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If you have to choose between battle system and story&#8
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aj142
Village Dweller
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Joined: 27 Oct 2002
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Location: LA
If you have to choose between battle system and story&#8
   

Which would you compromise in an RPG? Both are very important to me. Which RPGs do you think have the best in each category?
Post Mon Mar 17, 2003 9:03 pm
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Hexy
High Emperor
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Joined: 28 Jun 2002
Posts: 621
   

Baldur's Gate definately has the best combination of the two.

But honestly, much is in how the game is designed. In a huge world, with lots of dungeons and monsters etc. I would prefer good combat over story.
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Post Mon Mar 17, 2003 9:08 pm
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Dov
Guards Lieutenant
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Joined: 13 Mar 2003
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Location: USA
   

If I had to choose between the two, I'd say I'd want a good battle engine. The best story in the world doesn't mean anything if the game is so annoying, boring, and/or frustrating to play that you get rid of it after an hour of playing.
Post Tue Mar 18, 2003 1:02 am
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xSamhainx
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I agree completely, story is good, but Im not watching a movie. I need to be able to interact, and have it be fun and innovative. I need to be wondering what is awaiting around the next corner ='.'=
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Post Tue Mar 18, 2003 6:57 am
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corwin
On the Razorblade of Life
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Joined: 10 Jun 2002
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I'm at the other end of the spectrum. I prefer the story. I loved PS-T and the old Ultima games. Sure you had to fight at times, but the story and the characters were what was important. I really like Fallout for the same reason. If you want fighting, play an FPS. My main disappointment with Deus Ex, was that it often was more a shooter than an RPG. I wanted to play a diplomatic type and wasn't really able to. I don't have super fast reflexes anymore, so real time, quick action fighting is not for me. Guess that's why I still like the old turn based games as well. Oh for Wiz9!!
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Post Tue Mar 18, 2003 8:47 am
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aj142
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Joined: 27 Oct 2002
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It really is a tough call, but I hate to compromise on anything - story, gameplay, music, dialogue, voice acting, graphics, etc... it's all got to be there for me to enjoy it. Honestly, I find that most games have their own special advantage over the others. My newest game is Xenosaga, which IMO has all of the elements I mentioned above, which is why it's one of the 'greats'. Not many people can complain about that series. I also just got Indiana Jones and the Emperor's Tomb right before that, which is a lot of fun so far. As you can see, I like all types of games, particularly action / adventure-shooters and RPG ~ and I have all three consoles and the PC so that I won't miss out on any good titles. (I don't make much money, but I asked for a new console each X-mas until I had all three and I buy most games used or get them as b-day gifts).
Post Tue Mar 18, 2003 6:50 pm
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Korzen
Forsaken
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Joined: 02 Nov 2002
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For me the story is the most important thing, I can live without thousands of weapons and a good figthing system, but the story msut be really good and ofcourse you have to have the possibility to solve quests in many different ways. PS-T had the best story line of all the games I played.
Post Tue Mar 18, 2003 7:52 pm
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crpgnut
Captain of the Guard
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Joined: 22 May 2002
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Location: St. Louis
   

Add me to the Battle system group, I guess. PS:T bored me to tears after
a while. I loved it at first, with the Nameless One and the skull and the Gith.
Then I figured out that every follower had huge background stories and there was very little game and tons of book involved. Graphics are the least important factor for me, although I can't stand ascii games. Exile and Avernum are great fun though. I think the reason I didn't like Gothic was the same reason as Planescape. Too much wandering around talking and not nearly enough doing. If I want to read, I'll pick up a book. I only can remember complaining about too much combat in one game, MM6. Goodness!
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Post Tue Mar 18, 2003 8:21 pm
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Dov
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Story is important to me, but I'm not going to stick around to see it if the game is so frustratingly stupid-hard (made overly difficult by either intentional or poor design) that I uninstall it the same day that I bought it.
Post Wed Mar 19, 2003 12:30 am
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Northchild
Fearless Paladin
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Joined: 03 May 2002
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There needs to be some game in the game for me. Some sort of challenge to overcome, something to explore, resources to gather. The most balanced game that I've come across yet is Grand Theft Auto III.

Also, "story" doesn't equal environment. ICO's story didn't take a lot of time to digest, but it was an amazing game. I like games that encourage me to do stuff.
Post Wed Mar 19, 2003 4:43 am
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aj142
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Joined: 27 Oct 2002
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quote:
Originally posted by crpgnut
Add me to the Battle system group, I guess. PS:T bored me to tears after
a while. I loved it at first, with the Nameless One and the skull and the Gith.
Then I figured out that every follower had huge background stories and there was very little game and tons of book involved. Graphics are the least important factor for me, although I can't stand ascii games. Exile and Avernum are great fun though. I think the reason I didn't like Gothic was the same reason as Planescape. Too much wandering around talking and not nearly enough doing. If I want to read, I'll pick up a book. I only can remember complaining about too much combat in one game, MM6. Goodness!


For some reason, graphics are very important to me. I guess because it's a visual media and I like to be visually dazzled ~ which is another reason I like Xenosaga so much. It has what I consider to be a good battle system, a great story and, of course, really nice graphics. Have you played it? BTW, I noticed you're from St. Louis. I have family there and I grew up in Columbia, MO. Go Tigers!
Post Wed Mar 19, 2003 7:04 pm
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ArcturusXIV
City Guard
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Joined: 03 Dec 2002
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Location: Oz
   

I might remind all of you that Gothic was a great game, but its interface was atrocious. Combat was terribly hard without the use of mouse buttons. I felt like my wrist was sprained every time I stopped playing, even with the keyboard remapped to my own personalized settings.
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Post Wed Mar 19, 2003 10:42 pm
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Dov
Guards Lieutenant
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Joined: 13 Mar 2003
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Actually, I loved Gothic's controls. Combat, if anything, was too easy for me. All you had to do was use the Control button in combination with the directional keyes, which kind of oversimplified it. However, I thought they were very intuitive, and I liked how basically every other action in the game used the same keyes. It was so simple that it made me wonder why other games didn't do the same thing.
Post Thu Mar 20, 2003 4:24 am
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Dybbuk
Keeper of the Gates
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Joined: 30 Nov 2002
Posts: 121
Location: Sweden
   

First of, I agree with Dov, combat in Gothic is great.

Regarding the vote, I would have to join the group that cant decide. Take Throne of Darkness, good combat, but extremely crappy story, which made it a crap game. On the other hand, Morrowind, great story, but crappy combat, which maybe didnt make it a crap game, but a lot worse then it could have been (and yes, I know prolly 95% of you all dont agree with me on that one), but click-click combat depending on your stats if you hit or not is crap to me.
Post Thu Mar 20, 2003 9:41 am
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aj142
Village Dweller
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Joined: 27 Oct 2002
Posts: 18
Location: LA
   

The screens for Gothic 2 look pretty nice. BTW, why is it that so many RPGs take place in medieval times? Yet another thing I love about Xenosaga - so original.
Post Thu Mar 20, 2003 8:34 pm
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