Let's settle this once and for all! Who's the Top Dog?

[thekdawg21]

I've still not played Arcanum extensively. I keep trying to play as a dwarf tecchie, but I just can't get past the first few zones. Am I missing something that makes this game so damn revered in the eyes of the Codex? Is there some reason to slog through the awful combat?

 

[Secretninja]

@Satori

r00fles

DA>BGII

 

[Fezzik]

I vote for Fallout. It's more fun to play than PS:T, and it's worst features are largely ignorable, which isn't as easy with Arcanum. If Arcanum had better dungeon design, combat, etc it would come out on top.

 

[SCO]

Should had added JA2 for the tactical combat freaks.

Anyway, grrrrr, fallout.

Has some of the strengths of torment without some of the weakness of Arcanum (i wish there was more interactivity in some of the quests - i don't mean the talking, i mean more solutions, visible consequences - fallout actually pioneered the emergent gameplay quest solution - first game i know allowing to plant a bomb in someone)

 

[Crispy]

It appears that Arcanum and Fallout are edging away from Torment, locked in a fierce battle with each other! Will Torment regain ground? Are we all emo faggots??!?

 

[SCO]

I've still not played Arcanum extensively. I keep trying to play as a dwarf tecchie, but I just can't get past the first few zones. Am I missing something that makes this game so damn revered in the eyes of the Codex? Is there some reason to slog through the awful combat?

Ignore the combat. I say this literally. The quests (and some companions comments) are where it is at.

 

[Xor]

Fallout forever.

 

[PorkaMorka]

Arcanum is an awful game, it has a good world, good side quests, but the game systems are completely broken, in a way that is very likely to impact the player. Not just a few specific builds are broken, but the entire system of building characters.

PS:T is a bad game with a good plot. Well not good so much as complicated and verbose, but it's a solid plot. Plot and dialog aside, the gameplay fails utterly to even come close to say BG1.

Fallout is a mediocre game (shallow combat, bad AI), but not an awful one. And the combat while mediocre was fresh at the time, combine that with the awesome animations and it seemed fun while you were playing the first time. Plus it had the best world out of the three, and was more original and innovative, so when you first played it, the flaws didn't stand out and you got sucked into it.

However, I must point out that BG2 probably literally provides more actual good gameplay than all 3 combined.

 

[Crispy]

And PorkaMorka is crucified on a wooden swastika as a side attraction!

VOTE!

 

[Melcar]

PT:S is for fags and emos, and people that like JRPGs. Arcanum is just fuck up. Fallout is the manly man's game.

 

[1eyedking]

Fallout 2.

 

[Twinkle]

PT:S is for fags and emos, and people that like JRPGs. Arcanum is just fuck up. Fallout is the manly man's game.

YEAH BROS CHOOSE REAL MANLY GAME FALLOUT INSTEAD OF JUVENILE EMO FAGGOTRY.

 

[Xor]

Arcanum is an awful game, it has a good world, good side quests, but the game systems are completely broken, in a way that is very likely to impact the player. Not just a few specific builds are broken, but the entire system of building characters.

PS:T is a bad game with a good plot. Well not good so much as complicated and verbose, but it's a solid plot. Plot and dialog aside, the gameplay fails utterly to even come close to say BG1.

Fallout is a mediocre game (shallow combat, bad AI), but not an awful one. And the combat while mediocre was fresh at the time, combine that with the awesome animations and it seemed fun while you were playing the first time. Plus it had the best world out of the three, and was more original and innovative, so when you first played it, the flaws didn't stand out and you got sucked into it.

However, I must point out that BG2 probably literally provides more actual good gameplay than all 3 combined.

Your opinions are bad and you should feel bad.

 

[Rohit_N]

Fallout.

 

[Melcar]

Seriously bro.

 

[dx__]

I voted Fallout. I haven't finished Arcanum yet, though I keep meaning to. I can never find a character set-up that fits my playing style (I try to avoid fights unless I'm in the mood, and I always tend to pick fights with the strongest folk).

And, while Planescape outdoes the others in terms of story and dialogue (as far as I can see) - Fallout had more different play styles (and Arcanum probably outdoes Fallout, but, like I've said, I haven't finished it).

