What's an RPG praised by the Codex that you're reluctant to try?

[Lady_Error]

Real-time combat is popamole cancer and so are Action RPG's. And since combat takes up a large amount of play time in those, it is a deal-breaker for me.

 

[Snorkack]

Same reason I probably won't ever bother trying Grimoire again. Even with people claiming it's kinda sorta finished now, an advertised 600 hours gameplay is the exact opposite of what I'm looking for in games nowadays.

Grimoire is closer to max 100-200 hours, but it can be done much faster.

Also, I don't get your logic. So you play a short and shitty game and finish it - is that better than spending more time on a longer awesome game?

Didn't say shitty. If a game sucks, I immediately stop playing it, no matter if short or long game. But while the idea of a longer awesome game sounds nice, it doesn't work for me anymore. The sessions where I can sink several consecutive hours into a game - which is required for rpgs - are rare. So I might start one, enjoy myself, don't touch it for weeks or months and once I get back to it, I can't really remember what happened and can't force myself to continue playing the last save. Then either I start again from the beginning or, more likely, just ditch it in favor of something else.
Hence, I prefer good but short games that are finishable in a weekend or two.
And there are several other reasons why I won't play Grimoire again, just mentioned it because of the advertised 600h and its effect on me.

 

[alyvain]

I kinda don't trust King of the Dragon Pass

 

[Jack Of Owls]

Pathfinder: Kingmaker. So much content, I don't think I'll have the time for it for a while... I only made my character when it came out, and then set it aside due to everyone talking about bugs.

So true. Lot of content, lots of C&C, very little grinding, hand-placed encounters and fun combat (it's great AD&D porn), but man, the length! I'm currently in Pitax (Chapter 6) and already I'm finding it hard to continue. Almost can't believe there's yet another fucking chapter after this. This game grinds you down by just being so ridiculously long. It's the one thing Owlcat didn't get right.

As for games I'm wary about because they're recommended by the Codex, I'd put Underrail at the very top. It seems catered to and custom-made for the Fallout 1/2 fanboys/autistics who played that series over & over & over & over again, and showed borderline clinical insanity by using mods that restored cut content in FO2.

 

[NatureOfMan]

The earliest Wizardry games. I don't play blobbers myself but when I intend to start playing them I am going to stick with Realms of Arkania, World of Xeen or Wizardry 7/8.

 

[himmy]

Prelude to Darkness and Knights of the Chalice. Honestly, I could get past the graphics, whatever, I played older and uglier stuff. But those fucking fonts, my God. Why would you do that when you can just pick a normal fucking font that's not Papyrus and whatever the hell KotC is using?

Also, if this thread was made a few years ago, the Witcher series would qualify. I tried to play the tutorial and first act for the first Witcher game like 5 times and found it incredibly tedious. After seeing it so high on the Codex Top 70 list I forced myself to try it once more only to find out that if you stay in there until Act 2, the game really opens up and starts weaving a cool narrative.

 

[aweigh]

"What's an RPG praised by the codex that I'm reluctant to try?"

Hmm... I dunno, probably any sort of real-time blobber. Everything else recommended by "the Codex" I've already tried. Oh, I've yet to play Gothic games. I'm just not a fan of real-time combat in RPGs.

Now, what RPGs praised by the codex that I already tried and didn't like?

Shit like Witcher 3 (top codex rpg LOL) probably. Also I've seen some praise for the D:OS games and those are utter trash.

Honestly though, in all of my long years on this forum the only games that are truly universally praised are the obvious ones of BG series, Planetscape: Tournament, Fallouts 1 and 2, Gothic 1 and 2, etc. Everything else isn't universal, like for example Arcanum is held in high esteem by a lot of peeps but there are also many detractors, so it can't really be said to be "praised by the codex".

 

[DJOGamer PT]

Real-time combat is popamole cancer

Depends of the situation.
In tactical and/or team based RPG's, yes!
In RPG's with only 1 PC (like ARPG's), hell no. In fact this situation real-time is best way to have combat.

and so are Action RPG's.

Couldn't be more wrong. Case in point, Deus Ex, Gothic, Arx Fatalis, Morrowind, New Vegas, etc...

And since combat takes up a large amount of play time in those, it is a deal-breaker for me.

It takes as much time as you want to. If you're playing a character that solves every obstacle he comes across with violence then don't be surprised you spend so much time in combat situations.

 

[Ramnozack]

Any kind of blobber. I just can't get into the genre as a whole, it just doesn't click with me.

 

[Pegultagol]

There's an RPG that's praised by Codex?

Glibness aside I tend to stay away from any long time commitment in games nowadays, and gradually developed a standard of graphical cohesion below which my slowly degenerative eyes can't simply tolerate. So it is with no small regret that I couldn't participate in any discussion or appreciation for early Ultima, Wizardry, Heroes of Might & Magic, Pool of Radiance games and likewise. The same goes for any modern titles that rely too much on minuscule pixel art or anything too stylistic or dark.

