The Codex’s Best Computer RPGs (pre-Diablo)

[Rincewind]

Btw, I've done an interesting experiment now. Took the union of the GOTY, "must play" and "highest rated" lists of the CRPGAddict, and it turns out it about 80-90% overlaps with the games put forward in this thread so far. So I'd say if you just want a curated list, the Addict has already done it, pretty much (up to only 1992, though, so a few years are missing).

Here we go, 39 titles so far:

Adventure Construction Set
Akalabeth: World of Doom
Champions of Krynn
Curse of the Azure Bonds
Darklands
Death Knights of Krynn
Disciples of Steel
Dungeon Master
Dungeons of Daggorath
Dunjonquest: The Temple of Apshai
Eye of the Beholder
Fate: Gates of Dawn
Hero's Quest: So You Want to Be a Hero
Legends of Valour
Might and Magic I
Might and Magic III
Moria
NetHack 3.0 Series
Omega
Phantasie
Pool of Radiance
Questron
Rogue
Starflight
Starflight II
The Bard's Tale
The Dark Heart of Uukrul
Ultima
Ultima III
Ultima IV
Ultima Underworld
Ultima V
Ultima VI
Ultima VII
Wasteland
Wizard's Crown
Wizardry
Wizardry VI
Wizardry VII

 

[Rincewind]

So people like me and others can be more selective at which older games are the best because I cant play everything and if you dont use the scoring system it makes it much harder to differentiate.

Nah, you should just go check out my glorious thread-series and start playing everything dutifully from 1977 onwards. There, I've just saved you the cost of expensive GPU upgrades for the next three decades!

 

[BruceVC]

So people like me and others can be more selective at which older games are the best because I cant play everything and if you dont use the scoring system it makes it much harder to differentiate.

Nah, you should just go check out my glorious thread-series and start playing everything dutifully from 1977 onwards. There, I've just saved you the cost of expensive GPU upgrades for the next three decades!

I am going to read your thread now, thanks for sharing and I must just add again I love the Codex culture of how many members really put time and effort to share their views on games and most importantly CRPG

 

[Nathaniel3W]

Ultima 7: The Black Gate - 4 points
Neverwinter Nights - 3 points
Ultima 6: The False Prophet - 2 points
Darklands - 1 point

 

[fabrulana]

Anvil of Dawn 2
Elder Scrolls: Daggerfall 2
Ravenloft: Stone Prophet 2
Lands of Lore: The Throne of Chaos 2
The Bard's Tale 3: Thief of Fate 2

Yes, I do mostly enjoy blobbers

 

[KeighnMcDeath]

Gateway to Apshai Trilogy Amiga? Surely you mean Temple of Apshai Trilogy (includes Upper Reaches, and Curse of Ra).

Gateway to Apshai (c64, atari800, and Colecovision are different beasts with the Coleco being different from c64 & atari even). I do miss the colored walls in the coleco and blast spell (both c64/atari had that) but if you love the old coleco controller then its a blast of an RT action rpg. Hated the timer and the fact you can't go up and down levels. There was a key coded graphic in the game but no actual gateway. Would the gateway lead to the temple or elsewhere like to Apshai the insect god itself?

Oh the QOL that could be made for this game with a little tooling around. A guy made a mobile phone version but it pales a bit to the original imho. There were a few FREEGAMES attempts as well that uh... well weren't good.

I played the coleco hardware and grinded level 8 on a few maps (which reset). The jeweled chest didn't have a bad trap on this map just a pit or stone trap. Collect all the treasures and get +1 to each stat (strength, agility, luck). Do that until 99 in each and you can pretty much kill anything with a dagger even. Avoid curse, poisoned needle, weakness, and death traps. Trap will fuck you up along with a few *cursed swords.

high luck and some spells last a long time. I had a stun spell keep shit stunned for a long time. My reflect spell lasted until the timer ran out (like i needed it since i could one-punch shit). No end though and mapping that game on coleco is A BITCH!

 

[Musaab]

10 points for:

Conan the Cimmerian

 

[EvilWolf]

3 points for BattleTech: The Crescent Hawk's Inception
3 points for BloodNet
3 points for Elder Scrolls: Daggerfall
1 point for Ravenloft: Strahd's Possession

 

[Konjad]

3 points:
Ultima 5
Pool of Radiance
Darklands

1 point:
Realms of Arkania: Star Trail

 

[Q]

3 points:
Wasteland
Might and Magic: World of Xeen
Ultima 7: The Black Gate

1 point:
Dark Sun: Shattered Lands

 

[Don Peste]

4 points:
Eye of the Beholder
3 points:
Heimdall 2: Into the Hall of Worlds
2 points:
Ishar 2: Messengers of Doom
1 point:
Crystals of Arborea

 

[Tweed]

5 Points:
Darklands

2 Points:
Betrayal at Krondor

1 Point:
Daggerfall
Dungeon Master
World of Xeen

Point of Order:
Swords of Xeen was made by Catware, not New World Computing.

