Long rant on RPGs and comments on Obsidian

[RPGmasterBoo]

"Every single planetside mission on ME is a kill mission."

 

"A few of the missions had a non violent option and that was it."

 

So which is it?

 

 

 

"Everybody knows that BG1 was the first real time-with-pause, isometric DnD RPG in the infinity engine."

 

Next time clarify. All you said was 'first of its kind'. That could mean so many things.

 

Bottom line is BIO's newer games are superior role-playing games than BG.

 

 

"Of course. NWN OC was DnD's Diablo 2. Except that Diablo 2 was more fun to play."

 

BG has just as much in common with D2 as NWN OC does. In fact it has more since NWN OC actually has more role-playing than BG.

 

All except a few. You are quite intelligent enough to see that and sice you played the game you know it very well.

 

It could mean so many things yet you didn't ask for clarification and went straight to contradiction

 

I dont get this better role playing mantra you keep repeating, and since I'can't bother to repeat the same thing for the tenth time I'll just quote Morgoth:

 

"It's still the overall experience that matters. BG2 may have "worse" role-playing than ME, but it's still the better and more enjoyable game, thus superior.

 

So I don't care about "better role-playing" since every supposed choice has been a weak fake anyway."

Edited October 8, 2008 by RPGmasterBoo

[mkreku]

Oh great, I find this thread NOW, 10 minutes after I ordered Mass Effect

 

IT WAS CHEAP

[Nick_i_am]

Volowned.

[Volourn]

"I don't care about "better role-playing" since every supposed choice has been a weak fake anyway."

 

This simply isn't true. I dunno why people feel the need to lie about games. It's really sad.

[RPGmasterBoo]

Volowned.

 

[Eddie]

If you're looking for a Baldur's Gate-like game why not wait for Dragon Age to come out? It has been described as a spiritual successor to the original series.

Also, there was some talk of BG3 in the works but that was just talk.

 

Here's a BG-like indie being (slowly) developed as well. http://www.planewalkergames.com/content/view/32/46/

[Volourn]

"If you're looking for a Baldur's Gate-like game why not wait for Dragon Age to come out?"

 

Outside of being a BIo game, and having their usual BIOness, people expecting DA to be exactly (or lameo 'spiritual successor') like BG will be sadly dissapointed.

[Dark_Raven]

That they would be. It wouldn't even come close.

[Volourn]

It's guranteed to be better. At least we won't have to fight hundreds of ex farts. R00fles!

Edited October 13, 2008 by Volourn

[WILL THE ALMIGHTY]

Not much nostalgia factor going on, eh?

[Tigranes]

Xvart combat was the pinnacle of tactical RPG combat.

[Nightshape]

Xvart combat was the pinnacle of tactical RPG combat.

 

I agree.

[RPGmasterBoo]

If you're looking for a Baldur's Gate-like game why not wait for Dragon Age to come out? It has been described as a spiritual successor to the original series.

Also, there was some talk of BG3 in the works but that was just talk.

 

Here's a BG-like indie being (slowly) developed as well. http://www.planewalkergames.com/content/view/32/46/

 

Well we are all waiting for DA. Its hard to say anything conclusive about the game but my hopes aren't exactly high after playing Bioware's games from 2002 onwards.

[RPGmasterBoo]

Oh great, I find this thread NOW, 10 minutes after I ordered Mass Effect

 

IT WAS CHEAP

 

Well you'll probably enjoy the 15 or so hours of the main story line.

Just don't blink, or you might miss it.

[Magister Lajciak]

If you're looking for a Baldur's Gate-like game why not wait for Dragon Age to come out? It has been described as a spiritual successor to the original series.

Also, there was some talk of BG3 in the works but that was just talk.

 

Here's a BG-like indie being (slowly) developed as well. http://www.planewalkergames.com/content/view/32/46/

 

Well we are all waiting for DA. Its hard to say anything conclusive about the game but my hopes aren't exactly high after playing Bioware's games from 2002 onwards.

 

My hopes are high for gameplay, but I suspect the game will be crippled with DDRM. Still, the game does seem to show significant promise.

[Epirote]

Sorry, coming late to the thread, so I have only read the initial post and this last page. Nevertheless, here's my take on the subject:

 

Best RPG ever: BG1 (for some strange reason I hated BG2, played it 1/3 through, then went into god mode and rushed to the final, ignoring all side quests. Go figure. ) BG1 was also my first CRPG game.

