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Yeah, I agree. I don't mind that recruiting was often more involved, but the flags/cut-offs was a real kick in the balls. About the only real gripe I had with that game, though.... aside from the loading time... and the ten hour prologue... uh, I really did like the game, honest.
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Jul 23, 2011 05:44
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Foxhound posted:I was about to post this in the recommendation thread, but since this thread is here I figured it would be a better place for it, sorry if it's a poo poo post. I support the Mask of the Betrayer recommendation; I'd say skip the original NWN2 campaign and go straight to MotB, but that's up to you. I'd also recommend Ultima VII if you don't mind the looks; it's one of the few RPGs that gets the open world design right. Lots of areas, quests, NPCs, moral choices, etc.; no wonder it's considered one of the best RPGs ever created. Gothic 2 is also very good, challenging and non-linear, especially with the Night of the Raven expansion installed. (It's nothing like Gothic 4, in case you may be wondering.) Also, not a fantasy RPG, but I'd really recommend Arcanum: Of Steamworks and Magick Obscura to you. It often gets overlooked for some reason, but it's one of the greatest non-linear RPGs out there, with solid writing and story. It has too many "filler" combat areas, but that's the usual bane of RPGs and nothing to be worrying about much. It's a steampunk game developed by Troika, a cult cRPG company, that also developed Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines, another game - an atmospheric action-RPG - that you should probably give a try. As far as indie RPGs go, the Geneforge series is the best you can find; the Geneforge games are non-linear, quite story heavy and set in a non-cliche setting. Generforge 4 & 5 are universally considered good.
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Jul 23, 2011 06:20
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) but still with fairly deep combat. This is on PC.
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If I have 0 experience with Dungeons and Dragons, will NWN2 confuse me? Should I just look up character builds on line and follow them? Honestly I got bored trying to skim through the Let's Play, so I kinda want to jump straight to the interesting story in Mask of Betrayer, but I'm worried that I should play the original game to learn... well, how to play first.
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Jul 23, 2011 06:35
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Kiggles posted:^^^ On Suikoden Tactics, I have heard nothing but good things. Such good things that it apparently all but redeems Suiko 4. I can not confirm, because slow/tedius "tactics" style gameplay just drives me bonkers, but for what its worth, Suiko Tactics is worth the time/effort if the gameplay doesn't turn you away. You've convinced me! I am such a delirious fan for Suikoden stuff, it's ridiculous I don't have the game already.
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Jul 23, 2011 06:39
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Chinaman7000 posted:If I have 0 experience with Dungeons and Dragons, will NWN2 confuse me? Should I just look up character builds on line and follow them? You can do specific builds but honestly do whatever pleases you. The mechanics might seem odd at first since it's rolling out of 20, but I myself only half-understand them (I've never understood how to calculate the DC of a saving throw on a spell), but it's not terribly confusing. But if you want a build, for a caster, I like to go Sorcerer/Wizard6->Eldritch Knight->Arcane Scholar ASAP, but that's just because I like a caster with a little meat on him. The build would actually be optimized if the game engine let you take four classes so you could take Fighter 3 to get the combat feets you need for Eldritch Knight, but it only lets you take three. Basically if you see a Prestige Class you like, click on it and check what the requirements are, then just build yourself toward it.
