In Need of cRPG Advice

[Vault Dweller]

Mostly the fact that it's an overrated piece of crap that has some interesting ideas...

Edgy.

 

[Jaesun]

For the most part, he is correct though.

 

[Gregz]

Thief or the latest Bard's Tale for snarky SOB role playing.

PS:T or Arcanum if isometric is a must (too bad you can't play the Fallouts though). You can also be a dick or "true neutral" in Geneforge, which is isometric and pretty fun.

 

[Lord Andre]

No Gothic 1 suggestion ? Not isometric but way way closer to the type of character he wants to play.

 

[Darth Roxor]

Edgy.

You're welcome to point out where I'm wrong

 

[Lilura]

The part where you said Arcanum is an overrated PoC?

No Gothic 1 suggestion ? Not isometric but way way closer to the type of character he wants to play.

You just reminded me of Far Cry 1's reluctant protagonist.

 

[Vault Dweller]

Darth Roxor

Why I think Arcanum is one of the best RPGs ever made.​

Admittedly, Arcanum is a mixed bag RPG. The character system is a bloated mess. The combat system is painful. The balance is nowhere to be found. The graphics are meh. Being a huge fan of Fallout, I couldn't wait to play Arcanum, yet when I installed it and started my first game I felt nothing but disappointment of the "what the fuck is this shit?" variety (precisely because the first things you see are the character system, combat, and graphics).

Then you start playing and see all the fucking role-playing (which some might consider a fairly important aspect in a role-playng game) and start appreciating the game more and more. Arcanum gives you an interesting, well presented, non-linear world that's practically a sandbox, great atmosphere, great dialogues (probably the most enjoyable writing I've seen in games), good quests, tons of multiple solutions, etc.

This aspect easily beats Fallout, Torment, and any other game I can think of. This aspect alone is what makes it a great RPG despite the above mentioned flaws. The fact that no game has managed to come close (and I suspect never will) is why Arcanum remains one of the Codex favorites. It's neither overrated nor a piece of crap, not by a long shot.

 

[Nas92]

Not isometric, but I think you'd enjoy Vampire The Masquerade: Bloodlines, OP. I think the dialogue is pretty nice in that game, a lot of it funny, but it has enough serious moments so it's not goofy.

With regards to Fallout and your hatred of deserts, I suggest you try and get over it. You're missing out on a pretty good game, not to mention that a huge number of CRPGs have a desert, or desert-like environment. You should give Fallout a chance, the atmosphere, the soundtrack, the story and the dialogue (that's your priority, right) should outweigh the fact that you sperg out about sand.

 

[I'm Big Into Anal]

hell if were going to suggest first person games then im quite within my right to throw out a third person game

two worlds games have a snarky, arrogant protaganist

most people hate the games but i love them; theres a decent crafting system and ok combat, plus a huge world wth plenty to do

and bugger all desert regions from memory

 

[Lilura]

Arcanum not only has multiple solutions to quests but also multiple physical paths to take to resolve those quests. Role-play a thief in Arcanum and you will feel like a thief (I'm talking mechanics, not LARPing) - it's the way you go about things in Tarant that is potentially completely different from the charismatic or tough-guy approach (ie, infiltration).

Char cre that allows backgrounds to have both virtues and flaws is also one of the most monocled aspects seen in RPGs. I have to wonder if it was inspired by Ars Magica...

 

[Darth Roxor]

Then you start playing and see all the fucking role-playing (which some might consider a fairly important aspect in a role-playng game) and start appreciating the game more and more. Arcanum gives you an interesting, well presented, non-linear world that's practically a sandbox, great atmosphere, great dialogues (probably the most enjoyable writing I've seen in games), good quests, tons of multiple solutions, etc.

