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Recommended RPGs for a first-timer

Elric

Novice
Joined
Dec 25, 2008
Messages
62
AlaCarcuss said:
RK47 said:
Oblivion is always a good way to start.
Things can only get better from there and it's not hard for beginners.

You'll be able to identify what you like & dislikes from RPG from that game and adjust your expectations accordingly.

I was going to suggest Oblivion too because that's how I started. However, I know the codex's general feelings regarding it and other Bethesda titles, so I skipped it.

For all Oblivion and Bethesda's faults, I'm sure there are many budding RPG gamers like myself being introduced to the RPG genre via their games. It was after playing Oblivion that lead me to begin my personal quest to find out more about RPG's which in turn lead me to the codex.

I'm now in the process of being re-educated (assimilated?) and after playing some of the truely great RPG's of the past as suggested here - Oblivion's obvious flaws become even more glaring. However - it did serve a purpose and therefor not totally worthless.
Did either of you even read the original post? His whole disillusionment started because he DIDN'T like Oblivion.
 
Joined
Nov 16, 2008
Messages
626
It might be helpful to sticky this topic for the thousands of people who are too lazy to find a decent first-timer recommendation topic, or can't be bothered because of the overall asshole attitude of some of the people.
 

RK47

collides like two planets pulled by gravity
Patron
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Messages
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Not Here
Dead State Divinity: Original Sin
Oh well, fuck Oblivion then. Try an overhead perspective game perhaps like Fallout.
 

Ravn7

Educated
Joined
Nov 25, 2008
Messages
94
Location
Warsaw, Poland
Vaarna_Aarne said:
Recommendation: Just skip KotOR 1. It sucks ass on every level.
But K1, on the first planet, until you get a lightsaber, feels like a good, old-style sci-fi game. It reminds me of... Isaac Asimov's Foundation perhaps (at least Prelude to Foundation).

Wonderful two hours :D
 

Vaarna_Aarne

Notorious Internet Vandal
Joined
Jun 1, 2008
Messages
34,585
Location
Cell S-004
MCA Project: Eternity Torment: Tides of Numenera Wasteland 2
Soul said:
Vaarna_Aarne said:
Recommendation: Just skip KotOR 1. It sucks ass on every level.
But K1, on the first planet, until you get a lightsaber, feels like a good, old-style sci-fi game. It reminds me of... Isaac Asimov's Foundation perhaps (at least Prelude to Foundation).

Wonderful two hours :D
Taris was absolutely horrible shit. Stupid, inconsistent, full of idiotic use of cliches and hideous in game design.
 

Risine

Liturgist
Joined
Dec 26, 2005
Messages
114
if you like games with good stories, aside RPGs already mentioned in this thread, I suggest you to have a try at adventure games, especially old LucasArts one ( Monkey Island, Day of the tentacle, Sam&Max,...).
 

racofer

Thread Incliner
Joined
Apr 5, 2008
Messages
25,858
Location
Your ignore list.
Vaarna_Aarne said:
Soul said:
Vaarna_Aarne said:
Recommendation: Just skip KotOR 1. It sucks ass on every level.
But K1, on the first planet, until you get a lightsaber, feels like a good, old-style sci-fi game. It reminds me of... Isaac Asimov's Foundation perhaps (at least Prelude to Foundation).

Wonderful two hours :D
Taris was absolutely horrible shit. Stupid, inconsistent, full of idiotic use of cliches and hideous in game design.

WAHH LOOK AT MEEEE COD3X!! I BASH BIOWHORE IM ZE COOL!!!11!
 

mondblut

Arcane
Joined
Aug 10, 2005
Messages
22,704
Location
Ingrija
if you like games with good stories, aside RPGs already mentioned in this thread, I suggest you to have a try at adventure games...

...but better not come back afterwards. We already have far too many of the "I am adventure games fan, so I think RPGs must be all like adventure games" fags around :twisted:
 

Ravn7

Educated
Joined
Nov 25, 2008
Messages
94
Location
Warsaw, Poland
Vaarna_Aarne said:
Taris was absolutely horrible shit. Stupid, inconsistent, full of idiotic use of cliches and hideous in game design.
But, but... I swear I hate Oblivion!!!11

:lol:
 
Joined
Nov 1, 2008
Messages
7,953
Location
Cuntington Manor
I see lots of people telling the OP to try the oldskool dos games. If you are going to do that, try them in a newer guise to start with.