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Jul 23, 2011 06:48
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prometheusbound2 posted:I've been a lifelong player of Western RPGs, but lately I've been curious to try their Eastern cousins. If somebody has the inclination to either let me know what the essentials of the genre are, or what a good introduction game would be, or a place to find a list with this info, I'd really appreciate it. You know, it is sometimes said that the best JRPG is Anachronox (  ), and I really think you should give it a try. It is a splendid game, despite being extremely linear, a JRPG done the western way. It has JRPG-style gameplay, but that's remedied by the game's brilliant humour, a fresh cyberpunk setting, and the fact that it has a good story to tell. It is a western cRPG (some say an adventure game) at heart, and it shows.Some random JRPG recommendations (coming from a fan of western cRPGs): 1. Valkyria Chronicles (PS3) is a really unique turn-based tactical RPG, with arguably the best gameplay of all current role-playing titles. I'd say it's up there with Jagged Alliance 2 when it comes to gameplay. The writing is solid, too, so it's a sure bet. 2. The Shin Megami Tensei series. This depends on just what kind of western cRPGs you enjoy. For a first person crawler, give the recent Nintendo DS title, SMT: Strange Journey, a try. Nocturne is universally considered the best in the series. Devil Survivor is a tactical RPG with turn- and grid-based combat. Shin Megami Tensei II is my personal favourite; it's also a first person crawler. What makes the SMT games stand out is the so-called fusion system: you recruit demons as you go and "fuse" them to create stronger and/or more specialized demons, which creates some room for tactics. 3. Etrian Odyssey 3 and Dark Spire. Two best dungeon crawlers for DS. The former has some p. advanced skill trees, the latter great atmosphere and puzzles. You can give Labyrinth of Touhou (PC) a try if you enjoy party customization and party-based tactics and, again, can stand the art style; a lot of customization, many playable characters with different strength and weaknesses, tactical combat - it's really good. Finally, Wizardry: Tale of the Forsaken Land is a surprisingly solid Wizardry clone; there's an ongoing LP by Miketopus that you may want to check out. 4. There are also some more or less non-linear JRPGs if that's the kind of thing you like. SaGa Frontier comes to mind as being the best of the bunch; many characters to recruit, different races that matter, alternative endings, a huge open world, lots of sidequests (some of them exclusive to specific characters), customizable character development, and almost no grinding. 5. Star Ocean 2 is good, despite being linear. Many side events and a lot of customization. Too much combat, though. 7th Saga is decent, too. As well as Vagrant Story. I could go on, but I'd rather stop.
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Jul 23, 2011 06:52
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CrookedB posted:7th Saga is decent, too. Did you play the Japanese copy of this or something because this is notorious in the US for being completely broken difficulty wise and having the possibility to be unbeatable if the game picks certain characters to be your rival at the very start.
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Jul 23, 2011 06:59
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Thinking that I'll pick up Tales of Vesperia again cause I still haven't finished that, partly due to being so pissed when the game froze after I hadn't saved for nine hours and I couldn't remember where my last save file dumped me off, but mostly cause that game loves to put in dozens upon dozens of secrets and I am so terrible at finding them that I'm always worrying I'm missing something and I hated feeling like that... So... where's a good walkthrough for the game? A decently written FAQ on GameFAQs, a strategy blog, no video walkthroughs please, but just something that points out secrets as I get to them so I don't miss out. Anybody know where I can find one?
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Jul 23, 2011 07:42
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SatansBestBuddy posted:Thinking that I'll pick up Tales of Vesperia again cause I still haven't finished that, partly due to being so pissed when the game froze after I hadn't saved for nine hours and I couldn't remember where my last save file dumped me off, but mostly cause that game loves to put in dozens upon dozens of secrets and I am so terrible at finding them that I'm always worrying I'm missing something and I hated feeling like that... http://ameblo.jp/koulinovesperia/entry-10347292825.html
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Jul 23, 2011 08:03
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Dunno if it was mentioned yet but Gladius is an awesome tactical rpg, has typical features like bonuses for attacking from the side and back but also has a system like the Mario rpg games where you can time button presses to increase the strength/accuracy of your attacks. Also has a pretty unique Roman/Norse/Egyptian/Asian setting. can see gameplay/review here. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7DzZaOQWe9g
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Jul 23, 2011 10:00
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gently caress. I hate asking for recommendations because I always leave out so much that I've already played. I've played a lot of JRPGs (FF series mostly) also, but their plot seldom owns and I was looking for a western game this time, also I've played NWN2 a lot, but not Mask of the Betrayer, maybe I should try it. What level should my main char be before I go for MotB?CrookedB posted:Also, not a fantasy RPG, but I'd really recommend Arcanum: Of Steamworks and Magick Obscura to you. It often gets overlooked for some reason, but it's one of the greatest non-linear RPGs out there, with solid writing and story. It has too many "filler" combat areas, but that's the usual bane of RPGs and nothing to be worrying about much. It's a steampunk game developed by Troika, a cult cRPG company, that also developed Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines, another game - an atmospheric action-RPG - that you should probably give a try. As far as indie RPGs go, the Geneforge series is the best you can find; the Geneforge games are non-linear, quite story heavy and set in a non-cliche setting. Generforge 4 & 5 are universally considered good.
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Jul 23, 2011 11:16
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CrookedB posted:Some random JRPG recommendations (coming from a fan of western cRPGs): I'll second this guy's choices. I have a hard time finishing anything but the top 10th percentile of quality games these days, and if you're going to start with anything, you might as well start with these. Out of all the RPGs I've sampled, these are the only ones I've stuck with for any lengths of time -- although I admit Valkyria Chronicles is the only one I've finished out of these. I will also add that you'll enjoy them most if you enjoy the particular genre of game they belong to. I'm pretty sure there are threads for the Etrian Odyssey and SMT series that'll help you understand and take advantage of the game mechanic quirks they have.
