Games with good Speech (Diplomacy)

[chuckman1]

Hey there escapists lately I've been playing tons of rpgs and I love to talk my way out of things but a lot of rpgs have underwhelming speech.
In fable 2 you cant actually speak.
Fallout 3 is cool but doesn't have nearly as many options as New Vegas.
Skyrim...well bribing town guards is about the most useful Speech thing there is, sure you can convince a couple people but really its more efficient to pay 100 gold or KILL THEM.
Oblivion conversation options were like something from ultima
Name
Skingrad
Skingrad Guards
OBLIGATORY QUEST OPTION
And I didnt feel like I was really speaking but reading off the quest bulletin board

One of the better modern games as far as speech is concerned that I played is Fallout New Vegas.
I also thought Personas Conversation options were the best I've seen in J rpgs but overall underwhelming compared to some wrpgs.
Probably the best I've seen is Planescape Torment I'll take old and new game suggestions but figured before everyones like YOU THINK NV IS GOOD CHECK OUT PLANESCAPE id tell you I have and it is great.

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[Kapol]

I'd recommend checking out The Walking Dead, the Telltale game series. A lot of it is is interacting and conversing with other characters. There are relatively few 'action' parts and most of the game is based around the story. There isn't any real 'kill dem zombies' part of the game.

 

[Durzo_Blint]

Along with Mass Effect also give Dragon Age a try. Dialogue in that is excellent

 

[Redingold]

Some of the conversations in Deus Ex: Human Revolution were without a doubt some of the best I've ever seen in a video game.

 

[Zhukov]

Deus Ex Human Revolution and L.A. Noir are the only games I've played with decent speech/diplomacy mechanics.

In every other game it's either a stat check, dice roll or crap shoot.

 

[Llil]

If you don't mind going back a few years, then Fallout 1 and 2 are good. You can actually beat both games with a character that focuses purely on speech and science, and never even holds a weapon in their hand. And it's not even a "self-imposed challenge" kind of thing. That's just how you can choose to play.

As for newer games, I can't really think of any. New Vegas was prety good, but it's still primarily a shooter type game. I don't think that sort of thing is done in newer games, and also in very few older ones. Almost all RPGs focus so much on combat that they just don't let you avoid it.

 

[In Search of Username]

The Witcher is pretty good in that area.
As are pretty much any Bioware games.
Alpha Protocol was... okay, I suppose.
Oh, and LA Noire.

 

[thebobmaster_v1legacy]

I have to go with the crowd and say L.A. Noire. Seriously, that game is at least 60% about speech and diplomacy. 30% is collecting evidence and solving cases, 9% is driving around like a maniac.

Spoiler: The last 1% (spoilers for L.A. Noire)

The last percent is accepting the game over for running over Roy Earle. Fucking jackass.

 

[Kragg]

Deus Ex Human Revolution and L.A. Noir are the only games I've played with decent speech/diplomacy mechanics.

In every other game it's either a stat check, dice roll or crap shoot.

LA noire: nice old lady helping you -> says she doesnt know where murder victim went -> i pick doubt -> YOU KNOW WHERE SHE WENT YOU NOSEY HAG !!!!111111

haha, crazy game

 

[Shocksplicer]

Any Bioware game is good in the conversations department. I also liked the conversations in Alpha Protocol, the way people would reference your previous interactions and actions was cool.

I personally hated LA NOIRE's conversations. I felt that the conversation system was horribly designed, where you always had 3 options, only one of them was the right one and it was basically impossible to know which one.

 

[Autumnflame]

neverwinter, 2 + expansions. possibly DAO +2

vampire bloodlines expecially as a malkavian or toredor.

 

[CaptainMarvelous]

Monkey f*cking Island.

And I guess Mass Effect.

 

[octafish]

Alpha Protocol is what Mass Effect should have been. Having a timer adds a nice level of complexity and autosaving straight after conversations adds consequence. Just remember the three JBs. Suave=James Bond. Professional=Jason Bourne. Aggressive=Jack Bauer.

 

[ohnoitsabear]

Planescape: Torment. While you can't avoid combat altogether, the best way to get through most situations is to talk your way out of them, and it has probably the best dialogue of any game I've ever played.

 

[chuckman1]

neverwinter, 2 + expansions. possibly DAO +2

vampire bloodlines expecially as a malkavian or toredor.

How could I forget? That game kind of sparked my love for the wrpg before that I was mainly a jrpg man but something is so cool about stopping prostitute vampire plagues and using my insanity to make my childhood friend think I'm a fish she flushed down the toilet.

 

[Fappy]

Morrowind has an entire questline that can be almost 100% completed through speechcraft alone. One of my favorite questlines in the game I might add.

Spoiler

House Hlaalu of course.

 

[BENZOOKA]

The Witcher 2.

Yeah. I'd certainly go with that if I suddenly had the need for speech in a video game.