Blobbers for a blobber hater

[Shaki]

Blobbers were always the one kind of RPGs that I refused to touch, because since I was a kid they just looked retarded to me, whole idea seemed fucking stupid. But recently I had literally nothing to play, I think I went through every other RPG and RPG-adjacent game that ever existed (expect for jRPG crap), so I finally decided it's time to give blobbers a chance.

I looked at some Might&Magic gameplay videos and it looked like a shitty fps, with dude literally just hiding around the corner, shooting an arrow at mobs then hiding again, rinse&repeat, all in realtime, so I decided it still looks retarded and I don't wanna try it. Then I checked out Wizardry series and it looked better, W8 especially seemed to always be held in high regard by Codex so I decided to try it, and it was indeed very fun experience (except for trash mobs respawning literally everywhere, but thankfully it had spells helping to avoid this shit), so after finishing it I'm looking for more recommendations for blobbers I might enjoy.

I mostly enjoy build/combat faggotry, but I also like good exploration to provide a reason for going around and engaging in fighting. Wizardry 8 satisfied both, having cool exploration, a shitload of build freedom and surprisingly deep combat system. Are other games in the series similarly good? Are there other blobbers where combat is actually fun and doesn't look like shitty fps? Maybe M&M actually isn't as bad as it looks to me, and combat system really does have some depth that I just can't see in videos? I don't know shit about blobbers since I always avoided the genre, so I'd be grateful for opinions from experts.

 

[Fowyr]

Maybe M&M actually isn't as bad as it looks to me,

Try Might and Magic 1-5.

and combat system really does have some depth that I just can't see in videos?

It has.

I don't know shit about blobbers since I always avoided the genre

There a lot of different blobbers, it's not a genre, it includes a lot of different subgenres that sometimes are not blobbers at all. Just like "dungeon crawlers". It's a perspective and combat implementation.

 

[Falksi]

Bard's Tale 4: Directors Cut is a fantastic entry point.

I always found blobbers a bit hit and miss, and even the good ones were usually bogged down with some bizarre mechanical setup. But BT4: DC has refined a lot of that and is a great game.

 

[Darth Canoli]

I mostly enjoy build/combat faggotry, but I also like good exploration to provide a reason for going around and engaging in fighting. Wizardry 8 satisfied both, having cool exploration, a shitload of build freedom and surprisingly deep combat system. Are other games in the series similarly good? Are there other blobbers where combat is actually fun and doesn't look like shitty fps? Maybe M&M actually isn't as bad as it looks to me, and combat system really does have some depth that I just can't see in videos? I don't know shit about blobbers since I always avoided the genre, so I'd be grateful for opinions from experts.

There's nothing like Wizardry 8, unfortunately.
Now, if you lower your expectations, there's a lot of fun to be had.

You should buy Grimoire and if you like it, Wizardry 7.

As for Might & Magic, M&M 6-8 has some character building, 6 is better because of the freedom to master the skills you want and you should play it in TB mode (press enter to switch to TB).
Some fights can be enjoyable, most will be about shooting from afar or throwing meteorites to the poor creatures you encounter and watch them die helplessly.
Exploration and loot is where the fun is, plus some good dungeons.

Might & Magic 3-5 are full TB without having to switch but past character creation, character build is limited to buying skills you can't upgrade, buying spells and drinking attribute buffs.
Still, the exploration is amazing and M&M 3 dungeons are great, not only this but there is multiple ways to go through them, you can skip some traps or some parts of it using teleport and you get a party of 8 (6 personalized + 2 hirelings).

Frayed Knights offers some good combat and interesting character building if you're not rebuked by the graphics and the humor. It's quite good.

M&M X is interesting as well, I find it boring by mid-game and never completed it but some early fights are quite good and character building is interesting. But with skill masteries restrictions like in M&M 7-8 where M&M 6 freedom would have been most welcome. (you can mess with it with a table editor)

 

[Butter]

I've been having a lot of fun with Might and Magic 2 recently, but it's not an ideal starting point. JVC would go on to improve his interface in Isles of Terra and again in World of Xeen, making those a lot more accessible and quick to play. The pinnacle of blobbers is Wizardry 6, Wizardry 7, and Grimoire. Wizardry 7 probably has the smoothest interface of those 3.

