Trying To Get Into CRPG's: Suggestions?

[Smolderin]

CRPG's are something I have been wanting to get into for awhile (what does the C stand for anyway?)....They seem to have everything that should appeal to me. Story book like narratives, in depth level and skill systems, painted backgrounds.....and yet....whenever I try some, like say Baldur's Gate or Arcanum...I get bored....reeeeaaaaallllly fast.

Maybe I just don't have the right mindset? I mean I can pick up stuff like Morrowind and play it just fine but stuff like I listed below make me bored. I need suggestions on what would almost be considered a fool proof CRPG....some games of that genre that are almost impossible not to enjoy.

Suggestions?

 

[synobal]

Why not go directly to the source and get involved in some Pen and Paper games? I don't live in a city so I've a hard time finding them but I found an online Dresden Files RPG game, that is twice weekly and have been playing with that group for almost 3 years now.

I started out with NWN, and Baldur's Gate etc I eventually moved onto the NWN online RP scene and once the server I was on collapsed Pen and Paper was all that was really left to me.

 

[DoPo]

(what does the C stand for anyway?)

It's for "computer". It's used if you want to distinguish between tabletop ones and video games. And that's pretty much the only context it's actually used in - if you really need to specify which one you're talking about. Most of the time it's pretty clear, though - on a video game forum you can happily go with RPG of if you actually need to specify, you can specify pen and paper ones (PnP RPGs).

Anyway, random stuff aside - yeah, they could get boring and tedious. Some do start slow, too. I don't think you can do much about it - I certainly encounter the same thing - there isn't much of a story or action or anything in the beginning. I usually just grit my teeth through it and push on - the story does pick up...in most cases. Otherwise...what can I say, try newer games, I suppose - there isn't anything much to be done about old ones except endure the beginning.

 

[Googenstien]

http://www.gog.com/promo/hasbro_stacking_weekend_promo_050413 check out this deal.. its damn nice and has all you need for a ton of good old D&D fun.

 

[LookingGlass]

How about the original Fallout [http://www.gog.com/gamecard/fallout]?

I only got into these types of games in the last few years, and I started with Fallout. It's not as complex with its ruleset as the D&D games like Baldur's Gate (which is fantastic, but takes some effort to get into). It takes a little while to get some good weapons if I remember correctly (the second game was better at this aspect), but it's got a good story, great setting and atmosphere, fun turn-based combat (as long as you don't get too many enemies on screen... then it starts to get tedious), and it always has multiple ways to solve each quest (accounting for all different character builds).

 

[The Madman]

I honestly can't think of a single time someone has made one of these topics and ended up actually getting into the games... nope, can't think of any.

Besides, what advice can possibly be given aside from 'give it a chance and be patient'? Most crpg tend to start out slowly and build up from there, like the DnD games they are based on crpg assume, right or wrongly, that you've time to spare and are willing to learn the mechanics before starting.

If that's not to your tastes then it just might not be for you.

 

[ohnoitsabear]

I second Planescape: Torment. I'm currently playing through it, and it's by far the most unique and interesting RPG I've played, as well as the one with the most narrative depth. I won't say that it's impossible to not enjoy, because there are points where it can be hard to figure out what to do, and the combat is kind of shitty, but I'll be damned if it isn't one of the best games I've played.

A few tips for if you do get this game, though. First, look up a guide for your initial stat allocation, as what stats you should be taking right away isn't really obvious. For example, wisdom is by far the most important stat in the game, but that isn't obvious unless you've already played it. Next, I would recommend turning down the combat difficulty all the way, just because it makes that part of the game far less tedious. Finally, talk to everyone. Just about every character in the game, even if they aren't related to any quests, at least has something interesting to say.

 

[Bad Jim]

http://www.gog.com/promo/hasbro_stacking_weekend_promo_050413 check out this deal.. its damn nice and has all you need for a ton of good old D&D fun.

