what's a good RPG game to play?

[sojourn]

A few friends and I have slowly been getting tired of the RPG's we've been playing, such as WoW and FFXI, RF online, etc.

We all had been Diablo (I and II) fanatics in the past.. and are looking for a game nowdays that is multiplayer and interactive / cooperative..

any thoughts?

[Rinnhart]

A few friends and I have slowly been getting tired of the RPG's we've been playing, such as WoW and FFXI, RF online, etc. 

We all had been Diablo (I and II) fanatics in the past.. and are looking for a game nowdays that is multiplayer and interactive / cooperative..

any thoughts?
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The Neverwinter Nights games are very good and can be group play friendly. The modding community is exceptional.

[NiteFox]

Agreed, NWN is about the best MPRPG out there. If you want to go back even further, then the Infinity Engine series of games (Both Baldur's Gate games, both Icewind Dale games. Not sure about Planescape Torment) support multiplayer and can get quite interesting in that mode.

Now deviating somewhat from roleplaying games. If you use voice comms, then tactical games such as SWAT 4, or the previous two Splinter Cell games (Pandora Tomorrow, Chaos Theory) are really, really interesting to play with friends. Truth is, if you approach those games with the right mentality, you can "roleplay" those games five hundred times better than any stock RPG.

[Taem]

A few friends and I have slowly been getting tired of the RPG's we've been playing, such as WoW and FFXI, RF online, etc. 

We all had been Diablo (I and II) fanatics in the past.. and are looking for a game nowdays that is multiplayer and interactive / cooperative..

any thoughts?
[right][snapback]108107[/snapback][/right]

This is a little off-base, but check THIS out!

Cash card taps virtual game funds
Screen shot of a virtual space station
The virtual space station will be transformed into a nightclub
A real world cash card that allows gamers to spend money earned in a virtual universe has been launched.

Gamers can use the card at cash machines around the world to convert virtual dollars into real currency.

The card is offered by the developers of Project Entropia, an online role-playing game that has a real world cash economy.

Last year, a virtual space resort being built in the game was snapped up by a gamer for $100,000 (£56,200).

The buyer, Jon Jacobs who plays in the game as a character called Nerverdie, is developing the space station into a virtual night club through which the entertainment industry can sell music and videos to gamers.

"We're bridging the gap between virtual reality and reality right now," said Jan Welter, founder of Project Entropia.

Alternate worlds

Project Entropia is one of several games known as massively multi-player online role-playing games (MMORPGs).

The games allow people to inhabit alternate virtual worlds as a character of their choosing.


Screen shot of a virtual party
We are creating the next level of the online experience
Jan Welter, Project Entropia

In Entropia, these avatars, as they are known, play out their virtual lives in a planet called Calypso that has two continents with large expanding cities.

The basic version of the game is free. But according to Jan Welter, just like the real world you need money to experience everything the Universe has to offer.

"If you fell out of nowhere and landed in a street in London, you could walk around there for free. But if you want to have fun then you need to spend money," he said. "It's the same in our world."

The Entropia economy works by allowing gamers to exchange real currency for Project Entropia Dollars (PEDs) and back again into real money.

Ten PEDs are the equivalent to one US dollar.

Making money

Gamers can earn cash by accumulating PEDs via the acquisition of goods, buildings and land.

For example a gamer may choose to be a hunter who traps virtual animals for their furs. These can then be sold to a virtual seamstress who makes and sells clothes.

The founding company, MindArk, makes money because all of the tools used by characters in the game have a finite life and need to be repaired.


Screen shot of a virtual space port

Virtual property markets

If a hunter needs to continue using his weapon to make money, he must pay MindArk to repair it.

Last year $165m passed through the game and the founders of the online Universe expect that to at least double in 2006.

The new cash card blurs the boundary between the virtual and physical world even further.

It allows people to access their virtually acquired PEDs and convert them into real world money at any cash machine in the world.

"We are creating the next level of the online experience," said Mr Welter.

Virtual treasure

The card, issued by MindArk, is associated with the players Entropia Universe account and has all of the features of a real world bank account.

Players can transfer, withdraw, deposit and even view account balances using the system.

"It is incredible to now think that it is possible to manufacture and sell a virtual item one minute and then go out and buy real dinner the next minute, with the same funds," said Jon Jacobs, owner of the virtual space resort.

For many people, games like Entropia have become a real source of income.

In December 2004, another character called Deathifier, bought a virtual treasure island for $26,500 (£13,700).

The real person behind the character, an Australian gamer called David Storey, recouped his money within a year by selling land to build virtual homes as well as taxing other gamers to hunt or mine on the island.

