I recently did the trial of World of Warcraft and loved it. The problem is, I don't have a heck of a lot of time and so I can't justify the monthly subscription. I know there are about a million RPG's available for solo play on your own PC. My question is, are any of them even remotely comparable to WOW. The features that I liked were the handy toolbars, the readily available combat (monsters always re-spawn), the trade/currency system, and the extensive game world with easily accessible map system. The down side was of course the monthly subscription fees, crowded servers (The worst I saw was being over 600 deep in the queue to log in), and lag (which of course could have been because of my 512 MB Ram). I was a D&D player many years ago in my youth, as were probably the majority of PC based RPG'ing adults I'm sure. I have never played any computer based RPG's though, and am seeking your help now. I would strongly prefer to stay with the Medievel/Fantasy theme as opposed to the other themes available (ie. Star Wars, WWII, etc). So, any suggestions for a stand alone game that I can install on my laptop and not be dependent upon a connection?
*Note: I did get a copy of Morrowind for 2 reasons. 1) It seemed to have a huge fanbase, which means it can't be all that bad (I hope). 2) The GOTY Edition was only $19.99 at Best Buy because the next generation in that series is now available.
Originally posted by BLReidOne word:
I recently did the trial of World of Warcraft and loved it. The problem is, I don't have a heck of a lot of time and so I can't justify the monthly subscription. I know there are about a million RPG's available for solo play on your own PC. My question is, are any of them even remotely comparable to WOW. The features that I liked were the handy toolbars, the ...[text shortened]... was only $19.99 at Best Buy because the next generation in that series is now available.
OBLIVION.
Originally posted by StarrmanIs that the 2nd Place Winner from the 2005 RHP Fantasy Baseball League chiming in? Thanks for the tip Starrman. Isn't Oblivion the next generation of Elder Scrolls? (ie. The follow up to Morrowind that I recently bought). If you like Oblivion, can you tell me if Morrowind was also good, or should I not bother to install it?
One word:
OBLIVION.
Originally posted by BLReidLol, that was a while ago, not bad for someone that's never watched a baseball game in his life 🙂
Is that the 2nd Place Winner from the 2005 RHP Fantasy Baseball League chiming in? Thanks for the tip Starrman. Isn't Oblivion the next generation of Elder Scrolls? (ie. The follow up to Morrowind that I recently bought). If you like Oblivion, can you tell me if Morrowind was also good, or should I not bother to install it?
Morrowind was indeed the forerunner, it's a very well put togther game (make sure you donwload the patches though, with the game as large as it is there are inevitably fine tunings). The two extensions; Bloodmoon and Tribunal are also worth playing (Bloodmoon is better though). What the game will leave you with is a desire for things like more intensity, bigger populations in cities and access to amenities; a lot of the time you are in the middle of nowhere and you need some cash, but none of the local traders have the kind of wares you can buy and sell from to meet your needs. I ended up with hundreds of thousands of gold coins in weapons, but nowhere to sell them to make good on your assets.
Oblivion changes all that.
State of the art graphics and gameplay, a central quest that is hard to beat and an almost endless array of extras. You can carry on the game for weeks after you finish the central quest (which will take you weeks). Ask hopscotch how good it is and you will probably see him descend into a frothing rampage of descriptive exclamations. On top of the game itself are the endless and amazing community add-ons; mods and patches to increase gameplay, model types, plots and items.
It is without a doubt the best singleplayer game I have ever had the fortune to waste a year of my life on.
I found Oblivions storyline boring, although the rest of the game is quite good.It was fun for about 40hours.However I found both NWN2 and Gothic 3 to be more enjoyable.I'm not sure these games will like your 512mb Ram.The best computer rpg in my opinion is Planescape Torment at least story wise but it's ancient (1998).
Originally posted by omulcusobolaniI didn't like NWN2 much, I found it lacked the intensity of Oblivion. I own Gothic 3, but have yet to play it.
I found Oblivions storyline boring, although the rest of the game is quite good.It was fun for about 40hours.However I found both NWN2 and Gothic 3 to be more enjoyable.I'm not sure these games will like your 512mb Ram.The best computer rpg in my opinion is Planescape Torment at least story wise but it's ancient (1998).
I agree, the 512 Mb RAM is limiting indeed.
Originally posted by BLReidNeverwinter Nights: http://www.atari.com/nwn2/UK/index.php
Thanks guys. I have to assume that NWN = Neverwind Nights?
I appreciate your input on all of this. I will run with the Morrowind for now, and probably put Oblivion on my Christmas wish list, along with a Ram upgrade.
BLR
Originally posted by omulcusobolaniI really wanted to like Guild Wars since it has a skill based attack system, but I fear that unless he's a PvP master, BLReid will get little out of it before he loses interest. Everquest 2 is a good bet, (the original has a massive following, but I detest it due to the sheer insanity of the game's play-structure, shudder...), not played the other two. If you don't mind the grind, try Star Wars Galaxies (I loved this for about a year before the grind ground me down) or maybe Eve (which I have little expereince with).
Guild Wars might be a good choice if you want to play a MMORPG and not pay a monthly fee.
I'm kinda burnt on the whole Star Wars thing. I have played Battlefront I and II, and both Lego Star Wars games with my son on his PS2 to the point that I am really tired of the whole Star Wars universe. The fantasy themes are still interesting to me, so I was wanting to stay there for a while. I didn't have any idea that Guild Wars was a MMORPG. But I didn't do any PvP (I can't believe I'm actually understanding this lingo) when I tried out WOW, just PvE. That could present an issue for me.