What's the best D&D game currently on the market?

[CarlZog]

For its sheer wealth of modules and multi-player gaming available, Neverwinter is certainly a must-have. It's really not a computer game, it's a game system.

In the non-D&D backwoods, check out:
Dungeon Siege, a fun, easy-going shooter-style RPG;
Arx Fatalis, a pretty unique (you like it or you hate it) first-person RPG. Weapons have diminishing durability, you must find and eat food to stay nourished, and the magic system requires you "draw" runes in the air with your mouse. I thought it was really cool.

CZ

 

[Dreeble]

Pool of Radiance:Ruins of Myth Drannor

Heya:

I liked PoR a lot. I freely admit it. I'll forgive _tons_ in order to get turn-based gameplay. Plus, with the SpeedHack it was vastly improved. No more waiting 20 seconds for a zombie to sloooooowly trudge at you from three football fields away. Now it zoooooms at you from three football fields away.

If you can get the SpeedHack and if you like turn-based gameplay and if miles of dungeon corridors that all look alike don't bother you and if tons of fairly repetitive combat against similar monsters also doesn't bother you, then I'd recommend the game.

Take care,
Dreeble

 

[Welverin]

Heya:

I liked PoR a lot. I freely admit it. I'll forgive _tons_ in order to get turn-based gameplay. Plus, with the SpeedHack it was vastly improved. No more waiting 20 seconds for a zombie to sloooooowly trudge at you from three football fields away. Now it zoooooms at you from three football fields away.

If you can get the SpeedHack and if you like turn-based gameplay and if miles of dungeon corridors that all look alike don't bother you and if tons of fairly repetitive combat against similar monsters also doesn't bother you, then I'd recommend the game.

Take care,
Dreeble

Don't listen to him! He's an agent of the robot devil!

 

[Dreeble]

Heya:

Don't listen to him! He's an agent of the robot devil!

While true, it doesn't change the fact that PoR2 (with SpeedHack and whatever the latest patch is so that you can save while invisible, get the correct ending, etc.) is a better CRPG than, say, Lionheart (or so I've heard, I got the game recently but haven't played yet, lots of bad mouthing of it in various places).

Honestly, one of the worst parts of my first playthrough of PoR2 was waiting for those damn zombies to move their 300' movement rate slowly from miles away. Or walking through cleared dungeon areas to get to uncleared dungeons areas and it taking forever (since you can't click on your destination and have them eventually get there). The SpeedHack solved the former problem and greatly alleviated the latter problem.

The bottom line for me, tho, is turn-based combat. Turn-based. Turn-based. Turn-based. If the choice is between A) turn-based combat and the potential of your hard drive being erased or B) real-time combat with the potential in every combat of characters deciding, Nah, we're not going to accept that order, we want to run up to the BBEG and let him smack the wizard instead. Well, I'll choose A) and just never uninstall PoR2.

Take care,
Dreeble

 

[Enforcer]

While true, it doesn't change the fact that PoR2 (with SpeedHack and whatever the latest patch is so that you can save while invisible, get the correct ending, etc.) is a better CRPG than, say, Lionheart (or so I've heard, I got the game recently but haven't played yet, lots of bad mouthing of it in various places).

I've played Pool of Radiance and the demo for Lionheart (go download it if you're curious). The fact that Pool of Radiance needs a hack to even be considered playable should tell you enough. That game's sole use is as a set of coasters (and the paltry entertainment derived from insulting it on message boards).

The demo of Lionheart, however, I liked very much. I love the SPECIAL system (Fallout/Fallout 2), and I like the uber-plot that's set up for your character. The huge number of options at character creation is also a strong selling point for me. The graphics are somewhat dated...but are at least comparable to Pool of Radiance.

 

[Dreeble]

Heya:

But the combat, man! The combat!

I have the game and I'll probably give it a spin this weekend. From what I've read, the combat isn't particularly fun. Monsters zip across the screen, for example. Also, the plot in the first half of the game (especially Barcelona) is wonderful and great. After that it's a non-stop hack fest. Which I'd normally enjoy, admittedly. Except that the combat is supposedly not great. I'll find out for myself this weekend.

My defending PoR2 is probably a hopeless crusade. I doubt I'm the only person who enjoyed the game, but the other guy seems kinda quiet, darnit. I have a high tolerance for tedium, I s'pose. Plus I love killing monsters and taking their stuff, and PoR2 definitely rewards that.

Take care,
Dreeble

 

[icebreaker]

Actually i really liked POR2. It does have a couple critical flaws but its one of the few CRPG's i've actually finished.

1st thing the game REQUIRES the speed hack it should be included in the official patch.Without it the game really is unplayable, with it the combat engine/turn based system is the best i've seen in a CRPG in years..best since fallout actually.


2nd the Dwarf Dungeons should be about 50 % smaller per level,thats the critical design flaw making them huge and monotonous for the first 1/3rd of the game. Once you break thru to the city,outdoor area of MythDrannor the game greatly improves.
They tried to increase the hours of play by making the first 4 dungeon levels huge..it was a fatal mistake since most that hate this game never saw more then the first couple levels.


3rd the game is dirivitive of 3rd edition Rules but isn't 3E.. some people were so insanely insensed over this that they never gave the game a chance..yes alot of the rules are wrong..clerics are basically sorcerers with cleric spell ect..but if you just play it on its own merrit the system works within the game just fine..its just not true 3E...its a computer game it never was gonna be true 3E

I enjoyed the quest/story line as it progressed as much as Icewind dale and others like it. THIS CRPG is a combat RPG like diablo,icewindale,divine divinity ect ect.. its not a story dialog CRPG like Planescape torment.



What i want is someone to go back and update the goldbox turnbased CRPG's and give them 100% new 1024X768 graphics and sound but keep the game the same..i would buy them all.. rpgs should be turned based i don't know why developers like bioware can't get that.

 

[Dreeble]

Heya:

I was beginning to think I was a lone voice crying out in the wilderness ("Awooogah! Awooogah!"). No more! See, I did say there were two of us that liked the game.

Also, I played some Lionheart and while I love the voice acting and the story (as much as I've seen), the FedEx quests need to have their FedEx-ish nature disguised a bit more. I feel like I should be wearing brown shorts and a brown shirt. Or is that UPS?

I'm going to offer up a prayer to my plush Nyarlathotep that ToEE is good and will be released soon (they're submitting gold candidates so hopefully that's a good sign). Also to my plush Vacation Cthulhu, Regular Cthulhu, and Goth (and/or KISS) Cthulhu.

Take care,
Dreeble

 

[evildmguy]

A chance to convert someone

Okay, what and where is the speed hack for PoR that people kept talking about? I have sat down and tried to playt his game five times and those first dungeons and how slow they go just frustrate me. I really want to see the rest of the game, though. Can someone let me know what/where this is?

Thanks!

edg

 

[Dreeble]

Heya:

I got the Speedhack from www.alindyar.com/PoR2 way back when. I think the site is still there, but I don't think the Speedhack is. Since I've never uninstalled the game (don't want my hard drive erase), I should still have the Speedhack somewhere. I'll check and see.

Take care,
Dreeble