I've just jumped on this. $21.90 gets you:

Planescape Torment
Baldurs Gate 1 & 2 plus expansions
Icewind Dale 1 & 2 plus expansions
Neverwinter Nights 1 & 2 plus expansions
Forgotten Realms : Demon Stone
Dungeons and Dragons : Dragonshard
The Temple of Elemental Evil

You can have them individually, but the discount ranges from 40% to 80% depending on how many you buy.

Pretty sweet.

. .though not particularly useful to a topic creator who already has some of the games but has trouble getting into them.

My advice for getting into them? Set aside a few hours a week in which you play no matter what. But only a few hours a week. Play as long as you like once you're enjoying it, but don't burn yourself out before then. Forcing yourself to play can make games hard to enjoy, so you need to take breaks.

 

[Blood Brain Barrier]

CRPG's are something I have been wanting to get into for awhile (what does the C stand for anyway?)....They seem to have everything that should appeal to me. Story book like narratives, in depth level and skill systems, painted backgrounds.....and yet....whenever I try some, like say Baldur's Gate or Arcanum...I get bored....reeeeaaaaallllly fast.

Maybe I just don't have the right mindset? I mean I can pick up stuff like Morrowind and play it just fine but stuff like I listed below make me bored. I need suggestions on what would almost be considered a fool proof CRPG....some games of that genre that are almost impossible not to enjoy.

Suggestions?

You're bored because they are too easy. Pick up Temple of Elemental Evil. It's a challenging and deep role-playing experience with the prettiest painted RPG backgrounds ever.

 

[Auron]

C is for computer, RPG before the gaming industry corrupted the term meant tabletop roleplaying game which is what most CRPG's are based off anyway, almost all the classics are D&D or D20 based, if you were bored with Baldur's Gate I suggest you give up the idea, it is one of the paragons of the genre and it will not get much better than it. If your problem's with the graphics, other than current Bioware endeavours(Dragon Age and Mass Effect, hybrid as the lattest may be.) and maybe nwn the entire genre never cared for Graphics and it's secondary at best.

The idea is to create your character and play it out like he would, like a real RPG campaign. I find that statwhoring is usually much less enjoyable don't know how you're approaching the game however. Fallout(1 and 2.), Torment and Baldur's Gate are the impossible not to enjoy games you're looking for, with deep dialogue and enthralling stories Torment and Fallout being the utmost example of a story driven game with almost no required combat unless you want to(options fuck yeah!) use it and BG being a classical Forgotten Realms tale filled with story and a lot of fights of course.

Planescape Torment. A glourious RPG. Original world and all that.

While I agree with everything the Planescape setting was not original to the game, it's a d&d scenario, same as numenera where the sequel will be.

 

[Freaky Lou]

CRPG's are something I have been wanting to get into for awhile (what does the C stand for anyway?)....They seem to have everything that should appeal to me. Story book like narratives, in depth level and skill systems, painted backgrounds.....and yet....whenever I try some, like say Baldur's Gate or Arcanum...I get bored....reeeeaaaaallllly fast.

Maybe I just don't have the right mindset? I mean I can pick up stuff like Morrowind and play it just fine but stuff like I listed below make me bored. I need suggestions on what would almost be considered a fool proof CRPG....some games of that genre that are almost impossible not to enjoy.

Suggestions?

You're bored because they are too easy. Pick up Temple of Elemental Evil. It's a challenging and deep role-playing experience with the prettiest painted RPG backgrounds ever.

Haha, Arcanum usually turns people off because the UI is confusing and/or they get stuck at the Black Mountain Clan Mines, which are really badly designed.

Others have recommended Fallout 1 and Planescape: Torment. I second those, and I also recommend sticking with Arcanum. It took many tries for me to get into it, but eventually everything started making sense and it is one of my favourite games now. When you realize that the point of the game isn't the fighting or even the story really (though I do think Arcanum's got a cool plotline) but in the breadth of ways you can develop your character and the richness of the world itself, you'll start to get it.

