaigns are not too recommendable, except for the HotU one. There are countless modules which provide many hours of gameplay and indeed play as if they were a whole new SP campaign.

Can't really go wrong with these.

[Zenicetus]

As for NWN, I've played it for ages and help run the nwnwikis, but the SP campaigns are not too recommendable, except for the HotU one. There are countless modules which provide many hours of gameplay and indeed play as if they were a whole new SP campaign.

Can't really go wrong with these.

I agree about the official SP expansions, but aren't those needed for at least some of the user-made modules, for the included background tile sets and creatures? I seem to remember a few that worked that way, and the original tiles did get a little boring after a while (same reiteration of town streets, castle interiors, etc.). So it might be a good idea to pick up those official expansions even if you don't play them all.

[econ21]

On NWN, I actually liked the first expansion better than the second. It was nothing grand but well written and manageable. (I actually finished it, unlike the official campaign and HoTU). Deekin and the Dragon were very entertaining and paladins got lots of nice stuff.

The original campaign is pretty awful, but has its moments. The Chapter 1 finale was a blast and Charwood was as good a sidequest as any in a CRPG IMO.

But yes, nowadays, I am sure you can pick up NWN and the expansions as a well priced bundle. The extral cost over just NWN is probably marginal and the newer mods may well require the expansions.

[Xiahou]

On NWN, I actually liked the first expansion better than the second. It was nothing grand but well written and manageable. (I actually finished it, unlike the official campaign and HoTU). Deekin and the Dragon were very entertaining and paladins got lots of nice stuff.

The original campaign is pretty awful, but has its moments. The Chapter 1 finale was a blast and Charwood was as good a sidequest as any in a CRPG IMO.

Huh, I really enjoyed the OC storyline... to each their own, I guess.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

The only thing I remember being peeved about was being unable to prevent Aribeth's execution.

Anyone know if the Bioware downloadable campaigns still require a phone-home every time you load a game? I wanted to buy a few of them, but wasn't willing to put up with that.

[econ21]

Huh, I really enjoyed the OC storyline... to each their own, I guess.

I did not have a problem with the storyline; my beef was with the repetitive and ridiculously unchallenging "filler" combat that was stuffed into Chapter 1 and 2. I found the first quadrant in Chapter 1 that you clear quite well balanced, but then it was as if the other three did not scale appropriately to my level. And I remember in Chapter 2, fighting some challenge rating 2 creatures (orcs?) when my character was level 10 or some such.

Plus the dialogue and sidequests did not meet the high standards of, say, BG2 or KOTOR. (Charwood and one or two others parts excepted.)

[Zenicetus]

The problem with the Charwood side quest in NWN's original plotline is that it was brilliant, and made the rest of the writing look lame by comparison.

IIRC, that was done by a different person than the rest of the game, and it showed. It did point the way to what the users could do on their own though, so that was worthwhile. I played many user modules that were of that quality. NWN is worth trying out just for that.... the way they gave a tool kit to the users, to create their own RPG stories.

I skipped over NWN2... just too busy doing other things (both IRL and other games). Does that version have user-created modules of similar quality to the best of the NWN modules?

[FactionHeir]

Xiahou: Yes, Premium modules still need an active line.

Zenitecus: There are hardly any modules out for NWN2 yet. Those which are, are too short for my liking still.

As for the OC, it had its moments, but its not really replayable due to its linearity. The first playthrough is usually quite fun until the last act, where fighting those lizards just got tedious - same as in SoU.

[Fragony]

Anyone discussing anything remotely related to obtaining games illegally (including abandonware), even mentioning they can supply others through said means, gets a one-way trip to BANVILLE. This is your only warning.

Been allowed to do it like this before, but fine.

[The Wizard]

I'll state again (I think for the 47th time in this forum) that I think playing the Baldur's Gate series (1 & 2, with both expansion packs) right through with one character is the best gaming experience I have ever had.

Auch. Kensai-mage? I still need to try that one out.

That said, BG2 = the best game ever.

[FactionHeir]

One word: Cheese.
Kensai rogues are quite cheesy too. Not as cheesy as Kensai mages though. Did manage to get through as Kensai/rogue.

[TinCow]

Playing through the game solo with power-cheese character can be fun though (as long as you don't do it on your first run). I did a solo with an evil Orc Berserker and it was a riot. True son of Bhaal type stuff. And to be fair, if you install the Ascension mods to restore the ToB Bhaalspawn battles to their original difficulty, you'll be hard pressed to win solo, even with Kensai/Mage ubercheese.

[Kekvit Irae]

Been allowed to do it like this before, but fine.

Not on my watch.
There's a new sheriff in town, yo.

[Kekvit Irae]

Playing a mage solo is pretty cheesy too. Not as cheesy as a kensai-mage, but cheesy enough that most of the game feels too easy. Sure, you'll struggle to survive in the early parts of the game, but once you obtain the Staff of the Archmagi, it's all downhill from there. Supported by three skeletal chieftains, an elder elemental, and god knows what else I can summon, the game becomes too easy (until you start playing Throne of Bhaal, with monsters that have natural True Sight).

[FactionHeir]

If you play a pure mage solo though, you'd never get past the Magic Elementals, which are immune to attacks from the lowest summon even.
But then that's ToB.