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Best PC RPGs?
anoffday
To be changed whenever Anoffday gets around to it.Registered User regular
To be changed whenever Anoffday gets around to it.Registered User regular
So I have a lot of time off starting this weekend and a couple weeks after now that the semester is over and work doesn't start until June so I'm looking for a good game, preferably a RPG to last me awhile. I'm looking at gog and steam, but can't really decide since I don't know a lot about PC RPGs. I have Fallout 1 already, and I've started new games multiple times but always end up dying in the first few minutes, realize I forgot to save in the rat cave, get pissed, and quit. Sometimes I've even died in that cave, so maybe some tips on how to not suck would help me with that and I'd enjoy the game more. I'm also cheap and still rocking the P4 so something like Dragon Age 2 is out of the question. I also don't like games like Morrowind or any other game that hardly gives you any indication or where to go or what to do next. I don't exactly need an arrow pointing the way, but I'd like a little help.
Anyway, please recommend away and help me waste many hours in front of my computer playing an awesome RPG.
Anyway, please recommend away and help me waste many hours in front of my computer playing an awesome RPG.
Steam: offday
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They're great.
Also, in terms of freeware there are some good stuff
Barkley's Shut and and Jam: Gaiden(The best thing)
Last Scenario and Exit Fate are two really good ones made by this one guy, as well.
Honestly perhaps the best PC RPG of the last 10 years.
Though I suggest ignoring DAII.... it's oddly a contender for worst RPG of all time.
Also tips on how not to suck at rpgs-
1. PLANNING!
RPG's are all about building a character. If you take the time to plan ahead and think about how you're going to build before you get there you're going to be much better off than if you hadn't.
2. Learn to Min/Max
This is also part of one, but it's a bit more complex. Min/Maxing is basically minimizing the stats and abilities which don't directly boost your play style or character. For games like fallout this means maxing out skills that you use all the time and ignoring the ones you don't. Also, it means boosting the stats that help that skill the most. Figure out what does what and what you like to do and then focus on those sections exclusively.
In traditional RPG's this means diminishing the stats a certain character doesn't need to gain more points to spend on those they do (like BG where you have a warrior with 8 intell but 20 strength)
If done properly your characters will be stronger at what you want them to do while also weak in what you never do.
Be careful to focus on stats that actually give a bonus to your character. And example is that a friend of mine was putting tons of points into intelligence for a rogue he was playing. I noticed this and asked him why he was doing this. His logic was that intelligence would be required for the many things the rogue would be doing. However, when I showed him the bonuses that intelligence actually gave he was shocked to see it only really affected wizards. FOCUS ON WHAT YOU NEED AND NOT WHAT YOU DON'T
3. Learn how to use the "holy trinity" and then experiment with deviations.
For most non-single player RPG's the trinity is: TANK/DPS/THIEf/HEALER or MAGE. Experiment off of this trinity to learn what parties you like best. This can become anything from all dps / 1 healer groups to mage tanks to even the infamous all white mage party from Final Fantasy 1 (still shocking to anyone who sees it for the first time).
4. Research like crazy
You would be amazed at the detailed guides out there for every game on everything from how to make a competent group to where to find the gear you need to succeed. They are almost always free and can make all the difference when it comes to making a powerful party.
However, remember that RPG's more than any other genre are open to interpretation and multiple solutions. So don't consider these guides to be a road map. Instead think of them as part of your work on understanding the mechanics of the game as a whole.
Play a high Int / Wis character (so probably a mage). Just a suggestion since those stats govern dialogue choices IIRC.
If you can run fallout Baldurs Gate 1/2 are really really really good, and you should be able to run them as well.
Damn, is my computer that old?
That's, wow yeah that's pretty ancient.
But you should in theory still be OK with the Infinity Engine games, even the GOG re-releases.
How are those?
should in theory
wow
youngins
yes, the infinity engine games like Baldur's Gate I and II will run on a P4 just fine and dandy
to the op: buy both BG1 and BG2 off of GOG and install EasyTutu to make your life miles easier
I say "in theory" because I have no idea whether GOG's reworking of the games to work on new systems might have upped the system requirements some as a result.
