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Roqua
High Emperor
Joined: 02 Sep 2003
Posts: 897
Location: rump |
| What's your favorite element of an RPG? |
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What's your favorite element of an RPG (Dialogue options, character development, setting, open-ended game play)? Number one favorite and runner-up. And Why? What are some examples?
Mine first would be character generation. I love it for some reason. I love making a party with a new system. Even if I don't really like the game, I can have a ball with just this. This is the most important part of an RPG in my opinion. Some good examples of what I think of as good character generation games are: Realms of Arkania Trilogy. Wizardry series. Buck Rogers. Darklands (best party character generation of all time I think). ToEE. Daggerfall (best single charcater generation of all time I think).
My second goes hand in hand with character generation, which is character development. So I won't count it as a second. It is really pissing me off that RPG's are gravitating to the "minimal character generation to make the game appeal to the everyone. then slowly add in character development." I hate that.
So my real second is going to be strategic combat (always turn-based IMO). I love being able to employ the strategy I had in mind, and carefully tailored, during character generation and development. I love being able to win battles way above my level by doeing strategic. For some reason I do not like strategy games. Even HoMM. Examples: X-Com, Realms of Arkania, ToEE, Fallout, old goldbox games including Buck rogers (same engine I think).
Those are my two, whats yours? |
Wed Oct 08, 2003 5:36 am |
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Zephyr Elvirion
Baron of the Court
Joined: 23 Mar 2003
Posts: 336
Location: New Zealand. |
Yeah, I like to make the character too. LIke you, I spent ages making mine for Daggerfall (about an hour), but then the blocky graphics did me in after another hour.
I like a good story (Summoner's an excellent example), even though some are so deep I tend to forget what's going on, lol.
I also like a game that's challenging, combat-wise, but not impossible (Summoner 2 springs quickly to mind  ) and one that your character grows.
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There're 3 sorts of people who're good at maths - those that are and those that aren't. |
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Wed Oct 08, 2003 8:06 am |
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Dhruin
Stranger In A Strange Land
Joined: 20 May 2002
Posts: 1825
Location: Sydney, Australia |
I think I'd agree with basically all of that so I'll sneak a 3rd in. I've often read comments that people who want a story should read a book but nevertheless a good story can take a solid enjoyable game and make it great for me. It binds things together and provides atmosphere and a sense of reason. |
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Wed Oct 08, 2003 8:43 am |
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Cm
Sentinel of Light
Joined: 26 Jan 2003
Posts: 5209
Location: Missouri USA |
I'm more into story and atmosphere. I like a challenge, but I don't want to hate coming back to the game because I can't figure something out. For me it's first person view also. Those are my top three. 
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Wed Oct 08, 2003 11:35 am |
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stanthony
One Smart Dog
Joined: 28 Oct 2002
Posts: 556
Location: Tallinn, Estonia |
Generally, I'm more to atmosphere. Developed interesting world. I'd kill for another good Faerun-based story 
All the things already mentioned here are very important, too. I enjoy complex character generation/development - Wizardry series (especially Wiz8) is ideal with this regard. I could play hack'n'slash within a decent setting. I loved Icewind Dale, and i'm playing Lionheart now - mostly because of it's alternative medieval history setting.
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- Druids do not fight with metal weapons! Sit here, and you over here. Put the elbows of your right arms on the table...
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R.A.Salvatore The Cleric Quintet. Canticle |
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Wed Oct 08, 2003 2:02 pm |
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MageofFire
Griller of Molerats
Joined: 03 Oct 2003
Posts: 1594
Location: Monastery of Innos |
An immersive world where npcs go about their daily lives and such, such as in Gothic.
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OMG! WTF?! MONKEYS!!!!
=Member of numerous usergroups=
=Active in none of them=
Mediocreties, I absolve you! |
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Wed Oct 08, 2003 2:04 pm |
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Danicek
The Old One
Joined: 15 Dec 2001
Posts: 5922
Location: Czech Republic |
If I must point out most important element. Then it is for me character developement. Very slow are not interesting character developement can ruin every RPG (at least for me). |
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Wed Oct 08, 2003 6:08 pm |
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Ariel
Harmonious Angel
Joined: 21 Jul 2001
Posts: 432
Location: Germany |
What I like most in any game is the atmosphere it provides. This means that the story has to be good to make my visit worthwhile, but in particular the game has to provide a unique setting. Something that evokes a certain mood and sticks to this mood at all times.
A few games that I loved for their atmosphere, from the top of my head:- Gothic - "realistic" fantasy, a bit dark yet homely
- Wheel of Time - wonderfully thought out magic and background, mysterious, just like the books
- Diablo - dark dungeons, maybe a bit melancholic (Trinsic), eerie in a Halloween kind of way
- System Shock - scary and desolate, your only companion being an uncanny computer..
- Deus Ex - dark image of the future, slightly resembling The Matrix
- Freelancer - incredibly nice deep space feeling
- Monkey Island - exotic. Voodoo, monkeys, pirates, South Seas...
- Zanzarah - absolutely carefree and heartwarming
I like books or movies for the same reason. The Dune books for example are just perfect. As for movies, I like post-apocalyptic or alternate world / history settings, Chinese fantasy and swordsplay, and of course "normal" fantasy like LotR, Legend, Dark Crystal and so on.
