141 réponses à ce sujet

[bawpie]

In terms of characters, no other company can create companions like Bioware. BG 2 was also tremendously helped by the fan community with their banter packs which just deepened the experience even more so.



People have also mentioned PS:T which, again, was fantastic in terms of character/companion development and story. I honestly can say I love those games, but I was awful at playing them. Pretty sure I had to cheat my way to completion in both =/



Jade Empire and KotoR 1 & 2 are also excellent. I was blown away the first time I played Kotor and realised every character had voiced dialogue. Jade Empire also had the added bonus of a very fun combat system - as much as I love KotoR, BG 2 even DA:O, I do prefer the more arcadey style of battling enemies (see also Mass Effect).



Speaking of Mass Effect, that's also a very enjoyable game. I think DA:O edges it in terms of character development and companions, but ME is up there. It had it's fair share of flaws (exploration wasn't as much fun as it perhaps could have been, and some of the companions were a bit dull - Wrex mostly made up for those though), but I'm still looking massively forward to the sequel.



Finally, NWN and NWN2 were both okay although not Bioware's finest hour as far as I'm concerned in terms of story/characters. I think some of the player made mods (particularly the sadly unfinished Lone Wolf series for NWN) outshone the original campaign.



Stepping away from Bioware, I'd also recommend (as others have), The Witcher. I've just started this again (had to stop the first time pre patch because of the agonising load time which have been since been fixed). It lacks the companions, but the combat dynamic is fun, there's a good story to it and a lot of it reminds me of DA in terms of tone/morality/decisions.



I'd also like to mention Risen and Gothic 1 (yet to play 2 and 3). Risen is a lot like Gothic, but more focused I thought. Again, I enjoyed the combat but you are a loner, so you lose out on that party dynamic that we're so spoiled with by Bioware. Risen also really fell down towards the end, going from being quite an interesting exploration RPG to just a 'go here, kill this' bore fest. It's still worth it for the first two acts though.



I'm surprised no one has actually mentioned the remake of Ultima V that was made in the Dungeon Siege engine (google Ultima V Lazarus). That is an excellent game, and free (although you need to own Dungeon Siege which is very cheap to pick up). Made by massive fans of the Ultima series (which as far as I'm concerned is still a major benchmark for me when it comes to RPGs), it's really a lot of fun, with a lot of character interaction and an excellent story to boot.



Whilst I'm talking about Ultima, I'd also mention VII and VII part 2 - both brilliant games and the first time I really realised what a CRPG was. I'm still sad that a lot of the things we saw in those games aren't really implemented in modern RPGs - the fact that you couldn't just go around rifling in people's drawers (why can you do this in DA:O and The Witcher without consequence?! Why?!), and every in world npc had their own routine, that if you really wanted you could slaughter the entire population...ah those were the days!



Back to the present, I'd also recommend Fallout 3. I was quite wary about it after trying Oblivion and growing very bored very quickly (astonishing world, very dull characters in it though) but I found it a blast. The combat mechanic is a lot of fun, and the game itself had heaps of atmosphere (nothing quite like traipsing through the wasteland at night trying to avoid mutants for dear life!). Again, it doesn't offer the companions/party that you'd get in a Bioware game, but I think we've probably established not many games do.



I've tried Vampire: The Masquerade but have yet to really get my teeth into it (sorrrry!).

[I Valente I]

Dr Bawbag wrote...

Planecape and BG2 - DA:O doesn't even come close.

Tbf, i don't think we'll ever see another game quite like Planecape again, so maybe I'm being a little harsh, i dunno.

you are living in the past. there will never be a game like planescape: torment again. Dragon Age is the closest anyone is ever going to get to the Bg series.

some things are meant to be great for their time and not meant to be repeated. Frank Sinatra comes to mind...you don't see people wishing another Sinatra would come along.

