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Fahzgoolin · Mar 15, 2016

Taruranto · Mar 15, 2016

Planescape and Baldur's Gate 2.

Can't go wrong with these two.

I'd say Torment is the most approachable of the two.

Morrowind, Bloodlines and Gothic 2 are also excellent choices, but different from the classic CRPG.

Dwight Schrute · Mar 15, 2016

Taruranto said:
Planescape and Baldur's Gate 2.

Can't go wrong with these two.

I'd say Torment is the most approachable of the two.

Morrowind, Bloodlines and Gothic 2 are also excellent choices, but different from the classic CRPG.

+ Arcanum

kromeo · Mar 15, 2016

I would play Divinity OS if you haven't already. As for Baldurs gate, it feels extremely dated and clunky now, if you can see past that then go for it, there's an ehanced edition on steam

dude · Mar 15, 2016

Taruranto said:
Planescape and Baldur's Gate 2.

Can't go wrong with these two.

I'd say Torment is the most approachable of the two.

Pretty much. But I think BG 2 is easier to get into.

TK-421 · Mar 15, 2016

Ultima 7 using Exult to play it on a modern OS

http://exult.sourceforge.net/

Probably one of the most amazing RPGs I ever played.

Mugen08 · Mar 15, 2016

Planescape: Torment. Probably the best writing and story of them all.

E-flux · Mar 15, 2016

Do you mean classic as in games like Planescape torment and baldurs gates? If not Shadowrun Dragonfall and Hong kong are both really good crpgs that are fairly quick to play through.

If you are looking for old ones then i would suggest Arcanum, it is set in a steampunk fantasy world where you can pretty much create a character you want. from Child of an hero to a Retarded frankensteins monster who dual wields pistols. Combat in the game is awful though, and the game in general is a bit rough around the edges. However the world and the characters make it easy to recommend.

RespectThySole · Mar 15, 2016

Taruranto said:
Planescape and Baldur's Gate 2.

Can't go wrong with these two.

I'd say Torment is the most approachable of the two.

Morrowind, Bloodlines and Gothic 2 are also excellent choices, but different from the classic CRPG.

JonStark said:
+ Arcanum

Yup. Divinity: Original Sin and the Shadowrun games as well.

NoblesseOblige · Mar 15, 2016

Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines

I know you listed it, I'm listing it again to iterate it's a worthwhile play. Just make sure you have the fan patch.

Arcanum is also great, but it doesn't hold up nearly as well as Bloodlines in my opinion.

CHC · Mar 15, 2016

Taruranto said:
Planescape and Baldur's Gate 2.

Can't go wrong with these two.

I'd say Torment is the most approachable of the two.

Morrowind, Bloodlines and Gothic 2 are also excellent choices, but different from the classic CRPG.

100%. Both are incredible games and lose almost nothing to age. On top of that, they really do offer something that you can't get from more modern RPGs - HUGE amounts of roleplaying potential and agency, and extreme descriptive detail. There are certainly some things that modern RPGs do better, but the areas that BG2 and PS:T excel in really haven't been touched since.

Morrowind is also great, but it has aged quite badly. It's really just not fun to play on a minute-to-minute basis, and the idea of a hugely detailed open world rife with beatufiul scenery is no longer as unique as it was when the game came out. That said, the world UNDER the janky mechanics and dated presentation is still one of the most fascinating, alien, and yet totally convincing.

OP if you want classic, just get Baldur's Gate II Enhanced Edition on Steam. You really can't go wrong - it's hundreds of hours worth of content. There will be some that will tell you to get the classic version and GOG and then use mods to update it, but frankly I think it's more trouble than its worth. You won't regret it either way.

Sinatar · Mar 15, 2016

You can add Icewind Dale 1 and 2 to your list of infinity engine games to try.

I don't know what your tolerance is for older graphics and interfaces, I can recommend a metric ton of amazing DOS era CRPG's if you can handle it.

