Recommendations for RPGs

[Zevox]

I've actually played Jade Empire. Quite a while ago, granted-- and I never actually beat it, or got very far-- but I remember it being a lot of fun. Always wondered why they never tried to give it the sequel/reboot treatment.

Oh I completely agree there. Seems like it would be a fun setting to see more of to me, and for a first try at making an action-RPG, they did a pretty good job with the combat. Could be better for sure, but it was quite fun even as it was. Take some cues from various good action games that are out there these days and they might make something great out it.

[factotum]

From what I'd heard of the Witcher, I was under the impression that aside from not being able to change the character's appearance, their history and to a large extent their personality was sort of out of your hands as well.

History is fixed, yes, and Geralt is never going to be a barrel of laughs (witchers have little or no emotion), but personality is surely defined by the choices your character makes, and like I said, Witcher 3 has loads of those.

[Man_Over_Game]

History is fixed, yes, and Geralt is never going to be a barrel of laughs (witchers have little or no emotion), but personality is surely defined by the choices your character makes, and like I said, Witcher 3 has loads of those.

There are a few moments.

Like the time Geralt is bumping uglies with someone at the top of a lighthouse, and a ship in the distance thinks it's a signal message. They record the signal light on the lighthouse turning on-off as letters, and they end up with something that's akin to mashing buttons on a keyboard.

Or the time that Geralt and his Witcher buddies get drunk and use a magic mirror to try and find some sorcereresses to booty call. One of them gets the brilliant idea that they'll seem more trustworthy if they're dressed in women's clothing, so they steal clothing from Yennifer before they make the magic mirror call. Because they're drunken idiots.

Or the time that you chase after your Bard buddy by investigating the literal dozens of women he banged over the last week who are all expecting his visit.

Also, there's a name on the bounty boards that shows up as a person wanted for banging people's wives, stealing alcohol, and being an overall town idiot, which doesn't sound like much...except he's on EVERY SINGLE BOUNTY BOARD. There's probably about 100 of them across 3-4 countries.

The Witcher has some pretty great humor, but you either have to be listening or be patient for it. Geralt is actually a real wise-ass, he just keeps a straight face all the time.

[GloatingSwine]

I've actually played Jade Empire. Quite a while ago, granted-- and I never actually beat it, or got very far-- but I remember it being a lot of fun. Always wondered why they never tried to give it the sequel/reboot treatment.

Because EA aren't interested in properties that would make less than a squillion dollars.

So now Bioware are deploying their writing and worldbuilding talents, such as remain, on Pretend Destiny.

[Anonymouswizard]

I'm sure there's a term for the kind of game I'm thinking of, I just don't know enough about video games to think of it. The only game I can remember playing that's sort of in that wheelhouse (and it seems to be a fairly mild case of it) is Dragon Age Inquisition-- which actually really nails what I'm looking for in terms of your ability to really customise your character's personality, background, and relationships. Sadly the gameplay was really boring for me and various other things (the awful 'power' system and the dull side quests) made it a slog and I didn't bother getting very far into it. I've played at least one or two others that fell more strongly into that category but I'm blanking on the names.

Basically, I'm thinking of those games where you click on the enemy you want to attack, and then sit back as your character runs over and starts whacking them with a sword. Occasionally you press a hotkey for a special attack or switch to a 'tactical' screen to come up with a strategy for your team. That's not really my thing-- the same goes for turn-based combat in RPGs. I like a more directly involved gameplay system.

Been staying out of the conversation because this is the kind of RPG gameplay I like (although balancing it is a really problem, as enemies being too tough makes it drag), and as such most of myu recommendations would have it.

The only RPGs I like not using such systems that I can think of are the Mass Effect games (which you've played), Deus Ex, and Fallout 3/NV.

Because EA aren't interested in properties that would make less than a squillion dollars.

So now Bioware are deploying their writing and worldbuilding talents, such as remain, on Pretend Destiny.

Yep. You can be a reliable source of income because people like the kind of games you publish, but if your profits on those games don't shoot up after EA aquires you and remain that way first you'll be told to make different games, and then killed off. Probably forced to change series to fit a trend better, such as Dragon Age: Inquisition and Mass Effect: Andromeda including more open world exploration elements than the previous games. Then if people don't like those games you get forced to trend chase even more, does EA seriously think I buy Bioware games for open world elements or multiplayer?

