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RPG of the year?

Which rpg is the best this year?

  • ELEX

    Votes: 59 18.1%
  • Grimoire: Heralds of the Winged Exemplar

    Votes: 56 17.2%
  • Expeditions: Viking

    Votes: 23 7.1%
  • Divinity:Original sin 2

    Votes: 92 28.2%
  • South Park: The Fractured But Whole

    Votes: 1 0.3%
  • Spellforce 3

    Votes: 7 2.1%
  • The Surge

    Votes: 2 0.6%
  • Nier: Automata

    Votes: 20 6.1%
  • Galaxy of Pen & Paper

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Pyre

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Cat Quest

    Votes: 4 1.2%
  • Hand of Fate 2

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Battle Chasers: Nightwar

    Votes: 1 0.3%
  • Mages of Mystralia

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Regalia: Of Men And Monarchs

    Votes: 2 0.6%
  • West of Loathing

    Votes: 10 3.1%
  • Vaporum

    Votes: 1 0.3%
  • Seven: The Days Long Gone

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Demons Age

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Hyakki Castle

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • The Keep

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Willy-Nilly Knight

    Votes: 1 0.3%
  • Ticket to Earth

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Devoid of Shadows

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Children of Zodiarcs

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Fall of Light

    Votes: 1 0.3%
  • Mass Effect: Andromeda

    Votes: 4 1.2%
  • Torment: Tides of Numenera

    Votes: 15 4.6%
  • QueenComrade!!!

    Votes: 27 8.3%

  • Total voters
    326

Lacrymas

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Messages
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Pathfinder: Wrath
What does catechistic mean in this context?

As in "true". It may not translate that well in English, but when we say something is catechistic it means it's "correct", "true" or "following the right path". I know catechesis usually means a religious teaching of doctrines, but that's why it fits so well in a witty sense.
 

Pizzashoes

Scholar
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Messages
444
What does catechistic mean in this context?

As in "true". It may not translate that well in English, but when we say something is catechistic it means it's "correct", "true" or "following the right path". I know catechesis usually means a religious teaching of doctrines, but that's why it fits so well in a witty sense.
So you're saying SoD is more true to the spirit of RPGs than what? Any of the games listed in the poll? I voted for DOS:2 because its combat is fun. I would agree that the game can barely be considered an RPG.

But regardless of the RPG orthodoxy, I can't imagine thinking DOS2 is a worse game than something Beamdog created. Their stuff shouldn't even be considered mediocre.
 

Lacrymas

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Pathfinder: Wrath
So you're saying SoD is more true to the spirit of RPGs than what? Any of the games listed in the poll? I voted for DOS:2 because its combat is fun. I would agree that the game can barely be considered an RPG.

But regardless of the RPG orthodoxy, I can't imagine thinking DOS2 is a worse game than something Beamdog created. Their stuff shouldn't even be considered mediocre.

Than all of the AA RPGs that have come out recently, i.e. Obsidian, InXile, Larian etc. And obviously Bioware. D:OS2 doesn't make sense from a design perspective, just like D:OS1, making the same mistakes and contradictory design decisions all over again while hardcoding some more on the way to deja vu town. SoD doesn't have this problem because it's basically Baldur's Gate with some shittiness added on top. It features good itemization, a main story which makes sense (as a self-contained entity), some good encounter design, multiple solutions to quests and token reactivity to race/class/gender. Note I don't mention writing as a whole. Don't let mass hysteria fool you, it's worth one playthrough. Will it be remembered as a classic and played 20 years from now? No, it's very far from that, but that's not the point and most likely none of the games listed in this GOTY poll are going to be played then.
 
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aweigh

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Lacrymas

I haven't played SoD (bear with me)...

But there is literally no way it is a better game, or at least in this scenario a better candidate/recommendation, than Shadowrun: DRAGONFALL. If you truly believe SoD is better, that's fine, and I'll accept it (how gracious of me); but I'm kind of person who sees something factually untrue and I gotta try to help clarify the situation.

:) (to denote no want of instigation)
 

Lacrymas

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Messages
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Pathfinder: Wrath
Where have I said it's better than Dragonfall? I even listed the nu-Shadowruns as honorable mentions. Also, who knows, I might think it IS better than Dragonfall, you have no way of knowing that.
 
