Best/worse starting zones in RPGs?

[Shape]

I've recently decided to replay through NWN 2 (the original stuffs) since I've forgotten most of the game already. Unfortunately, once I started playing through the starting tutorial zone, I actually nearly quit the game twice because of how awfully boring I thought this starting sequence is.. I know the rest of the game isn't completely garbo (of course it is far from MotB quality), but the start is already making me kinda hate it.

When I think of RPGs that were captivating from the start PS:Torment comes to mind (probably just due to how interesting the characters and world is for a starter).

What are your examples and opinions on how a good RPG should start off, and do you perhaps recall an example of an RPG where the start is definitely worse than the rest of the game?

 

[Efe]

what, you dont like running errands around a swamp village?

 

[Shape]

what, you dont like running errands around a swamp village?

Its not just that you're running errands in the least interesting swamp village of all times, but the dialogues and characters that you're initially exposed to aren't really the most captivating stuff ...

 

[Beastro]

Best: Privateer's Hold

 

[catfood]

Best: Gothic
Worst: NWN2

 

[Shape]

Best: Gothic
Worst: NWN2

What did you find so interesting about how Gothic started out? I'm just curious cause I think I enjoyed it too.
It's been over 10 years since I've touched it so I can't quite remember how it rolled out except for Diego (if that was the dude's name) waking you up after you got TKOd.

 

[octavius]

Good:
Wizardry: Bane of the Cosmic Forge
Might and Magic VI: The Mandate of Heaven

Bad:
Darklands
Fallout 2

 

[catfood]

Best: Gothic
Worst: NWN2

What did you find so interesting about how Gothic started out? I'm just curious cause I think I enjoyed it too.
It's been over 10 years since I've touched it so I can't quite remember how it rolled out except for Diego (if that was the dude's name) waking you up after you got TKOd.

The fact that you start out as a weakling (level 0!!!) that can barely hold a sword in his hands.
The fact that you have to scrounge for every piece of equipment that you can get.
The fact that the game establishes right from the start that its world is truly dangerous, not only because of the animals, but also because of the rest of the NPCs, any one of which could be out to get you.
The fact that information is just as important as loot, and that you need to establish connections and relationships with other characters in order to thrive.

That said, I guess you could debate what exactly constitutes a starting area in a non-linear game that let's you roam its world as you see it fit. But for the purpose of this question I consider the road to the Old Camp, and the Old Camp itself as the starting place, because this is where you learn the basics of the gameplay (movement, combat inventory, quests etc.)

 

[ilitarist]

Good:
Pillars of Eternity - it may be a best dungeon in the game. And even before that you have nice and natural opportunity to talk to people, to learn about the world, to tell you biography.
Fallout 3 - say what you want about the game itself but I found out the beginning to be very innovative. You literally live a life up to a point you start your journey. It gets boring the second time but first time I was blown away and thought it creates a nice connection to a character you're playing - or rather helps you feel it's you who are playing it. I think Fallout 4 would get less flack if it'd let you live through character's life in the same way.

Bad:
Witcher 2 - I read the book and played the first game. Still the game was very different from the first one and they probably expected new players to join. Can easily imagine them bouncing off. It starts with hero in the dungeon, then you are interrogated by a guy your hero actually knows. Then you're given a choice of what to tell and you may think you're choosing what your hero would emphasize - but no, you're just given a choice to turn the intro into a Christopher Nolan movie by screwing up the continuity and getting the difficulty reversed. You're not explained any of the controls and the game starts out rather challenging. Plus if you've played the first game and didn't hang out with Triss your choice is ignored. And plus to that Geralt is supposedly a Witcher who doesn't like politics and doesn't get involved in human-to-human conflicts - yes, he often ignores that, but that game starts with Geralt actually willingly fighting in a war. You don't get to fight monsters until several hours into the game (there are some drowners in the sewers but Geralt only kills them in self-defense) after you've gotten familiar with Flotsam village. Witcher 3 got it much better.

 

[Zero Credibility]

Something about Hommlet in ToEE is just so soul crushingly boring. I installed ToEE to play the last Co8 version a month ago, and I still haven't got past it. Don't know why, but it just kills any wish I might have to play the game in seconds. Sure, it's a dungeon crawler, but come on, so was Icewind Dale and towns there were beautiful, atmospheric and interesting.

 

[Cael]

Worst: Fallout 2. That Temple of Trials drives me mad. At least you can SKIP the NWN2 Harvest Fair without losing much of anything. You can't skip the damned temple without losing everything.