The sale of the island was in the Guinness book of World Records as the most virtual dollar ever spent.

The sale of the space station in 2005 is the new record holder.

I don't know rather to laugh or cry. I should have seen this comming with D2 items selling like hot-cakes on eBay, and Everquest items (before they were banned from being sold) selling in the hundreds each. Now people can practically *live* in this virtual world. I bet in a few years, they will even be able to order a pizza from their virtual world making in more or less their very own real reality.

[Drasca]

I bet in a few years, they will even be able to order a pizza from their virtual world
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You mean you haven't tried ordering a pizza online? Its wonderful. No phone fuss, lots of display options, and the entire menu along with up to date special offers and sales all within a few clicks.

Online pizza is :wub:

[Artega]

PC Gamer had an article on an upcoming action RPG called Titan Quest; way they were making it sound, it's set to knock the Diablo series from the top of the roost.

[Munkay]

PC Gamer had an article on an upcoming action RPG called Titan Quest; way they were making it sound, it's set to knock the Diablo series from the top of the roost.
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Aye, back in August I started a thread about this game, linky.

The only thing that concerns me is the general silence over at titanquest.com. As far as I can tell, nothing has been updated or changed since August of 2005, except for the new release date being posted at the top.

I'll be happy when I can get my hands on a copy this June, sit down with a cold beer and relive the nostalgia of Diablo II...

It's not that farfetched. Afterall, Titan Quest does have fire golems and goatmen ;)

Cheers,

Munk

[Zippyy]

Aye, back in August I started a thread about this game, linky.

The only thing that concerns me is the general silence over at titanquest.com.  As far as I can tell, nothing has been updated or changed since August of 2005, except for the new release date being posted at the top.

I'll be happy when I can get my hands on a copy this June, sit down with a cold beer and relive the nostalgia of Diablo II... 

It's not that farfetched.  Afterall, Titan Quest does have fire golems and goatmen ;)

Cheers,

Munk
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I saw the trailer they released for Titan Quest some time ago (feels like years). It was thoroughly unimpressive. It was a Titan who looked like he was plucked right out of the Might and Magic series, in fixed-camera 3rd person view, running around and doing the same attack animation over and over against various enemies.

Of course time changes all things. I'm certainly hopeful that is will/has matured into a fantastic game. :)

[roguebanshee]

PC Gamer had an article on an upcoming action RPG called Titan Quest; way they were making it sound, it's set to knock the Diablo series from the top of the roost.
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Pre-views are to gamers as bicycles are to fish.

[Urza-DSF]

If your *really* looking for a good RPG you could head down to a local hobby shop and pickup an actual Pen and Paper RPG, then hit www.rpol.net for some damn good games.

[Crusader]

Aye, Pen & Paper FTW! Earthdawn > All! :P

I've played a bit of Dungeons & Dragons online, and liked it so far (although I'm just a measly level 4). If one thing, it's certainly cooperative! (most content can't be done without a party of 3-6). Liking the game depends on your tastes, it's a bit more interactive then WoW in my opinion (faster paced too). But if you liked Diablo you might certainly like DDO (both games are about hack&slash).

[Roland]

A few friends and I have slowly been getting tired of the RPG's we've been playing, such as WoW and FFXI, RF online, etc. 

We all had been Diablo (I and II) fanatics in the past.. and are looking for a game nowdays that is multiplayer and interactive / cooperative..

any thoughts?
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Surprised no one mentioned Guild Wars, especially with Factions out now. It's very much like an MMO, but almost entirely instanced (so you don't have to worry about being bothered by huge amounts of people), MP-friendly, and is free after the initial purchase(s). Factions is an expansion pack, of sorts, but it's a standalone product. Purchasing it will allow you to play Guild Wars: Factions, but not the original campaign, and vice versa. Owning both will of course allow you access to all content.

Granted, the original campaign is $40, and the new campaign is priced at $50, like any other new PC game, but for unlimited playing without any further fees, you can't go wrong. Plus, there's lots of people in the community that still play, so it may be worth your while to check out, especially if you're a fan of Diablo.

[Rinnhart]

Surprised no one mentioned Guild Wars, especially with Factions out now. It's very much like an MMO, but almost entirely instanced (so you don't have to worry about being bothered by huge amounts of people), MP-friendly, and is free after the initial purchase(s). Factions is an expansion pack, of sorts, but it's a standalone product. Purchasing it will allow you to play Guild Wars: Factions, but not the original campaign, and vice versa. Owning both will of course allow you access to all content.

Granted, the original campaign is $40, and the new campaign is priced at $50, like any other new PC game, but for unlimited playing without any further fees, you can't go wrong. Plus, there's lots of people in the community that still play, so it may be worth your while to check out, especially if you're a fan of Diablo.
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Does GW have raid instancing, or is it all small group stuff?

