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Which computer RPG best captured the 'spirit' of tabletop D&D?

King Crispy

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Obviously there have been many D&D-based CRPGs released over the years. From the classic Gold Box series all the way up to BG3, they've all had a different approach and unique answer as to how to best capture what Dungeons and Dragons is all about -- which is a thing I leave up to you, reader, to define by way of your answer.

In my opinion, it's a toss-up between Icewind Dale and ToEE. While ToEE gets the combat down to almost perfection, IWD's attention to correct balance, direction, intent of the party, and challenges they must face, makes it stand out.

What is your choice for Most Tabletop D&D-Like CRPG of All Time?
 

Gargaune

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Let's kick this thread off on a high note.

PathfinderPreOrder.png


Extensive ruleset, good plot scope, loads of small map encounters to explore, and - what makes it stand out from the rest in this regard - Pathfinder: Kingmaker's release bugs were an innovative translation of what happens when everyone around the table gets drunk, and all the patches represented the constant need to reschedule when someone bails.
 

marek

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Neverwinter Nights 1 & 2. And i don't mean the official campaign, but the custom modules with several players, ran by a DM. Or the servers with even more players and DMs. No game has since captured that feeling of actual tabletop as well, with the DM(s) reacting and interacting directly with your groups actions (maybe the DM mode for Divintiy Original Sin 2, don't know how active multiplayer scene is).

There are great singleplayer games, but they are always on (more or less visible) rails: the core benefit of P&P - a DM customizing and running the world, reacting to your actions, and the freedom of doing whatever you can think of - just isn't possible (so far).
 
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Spirit alone? Disregarding mechanics (ToEE obvious winner), it's got to be Baldur's Gate. Icewind Dale is a good candidate, but the plot and quests in Baldur's Gate 1 are just flat out better. They also have the great cast of NPCs, which really brings the game alive. One of the reasons why it was such a success, is because it brought the feeling and experience of playing PnP D&D with a group...to a party of one. It has the all the quintessential adventures D&D is about. It feels boring and obvious to state, but Baldur's Gate got D&D "correct" in spirit more than any other game. Baldur's Gate 2 continued that success, but on a more grand scale. Even though it has dragons that BG1 doesn't, it flirts with the fringes of D&D's epic elements that could be considered less conventional; and therefore, Baldur's Gate 1 gets the prize.
 

Butter

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Spirit alone? Disregarding mechanics (ToEE obvious winner), it's got to be Baldur's Gate. Icewind Dale is a good candidate, but the plot and quests in Baldur's Gate 1 are just flat out better. They also have the great cast of NPCs, which really brings the game alive. One of the reasons why it was such a success, is because it brought the feeling and experience of playing PnP D&D with a group...to a party of one. It has the all the quintessential adventures D&D is about. It feels boring and obvious to state, but Baldur's Gate got D&D "correct" in spirit more than any other game. Baldur's Gate 2 continued that success, but on a more grand scale. Even though it has dragons that BG1 doesn't, it flirts with the fringes of D&D's epic elements that could be considered less conventional; and therefore, Baldur's Gate 1 gets the prize.
The problem with BG is the story that revolves specifically around one member of the party, something no good DM would ever do.
 

Dorateen

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Pool of Radiance

But more specifically, the classic computer role-playing games of the eighties, and early nineties, were better suited to the presentation of a table-top experience by virtue of being more text driven and tapping into the player's imagination. A more streamlined, modern attempt cannot be as successful with their reliance on cutting edge graphics, voice-overs, and cinematic gameplay. These design principles are the antithesis to pen and paper. The role-playing game is not an arcade game, not an action game and not a "video" game. Therefore the objective should be to move further from those elements and observe stricter adherence to rules-based substance with Dungeon Master style narration. More recent games such as Knights of the Chalice, which strive toward those goals, invariably hit near the mark.
 

Shadenuat

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The problem with BG is the story that revolves specifically around one member of the party, something no good DM would ever do.
a) not always it doesn't (imoen, jaheira) b) it's not pnp session it's a game for 1 player c) narratives around main character are easy to write and are effective.
 