There's also a whole lot games on the horizon which are made in the style of the classic cRPGs, but have considerably prettier/more modern interfaces and graphics which could make them a little easier to get into. I list off a lot of them in this thread: http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/9.405160-Torment-Tides-of-Numenera-Completes-Funding#16814171 but there's more than that, too.

 

[Blood Brain Barrier]

CRPG's are something I have been wanting to get into for awhile (what does the C stand for anyway?)....They seem to have everything that should appeal to me. Story book like narratives, in depth level and skill systems, painted backgrounds.....and yet....whenever I try some, like say Baldur's Gate or Arcanum...I get bored....reeeeaaaaallllly fast.

Maybe I just don't have the right mindset? I mean I can pick up stuff like Morrowind and play it just fine but stuff like I listed below make me bored. I need suggestions on what would almost be considered a fool proof CRPG....some games of that genre that are almost impossible not to enjoy.

Suggestions?

You're bored because they are too easy. Pick up Temple of Elemental Evil. It's a challenging and deep role-playing experience with the prettiest painted RPG backgrounds ever.

Haha, Arcanum usually turns people off because the UI is confusing and/or they get stuck at the Black Mountain Clan Mines, which are really badly designed.

Others have recommended Fallout 1 and Planescape: Torment. I second those, and I also recommend sticking with Arcanum. It took many tries for me to get into it, but eventually everything started making sense and it is one of my favourite games now. When you realize that the point of the game isn't the fighting or even the story really (though I do think Arcanum's got a cool plotline) but in the breadth of ways you can develop your character and the richness of the world itself, you'll start to get it.

There's also a whole lot games on the horizon which are made in the style of the classic cRPGs, but have considerably prettier/more modern interfaces and graphics which could make them a little easier to get into. I list off a lot of them in this thread: http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/9.405160-Torment-Tides-of-Numenera-Completes-Funding#16814171 but there's more than that, too.

I still think single character RPGs are of less depth, which might turn off some people. I'm like the OP in that I got bored of Arcanum and Planescape because I could only really control one character's development. Elder Scrolls is the worst. It's amazing the difference that being able to fully control the dynamics of a squad makes to the RPG experience.

 

[Mycroft Holmes]

The C stands for computer. IE: Computer Roleplaying Game. It's from a time when roleplaying games were largely done in the collective imaginations of a few people with some pieces of paper. When RPGs became popular it became a term to refer to those older computer RPGs from that era as well as those stylistically similar. Technically though Mass Effect and Skyrim are cRPGs as well.

There is no foolproof game that everyone loves. If you got bored of Arcanum and Baldur's Gate that easily, then I would say that their style of RPG is not for you. 'cRPGs' are a lot more into dialogue, story, and pride themselves on being more thought intensive. Things don't usually fall into line for you. The older ones for example pretty much require you to read the manual, and to draw up your own maps with pen and paper as you play(I actually found an old journal awhile back, that I used for U7 filled with quest information, different leads as well as sextant coordinates.) A lot of these RPGs require skills and mindsets that most players nowadays either don't have or simply don't have the patience for.

The best old RPG though in my opinion would be Ultima 7 and/or U7: Serpent's isle. You can buy it from GOG and download an emulator called exult that will make it run better(with a small chance for new bugs.) You could also potentially consider Dragon's Age to be in the same style as older RPGs(in a lot of ways at least,) and it would likely be easier to jump into than any of these others games.

 

[Freaky Lou]

I still think single character RPGs are of less depth, which might turn off some people. I'm like the OP in that I got bored of Arcanum and Planescape because I could only really control one character's development. Elder Scrolls is the worst. It's amazing the difference that being able to fully control the dynamics of a squad makes to the RPG experience.

It makes for way deeper combat; obviously; but Arcanum's depth in character creation/development is unmatched in anything I've seen. If what you want is good tactical squad combat then you'd probably be more interested in something like Jagged Alliance 2.