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fantadomat

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Looks like it is SMELLEX vs Grimoire vs DoS:2 for the GOTY.
tenor.gif
 

draug

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Messages
15
EDIT: BTW, for anyone curious, I am using my Arcade Stick to play Nier Automata, and it's also the same thing I used with ELEX.

I find playing these types of games to be most satisfactory when using an arcade stick with huge buttons that you can drum on; besides the fact that they're much more "accurate" both in their button execution/presses but in the joystick usage.

I'm sorry what? Is this serious? Ive never heard of anyone doing this. Could someone please enlighten me?
 

Konjad

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Strap Yourselves In Codex Year of the Donut Codex+ Now Streaming! Torment: Tides of Numenera Wasteland 2 Steve gets a Kidney but I don't even get a tag.
Haven't played any of these games except Torment, which was garbage. Therefore, the best game of 2017 I have played is the Torment, so I'll vote for it :troll:
 
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aweigh

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draug

I made a short 9 min video of me playing Nier Automata on my arcade stick. I explain how that is possible thanks to some clever (ahem) usage on my part of tools/software which allows universal cross-standard "rebinding" and "customizing".

...just for you my man, here is the secret to using real men joystick devices! ARGH!!!! UGUUGH! CONTROLLERS SUCK !!!!

Joking aside, once you go arcade stick, you will find ANY excuse / method to play EVERYTHING with them. I reveal my mystical secrets of how I use not only use tools like that program Xbox 360 CE which allows complete custimization of an X-Input type peripheral; but no, I go so much further and even reveal how nefariously I get around the supposed barrier of not having a "looking around analog stick / mouse".

Aight, it's not that amazing but I do Think i've gotta be the only one, or one among very few, who has found solutions for using sticks in most games.


EDIT: NOT MENTIONED in the video but I also use a program to bind (a simultaenous bind) to bind the RIGHT ANALOG STICK to one of the Buttons, that means when I need to use "looking around" stick (X axis), I simply press and hold down my designated BUTTON and boom, my arcade lever is now a right analog stick for those purposes.

Other than that, though, which frankly rarely is needed, in video I explain retardedly simple method of:

1) proving without shadow of a doubt modern game devs have absolutely no idea/grasp on how to utilize spatial design, specifically the complete and utter lack of up/down as part of playing a game present in almost all games (including ELEX and Nier!)

2) simply using simultaenous remaps/rebindings so that the arcade stick when pushed is doing Triple Duty: the arcade stick is simultaenously executing D-pad and left/right analog stick movements (with an important exception I mention in the video concerning the need to exclude X-Axis up/down movement, as during combat or whatever you will then find yourself looking up or down simply because you pressed foward/backwards; and this then is when I realized almost no game nowadays utilizes up/down axis for anything whatsover).

3) only genre I haven't bothered using my stick with is obviously isometric / overhead-view / god-gameplay / or god forbit some RTS... but that's not a bad thing, obviously. Why should I play something with a stick which was not designed with that shit in mind whatsoever?

4) lastly, arcade stick is de-facto 100% best way to play games on emulators, from SNES to CITRA emu to now using my stick playing PS3 games with RPCS3.

Any misgivings anyone may have about shitty toy-like game pads, which I share, are completely put to shame by a proper arcade stick.

my god the feel of the buttons as you hit them and the way that a quality made stick has excellent buttons with sizes which you can cuztomise yourself by picking out from the shop:

- larger buttons with a round shape which "bump upwards", this are American-style buttons and they are the least effective (finger friction is lessened, highger probability of execution error)

- koreans use jaw-droppingly beautiful concave buttons that are completely flat except the sides of each button are curved inwards. that shit is fucking next level, but that's not where Korean sticks shine above some others:

... korean arcade sticks utilize a "Bat-top" lever for the stick tiself , which peeps here might remember as the standard arcade stick back in the 80s in America until Japan began mass producing quality arcade sticks which use a Ball-top lever stick, i.e. a shift (of vayring length, some like the lever's shaft to be thin, some like it thick, some prefer the shaft longer so that they can use a big, splayed out "wine-glass" technique to take control of the ball-top--

--others (like myself) prefer a shorter length of the stick's shaft as it decreases chances of a momentarily sweaty finger or palm gliding on the long shaft and making you miss that crucial special move/combo/dash/tallking to an NPC in Nier, etc.

