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Looking For A Good RPG For A Newbie

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Joined 2015-07-21

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Hi Everyone. I’m Amy. I’ve never played an RPG game before. I thought it might be time to try. I really enjoy adventure games. I wanted to try something new and have been thinking about trying an RPG game. I’m looking for any suggestions on where to begin. Something for a newbie…adventure themed. Any ideas would be extremely helpful. I’m flying completely blind.

     
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Joined 2005-08-12

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Ooh, that’s an interesting question!

Some people are going to rush in and suggest Planescape: Torment, because it’s mostly focussed on story (and its story is, well… the best). Don’t listen to them; the RPG system is complex and very unintuitive. It’s a fantastic, fantastic game, but keep it for when you have a bit more experience with RPGs.

The obvious suggestion, if you don’t mind retro-styled games, is Sierra’s Quest for Glory series, which blends adventure elements (including inventory puzzles) with combat and RPG mechanics. We had a discussion some time ago about which game was the best introduction to the series.

Then you have the QfG imitators, Heroine’s Quest (which is free yet very high quality) and Quest for Infamy. Note however that Heroine’s Quest is pretty hard/unforgiving, and the combat system in Quest for Infamy is bad.

I guess some Bioware games can be a good introduction as well. They’re very much RPGs, but they have very strong stories and characters. Also, you can pause the game during combat to give orders to your characters (if you don’t want something too actiony), and if you choose a moderate difficulty level you don’t really need to think too hard about optimizing your stats and all that. The Knights of the Old Republic series is great (be sure to install the various fan patches for the second one), as is Dragon Age: Origins.

EDIT: Haven’t we already had a thread like that a few months ago? It might be worth doing a search.

EDIT 2: There you go, I guess.

     
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Joined 2009-11-10

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Wow, that’s a very complete answer Kurufinwe.

I would add Mass Effect (but only the first game to the list). A big part of the game is in the Citadel where there are relatively few combats and a lot of adventure like quests (but don’t come expecting deep and complicated puzzles).

I completely agree with PlaneScape:Torment and Heroine’s Quest. They are great game (and Planescape:Torment story is amazing) but they are not good games for beginners.

Oh, and if you want to try a MMORPG, then you can try The Secret World.

     
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Joined 2003-09-30

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Of course Witcher 3 so far best rpg of the year.

     

“Going on means going far - Going far means returning”

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Joined 2005-09-29

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For a newbie i dunno, which game has lowest entry cost.
I guess Skyrim on easy can suit you.
Planescape and Witcher can require some skills to go through troubling interface.
Masseffect can also be fitting on easy.

     
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Joined 2015-07-21

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I want to THANK YOU all for your time and your suggestions. I’m not sure where I’m going to start just yet. I’ll do a little research on these games and give one of them a try. Wish me luck.

     
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My first RPG was Quest for Glory and I didn’t even know that’s what it was—I thought of it as an adventure game with fighting in it. Tongue If you don’t mind the retro look, that’s a great place to start.

The next RPG I played after that was Final Fantasy VIII and it’s still one of my favorites. I like turn-based RPGs because they give you a bit of time to think about what you want to do, the combat becomes almost like solving a puzzle. It’s also an older game, but on the plus side it’s available for PC (most Final Fantasy games are console only). The RPG elements are more complex than the Quest for Glory games but you can get through it even if you don’t understand all of the complexities, and it’s got an epic story. (With bonus points if you like a little romance in your stories!)

I also highly recommend Ni No Kuni and Eternal Sonata, but they’re console exclusives.

I played a little bit of Planescape: Torment and got completely overwhelmed. Lots of reading, and the combat is realtime. It made me anxious. That was years ago and I’m more experienced with RPGs now, but I never went back. I also tried the first Mass Effect game a while back and quit at the first action sequence. Too action-y for me.

Oh, one other suggestion… it’s not an RPG but for “something different,” you might consider Portal 2. It’s more active than a typical adventure game but the gameplay is all about logic and puzzle solving, and the narrative is really unique and funny. It’s not necessary to have played the first one.

     
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Joined 2014-01-05

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Grandia

Very easy RPG with fun turn-based combat and great adventure story.

     

Recently played: Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons 5/5, Bioshock 2 4/5, Tomb Raider (2013) 3/5 Looking forward to: Gibbous, Saint Kotar

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Joined 2013-03-09

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You should first be sure you computer has the hardware to play good RPGs.  Post your computer specs and that will help.

     
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Joined 2015-08-12

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Kurufinwe - 21 July 2015 06:38 AM

Some people are going to rush in and suggest Planescape: Torment, because it’s mostly focussed on story (and its story is, well… the best). Don’t listen to them; the RPG system is complex and very unintuitive.

Gotta agree.