So the Mass Effect series might be dead for good, and I highly suspect the continuation of Dragon Age depends on how well DA4 does (which will probably be even more actionised than DA:I was).

[GloatingSwine]

Probably forced to change series to fit a trend better, such as Dragon Age: Inquisition and Mass Effect: Andromeda including more open world exploration elements than the previous games.

When lets face it Mass Effect 2 and 3 had been changed to fit the trend of military manshoots that were so popular at the time.

I mean the ME3 trailer even had Basically Soap in it.

(Bioware are already dead to me after ME3's ending though).

[Comrade]

So the Mass Effect series might be dead for good

Boy, I sure hope not. Andromeda had a lot of flaws, but that doesn't mean it should end there-- the original Mass Effect was seriously flawed too and they improved on it and turned it into a great series. I was hoping there'd be an Andromeda 2.

[Anonymouswizard]

When lets face it Mass Effect 2 and 3 had been changed to fit the trend of military manshoots that were so popular at the time.

I mean the ME3 trailer even had Basically Soap in it.

(Bioware are already dead to me after ME3's ending though).

Oh totally, I was just using ME:A and DA:I because they're more recent. I could have also used Dead Space 3 as an example of a successful series not being successful enough for EA to avoid 'mainstreaming' it.

[CarpeGuitarrem]

Look into Alpha Protocol; it's an FPS/stealth hybrid themed after Bond films, Jason Bourne, even Mission Impossible, with a ton of choices within the main plot. The people you ally with, the characters you choose to spare...

Early in the game, I chose to spare one enemy (in the dialogue, I was explicitly given the choice to execute them on the spot) and they came back and figured into my ending in a key role. I also managed to convince one of the villain's lackeys to betray them during the climax of the story, because I'd built up a rapport with the lackey. There's honestly a ton of freedom available within the established narrative.

There's a great deal of character customization involved in terms of builds and ability focuses, although your character appearance customization options are limited to a few shades of skin tones, a number of haircuts, some eye color changes, and the option of multiple sunglasses and hat options.

Building rapport with characters features heavily in the game, and requires different approaches for each NPC.

[Calemyr]

Look into Alpha Protocol; it's an FPS/stealth hybrid themed after Bond films, Jason Bourne, even Mission Impossible, with a ton of choices within the main plot. The people you ally with, the characters you choose to spare...

Early in the game, I chose to spare one enemy (in the dialogue, I was explicitly given the choice to execute them on the spot) and they came back and figured into my ending in a key role. I also managed to convince one of the villain's lackeys to betray them during the climax of the story, because I'd built up a rapport with the lackey. There's honestly a ton of freedom available within the established narrative.

There's a great deal of character customization involved in terms of builds and ability focuses, although your character appearance customization options are limited to a few shades of skin tones, a number of haircuts, some eye color changes, and the option of multiple sunglasses and hat options.

Building rapport with characters features heavily in the game, and requires different approaches for each NPC.

Alpha Protocol gets roasted a bit, but I have to say I really enjoyed it. You play a spy and your dialogue options are tied to "the three JBs", as the developer described it: James Bond, Jack Bower, and Jason Bourne - So suave guile, brutal efficiency, or raw professionalism. The catch is that you're never entirely sure where Thorton (the character you control) is going to take a certain dialogue option. You might think you're asking about someone's grandmother and end up threatening their grandmother's life if they don't submit. Typical voice acted protagonist problem, that.

Gameplay is kind Mass Effect, in style. You get skill points that you can apply to various weapon types or social skills. Pistols are darn near ungodly, especially the VATS like special mode you can buy for them. Actions play roles later: Spare this guy in this mission, and his comrades won't be on high alert in this other one. Romance this lady in this mission, and she'll brake you out of confinement in another. And yes, pretty much every theater of action in the game has a potential love interest in it that you can sweep of their feet James Bond style.

It's not perfect, of course. It's certainly not balanced (again, the pistol), and it's not without bugs, but it's a rather well told story with a complex web of branching plot points. It's worth a look.

[factotum]

Yeah, I should have thought of Alpha Protocol. It gets a bad rap mainly because it's an Obsidian title and thus has bugs up the wazoo (or at least did on release), but it certainly fulfils the requirement of having your choices actually matter to the overall story while not having turn-based combat.