If you're not fussy about the games maintaining the first-person perspective at all times, then the Gold Box games are ideal. Champions of Krynn is the best starting point for those games.

 

[ProphetSword]

Going to second the Gold-Box games, due to the tactical nature of the combat. I don't consider them blobbers, though.

When it comes to actual blobbers, I've only played Might & Magic II to completion (back when it was new). But, about a week ago, I decided to give Might & Magic VI: The Mandate of Heaven a spin again after 20+ years...and it's been amazing. It has greatly renewed my interest in blobbers, and I look forward to completing it.

For a while I thought maybe I wouldn't like it due to the hybrid real-time/turn-based mode. But, after playing a while, I realized that being able to go back to real-time is a god-send when you need to flee a combat or when you want to bypass a combat (which I've needed to do when half my party is down and monsters are blocking the only exit).

It's probably a bit simpler than the Wizardry series, but I think Might & Magic is a good entry point. Just stay away from 9. I hear bad things about that one.

If you don't have the games, they are insanely cheap on GOG right now. The six pack that has Might & Magic 1-6 is only $2.49:
https://af.gog.com/en/game/might_and_magic_6_limited_edition?as=1649904300

Might & Magic 7-9 are only $1.49 each:
https://af.gog.com/en/game/might_and_magic_7_for_blood_and_honor?as=1649904300
https://af.gog.com/en/game/might_and_magic_8_day_of_the_destroyer?as=1649904300
https://af.gog.com/en/game/might_and_magic_9?as=1649904300

 

[Darth Roxor]

Seconding Grimoire.

If turn-based combat isn't a requirement, I highly recommend Legend of Grimrock 2.

 

[ShaggyMoose]

My opinion is that Legend of Grimrock 2 is more about puzzles than exploration. Certainly, its a far different game to Wizardry 8.

 

[octavius]

OP plays some pseudo blobbers and decides he hates blobbers. It's like listening to Bon Jovi and deciding you don't like heavy metal.

 

[Jack Of Owls]

Blobbers I liked and actually finished (in order played and year played):

Pool of Radiance (1989)
Dragon Wars (1989)
Legend of Blacksilver (1990)
Champions of Krynn (1991)
Buck Rogers: Countdown to Doomsday (1991)
Of Might & Magic VI (2010)
Bard's Tale Remastered I (2019)

There you have it. I guess I'm not much of a blobber boy.

 

[Glop_dweller]

Legend of Grimrock 1 & 2

 

[rusty_shackleford]

world of xeen(might and magic 4+5 combined)

since you already played wiz8 there's not much to see

 

[Cleveland Mark Blakemore]

world of xeen(might and magic 4+5 combined)

since you already played wiz8 there's not much to see

World of Xeen was awesome, you could play them back to back. Very unusual theme and atmosphere, crazy mix of sci-fi, steampunk, fantasy. It's a different game from the Wizardry series but both of them have special charm in the immersion you get from them. I tried playing their FPS sequels and instantly vomited in the first ten minutes. Unplayable.

 

[rusty_shackleford]

I tried playing their FPS sequels and instantly vomited in the first ten minutes. Unplayable.

They seem to get a lot of love on the codex but I just couldn't get into them. I'm not big on blobbers but I found WoX charming and easy to get into.

I miss when games mixed sci-fi and fantasy, especially when they were kept separate rather than becoming a weird science-fantasy setting.

 

[Elwro]

For me blobbers need to present the world with hard angles, to give me that EoB vibe; M&M VI and up don't count, they're too modern with how they render the dungeons The Grimrock games fit perfectly, though; there's nothing like walking through a forest laid out in neat squares.

But seriously, try Eye of the Beholder 1. It's a very fun journey through the first few levels. Then it becomes kinda difficult and you'll lose interest anyway.

 

[Ysaye]

if you like Wizardry 8, try Wizards and Warriors.

