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Misguided opinions you had about RPGs when you were young

DalekFlay

Arcane
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New Vegas
I used to think i like RPGs in general and then only much later realised i only like Fallout and Arcanum and was only playing RPGs hoping to find something similiar and miserably failing at it.

This isn't me really, but I definitely identify with it. Those kinds of games are so above all other RPGs for me, I despair over how few are like them.

I feel somewhat similarly with FPS games. I mostly like ones with RPG or "immersive sim" elements and try to convince myself I love stuff like Quake, when really... eh, it's okay.
 

JarlFrank

I like Thief THIS much
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KA.DINGIR.RA.KI
Steve gets a Kidney but I don't even get a tag.
Oh, I also thought RPGs were the highbrow genre for grown-ups. That impression was mostly formed over BG2, Arcanum, Morrowind, Fallout, Deus Ex. All of them were mechanically complex, had good worldbuilding, at least decent writing, quests which would often put choices before you and force you to make decisions, etc.

In my late teens I thought "This is the genre for adults, with actual good content that is engaging at a mechanical level and sometimes makes you think and offers you decently developed worlds on par with most fantasy books."

But then this happened:
 

overly excitable young man

Guest
I didn't even know that RPGs existed.
Gothic and Diablo 2 were games like Zelda and MM6 was a game like Doom and Duke Nukem 3d.
 
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abnaxus

Arcane
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Dec 31, 2010
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10,849
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Fiernes
I used to think Oblivion's character models looked photorealistic.

ApprehensiveHardtofindDeinonychus-poster.jpg
Depends on the country.
 

hilfazer

Scholar
Joined
Jan 26, 2016
Messages
224
I thought Fallout 2 will be trash because it wasn't high fantasy and had worse graphix than BG.
Same thing with JA2.

BTW F2 was the first Fallout game i came in contact with.
 

Saduj

Arcane
Joined
Aug 26, 2012
Messages
2,547
I thought the Ultima series would just keep getting better and better and that Lord British must be a pretty cool guy IRL.
 

Darkzone

Arcane
Joined
Sep 4, 2013
Messages
2,323
I thought the Ultima series would just keep getting better and better and that Lord British must be a pretty cool guy IRL.
It seems that genius has an expiration date and then they automatically fall very deep.
 

Falksi

Arcane
Joined
Feb 14, 2017
Messages
10,538
Location
Nottingham
I used to think that RPG's would forever remain in the basement of society, and should never be mentioned when trying to bonk a bint.

Now they're all dressing up as characters from these games, and baring bint buttocks for bumming.

Brilliant. :bounce:
 

Catacombs

Arcane
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Joined
Aug 10, 2017
Messages
5,928
I used to think i like RPGs in general and then only much later realised i only like Fallout and Arcanum and was only playing RPGs hoping to find something similiar and miserably failing at it.
Underrail is kind of the best of both worlds.
 

Bruma Hobo

Lurker
Joined
Dec 29, 2011
Messages
2,409
Arcanum and Fallout are quite unique in comparison to most other RPGs so it was really my fault for deluding myself into thinking that they're a good representation of the genre and expecting more RPGs like that, at this point i am just stuck in a "just one more RPG, this one is gonna be what i'm looking for" loop for eternity.
:despair:
Are they really that unique? I mean, did you try games like Darklands, Star Trail or Quest for Glory? Or maybe even Dragon Wars or Ultima V? If so, what would the biggest difference be according to you?
 

curds

Magister
Joined
Nov 24, 2019
Messages
1,098
I didn't think I had to take good care of my physical copies
:|
one hears a lot of sad tales like this. When I was a kid, my dad used to throw out the cardboard boxes games came in and just keep the jewel case. I thought nothing of it at the time, but after browsing ebay and seeing how much some are worth to replace, I want my fucking boxes back.
 

Dickie

Arcane
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Joined
Jul 29, 2011
Messages
4,235
Steve gets a Kidney but I don't even get a tag.
I thought late 90s-early 2000s era would last forever and by the time I get old,
I'll have hundreds of legendary RPGs to reminiscent about with my friends in RL or online
This one really applies to all genres. From 1996-1998, I just figured video games would get better and better forever, even though they were so awesome already. Just in those three years, you had Civilization II, Diablo, Starcraft, Fallout 1 and 2, Dark Forces II, Blood, Quake, Age of Empires, Thief, and some others I'm probably forgetting. I thought the future was looking so bright.

:negative:
 

Galdred

Studio Draconis
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Developer
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May 6, 2011
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4,346
Location
Middle Empire
Steve gets a Kidney but I don't even get a tag.
I thouight Ishar was a good game.



The caster is dead because the player tried to use first aid which requires going through the action text menu in real time.
Casting spells is even worse, as you first need to select the "cast spell" action, then select the spell to cast, all in real time...
At least the next one had quick spell icons, which allowed you to rely on the same 3 spells for the whole game...