 

[Kaanyrvhok]

I havent played Arcanum. I'm going to get. Whats the best mod to remove all the filler combat the game is known for?

Anyway I would still take Pool of Radiance over the other two.

 

[Zomg]

People give PS:T too much shit for the combat because they form their critical judgment of it after the excruciating Ravel's Garden -> Endgame trash combat death march. The first two-thirds or so of the game is no worse than typical IE shit, meaning you click stupidly, maybe form a tactical thought every couple of hours, and it goes away before you get mad at it; the other IEs and NWNs (nevermind GBs) have plenty of their own trash combat death marches (and the tradition apparently continues with DA).

Of course, being as worthless as a normal RPG for most of the way through doesn't mean the game has good combat.

 

[Talonfire]

I voted for Fallout; though I have to confess that I have never played Arcanum.

 

[Crispy]

What's this? Torment may be making a comeback! But Fallout appears to be leaving both behind. Isn't this exciting?!?

VOTE, you slobs!

 

[Technoviking]

Arcanum was somehow a game that slipped me by when it was originally released.

It's rather odd, since I've probably played most cRPGs that have been released since 1990 or so. (No. I am not exaggerating.)

I tried to remedy that a few months ago and played the game with all the mods suggested to me here on the Codex. Without trying to insult anyone, I believe this has to be one of those games you had to fall in love with back when it was originally released.

While the good parts are very, very good... it's just the bad parts that are extremely bad.

By far the worst thing about Arcanum is the combat system. It almost might as well not have been a part of the game. Even with the latest mods I find ways to accidentally cheese my way through various encounters. Just to remotely enjoy combat I have to set myself numerous rules as to what not to do, which in turn isn't very enjoyable.


Of course RPGs aren't just about combat, which is why I actually rate Arcanum fairly highly, all things considered. An RPG's combat system should never be ignored as much as it was in Arcanum though. (in my opinion)



All of the above being said, Arcanum was a Troika game and as an avid RPG'er Troika is probably one of the developing studios that annoys me the most. All of their products could have been so good, but instead were simply unfinished. While I'm sure some of you here on the Codex have the perfect explanations as to why Troika released such incredibly unfinished games, I'll have a hard time ever giving them much credit. You can survive as an indie developer without the problems they ran into with just about everything they tried doing.

They had some of the best ideas I've seen, but sadly that just wasn't enough. I think they could have become a leading RPG studio with a bit more... discipline?



As for the vote, I chose PST. Not only did I thoroughly enjoy the game, but it's one of the very, very few video games I've played that had a story that I truly enjoyed. That's saying quite a bit, as I read around 20k pages worth of novels each year. :D

As with Troika, I also seem not to be in agreement with the Codex as to which Fallout game is the best, as I thought Fallout 2 was an improvement on the original in most ways.

 

[Junior Boy]

I loved Fallout 2 but it felt a bit directionless at times. And anyone who lambastes games like DA for their cliche themes needs to take a good, long, hard look at FO2. The whole tribal, chosen one thing was awkward and hammy, as was the fact you never really felt like a tribal.

 

[Vault Dweller]

I confess to having not played Arcanum...

I still haven't played Arcanum...

I've still not played Arcanum extensively. I keep trying to play as a dwarf tecchie, but I just can't get past the first few zones.

I havent played Arcanum.

I have to confess that I have never played Arcanum.

Decline.

If it's not the best RPG ever made, it's one of the top 3. If you're interested in RPGs, there is no excuse.

Arcanum is an awful game...

PS:T is a bad game with a good plot. Plot and dialog aside, the gameplay fails utterly to even come close to say BG1.

Fallout is a mediocre game (shallow combat, bad AI)...

However, I must point out that BG2 probably literally provides more actual good gameplay than all 3 combined.

Remind me again why the Codex stopped rewarding posting excellence with a special tag.

 

[Relayer71]

Well since Oblivion and Dungeon Siege aren't up there, it will have to be Arcanum.

 

[MasterSmithFandango]

Fallout by a nose over Arcanum. I love PS:T, but the other two are better games and I had overall better experiences. I gotta say though, this is like picking your favorite kid.