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Jul 23, 2011 12:46
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Foxhound posted:I was about to post this in the recommendation thread, but since this thread is here I figured it would be a better place for it, sorry if it's a poo poo post. You didn't put down Fallout 1 or 2. Go play Fallout 1 or 2. Cake Attack posted:http://ameblo.jp/koulinovesperia/entry-10347292825.html Much appreciated! Now I just need to sneak a TV into my room so I'll have a way to look up this info while playing the game.
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Jul 23, 2011 12:55
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So did any of you play the Lost Kingdoms series on the Gamecube? They're really stupid but I am such a dork when it comes to mythology that I love them. 
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Jul 23, 2011 13:41
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Foxhound posted:gently caress. I hate asking for recommendations because I always leave out so much that I've already played. I've played a lot of JRPGs (FF series mostly) also, but their plot seldom owns and I was looking for a western game this time, also I've played NWN2 a lot, but not Mask of the Betrayer, maybe I should try it. What level should my main char be before I go for MotB? Arcanum is a very strong contendor for greatest RPG ever made. The reason it's a contendor, and not the undisputed champion, is a sloppy interface, serious balance problems(although unless you're a power gamer I don't see this as a problem, a guns path is substantially more difficult than a magic/melee path but still viable), a lovely main dungeon, and lots of bugs that are largely resolved by an unofficial fan patch.
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Jul 23, 2011 15:26
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Doc Hawkins posted:Suikoden 4 is awful, easily the worst in the series. I wouldn't ever recommend someone play it once, much less again. I highly doubt there's anything you'll miss if you go straight into Tactics (which, by the way, I haven't heard anything good about either, but you're really into the story, which I totally understand). Tactics does have a save bonus if you have a clear save of 4 on the memory card. It's a pretty good carryover, too: you DO get to recruit the main character of 4, and he's one of the most powerful units. If you got 108 stars in 4, you can also recruit Snowe, but he's useless. Suikoden Tactics was the first SRPG that I liked and was able to finish, after utterly sucking at FFT. It exists to fill in plot holes left by 4, but if you haven't played 4 it does fill in the basics of that story, I believe. It certainly redeems the poor good characters who were stuck in Suikoden 4.
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Jul 23, 2011 15:33
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CrookedB posted:You know, it is sometimes said that the best JRPG is Anachronox ( To this I'd add Valkyrie Profile 1 & 2 - they are really underrated RPGs with two of the better battle systems I've seen. I rapidly tire of menu based battle systems and these two keep you attached to the action in battles at all times. VP1 is for the PS1 and VP2 is for the PS2 (and may be one of the best looking games on the system). Exploration for both are handled as almost side scrolling platformers and you have an ability that can be used to solve puzzles. They can be challenging at times but are fairly unique in the genre.
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Jul 23, 2011 15:47
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Doctor Reynolds posted:So did any of you play the Lost Kingdoms series on the Gamecube? They're really stupid but I am such a dork when it comes to mythology that I love them. Hey I played that game! That game was fairly fun, but all you needed to do was get a bunch of banshee cards and run around shooting everything to death. They were kind of broken.
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Jul 23, 2011 16:14
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Barudak posted:Did you play the Japanese copy of this or something because this is notorious in the US for being completely broken difficulty wise and having the possibility to be unbeatable if the game picks certain characters to be your rival at the very start. I'm aware of the balance being broken, but personally I didn't have any significant problems with that in my playthrough. There's always the Elnard patch, though, which - if I remember correctly - tones down the rival characters and monsters. prometheusbound2 posted:Arcanum is a very strong contendor for greatest RPG ever made. The reason it's a contendor, and not the undisputed champion, is a sloppy interface, serious balance problems(although unless you're a power gamer I don't see this as a problem, a guns path is substantially more difficult than a magic/melee path but still viable), a lovely main dungeon, and lots of bugs that are largely resolved by an unofficial fan patch. Indeed, Drog's unofficial patch is highly recommended. @ Foxhound: Also, this depends on your proficiency with RPGs, but if you feel like making your first playthrough easier, go for Necromancer; the Harm spell is extremely powerful. (The ability to speak with the dead is a nice thing to have, too. :P) A number of other builds are also very powerful, like a melee build with high dex and Haste/Tempus Fugit spells, for example. The Charm and Stun spells are fairly useful to any build. Since it's a steampunk game, however, playing a gunslinger is definitely the best option imho, just maybe not on the first playthrough, as things become... trickier, somewhat. SatansBestBuddy posted:You didn't put down Fallout 1 or 2. Seconded.