 

DnD CRPG's I own and like (-ed) to play:

Icewind Dale 2

NWN 1 + Expansions (coming from BG1, I thought it was a silly, dumbed down game at first, but it grew on me. )

NWN2 + Expansions

 

othere RPGs I own and like (-ed) to play:

 

Gothic Universe

The Witcher EE

Sacred

Divine Divinity

 

On the dumbing down of CRPGs in general: I think one major factor is that the age requirement has gone down to age +12 for most of them. It has something to do with companies not wanting to frustrate the kids with insane difficulty settings.

 

About Dragonage: I'm looking forward to this. I think it has great potential to be a great game, but I have to reserve my judgement until the game is released. The few trailers I've seen so far, look really good.

 

As far as Obsidian is concerned, I only have played NWN2 and MotB and I'm looking forward with excitement to SoZ. Luckily for me, I bought NWN2 almost a year after release, so I avoided most of the initial bugs (started playing at patch 1.06). I'm pretty sure the game would have been less buggy at release, if they were given more development time (about a year more or so), but I don't think it was their call to make. One thing I know, however, is that they are really dedicated to the NWN2 franchise, they listen to their customers, and they do their best to improve the game. Good enough for me.

[Magister Lajciak]

Oh great, I find this thread NOW, 10 minutes after I ordered Mass Effect

 

IT WAS CHEAP

 

Well you'll probably enjoy the 15 or so hours of the main story line.

Just don't blink, or you might miss it.

 

I have not played Mass Effect because of the draconian DRM (DDRM). Nevertheless, I am surprised that the main story line only takes about 15 hours. BioWare games were usually longer than that in the past.

[kalniel]

Oh great, I find this thread NOW, 10 minutes after I ordered Mass Effect

 

IT WAS CHEAP

 

Well you'll probably enjoy the 15 or so hours of the main story line.

Just don't blink, or you might miss it.

 

I have not played Mass Effect because of the draconian DRM (DDRM). Nevertheless, I am surprised that the main story line only takes about 15 hours. BioWare games were usually longer than that in the past.

It's proof that they can design a game which allows you spend a varying amount of time on it - if you want to be able to produce a series of games then you need to make sure that people don't just get bored and stop playing part way through the first one, because they'll never buy the others in the series if that happens.

 

So instead you create a game that can either be finished quite quickly (in RPG terms) if you rush and don't do side quests, or you can spend ages on if you visit every planet and go back and earn all the achievements etc.

 

For what it's worth, ME was an amazing gaming experience. I did find the content a bit short for an RPG, but about right for a shooter. The key thing was that that it was amazingly well polished and presented. Definitely the most cinematic game I've played to date.

 

I wouldn't want every game to be like ME, but it's good to have a variety so we don't all play the same kind of thing all the time.

[Magister Lajciak]

OK, I see, so there was still a lot of content in it - it was just optional.

 

Still, regardless of how good the gameplay may be, I will pass on the DDRM-infested franchise.

[kalniel]

OK, I see, so there was still a lot of content in it - it was just optional.

 

Still, regardless of how good the gameplay may be, I will pass on the DDRM-infested franchise.

Your loss

[Magister Lajciak]

Well, it does save me about $180 overall on Mass Effect alone.

 

Plus, since EA seems to be determined to put DDRM on all its games, it will save me much more money over time, so it's not all that bad after all.

[WILL THE ALMIGHTY]

Actually, finished the main storyline in 7 hours.

 

And doing everything (completionist achievement) took me about 26 hours only.

 

Did anyone actually play 60 hours on a single playthrough?

[Magister Lajciak]

And doing everything (completionist achievement) took me about 26 hours only.

 

That's what I generally do - I am a completionist! But 26 hours for that is a bit short...

[kalniel]

Well, it does save me about $180 overall on Mass Effect alone.

Why do you need DRM to save money on games? If you want to save money, just don't play games at all - you'll save lots that way

 

MEPC took me something like 19 hours on my first play through which wasn't doing everything, and I'm already going back through it again. But it's like I said, short for an RPG, but long for a shooter.

[Pidesco]

I'd like to remind people that Mass Effect's side content is filler of the worst kind. Functionally, you basically visit the same planet dozens of time, using a moon buggy that controls like ass, and yet provides no challenge whatsoever.