 

[Cleveland Mark Blakemore]

I tried playing their FPS sequels and instantly vomited in the first ten minutes. Unplayable.

They seem to get a lot of love on the codex but I just couldn't get into them. I'm not big on blobbers but I found WoX charming and easy to get into.

I miss when games mixed sci-fi and fantasy, especially when they were kept separate rather than becoming a weird science-fantasy setting.

You can't even discuss this issue with newbs and popamoler millennials.

Try to imagine somebody who thinks Lands of Lore (possibly the most beautiful blobber of all time) and Lands of Lore II-III are fairly compatible (!). How would you even begin to talk to somebody like this?

LANDS OF LORE

LANDS OF LORE II

Higher rez not needed because it gets uglier the bigger it gets

Also notice the warmth and camaderie of the adventurers in LANDS OF LORE. Even with limited interaction the entire game comes off as light hearted and earnest and there is no millennial irony.

It's been said before by others but let me say here : millennials can't into mammalian. They're autistic as f*ck and everything they produce is hollow, sterile and lacks heart. The sequels weren't just ugly, they were juvenile and awkward. There is no amount of money that can conceal that the authors have no souls.

 

[Jvegi]

If you hate blobbers you're a man of high standards and the genre is not for you.

 

[Shaki]

OP plays some pseudo blobbers and decides he hates blobbers. It's like listening to Bon Jovi and deciding you don't like heavy metal.

I pretty much never played a blobber before trying Wizardry 8.

Well I guess I did, because I played Pool of Radiance and other Gold Box games, and I guess they're considered blobbers, but they had actual top down turn based combat, so they were never really blobbers in my mind. Since I was a kid I loved combat like this, and when I saw games which also moved party combat to first person, I thought the whole idea is fucking retarded and it just dumbs down combat for idiots, so I never actually tried any games that had it. This is what the term "blobber" constituted for me, and where my hate came from. First person party combat = blobber for me.

Wizardry 8 proved me a retard tho, so I'm open to trying more, even if they won't live up to it. Since I don't have anything else to play, I guess I can even give up on combat faggotry a little and just go for atmosphere/exploration.

I'm going to try Grimoire, Wizardry 6&7 and M&M 4-5 next, thank you all for recommendations.

 

[Darth Canoli]

I'm going to try Grimoire, Wizardry 6&7 and M&M 4-5 next, thank you all for recommendations.

Before Xeen, you should play M&M III Isles of Terra, it's the true monocled choices for many reasons, Isles of Terra is big but not immense, you get to recruit hirelings to extend your party up to 8, there is no red dwarf mines (it's Wiz 4's own mont Gigas, except worse) and there isn't the insane flow of xp from Darkside which will ruin Clouds of Xeen (M&M IV) experience.

If you like M&M III, you can always play World of Xeen later.

 

[Lady Error]

Wizardry 8 proved me a retard tho, so I'm open to trying more, even if they won't live up to it. Since I don't have anything else to play, I guess I can even give up on combat faggotry a little and just go for atmosphere/exploration.

I'm going to try Grimoire, Wizardry 6&7 and M&M 4-5 next, thank you all for recommendations.

If you liked Wizardry 8 but not Might & Magic, then you should definitely give Wizards & Warriors a try. Made by the same guy who created Wizardry 6 & 7.

 

[octavius]

OP plays some pseudo blobbers and decides he hates blobbers. It's like listening to Bon Jovi and deciding you don't like heavy metal.

I pretty much never played a blobber before trying Wizardry 8.

Well I guess I did, because I played Pool of Radiance and other Gold Box games, and I guess they're considered blobbers, but they had actual top down turn based combat, so they were never really blobbers in my mind.

Well, at least you got that part right.

 

[ShaggyMoose]

Wow, the view portal size in LoL is way smaller than I remember...

 

[Shaki]

Ok, reporting back, I played Grimoire for a couple of days now, the game is literally perfect for me and exactly what I was looking for. The amount of autism involved in all the multiclassing and planning my characters' development literally makes me hard, combat so far is really satisfying, and exploration is god tier. So thanks again to people who recommended it.