 

[Elex]

ELEX because i don't know if its good or if its just a meme

it's good not like gothic 1 or 2 but is better than the risen series.

 

[HansDampf]

Arcanum. The music is sad.

 

[Funposter]

ELEX because i don't know if its good or if its just a meme

It's fun for the first 15 or 20 hours.

 

[Lady_Error]

Also I've seen some praise for the D:OS games and those are utter trash.

They're basically turn-based IE-games, so I don't know why you hate them so much. I was actually surprised how good D:OS turned out to be, once you get over the style and humor.

 

[Yosharian]

I feel ya, man. Used to hate chess. It wasn't until I reduced the board to 3x3, took away all pieces but the pawns, and began using them to play tic-tac-toe, that it finally clicked for me.

I mean I literally did the opposite of that but ok

 

[IHaveHugeNick]

Kingmaker because fuck RTwP.

 

[Tavernking]

Kingmaker because fuck RTwP.

You sound like an edgy little bitch

 

[Safav Hamon]

ELEX because i don't know if its good or if its just a meme

it's good not like gothic 1 or 2 but is better than the risen series.

It's only better than Risen 2 & 3, and not even by that much.

 

[Ysaye]

Some things that people go on and on about here but I am reluctant to try (again):

Pathfinder: Kingmaker: I have purchased it and all (even one of the expensive versions as well - I thought that would be the charitable thing to do for a small studio) but just can't muster the interest to play it. I think what really puts me off is that MCA had input into this I just want to explore without having the whole build a country going on; ordering people (with consequences) around is just way to much like real life for me and not escapism at all. And yes I know there is an option to basically turn that all down but...then I am really playing the game as it was developed to be played? Also I like playing wizard characters, and based on what people have said, this will be a bit of a pain on the higher difficulties.

Arcanum: I have played and finished this game back in the day but I have tried to come back to it a couple of times to relive the things I enjoyed about it at the time...but found there are other things (bugs) that just ruin it quite a bit now for me. I would just rather listen to the music every now and then. Compared to say Ultima 7 or Realms of Arkania 2 which both also has a lot of flaws (specifically combat), but I can keep coming back to that and going "this is cool!".

Witcher, recent Fallout and any Dragon Age games: I probably should play them but I just can't bring myself to do it; I am worried from watching video examples that they are worse than recent Elder Scrolls games - they probably aren't but I just don't want to go back to that kind of thing as I don't find that enjoyable any more. Kingdom Come: Deliverance honestly sounds and looks more my kind of thing if I want to go to that kind of thing, and I haven't played that yet either.....

Prelude to Darkness and Knights of the Chalice. Honestly, I could get past the graphics, whatever, I played older and uglier stuff. But those fucking fonts, my God. Why would you do that when you can just pick a normal fucking font that's not Papyrus and whatever the hell KotC is using?

Yes fonts that developers use (particularly indie developers) annoy the heck out of me; fonts are an important consideration when someone is playing an RPG which in general will have a lot of text and numbers. If you are a developer out there, don't choose some stupid font please!

 

[Jack Of Owls]

Pathfinder is one of those RPGs that I started to play then thought it wasn't living up to all the hype so I quit. Then I thought, "Well, maybe I should give it more than 5 minutes and try again." I'm glad I did because it's not bad. Overlong in the extreme, yes, but not bad. Arcanum seemed cool when I played it a few years ago before I realized it was too easy to set important NPCs off with mildly insolent dialog choices which necessitates having to kill them of course because they turn hostile thus losing out in many quests. I think I killed half the NPCs and shopkeepers in the first town in the first half hour this way. No fun at all. That whole game was one twitchy, touchy muthafucker

 

[Humanophage]