Caronte · Mar 15, 2016

Skip Baldur's Gate 1 and just play 2, you won't miss anything.

Even if you love the combat and want to play at low levels Icewind Dale is the better game for that.

Edit: Wasteland 2 is also pretty good.

Fahzgoolin · Mar 15, 2016

Caronte said:
Skip Baldur's Gate 1 and just play 2, you won't miss anything.

Even if you love the combat and want to play at low levels Icewind Dale is the better game for that.

Edit: Wasteland 2 is also pretty good.

I have been hearing that Baldur's Gate 1 isn't worth it, however I also hear that skipping it is a travesty lol

Why should I skip it?

Sinatar said:
You can add Icewind Dale 1 and 2 to your list of infinity engine games to try.

I don't know what your tolerance is for older graphics and interfaces, I can recommend a metric ton of amazing DOS era CRPG's if you can handle it.

As long as they aren't ridiculously hard to get running on modern PC's, I'd be willing to give some a try for sure.

Tanolen · Mar 15, 2016

I'll throw out one that doesn't get talked about alot, Dark Sun: Shattered Lands. Its pretty old but really good, it also was ahead of its time for ui advancements which I think makes it easier to play than other rpgs from the early 90s.

Taruranto · Mar 15, 2016

Fahzgoolin said:
I have been hearing that Baldur's Gate 1 isn't worth it, however I also hear that skipping it is a travesty lol

Why should I skip it?

As long as they aren't ridiculously hard to get running on modern PC's, I'd be willing to give some a try for sure.

YMMV. Personally, I don't like BG1, it has huge areas with nothing in it, low-level D&D is boring and makes spellcasters are a chore to play, the plot, quests and characters are rather thin.

However some people like the adventure feeling it provides, the excitement to find a +1 Magical Sword and feeling like a GOD! and... I guess it's less guided than BG2?

Just keep in mind that even if you don't like BG1, it doesn't mean you won't like 2. I never managed to finish BG1 yet I replayed BG2 like 15 times. It's a magnificent game, mostly (in)famous for the amount of content it has. There is content worth 2 games and 30 DLC in BG2.

Fahzgoolin said:
As long as they aren't ridiculously hard to get running on modern PC's, I'd be willing to give some a try for sure.

GOG versions run flawlessly on any modern PC. Though IWD is pretty much Infinity Engine Porn, If you love BG2 combat and the IE interface/background it's a blast, but I don't think it's worth starting with it.

Caronte · Mar 15, 2016

Fahzgoolin said:
I have been hearing that Baldur's Gate 1 isn't worth it, however I also hear that skipping it is a travesty lol

Why should I skip it?

It depends on how seriously you're going to take the story and dialog. There is a lot of fourth-wall breaking dialog in that game that I honestly couldn't stand, but if you don't mind that I guess it's okay.

Other than that the reason I don't like BG1 is because dialog (in general) is really poor in that game. Forget about companions talking to each other in that game, you're lucky if you get a couple lines in the entire game (the opposite of BG2). NPCs will sometimes give you quests without any opportunity to say 'no' (you talk to them, they say 3 lines and that's it, you don't have a way to answer back). The areas in the game were also really boring, there are too many areas in that game that look the same, generic forests.

I can see how people would find the game to be amazing at the time but if you played BG2 before like I did (and since you've played Pillars of Eternity you're in a similar situation) I think you'll find it a bit disappointing.

Have you played Fallout 1 and 2? Those are amazing too.

Fahzgoolin · Mar 15, 2016

Taruranto said:
YMMV. Personally, I don't like BG1, it has huge areas with nothing in it, low-level D&D is boring and makes spellcasters are a chore to play, the plot, quests and characters are rather thin.

However some people like the adventure feeling it provides, the excitement to find a +1 Magical Sword and feeling like a GOD! and... I guess it's less guided than BG2?

