RPG Newbie

[Liquid Ice]

I have never played a RPG game before and i was thonking of trying one. Can you tell me what would be a good one to try? I was thinking of either Morrowind or Boulders Gate but heard they might be to complex for a newbie. Also what exactly is a RPG?

[Nameless]

Originally posted by Liquid Ice
I have never played a RPG game before and i was thonking of trying one. Can you tell me what would be a good one to try? I was thinking of either Morrowind or Boulders Gate but heard they might be to complex for a newbie. Also what exactly is a RPG?

Thonking eh? Well don't thonk too hard.
RPG stands for Role Playing Game, which pretty much explains itself...As for your question that really depends on what systems you have, if ya got an N64 i recomend Zelda: Ocarina of Time, its a good one to break you in.

[Arven]

RPG is a "role-playing game." It's not true, what Nameless said, that that "pretty much explains itself." A lot of people disagree about what should be called an RPG. Usually, it includes things like 1) choosing or designing your character and 2) "leveling up" (increasing in skills). Sometimes, the fighting is "turn-based," meaning the battle stops and you choose your move from a menu, or real-time. Sometimes, the gameplay is open-ended (Morrowind) or linear (Final Fantasy).

As to Morrowind vs. Baldur's Gate, I would heartily recommend Morrowind. It's a great game. Maybe it'll help you to know that I, too, was new to RPGs when I bought Morrowind. I thought it would be too hard (all that character creation stuff...), but once I got into it, I absolutely fell in love. I spent 4 to 5 hours a day playing. I have a Morrowind desktop and a Morrowind calendar. I love the game. I'm going to buy it a Valentine's Day card (not really).

Baldur's Gate fell flat for me, though. I didn't like the tiny people. I realize that's a silly way to judge a game, but oh well. The thing about RPGs is, everyone has their own style and their own favorites. For instance, some people swear by Final Fantasy, but I've never been able to get into them. You really will have to try some RPGs out before you know what you like. Morrowind would be my recommended starting point, though.

p.s. You might also want to pick up the strategy guide, Morrowind Prophecies.

[Nameless]

Originally posted by Arven
It's not true, what Nameless said, that that "pretty much explains itself."

Thats all it took for me...

[Arven]

Originally posted by Nameless
Thats all it took for me...

But it could be confusing for someone who's never played an RPG before. After all, you're "playing a role" in a lot of games. Like, in Halo, I'm playing the role of Master Chief, aren't I? So I think the label itself doesn't explain much, at least to someone new to the genre.

[xboxgamer142]

As said before in this thread, RPG stands for Role Playing Game. There are different kinds of RPGs. There are those where you increase your skills and levels and complete a storyline through dungeons and caves (example: Baldur's Gate). There are those fantasy ones where you DO WHAT YOU WANT or complete the normal storyline (example: Morrowind). Then there are those modern-day ones where you have to complete a storyline but you have a fair amount of "freedom" (example: Shenmue II). There are also MMORPG (massive multiplayer online RPGs) where thousands of players play together in one single game world.

All examples are on Xbox. When I mean "freedom", it when you have time off from the storyline and you can, for example, go to shops, play mini-games, interact with other characters in the game. But it varies for every game. I would suggest renting an RPG to see how it is.

[Arven]

Yeah, renting's not a bad idea. Just beware that you will move slowly and fight ineptly in Morrowind for the first few hours. Also, if you need help with character creation, just ask.