Advice from hardcore RPG players wanted...

If Oblivion is along your lines you may want to try Fable or Jade Empire also...

and if you're not too set on a fantasy setting, try Vampire The Masquerade Bloodlines, Deus Ex and System Shock 2

while these games do have about 20% - 70% RPG elements, the combat is mostly action.

And again, thanks for all your advice. I had pretty much made up my mind on buying Oblivion, but when I arrived at the store two hours ago - it was sold out. Is it an omen!? However, this gives me some more time to invesitgate a little further. I have read reviews on all of the game you suggested and some of those game really do look interesting. Problem is, where am I gonna get a copy of Fallout, Baldur's Gate etc. etc. I guess I have to glyph those titles in my mind and whenever I see one - I'll be sure to take it; prices won't be too high on those games I guess.geitenvla

ebay...

or amazon.com

or do a search on google/yahoo/whatever...

i found a copy of Planescape:Torment for $4.99.   what a steal!

[QUOTE="artur79"][QUOTE="lokstah"]That's a patently unintellectual statement, no offense. It makes zero sense to categorize a genre of entertainment as "intellectual" or not. Nice try. What does make sense is to go back to the question, above, about which games might provide a more intellectual experience. There's merit to that question: what taxes your intellect more? This game, or that one? All games work your noodle some, and it's valid to suggest that some target your intellect more than others.lokstah

Used as an adjective, intellectual means "engages the intellect"--it's not a binary, on/off, black/white quality. It's something you apply quantitatively, or comparatively. Anything or everything could be said to engage the intellect to some degree... the question is how much.

It's awkward, vague, and pretty much meaningless to tell someone that a whole category of media (like video games) are "not intellectual." That's like saying that white people "aren't fast." It doesn't really make any sense. It would make more sense to say that Pong is "more intellectual" than Bubble Bobble, or that white people aren't fast compared to green people.

The poster was pointing out that some modes of RPG gameplay are more intellectual than others, which--unlike your post--is potentially useful information to the topic creator. See?

You're probably right, so I won't argue about your interpretation of this word. I'm no English professor (hell, I'm Norwegian), more a math/physics/chemistry/biology-guy. I found one definition though. ^^

What I meant to say is that I have yet to play a game that engages or uses my intellectual powers to such a degree that you can even use the word "intellectual" in a sentence with "game". I agree with you that games like 50 cent bulletproof are idiotic compared to.. well, almost any game out there.

My post was off topic, so I'm aware that it did not help topic creator. And please, don't patronize me. I have the right to express my opinion, right? (Although I did sound a little cocky, I apologize...)

Fallout 2...SR_Caveman

Neverwinter Nights 1 and 2
Knights of the Old Republic 1 and 2
Oblivion ("Action" RPG_)
Fallout 2

I dont recommend any games such as Icewind Dale or Baldurs gate, theyre prettytough to get into.  Just my experience.

I think you should give a try to Neverwinter series, especially the first one. Baldur's Gate is one of the best, but maybe too hard to get into when you're just starting. Diablo is more hack'n'slash, but it also has skilltree and manageable stats.
Sacred maybe(too buggy in my op.), Titan quest, Gothic series are action rpgs. Dungeon Siege 1 and 2 are also quite fun. If you want a real RPG, get Neverwinter Nights, Morrowind or Baldur's Gate. Hack and slash: Diablo, Dungeon Siege, Titan Quest. And action-oriented are Gothic, Oblivion even maybe Dark Messiah.
daweguy

I second to that... 

Since Oblivion is sold out, I have a little extra time to make up my mind. Now, I was also very interested in the Starwars RPGs - man, you gotta love Starwars. In the gamespot article it read there were (are??) major stability problems. Since the game was released in 2003 or so, my question is: are this problems solved and if not, to what extend are they gonna influence my game. I don't like CTDs - who does?geitenvla

When you say Star Wars, do you mean KOTOR or are you talking about something else?

If you mean KOTOR, it does not follow the story in any of the movies.

When you say Star Wars, do you mean KOTOR or are you talking about something else?

If you mean KOTOR, it does not follow the story in any of the movies.
geitenvla

Yes, I do mean Kotor... Sorry for the mixup, it turns out there are more Starwars RPGs. You said the story doesn't follow the movie. But is it a story worth to be called Starwars? And what about the characters? Again, I'm a little afraid of the Jar Jar-factor.

When you say Star Wars, do you mean KOTOR or are you talking about something else?

If you mean KOTOR, it does not follow the story in any of the movies.
geitenvla

Yes, I do mean Kotor... Sorry for the mixup, it turns out there are more Starwars RPGs. You said the story doesn't follow the movie. But is it a story worth to be called Starwars? And what about the characters? Again, I'm a little afraid of the Jar Jar-factor.

I love RPG's and oblivian is certainly awesome.

