CRPGAddict

[gothfox]

Fallout is much nearer to a virtual 'old-school RPG paradigm' than M&M.

is this the kind of people who post here now?

 

[Gaznak]

How come?

Do not forget that we talk about it all from Addict's perspective, with his M&M6 and BG as a paragons for RPG evaluation. Traditional blobber thing (as MM/Wizardry) could go as a paragon for earlier RPGs (perhaps, and very subjectively as well). But what he will be judging upon when (if) he come up to more modern games? M&M6?

He could take M&M7 at least

And I still insist that Fallout should be on the list for a task like Addict's, i.e. evaluation of games of RPG history.

 

[Gaznak]

is this the kind of people who post here now?

I suppose you meant that kind of people? ↓↓↓

Will play more Inxile games in the future

 

[Darth Canoli]

That's... not much of a bar to overcome. I mean, when I tie my shoelaces, I too do a better job than 90% of the RPG released post 2001.

What i meant is M&M itemization is good and if you do better, you've got a great system, i'd take M&M one over modern diablo/DOS 2 % or level based garbage.

The only thing M&M 6-8 itemization lacks is more good unique items.
Not because you need it but because you WANT it!

 

[mondblut]

How come? M&M6 is a slightly modernized blobber, a sub-genre going back to Wizardry. You can't really be more oldschool than that.

Wizardry did not have circle-strafing while shooting a 4-barreled bow with infinite arrows.

Fallout on the other hand was a new kind of cRPG in 1997/8, with very few predecessors (Wasteland had some of its elements but also blobber combat).

Strip the mad max gimmickry, and you basically end up with Ultima.

 

[JarlFrank]

What are 'classes' for in a system when any class can learn almost any skill and use almost any item? You can get a burglar paladin with twin daggers shooting firebolts while flying*.

* You can't, in fact, but you get the idea.

Way to ruin your own point.

Not every class can learn and master every skill.

 

[Fowyr]

Fallout on the other hand was a new kind of cRPG in 1997/8, with very few predecessors (Wasteland had some of its elements but also blobber combat).

Nope, every element of Fallout was introduced earlier. This new kind of CRPGs was an evolution of old kind and resurgence of some older mechanics.
Probably, the only things that I can't remember now in older games are stat and skill checks in dialogues itself, but I'm pretty sure that someone will correct me.
Timed quests? Magic Candle and Exile 3.
Turn-based tactical combat was perfected years before.
Several solutions for one quest? Wasteland and Dragon Wars.
Skill checks? Buck Rogers and Realms of Arkania.
Dialogue trees? Ultima Underworld and Dark Sun, that probably is the biggest predecessor of Fallout.
Open world with distinct locations? Wasteland, Ultima series, Might and Magic...

 

[Ryzer]

Nope, every element of Fallout was introduced earlier.

Even talking heads? This was a particularly good and fresh new feature to show emotions.

 

[Butter]

Nope, every element of Fallout was introduced earlier.

Even talking heads? This was a particularly good and fresh new feature to show emotions.

Lands of Lore had a rudimentary version of this.

 

[Fowyr]

By the way, Fallout-style C&C, I'm pretty sure, was introduced earlier as well. Aethra Chronicles had a two endings depending on fate of the rescued child. Wizardry 4 had several endings depending on your actions earlier (for example, changing alignment). Exile 3 not only had timed destruction of cities (like Fallout later), it took in consideration your actions with Crystal Souls in one of the last battles.

 

[KeighnMcDeath]

Even Questron had cities destroyed but that might be scripted and not timed (I don't think you can wait to have ALL of Questron destroyed nor hack a character and kill Mantor before a city is destroyed).

 

[V_K]

By the way, Fallout-style C&C, I'm pretty sure, was introduced earlier as well. Aethra Chronicles had a two endings depending on fate of the rescued child. Wizardry 4 had several endings depending on your actions earlier (for example, changing alignment). Exile 3 not only had timed destruction of cities (like Fallout later), it took in consideration your actions with Crystal Souls in one of the last battles.

The Daggerfall erasure runs thick in this post.

Probably, the only things that I can't remember now in older games are stat and skill checks in dialogues itself, but I'm pretty sure that someone will correct me.

Tunnels&Trolls had most interactions with the world happen through dialog trees, and some options in those did involve stat checks.

 

[Fowyr]

The Daggerfall erasure runs thick in this post.

No, I just quickly tried to remember some examples. Indeed, it has several endings. Also it has C&Cs for some quests. From straightforward "to drink or not to drink" that witch potion, to pretty elaborate multi-part quests from CompUSA Special Edition. Hm, that lycanthropy cure quest was really great too and had two outcomes depending on killing infected child.

 

[Covenant]

Is he ever going to return to Angband? His Nethack posts were some of the best on his blog, so I've found it surprising how much he seems to be struggling to bring Angband to life. Admittedly, the game is unavoidably a slog, but greater vaults, close fights with uniques, lucky artifact finds all lend themselves very well toward summarising the journey into just a few posts.

 

[Deuce Traveler]

Is he ever going to return to Angband? His Nethack posts were some of the best on his blog, so I've found it surprising how much he seems to be struggling to bring Angband to life. Admittedly, the game is unavoidably a slog, but greater vaults, close fights with uniques, lucky artifact finds all lend themselves very well toward summarising the journey into just a few posts.

