Old computer RPGs - what's good?

P

Patrick Klepek

furiously molesting tim burton
I'm trying to brush up on the important computer RPGs of old, but other than the Ultima series, I really have no idea what I should be looking for. The ol' text adventures (ala Zork) are kind of in the same vein, but really, I'm trying to trace back the hardcore RPG lineage on the PC side...can anyone chime in with old favorites to check out?

Thanks.
 
Baldur's Gate I and II are a great place to start. Planescape Torment is great. Fallout 1 & 2 are excellent. How far do you want to go back? Might and Magic and Wizardry are series that stretch way back.
 
I was actually interested in the same thing. But I'd definitely want to go further back than Baldur's Gate or Planescape. I didn't particularly give a damn about them.
 
Wasteland

all of the Bard's tales

the D&D gold box series by SSI

there are a lot more if you guys are really interested in them
 
Ooh, reminds me of playing Eye of the Beholder back when I first got a PC.
What were the best of those style games?
I remember getting deep into the dungeon where there were these green insect-like things, and the walls were all green, but that was as far as I could get.
 
If you can find it in stores, Septerra Core: Legacy of the Creator was awsome IMO if you like the traditional RPG with battles, weapons, good graphics for its time, and especially hard puzzles. I personally played it like 2 times through and then someone stole my copy :(

Try to check it out, my local EB is selling sealed versions for 5.99$ you can't go wrong for that price.
 
RevenantKioku said:
Ooh, reminds me of playing Eye of the Beholder back when I first got a PC.
What were the best of those style games?
I remember getting deep into the dungeon where there were these green insect-like things, and the walls were all green, but that was as far as I could get.
Click to expand...

Well Eye of the Beholder was one of the best of that style of RPG...

if you just want to go back a bit, but not too far, Arena was so awesome when it came out..
 
EGM92 said:
If you can find it in stores, Septerra Core: Legacy of the Creator was awsome IMO if you like the traditional RPG with battles, weapons, good graphics for its time, and especially hard puzzles. I personally played it like 2 times through and then someone stole my copy :(

Try to check it out, my local EB is selling sealed versions for 5.99$ you can't go wrong for that price.
Click to expand...

thank you!!!!!! I have been trying to remember the name of the "monolith" RPG... (should have looked it up but never remembered when I was sitting in front of the computer)
 
Ultima 6, Ultima 7.

If you have problems running 7 I think they've got some kind of Windows compatible shell for it or something.

Both rock, BTW.
 
Just sold a boatload on ebay.

ANVIL OF DAWN
ARENA - THE ELDER SCROLLS I
BLOODSTONE - An Epic Dwarven Tale
DAGGERFALL ELDER SCROLLS II
DRUID - Daemons of the Mind
DUNGEON HACK SSI
DUNGEON MASTER II
FINAL FANTASY VII and VIII
HALLS OF THE DEAD Faery Tale Adventure
LANDS of LORE The Throne of Chaos
PLANET'S EDGE
REALMS OF ARKANIA TRILOGY RPGS - Das Schwarze Auge
SPELLCRAFT: Aspects of Valor
THE ULTIMATE RPG ARCHIVES Bards Tale, Ultima Underworld, Dragon Wars, Wasteland
THE ULTIMATE WIZARDRY ARCHIVES
WIZARDRY 8 - SIRTECH
WIZARDRY GOLD SIRTECH
TOME - by Sunstar
OBITUS - By Psygnosis
DARKLANDS

Only the last three didn't sell. I'm not sure why Darklands didn;t sell. It's the best of the bunch.

More about Darklands: (from www.the-underdogs.org)

One of the very best RPGs ever produced, and definitely the BEST historical RPG ever.

So what makes Darklands so special? For one thing, it is arguably the most accurate historical RPG ever created-- almost every facet of genuine medieval Germany is depicted in the game, from the huge map with over 90 cities, calendar system and currency... down to different weapon and armor types and their corresponding weights and effectiveness. Mundane spellcasting in conventional RPGs is here replaced with an excellent (and, of course, authentic) alchemy interface which lets you create just about any potion you want with dozens of ingredients. Different potions require different levels of expertise - the most difficult ones may require a prayer to the applicable saint to make their manufacture feasible.You can also pray to the gods to request divine aid in sticky situations.