I may get killed for saying this... But for a first timer however I can't help but think that you should at least give Fable a try. If you have an Xbox with a good size TV then it's a no brainer... get Fable for it and set back and enjoy straightforward RPG geared toward newbie. Of course you can get it for PC as well but it's a great interface on Xbox and fun to have on the big screen an just kicking back. Fable is definitely more of a newbie type RPG and it's a bit short but it is very, very playable. The spell casting is awesome and you can make your character good, bad or somewhere in between. Many hardcore RPG fans hate fable but everyone that I've know who isn't hardcore seems to really like it. My wife thought it was amazing and she is not much of a gamer at all. Oblivian is awesome but it's also up several notches in sophistication and complexity than Fable. It doesn't hold your hand at all and it can be easy for a beginning RPG'er to feel disconnected from the primary story. With Fable it holds your hand thorughout the story in a more linear format. That is good for many beginning RPG'ers.  Although it's short, it is quite replayable as your character actually changes appearance from battle scars and how good or evil you are.

Also, you said you didn't want to try world of warcraft but it maybe worth downloading the $19.99 version off Direct2Drive and giving it a spin for the heck of it.  It doesn't have a straightforward 'story' mode like fable or the others but it's certainly accessible to newbee's and with 8 million people playing it, you know there is a reason why. It also lets you try out a lot of different characters and starting lands as well. If you don't like it, well you are only out $20 bucks and your time.  Plus it is nice you can download it right from direct2drive. 

I'd also throw in Baluder's Gate I... It's not bad as a starting RPG and you can get it pretty cheap. 

Good luck!!!

bah, stupid forum scripts....

i cant retype it all..so to sum up:

if you feel like KoToR is appealing to you, then do that.  it's a great game.

When you say Star Wars, do you mean KOTOR or are you talking about something else?

If you mean KOTOR, it does not follow the story in any of the movies.
geitenvla

Yes, I do mean Kotor... Sorry for the mixup, it turns out there are more Starwars RPGs. You said the story doesn't follow the movie. But is it a story worth to be called Starwars? And what about the characters? Again, I'm a little afraid of the Jar Jar-factor.

Star Wars KOTOR captures the feel, look, spirit and style of "Star Wars" better than all three of the prequel movies combined. Period. The characters are great. The story is great. The settings are great. If you enjoy the Star Wars films, and you're interested in RPGs, you'll enjoy KOTOR. KOTOR doesn't "follow the movie," as you say, because it inhabits the Star Wars universe--it involves different characters, acting at a different time, with different objectives. Think of it as another movie all its own.

Morrowind GOTY Edition

Morrowind offers an extensive storyline and grit to your character. If you join 1 house, the rest of the houses will hate you. If you join this fighters guild quest, you will be expeled from the theives guild. If you are an outlander, you have respect from imperials but are hated by the local dunmer, everything is so stretched!

Oblivion GOTY Editon

Oblivion offers a richer theme of graphics and a better combat system, other than that, I would go for Morrowind

I would acturally not advice bg2 nor bg1

they are complex, and often demands some insight in the d&d universe, granted the game explains itself well, but other games might be better suited. And the whole "controle a party" makes it more strat oriented, then about roleplaying a chr.

I would Reccoment Fallout 2 if you can live past a lazy start, or The Witcher, a more mature take of the fantasy genre. The reason I would reccoment those is that rpgs often gets to a phase where they feel mandetory and the story dies down to a crawl.

Fallout 2 did not get into this "grindingfeast" that most rps fall into, and it had some funny quests, and great jokes. It let you have more choice, and altho the main quest is a bit tame, it brought the player through some generally amazing towns and places. What more it let you be a real evil bastard, who popped both his opponants knee caps, just to see him try to hump away before you gave him a round to the back of the head, all just to make a point to the local inhabitents that you took no s**t from noone.

Id advise The Witcher because it is less cliche, then rpgs normally are. its a world of gray where there is no right and wrong, good or bad. And it is a story that is not the downtrodden "an evil mage threatens to take over the world because he can" kind of story which in my honest opinnion killed a bit of the bg2 experience for me, and the fact that you can not be evil in the bg games nor nwn games, I mean Comeon I am a chaotic Evil Necromancer, why should I give a damn about some other mage having fun? with the answer "it is personal for you, or you are the hero." The witcher supplies a chr for you tho, you do mold him, but you do not have a choice in who you are, but who you wish this chr to be. It may be easier to get into since the whole chr generation puts off quite a few friends of mine. And it is an interresting story where you never truely know who you could trust. It is very political, and draws alot of the problems you face in the real world into the game, which might help you make the world so much more belivable.

I can not say aboutthe kotor games, I never playied them, the universe never interrested me, but they should acturally be quite good, and if you are a sw fan, it might be the way to go.

I would stay clear of Oblivion, if it is an rpg you seek, for me rpgs has always been about a atory, and a breathing world, with options, and ability to do what you wanted, it is not a bad game, but there are no consequenses of your actions, and the story is, well... either not good, or not really there at all. It does sport a nice world, altho static. And is easy to get into.