[Wyrm]

Does GW have raid instancing, or is it all small group stuff?
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All small group stuff. The largest party size you can have in a mission now is 12 (which is really 3 teams of 4). On average though, you're going into an instance with a party of 8.

That 12 member party is also just for PvP, so I guess technically there are 24 people in there plus whatever you have for spirits and minions (not that they really count). If you want 100v100, then you won't find it in GW.

That's not to say there won't be a ton of NPCs sitting around getting in your way. In Factions, some of the explorable instanced areas are more populated than the towns.

[NiteFox]

Minor correction. Certain Factions missions have two parties of 8, either from both titular Factions (Kurzick, Luxon), or from Canthan and Tyrian (Regular GW characters that have Factions) characters.

The first real mission (Vizunah Square) is a pretty good example of this, even if current numbers make the mission a flawed one: The Canthan party of 8 has to hold the square and protect an NPC for as long as the Tyrian cavalry arrives, before proceeding together along a merry slaughterfest through the city against large numbers of enemies. Once Canthan numbers stabalise, and providing that Tyrian parties remained interested in the mission, Vizunah Square could become a pretty interesting example of what the game could become.

[GriffonSpade]

Minor correction. Certain Factions missions have two parties of 8, either from both titular Factions (Kurzick, Luxon), or from Canthan and Tyrian (Regular GW characters that have Factions) characters.

The first real mission (Vizunah Square) is a pretty good example of this, even if current numbers make the mission a flawed one: The Canthan party of 8 has to hold the square and protect an NPC for as long as the Tyrian cavalry arrives, before proceeding together along a merry slaughterfest through the city against large numbers of enemies.  Once Canthan numbers stabalise, and providing that Tyrian parties remained interested in the mission, Vizunah Square could become a pretty interesting example of what the game could become.
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Dunno about all this, but GW seems to be WAY more balanced than the diablo games ever were. It's also not strictly item-based gaming; you can actually compete with just decent gear, as skills(and actual skill) also come into play. My one gripe is that it takes too freaking long to get to a new city(I've had to cross a third of the continent dying dozens of times, taking hours, just to find a freaking city, all the while with my -60% hp/mp death penalty.)

[SwissMercenary]

The only reason I didn't mention GW here, was because of the memories of the charr-broiling the game has received the last time it came around.

For anyone wondering, no, Factions did not fix anything wrong in the original game (Unlock grind for PvP, for one thing), but it is IMHO, an improvement to the original release of Prophecies. Once the various release bugs are sorted out, it should be fine.

[GriffonSpade]

The only reason I didn't mention GW here, was because of the memories of the charr-broiling the game has received the last time it came around.

For anyone wondering, no, Factions did not fix anything wrong in the original game (Unlock grind for PvP, for one thing), but it is IMHO, an improvement to the original release of Prophecies. Once the various release bugs are sorted out, it should be fine.
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Other than the quests involving a lot of running, the grinding for pvp viability is a lot better than diablo's endless magic find runs to pvp. The PvP is a lot better too(no telekilling!). My one other gripe is the lack of jumping and the annoying terrain that in many places is just barely impassable.

[Roland]

Dunno about all this, but GW seems to be WAY more balanced than the diablo games ever were. It's also not strictly item-based gaming; you can actually compete with just decent gear, as skills(and actual skill) also come into play. My one gripe is that it takes too freaking long to get to a new city(I've had to cross a third of the continent dying dozens of times, taking hours, just to find a freaking city, all the while with my -60% hp/mp death penalty.)
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The death penalty is rather harsh. Even 50% would be hard to swallow, but still liveable. Beyond that, though, and you're more than crippled. :P

Traveling solo is a big no-no, unless you're WAY over-leveled and get lucky with your Henchmen. However, once you find a city, it's a piece of cake to warp around the world, so it sort of evens out.

[SwissMercenary]

Other than the quests involving a lot of running, the grinding for pvp viability is a lot better than diablo's endless magic find runs to pvp.

I believe that the total amount of time to Prophecies Unlock All ___ is something between 300 to 700 hours of gameplay. That depends on the game mod you choose to unlock. Which I suppose is great for MMORPG players, but really, really, really ticks off the people who were sold on the "Skill not time played" part of the game box. In regards to D2, I can't honestly say that PvP there was anything but non-sensical.

the annoying terrain that in many places is just barely impassable.
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While this hasn't solved all of my woes, I found that enabling 'Click to walk' and 'Double-click to do it' really made the game quite a bit easier to navigate.