[RangerSG]

FlintlockJazz wrote...

jimbo91291 wrote...

ok, im not a HUGE rpg player, but what about the elder scrolls oblivion? that was such a massive massive game, so much to do. so much work. hundreds of side quests and a long main quest. not trying to patronize anyone, im seriously wondering, is that not a respected rpg?

I can't speak for anyone else, but the problem I had with it is that it did not feel like the characters in it had...character.  They felt like quest dispensors more than actual people, and didn't really feel like a world that I was interacting with as a character, hence I don't feel that it's as much a roleplay game as a sandbox. 

The guard's reaction to the emperor's death at the beginning killed it for me for instance.

If the entire game had been written like the Dark Brotherhood questline, I would have Oblivion up with Baldur's Gate 2. The DB questline was AMAZING. But the Main Quest was predictable, dull, and uninspiring. Also, you had to d/l at least 4 mods to fix the rules so the game was playable without breaking immersion. And then d/l 3 others so that your PC and EVERY NPC you met wasn't doomed to be ugly. (The ugly character thing was also an issue in NWN2. So much so that whenever I hear a developer talk about "realistic-looking" NPCs, I cringe. I know what's coming next.)

The voice acting was shoddy (other than Sean Bean and Patrick Stewart). And really, there was nothing in the game (other than atmospheric graphics) that Morrowind didn't do better than Oblivion. Morrowind (with the expansions) had MORE quests, the Main Questline was far more epic. And the rules were much better balanced, and you didn't have everything scaling with you everyplace in the world (so you didn't see bandits in full daedric armor holding you up for 100gp). Also you may not have had horses, but you could levitate and cloud walk...and THAT was cool.

[bzombo]

games i've played, in order of how much i like:

bg 1&2(dead heat for me)
dragon age
temple of elemental evil (great game, but so buggy i got sick of it and stopped playing.)
icewind dale
diablo 2
icewind dale 2
diablo 1
nwn
nwn2
pool of radiance: ruins of myth drannor
planescape torment (just doesn't do anything for me)



as far as modern day rpgs, dragon age is by far the best. i've tried some other modern ones, but they just stink in my opinion.

[bzombo]

I Valente I wrote...

Dr Bawbag wrote...

Planecape and BG2 - DA:O doesn't even come close.

Tbf, i don't think we'll ever see another game quite like Planecape again, so maybe I'm being a little harsh, i dunno.

you are living in the past. there will never be a game like planescape: torment again. Dragon Age is the closest anyone is ever going to get to the Bg series.

some things are meant to be great for their time and not meant to be repeated. Frank Sinatra comes to mind...you don't see people wishing another Sinatra would come along.

i am probably in the past as well. i lost interest in newer rpgs. too much flash and no substance. i held out hope for da since it was bioware, and i have to say i am glad i did. the game has been nothing short of excellent.

[Edelwolf]

Compared to the crap we got in the past couple years, DA:O is good.



The game could have been so much better though. Some of the crap Bioware did that could've easily been fixed. Damn, this game could've been great.

[I Valente I]

RangerSG wrote...

The voice acting was shoddy (other than Sean Bean and Patrick Stewart).

ugh..I had a MAJOR problem with Oblivion's voice acting. I mean it was truly horrible, I think they had 5-6 voice actors, and some of them sounded like they weren't even trying. The orcs go down as the most horribly voiced characters in the game, especially when they talk with bad grammar. Same with the Nord voices grr. If you voice the whole game then at least hire good actors...Oblivion did a good job of ruining any mystical-fantasy feeling s I got from elves or the other fantastic races.

the obvious exception were the celbrity VA's, and also the guy who did Lucien Lachance was good, although he was also all of the imperial voices I think, and I hated those.

[xCobalt]

adembroski11 wrote...

xCobalt wrote...

It seems everyone here is a fan of wrpg...no love for jrpgs?

I don't consider them the same thing. Don't get me wrong, far be it for me to say FFVII was anything less than a gaming masterpeice, but I do not consider it a role playing game. Not in the same sense, anyways.