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Jul 23, 2011 18:04
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Although to be honest, Fallout hasn't aged well. The second one though? Still fantastic and better than the original in every way.
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Jul 23, 2011 19:13
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I don't really see any reason why one Fallout would have aged any worse than the other, Fallout 2 was better in the sense that it had a goddamn fuckton of content, but that wasn't a universally beneficial part of Fallout 2 (loving New Reno)
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Jul 23, 2011 19:31
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Vrikkian posted:Although to be honest, Fallout hasn't aged well. The second one though? Still fantastic and better than the original in every way. I'd like to present the opposite viewpoint and say that I personally found the first one superior. I think the world and plot set up were far more interesting in the first game. I still think the second is pretty good, too, though. Edit: Also I really really think if you are interested in Fallout at all you should absolutely play the first one first. Then if you liked it and want more content you should play the second.
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Jul 23, 2011 19:32
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Vrikkian posted:Although to be honest, Fallout hasn't aged well. The second one though? Still fantastic and better than the original in every way. That's... debatable, to say the least. Personally, I think Fallout 1 is better designed and has better and more realistic post-apocalyptic atmosphere. It's just more to the point, tighter and more cohesive; a better designed RPG experience. And the storyline is superior to FO2. The latter, however, is lots of fun in its individual quests (crime families) and elements (such as loot, for instance); as a whole, it's somewhat weaker, feels a bit rushed and slower-paced. I like both, though. A lot. :P
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Jul 23, 2011 19:39
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Plus Fallout 2 makes you slog through that godawful temple every time you start a new game.
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Jul 23, 2011 19:47
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Nickoten posted:I'd like to present the opposite viewpoint and say that I personally found the first one superior. I think the world and plot set up were far more interesting in the first game. I still think the second is pretty good, too, though. Too bad the combat in both of them is still poo poo. No I do not want to want five minutes for forty geckos to painstakingly crawl towards me.
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Jul 23, 2011 19:48
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the temple takes like five minutes, unless you can't outrun the scorpions (and if you can't outrun the scorpions your character sucks)
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Jul 23, 2011 19:49
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The mechanics in Suikoden Tactics is...interesting, at least. Although they rank you in battle with secret items hanging as a carrot and characters can die. Welp. Time to splurge/reset
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Jul 23, 2011 20:03
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Tae posted:The mechanics in Suikoden Tactics is...interesting, at least. I strongly remember thinking 'hey if this game were faster I'd really like it'. And then I would get someone killed right at the end of a mission almost as long as Ring of Red's, and then I would want to throw the controller really, really hard.
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Jul 23, 2011 20:08
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YOURFRIEND posted:Too bad the combat in both of them is still poo poo. No I do not want to want five minutes for forty geckos to painstakingly crawl towards me. You do realize that you can speed up combat movement, right?
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Jul 23, 2011 20:29
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Fag Boy Jim posted:the temple takes like five minutes, unless you can't outrun the scorpions (and if you can't outrun the scorpions your character sucks) Yes that's a valid excuse for the temple taking more than five minutes when someone plays the game for the first time. quote:Too bad the combat in both of them is still poo poo. No I do not want to want five minutes for forty geckos to painstakingly crawl towards me. The nitty-gritty of the combat isn't that great, I'll agree - the best part of it is seeing the results of your combat actions (People flying away, getting blown up, etc). But really Fallout isn't really about combat - combat is just one of the ways you can make decisions, which I feel is the real gameplay. I see a good RPG as one where it doesn't even matter how detailed the combat is because the circumstances and consequences of said combat are what make it interesting. Honestly I don't think it's worth it to play this kind of game for the combat, because it's not really the best reason.
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Jul 23, 2011 20:32
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Tae posted:The mechanics in Suikoden Tactics is...interesting, at least. You eventually get enough characters to use that can't permanently die, and I recommend just sticking with them unless you REALLY like someone. Though permadeath is a Suikoden series staple anyway.
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Jul 23, 2011 20:34
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Levantine posted:To this I'd add Valkyrie Profile 1 & 2 - they are really underrated RPGs I'd say they're lesser-known, not underrated. I've never met a person who's actually played 1 and doesn't think of it as contender for greatest PSX RPG. Incredible goddamn system, story, etc. And I hear the PSP re-release is pretty good? Doc V posted:You do realize that you can speed up combat movement, right? Games shouldn't force you do things like "change options" or "immerse yourself in a fictional world" to have fun.