I'm sure he will, but Chester doesn't like to bore his audience so he usually waits until he has enough new material to report before creating a new post on a game. Every so often he runs into a brick wall because a game is buggy and then he stops playing and finishes up with a quick summation. I never beat the DOS versions of Angband or Zangband, but they are my favorite rogue-likes. And they take fucking forever. At the last quarter of the dungeon one small screw-up can get you killed, so often you lose your entire character because the game started getting a little monotonous and you weren't paying attention to the danger you were walking into and then you have to re-roll a character and start from the beginning. I love the games, but I never beat them. I wouldn't be surprised if he quits before he can declare a victory, but he should at least get a character to level 40 or so and get close to the final dungeon floors. After that, we should have at least a couple quality posts before he either beats the game or it beats him.

 

[Deuce Traveler]

Called it! See my post above, then the following link:

http://crpgaddict.blogspot.com/2022/02/angband-setback.html

My Angband efforts have hit several snags since I last blogged about it...

I don't know why any developer would make a game, let alone a permadeath game, this long. Moria was already insane at 50 levels (and it must be remembered, Moria's and Angband's levels are at least four times as large as Rogue's and NetHack's), and the author of Moria was a confessed sadist who deliberately "patched" the game every time someone won. What then to make of Cutler and Astrand? We often hear tales of bright university students who flunked out because they couldn't stop playing video games, but this is perhaps the first game I've encountered that would have absolutely demanded it. Without full-time attention, I suspect you couldn't win it in four years.

And that short entry is my report from 10 more hours with this unending slog of a roguelike. Maybe I'll have another update in March.

Btw, I still love DOS era Angband and Zangband. I guess it's my parallel to the insane fans that love Fate: Gates of Dawn.

 

[KeighnMcDeath]

Moria?

 

[Gastrick]

I have a conspiracy theory about the CRPG addict.

Remember years ago when he announced that the blog would go on hyatus because he was tired of it? WHAT IF what actually happened after that is some long time reader(s) reached out and offered to help keep the blog alive and complete the project by playing the games and sending him reviews he could re-write and post as his? Doesn't it strikes you as odd that one dude would be able to play so many games so quickly like he has been doing recently while also being so prolific with his writing?

His pacing isn't that fast, he has around 7000 hours total now. Many people have wasted more time than that over their lives playing video games. If you spread the time over 11 years, he plays an average of 2 hours a day.

Your theory still is plausible; after all, Razorfist has someone else play all his games and edit his videos.

 

[Narushima]

A recent comment from this post: http://crpgaddict.blogspot.com/2022/03/brief-space-hulk-1993.html

Anonymous
March 12, 2022 at 7:58 AM
Blobber is a stupid term coined and propagated by the homophobes and racists of RPG Codex who also have a slew of cutesy images to systematically push their hatred of Jews with.

Don't associate with them or their terms. Cue people like JarlFrank who makes fun of you on there and has for years to defend them.

Do you seriously want to align yourself with the crowd that has stupid images of Jews clutching bags of money posted daily?

You're a bunch of cute Nazis.

 

[Silentstorm]

Wait, i swear i have seen blobber being used as a term in other places, in fact, i think i saw it before i even learned of RPG Codex?

Doing a Google Search shows it is a term used to describe a genre, Wikipedia, Giantbomb, Urban Dictionary and other sites like RPGWatch have used the term blobber, i don't know when it started but i wouldn't be suprised if it predated RPG Codex.

Besides, even if it's associated with something the poster hates, what else will he call it, it's just like metroidvania, a term some people hate but fits so well and became so popular it will never dissapear.

 

[Butter]

Wait, i swear i have seen blobber being used as a term in other places, in fact, i think i saw it before i even learned of RPG Codex?

Doing a Google Search shows it is a term used to describe a genre, Wikipedia, Giantbomb, Urban Dictionary and other sites like RPGWatch have used the term blobber, i don't know when it started but i wouldn't be suprised if it predated RPG Codex.

Besides, even if it's associated with something the poster hates, what else will he call it, it's just like metroidvania, a term some people hate but fits so well and became so popular it will never dissapear.

It's probably Atlantico being butthurt again.

 

[KeighnMcDeath]

For a metroidvania to be true I think it must have the following mechanics:
1. Side-scrolling action platforming
2. Map broken into explorable sections (which might or might not be blocked until unlocked)
3. Free to roam within the unlocked areas
4. SAVE ROOMS
5. Minor rpg element (equipment, levels, abilities, unlockable/buyable items/abilities).
6. BOSS ROOMS

maybe there's more. Sometimes, I think they slap the metroidvania tag on snd the game is nothing more than a side-scroller or platformer.

 

[Morpheus Kitami]

Besides, even if it's associated with something the poster hates, what else will he call it, it's just like metroidvania, a term some people hate but fits so well and became so popular it will never dissapear.

I mean, walking simulator stuck despite being a term that really craps on the genre. Hell, in music, Krautrock stuck as a term despite being a horrific and demeaning racial slur. Guess it doesn't count since Germans don't have feelings.

 

[samuraigaiden]

metroidvania

Way back before metroidvanias were a dime a dozen, kids starved for more of that sweet SotN magic would associate the term with pretty much any platformer with non linear exploration.

Nowadays, it seems like some people expect a game to be exactly like SotN in order to warrant the tag.

 

[Nutria]

I like the term metrovoidania because I don't even know what it means but I know it's something for consolefags so I can ignore any game called that.