 

[Zeldias]

I liked the Knights of the Old Republic games, Icewind Dale 2, Neverwinter Nights 2, and the Fallout series. Out of those, I find it impossible to play KotoR 1, Icewind Dale 2, and am having a hard time convincing myself to give the old Fallouts a go again. You might wanna try Dragon Age: Origins, as I understand it plays like a CRPG on the computer as opposed to how it was on the console.

The thing with CRPGs is that you've gotta invest in something pretty early and have that carry you through the games, and the only two that have really done that well for me are NWN 2 and KotoR 2. I'm not trying to knock the genre, but I feel like a lot of CRPGs kinda lose steam midway through; for example, for me, beating DA:O was a true slog. Folks always tell me that BG 2 and Planescape: Torment are glorious, but I just really, truly didn't enjoy them (although, in fairness, I didn't give Planescape: Torment a very good chance).

I'm also keeping an eye on Wasteland 2 and Shadowrun Returns.

 

[Auron]

snip

I entirely disagree, Icewind Dale and Temple of Elemental evil both suffered of a rather undeveloped plot, somewhat generic dialogue and way too much dungeon crawling imo. BG, Torment and others had a party by the way.

 

[frizzlebyte]

I'd say it almost entirely depends on what kind of experience you're after. If you want a more modern experience, with a little more action, go for something like the Witcher series (and plenty of others, but these are off the top of my head), the new Fallout, or The Elder Scrolls. If you are looking for a classic experience, go for Planescape Torment (Haven't played it, but everyone I've ever heard says it's great), the original Fallout, Icewind Dale, Neverwinter Nights, or something along those lines.

Oh, and if you want a great Star Wars rpg (even just a great RPG, period), go for Knights of the Old Republic (NOT the new MMO bullcrap; the classic RPG). I've played that one through many a time, and I still love it. KOTOR 2 was awesome, as well, but be prepared for bugs due to rushed development.

Good luck on your quest!

Seriously, though, you are gonna love the genre, I think.

 

[Zeldias]

Also, I totally forgot to mention it, but I am in LOVE with Krater. That is a fun game.

 

[Eclectic Dreck]

Planescape Torment. A glourious RPG. Original world and all that.

Listen: I love the old Infinity Engine games as much as any fan but it is not where I would ever direct someone wanting to break into the genre. Aesthetic issues aside, the games are fantastically obtuse and sport interfaces designed for lobsters.

The best place to start, in my mind at least, is probably Neverwinter Nights 1 and 2. They feature vastly superior UI, use the far easier to understand D&D 3/3.5 rules, have excellent stories in their own right and are also readily available on the cheap. From there you have a good basis to explore the more ancient franchise like the Infinity Engine games and on that note I'd start with Baldur's Gate. Only then would I even think of suggesting Planescape simply because they would at least be used to the rule set and UI without having to throw them into a world where most of the tried and true rules and tropes of RPGS are turned on their head. If after all of that (A potential total of 400 or more hours of gameplay) the person still wanted to play in the D&D world, you still have Icewind Dale (the games are of tremendous quality but intra-party character interaction is non-existent as the entire party is player created by default) and Temple of Elemental Evil.

Then you're free to explore the world of Fallout (of which the second is vastly superior) including the oft ignored Fallout: Tactics which is something like an odd hybrid of Icewind Dale and Fallout 2.

Of course there is always the other angle of exploring the Elder Scrolls Franchise. The first two are likely available but the best entry point in the series is undoubtedly Morrowind.

 

[The Madman]

The best place to start, in my mind at least, is probably Neverwinter Nights 1 and 2. They feature vastly superior UI, use the far easier to understand D&D 3/3.5 rules, have excellent stories in their own right and are also readily available on the cheap.

Not really sure I'd put the original Neverwinter Nights under 'excellent stories'. That games main campaign is the worst sort of boring padded crap meanwhile Shadows of Urentide is at best alright and Hordes of the Underdark... well Hordes is pretty good actually so props to Bioware for that one. Both NWN and NWN2 have some amazing fan campaigns out there but then you've got to deal with downloading and installing them and if simple is the key word here, perhaps that's best left for later.