If you want that old, party 3D system (Might and Magics, Wizardries, etc) then head straight for Wizardry 8.

If you want the best of tactical combat, not to mention a spiffy quest, then I suggest Natuk http://www.proudft.com/natuk.html

These two are your best bet when it comes to true, oldskool roleplaying without breaking your head on the horrid UI's and battles for compatibility. These can come later if either of the two above take your fancy.
 

Wyrmlord

Arcane
Joined
Feb 3, 2008
Messages
28,904
I admit that some old RPGs have horrid UIs (Wizardry 7), but no, alot of them are very very easy to use, mainly because they keep it simple.

I mean, in Betrayal At Krondor, you have icons for party members, and if you right click them you get character sheets, and if you left click you get the inventory. On their right are buttons for Save, Rest, Map, Follow Road, Cast Spell, and Menu.

And to interact with the environment, you use Left-Click on the object and use Right Click to look at them.

That's a complete summary of the game's interface, and it is far far more easier to use than the interfaces of all IE games, NWN games, or most modern RPGs.
 
Joined
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Messages
7,953
Location
Cuntington Manor
Wyrmlord said:
I admit that some old RPGs have horrid UIs (Wizardry 7), but no, alot of them are very very easy to use, mainly because they keep it simple.

I mean, in Betrayal At Krondor, you have icons for party members, and if you right click them you get character sheets, and if you left click you get the inventory. On their right are buttons for Save, Rest, Map, Follow Road, Cast Spell, and Menu.

And to interact with the environment, you use Left-Click on the object and use Right Click to look at them.

That's a complete summary of the game's interface, and it is far far more easier to use than the interfaces of all IE games, NWN games, or most modern RPGs.

That is one game. How many games induce a horrid time to get running, and then you have to juggle with the sound (with graphics and sound much better on Amiga/ST versions of the game or, in many 80's and early 90's cases, better on the Commodore 64)? Having to deal with the fun of using moslo because flags and animations rush at the speed of light, with some crack thrown in?

Too many unfortunately. The PC as an 80's and even early 90's platform goes from dubious to downright horrible. So then the OP, or anyone else interested, needs to learn about running emulation software, and getting the disk images to work...etc. Then the graphics/PC speaker/etc hit their poor eggshell gaming heads right between the nose!

Better to start them off with games that work fairly effortlessly, while retaining the great flavours that we know and love from the Golden age of the genre. If they like it, we have fresh converts. If not, they can fuck off back to JRPG land/Counterstrike land/Console land where they belong. We all win! :D

A review for Natuk. Rare for an Indy game http://rpgvaultarchive.ign.com/features ... atuk.shtml
 

Wyrmlord

Arcane
Joined
Feb 3, 2008
Messages
28,904
There are some very nicely cracked and prepackaged versions of games in the internet, if you look at the right places.

DJ Oldgames has automatically Dosboxed shortcuts to the game that you can put on your desktop, with all the right sound and configurations for modern hardware, and all the facilities for saving and exporting characters cleanly and well. Their Wizardry 6 download was superb, and you could immediately start playing the game the way it was meant to be.
 

Zomg

Arbiter
Joined
Oct 21, 2005
Messages
6,984
DOSboxing early-mid '90s games is generally easier than getting Windows 95 shit to run properly in Vista and sometimes XP. Anyway, I'm not really suggesting these games for someone fresh off of Oblivion as their first RPG, but I did want to lay out a decent way to order the queue if they feel like going to RPG school.
 

Vibalist

Arcane
Joined
Jul 21, 2008
Messages
3,587
Location
Denmark
made said:
Vibalist said:
On the hardest difficulty, utilising potions, blade coating and bombs is a necessity and add immensily to the strategic aspect of the game, making you consider which remedies to use for which task. It must be said, though, that this is only on the hardest difficulty level, so if you get the game, play on hard. It's a much more fun experience.

If only it were true. One of the few legitimate complaints about TW was that, even on hardest difficulty, it was still too easy from about midway through. Geralt becomes too powerful too fast and the pots and oils only triviallize the combat further.

You really think so? For me it remained challenging all the way up to the end (with the exception of chapter four, which was strangely devoid of any tough monsters). Geralt does get powerful pretty quick, true, but fighting your way through Old Vizima in chapter five is not what I'd call a walk in the park.
 