It's clear that the styles from both genres are different but I can't see how jrpgs aren't considered rpgs in your mind. They have similar formulas that contains a levelling system, classes, equipment, party members, some form of dungeon crawling, and to some extent, a generic storyline (trying to prevent the destruction of the world with a group of heroes).

[Dr Bawbag]

The biggest problem with JRPGs is down to the fact they've never evolved. There's also no variation out with them either. Same old, same old...

Modifié par Dr Bawbag, 11 janvier 2010 - 08:42 .

[xCobalt]

I would disagree on that. It's true that some of the weaker jrpgs follow the same formula but the same could be said for games made in North America. To say that theres no variation between the games seems ignorant to me.

[novaseeker]

I very much like Oblivion as well when I am in the mood for a bit for sandboxy type play, but the voice acting and storylines grate quite a bit when comparing them to a BioWare-style game. I think it's good that we have two great studios working on two very different models of RPGs at the same time -- makes for good gameplay variety in the market.

[RangerSG]

novaseeker wrote...

I very much like Oblivion as well when I am in the mood for a bit for sandboxy type play, but the voice acting and storylines grate quite a bit when comparing them to a BioWare-style game. I think it's good that we have two great studios working on two very different models of RPGs at the same time -- makes for good gameplay variety in the market.

While I think you'd be better served playing Morrowind than Oblivion for your sandbox RPG fix, I agree that it's good to have two studios producing different style RPGs. Especially since it's not clear what is going on with Obsidian these days.

[Glorfindel7]

Ultima V (along with the AD&D Gold Box series (Pool of Radiance et al), Wizardry V, VI..., Starflight,...) was/were my introduction to RPGs. Will definitely look up Ultima V Lazarus. And I also fondly remember the Eye of the Beholder series someone else mentioned. By today's standards horrible graphics, rudimentary sound, etc but engrossing games indeed. Substance over style; remakes of things like Pool of Radiance demonstrate that substance can still beat style. BG1 was the turning point in what was a long slide in PC RPGs and I have had a fond spot for Bioware ever since. DA:O has managed to add the style without compromising the substance. Grats to BW for that.



But my personal preferences will always have me preferring the Bethesda style game (though I will agree that the added style of OB did not fully compensate for the reduction in substance from MW). Vanilla DA:O is a 'better game' than vanilla OB, but DA:O will never get better than French Vanilla whereas mods mean you can have any flavour of OB that you want.



And why the heck is a nominally Bioware website indicating that the correct spelling of flavour needs to be Americanized?

[The_Pope]

DAO is awesome, and is in the mix with BGII, Fallout 3 (travesty I haven't played the others), KOTOR II, and Planescape (the most underrated RPG ever). Right now I'm playing Shining Force and it's some old school fun for the Wii.

[Revik]

bawpie wrote...
I've tried Vampire: The Masquerade but have yet to really get my teeth into it (sorrrry!).

Play through the first couple areas which has to do with a prosthetic doctor and the haunted house.  Play these areas at night with the lights out.  If this does not do it for you I can safely say that you probably will not enjoy the rest of the game.

[Vigmund]

Dragon Age is a very good RPG but without the companions it would be very boring. The story is great, not as deep as games like Baldur's Gate but deep enough to make most players happy.



Personally, I think Dragon Age is one of the best RPGs that has came out the recent years. First is Baldur's Gate for the storyline, second is Neverwinter Nights for the fighting system, then Dragon Age for the companions, and last is The Witcher for the openess. However, I miss minigames and puzzles in RPGs.