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“Through the sounds of falling rain, through the clouds of bitter times
I see the pure grace of your smile, in dreams of the warmth in your eyes” - Tim North |
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Wed Oct 08, 2003 9:15 pm |
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corwin
On the Razorblade of Life
Joined: 10 Jun 2002
Posts: 8376
Location: Australia |
I enjoy so much in RPG's, with character development and story being very important. Combat is actually bottom of my list. I like to see good variety in dialogue options, to suit differing personalities, rathe than the vanilla Good and Evil choices. Exploration is also important.
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If God said it, then that settles it!
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Wed Oct 08, 2003 10:11 pm |
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Val
Risen From Ashes
Joined: 18 Feb 2002
Posts: 14724
Location: Utah, USA |
Story is at the top of my list.
One thing that hasn't been mentioned is humor. I love a game that has some humor and can make me laugh the way Quest for Glory or Divine Divinity did.
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Freeeeeeedom! Thank heavens it's summer!
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=Guardian, Moderator, UltimaDot Newshound=  |
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Fri Oct 10, 2003 8:43 pm |
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Azel
Village Dweller
Joined: 07 Oct 2003
Posts: 6
Location: Italy |
Well, here's my prefs: Atmosphere (what makes you think you are there, in the game, to get into the game and to remain in it), story (a good story always emotionates), character generation and development (the heart of a RPG), Interaction Character-world, combat system and magic system
Some examples.
Atmosphere (Note: for me it's sfx and music that help me to delve into the setting): Thief 1 (yes i know it's not an RPG but just to tell the idea), System Shock, good ol' Dungeon Master  and yes, i love the environment in Morrowind (storms for example)
Story: Ultima series
Char gen: Darklands /develop: a mix of Morrowind and Fallout ; Interaction char-world: Ultima
Combat system: again, a non RPG: Rune; for RPGs, Neverwinternights is good - mix of real time and turnbased but i prefer first view RPGs (as X-com); also Gothic and similar isn't bad
Magic system: I liked Arx fatalis system, gave a slap of realism to spellcasting during combat.
Above all, though, i like realism in a CRPGs, whenever possible. It's also for this motive that i like Gothic: if a 5 goblins have at you, maybe you kill them but with many injuries. A 10th level fighter in NWN would chop 20 goblins to pieces while chewing a troll and probably they will never score a hit on him...And i like the fact that if a troll or a golem punches you you fly away and lose consciusness.
Atmosphere, story, char gen/devel, realism. Those are my choices.
Azel
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Dreams are funny things: they make you live, they make you play your life, they make you die. |
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Fri Oct 10, 2003 11:24 pm |
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Azel
Village Dweller
Joined: 07 Oct 2003
Posts: 6
Location: Italy |
ehm under "combat system" i didn't mean rune  but Blade of darkness.
Azel
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Dreams are funny things: they make you live, they make you play your life, they make you die. |
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Sat Oct 11, 2003 1:49 am |
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Hexy
High Emperor
Joined: 28 Jun 2002
Posts: 621
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Let's see...
Party-based is way better than having one superman character. It also gives tactics and such at many parts of the game.
As for character development: a class based leveling system is WAY better than a skill-based. It gives you more diversion between characters, and makes you think strategically when putting together a party.
Lots of races and such to choose from.
Action, being the most important, should be done with good combat, thus I mean Baldur's Gate combat style.
A large world, preferrably divided into "zones".
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Like some bold seer in a trance;
Seeing all his own mischance |
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Sat Oct 11, 2003 5:25 am |
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Kabduhl
City Guard
Joined: 01 Feb 2003
Posts: 127
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party based games entirely .. let me see, how do you say? .. oh ---> they suck
worst way to make a game ever ... party based games for single player suck, suck, suck alot, and then suck some more, and not in a good way ....
see how fun this is? you have your opinion and i have mine. yay for us!
my favorite part of an rpg is developing one character throughout the game, with lots of cool skills and stats to develop that have an effect on gameplay. i prefer skill and level based systems like morrowind or anarchy online has a really fun system. if the character development is shallow the game needs some straight up coolness factor to get me hooked ... some games can do this ...
like ...
gothic .. really shallow character development but it didn't bug me so much cause that game kicks ass, same with like deus ex ...
but yeah i hate games with full parties as much as i hate rts games ... they make me want to break computers and slap game developers so i just avoid them to avoid the negative energy they assist me in generating when i play them , or watch them being played or hear people talking about how cool party based games are ...
parties should happen if it's multiplayer and you meet up with people who want to join you, otherwise i don't need no steeking zeros and ones followin me around making me feel awkward like i'm supposed to try to identify with 6 personalities at once ... no thanks i can't stand the party based games ... |
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Sun Nov 09, 2003 11:36 am |
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MageofFire
Griller of Molerats
Joined: 03 Oct 2003
Posts: 1594
Location: Monastery of Innos |
Open-endedness kicks lots of axe, too.
_________________
OMG! WTF?! MONKEYS!!!!
=Member of numerous usergroups=
=Active in none of them=
Mediocreties, I absolve you! |
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Mon Nov 10, 2003 12:58 am |
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