Best CRPG tht you've ever played

[loinburger]

What is the best CRPG you've ever played, and why is it the best?

I can't really choose between Deus Ex and Fallout II.

Deus Ex had a fantastic skills system and was fun as hell to play. It also had an excellent storyline. Unfortunately, it was also very linear, and it was annoying that you couldn't kill certain people (since they were needed to advance the storyline).

Fallout II was funny as hell, had a solid non-linear story, and had lots of extras that kept me playing even after I'd beaten the game. However, I didn't like its skills system nearly as much as in other games (Perks were great but not very balanced).

(Note: I'm looking for some good CRPG's, so if you know where I can buy your favorite CRPG then by all means tell me.)

[CapTVK]

Easy, Wasteland, the RPG game that inspired fallout.

[DinoDoc]

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time is easily the best RPG I've played recently.

[Urban Ranger]

Wizardry 6: Bane of the Cosmic Forge and Wizardry 7: Crusaders of the Dark Savant. Both have a very solid story and interesting game play. The skill-based system is good, but they still use the outdated "hit point" system.

[Dis]

what's a CRPG?

[loinburger]

Computer RolePlaying Game (a roleplaying game played on the computer or some other electronic medium).

[Dis]

I guess that should have been obvious. duh!

baldur's gate 2... so far

[Ecthy]

I only played 2 role-playing games on computers.... Zelda on the GameBoy and Lands OF Lore on the PC. I loved both, never got into any else.

[Ari Rahikkala]

I haven't played much of CRPG's, and no other RPG's but...



It's a tie.



On one side is UnReal World, an old, long and huge two men's project to create a believable iron age Finland environment. As it has been developed for so long, the UI is fast to use though not very easy to learn. Gameplay is tweaked a lot, and while it is a bit on the easy side, it is still much of fun. The game does not have any premade story, it is only about living. And that is what makes it unique.

http://www.jmp.fi/~smaarane/urw.html

On the other side is Planet's Edge, an even older and huger company project to create a sci-fi world that is really fun to play and not too easy. (although I think it is impossible to actually lose this game). It has a premade story, and is actually not very far from the everyday RPG. However, it is just.. so good . Besides, I have the Alpha Centauri III's music still playing in my head .

http://www.theunderdogs.org/game.php?Planet%27s+Edge

[loinburger]

I've heard good things about Baldur's Gate, but I'm always wary of CRPG's that are based on pen-and-paper RPGs. Too often the CRPG makes its lack of customizability apparent by placing obvious restrictions on the player (usually by locking the player into a linear storyline, something which all CRPGs can fall prey too but which transferred CRPGs seem to do far more often).

[Urban Ranger]

Another CRPG that's old but good is The Summoning. It's DOS based so you can probably find it on an abandonwares site. It has an unusual magic system and interesting plots, but the story is semi-linear. Excellent for its time, perhaps a bit dated now, though.

The other two I mentioned previously can probably be found at an abandonwares site too, since they are also both DOS-based

[~ Ben Hur ~]

I've just finished Baldur's Gate II: Throne of Bhaal. VERY tough, but enjoyable.

I'm currently hacking my way through Icewind Dale. It's fun, but the linear structure and lack of side quests gets a bit frustrating.

[Skanky Burns]

Since i havent played too many others, my vote goes to Deus Ex.

While the story was linear, there were so many different ways of playing this game - sneaking up and knocking the enemies out, or sniping, or running in with a machinegun, or even just sneaking past the enemies without them noticing you.

[Moral Hazard]

Fallout 2, Fallout, or Planescape.

I'm not really big into hack and slash, hence all the games I've cited center around interaction. I'm having a hard time getting into Baldur's Gate 2, mainly because you have to do a bit of fighting to start.

My favorite combat system is the one from fallout. Hell they made a tactical combat based on it so it's got to be good. Ultima's blew but that's never been where my emphasis was.

Skill based is definitely superior to classes, especially since most roleplaying games now center around one character instead of a party. Which is superior because it allows writers to build up your party member's personalities.

Honorable Mention:

Ultima 6, 7, and 7.5. (You pretty much had to be good, and 7.5's ending seemed rushed)
Final Fantasies (Ok thier console RPGS and a bit too linear)
Dark Sun 1
Wasteland (It was a bit old when I played it (95), plus you have to read out of printed manual for storyline.)

BTW did Arcanum get released today? 8/21 It was supposed to.

[Dan Magaha FIRAXIS]

Either of the Fallout games or Wasteland would be my picks...

Followed closely by:

Planescape: Torment
The Bard's Tale (any of 'em)
Legacy of the Ancients (IMHO this game is *highly* underrated)
Phantasy Star II (Genesis)
Shining Force Series (Genesis)
Sword of Vermilion (Genesis) -- it was gimmicky in some ways but still a very good game
Dragon Warrior (NES) -- just for nostalgia's sake

Even though I really, really loved Deus Ex, I 'm having a difficult time seeing it as an RPG. I was actually very surprised that the gaming press quickly embraced it as such instead of lumping it in with "those other FPS games"...

Arcanum will probably take a spot there on my list very soon...when I have time to play it more.


Dan