[Nuclear_Pony]

Games I have played :

Blood and Magic (I don't give a *beep* about graphics, the game was fun ! Oldest D&D game I've ever played. Sadly I lost my hard copy of the game, still bugged about it)

Baldur's Gate
Baldur's Gate II
Icewind Dale
Icewind Dale II
Neverwinter Nights
Neverwinter Nights II
Planescape: Torment
Temple of Elemental Evil
Pool of Radiance: Ruins of Myth Drannor
Vampire the Masquerade: Bloodlines
Fallout
Fallout II
Jagged Alliance II

As you can see, I favour the D&D style a lot. I played as many as I could possibly find.  DAO comes as close as we'll probably ever see to that system. It still isn't as good as the BG series though. But close is good enough for me.
Last one I've played extensively is VtMB wich is also a dialogue heavy and story driven game, and comes very close to DAO. I love that game (even though it was a bug-fest without patching).  Malkavians and Toreadors for the win !!!

Modifié par Nuclear_Pony, 12 janvier 2010 - 07:35 .

[Tirrahhh]

Vigmund wrote...

Dragon Age is a very good RPG but without the companions it would be very boring. 

That's at the same time a very true and very strange statement...
Because imagening Dragon Age without companions is like... cornflakes without milk? Or something... ^^

[Arinosmirc]

In terms of Fantasy RPGs, the market has been starved for a decent fantasy RPG such as this for some time. For some reason, people keep ranting and raving over how 'good' The Elder Scroll series is, but it hasn't really been decent for years (in fact, I would say their last good RPG was before even Morrowind, which I found to be a bland game. Only redeeming quality is the modding)



In terms of RPGs, really, Bioware and Obsidian seem to be the only companies interested in interactive RPGs with decent writing. Loved their recent titles, such as NWN2, Mass Effect, etc.



Other companies just don't seem to care *coughcough* Bethesda*coughcough*. Hated the writing in that game, in both plot AND dialogue. Not to mention the stupid ending that they charged players, what, $15 to correct? Correcting that ending should have been free of charge, considering how mind numbling stupid the original ending was. And they didn't even fix that right. "oh you sacrificed yourself....but you got better...and no extra toes to boot!". How about letting us use characters who can actually do what was required without almost dying? Sheesh.



Whoops, I started ranting. At least I didn't go on about aliens they added. Bleh.



Back on topic, like I said, it's great to see an RPG with top notch dialogue and story, which should be cornerstone in EVERY computer RPG.

[Pwillig]

I wish I could've played it on PC b/c trying to get tactical with a controller is awful at best.

Other than that, It's the best RPG I've played since the Mask of the Betrayer expansion, and I think it surpasses MotB.

Depending on Awakening, we'll see if it beats my BG2 nostalgia.

[fanman72]

Honestly, it could be the best RPG I've played period. Fallout 3 is a close second. Planescape Torment has a better story, but mediocre gameplay and due to tech advancement since it falls short. KOTOR 2 had a great story, but a bit underdeveloped. BG2 and Morrowind were both great, but both games have aged.

[Cybercat999]

No comparison. This is my first and probably last. I like to share my games with people I like.

This is just good to fill the break until Secret World or something else comes out. If anything I will keep even more away from RPGers now after experience with this community.

[KCFender]

Jade Empire. That game comes close to Dragon Age in that most of the story within the game is to be found with the supporting cast of characters, who were all well-written and voice-acted. Also had a wholly unique world with beautiful designs. I really hope a sequel happens one day...



Cybercat999: "If anything I will keep even more away from RPGers now after experience with this community.""



This isn't a MMO (thank god). So who cares? This is a single-player RPG. The community has no bearing on the game at all if you don't want it to. I don't see how it could affect your opinion of the game or its genre.

[Cybercat999]

KCFender wrote...
This isn't a MMO (thank god). So who cares? This is a single-player RPG. The community has no bearing on the game at all if you don't want it to. I don't see how it could affect your opinion of the game or its genre.

Like I said, I like to share. If I cant share my game in some way I dont find it worth to play much. You say this is no MMO thank god, I say too bad. We are different people, I like to socialize and you like to play alone. And we probably will not understand each other either so leave it at that, ok?