03-13-2004, 07:45 AM
This would really be better as a poll, but I find that I'm unable to create polls for some reason. Come to think of it, I seem to recall there being a thread a while back saying about how people were abusing polls, so maybe that's it. But I digress.
What's the most important aspect of an RPG, for you? Storyline, combat/character creation, or the role-playing aspect?
I just beat Planescape: Torment for the fifth or sixth time (I forget), and I'm still awed by how well-crafted it is. The storyline is rather original (maybe not so much the amnesiac part, but the immortal-amnesiac-lost-in-a-crazy-world, definitely is), and all of the NPCs really feel like different people. Perhaps that's why I still think of Torment as being the best CRPG I've ever played.
Comparing it to other Infinity Engine games, and other Black Isle games, Torment just seems to be the best out of all of them, with Fallout coming in second. First, I absolutely LOVE the Planescape setting, and I'm rather saddened by the fact that Wizards of the Coast felt it necessary to kill it. Second, the Nameless One is one of the best made-for-you lead characters I've ever played as. Much better than Cloud, Zidane, and the rest of the Final Fantasy crew, anyway.
Maybe more than anything else, though, I like how much role-playing is allowed in Torment. I really like how fluid the alignment system is in Torment; in Baldur's Gate (II), you simply chose your alignment, and it really didn't matter worth a damn either way, equipment and item concerns aside. It doesn't matter a LOT more in Torment, but what you say and do makes a difference, and affects your alignment. Like goading those Black Abishai into combat? Do it too often, and your alignment will become more Chaotic (of course, you can use Morte's Litany of Curses to goad them into combat without alignment concerns.) And I loved how your stats actually matter worth a damn for dialogue options; you can catch people pickpocketing you if you're fast enough (Dexterity), but you have to be wise enough (Wisdom) to catch them first (or just have Annah along.) In Torment, you actually NEED a high Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma, even as a Fighter. At the end of my most recent game, I had INT 25, WIS 25, and CHA 22 (granted, I went from Lv.22 to Lv.33 from that massive 2,000,000 EXP bonus for recoving your name), and I was a Fighter! On top of that bit, your party members really do feel like party members. Whereas you don't even HAVE a party in Fallout (you can get people to follow you around, but it's not like you grow attached to them, though I did feel bad when Dogmeat and Sulik died), and your party members aren't as dynamic in BG(2), your party members have their own personalities in Torment. Moreso than anything else, being able to Talk to them really adds depth, especially when you branch through their respective dialogue trees; talking to Grace about Morte, finding out that Morte has a Baatorian smell about him, and then confronting Morte about his smell is a perfect example of this. You can help Dak'kon understand himself better, help Nordom find a leader when he needs one, have Vhailor show you how he sees things, and even spark a romance with Annah, if you're so inclined.
I'm being rather vague, and not directly answering the question I posed, so I'll stop going on about Torment and answer my question.
For me, I believe the role-playing aspect of the RPG is the most important part. They aren't called Role-Playing Games for nothing :)
What's the most important aspect of an RPG, for you? Storyline, combat/character creation, or the role-playing aspect?
I just beat Planescape: Torment for the fifth or sixth time (I forget), and I'm still awed by how well-crafted it is. The storyline is rather original (maybe not so much the amnesiac part, but the immortal-amnesiac-lost-in-a-crazy-world, definitely is), and all of the NPCs really feel like different people. Perhaps that's why I still think of Torment as being the best CRPG I've ever played.
Comparing it to other Infinity Engine games, and other Black Isle games, Torment just seems to be the best out of all of them, with Fallout coming in second. First, I absolutely LOVE the Planescape setting, and I'm rather saddened by the fact that Wizards of the Coast felt it necessary to kill it. Second, the Nameless One is one of the best made-for-you lead characters I've ever played as. Much better than Cloud, Zidane, and the rest of the Final Fantasy crew, anyway.
Maybe more than anything else, though, I like how much role-playing is allowed in Torment. I really like how fluid the alignment system is in Torment; in Baldur's Gate (II), you simply chose your alignment, and it really didn't matter worth a damn either way, equipment and item concerns aside. It doesn't matter a LOT more in Torment, but what you say and do makes a difference, and affects your alignment. Like goading those Black Abishai into combat? Do it too often, and your alignment will become more Chaotic (of course, you can use Morte's Litany of Curses to goad them into combat without alignment concerns.) And I loved how your stats actually matter worth a damn for dialogue options; you can catch people pickpocketing you if you're fast enough (Dexterity), but you have to be wise enough (Wisdom) to catch them first (or just have Annah along.) In Torment, you actually NEED a high Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma, even as a Fighter. At the end of my most recent game, I had INT 25, WIS 25, and CHA 22 (granted, I went from Lv.22 to Lv.33 from that massive 2,000,000 EXP bonus for recoving your name), and I was a Fighter! On top of that bit, your party members really do feel like party members. Whereas you don't even HAVE a party in Fallout (you can get people to follow you around, but it's not like you grow attached to them, though I did feel bad when Dogmeat and Sulik died), and your party members aren't as dynamic in BG(2), your party members have their own personalities in Torment. Moreso than anything else, being able to Talk to them really adds depth, especially when you branch through their respective dialogue trees; talking to Grace about Morte, finding out that Morte has a Baatorian smell about him, and then confronting Morte about his smell is a perfect example of this. You can help Dak'kon understand himself better, help Nordom find a leader when he needs one, have Vhailor show you how he sees things, and even spark a romance with Annah, if you're so inclined.
I'm being rather vague, and not directly answering the question I posed, so I'll stop going on about Torment and answer my question.
For me, I believe the role-playing aspect of the RPG is the most important part. They aren't called Role-Playing Games for nothing :)
ArrayPaladins were not meant to sit in the back of the raid staring at health bars all day, spamming heals and listening to eight different classes whine about buffs.[/quote]
The original Heavy Metal Cowâ¢. USDA inspected, FDA approved.
The original Heavy Metal Cowâ¢. USDA inspected, FDA approved.