 

[Santander02]

I liked how Morrowind did it, Seyda Neen isn't much of an starting area, the game just kicks you out into the gameworld and goes "'kay you're own your now, have fun, sucker!" after getting off the boat.

I'll ditto west harbor from NWN2 for the worst. Having to learn how to play the game while having to put up with an annoying, cringy cast of characters, and doing all sort of inane tasks was infuriating, though in retrospective that tutorial encapsulated everything that's to come in that game.


(Dis)honorable mention goes to BG2, going trough Irenicus dungeon the first time was fine, but trudging trough it for 3rd or so playtrough was just tedious.

 

[Zlaja]

I enjoyed the start of Divine Divinity. Unlike so many others. If you can't take the heat then get out of the kitchen.

 

[Lilura]

I recently wrote an article on this.

Covers Fallout, Fallout 2, BG, BG2, PS:T, Deus Ex, MotB, IWD2. Also links to criticism of NWN OC prologue.

 

[deama]

Worst:
NWN
Oblivion

Meh:
NWN2
Jade Empire
Underrail

Best:
Vampire the masquerade Bloodlines
Age of decadence
Spore

 

[Bohrain]

Ideally tutorials are something that manage to show beginners the ropes without harming replay value or wasting the time of experienced players.
Personally I'm really fond of Morrowind and New Vegas. Once you exit the character creation you are basically free to do whatever you want. Out of these two New Vegas is probably better for the new player, since it gives you some handholding to learn the mechanics if you choose to do so.
Fallout 3 strikes me as one of the worst ones. It's long, unskipable and plays the same for every character. At least it teaches the mechanics.

 

[ERYFKRAD]

Realms of Arkania HD.

 

[V_K]

Best: Privateer's Hold

I wonder if there's a statistic somewhere of how many people never got out of it

(Dis)honorable goes to BG2, going trough Irenicus dungeon the first time was fine, but trudging trough it for 3rd or so playtrough was just tedious.

I hated it the first time around too. It's just too long and pointless. But then again I'm not a fan of BG games in general, so YYMV.

 

[Beastro]

Pillars of Eternity - it may be a best dungeon in the game. And even before that you have nice and natural opportunity to talk to people, to learn about the world, to tell you biography.

The problem with it for me is that it is good, but that drops off once you leave never to return.

It left me feeling like a trick was played to impress reviewers going through the opening into painting a picture that the entire game was that way and it left a bitter taste in mouth as a result.

 

[Jimmious]

Realms of Arkania HD.

It's disappointing that you don't have that in your signature

 

[SCO]

Ultima Underworld 1

Doesn't hurt that in games like this, you can sequence break often. Arx Fatalis was the same. Don't want to mess around the city? Just go into the dungeon.

Gothic 1 and 2 are actually very similar but somewhat better, strong main quest pulls that are not immediately obligatory and a multitude of optional stuff available to mess with all around the world. Gated, ofc, by your own character skill (and personal skill, which i feel is just as important for that kind of game - i'm actually fairly indifferent to the character vs player skill debate, but i do like a game that allows the player to take his character far out of its nominal competence ).

 

[ERYFKRAD]

Realms of Arkania HD.

It's disappointing that you don't have that in your signature

Then I wouldn't be able to post it everywhere applicable.

 

[Humanity has risen!]

Why do people cry so much over the five minutes it takes to compete the Temple of Trials and which serves as a nice and simple tutorial, without constantly interrupting you with dialogue and written instructions? I always thought it was the perfect beginning.

 

[Beastro]

Why do people cry so much over the five minutes it takes to compete the Temple of Trials and which serves as a nice and simple tutorial, without constantly interrupting you with dialogue and written instructions? I always thought it was the perfect beginning.

What I find odd is that the rest of the early game isn't much different with the same tedious combat until you can get a gun for anyone who didn't go into melee.

For me the "gritting your teeth and getting through the beginning" lasts until most of Klamath is done with, but being so much of the early game it's just a part of the games power curve that makes you love that first gun when you get it.

 

[Hobo Elf]

Best ones are the kind that throw you in the game world and tell you to have fun figuring shit out (VtmB, Morrowind, Gothic).

Worst ones have a boring tutorial dungeon / area segment that usually cannot be skipped (NWN2, Fallout 2, Baldur's Gate 2).

Some exceptions exist, but for the most part this seems to be the case for me.