-- As for bat-tops versus Ball-tops, I haven't sadly had any experience with bat-tops simply because mail-ordering them from Korean shops (quality ones) is 2spooky4me and ball-tops are not only arguable just as good but 10x cheaper.

a) The Ball-top allows (and gave birth) to the WINE GLASS TECHNIQUE wherein you place your hand palm upwards and slide that shaft in-between your middle fingers (or between pinky finger, your choice), and use your fingers, which are now facing upwards exactly as if that shining, luscious perfectly round BALL at the top of the lever was your wine glass.

People credit this technique to the BEAST HIMSELF, Mr. "Daigo Umehara", but frankly it's quite doubtful he did that first time ever. It's kind of a very natural evolution for someone new to arcade sticks to suddenly figure out holding it thus is very comfortable and allows:

b) wine glass technique is good because it allows you to utilize your forearms and wrists to propel and power your Stick Movements, this benefits games where circle-type motions are popular (Street Fighter), because it is very, very easy to quickly "roll your arm/shoulder" and use your forearms and lastly your wrist to expel the motion.

c) alternatively "Bat Tops" are good for holding as some call "Claw Style", instead of putting hands on it like a fucking gay ass glass of wine, koreans and users of Bat Tops instead simply casually always have their hand "hovering" (not really, but close enough) usually slanted to a side where they can quickly use the force of their only and only their wrists to POWER THROUGH their main method of moving the stick itself; the PALM.

After the palm has made contact the korean style dictates utilizing your fingers to lightly, but ninja-style skillfully, finish guiding the erect, phallic Basebhall Bat seeming stick to one of the cardinal directions, with the bonus being that the fingertip use / fingering AFTER palming the Bat Top allows the korean player to easily change a left/right/up/down direction Stick move into a circle-type motion with literally only their expertly honed finger tips. Basically a last second mini-flourish where they can change a lateral execution of the stick into a circle-type one by using differnt parts of their arms/wrist/palm/fingers.

In the end obviously no stick or any custom button with amazing springs under them that make each button press as satisfying as typewriter keys clacking on your memooir; nothing can even interfere with talent and skill.

The korean bat-top user may have an advantage in a game, like say, MORTAL KOMBAT because in MK most special moves are NOT circle motions but instead are executed by doing very quick left/left right/left /right/right, etc, movements.

You can all immediately realize that the korean bat top way of "palming the lever" allows for SUPER FAST "dashes" i.e. super-fast execution of moves that are comprised of lateral inputs.

The Bat Top lever OTOH excels at allowing circle motions to be done very easily, but even though Wine Glass cupping of the Shaft technique is over 9000 in legit-quality, it IS far more tiring and long-term more affecting of the player's wrist and forearms and shoulders compared to the very relaxed, almost seemingly "spontaenous" grips that are variedly utilized for using a Bat Top such as "claw style" or "hammer grip", etc.

/end
 
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Roguey

Codex Staff
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Messages
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I find it ridiculous that console exclusive rpg's are not represented on this list. Games like Persona 5, Nioh, Horizon Zero Dawn, are better than most of the list presented here, while designed for console but ported for PC games like Elex, Mass Effect, Surge, South Park, Pyre, etc, are...

RPG Codex is a site founded for the discussion of computer role playing games. Console exclusive stuff gets banished to jrpg and general gaming.
 

Roguey

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St. Proverbius wouldn't agree 100% with that flat statement, my dear Roguey.
https://web.archive.org/web/20110307053111/http://www.rpgcodex.net/page.php?id=about

The RPG Codex is a web-site devoted specifically to PC based role-playing games. It is a place that allows users to freely express their opinions about RPGs, without fear of their view being stifled, particularly when that view disagrees with the mainstream 5/5, A+, "Game of the Year" crappola that developers bribe game "journalists" for these days.


We've attracted an odd collection of people over the years and sometimes even developers have dared to brave the cold waters and participate in the discussion. If you're looking for a site where people respect each other, act courteously and politely agree to disagree, this isn't it. If you want respect here, you'll have to earn it. If you don't like that a thread is headed towards a flame war, you don't have to read that thread.


We don't lock threads just because they've had 20 pages of people arguing with each other. We let it run its course. Internet discussion doesn't kill you. If you want to understand more read: Edict from The Management™



A Brief History of the Codex


The RPG Codex is a prestigious magazine founded in 2002. Originally conceived by a bloke called Deathy, who lamented in the #Fallout GameSurge IRC Channel that there "really should be a site about real RPGs" (or words to that affect). At the time, most of us harrassed developers at the Black Isle Studio and Interplay Forums, while hanging out on weekends at No Mutants Allowed, Vault13.net and Terra-Arcanum. Meanwhile, companies like BioWare were an up-start bunch who commonly used Interplay's engine tech.