Darklands' character generation is one of the best. After choosing your name and gender, you then go on to select your hereditary, which effects your stats and skills. You then pick an occupation which adds 5 years to your age and increases your skills depending on the occupation chosen. You can keep choosing more careers, but your character will start to suffer from age. This trade-off between experience and strength strikes a great balance that requires strategic planning.

The goal of your adventures is simply to become famous. The game is very non-linear: over time, different "quests" will be spawned. Different personages will ask you go to various places and perform various favors for them. The rewards for these quests are usually financial, but often serve to improve your party's fame as well. Some of the quests that you might undertake are: kill a raubritter (German robber baron), kill a dragon, stop the problems with "knockers" in the mines, and drive out witches. You might be asked to retrieve relics, or retrieve stolen papers. Eventually, you will probably take on the Templar knights, and their demon lord, Baphomet. Each time you complete one of these tasks, you will gain more "fame," which is quantified with a number. A very successful party could expect a fame in the high hundreds. In a controversial move, Darklands has no "ending" per se-- after you vanquish Baphomet, you will be treated to a small victory screen, and be given the option to keep on playing. If you're looking for a great but overlooked RPG that will provide dozens, if not hundreds, hours of enjoyment and educational value besides, this is a must-have.
 
Blackace said:
Well Eye of the Beholder was one of the best of that style of RPG...

if you just want to go back a bit, but not too far, Arena was so awesome when it came out..
Click to expand...

Well there were three EotBs if I recall correctly, but I only played deeply into the first one. No idea if the sequels are worth it or better.
Damn, I picked up that D&D set for like $5 years ago but I have no idea where it is now.
 
Fallout series

Arcanum, which is kind of in the same vein of Fallout, although it introduces magic where fallout had none.

Much of what's already been mentioned is ace: Planescape, Wasteland, Ultima..

Don't play Baldur's Gate I. It's shit.
 
Good list by Sysgen. I particularly recommend Ultimate Wizardry Archives, tho it's best if you have a 286 handy to run the games without hassle. :P Perhaps PC emulators might suffice at this point, though. Haven't tried them recently.
 
If you're trying to get a taste of hardcore old-time RPG's, you absolutely need these as your starting point:

Wizardry
Ultima
Bard's Tale (and Dragon Wars)
Might & Magic
SSI's Pool of Radiance series
Wasteland

Of Wizardry, Bard's Tale, and Might & Magic, you can probably just play one, they share a lot in common with one another. I'd suggest Bard's Tale personally because I think it holds up the best, but that's probably nostalgia talking. From there, you can try out things like Dungeon Master, the rest of the AD&D Forgotten Realms Silver Archive, the Arkania games, the Phantasie trilogy, etc...
 
Neuromancer:

neuromancer_01.gif


neuromancer_02.gif


Also, various games from Infocom's catalog are still a must: Zork I, II, & III, Leather Goddesses of Phobos, Infidel, The HitchHiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Suspended, etc.
 
Wasteland, Wasteland, Wasteland. Classic mid-80s RPG goodness with a wonderfully fleshed out post-apocolyptic setting. Your band of Desert Rangers travels through the irradiated remains of Nevada, fighting critters, outlaws, mutants, and all manner of increasingly weird shit. There gameplay is excellent (particularly the skill system), the graphics are (relatively) good, and there are tons of neat things hidden throughout the game. In short, it rocks.

I'm also terribly fond of Ultima V, which is vast without being overwhelming, uses a terrific tactical map battle system, and has a refreshing lack of Lord British. Damn, I'm going to have to dust off my copy when I get home tonight...

FnordChan
 
Wasteland was a cool one. I wish they skipped the Bard's Tale update and did a Wasteland one instead. I liked the original Questron too. Never did get around to playing the sequal though.....the same guys did Legacy of the Ancients which I think lots of people enjoyed. King's Bounty was another one of my favorites.
 
yeah I can never play wasteland on my pc

and im not gonna ass around with pc mo slo or whatever




the era of scummvm and other "emulators" have spoiled me on running the "actual old" coded engines
 
Sysgen said:
Only the last three didn't sell. I'm not sure why Darklands didn;t sell. It's the best of the bunch.

More about Darklands: (from www.the-underdogs.org)

One of the very best RPGs ever produced, and definitely the BEST historical RPG ever.

