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Does anyone know of any good turn based RPGs for the PC coming out? I feel like it's been years since I've liked any game not in the Civilization series.
I'm sad to say that I think turn based RPGs are done. I can't see them coming out anytime soon, least of all for PC.
Though, turn-based strategy... there's Heroes of Might and Magic! Perhaps 6 will come out soon? 5 was a pretty good throwback to the classics.
Have you played all the classic turn-based RPGs? (ie: Baldur's Gates, Icewind Dales, Fallouts, etc...) If not, it's worth digging them up!
Also: VIDEO GAMES FORUM! WOO!! (alright, that's out of my system.
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It's not strictly an RPG, but if you can get your hands on a copy of Jagged Alliance 2, that's some good playin'.
And then there's Fallout, Fallout 2, and Arcanum, which are definitely RPGs.
I never did get a chance to play Arcanum, but you're absolutely correct about the others! Fallout & Fallout 2 are some of the best RPGs ever, and Jagged Alliance 2 is a fantastic tactical strategy game! I've been really thinking of replaying Fallout 2 in anticipation of Fallout 3.
Arcanum is one of my favorites. Combat isn't too fun (at least, when I played it: there have been some mods for it that may improve things) but the setting and story are quite rich and it's the best Steampunk video game out there.
Does anyone know of any good turn based RPGs for the PC coming out? I feel like it's been years since I've liked any game not in the Civilization series.
If you don't mind some old-school graphics/gameplay, there's some great turn-based RPGs from Spiderwebsoftware. I've played Avernum 1-5, Geneforge 1-4 (5 comes out this winter), and Nethergate (w/ a revision titled NG: Resurrection).
You might also check out Eschalon: Book 1 from Basilisk games. Again, deliberately old-school graphics. But turn-based fun to be sure.
I've played them all on a Mac, but they're all available for PC as well.
RPG Superstar 2013 Top 32
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I'm currently playing Heroes of Might and Magic V. It's pretty sweet, and very pretty.I thought the gameplay was awesome, but the story campaign was pretty weak, especially the 2nd one. It seems to have as much depth as the originals, though... Which is great, in my book.
I never played the campaigns, just skirmishing. :)
RPG Superstar 2008 Top 32, 2011 Top 16
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I've played just about all of those mentioned (avernum 1-3 only from spiderweb), as well as the gold box D&D games, Temple of Elemental Evil, all 8 Wizardry games, all the Ultima games (even though IX sucked).
I played the demo of Eschalon Book I and wasn't impressed enough to buy. There's a few more indy games I've got my eye on, Age of Decadence and Broken Hourglass, but neither are out now. I'm currently playing Jade Empire, but am pretty bored by the action combat element (which is 95% of the game).
Arcanum is one of my favorites. Combat isn't too fun (at least, when I played it: there have been some mods for it that may improve things) but the setting and story are quite rich and it's the best Steampunk video game out there.
Absolutely. I really really dug the world in Arcanum - I should dig that out and finish playing the darn thing.
Well, Dragon Age: Origins is supposed to be in the tradition of Baldur's Gate, and by the same developers (Bioware). They're trying to recreate that BG/Fallout/Planescape feel to games, hurray! No multi-player, even.
As for old-school, try playing Ultima 7: Serpent Isle using the Exult engine. It's terrific.
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Well, Dragon Age: Origins is supposed to be in the tradition of Baldur's Gate, and by the same developers (Bioware). They're trying to recreate that BG/Fallout/Planescape feel to games, hurray! No multi-player, even.
As for old-school, try playing Ultima 7: Serpent Isle using the Exult engine. It's terrific.
Dragone Age does look really good. I hope it eventually makes its way to 360 (I know... blasphemous words, but my PC can't keep up anymore!).
Exult engine? I wanted to play that game a long time ago, but it didn't work on my incredibly old PC (386sx... 25mhz). Maybe I should try it out now...
I've played just about all of those mentioned (avernum 1-3 only from spiderweb), as well as the gold box D&D games, Temple of Elemental Evil, all 8 Wizardry games, all the Ultima games (even though IX sucked).
