expanding my horizons

[shaggydoug]

I've pretty much confined myself to a limited set of PC game types: RTS, FPS, space simulations and hockey. When I was young (20+ years ago), I played AD&D a lot but got out of it before I was out of high school. I recently picked up KOTOR. This is my first RPG that I believe I've ever owned. It seems like I'm just following some rote script for stuff where I personally don't get to fight. In other words, where's the furious clicking? This seems more like I'm watching a movie and just telling the characters where to go and what boxes to look in. There is a lot to manage outside of the actual "battles" and I do find myself lost there.

Anyway, I'm looking for tips on what to get out of an RPG game in general (not just KOTOR). I know we have a lot of RPG junkies here in OO land. What makes these games "click" for you?

- shaggy

[ChrisGrenard]

Either the story or the freedom. Since story doesn't seem to be up your alley, may I recommend Fallout 2? Or perhaps a bit of genre mixing... System Shock 2?

[LawBeefaroni]

Baldur's Gate 1 or 2? Classics in the genre. Plenty of fighting, lots of it tactical in the larger battles. Same goes for Icewind Dale 1 and 2, both of which are more hack and slash. BG2 and IwD 2 have better interfaces so they might be more up your alley.

There are of course quests to do and inventory management, but more freedom than KOTOR.

[JSL]

Although I have not really played it, I would suggest Morrowind. It has a large following here and people will be happy to help you out. I think it might be more of what you are looking for. I think there is a lot of combat and there isn't a party to manage. Here are some links on our boards that might help you decide:

Kelric's Morrowind Sucks thread
Mr. Morton's Magic Tips thread
Atalante's Character Creation Question

[DiscoJason]

Definitely think you should pick up any of the numerous FPS/RPG hybrids out there like Deus Ex, System Shock, etc. Morrowind might also be good for you because of the open-endedness of it all. I love BG, but it doesn't seem to be up your alley. Oh, also Sacred might be good since it is more of an RTS/RPG hybrid.

[Smoove_B]

Morrowind really is one of those games where you get out of it what you put in. With the two add-ons and the dozens of high quality user created modifications, you could spend a hundred hours just walking around the game world.

The game does, however, seem to polarize people. I think the biggest problem that people have with it is that it is SO open. If you're not used to it, you could become bored. But this game will not lead you around by the nose.

It's the closest to a real "role" playing experience on a computer game, IMHO.

[Kelric]

Morrowind really is one of those games where you get out of it what you put in. With the two add-ons and the dozens of high quality user created modifications, you could spend a hundred hours just walking around the game world.

The game does, however, seem to polarize people. I think the biggest problem that people have with it is that it is SO open. If you're not used to it, you could become bored. But this game will not lead you around by the nose.

It's the closest to a real "role" playing experience on a computer game, IMHO.

Best RPG I've ever played, that's for sure. It's not saying much since I've never been a big RPG guy, but Morrowind has me utterly enthralled. In fact, that's what I've been playing for the last two hours and I only quit to come ask a Morrowind question in my thread.

[Gwar21]

Have you ever played Diablo II? That's set in a fantasy world and has all sorts of furious clicking. Some consider it an RPG, although it's really not at all like Baldur's Gate, etc. It's very light on story.

[CeeKay]

Either the story or the freedom. Since story doesn't seem to be up your alley, may I recommend Fallout 2? Or perhaps a bit of genre mixing... System Shock 2?

Or Deus Ex?

For me the story factors in big time. I couldn't get into Baldurs Gate 1 but BG2 sucked me in completely. I'd say it was the slow start in BG1 that did it.

[shaggydoug]

Thanks for all the input here. Want to clarify my question of course:

In my game of the moment (Jedi Outcast), there is a story. You can't choose different story lines. However, progressing from 1 section of the story to the next involves a lot more "action" for me than KOHAN does. I feel like I'm doing something. I don't get that in KOHAN. A lot of the "action" is removed from me. Because of that, I don't feel like I'm playing. What gives all the RPG fans around here that feeling of actually "playing" an RPG?

- shaggy

[Dhruin]

This is an interesting question.

Very broadly, I'd say there are two types of roleplayers: "genuine" roleplayers who try to envisage a character and faithfully develop that avatar in-character throughout the game -- and "powergamers", who like to maximise the performance of their avatars within the game mechanics. I'm not trying to judge either approach, BTW, and I think there's a little powergamer in all of us.

For the first type, the pay-off is in being able to have different experiences in the gameworld through different characters and to experience that character grow. In an FPS or similar direct action game, your success in combat is largely (or even entirely) the result of the player's prowess and this doesn't change much over the course of the game.

I like to imagine a character and try to play that character as best as the game allows and it's a key point that combat (and hopefully other elements) are tied to the character's stats, so that different character types are meaningful and the character develops through the game. Hopefully, different character types will impact the game/story in different ways, whereas a direct action game is usually fairly fixed.

For powergamers, it's almost a strategy element: discovering stat, skill and item combinations that maximise performance.

BTW, for all its good points, most KotOR characters play pretty similarly, so I don't think it's the best example of what I'm getting at.