So what makes Darklands so special? For one thing, it is arguably the most accurate historical RPG ever created-- almost every facet of genuine medieval Germany is depicted in the game, from the huge map with over 90 cities, calendar system and currency... down to different weapon and armor types and their corresponding weights and effectiveness. Mundane spellcasting in conventional RPGs is here replaced with an excellent (and, of course, authentic) alchemy interface which lets you create just about any potion you want with dozens of ingredients. Different potions require different levels of expertise - the most difficult ones may require a prayer to the applicable saint to make their manufacture feasible.You can also pray to the gods to request divine aid in sticky situations.

Darklands' character generation is one of the best. After choosing your name and gender, you then go on to select your hereditary, which effects your stats and skills. You then pick an occupation which adds 5 years to your age and increases your skills depending on the occupation chosen. You can keep choosing more careers, but your character will start to suffer from age. This trade-off between experience and strength strikes a great balance that requires strategic planning.

The goal of your adventures is simply to become famous. The game is very non-linear: over time, different "quests" will be spawned. Different personages will ask you go to various places and perform various favors for them. The rewards for these quests are usually financial, but often serve to improve your party's fame as well. Some of the quests that you might undertake are: kill a raubritter (German robber baron), kill a dragon, stop the problems with "knockers" in the mines, and drive out witches. You might be asked to retrieve relics, or retrieve stolen papers. Eventually, you will probably take on the Templar knights, and their demon lord, Baphomet. Each time you complete one of these tasks, you will gain more "fame," which is quantified with a number. A very successful party could expect a fame in the high hundreds. In a controversial move, Darklands has no "ending" per se-- after you vanquish Baphomet, you will be treated to a small victory screen, and be given the option to keep on playing. If you're looking for a great but overlooked RPG that will provide dozens, if not hundreds, hours of enjoyment and educational value besides, this is a must-have.
Click to expand...

Damn straight, darklands rocks.




I think you might want to get Arcanum before it gets rare with both Troika and Sierra gone.
 
Most people have recommended the one's I would've said.


1) Wasteland

2) Any SSI Gold Box game (warning! High encounter rate on these)

3) For Might and Magic go with the newer (a decade old) Xeen ones

4) I would stick to Ultima's 4-6.



I would really stay away from the older '3D' RPGS (Like Eye of the Beholder) ... they just don't stand up, and are too clunky. (In my opinion).


Let me try to edge you towards some cool mid 80's single player RPG's.


From SSI:

questron2.bmp



Some of the guys who made Questron 2 .. went over and helped EA make this:


legacy_of_the_ancients_1.gif


Legacy_of_the_Ancients.gif


Both are very cool games. Legacy of the Ancients being the better game (both graphically and storyline).
 
On a related note, I loaded up Proving Grounds of the Mad Overlord a few days ago, spent all this time creating good characters (even getting enough bonus points for one character to make a Samurai) and then the entire party gets slaughtered by a bunch of kobolds in the first fight they get into.

That kinda pissed me off.
 
ZombieSupaStar said:
I cant even traverse the map, I press up or whatever and I go like 400 clicks a second
Click to expand...

Huh; I just fired up my copy and didn't have any problems myself, but god knows what operating system quirks are involved here. Ah well.

FnordChan
 
Some certain old PC games are going for a lot more than they retailed for on eBay. I started collecting a while back and in my hunting I've seen a lot of games going for crazy amount...

The Ultima Collection - $80+
Ultima IX (Dragon Edition) - $100+
Daggerfall (Just the CD) - $60+
King's Quest Collection - $150+
System Shock 2 - $60+
Wing Commander Games - $$$ (Forget about it! :lol )


It's kinda strange though. System Shock 2 is a rare case. The game didn't even come out that long ago yet it's very difficult to find.
You can get the Ultimate Wizardry Archives for about $20, but that's a no/box/manual deal. I've only seen one copy that comes with the box and the original 255page manual. It's going for $34(buy it now price) currently and I've been eyeing it myself. If you want, I suggest you grab it soon. :lol

I think old PC games in general are going to be worth more collectively than console games because they are produced in such lower numbers. There are games on NES that if you have new and sealed are only worth a few cents because they are so common, yet you can have a game like System Shock 2 released in much lower numbers only a couple of years ago and going for $60 because no one can find the damn thing! Then there's PC games like Baldur's Gate, DOOM, and Tomb Raider that are worth practically nothing because they were produced in such high volumes, anyone can get their hands on them.