Geneforge 5 - Geneforge 4 was highly enjoyable, and 5 is more of the same with a bit more choice and better graphics. However, I overdosed on Jeff Voegel and still have not recovered after a few years.
Deus Ex - I tried it and mostly liked it, but got distracted at some point. I'm not a huge fan of the FPS Thief-like component. I understand that it is a good and intricate game, but I just don't feel tempted to play.
Deus Ex: Mankind Divided - as above.
Serpent in the Staglands - I enjoyed the atmosphere at first, but the game was incredibly buggy and clunky when I tried it, so I've postponed it.
Wizardry 7 - I like Wizardry 8 and have completed it a couple of times, but I have always found the interface in older blobbers tedious even in the mid-1990s. I also heard it has many puzzle elements, which I do not enjoy. And I'm not a huge fan of the setting either, albeit the combat in W8 was rather good.
Grimoire - same as above, but I am a lot more inclined to try it.
Elminage Gothic - I tried it and it seemed unplayable. My main reaction was bewilderment.
Betrayal at Krondor - tried it briefly, did not age well enough. Pre-1996 RPGs tend not to age well in my book. Ultima VII, Dark Sun, Darklands, ADOM, and Alter Ego (if it counts) are the only ones I recall enjoying. TBS and adventures from this period aged much better.
Shadowrun: Hong Kong - Dragonfall was underwhelming. It's a nice setting, but the combat felt like a mobile game. There was no real character progression and customisation, nor much exploration. I'll finish Dragonfall at some point later because the plot wasn't bad.
Dark Souls - haven't tried any of them yet, albeit I bought the first part. They look too action-y and every youtuber seems to be a fan (many people have tens of those DS vids which nobody is watching).
Witcher 3 - Witcher 1 was too clunky and driven by cutscenes. I'll give it a run eventually, but it seems like the sort of game you'd want to play if you wanted to watch a good fantasy film.
Fallout: New Vegas - I did not like the combat system at first. As with Deus Ex, I am also prejudiced against many first-person games, even though that's technically atmospheric. I know it is very well-regarded, so I'll get down to it eventually.
D:OS 1 and 2 - I tried the first part a while ago, but it was pirated and my PC was slow back then. It seemed like a regular turn-based tactics game that is not especially sophisticated. The setting and writing seemed incredibly boring. It's like one of those 2000s offensively generic settings from games like Kohan, Spellforce, Summoner, etc.
Dragon Age: Origins - haven't played any Dragon Age games. I hated Mass Effect and thought it was pure decline after NWN or even KOTOR, so I'm a bit afraid of any late Bioware games. Deadfire seems like the better RTWP game, and so does Kingmaker.
PoE1: Wintermarch - I tried Deadfire, but the loading screens took too long, so I'll continue later on. Kingmaker is similar but better except in terms of graphics, which were gorgeous in Deadfire. It seems Deadfire is just a better PoE1.
Blackguards - I'll try it later on with CheatEngine. Staring at the screen for minutes waiting for the unnecessarily long combat animations in a trash fight with a bunch of beetles was too much. The concept of the game is good though.
Expeditions: Conquistador - E: Viking was not bad and had a fun plot, but character progression was boring. Early game combat is essentially the same as mid-game.
Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen - irrationally reluctant to try Japanese action-y games.

Personally, I don't share the hatred for RTwP. There are many, many turn-based games out there now, so it is nice to have some diversity. Most turn-based RPGs only have primitive combat anyway when compared to tactics games. The combat in Arcanum, for instance, is rubbish, even though the game itself is otherwise very good. RTwP is not in any way actiony, and sometimes encourages you to be more strategic, less autistic and perfectionist than turn-based. It also opens some tactical possibilities that are rare in TB. Say, it is more plausible to lure an enemy towards a distant point on the map with a single character. You can prepare for combat by precasting a summon. Fleeing is more plausible. Lastly, many TB games suffer from excessive animation, so any turn involving multiple opponents takes forever. Instead of playing the game, you are forced to watch how the enemy ends up where it does, as I said with Blackguards. The reason why TB is good is that it encourages diverse character progression, but some RTwP games have more of it than many TB games.

Bloodlines. I never understood the fascination about vampires. I fail to draw any parallels between them and real life. I still want to try it because it is Troika, but I never get round to it.

It's not so much vampires per se as a well-designed, lore-rich dark modern setting which isn't cyberpunk. There are relatively few games out there that simultaneously feature good writing, memorable characters, C&C, atmospheric exploration, and a well-developed existing setting supported by many good setting books. Most games come up with their own settings which are rarely as expansive and well-considered as V:tM, and which are too tailored for the needs of the game in question.

 

[DalekFlay]

Old blobbers without map functionality. Some of them are supposedly classics, but fuck if I'm going to buy graph paper.

 

[Saerain]

There are RPGs praised by the Codex?

 

[IHaveHugeNick]

Kingmaker because fuck RTwP.

You sound like an edgy little bitch

You sound like a join date 2017.

 

[gaussgunner]

Bloodlines. I never understood the fascination about vampires. I fail to draw any parallels between them and real life. I still want to try it because it is Troika, but I never get round to it.

It's not the vampires, it's the characters and voice acting and scripting and little background details. It's a half-sarcastic ode to the 90s. Gameplay is neither great nor awful, it's got some bugs, but overall it's pretty well done. One of the most memorable rpgs I've ever played.

Twitcher 3. I'm too old for this shit. I installed it 4 or 5 times, played the tutorial and then was let loose on the game world... could stand it for 10 minutes max.
Here, learn to play this fancy card game! Collect flowers and crafting shit! Help this noname npc ban a ghost or whatever! Romance this female character! Spend hundreds of hours in this amazing fun park...

You don't have to do any of that shit, just stick to the main quests and grind a little as needed. Best rpg of this sorry-ass decade that I've played at least. But I do like Witcher 1. They did rpg romance right. Hey lady, you have the most beautiful eyes. You want some flowers or a shawl? 'k. Wham bam thank you ma'am, another notch on the old spear.