I’d suggest any JRPGs, Final Fantasy 4-7 and 9 or Chrono Trigger are not too difficult, save maybe a few annoying boss battles. But they are quite different from Western CRPGs.

I’d say avoid anything based on Dungeon and Dragons or Forgotten Realms for the same reason as PS:T, it’s basically really complex and even I dont understand wtf is going on. Knights of the Old Republic is perhaps one exception that wasn’t too bad even if you didnt fully understand the stats and had solid story. Mass Effect was mentioned, good choice especially if you have some Action game experience.

     
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Joined 2007-01-04

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Persona 4 Golden - it has elements of adventure games and dating sims added to the traditional JRPG formula. It’s also very easy and has a great story. Characters are well done as well.

     

I enjoy playing adventure games on my Alienware M17 r4 and my Nintendo Switch OLED.

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Joined 2015-09-02

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The first Mass Effect is a very good suggestion.
I am playing Planescape again right now, and don’t find it too unfriendly, but I could be biased.  It is a great game though.
My first-ever RPG was Morrowind back in the early 2000s sometime.  I have a special place in my heart for it.

     

Reality is overrated.

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tmangrove - 02 September 2015 10:31 PM

The first Mass Effect is a very good suggestion.
I am playing Planescape again right now, and don’t find it too unfriendly, but I could be biased.  It is a great game though.

We’re going to get along fine with those references… Grin

My first-ever RPG was Morrowind back in the early 2000s sometime.  I have a special place in my heart for it.

Personally, I consider the Elder Scrolls games not as easy for new players to get into.
Definitely not if they want to level up in a way that actually makes them stronger and not weaker against everything that’s out there…

     

The truth can’t hurt you, it’s just like the dark: it scares you witless but in time you see things clear and stark. - Elvis Costello
Maybe this time I can be strong, but since I know who I am, I’m probably wrong. Maybe this time I can go far, but thinking about where I’ve been ain’t helping me start. - Michael Kiwanuka

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Total Posts: 18

Joined 2015-08-12

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Agreed with TimovieMan, especially pre Oblivion ones. The dialogue / quest system itself is kind of a big mess unless you’re a fan of wikipedia lol. The games themsevles are great, but definitely take some involvement to get into.

     
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Joined 2004-01-18

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If you have a DS..

 

     

An adventure game is nothing more than a good story set with engaging puzzles that fit seamlessly in with the story and the characters, and looks and sounds beautiful.
Roberta Williams

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Total Posts: 111

Joined 2009-05-12

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Hey guys, I’m re-using this thread to also seek advice for an RPG to play. I have looked into some of the games mentioned in this thread but since my criteria is a little bit more specific, the suggestions might change a little.

So I recently finished the Mass Effect trilogy and it’s been the first and only RPG experience I’ve had so far. I loved it to pieces but I was fully aware that the RPG elements are very basic and streamlined, specially in 2 and 3. So what I’m looking for is something similar to Mass Effect, where the RPG elements are present but are not overwhelming. I compiled a list of criteria with the things I loved the most about ME:

- Great, deep story and characters that I can interact with and get to know. 
- Decisions that I can make that impact the game and story somehow. 
- RPG elements not too complex or “hardcore”. In ME I loved choosing my class and the type of powers I could use, as well as my squad mates, but I didn’t have to spend hours just customizing or dealing with thousands of stats. I always ended up using the same weapons and not getting into modifying or dealing with every single thing I pick up. I love keeping things simple and just focus on continuing the plot. 
- Not too long. One of the main issues I have with big games, specially RPGs is that they take too long and my play time is limited. I felt the ME games were long but not overwhelmingly long (around 40 hrs each)
- Not too linear but not too open either. I thought ME stroke a right balance for me here, cause you could explore some planets and do some side quests but it wasn’t too big that I would be too lost or spend hours just aimlessly exploring a location.
- Meaningful Side-quests. In ME 1 I felt a little bit overwhelmed with side-quests and since I figured that most of them would just give me XP or Credits I just skipped them. But in ME 2 I felt compelled to do all the loyalty missions because they provided variety, I wanted to know the characters more and I wanted them to survive. It was even better in ME 3, where not only I wanted to help and see my old crew mates, but I felt I needed to add as much War Assets as possible for the final battle, so I ended up doing almost everything (but under 40 hrs)

This pretty much sums up what I liked the most in ME, so if guys can give me some recommendations based on this. I already have a preliminary list, that includes Dragon Age (although I read that Inquisition is super long), The Witcher (although I’ll probably start from 2), Skyrim (feel intimidated by length and the type of hardcore RPG that I would have to deal with), of even a JRPG like Chrono Trigger (not sure if it would be hard to get into or if it’s too long). Is getting pretty hard to choose so any recommendation would be appreciated it. Sorry about the long post!

     

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