Just keep in mind that even if you don't like BG1, it doesn't mean you won't like 2. I never managed to finish BG1 yet I replayed BG2 like 15 times. It's a magnificent game, mostly (in)famous for the amount of content it has. There is content worth 2 games and 30 DLC in BG2.

GOG versions run flawlessly on any modern PC. Though IWD is pretty much Infinity Engine Porn, If you love BG2 combat and the IE interface/background it's a blast, but I don't think it's worth starting with it.

Thanks for the info. I think I'll give it a go and see if I like it for the first 3 hours or so.

Does anyone recommend Underrail?

https://www.gog.com/game/underrail

Caronte said:
It depends on how seriously you're going to take the story and dialog. There is a lot of fourth-wall breaking dialog in that game that I honestly couldn't stand, but if you don't mind that I guess it's okay.

Other than that the reason I don't like BG1 is because dialog (in general) is really poor in that game. Forget about companions talking to each other in that game, you're lucky if you get a couple lines in the entire game (the opposite of BG2). NPCs will sometimes give you quests without any opportunity to say 'no' (you talk to them, they say 3 lines and that's it, you don't have a way to answer back). The areas in the game were also really boring, there are too many areas in that game that look the same, generic forests.

I can see how people would find the game to be amazing at the time but if you played BG2 before like I did (and since you've played Pillars of Eternity you're in a similar situation) I think you'll find it a bit disappointing.

Have you played Fallout 1 and 2? Those are amazing too.

Oh okay, that's understandable. One of the reasons I find Pillars of Eternity to be so sublime is the character interactions and dialogue options.

And no I haven't! I'll add Fallout 1 & 2 to the list.

Pizza · Mar 15, 2016

Dragon Warrior Monsters is fucking great, I liked the first on GBC more than the sequels

BKG · Mar 15, 2016

KOTOR..I'm calling it a classic, it's been over 10 years :0

Fahzgoolin · Mar 15, 2016

Pizza said:
Dragon Warrior Monsters is fucking great, I liked the first on GBC more than the sequels

Afraid I don't have the ability to play a GameBoy Color game. My interest in that handheld has waned lol

BKG said:
KOTOR..I'm calling it a classic, it's been over 10 years :0

I haven't tried them. I heard that they are basically sidelined to be non-canon Star Wars games? Would that effect the enjoyment of someone going back to KOTOR nowadays?

Mozendo · Mar 15, 2016

Doesn't cRPG stand for Computer RPGs and not Classic RPGs?

almostheathen · Mar 15, 2016

Might and Magic 6: The Mandate of Heaven, it's probably my favorite first person dungeon crawler . Huge world, lots of first action dungeon goodness, some sci-fi elements if you are into that. This is the game that got me into the genre.

Also Avernum: Escape from the Pit. You create your party, it has fallout style combat. It's a remake using the Avadon engine. This game is pretty long with 3 possible endings that you can get on one playthrough.

NoblesseOblige · Mar 15, 2016

Mozendo said:
Doesn't cRPG stand for Computer RPGs and not Classic RPGs?

Yes, but honestly classic seems more appropriate than computer these days.

Fahzgoolin · Mar 15, 2016

Mozendo said:
Doesn't cRPG stand for Computer RPGs and not Classic RPGs?

I'm a noob to the genre so you are probably right haha

Vincent Grayson · Mar 15, 2016

Fahzgoolin said:
Afraid I don't have the ability to play a GameBoy Color game. My interest in that handheld has waned lol

I haven't tried them. I heard that they are basically sidelined to be non-canon Star Wars games? Would that effect the enjoyment of someone going back to KOTOR nowadays?

It shouldn't. Canon or not, KOTOR (and KOTOR2 even more) is one of the best Star Wars experiences there is. The writing and characters are worlds ahead of most other Star Wars material.

kromeo · Mar 15, 2016

Fahzgoolin said:
Afraid I don't have the ability to play a GameBoy Color game. My interest in that handheld has waned lol

I haven't tried them. I heard that they are basically sidelined to be non-canon Star Wars games? Would that effect the enjoyment of someone going back to KOTOR nowadays?