I played the demo of Eschalon Book I and wasn't impressed enough to buy. There's a few more indy games I've got my eye on, Age of Decadence and Broken Hourglass, but neither are out now. I'm currently playing Jade Empire, but am pretty bored by the action combat element (which is 95% of the game).
You really should check out Avernum V, it's the best of the bunch. And, check out the Geneforge series and Nethergate. Remember: you can play through a HUGE free demo of any of these games. The cool thing about Nethergate: you can play the game through twice, once as Celts, once as Romans, and have a very different experience & storyline! Phenomenal amounts of bang for the buck.
Sorry you didn't care for Eschalon Book 1. It gets better! But the 2nd chapter, out this winter, will have a ton of enhancements, so you might check it out at the time. Good luck finding something to play.
As for old-school, try playing Ultima 7: Serpent Isle using the Exult engine. It's terrific.
F&%# yes. I skipped school to play Serpent Isle.
My dad then password protected the computer.
I broke it.
He then used his passwords that he used at work (he was in Electronic Intelligence in the Air Force). Couldn't break that one.
Oh man I love Serpent Isle. LOVE LOVE LOVE.
You're a very dedicated gamer, Lilith! I also skipped school to play Serpent Isle, and learned quite a bit about hacking sprites from it. As far as I'm concerned Serpent Isle was the official end of the Ultima series. U8 and U9 were just too disappointing for words.
If only today's pale imitations of CRPGs had the world design and interaction of Ultima 7...
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I'd hate to think the turn-based RPG is really dead and all we're going to see is MMO-style, but it seems like even console-based RPG's are doing their best to move that way...
Sucks because what seems to get shortchanged on a lot of the multiuser games is some kind of cohesive story, and that's what drew me to RPG's in the first place.
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I'd hate to think the turn-based RPG is really dead and all we're going to see is MMO-style, but it seems like even console-based RPG's are doing their best to move that way...
Sucks because what seems to get shortchanged on a lot of the multiuser games is some kind of cohesive story, and that's what drew me to RPG's in the first place.
It's true. Lost Odyssey came out a few months ago, and that was touted as being a "classic" RPG because it had a turn-based combat system, unlike many JRPGs on the market now.
When even the JRPGs are moving on, you can tell that change has finally come.
Don't worry, guys. All things flow in cycles. There will be a turn-based game revival. Perhaps Bioware will lead the charge once again?
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Bella Sara Charter Superscriber
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Everyone who is on this thread should hang their head in shame for not mentioning X-Com: UFO Defense.
For shame.
That game rules.
And damnit, I do love me some turn-based games. I hate that they don't really make many of them anymore. Final Fantasy Tactics Advance Two just game out - that's a turn-based game.
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If you don't mind some old-school graphics/gameplay, there's some great turn-based RPGs from Spiderwebsoftware. I've played Avernum 1-5, Geneforge 1-4 (5 comes out this winter), and Nethergate (w/ a revision titled NG: Resurrection).
You might also check out Eschalon: Book 1 from Basilisk games. Again, deliberately old-school graphics. But turn-based fun to be sure.
Hey Sebastian, check out Spiderweb Software like Ben said. I downloaded the free Shareware of Avernum 1 and I am trying it out. It's pretty good for that old school feel and you can't beat the price....FREE! Looks like they have some different genre RPGs also so it may tickle a certain fancy.
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Everyone who is on this thread should hang their head in shame for not mentioning X-Com: UFO Defense.
For shame.
That game rules.
*bows head in shame*
I loved that game SOOO much. It used to be the only game worth running on my old 386. I miss it tremendously, but I can't get it to work on these modern computers. Here's hoping it'll be a release on Good Old Games one day...
Hey, did anyone ever play the sequel? Terror From the Deep? I always wondered if it was as good.
And damnit, I do love me some turn-based games. I hate that they don't really make many of them anymore. Final Fantasy Tactics Advance Two just game out - that's a turn-based game.