BethesdaLove

Arbiter
Joined
Aug 7, 2008
Messages
1,998
Somebody who started of with Oblivion and liked it doesnt deserve a second chance!

This is what I actually believe.
 

Xi

Arcane
Joined
Jan 28, 2006
Messages
6,101
Location
Twilight Zone
Zomg said:
....
Advanced early '90s RPG nerds only:
Darklands
Daggerfall
Ultima VII
Wizardry VI/VII

Also Wizardry 8 is a pretty fantastic party progression/exploration game!(Maybe I'm going blind in my old age, but I didn't see someone mention this!)
 

Jaime Lannister

Arbiter
Joined
Jun 15, 2007
Messages
7,183
I'm about the furthest thing from an "Advanced early '90s RPG nerd" and I love Ultima VII. Also Dark Sun.
 

Zomg

Arbiter
Joined
Oct 21, 2005
Messages
6,984
I've never been able to get into U7, but I know everyone else likes it, so I just filed it there assuming I wasn't a hard enough nerd to get it.
 

Cogar

Novice
Joined
Nov 5, 2008
Messages
98
Location
Usually within 100 yards of a computer
3D: Morrowind. My first RPG. Although the Fallout Fanbois state otherwise, it is a valid RPG with a totally different feel, game play, storyline, etc. than Oblivion. Actually, if you forget they were done by the same company, you will be doing yourself a service. If you want to try it, get the GOTY version with the two expansion games. You’ll have a good 200 hours of game play for not much more than $10.

2D Isometric: Arcanum. Anyone new to RPGs will probably not like the isometric view. Only after repeatedly hearing how great the older games are will someone persuade themselves to try. Of those, Arcanum is the most accessible. Play with Drog’s latest patch.

Shooter: Vampire: the Masquerade – Bloodlines. Two thirds of the game is wonderful. The last third turns into what amounts to be a first person shooter—maybe like Bioshock or something, which is why some people have a mixed reaction to it. With regard to the patches, most people are reacting to the person making the patches, not the patches themselves. There are fundamental differences between the “true patch” and the “unofficial patch.” Your choice will depend on how much of a “purist” you are. Incidentally, the game plays fine with the occasional crash here and there if you just use the latest official patch and avoid the fan patches altogether.
 

RK47

collides like two planets pulled by gravity
Patron
Joined
Feb 23, 2006
Messages
28,396
Location
Not Here
Dead State Divinity: Original Sin
Soul said:
Vaarna_Aarne said:
Taris was absolutely horrible shit. Stupid, inconsistent, full of idiotic use of cliches and hideous in game design.
But, but... I swear I hate Oblivion!!!11

:lol:

If you look at Taris it's just one railroaded side with some sidestops for additional items etc. but eventually you're forced to go to that path. I always keep a safe game after Taris for different playthrough cause it was quite dull.
 

Relayer71

Liturgist
Joined
Dec 23, 2006
Messages
538
Location
NYC
racofer said:
He's a console gamer, wyrm. His IQ is probably in the teens right now so yea, IE games are too much and will make his head explode.

I think you're the one with the low IQ.
Who says you can't enjoy PC AND console games?

I love Planescape: Torment, Fallout, Wizardy 8, MoTB, Arcanum. I've been gaming since the early 80s so I played Wasteland, the D & D Gold Box games and some of the early Wizardry games.

But I also loved some of the Final Fantasy games (IV/X/XII), Persona 3, the Dragon Quest/Warrior series, Tales of Symphonia, Xenosaga, etc.

Fuck, I even love Resident Evil IV, Killer 7, the Castlevania series, Eternal Darkness, Yakuza 2, Super Metroid, and many other trashy console games.

But damn, with a list like that I probably shouldn't like Age Of Empires, the Civilization games or anything non-twitchy or requiring even a millisecond of thought.

And I guess should be a huge fan of Roland Emmerich and Ewe Boll instead of Federico Felini, Akira Kurosawa, and Stanley Kubrick on account of my low IQ.

I should probably stop breathing out of my mouth, stop drooling, and stop dragging my knuckles across the floor. And maybe even start speaking in grammatically-correct English.

I just hope I'm not banned permanently from the Codex.

Read my sig, bitch.
 

BethesdaLove

Arbiter
Joined
Aug 7, 2008
Messages
1,998
Relayer71 said:
I like softcore lesbian play and oily massages but I also like niggas gangbanging me into oblivion and eating shit
fix
also
BEEP! Butthurt detected!
 

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