Sure, a lot of this is true. But most of the great dialogue (with which I disagree) and good quests suddenly vanish in a quick 'pop!' once you are done with Tarant, only picking up again for a short while in Caladon. Meanwhile, you have to go through a whole fuckton of terribly designed places full of nothing but filler combat or just lacking content altogether, and that ride simply never ends - BMC, Tulla, Vendigroth, Dredge (thank God it's skippable), Isle of Despair, The Void, Thanatos are all textbook examples of "how not to design your LARPy RPG", and the interjections between them, i.e. all the small towns like Qintarra etc, are all simply uninteresting.

I liked Arcanum initially too. Punching wolves at the crash site was pretty bad, but then it got very cool in Shrouded Hills, where I was enamoured of most of the stuff that you mention, and it only got better in Tarant - some side quests that tied into the main one, non-obvious outcomes, good larping opportunities, supercool crafting and the victorian atmosphere. But then I got to BMC where I kept yelling 'WHO THE FUCK DESIGNED DIIIIIIIIIS' all the time, and unfortunately the feeling stayed with me all the way to the end, and in some cases got even bigger. I'm still getting PTSD when I think of The Curse of Monkey Island, aka Thanatos.

 

[t]

The Curse of Monkey Island, aka Thanatos.

 

[7/10]

Arcanum is very hit and miss. If you cannot get into the atmosphere it has little to offer. I would never recommend it as a first choice.

As far as what OP is asking, IMHO P:ST is the best candidate from among the usual suspects.

 

[kain611]

What about the Geneforge series from Spiderweb software? Or the new Avadon Series. Or Avernum/Exile. Dated graphics and mechanics but Geneforge series has an interesting premise behind it.

 

[hoverdog]

What about the Geneforge series from Spiderweb software? Or the new Avadon Series. Or Avernum/Exile. Dated graphics and mechanics but Geneforge series has an interesting premise behind it.

Geneforges have awesome (like the best ever) faction mechanics, choices&consequences, plus different ways of playing (stealth/persuasion/mechanics, zoo tycoon, rambo-style). Fun games, but I always get bored with them at some point and have never finished one.
Avernums are party-based dungeon crawlers. The setting is cool, but definitely too much of the same. Grindy. Haven't finished one either.
Nethergate is similar to Avernum, but somehow more fun and games. Two sides of conflict, each with subtly different storylines and gameplay. Actually the only Vogel game I've completed.
Avadon is the Dragon Age 2 of Vogel's games. Shitty mechanics, shitty gameplay, lame-ass story.

 

[Tigranes]

Look, you want to play games to your specification, but you also want to play good games. You want to play fucking amazing games.

Then the recommendation has to be clear. Arcanum, PST, and if the guy doesn't get into it, OK. Geneforge? really?

 

[Gentle Player]

The combat, the quirkiness. Maybe the repetitive violin track.

YOU SHUT YOUR WHORE MOUTH

 

[Blackmill]

With regards to Fallout and your hatred of deserts, I suggest you try and get over it. You're missing out on a pretty good game, not to mention that a huge number of CRPGs have a desert, or desert-like environment. You should give Fallout a chance, the atmosphere, the soundtrack, the story and the dialogue (that's your priority, right) should outweigh the fact that you sperg out about sand.

I've been watching portions of Tord's fallout let's play to try and get into the atmosphere. I actually do really like the buildings and I don't mind the exterior environment nearly as much as I thought I would. My only misgiving is that the dialogue, which is very well done, often has a comical tone. I would like to play a character that is all business with no time for fun and games. Some one who comes across as detached and doesn't show much emotion but remains articulate (to the point of seeking condescending). Does fallout offer this? Since I have only seen a relatively small sample of dialogues I can't really judge the game.

 

[Vilos Cohaagen]

I've been watching portions of Tord's fallout let's play to try and get into the atmosphere. I actually do really like the buildings and I don't mind the exterior environment nearly as much as I thought I would. My only misgiving is that the dialogue, which is very well done, often has a comical tone. I would like to play a character that is all business with no time for fun and games. Some one who comes across as detached and doesn't show much emotion but remains articulate (to the point of seeking condescending). Does fallout offer this? Since I have only seen a relatively small sample of dialogues I can't really judge the game.

Just talk like that to Siri. You'll have tons of fun.