 

[ERYFKRAD]

Forget the game rankings, now I'm more interested in how the points are distributed.

 

[Tacgnol]

3:
Betrayal at Krondor

2:
Ultima Underworld
Ultima VII
Exile III

1:
MM World of Xeen

 

[Chaotic_Heretic]

Dark Sun: Shattered Lands = 5 points
Exile 3 = 3 points
Wizardry 7 = 2 points

 

[Dick]

4 points: Wizardry 7: Crusaders of the Dark Savant

2 points each:
Champions of Krynn
Realms of Arkania: Blade of Destiny
Eye of the Beholder 2: The Legend of Darkmoon

 

[Metatron]

5 Betrayal at Krondor
3 Dark Sun: Shattered Lands
2 Might & Magic V: Darkside of Xeen

 

[jackofshadows]

Princess Maker 2 (Gainax)

The fuck?

Anyway, won't vote since I haven't played enough of these and even folks who most probably have, are listing more or less the same only games that I'm familiar with.

 

[mondblut]

That would be Ultima VII, Ultima IV is the anti-combatfag choice, which is not the same.

Oh, but it is. How do you think the decline has began? "Gee, violence is bad, I don't like number crunching, why can't somebody think of akshually Playing Roles?"

 

[Kruno]

To make everyone happy, I propose to keep going with the current poll but call it the "popular vote". In addition to that, also publish the results of the members of the R.P.G. club, or whoever else qualifies by having played at least 50% of the games from the list (and I'm being generous here). In which case, I will also add my own random noise to the popularity pool (as I'm definitely not qualified for the "true" poll) .

Adding my 2 cents, it all depends on the goal of the poll. My polls I try to get the big popular hits as well as the indie gems, that's why I use bayesian averages. If the goal here is to highlight the absolute "must play" titles, I think it's a decent system. Of course, it's useless you want a curated rank from only veteran players.

Then again, I really don't see any point in having a council of wise men declare that Krondor is #1 and Dungeon Master is #2. If you wanna do a curated list, I think it doesn't make sense to make it a ranking, but rather like a guide: "The pre-Diablo RPGs you should play and why they matter".

I don't believe people should vote based on what their favourite game is, otherwise Castle of the Winds, Exile 1, and Valhalla would be my top three picks. A game's impact on the industry is far more important, and how that impact has influenced things today.

 

[mondblut]

Personally, I'd say that "spot the decline enabler" choice is MM3-5, which are the original popamole.
Now let the butthurt flow!..

Nah, these would be a kid's first CRPG. Which is not properly monocled, but commendable in some ways.

 

[felipepepe]

A game's impact on the industry is far more important, and how that impact has influenced things today.

This is not a "most influential games ever" poll.

 

[mondblut]

Also important notice for newcomers, this is the codex : PLAYING THEM IS NOT MANDATORY.

But it should be.

 

[Kruno]

A game's impact on the industry is far more important, and how that impact has influenced things today.

This is not a "most influential games ever" poll.

I can change my votes?

 

[NJClaw]

A game's impact on the industry is far more important, and how that impact has influenced things today.

This is not a "most influential games ever" poll.

I can change my votes?

It's 2021, Kruno. You can change anything you want.

A game's impact on the industry is far more important, and how that impact has influenced things today.

This is not a "most influential games ever" poll.

Of course it isn't, there's no Balder's Gay or Planetscape: Tournament on the list.

 

[Mortmal]

Also important notice for newcomers, this is the codex : PLAYING THEM IS NOT MANDATORY.

But it should be.

It should , but the view on them will be very different if you played them at release or almost at release like us , or if you replay it now. Then how do you check who really played them , unless interviewing every voters ? All those votes are also heavily weighted by nostalgy, probably with some emotional attachment, like the gift they receive at christmas as kid. For someone discovering rpgs, it will be completely irrelevant list .
Best Polls are too simplistic , borderline retarded , therefore sutibable for the codex and heavily popular. Best rpg, but we dont know what they are best at.













let alone what is a rpg......