RandomAccount
Guest
I'm not one to mince words, so I'll try to explain this thread as succinctly as possible.
For the period 1990-2004 us RPG fans had a pretty good idea of what to expect from an RPG game and the niche itself had a fair few titles which endeavored to guarantee a continuous supply of what we liked:
Might and Magic
Ultima
Wizardry
Diablo
Infinity Engine games
Neverwinter and it's mods
etc etc etc
Then came 2005. Between 2005 and 2012 all of our favorite titles had vanished (excluding a rather lackluster and odd NWN 2 - debatable etc). There was suddenly a huge void. We had no auto-go-to title that easily represented our genre. Suddenly we became critical travelers instead of title fanboys.
With the resulting mess of the initial Diablo III release (auction-house), the utter incompetence of Dragon Age II and the furor surrounding the Mass Effect III ending around 2012, it seemed like a sort of RPG cataclysm had finally come home to roost. Not only did the players no longer have a clue what was going on, it seemed like the creators themselves had completely lost the plot from so many years wandering the wilderness.
Thankfully, it seems we have now entered a whole new era and 2013/14 has not only re-established some of the old names but it's also produced some really great titles to get behind.
And I think it's now time to recognise that 2005-2012 is it's own 'era' for RPGs. But what were the defining titles of that era? Which games will you thread about in 5/10 years time lamenting the passing of for this era? Which titles will one day become the 'they don't make'em like that anymore, sadface' for the 2005-2012 era?
I would make this a poll, but I have no idea what modern RPGers define as their 'core' titles, or even if there are any core titles for this period. So, prior to a potential poll:
Please illuminate us as to the defining, standard setting RPGs, for the period 2005-2012. Which titles - for you - defined you as an RPGer and won the title of 'industry standard' for this period?
For the period 1990-2004 us RPG fans had a pretty good idea of what to expect from an RPG game and the niche itself had a fair few titles which endeavored to guarantee a continuous supply of what we liked:
Might and Magic
Ultima
Wizardry
Diablo
Infinity Engine games
Neverwinter and it's mods
etc etc etc
Then came 2005. Between 2005 and 2012 all of our favorite titles had vanished (excluding a rather lackluster and odd NWN 2 - debatable etc). There was suddenly a huge void. We had no auto-go-to title that easily represented our genre. Suddenly we became critical travelers instead of title fanboys.
With the resulting mess of the initial Diablo III release (auction-house), the utter incompetence of Dragon Age II and the furor surrounding the Mass Effect III ending around 2012, it seemed like a sort of RPG cataclysm had finally come home to roost. Not only did the players no longer have a clue what was going on, it seemed like the creators themselves had completely lost the plot from so many years wandering the wilderness.
Thankfully, it seems we have now entered a whole new era and 2013/14 has not only re-established some of the old names but it's also produced some really great titles to get behind.
And I think it's now time to recognise that 2005-2012 is it's own 'era' for RPGs. But what were the defining titles of that era? Which games will you thread about in 5/10 years time lamenting the passing of for this era? Which titles will one day become the 'they don't make'em like that anymore, sadface' for the 2005-2012 era?
I would make this a poll, but I have no idea what modern RPGers define as their 'core' titles, or even if there are any core titles for this period. So, prior to a potential poll:
Please illuminate us as to the defining, standard setting RPGs, for the period 2005-2012. Which titles - for you - defined you as an RPGer and won the title of 'industry standard' for this period?
of civilization.
