Re: [SWCollect] "Modern" classics

[Pedro Quaresma]

Edward Franks wrote:
>On Jan 13, 2004, at 12:31 PM, Jim Leonard wrote:
>>[Snip]
>> Things I look for in an RPG:
>>
>> - turn-based combat.

>                 You aren't going to find many games that do turn-based combat these
>days.  Temple of Elemental Evil is the only one that springs to mind
>and that has had poor reviews.  Mostly you get 'phased' combat (think
>Fallout's Action Points) with the ability to pause at any time.

Yes the combat is pretty much like Fallout, but even better :) You get a certain number of "APs" for moving and then another for what is called a full action (like an attack or casting a spell), or for moving too. It's a bit complicated at first but once you get the hang of it, it's extremely enjoyable. It's actually my 2nd favorite combat system ever.

ToEE did get bad reviews (mostly because it has quite some bugs without the patch) but it's a very good game, and probably best RPG of 2003. It starts slowly with mostly fedex quests, but it gets better later on within the dungeons themselves.

>> - combat-driven as opposed to story-driven (at least, I think I lean
>> that way -- is Wasteland and Fallout combat-driven?)
>>
>> - non-typical genre.  I don't prefer the typical "medieval fantasy"
>> setting but I'm not opposed to it either.  I prefer
>> post-apocolyptic/nuclear aftermath settings, or something
>> unconventional like Arcanum's "steamworks and magic obscura" setting
>> (the setting alone in Arcanum was 80% of why I loved the game).  I've
>> never tried Necromancer or Mines of Titan but they seem like settings
>> I would enjoy.

>                 You might check out Morrowind.  Lots of possible combat, plus the
>setting isn't the typical generic pseudo medieval fantasy.  The current
>game of the year edition includes both expansions.

Morrowind is a superb game, highly moddable (I run about 30 mods on my game, mostly visual effects and items) and with a very nice and original setting.

On the other hand it does have two major flaws (for me): it has arcade-like combat (it's first person and you have to swing your mouse left and right to do a similar sword movement, for example), and it has no party.

>> - sound and graphics don't matter to me (they're a bonus if they're
>> cleverly done, like in BT or Wasteland, but not mandatory).  I'm a fan
>> of clever sound, but I don't think it would be required in an RPG.

>                 The graphics and sound are pretty good in Morrowind.  You can even
>look up at the night sky and see the constellations mentioned in the
>character creation section (which gives you several different ways to
>create a character).

Good point there: character creation on Morrowind is superb, almost as good as on its predecessor Daggerfall. It's visually stunning, specially if you have a modern gfx card in order to see pixel shading effects on the water.

Its soundtrack is also excellent.

>> - Not reliant on another system or rule of play.  For example, I don't
>> think I'll ever play a Hobbit/LOTR game because I haven't read the
>> books.  Same goes for Star Wars because I'm not really that into it.
>> Original AD&D I can handle because it's simple, but the new Rev 3
>> games scare me :).

>                 3rd edition D&D shouldn't scare you.  It is very simple and flexible.  

I can't agree there. A wrong choice of a Feat or a starting stat and your character can go from "uber" to "weakling" ;)

It's incredibly fun tho, specially the 3.5 edition, in which the Ranger class at last becomes useful!

>It is a relatively clean system that preserves the fun of the 1st
>edition.  Then again, I thought the 2nd edition was a piece of shit.  
>;-)  Also, one of the goals of the 3rd edition rewrite was to make the
>game easier to recreate in computer games.

AD&D from 2nd edition on had the merit of being the only class based RPG system I know in which you could mix the character classes themselves.

>> - Finally, dumb-ass fictional LONG proper nouns drive me nuts and
>> really turn me off.  Text like "Making the ascension of Arrogath in
>> the land of Blesmythson requires the blessing of Gorgonax the
>> Blargnargian during the Time of Rhyne" in a game usually has me
>> uninstall it within minutes.  :-D

>                 There are some long proper nouns, but I don't remember that many.  
>Then again long names don't phase me so I tend not to notice them.

Come on Jim, long and unusual names are a must... you can't quite have "Prince Dick", "Joe the White Knight" or "Mary the Priestess of Tony"! :D "Tom the Mage" is ok though ;)



--
Pedro R. Quaresma
Salvador Caetano IMVT
Div. Sistemas de Informa��o / Systems and Information Division
Administra��o e Desenvolvimento Lotus Notes /
Lotus Notes Administration and Development
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