They follow the formula of the mass effects and dragon age 1, just obviously with the star wars setting

emag · Mar 15, 2016

Try the classic Gold Box games (Gateway to the Savage Frontier would be my recommendation for where to start) and be amazed at how dumbed down the later Baldur's Gate series and its ilk are by comparison.

Aaron D. · Mar 15, 2016

Planescape gets my vote.

Best RPG writing to date.

GOG has cheap copies as well as a mod guide (wide screen, high res, bug fixes, etc.).

Famassu · Mar 15, 2016

As far as CRPGs go, my top 3 suggestions would probably be Planescape Torment for story, Fallout 2 for the dark humor & millions of ways to play through the game & Jagged Alliance 2 for the strategic gameplay.

Dark_castle · Mar 15, 2016

Mask of the Betrayer.

Fahzgoolin · Mar 15, 2016

emag said:
Try the classic Gold Box games (Gateway to the Savage Frontier would be my recommendation for where to start) and be amazed at how dumbed down the later Baldur's Gate series and its ilk are by comparison.

These don't appear to be available for purchase anywhere.

emag · Mar 15, 2016

Fahzgoolin said:
These don't appear to be available for purchase anywhere.

https://www.gog.com/game/forgotten_realms_the_archives_collection_two

That's the entirety of the Forgotten Realms Gold Box games, minus Neverwinter Nights (which has been shut down anyway).

Sinatar · Mar 15, 2016

Fahzgoolin said:
These don't appear to be available for purchase anywhere.

https://www.gog.com/game/forgotten_realms_the_archives_collection_two
https://www.gog.com/game/dungeons_dragons_krynn_series

SatelliteOfLove · Mar 15, 2016

Planescape Torment is the best written game ever by a good, green country mile.

Divinity: Original Sin may have the best RPG battlin' in history.

Legend of Grimrock 2 is the best real-time dungeon crawler in history.

Fahzgoolin · Mar 15, 2016

emag said:
https://www.gog.com/game/forgotten_realms_the_archives_collection_two

That's the entirety of the Forgotten Realms Gold Box games, minus Neverwinter Nights (which has been shut down anyway).

Sinatar said:
https://www.gog.com/game/forgotten_realms_the_archives_collection_two
https://www.gog.com/game/dungeons_dragons_krynn_series

Thanks!

I have to admit, the graphics/user interface turns me off a bit, but so did isometric games before I tried Pillars.

Thanks for the suggestions, I have added everyone's to the OP.

SatelliteOfLove said:
Planescape Torment is the best written game ever by a good, green country mile.

Divinity: Original Sin may have the best RPG battlin' in history.

Legend of Grimrock 2 is the best real-time dungeon crawler in history.

How does it compare against Grimrock 1? I played it for about 6 hours and got burned out. Could have just been a phase I was going through, but why did you mention Grimrock 2 instead of 1 as well?

SatelliteOfLove · Mar 15, 2016

Fahzgoolin said:
Thanks!

I have to admit, the graphics/user interface turns me off a bit, but so did isometric games before I tried Pillars.

Thanks for the suggestions, I have added everyone's to the OP.

How does it compare against Grimrock 1? I played it for about 6 hours and got burned out. Could have just been a phase I was going through, but why did you mention Grimrock 2 instead of 1 as well?

It's everything the first game was but even more and better.

Im not quite sure if it would be enough to push you over the hump or if it was a phase but it is unquestionably electrifyingly dense and brilliant.

Sinatar · Mar 15, 2016

Grimrock 2 is a masterpiece but I don't know if he'd like it if he didn't dig on LoG1. Guess I'll scratch off Dungeon Master, Eye of the Beholder and Lands of Lore from the list I'm making.

