If you haven't played waste 1 it's extremely primitive by today's standards.
I first played Wasteland last summer, and I would like to qualify this statement by saying that it's definitely a game RPG fans should attempt to play through, even if you decide part way through (or 5 minutes in) that it's not for you. The game allows you to build a personalised group of PCs and the party mechanic combined with the skill system gives the player an opportunity to weave their own narrative around the actions of these characters (my AT and demolitions specialist blew himself up trying to load a howitzer shell, then on another occasion, couldn't hit the broad side of the Scorpitron despite my moving him up closer than the rest of the team). This kind of storytelling succeeds more than any amount of expensive CG or well-known voice actors could hope to accomplish.
The combat system was just tactical enough with a dash of decision making (go in for melee and double XP or stand back and plink away from a safer range; do a burst shot to conserve some ammo or full auto so you can get to Doctoring your comatose teammate ASAP) during key moments. The combat text was amusingly written and sometimes hilariously violent, but because it was all scrolling text, you could speed it up when you were tired of reading or just going through easy punks. As much as I enjoy the combat in Fallout with its targeted groin shots, the bigger battles could bog down a bit; I would prefer Wasteland's when given a choice, and certainly more so for what is being sold to us as Wasteland 2.
Lastly, the usage of the various skills throughout the game was something I have rarely seen contemporary RPGs attempt, to the extent that Wasteland did. The system certainly isn't perfect, with some skills that have lesser applications, but just giving players the option to teach their character skills like Metallurgy or Helicopter Pilot was awesome. I completely messed up my attempt to use the Helicopter Pilot skill, but even my screw up ended up being an amusing memory from the game. Giving my four Desert Rangers different skills was my way of personifying them (forget hair colour, I'm taking Cryptology and Toaster Repair); sure, it stung a bit when I found out Metallurgy was useful in all of 1 location (if it's useful elsewhere, someone tell me), but while the "gaming" part suffered, the roleplaying opportunity all those skills gave me will always stick with me. I hope this aspect of the game is not forgotten as they work on updating everything else for 2.
What I am hoping/expecting is a wasteland sequel that plays like the 90s fallout games and games like planescape.
I am hoping for a Wasteland sequel that plays like Wasteland, but with necessary and carefully-tested UI and gameplay tweaks so that new players aren't put off; I don't want them to sacrifice aspects of Wasteland that were integral to its experience in order to please all these people who are hopping on board expecting a "Fallout 2.5" experience. It will probably be a bit of a meld of both, and I'll accept that as long as the Wasteland mechanics aren't completely buried or reduced to aesthetics.
