boxpressed wrote:

It's been forever since I played it at release, but Betrayal at Krondor was engrossing. Not sure how well it has aged. I'll need to fire it up myself!

I started to play Krondor a few months back. I didn't have any issues with the graphics, the music was great, but the terrain was really hard for me to navigate. I kept going in circles unintentionally, as there weren't many visual cues in the terrain (it all looked very similar). I think there must be some trick (maybe navigating with the overhead map on?) but at the time, it frustrated me enough that I set it aside. It is one I intend to get back to though.

clueless1 wrote:

@Dagar: Hexx looks intriguing (coming from an Underworld/LOL point of view). I'd never heard of it back in the day. Thank you.

@gdjacobs: that link makes everything all better. 😀 Darklands is also very intriguing, but having never played it, there's something off-putting about it that I can't quite put my finger on. It seems...too tactical? Too stuffy? Not quite sure. Have you played much of it? It might be one of those games that once you get into the story, all that negative surface stuff disappears.

It's on my list to play, but I've never tried it myself. It seems like the start involves quite a bit of grinding, but the quest system looks really intriguing.

I decided on Fallout. 😎

Thanks for your feedback, guys.

Well, I got about 10 hrs into Fallout (a little less then halfway, I'm guessing), and decided to stop. The story and atmosphere were pretty good, but the UI was too annoying. I couldn't get past it. And there were too many boring stretches in between the good stuff. Goes to show that ratings aren't everything, as Fallout is consistently ranked as one of the best RPGs of all time. I switched to Baldur's Gate Enhanced Edition (a game typically ranked below Fallout in best RPG lists), and MAN. This is the game I've been wanting to play! Great story, great UI, nice graphics, amazing music and ambient sounds. Love the mix of real-time combat with pausing for issuing/changing orders. I was sucked right in and can't stop playing. I like the AD&D ruleset, too.

What a coincidence! I'm watching a BGEE Let's Play while I work on a new embedded SBC.

gdjacobs wrote:

What a coincidence! I'm watching a BGEE Let's Play while I work on a new embedded SBC.

Somehow this game takes me back to the early days of RPG gaming. Like a mix of Ultima, Wizardry, and Bard's Tale. I feel like I'm 13 again, exploring vast countrysides, saving every 5 min, and crossing my fingers that I get a good roll on an attack. Experience points come SLOW. I'm probably 3 hrs in and my character is just now getting close to level 2. One of my 5 NPCs just leveled up to 2, the rest are all still lvl1. Tougher battles often take a few reloads to get the right strategy (or just a lucky roll). And to think, there's a BG2EE, which is supposed to be even better.

My character is a straight Paladin (my typical choice back in the day too).

How about Dark Sun? The music is sparse, but the opening intro is pretty good.

Kreshna Aryaguna Nurzaman wrote:

How about Dark Sun? The music is sparse, but the opening intro is pretty good.

I actually played the opening scene of Dark Sun a few times a couple of weeks ago. It's a game I owned and played when it came out, but never finished. My biggest concern is I REALLY favor traditional RPG settings (wizards, fighters). So I'm not sure once I started playing, if DS would "stick".

But I don't have to worry about that for awhile, as I've become absolutely addicted to Baldur's Gate over the weekend! 😊

I predict at least 50 hrs on this game, followed by 70 hrs of BG2, so I'm set for the next 3-4 months. 😉

You mentioned Ultima VI: The False Prophet - I can vouch that that one does not take too long if you focus on the main quest and don't veer off into too many of the side quests and other things. This one is actually a little more open ended than U7 is, but all in all, the main quest is pretty simple once you put the pieces together. It's one of my favs and one I want to LP eventually.

clueless1 wrote:

I actually played the opening scene of Dark Sun a few times a couple of weeks ago. It's a game I owned and played when it came […]
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Kreshna Aryaguna Nurzaman wrote:

How about Dark Sun? The music is sparse, but the opening intro is pretty good.

I actually played the opening scene of Dark Sun a few times a couple of weeks ago. It's a game I owned and played when it came out, but never finished. My biggest concern is I REALLY favor traditional RPG settings (wizards, fighters). So I'm not sure once I started playing, if DS would "stick".

But I don't have to worry about that for awhile, as I've become absolutely addicted to Baldur's Gate over the weekend! 😊

I predict at least 50 hrs on this game, followed by 70 hrs of BG2, so I'm set for the next 3-4 months. 😉

Well Dark Sun has wizards too, they're called 'preserver'. So despite the Mad Max-alike universe, it's just another D&D.

Phantasy Star, Phantasy Star IV, Crusaders of Centy on Sega Genesis.
And Knights of Xentar (Zup named it already). The NR-18 version, of course. ;)

Nine days (and about 20 hrs) into starting Baldur's Gate, I'm ready to proclaim this the best RPG I've ever played. It's that good. It reminds me a lot of Wizardry 8. Completely different perspective (isometric vs first person), but it's party-based, turn-based, huge world, deep story, lots of side quests, amazing soundtrack, heavy on stats, D&D style (though Wiz8 was not based on official AD&D rules), and so addictive. I find myself clearing each map unnecessarily just to explore the terrain, find new creatures to combat, and gain EXP.

