Favourite RPG games

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Dosser
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Favourite RPG games

Post by Dosser »

I like programming games, anyone who hasn't seen the glory that is Pyro can go to the website www.pyrogame.com

The point is, I pretty much started programming cos I've always wanted to make a great RPG. I think I've attempted one about 5 times: each time failing at the title screen (too many graphics for a poor QB program), or not getting far into the game, and once when it was basically finished and my computer hard drive failed :Angry: (could have restored it, but way too much work).

anyway, I think in a few months I might be ready to start again. No more screw-ups, I'll finish it this time.

I was just wondering, what are your favourite RPGs? What elements of them make them so great: graphics, storyline, characters, puzzles? Do you like randomly generated experiences or preset storyline? Just tell me all the best things about the RPGs you've played.

I've got an idea that is slightly mad. I don't think it could be the only way to play the game, but the idea is there are no quests or anything. Your character is pretty weak, but it is a massive, millennia long battle: as you push the baddies back, you get rewarded. By that I mean, you die a lot. You come back as a new lvl 1 character. Eventually you might get rewarded with a 'hero', a character who starts more powerful (less likely to die to the first things he sees). It is these guys who will truly push the storyline along.

Anyway, I'd love to hear about your favourite Role Playing Games :D
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Post by The_Sinister_Mastermind »

MORROWIND. :D

What makes it great? The graphics are ok even by today’s standards, at the time they were pretty top notch. The open ended factor is what made the game great for me, ok there's a main quest which gives you a definitive you win point. But all of those side quests is what really made it fun. You could follow the main story which was very in depth and cool or you could just explore the huge and very detailed landscape doing what you please. You could hunt daedra, be a freelance assassin like I was for quite some time, join the church and spread the good word so to speak, join the army, you just did what ever you wanted basically and at any point you could come back and focus on the games main objectives or just keep going on your own little vendetta.

One thing that everyone who's ever played the game would have loved was the ability to almost seemingly endlessly change things. You didn’t like the way something looked fine change it, you think a house would look good here? Great put one there. Maybe we need a new town over there or a whole new island over there? How about a whole new species or creature or a new race to play? You could just open up the construction set and whip one up (Ok so it was a little more complicated then that, but you get the jist of it). I mean the game was released in the late 90's and it still has a very VERY strong community today. That’s how you define a great game, years on new gamers are still buying it and old gamers are still playing it, and making new things for it. Years on the forum community is still abuzz with life.

Ok so they had a huge team working on it and you’re one person so we need to be realistic. Well I’d say to be successful these are the things you need.

1. Ok graphics. And I say ok as it makes it not only easier for you, but more accessible to everyone who may not have a top notch pc at their disposal, it also reduces size. And anyway who wants to play a game if it’s crap, no one will care if it looks good if the gameplay doesn’t back up. So like I said ok graphics but they shouldn’t be a focal point.

2. Story line. The story line can make or break a game, if it’s just go here kill this shoot that or whatever. Sure it’ll be fun and many people will play it, but that will last about 5 minutes then people will move on. Involving the player is the key, make them care about their characters. If they care weather or not a character lives or dies then they are much more likely to want to play the game now aren’t they? And that’s what will keep them coming back.

3. Originality, ok I realise making a story line like the one above on your own could be kinda hard, so I dunno maybe you want to get some help with that. But if nothing else be original. If it’s new a different you’ve already got people attention, and hopefully everything else will be taken care of in due course. And you can always look at it this way, if it’s never been done before then you have no competition now do you?

4. Difficulty and user friendliness no one wants to play a game that’s to hard, or to easy for that matter. Finding the right balance is very important. People don’t want to play a game they have to spend ½ the time figuring out how they do anything, conversely if it’s to easy it will be boring and not a lot of fun.

5. Updates, this is what keeps the game alive long after the original story has long worn out. It also gives you a chance to iron out any bugs that users come across and also add things that you didn’t have time to do, were unable to do, or just didn’t think of the first time round.

6. User feedback is almost vital, you have to find out what people want. I mean it’s no good making the greatest game of all time if no one wants to play that kind of game. But you’ve already started the user feedback so good work. :thumbsup:

I could go on more, but you probably know most of what I’ve already said and would say anyway.
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Post by Tombstone »

My advice:

Whatever you do, don't create puzzles or quests that cannot be satisfied out of sequence, and are critical to being able to move forward.

Wizardry VII was a fantastic game, except... If you did certain things in the wrong order, you got stuck and could not do anything but wander around the map and fight random battles. What's more, the game was very enigmatic about it's quests.

I had to pay $2.99/minute to the hotline to be told I had to start the game over because I talked to one guy three times (which triggers a fight and you have to kill him) before talking to some other guy who tells you to get some doodad from the first guy. You can't get the doodad from the first guy until after you've talked to the second guy, you can't get the doodad from the first guy if he's dead, and you can't move on in the game without the doodad.

