True, that's why Quest for Glory is so good. [...] I think it's a shame that quests in most RPG haven't embraced the adventure game formula for at least some of the problems you have to solve. No need for them to be very hard or elaborate like some of the earliest Sierra titles designed to squeeze out your money via hint phone lines. Simple shit like having a shovel or a rope and using it on an object is relatively rare in RPGs. The formula instead is that an NPC tells you to get object X from place Y and then you "use" it automatically while it's in your inventory on object Z to proceed.
Exactly my thoughts. Quest for Glory is more RPG than most "proper RPGs". Having to shoot things or whack them on the head as the primary "problems solving" option in RPGs is starting to put me off lately. I mean, that's the most primitive form of "problem resolution", and it just gets old, unless the game has excellent tactical combat. But even then, the game basically only becomes a tactical combat simulator, which can be cool, but yeah, also a bit one-dimensional for a "role-playing game".
Age of Decadence (one of my favourite games) hits a good balance between tactical combat, role-playing elements, and replayability. Heh, even Maniac Mansion is a lot more of an RPG than most "true RPGs" because of the branching paths and different solutions to problems based on which 3 kids you play out of the 7 possible playable characters.
If you like puzzles and real time blobbers as opposed to turn based, try Legend of Grimrock I & II
One of my favourite RPG genres, indeed. Amazing atmosphere, great exploration, and good puzzles.
This is why I don't get Baldur's Gate and similar games. Cool for a while, exploration is kinda interesting in the beginning, but it just becomes "painting the map" after a few hours. Combat is not very much tactical or fun because of that RTwP bullshit. No puzzles either, so you're just sent around the map killing stuff and collecting 10 pieces of X and shit... But okay, it has swords and magic and goblins and items and levelling so... "it's an RPG"... I guess.
Planescape Torment is actually closer to an adventure game (with really bad tacked-on combat), but my mistake was I expected an RPG and I was sorely disappointed...