It is, and it is quite good. And addictive. And LONG! I've done about 65 Quests out of (apparently) 300 and that's taken me 20 hrs. And the quests are only getting longer.
Very fun, though. Even though it's a bit light on story.
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Everyone who is on this thread should hang their head in shame for not mentioning X-Com: UFO Defense.
For shame.
That game rules.
And damnit, I do love me some turn-based games. I hate that they don't really make many of them anymore. Final Fantasy Tactics Advance Two just game out - that's a turn-based game.
Over in the Fallout 3 thread I mentioned the open source project UFO:AI.
They're pretty far along in their development. Check it out HERE is you're a fan of the originals.
TO be fair though, the thread IS about turn based RPGs. UFO is more of a strategy game with some RP components tossed in.
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Everyone who is on this thread should hang their head in shame for not mentioning X-Com: UFO Defense.
For shame.
That game rules.
And damnit, I do love me some turn-based games. I hate that they don't really make many of them anymore. Final Fantasy Tactics Advance Two just game out - that's a turn-based game.
X-Com: UFO Defense on PC and Final Fantasy Tactics on the original Playstation are two of the best turn based games ever. Each is responsible for taking a significant portion of my life.
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Does anyone know of any good turn based RPGs for the PC coming out? I feel like it's been years since I've liked any game not in the Civilization series.
Take a look at Dragon Age by Bioware. That's the only turn based non-MMO RPG on the horizon. Really, the big publishers like Atari and EA have squeezed the creativity and life out of the PC market in a quest to maximize profits. Every game needs to be online, or be more like Madden of FIFA for it to get funded, and one underperforming game and the studio gets closed. Does anyone remember the FUBAR treatment Temple of elemental Evil got from Hasbro? Dozens of references to kids and Hasbro made them remove every kid at the eleventh hour.NPCs were left refering to their kids that just weren't there. What total crap.
That's why the indy market is so interesting. Many pros are self publishing smaller games and bypassing the Atari-Walmart-censorship obstacle course altogether. By going direct download they can make the game that they want without the hurdles and arbitrary changes that the big publishers tend to impose (its not ready but release anyway. sound familiar?)
Check out Devil Whiskey to see the potential of this movement. Its an indy remake of teh Bard's tale games from a few years ago. You can still download the demo for free & buy the game if you'd like. The modding community still has some active projects & there are several complete ones you can grab right away. Hopefully we'll see more of this indy RPG trend in the future.
I'd hate to think the turn-based RPG is really dead and all we're going to see is MMO-style, but it seems like even console-based RPG's are doing their best to move that way...
Sucks because what seems to get shortchanged on a lot of the multiuser games is some kind of cohesive story, and that's what drew me to RPG's in the first place.
I have to agree. Story drives the experience for me. I screwed up in Final Fantasy VII by pushing forward to progress the plot, and left my characters without enough experience to face the music.
Arcanum was a blast, thanks to this thread I am going to dig out my copy and see if I can make it work on Vista.
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I very much prefer turn-based. I want to play DnD, not this pseudo-turn based stuff where a PC can die because healing spells take a few seconds to cast (and they don't need a heal spell until they get knocked down half anyway, so they are already almost dead!)
I'd write my own if I could perfect a dang algorithm for all the effects, pathing and AI.
I'd be glad to assist with a Pathfinder one *CCCOOOUUGH!!!*
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Bella Sara Charter Superscriber
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Thanks Fate and Ben for the info on Spiderweb. I have it bookmarked and will take a look.
TO be fair though, the thread IS about turn based RPGs. UFO is more of a strategy game with some RP components tossed in.
Ack. I double checked the OP before posting and still missed the fact that he did say turn-based RPG (I got distracted by the reference to Civ and thought he was looking for any good turn-based games). A lesser man would admit his mistake, but I'm going to assert that the OP was changed following my post. There's no other rational explanation. ;-)
Besides, X-Com is so awesome, so perfect, so grand that it deserves to be mentioned in any conversation about video games ever. I don't care if the topic is sports games or pony-based games.