After about 140 cumulative hours of playing, I'm doodad-less and therefore screwed. The Wizardry hotline guy told me there's a bunch of other quests in the game that have the same problem.
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Post by The_Sinister_Mastermind »

I'm sorry that sounds really painfull but I can help but laugh at your doodad-less comment.Image
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Post by Swiftman »

XD Sorry to laugh Tombstone, but the doodad-less shinanigins is funny.....

*coughs*

Henyways, my favorite RPG.....

Without a doubt, hands down, supreme victory, no flame of doubt in my mind, that RPG is PRIVATEER.

It's not a true RPG, per se, it's an RPG that has the main core of the game done in a first person space shooter atmosphere. You accept missions assigned from various sources, be it a Guild like the Mercenaries Guild or a plain mission computer, and you go out and fly that mission. You come back to a base [one of many, MANY bases, mining, agricultural, pleasure, refinery, or specific base, there's hundreds to choose from] and you get your money. With that money you can buy upgrades for your ship to make it more powerful to accept more dangerous missions that pay more also. Then once you're suitably powerful, you can advance the story. The story isn't particularily shiny, it's no Starcraft storyline, that's for sure, but it's more than enough to suffice for making it a very good RPG.



Well, it's not near as on-par as Mastermind's Morrowind rant, but it gets the point across that I FREAKING LOVE PRIVATEER. The last 12 years with it can't have been all wrong, right?
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Post by The_Sinister_Mastermind »

Morrowind isn't even my favorite game, that title belongs to X-com Enemy Unknown which is quite possibly the greatest strategy game ever made.
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Post by Swiftman »

I never did figure that one game out...... My crown for best strategy game goes to Starcraft. heh..... Maybe I should open up X-Com again and try to figure it out.....
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Post by The_Sinister_Mastermind »

It's an awesome game, it takes ages to figure out, even longer to beat. And makes you want to play again and again. If you have questions just ask, I've beaten both Enemy Unknown & Terror From The Deep countless times. I would have beaten Apocalypse already but I've only just recently got it working so I'm still in the process of working it out.
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Post by Swiftman »

Ah. Okay then. If ever I need X-Com help, I shall give thee a ring, Sinister. I thank thee for thy kind service. *small bow with a flourish of the hat motion*
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Post by The_Sinister_Mastermind »

If only it had multiplayer, then I could destro... err I mean teach you.. yeah that's it.
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Post by Swiftman »

I'm sure you could...... Before I send a SEIGETANK AND GOLIATH RUSH! NYAH HA HA HA HA!

wait, not starcraft, X-com, right......

Yes, You would teach me in that. heh
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Post by Dosser »

SEND IN THE TANKS ANYWAY :D

I tried Xcom Terror from the Deep. At first it made me want to play all the games, but by the end I was just sick of it. It is definitely a great game but it is too long and repetitive.

It taught me a great thing about game design though: don't make it long just for the sake of it (a trap I worry about falling into now). The game I'm working on now (not an RPG: this one is sort of like multiplayer asteroids) will hopefully have less than 10 levels.

BTW: are morrowind or privateer abandonware? Are they available for download anywhere? I'd love to play them after hearing your reviews. Privateer sounds similar to a game I used to play called Sea Legends (another great game I never finished cos it went on too long).
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Post by The_Sinister_Mastermind »

Morrowind is definately not abandonware, it wont be for quite some time either. Though you can pick up the GOTY (Game Of The Year) edition that includes both expansions for less then $30 and it's well worth it. Morrowind home page.

As for Privateer, here you go.
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Post by Swiftman »

Privateer takes some doing to play in windows, though. Someone as experienced as Dosser may have no problem getting it running, in which case I will GREATLY want his aid for myself.

Then again, I'm playing the original CD version and not the abandonware version, so.......
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Post by The_Sinister_Mastermind »

Well I would try it out but I still haven’t slept. I've been way to busy with other things to concern myself with sleep right now.
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Post by Swiftman »

Really? All this time, Sinister? Wow, I was sick as a dog and had a hard time sleeping, but I still managed some..... Hope you have some coffee there, Sinister. heh.

And Privateer is the perfect game for sleepless people. ANd people that are bright and perky. And people that are sad, mad, emo, goth, evil, ANYthing you could be, Privateer is the perfect game for you.
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Post by The_Sinister_Mastermind »

Well I would play Privateer but I just recently found a link to my all time favorite space sim game. It seriously kicks arse. And now there is no time for other space games of any kind.
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Post by Swiftman »

Ah. Heh. I see. What space game is it that you're going on now?
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Post by The_Sinister_Mastermind »

Star Wars collectors edition.
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Post by Swiftman »

I see...... Info link? Curious, I am......
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