Zed Duke of Banville

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frc1.jpg


The first Gold Box game, Pool of Radiance, was developed in conjunction with TSR designers and even had an accompanying adventure module FRC1 Ruins of Adventure. The non-linearity offered better represents free-form tabletop RPGs than do linear, narrative-driven, cinematic CRPGs, while the game engine and its tactical combat were well suited to low-level D&D.
 

Butter

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The problem with BG is the story that revolves specifically around one member of the party, something no good DM would ever do.
a) not always it doesn't (imoen, jaheira) b) it's not pnp session it's a game for 1 player c) narratives around main character are easy to write and are effective.
I'm not saying Bioware fucked up. I'm saying that other games captured the spirit of PnP better because they use generalized adventures that don't revolve around 1 party member.
 

Shadenuat

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I honestly don't know any other d&d game which captured spirit of you 13 yo retard and your retard friends eating pizza and killing xvarts and kobols with daggers +1 better than BG1.

IWD captured reading your first Salvatore book.
 

King Crispy

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The role-playing game is not an arcade game, not an action game and not a "video" game.

I agree with you here, but there is no denying that any graphical elements added to the tabletop D&D experience add richly to its enjoyment. Whether you're using detailed miniature figures on a 1:1 scale map complete with creatures, traps, etc., or accompanying illustrations of key locations such as all the classic D&D modules have done, anything to help the players along in the visualization of what they're facing helps.

Along those lines, the graphical D&D computer game was created to literally envision all those things without the need of a live DM (or sometimes actually with one, as in the case of NWN/2 modules). To dismiss the visual aspect of D&D is to ignore one of the fundamentals of anyone who wants to enjoy it: its appearance.
 

Dorateen

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The role-playing game is not an arcade game, not an action game and not a "video" game.

I agree with you here, but there is no denying that any graphical elements added to the tabletop D&D experience add richly to its enjoyment. Whether you're using detailed miniature figures on a 1:1 scale map complete with creatures, traps, etc., or accompanying illustrations of key locations such as all the classic D&D modules have done, anything to help the players along in the visualization of what they're facing helps.

Along those lines, the graphical D&D computer game was created to literally envision all those things without the need of a live DM (or sometimes actually with one, as in the case of NWN/2 modules). To dismiss the visual aspect of D&D is to ignore one of the fundamentals of anyone who wants to enjoy it: its appearance.

I agree that there is a place for visuals in this medium. But to go back to the example I selected, Pool of Radiance was characterized by text events that were accompanied by images taken straight out of the AD&D Monster Manual. Sometimes with a few frames of animation. It is not to say all graphics are bad, because obviously art work has been a huge part of the hobby, but rather to keep these visual to a more basic minimum in order to to inspire the player to fill in the blanks.
 

octavius

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I guess in some respects Pools of Radiance comes closest, if your table top role playing is more combat oriented.
But when it comes to actual role playing and C&C I guess the two Fallouts are the closest ones.

I think a computer can do a good job replacing a real GM in combat focused adventures, and even do a better job since it can make calculations so much faster. But a computer can't come close to matching a good human GM when it comes to C&C, improvisation and real role playing, which is why I'm a combatfag and not a C&C-fag.
 
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Lilura

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The Renaissance era captured the spirit of tabletop D&D better than the Golden Age.

You can't argue with ToEE, Baldur's Gate and Icewind Dale. These are the 4th, 8th and 9th greatest RPGs of all-time.

Then, there are mods like Swordflight. Even though it was made with the Aurora toolset (of the Renaissance era), it's the best RPG seen in years.

If we include the spirit of tabletop gaming in general (not just D&D), we can add Jagged Alliance 2, Fallout, Fallout 2 and Arcanum. These are the 1st, 2nd, 5th and 7th greatest RPGs of all-time.

Top%2B10%2BBest%2BPC%2BRPGs%2Bof%2BAll%2BTime.png
 
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Lilura

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I guess in some respects Pools of Radiance comes closest, if your table top role playing is more combat oriented.

How on Oerth does PoR come closer than ToEE in terms of simulating tactical tabletop? Oh, that's right. You haven't even PLAYED ToEE. :smug:

Fag.
 

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