I'm still waiting for a RIFTS RPG. *Grmpf*

clueless1 wrote:

Nine days (and about 20 hrs) into starting Baldur's Gate, I'm ready to proclaim this the best RPG I've ever played. It's that good. It reminds me a lot of Wizardry 8. Completely different perspective (isometric vs first person), but it's party-based, turn-based, huge world, deep story, lots of side quests, amazing soundtrack, heavy on stats, D&D style (though Wiz8 was not based on official AD&D rules), and so addictive. I find myself clearing each map unnecessarily just to explore the terrain, find new creatures to combat, and gain EXP.

Can't wait to read your After-Action Report. 😀

clueless1 wrote:

Nine days (and about 20 hrs) into starting Baldur's Gate, I'm ready to proclaim this the best RPG I've ever played. It's that good. It reminds me a lot of Wizardry 8. Completely different perspective (isometric vs first person), but it's party-based, turn-based, huge world, deep story, lots of side quests, amazing soundtrack, heavy on stats, D&D style (though Wiz8 was not based on official AD&D rules), and so addictive. I find myself clearing each map unnecessarily just to explore the terrain, find new creatures to combat, and gain EXP.

Well.. Wait until you play its sequel.. and then when you think that can't get better play Planescape:Torment and have RPGs spoiled for you for life..

appiah4 wrote:

clueless1 wrote:

Nine days (and about 20 hrs) into starting Baldur's Gate, I'm ready to proclaim this the best RPG I've ever played. It's that good. It reminds me a lot of Wizardry 8. Completely different perspective (isometric vs first person), but it's party-based, turn-based, huge world, deep story, lots of side quests, amazing soundtrack, heavy on stats, D&D style (though Wiz8 was not based on official AD&D rules), and so addictive. I find myself clearing each map unnecessarily just to explore the terrain, find new creatures to combat, and gain EXP.

Well.. Wait until you play its sequel.. and then when you think that can't get better play Planescape:Torment and have RPGs spoiled for you for life..

That was kind of my plan. In that order. 😉

Although, I have this idea, maybe you can give me your opinion on it since you've played PS:T. How playable do you think it is with two people? My non-gamer wife and I are experimenting with PC gaming on the couch on our TV. She's interested in giving it a shot even though it's not her thing. We did a couple of hours of The Dig this past weekend and it seemed to go okay. She's into the whole zombie/vampire genre when it comes to TV shows, so maybe PS:T's story would hold her interest. I just don't know if it's too complex a game to expect her to get into. Thoughts?

clueless1 wrote:

Although, I have this idea, maybe you can give me your opinion on it since you've played PS:T. How playable do you think it is with two people? My non-gamer wife and I are experimenting with PC gaming on the couch on our TV. She's interested in giving it a shot even though it's not her thing. We did a couple of hours of The Dig this past weekend and it seemed to go okay. She's into the whole zombie/vampire genre when it comes to TV shows, so maybe PS:T's story would hold her interest. I just don't know if it's too complex a game to expect her to get into. Thoughts?

I'd say you are in for a blast. The game can be played in many ways, one of which is avoiding a majority of violent encounters. Even the ones you fight will probably be pause/play where you decide on what to do with each character on a pseudo-turn basis so it will be manageable. Regardless, the characters and the amount of writing that went into them, the plot, the amount of conversation text and choices to be made in the game easily fill a hefty novella. It would probably be as enjoyable as watching a season of your favorite TV show together, if you can make it through the first few hours.

The real issue here would be playing it on a couch, I'd imagine. I would strongly suggest not playing it on a vintage computer if this is your preferred method. Buy the GOG version, load it onto a computer that can do 1080p and run the game with UI and widescreen mods. There are also a lot of community mods that fix some bugs and content in the game so make sure to use them as well.

appiah4 wrote:

It would probably be as enjoyable as watching a season of your favorite TV show together, if you can make it through the first few hours.

The real issue here would be playing it on a couch, I'd imagine. I would strongly suggest not playing it on a vintage computer if this is your preferred method. Buy the GOG version, load it onto a computer that can do 1080p and run the game with UI and widescreen mods. There are also a lot of community mods that fix some bugs and content in the game so make sure to use them as well.

What's the issue with the first few hours?

No, I don't plan on playing on vintage hardware. It will be a modern laptop using our TV via HDMI. I'd use the GOG version with UI/widescreen mods.

clueless1 wrote:

appiah4 wrote:

No, I don't plan on playing on vintage hardware. It will be a modern laptop using our TV via HDMI. I'd use the GOG version with UI/widescreen mods.

It starts out kind of slow, that's all. It doesn't start with a bang.. It starts literally after the bang.. You'll see what I mean 😀

clueless1 wrote:

Nine days (and about 20 hrs) into starting Baldur's Gate, I'm ready to proclaim this the best RPG I've ever played. It's that good. It reminds me a lot of Wizardry 8. Completely different perspective (isometric vs first person), but it's party-based, turn-based, huge world, deep story, lots of side quests, amazing soundtrack, heavy on stats, D&D style (though Wiz8 was not based on official AD&D rules), and so addictive. I find myself clearing each map unnecessarily just to explore the terrain, find new creatures to combat, and gain EXP.

Thanks for the mini-review - after reading your post I intended to buy it a few weeks ago when it was on sale on GOG but somehow I missed my shot and now it's back to normal price. 😒

I have to say the prospect of playing a RPG again seems a bit daunting as I remember the countless hours sunk into games like Final Fantasy VII, Suikoden and Might and Magic back in the day, and I don't have the time available anymore for this. But somehow I miss the experience of playing these very engaging games, and wonder if there would be a way for me to play just an hour here and there, even if it means spreading the play over a several months period...