As was common with Developer's Official Forums™ though, threads were locked and many conversations were curtailed just as they got interesting, lest a horrid flame war occur. We needed a place where we could have our free discussion about RPGs but NMA was all about Fallout, so was Vault13 and Terra-Arcanum was focussed on Troika. We needed something more general, something where we could talk about RPGs and complain about how they weren't real RPGs.


So Saint_Proverbius took up Deathy's idea, roped in Calis to code the thing and eventually, in July 2002, the Codex was born. We've been going down the toilet ever since.
 
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aweigh

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Roguey

missed the part there where it says no talk is allowed of non-western games. My point with that above post was that Proverbius would defintely 1) not have given any shits about whether a JRPG should belong ina post... about RPGs; it would've been a silly detail, and 2) another Codex founding father was Sol Invictus, and besides designing the website itself he was probably the very first "obsessive" Spectrum Warrior on the RPG Codex who made it his home and where he was a person, usually via spewing retarded opinoins and/or bile; he never gave a shit about JRPGs or western ones, and this is not an isolated incident; maybe "founders" or close-enough to have been that were never as vitriolic (not saying YOU are being vitriolic, wanna make that clear, I'm going now somwhere with this)--

--let me just rephrase and finish by saying that 2003-2004 era codexers, which included those founding members, legit did not give much of a fuck over JRPGS and it was not even a topic for debate or not. There was LITTLE JRPG TALK in those years, of course, but not because of the try-hard edginess from the posters of nowadays who think bashing "lol anime shit" without ever actually using a single brain cell; instead there was little JRPG talk in 2003-2004 codex simply because the posters/members of those years by and large didn't play them, most of them being a tiny bit too old for the NES explosion so no first-experience cum Mario, but also because this was during the soul-crushing dead center stretch, a long stretch, during the great depression of the 2000s.

It was with the sudden, massive influx of all types of people joining in droves (my historical analysis of this I contribute to the outcome of the RPG Codex's troll-war with Bethesda forums, wherein Codexers proved too funnyinsulting and so "schoking" with their ideas that maybe Oblivions fucking sucks ass hey maybe yknow man? End result was a fucking avalanche of Beth forum (and other minor forums Codex trolled as well) who ended up joining the RPG Codex!

With the great influx of new people, and for waaaay too many reasons that aren't discussed now cos I'm tired and I don't have forum posts handy for evidence anyway, somehow, SOMEHOW the notion that east V west is not only something "real" but that anything from japan is degenerate trash. Sure, can't blame them though, 95% of japanese output is pornographic hentai and/or non-pornographic anime where boobs are huge and shit, hardly worthy of taking seriously and I'm being generous; but in closing:

- I stand by my statement that early-Codex was much more respectful, for starters, of JRPGs in general (although obviously DISMISSIVE of them) and, and now this something almost no nowadays codexers seems to know, or at least, to realize:

Early 2000s RPG Codex, before the newfags came in droves, did not segregate forums.

THAT, Roguey, THAT is my final argument in support of my statement. Under original founding fuckers THERE WOULD BE NO JRPG SUB-FORUM.

TL;DR Roguey you do a lot of research via googling but in this case trying to prove "your point" by copy/pasting a "mission statement" which:

1) never even once even comes near to mentinoong or talking about what we two, you and me, are actually talking about: japanese influence and the backlash for it, which is inarguably underserved.

--it only talks about proclaiming this will be a site where computer RPGs are discussed. Hmm. Sounds like RPS! Right???

2) you didn't take the time to google enough, as in you made a mis-step here (not a bad one, mind you, but one nonetheless) by showing some of your true colors, and those colors have the following meaning:

a) your only interest in any Codex echange or communication is to manipulate data you find via googling and shit and hoping (or since I assume you are very narcissistic) not even thinking the sheeple who read your said participations will bother questioning your "air tight investigative reporting!".

b) In this case, the only way we can continue this talk is when you let me know you finished reading all of the posts possible by every single poster from 2002-2003-2004 and then letting me know you did a bit of homework, y'know, made some little papers concerning stuff like how the "atmosphere" was in those years, perhaps even delving into juicy stuff like the fact that prehistoric RPG Codex was very, very rarely a plce of inane insults and egotistical grand-standing.