Personally, I remember playing PS:T on a 200 MHz processor. Ah those were the days...
EDIT: Arcanum is a love-it or hate-it kind of game. Personally I hated it, but that might be down to the fact that I wanted to play as a Dwarf technologist (with a top hat), and apparently the game's heavily skewed towards magic despite giving you that option.
I don't think the Witcher is likely to run for you.
I loved Arcanum, but yeah, I wouldn't even bother trying to run The Witcher.
I'm playing through KOTOR 1 right now, and it's fantastic. Highly recommend.
After that, I'm planning of tackling Deus Ex for the first time.
I'm running on an Athlon XP 2200+ 1.8GHz single-core, Radeon x1550, and 1GB of ram (I'm guessing we're pretty similar in regards to specs).
The thing that always amazed me about KOTOR is how much whiny vagina they could shove into a single character.
Side note: KOTOR was bioware's first attempt at an awkward sex scene right?
I've never thought to give KOTOR a chance only because I've never really been into Star Wars.
Yeah, I'd find it hard to argue otherwise.
Anyway, good RPG's?
Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines.
I think KOTOR does a "kiss". Bastila will kiss the PC as a metaphor for sex. Then they do the "Jedi shall know no love" cop-out to get out of having to portray actual human behavior. With the technology, it's hard to blame them.
Mass Effect was the first attempt at the sex scene as far as I know.
It was a masterstroke decision really. Superb game.
Anyways, Baldur's Gate 2 + Throne of Baal and Neverwinter Nights 2: Mask of the Betrayer should be high to top priority. Skip the NWN2 vanilla campaign if you want to, it's really not all that great.
e: well, aside from the fact that NWN2 very likely won't run on your PC.
KOTOR the First is very definitely a Star Wars game. There's good, there's evil, and very few shades of grey. The characters (that get development at least) are pretty archetypical and there's a lot of Big Damn Hero action on interesting setpieces. "Why is this better Star Wars than the prequels?" was a common question asked when it came out.
KOTOR II is decidedly not Star Wars, since it was a bigass deconstruction from the word "go."
But as for the topic at hand, the Baldur's Gates, Planescape, Icewind Dale (the first, IWD2 will probably not run well on your god damn why are you still using a Pentium 4?), both KOTORs, and I think Jade Empire can run okay on that as well.
For general Fallout help if you feel like taking another stab at it, ask in the Fallout thread. If you don't mind a bit of older-school-ness, try Wizardry 8. I think it generally tells you where to go and what to do, as long as you pay attention. You've gotta grind a bit though.
- The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse (2017, colorized)
Jade Empire could work. Steam has a ton of older RPG gems on it if you care to sort through its massive catalouge.
It's also good if you like rythmic games, rather than clickfests. I always found the combat to be nicely relaxing, especially with an upgraded group style.
And you can get it super cheap.
Edit: oh wait. I missed the part about the really old computers. Well, if you ever do get a decent computer, it's well worth it.
Steam // Secret Satan
It's one of my most favorite games of all time.
Just a great story and a great game engine.
3DS FC: 5343-7720-0490
Gamersgate has a huge library too, with a lot of older RPGs, including some interesting obscure stuff that people have never heard of. Deus Ex would be a good place to start with there. It's the best RPG ever, not Planescape - by a hair.
I'm nothing more than a casual Star Wars fan. Don't let the source material scare you away. The voice acting (especially for the period) is absolutely brilliant.
Divine Divinity
Think Diablo + Baldur's Gate. It's open world, has a very good story, lots of humour, a huge open world, Diablo-esque hack-and-slash gameplay with completely open skill trees, and an excellent sound-track. Plus it's at least 50 hours long.
Single cores went out of style..geez uhh...6-7 years ago?
But yeah, should be fine with the majority of gog.com's infinity engine games, and you will NOT be disappointed with them at all.
Off the top of my head, you won't be able to run The Witcher. But that's a new game compared to their regular catalog, and it's only on there because the guys who run GOG are the same who made it, if I recall.
Torment has good writing, but is nigh unplayable.
System Shock 2 if we're going with that vein.
And it's better than Diablo 2. Yes I went there.
Planescape: Torment
Vampire: Bloodlines
Play those three first.