Also, the 3rd one trolls you by forcing you to remove two of your characters for NPC that only join the party temporarily (of course, you cannot have said characters come back to your team, which makes importing them from Ishar 1&2 kind of pointless).
 

Sigourn

uooh afficionado
Joined
Feb 6, 2016
Messages
5,624
I thought that crpgs based on Dungeon & Dragons are unnecessarily convoluted.
"Armor class" sounds like a stat that defines your protection against attacks, but why the fuck the lower AC the better? THAC0 might as well be called "Accuracy" instead of some weird THACO. Also, the lower your THACO the better? But at the same time weapons have "+2 to THAC0" in description. "Saving throws" instead of % resistances, "2D6" instead of 2-12. I mean, it's a computer adaptation, why do we need all these tabletop atavisms?

This is where proper streamlining helps a lot. Any D&D fan will know what THAC0 is and how it works, but every retard will understand that higher Accuracy = Better and so there's no reason for sticking with THAC0 and Armor Class. Shit like this is what makes older cRPGs appear more complicated than they actually are.
 

Prehistorik

Scholar
Joined
Sep 19, 2015
Messages
118
Location
Bololand
I thought games like Fallout and Arcanum are "standard" rpgs, they just felt so grand and natural.
I thought there are many games like that and I just don't know about them.
Then I grew up and got internet.
 

Zed Duke of Banville

Dungeon Master
Patron
Joined
Oct 3, 2015
Messages
11,760
After playing Hillsfar I thought RPGs are games about bunch of shitty minigames.
214409-hillsfar-amiga-front-cover.jpg


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SSI itself denoted Hillsfar as an "action-adventure" game in its advertising and on the box cover, and it was packaged in the "silver box" used for games that were D&D/AD&D-licensed but not RPGs.
 

RoksCQ

Novice
Joined
Nov 12, 2019
Messages
25
Post stupid ideas you had about RPGs as a kid. Could also just be a "how has your taste changed" thread.

What got me thinking about it was this:

My first exposure to RPGs was either Diablo II, Bard's Tale "re-imagining" from 2004 on PS2, or watching some older family friends play BG: Dark Alliance; can't remember which came first. Anyway, this somehow gave me the impression that turn-based combat was strictly the realm of JRPGs, which I already knew I didn't like even at that formative time, and so for a long while I avoided turn-based RPGs. I was even sceptical when a friend showed me NWN, because even though it's real time, the combatants still sort of take "turns" attacking. Thankfully I eventually found Fallout 1 which showed me the error of my ways.

Anyway, discuss!!

My first reaction to the first rpg games i got were -- Holy shit this game has a map spread? (Legend of Zelda) and holy shit all the weapons and armor are drawn and described in this games manual and it looks awesome, can't wait to play (Dragon Warrior). I loved the idea of climbing from the bamboo pole to a copper sword and beyond even as a kid. crpgs weren't available to play though, the computer was offlimits in 1984, too big of a price tag so, relegated to consoles and jrpgs.

I always loved games that came with a big ass manual to read at breakfast especially if it came with item lists (sword of vermillion had a fantastic manual for a console game). Rpgs for me only needed progression via some turn based action and usually box cover art would sucker me in... they went all out back then because the game never looked like the box. Ironsword and wizards and warriors were huge sins against me -- they give you an rpg layout and your character is weak as shit.

Thats my story.
 

Hassar

Scholar
Joined
Dec 6, 2016
Messages
208
You needed a balanced party which contained representatives of each class.
 

octavius

Arcane
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Joined
Aug 4, 2007
Messages
19,184
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Bjørgvin
You needed a balanced party which contained representatives of each class.

Heh, that reminds me of my first Gold Box game, Curse of the Azure Bonds. Having a party with all classes and races represented meant my Cleric capped at lvl 5, and I was never able to cast Neutralize Poison. So my quest came to an end when facing the two or three big Wyverns in Dracandro's Tower.
Looking back I'm kind of impressed that I made it that far.

I still try to make my parties as incloosive as possible, but not at all cost.
 
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V_K

Arcane
Joined
Nov 3, 2013
Messages
7,714
Location
at a Nowhere near you
I used to think that the more numbers a character system had, the better it was. So, say, VtM:Redemption (9 stats! Numerous disciplines!!) was a better RPG in my book than any AD&D game (Only 6 stats and no skills? What kind of popamole is that??!)

I thought that crpgs based on Dungeon & Dragons are unnecessarily convoluted.
For a time I held that opinion about AD&D. But then 3.5 came out and showed me what convoluted really means.
 

mondblut

Arcane
Joined
Aug 10, 2005
Messages
22,205
Location
Ingrija
You needed a balanced party which contained representatives of each class.

That's not wrong though. You do want representatives of each class. In each of your party members multiclassed 12 times :smug:
 

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