What is the most insanely difficult CRPG you've ever played?

[HardCode]

The hardest puzzle for me in an RPG was in Wasteland on the Commodore 64. There was a bar or tavern or whatever, and you needed something like a pass-phrase to tell the barmaid. Her name was Ellen. Well, to solve this quest, you had to manually use Perception near a specific table (none of this quest compass shit - manly games!). On the table was scratched something like "URAQTLN" (You are a cutely Ellen). And a reply of something like URAQT2. It was fucking insane, but a great feeling of accomplishment to figure out.

 

[Lonely Vazdru]

What was that item that had to be found in Tormis?

The Ebonsword. Gives you the necromancy skill.

 

[Elwro]

ADOM. I was afraid for my mental health so I've stopped playing it (mostly because of the ridiculous starvation rate)

Are you playing a troll? Trolls nead to eat more often, while some people feel they're a good race for new players because of high physical attributes.

Anyway, if you remember to stack up on rations in Terinyo and go back there whenever you're hungry, you'll most likely be able to reach the Arena. And this is the end of hunger problems in ADOM.

Also, remember that dipping things in holy water (usually) makes them blessed, and blessed food is more nutritious. (Hint: dip a stack of small things in one holy water potion.)

Also, remember you can pick up seeds at some wilderness tiles and fish in the river. (You can also tame cats with the fish, which is important for advanced players who don't want to kill any cats.)

 

[crufty]

Think of it as a Bards tale 'Wasteland'.

Here here. Dragon Wars is the ultimate Bards Tale. There is no reason to play 1-3 in my mind. bt1 was great--but didn't age so well. bt2 was brutal. BT3 wasn't so bad, for some reason--the party could do so much ridiculous damage, death wasn't such a big deal; in the end game there wasn't much in the way of challenge. Dragon Wars was really fun though, and it was tough.

BUT, in terms of challenge, I think Wiz7, for the early game TPK ratio. 'You are surprised by 15 ratkin! The ratkin strikes! The ratkin strikes! Warrior is poisoned. Ratkin strikes! Thief dies.' *reload*

I am not afraid to say I have never beaten Wiz7 and never will.

I know Zork and Kings Quest I don't count as rpgs, but they were absolutely brutal.

 

[Damned Registrations]

Is prophecy of shadow that adventure game where you have to shove a fucking tin bucket into a rock to block the molten lava that is puring out and blocking your path near the beginning?

 

[zodden]

Arx Fatalis was pretty tough. Some really frustrating moments but a great RPG game.

Daggerfall was hard since it crashed every 5 minutes :D

 

[RK47]

I couldn't beat Lionheart.

 

[Sir_Brennus]

I couldn't beat Lionheart.

But only because you thought that the gamplay sucked, am I right? Surely not because of the difficulty, because that was absolutly average, wasn't it?

 

[HiddenX]

Wizardry 4
Might Magic 2 & 3
Bard's Tale 2
Wizardry 7
Jagged Alliance 2 V1.13
Dungeon Master 2
Eye of the Beholder 2
Daggerfall
Evil Islands

 

[fastpunk]

Daggerfall was hard since it crashed every 5 minutes :D

That's not hard. That's hardcore!

Anyway, I can't really remember an RPG that was very difficult. IWD2 was pretty hard I guess, although my party wasn't quite up to snuff the first time I played it.

 

[Redeye]

The hardest puzzle for me in an RPG was in Wasteland on the Commodore 64. There was a bar or tavern or whatever, and you needed something like a pass-phrase to tell the barmaid. Her name was Ellen. Well, to solve this quest, you had to manually use Perception near a specific table (none of this quest compass shit - manly games!). On the table was scratched something like "URAQTLN" (You are a cutely Ellen). And a reply of something like URAQT2. It was fucking insane, but a great feeling of accomplishment to figure out.

URABUTLN "You're a beaut, Lynn"

I think that was it.

I think there's an NPC that tells you how to solve that puzzle so I didn't even notice it was a puzzle. I saw it more as a send-quest.

 

[sportforredneck]

Wizardry 4