Great links underling. I had heard about that X-comish project a few years ago (I thought - it might have been a different project). Those things seem to be perpetually in development. I remember a FFVI sequel that was the same sort of project a while ago too. Anyway, do they ever actually launch? I try not to get my hopes up because nothing ever seems to come from such projects.
Edit: Ack, it even says RPGs in the title of the thread. Damnit.
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Thanks Fate and Ben for the info on Spiderweb. I have it bookmarked and will take a look.
Great links underling. I had heard about that X-comish project a few years ago (I thought - it might have been a different project). Those things seem to be perpetually in development. I remember a FFVI sequel that was the same sort of project a while ago too. Anyway, do they ever actually launch? I try not to get my hopes up because nothing ever seems to come from such projects.
Well that's the thing about a lot of open source games. there is no official "launch". many will reach a 1.0 release and never stop new development. Its like the expansion pack is begun as soon as the game is released. I've followed several over the years, and UFO:AI is pretty close to a 1.0 imo. Much of the game is currently playable, and development is active. here are several others that are either done, or very playable in their current form:
Battle for Wesnoth. the BEST and most feature complete turn based stratgy game from the open source community. Dozens of campaigns, fantasy based, units gain XP and level up. Good fun.
Freeciv is an improved clone of civ 2 that is still being modernized. features a robust list of multiplayer options.
Scourge:Heroes of Lesser Renown sort of nethack meets Diablo with a sense of humor. all the dark lords have fallen, and the heroes are all dead. Your characters are the "garbage men" who clean up the now abandoned dungeons. this one is quite fun, and the graphics are decent, too. But it is real time :(
There is also a pretty good Axis and Allies rip that looks to have just hit their 1.0 release. here is the site.
Finally, this remake of Colonization stagnated for a long time and has now taken off with releases coming every few weeks. At this pace it'll be done by xmas.
Oh yeah, one more. This game moves like the ice age, but I love Master of Orion 1 and 2 so much that I still follow this one. FreeOrion is currently adding their combat engine which has taken a long time. Hopeful signs are that it should be integrated soon.
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Well that's the thing about a lot of open source games. there is no official "launch". many will reach a 1.0 release and never stop new development. Its like the expansion pack is begun as soon as the game is released. I've followed several over the years, and UFO:AI is pretty close to a 1.0 imo. Much of the game is currently playable, and development is active. here are several others that are either done, or very playable in their current form:
Battle for Wesnoth. the BEST and most feature complete turn based stratgy game from the open source community. Dozens of campaigns, fantasy based, units gain XP and level up. Good fun.
Freeciv is an improved clone of civ 2 that is still being modernized. features a robust list of multiplayer options.
Scourge:Heroes of Lesser Renown sort of nethack meets Diablo with a sense of humor. all the dark lords have fallen, and the heroes are all dead. Your characters are the "garbage men" who clean up the now abandoned dungeons. this one is quite fun, and the graphics are decent, too. But it is real time :(
There is also a pretty good Axis and Allies rip that looks to have just hit their 1.0 release. here is the site.
Finally, this remake of Colonization stagnated for a long time and has now...
Gotta say, I'm really loving this thread for gaming nostalgia purposes... HOMM, X-COM, Master of Orion... So many good games that I miss. Every day that goes by, I get more excited for GOG.com.
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RPG Superstar 2008 Top 32, 2011 Top 16
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Thanks Fate and Ben for the info on Spiderweb. I have it bookmarked and will take a look.
TO be fair though, the thread IS about turn based RPGs. UFO is more of a strategy game with some RP components tossed in.Ack. I double checked the OP before posting and still missed the fact that he did say turn-based RPG (I got distracted by the reference to Civ and thought he was looking for any good turn-based games). A lesser man would admit his mistake, but I'm going to assert that the OP was changed following my post. There's no other rational explanation. ;-)
Besides, X-Com is so awesome, so perfect, so grand that it deserves to be mentioned in any conversation about video games ever. I don't care if the topic is sports games or pony-based games.
