RPGDot 2003 Awards: Dream Game
The RPGDot Team, 2004-01-14

The last couple of weeks you could vote for the best RPGs and MMORPGs that have been released in 2003. Not us but you the player decide who receives the RPGDot 2003 Awards in the various categories. We thank all those who entered their votes and helped us in making it possible to select the best games of 2003.

Dream Game
There are games we are looking forward too, but that aren't being developed. These are the games we dream about.

The winner: Fallout 3
A "dream game" is one that we would love to play - but for a variety of reasons (probably) won't ever exist.  Fallout 3 was only nominated because it hadn't been officially announced at the start of voting.  There's some irony in Fallout 3 being the only dream game in our list that was actually in production but by the end of the vote, not only was the game cancelled but Black Isle Studios was gone along with it.

So what is it about Fallout that created such a loyal following? 
There are lots of CRPGs out there but the reality is that many of them don't actually allow a lot of genuine role-play. With a brilliant character creation system that allows almost unlimited freedom and more importantly, a design that makes those character choices meaningful, Fallout offers true role-play. Add a unique setting and style, non-linear gameplay, turn-based tactical combat and more and it's no wonder our readers voted Fallout 3 their dream game. Would the Fallout 3 that was in development meet our expectations? I guess we'll never know.

(Dhruin)

Screenshots delivered to us by No Mutants Allowed

Runner Up: Baldur's Gate 3
As rumours have it, Black Isle Studios was working on Baldur's Gate 3 (codename Jefferson) before it was cancelled and they started working full time on Van Buren (Fallout 3). Apparently it was cancelled because of licensing issues, but whatever the reason was it is now very unsure if there will ever be a Baldur's Gate 3. The previous Baldur's Gate games were a big success and even though the claim, as made by some, that Baldur's Gate gave life to the RPG genre again is a bit of an overstatement. It surely did help in doing just that. Both Baldur's Gate 1 and 2 had a great story line and plenty of quests and choices to make whilst giving you enough opportunity to roleplay your party.
We might never know if Baldur's Gate would have been as good or even better than it's predecessors, maybe in due time someone will take up the work that has already been done and create this game. But as it is in the hands of Interplay now, the odds are not favorable.

(Myrthos)

Second Runner Up: Planescape Torment 2
I just loved Planescape Torment and still think its one of the best games ever made. I know it's not everyone's beast and many will find the game boring and more of an interactive novel. The game was certainly different. It had a setting and atmosphere that is not easily found in other games. There were the choices you had to make between solving things by combat or talking. The background of the party members that influenced the events (a game could be created from the background story of Dak'kon alone). The factions you could join or not and of course there was the fact that you simply could not be killed because you were already dead. The mix of things might not have been perfect at all times but overall they were great.

As far as we know nobody even started on Planescape Torment 2 and with the demise of Black Isle Studios it's questionable if this game ever will be made. Most of the original creators of Planescape Torment weren't at Black Isle Studios anyway, but somehow I always felt that a successor should be made by BIS.

It is remarkable though that the top 3 of the dream games were either in development or should have been developed by Black Isle Studios. A studio that only exists on paper now and paper doesn't create games so I'm afraid our dreams might not come true this time.

(Myrthos)

The Numbers
To make it complete we now give you the top 10 as voted by our visitors:

And 10,5 % of those who participated were unable to select one of the games.

We, the RPGDot team also voted to create our own top 5:

With the exception of the 2nd place these two lists are almost identical. I guess we have the same dreams....

Note that percentages are rounded to the nearest number.

Overview of all awards on RPGDot
 Best Sound
 Best Graphics
 Best Atmosphere
 Biggest Surprise
 Biggest Disappointment
 Most Anticipated
 Dream Game
 Best RPG/RPG-Strategy Expansion
 Best Non-RPG
 Best RPG-Strategy
 Best RPG

Overview of all awards on MMORPGDot
 Best Sound
 Best Graphics
 Best Atmosphere
 Biggest Surprise
 Biggest Disappointment
 Most Anticipated
 Best Expansion
 Best MMORPG