Well, I'm not smart enough to continue typing I already lost the thread of my "rebuttal", but I think I explained my statement enough for you to understand why I said it.

EDIT !!!: Oh, and I forgot to mention that it is obvious to anyone (not trying to be insulting, just the facts here) that in your "mission statement"'s content it is obvious they are referring to the RPG Codex founders journey for playing what we NOW CALL "c&c" RPGs, i.e. simple reactivity.

The fact that you twist that into them being against JRPGs simply proves... well, it proves you're something, not something I care enough to label but there is definitely an agenda in your way of communicating, and not a fun one like trying to make people hyped about some dumb series like Wiz.

Aaaand one last time simply because of revelatory this detail is: Forum segregation was 100% against what peeps like Proverbius and VD wanted, and I doubt it would ever even occur to them. Proverb specifically would call people who need a safe space without others talking about things they don't like to be utter morons and not worthy. But, as I mentioned, the evil japanese RPGs and whatnot was most definitely not something on their radar, not from "misinformation", but because WHO THE FUCK GIVES A SHIT.
 
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Lacrymas

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Pathfinder: Wrath
tl;dr

The only thing I skimmed from that is that no discussion is allowed for non-Western games. That's not true, they can be freely discussed in the trash can that is the JRPG discussion sub-forum, where they belong.
 

fantadomat

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aweigh

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The TL;DR of my post is that Proverbius and his cohorts were against segregating forums. I think it lowered the level of intelligent discource in the Codex, segregating everything.

Anyway, I should be getting my next reply ready in my Word Processor software for quick copy/pasting, like all the cool kids do these days.
 

Gimble

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There are a few actually competent games missing from the list. Monster's den, Alvora tactics, Starcrawlers.

Horizon:zero dawn shouldn't be bothered with - it is not even an RPG. Nioh did get a PC release and should technically qualify. If you consider Nier and Nioh, may as well include Trails of cold steel to the list (primarily console games getting PC releases in 2017).
 
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aweigh

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I love Nier Aut to DEATH and I do not consider it remotely an RPG.

I was surprised pleasantly to see it in the poll as I then have a game to vote for, but games like Dark Souls, Nioh, Bloodborne, Withcer, Nier Automata... they are not what the Codex considers an RPG. Some Codexers do, sure, and I encourage them to do so because really, what is the point of telling someone a game they enjoy "isn't even a real game, wah!!" since in most of these case, the scanrio here being existing Codex posters who like these types of games, I can safely hedge a bet or two that they also enjoy the fuck outta other games which are actual RPGs.

Enyoying a slapstick comedy doesn't take away your credentials as a serious cinephile, and any serious cinephile would immediately tell you that the opposite of that, snubbing a good movie because of its audience or aesthetic, is what truly erodes credential.
 

GrainWetski

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I find it ridiculous that console exclusive rpg's are not represented on this list. Games like Persona 5, Nioh, Horizon Zero Dawn, are better than most of the list presented here, while designed for console but ported for PC games like Elex, Mass Effect, Surge, South Park, Pyre, etc, are...

So out of the 3 "console exclusive RPGs" you've listed one is here http://store.steampowered.com/app/485510/Nioh_Complete_Edition___Complete_Edition/ (and is more of an action game) and one is just a really bad action game.

Ridiculous indeed.
 

Lacrymas

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Messages
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Pathfinder: Wrath
It's not that they aren't "real games", it's that they aren't RPGs. There's a difference. Why include action games in an RPG poll?
 
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aweigh

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The RPG Codex motto has ALWAYS been to give people enough rope to hang themselves with... and saying you like something others don't isn't a rope of that sort. It's if/when hypothetical Codexer begins to exhibit behavior that is crass in its ignorance, bullheaded, lacking in knowledge of our vested subjects, lack of ability to discern objective quality like say, someone outright saying:

"Torment 2's writing was of EQUAL QUALITY to Torment 1's writing!" with a completely serious face.

Now that is good cloth for cutting, and has nothing to do with superfluous stuff like liking something which is inherently mercurial and ephemeral.

EDIT: Bonus cookies to first fellow Codexer to find the thread/post/person who said above quote!
 

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