Great links underling. I had heard about that X-comish project a few years ago (I thought - it might have been a different project). Those things seem to be perpetually in development. I remember a FFVI sequel that was the same sort of project a while ago too. Anyway, do they ever actually launch? I try not to get my hopes up because nothing ever seems to come from such projects.
Edit: Ack, it even says RPGs in the title of the thread. Damnit.
Sebastian, if it makes you feel better, I do like turn based strategy games also, including the X-com series. If you liked that, I've actually had a lot of fun with the Civ IV expansion Beyond the Sword. Not only does it have tons of cool scenarios and extra stuff for the main Civ game, it has one scenario where you play a squad of space marines investigating an alien attack on a remote base. Forget which one it is, but it was very X-com-ish in feel.
Gotta throw in my support for Wesnoth.
It's cool cool stuff that is stealing my life away turn by turn...
Battle for Wesnoth. the BEST and most feature complete turn based stratgy game from the open source community. Dozens of campaigns, fantasy based, units gain XP and level up. Good fun.
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Bella Sara Charter Superscriber
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Sebastian, if it makes you feel better, I do like turn based strategy games also, including the X-com series. If you liked that, I've actually had a lot of fun with the Civ IV expansion Beyond the Sword. Not only does it have tons of cool scenarios and extra stuff for the main Civ game, it has one scenario where you play a squad of space marines investigating an alien attack on a remote base. Forget which one it is, but it was very X-com-ish in feel.
Interesting...I'll have to pick up a copy of that. Thanks for the info. I'm also a big fan of Civ in its various incarnations. Civ IV is the main game I play these days.
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Along with Fallout 1 and 2, the first two X-COM games have got to be the best computer games ever made. I could never really get into the later X-COM games, though - they were pretty decent, but never drew me in like the first two.
Now that Fallout 3 is coming, I'm actually interested in PC games for the first time in years and years. Huzzah!
For turn-based tactical games, I have to recommend Silent Storm Sentinals and Hammer and Sickle which are WW2 squad-based tactical.
I played these games absolutely to death. The original, Silent Storm, had a bit of a sci-fi feel added to the WW2, which really unbalanced and kind of spoiled the game.
Sentinels and Hammer and Sickle both do away with the unrealistic weapons, and are much better games for that.
It looks like Jagged Alliance 3 is going to be made using the Silent Storm engine.
Pools of Darkness was the best! :)
I'm also a big fan of Civ in its various incarnations. Civ IV is the main game I play these days.
I wish modding it was not quite so complicated.
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For turn-based tactical games, I have to recommend Silent Storm Sentinals and Hammer and Sickle which are WW2 squad-based tactical.
I played these games absolutely to death. The original, Silent Storm, had a bit of a sci-fi feel added to the WW2, which really unbalanced and kind of spoiled the game.
Sentinels and Hammer and Sickle both do away with the unrealistic weapons, and are much better games for that.
It looks like Jagged Alliance 3 is going to be made using the Silent Storm engine.
Sentinels had power armor almost right out of the gates! I'm not sure about hammer & sickle, but Sentinels definitely had the scifi elements.
Sentinels had power armor almost right out of the gates! I'm not sure about hammer & sickle, but Sentinels definitely had the scifi elements.
Maybe I`m just remembering it with rose-coloured glasses on. It`s been a while since I played it, and I do remember it fondly.
In any case, Hammer and Sickle, I`m certain, had no Panzerkleins or non-historical weapons.
Sebastian;
I too am an X:Com addict.
I've used some 3rd party software to keep it going on current PC's though..(though for the life of me I can't remember what they are called.) still fun to play after all these years.
Friend of mine has a game called
"UFO:Aftershock". He tells me he's an X;COM sequel that keeps to the old saga, while getting rid of some of the more annoying aspects of it.
I've not yet had a chance to give it a go myself, though.
As for turn based RPG- sadly, I've not seen much :( Count me in for buyin a new one if it came out though!
-S