Fahzgoolin · Mar 15, 2016

SatelliteOfLove said:
It's everything the first game was but even more and better.

Im not quite sure if it would be enough to push you over the hump or if it was a phase but it is unquestionably electrifyingly dense and brilliant.

I think the main problem was that it didn't feature much of a narrative. If it had more of a narrative hook, I probably would have stuck with it.

I remember having a profound respect for it though. Perhaps I need to try it again.

Sinatar said:
Grimrock 2 is a masterpiece but I don't know if he'd like it if he didn't dig on LoG1. Guess I'll scratch off Dungeon Master, Eye of the Beholder and Lands of Lore from the list I'm making.

Nah dude, Grimrock was sweet. I just stopped playing for some reason.

I just got into Counter Strike at the time lol

If you have any games you wanna mention then shoot. I love being exposed to new stuff.

emag · Mar 15, 2016

Fahzgoolin said:
Thanks!

I have to admit, the graphics/user interface turns me off a bit, but so did isometric games before I tried Pillars.

The Savage Frontier games look (and play) better than the earlier (pictured) Gold Box games, which is a large part of why I recommended starting with them. The UI is amazing, though -- once you try it, it's painful to play "modern" RPGs with all the needless clicking and crufty icons.

Of course, all of the Gold Box games are dated in terms of resolution, special effects and color palette, but at least they're clean and fast.

NipplesAndToes23 · Mar 15, 2016

So you want only old Western RPG recommendations?

Fahzgoolin · Mar 15, 2016

Blasian Persuasion said:
So you want only old Western RPG recommendations?

Not necessarily. Just games of similar influences/depth.

I don't need suggestions like Mass Effect or Final Fantasy VII. IMO, they are a different genre of RPG. I like them, but it's not what I'm looking for. Hope that makes sense.

Disaster Nebraska · Mar 15, 2016

If you wanna get really classic, try a Roguelike like ADOM or Dwarf Fortress. Or try an Ultima game.

Also, no mention of Geneforge or Avernum? C'mon, GAF.

Fahzgoolin · Mar 15, 2016

Disaster Nebraska said:
If you wanna get really classic, try a Roguelike like ADOM or Dwarf Fortress. Or try an Ultima game.

Also, no mention of Geneforge or Avernum? C'mon, GAF.

Someone suggested Ultima 7 and I added that to the OP.

I'll look at Geneforge and Avernum, thanks =)

Tigerfog · Mar 15, 2016

Can't go wrong with Fallout1.
I love the feeling of emptiness and despair in that game (whereas F2 is a tiny bit happier).
UI and game speed mods go a long way to make your experience even better too.

Kill3r7 · Mar 15, 2016

Taruranto said:
Planescape and Baldur's Gate 2.

Can't go wrong with these two.

I'd say Torment is the most approachable of the two.

Morrowind, Bloodlines and Gothic 2 are also excellent choices, but different from the classic CRPG.

Nailed it.

OP, both Torment and BG2 are classics. Torment is greatest interactive story I have ever played.

Durante · Mar 15, 2016

Planescape: Torment should be last on the list, not first.

Because after it most other games will annoy you with their juvenile writing, cookie-cutter story structure and cardboard characters

inm8num2 · Mar 15, 2016

Betrayal at Krondor
Lands of Lore 1 & 2
Darklands
Quest for Glory series (adventure/rpg hybrid)

NoblesseOblige · Mar 15, 2016

I'm told Age of Decadence is a great CRPG also. Cannot confirm myself since I haven't played it.

Fahzgoolin · Mar 15, 2016

Durante said:
Planescape: Torment should be last on the list, not first.

Because after it most other games will annoy you with their juvenile writing, cookie-cutter story structure and cardboard characters

haha oh man. Moved to the bottom

Have you or anyone else played Underrail? I heard it's amazing.

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