Best RPGs and What They Should Add or Should Have Added

[Love--]

I'll start.

Underrail | party members (controllable or non-controllable); overworld maps

ATOM RPG | better translation (or base writing); greater variety of party members

Ultima VII | more difficult combat (I won't issue spoilers here, but even in the DOSBox/original version combat becomes a breeze, and Exult is even more forgiving)

Arcanum | greater balance between magic and technology, such that the former is not overpowered and sometimes cheesy (Drog's Hard Mode version aims to meet this criterion, but we'll see whether he completes it)

Caves of Qud | strong 1.0 release

Cataclysm: Dark Days Ahead | strong 1.0 release

Baldur's Gate 2 | much broader implementation of choice and consequence

Wasteland 1 | improved combat map and controls, showing all characters on grid at all times and allowing easier movement and targeting

Ultima VI | much more challenging combat


My personal top 3 as things stand in reality: 1) Fallout 2, 2) Arcanum, 3) Ultima VII.

I have excluded multiplayer and online games, but for reference my top 3 are 1) Ultima Online, 2) Shadowrun Seattle MUSH, 3) EverQuest.

 

[Lurker47]

I really wish Fallout had slightly more content.

Also, post of SATAN.

 

[Butter]

Cyberpunk needed more mini-games.

 

[Takamori]

Battle Brothers should go balls deep in the RPG elements.

 

[laclongquan]

Fallout 2: more item crafting. Sure, sure, modders does add them (EPA's Mr Chemmie) but that just show the base game does need them.

 

[buffalo bill]

Disco Elysium: a combat system

Spoiler

jk, it's not an RPG

 

[Daemongar]

Arcanum | greater balance between magic and technology, such that the former is not overpowered and sometimes cheesy (Drog's Hard Mode version aims to meet this criterion, but we'll see whether he completes it)

I don't get this. How about "what they should have added to Arcanum" is they should encourage people to play the game blind and not play the game with a FAQ in their lap. Why should everything be "balanced?" People who played tech, are they going to know that the game could be easier if they would just spam harm? Did they have a bad experience? Why does someone have to create a mod to prevent you from just not using published exploits?

That is to say, the first time I played Arcanum, I wanted that power armor I saw in the manual. So I created a combat guy and slowly built to my tech and skills towards that there armor. Think somehow I got the armor for free in that city with the dog, which was a let down, but I still enjoyed tech.

On the other hand, you mentioned Wasteland 1 - which is a perfect game. While you mentioned showing the party on the map, I think splitting the party required a disk swap on the original version - it was pretty clunky, so I can see why it was left out. Technological limitations - suppose it would be easy to do now, tho.

 

[Love--]

I agree that Fallout 1 would benefit from more content. I understand the argument that its leanness increases its emotional impact and that it doesn't overstay its welcome, but to my mind it doesn't reach the sort of critical mass and momentum that create a sort of feeling of weightlessness for the player, of floating in a great experience at a sort of plateau, that the truly greatest games do. Controversial, I'm sure. Fallout 2 and Arcanum have such sustained midgames that they do reach this plateau and this feeling, for me at least.

Daemongar, your argument works for those who begin with tech, but for those who begin with magic--as I did--it quickly becomes apparent in some cases (certainly in mine!) that spells such as disintegrate and entire schools such as temporal are wildly overpowered. You can literally one-shot everything with disintegrate, because the will save doesn't roll correctly. Likewise you can quadruple your action points while halving your opponents' via potions and temporal spells. Drog's hard mode will cap speed to 2x base (iirc) and introduce the proper will save or otherwise curb disintegrate damage, among other things. I understand your enthusiasm and optimism here, but keep in mind that in most any game (think of BG 2, let's say) a spell that instantly destroys any foe with no major cost other than fatigue (replenished instasntly with one potion) would NOT be considered acceptable.

Finally, I agree that extensive crafting would be a welcome addition to Fallout 2, though I don't consider it necessary. I actually do play with the Megamod, despite its writing problems and occasional crashes, just for more content. But I do consider the base game better than the Megamod version, all told.

 

[fantadomat]

ELEX.......more ELEX !!!

 

[Lurker47]

Fallout 2: more item crafting. Sure, sure, modders does add them (EPA's Mr Chemmie) but that just show the base game does need them.

I don't think I even knew Fallout 2 had crafting until now. Where and how was it done? Fallout 2 isn't even listed on the crafting page on the Fallout Wiki.

 

[buffalo bill]

Fallout 2: more item crafting. Sure, sure, modders does add them (EPA's Mr Chemmie) but that just show the base game does need them.

I don't think I even knew Fallout 2 had crafting until now. Where and how was it done? Fallout 2 isn't even listed on the crafting page on the Fallout Wiki.

I think the closest is Algernon under New Reno Arms (who works for Eldridge). Calling Algernon's weapon-upgrading a "crafting system" is a stretch, though. I guess there might also be some other ways to upgrade weapons that I can't recall atm.

 

[Savecummer]

ctrl f romance

 

[Savecummer]

all of them: AI

 

[Savecummer]

Adding a feature wishlist is for retards.
Better thread: what should arpeegees cut!

pillars 1: cut MORE THAN HALF the mobs!

 

[Love--]

The thread is premised on the belief that the strongest RPGs we've seen thus far--in the nascent art (or craft) of RPG making--suffer from a lack of features more often than an overabundance. Hence the "add" (not "change" or "cut") in the title. If you disagree with that basic premise, you might find the thread trivial. Personally I think our greatest games are still essentially lacking in the features department, or that the implemented features are not expansive or complex enough. Hence the list.

 

[mondblut]

Ultima VII | more difficult combat (I won't issue spoilers here, but even in the DOSBox/original version combat becomes a breeze, and Exult is even more forgiving)

Being "a breeze" is the only thing that makes this garbage tolerable. Imagine wanting Ultima VII clusterfuck toiletstorm combat to be also challenging!



This u?

 

[laclongquan]

Fallout 2:
Shaman can already craft healing powders from broc flower and xander root.
Myron can make stimpack and super stim from ingredients.
Weapon upgrades can be done by Algernon, Valerie, and Skeeter.

 

[Fluent]

I would have liked to have seen either turn-based combat in Morrowind, or RTwP, anything to make the combat round-based. you get such a dynamic and diverse set of tools at your disposal, but combat is often over in mere seconds. for me, it was too hard to use all those cool artifacts, scrolls, potions, spells, etc., in time, because of how fast combat resolved. anyway, i don't expect many people to agree with this, but it's just something that sits in the back of my mind and i think about at times.

 

[Moaning_Clock]

Morrowind with a camona tong quest line only for dunmers would have been awesome - also House Dres and House Dagoth. Better Vampire Quests and Twin Lamps. Just more factions tbh

Delver - add that fucking place behind that giant door

 

[Lurker47]

Fallout 2: more item crafting. Sure, sure, modders does add them (EPA's Mr Chemmie) but that just show the base game does need them.

I don't think I even knew Fallout 2 had crafting until now. Where and how was it done? Fallout 2 isn't even listed on the crafting page on the Fallout Wiki.

I think the closest is Algernon under New Reno Arms (who works for Eldridge). Calling Algernon's weapon-upgrading a "crafting system" is a stretch, though. I guess there might also be some other ways to upgrade weapons that I can't recall atm.

I've used that before, yeah. Didn't consider that to be crafting.