My advice: Hang onto your PC games once you're done with them! They might be worth gold real soon!!! (Assuming you're not one of those guys who says "Arrrrrrr!")
 
explodet said:
On a related note, I loaded up Proving Grounds of the Mad Overlord a few days ago, spent all this time creating good characters (even getting enough bonus points for one character to make a Samurai) and then the entire party gets slaughtered by a bunch of kobolds in the first fight they get into.

That kinda pissed me off.
Click to expand...


Well... I guess they weren't that good.
 
Sigh, well there's a wasted hour.
EoB has an issue where the mouse jumps around, EoB2 just won't run, and Wasteland hangs at random points.
Reminds me of why I gave up PC gaming in the first place, no matter how good the game might be, no game is worth this shit.
 
Squirrel Killer said:
It's all about DOSBox guys. There's even a front end to make it all easy like for ya.
Click to expand...

I'm actually running the games on the type it was made for. P100 running DOS 6.2.2.
 
"Talk about ahead of the times, Parallel AND Serial ATA into someone's brain!"

and a sampled sound track intro!

dasgiasdghiwhfidhfiqwvdhasdiviashv.... CHANGE!
dum dum dum dum
sgjisaqgjiegjiwjogjwqijgoiqwjigfqjwogjo.... CHANGE!
dum dum dum dum....


your winner, as pointed out, is WASTELAND.
 
So you are basically asking for 2D DOS goodness?

Here are the ones that I actually finished (almost all are 2D oldschool):

Betrayal at Krondor
Black Crypt <-- AMIGA, get WinUAE
Dark Sun : Shattered Lands
Dark Sun : Wake of the Ravager
Dungeon Master II : The Legend of Skullkeep
Eye of the Beholder
Eye of the Beholder III : Assault on Myth Drannor
Faery Tale Adventure Book II : The Halls of the Dead
Fallout
Fallout 2
Heimdall 2 : Into the Hall of Worlds
Ishar : Legend of The Fortress <-- AMIGA, get WinUAE
Ishar 2 : Messengers of Doom <-- AMIGA, get WinUAE
Ishar 3 : The Seven Gates of Infinity <-- AMIGA, get WinUAE
Lands of Lore : The Throne of Chaos
Lands of Lore II : Guardians of Destiny
Lands of Lore III
Menzoberranzan (Ravenloft)
Might and Magic Book Two : Gates To Another World
Might and Magic III : Isles of Terra
Might and Magic IV : Clouds of Xeen
Might and Magic V : Darkside of Xeen
Might and Magic VI : Swords of Xeen
Might and Magic VI : The Mandate of Heaven
Might and Magic VII : For Blood and Honor
Might and Magic VIII : Day of the Destroyer
Might and Magic IX <-- 3D but it's great, haters are lying
Ravenloft : Strahd's Possession
Ravenloft : Stone Prophet
Realms of Arkania II : Star Trail
Realms of Arkania III : Shadows over Riva
Stonekeep
Ultima VII : The Black Gate
Ultima VIII : Pagan
Ultima Underworld : The Stygian Abyss
Ultima Underworld II : Labyrinth of Worlds
Wizards and Warriors <-- GREAT oldschool with 3D graphics, must-play IMO
Yendorian Tales Book I Chapter 2
Yendorian Tales III : Tyrants of Thaine

Plus the ones I haven't beaten yet:

Bard's Tales of course :)
Dungeon Master
Eye of the Beholder 2
Wizardry 1 - 8
All SSI Gold Box games
Ultimas 1 - 6
Realms of Arkania: Blade of Destiny
 
Starflight was a great game for its time. Not a strict RPG as much as an exploration/simulation. All right, I guess it's not an RPG at all. Since old PC games are being brought up, I thought I'd mention it.

Thexder.

Okay, that definitely wasn't an RPG...or a simulation. But it was good - god almighty was it good.

So look into Thexder and Starflight.

...

The first Mechwarrior game is very cool, too. You...role-play...as a pilot of a giant robot. Go meet Grig Griz on Dustball, run errands, and upgrade your mech and stuff.

What was the topic here again?
 
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