Advice on PC RPG to buy

[Dante]

Basically what I'm looking for is advice from you guys on my next RPG for the PC.  It doesn't have to be a new 2006 game, it can be older.

Features that I am looking for:

• can be played just me (whether it's solo character or controlling a whole party is fine either way)
• something fantasy-based (D&D-like).  Not looking for futuristic games, Star Wars, etc.  Magic and Swords
• preferably something with a hint manual or walkthrough (either on the Internet or something I can purchase)

.

Things I don't want:

• any sort of MMO game where I have to connect to a server or pay a monthly fee

What I already have played (and liked) are the Baldur's Gate series (BG1 and BG2 + add ons) as well as the Icewind Dale series (IWD1 and 2 plus add-ons).  I also own Neverwinter nights and it's fun, but I prefer BG2 and IWD2.

Again, what I'm NOT looking for is a game like WoW or anything where I have to join a team/guild/connect online/spend x hours a day playing or fall behind.

for example, I've read that Pools of Radiance: ruins of myth drannor had a ton of bugs that never really got fixed.  I've also heard that Dungeons & Dragons Online:Stormreach wasn't feasible as a solo player.  Any insight to these types of things would be nice.

I've never played any of the final fantasy games other than FF2 or something like that way back on Playstation.

thanks!

Dante

[Anusien]

Morrowind.  Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion is coming out in like three days, and that will steal your whole life, but I would also suggest you pick up Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind.  Totally dynamic, no forced plotline, incredibly customizable.  Incredibly freaking good game.

[rvs]

I heard Oblivion will be totally awesome, and there isn't even a multiplayer option. So no risk of getting hooked in the online world anyway :p

[Eddie]

And if you can wait a few months, there's Neverwinter Nights 2.

[Dozer]

You might want to try to get your hands on Gothic II, and Gothic I if you can find it. It's a slightly overlooked German game that has been favorably compared to Morrowind. Gothic I is being re-released in English, and I'd advise you to pick it up. It's a very dense, flavorful game with non-linear gameplay in 3rd person 3D. You can find a demo of the re-released Gothic I in English here.

Gothic I initially had a couple of bugs, which should be fixed in the re-release. Otherwise, fixes are available on the web. Gothic II directly continues the storyline, so it's really fun to play both games after each other -- but you have to rebuild your character (for reasons I won't spoil). In both games, you are piloting nameless human character. You will chose classes and skills over the course of the game, but you are free to pick what you want to do, when you want to do, and how you want to do it.

The controls are a little weird, but you'll get used to it. The mouse is used exclusively for looking around in Gothic I, and the mouse buttons finally get some function in Gothic II. The only annoying things are the trade and inventory menues in Gothic I, since you can only navigate them by keyboard and it's not possible to transfer mass items in one go. (For example, you can only transfer gold in ones or tens.)

Nevertheless, the game is a lot of intense fun and leaves almost everything to you. It has kept me awake for nights longer than I'd have wanted, but sometimes you just can't let go.

Oh, and the game is not easy. There are a lot of opponents (animals, especially) that can kill you easily if you are not strong enough to face them. Often, you will test your strength against one or more of them and then run away like hell when you realize you just can't beat them -- yet. Although the whole game world is accessible from the beginning, there are some areas where the mosters are much too strong so you won't ever go there until you can fight them (or find a way to sneak through the herds).

Give it a whirl, if you can find the English version, for example here. It's great!

[PucktheCat]

Since you liked Baldur's Gate and Icewind Dale, you might give Planescape: Torment a look.  It is fantasy, but the Planescape setting has a bit of a sci-fi feel to it as well, so you will have to decide if the flavor is right.

Anyway, the game is in the same engine as BG II, but it is much more plot and dialogue driven than either BG or Icewind Dale.  Many of your potential party members, for example, have very complicated dialogue trees that can have real effects on the way the game plays out.  I recall, for example, that talking with one of the characters can actually unlock some abilities for your main character.  You also have a lot of choices in dialogue.  Frequently you will have a number of options to choose from, two of which will be the exact same thing but one will have "(truth)" after it another will have "(lie)."  I don't know how much effect these decisions have on the overall outcome of plotlines, but I do know that they can have some.

That's my thought.  It isn't a game for everyone, I'm sure, but I liked it quite a bit.

[ctthespian]

Things I don't want:

• any sort of MMO game where I have to connect to a server or pay a monthly fee

Again, what I'm NOT looking for is a game like WoW or anything where I have to join a team/guild/connect online/spend x hours a day playing or fall behind.

Now these both MMORPG style games and I know you've said that's bad but read on.  Both are easily single player games and you'll never get that "left behind feeling" and both don't have montly fees. 

Play Silkroad Online www.silkroadonline.net a new Korean MMORPG.   It's in it's 3rd Beta and is completely free.  Similar in play and feel to Guild Wars or NWN.

Guild Wars is another option.   I'm a member of a small guild on Guild Wars, but I've never done PVPing and only adventured with whoever was on at the time.  Mostly 1 other guild member and I have done most of our adventuring together.  Guild wars gives you the options of taking Henchmen into your party to aid you in your quests.  The only time it might be better to have PC's party with you is for some of the later missions.

Don't worry about falling behind in either game.  From what I've noticed Silkroad is very single player based.  You take on trades in later levels that operate in a sort of triad manner.  You can be a merchant who trades goods between cities, a thief who steals from said merchants, or a hunter who can kill thieves on sight making the roads safe for traders.  Other than that you can stay and adventurer and keep improving your skills.  Then Guild Wars allows you to get to max level so quick it's hard to "fall behind."  The other good thing about guild wars is that you can completely reallocate your attributes and skills when in towns.  Thus you can build a character with a totally different feel to it.  For example a Necromancer that summons many minions to fight for him, crushing everything in your wake with your little army, or change that Necromancer to a curse based character.  Casting curses on you enemies making the most powerful foe rue the day he deicded to swing that big sword.

-Keith

[Dante]

thanks guys, these are exactly the type of recommendations I was looking for!

[jpmeyer]

I second Planescape: Torment.  It might be a little tricky to find, but if you can find it, it'll be under $10.

You can download Betrayal at Krondor for free (Sierra released it for free back in 1997).  It's one of my favorite old school (and by old school I mean before the RPG rebirth brought on by Diablo, Fallout, and Baldur's Gate) RPGs.

[Dante]

I second Planescape: Torment.  It might be a little tricky to find, but if you can find it, it'll be under $10.

You can download Betrayal at Krondor for free (Sierra released it for free back in 1997).  It's one of my favorite old school (and by old school I mean before the RPG rebirth brought on by Diablo, Fallout, and Baldur's Gate) RPGs.

Yah, I had Betrayal at Krondor (and most of the older ones like Eye of the Beholder 1 and 2, and then the tile-icon, turn-based games like Pools of Radiance [original], Curse of the Azure Bonds, etc)...didn't really like it that much.  Maybe my computer at the time just couldn't handle it...

[Eye_of_the_Beholder]

You also have a lot of choices in dialogue.  Frequently you will have a number of options to choose from, two of which will be the exact same thing but one will have "(truth)" after it another will have "(lie)."  I don't know how much effect these decisions have on the overall outcome of plotlines, but I do know that they can have some.

If I recall the differance was that telling lies made you more chaotic and being truthful made you more lawful, thus affecting the items you could(n't) use.