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Jul 24, 2011 00:19
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Doc Hawkins posted:I'd say they're lesser-known, not underrated. I've never met a person who's actually played 1 and doesn't think of it as contender for greatest PSX RPG. Incredible goddamn system, story, etc. And I hear the PSP re-release is pretty good? If you're talking about the remake of the 1st on PSP, yeah it's great. There is another one for I think the DS (maybe PSP too) called Covenant of the Plume but I know nothing about it. And yeah, you're right. I've never met anyone who disliked VP1 - I should have said more obscure or something. VP2 is an amazing game as well. They translated the action-y battle system to 3D really well and both the graphics and music are just out of this world - probably a contender for best on the PS2.
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Jul 24, 2011 00:29
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The PSP re-release of VP is kind of crappy. The original Japanese release had problems that were fixed in the US release, but the PSP version is based off the Japanese version. It's still a good game but it's really a lovely port. Also the CGI cutscenes are really glaringly out of place with the style of the rest of the game.
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Jul 24, 2011 00:48
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How's the voice acting?
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Jul 24, 2011 01:12
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Doc Hawkins posted:How's the voice acting? It's exactly the same from what I recall, aside from some new dialogue for the CGI scenes.
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Jul 24, 2011 01:21
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DarthDoubleMarth posted:Dunno if it was mentioned yet but Gladius is an awesome tactical rpg, has typical features like bonuses for attacking from the side and back but also has a system like the Mario rpg games where you can time button presses to increase the strength/accuracy of your attacks. Game's a lot of fun, a lot of customization and a ton of variety to configure. The only downside to this game is that the huge majority of the content is basically doing all the various arena battles and their unique rulesets, while the plot battles/deveopment were extremely few and far between. [e]Also surprised nobody has LP'ed it here, considering it's probably the perfect Goon participation game with the gladiator configuration. Rascyc fucked around with this message at 01:34 on Jul 24, 2011 |
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Jul 24, 2011 01:31
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Levantine posted:There is another one for I think the DS (maybe PSP too) called Covenant of the Plume but I know nothing about it. DS-only, I just finished it last night. It's... you know how some of the fun of the VP games is having X person in Y place and seeing what comes of it? Yeah there is NONE of that in Covenant. The instant you recruit someone, they vanish from all storylines. It makes sense gameplay-wise, they're killable at that point, but I just did a no-death run and suddenly I have an rear end in a top hat confessing to killing the master OF A MEMBER OF MY PARTY WHO WANTED TO AVENGE HIM. Nothing. Also I just got really sick of the SRPG + VP battle system in the end since most of the people I recruited had a lovely range and I'd spend two or three turns just getting people to where they can loving hit anyone.
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Jul 24, 2011 03:37
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Fag Boy Jim posted:the temple takes like five minutes, unless you can't outrun the scorpions (and if you can't outrun the scorpions your character sucks) As I remember the temple "tutorial" was mandated by someone outside of BIS, some genius Interplay producer. For me Fallout 2 was too big and long for it's own good, and I found the pop culture reference and occasional wackiness excessive. Fallout is a far tighter package, better balanced, better paced, with a better story. But Fallout 2 is still perhaps the better game. Interesting followers, grander and more varied quests, huge(r) world to explore with lots of fantastic locations. With some extra development time and a tighter direction, it could have been the objectively better one. I love this series and I'm really thankful to Bethesda that the FO universe has been allowed to be revisited and that we got New Vegas (I got in the recent steam sale, haven't been able to play as much as I've wanted (travel), but this is very much a continuation of that same original spirit. Super excited to getting back into it). I'd love if Obsidian were given the reigns for all future installments (or at least some...)
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Jul 24, 2011 04:23
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KariOhki posted:You eventually get enough characters to use that can't permanently die, and I recommend just sticking with them unless you REALLY like someone. Though permadeath is a Suikoden series staple anyway. Yeah, if you're worried about permadeath, stick with the big names from Suikoden 4, and the plot-relevant characters from Tactics. Off the top of my head Kyril and his starting entourage can never die, and neither can the S4 Hero, S4 Hero's friends (the elf chick, Jewel, Kenneth, and that muscle man) Kika, and Pretty much everyone else is fair game for the game to poo poo on, though. they all suck anyway
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Jul 24, 2011 05:21
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