Do You Have Any Unpopular Gaming Opinions?

[Segata]

Or those stupid black and white buttons on the Xbox controller that just got in the way.

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Bone did you play Diablo III ?

[Kuruwin]

Western roguelikes are mostly kinda shitty. The Japanese did this genre better.

This one i guess i can partially agree because i have never really cared about the Western roguelikes. I like my roguelikes to be like the Chunsoft ones (games like Shiren and Pokemon Mystery Dungeon series)

Might and Magic is twenty hours longer than it needs to be. Same goes for the sequels.

You are probably talking about the early ones but as much as i love Might And Magic 6 i have to say that it's too long. I have only played through it ones and every other time i have given up when i'm something like 70-80% done.

[Ack]

Unpopular classic WRPG opinions.

- With the exception of the Ultima games, most WRPGs are better on consoles than in their original computer format.
- Interplay is underrated. The Bard's Tale and Dragon Wars are two of the best first-person dungeon-crawlers.
- Wizardry IV blows.
- Might and Magic is twenty hours longer than it needs to be. Same goes for the sequels.
- The good Ultima games are III, IV, V, VI, and VIII. VII is way too bloated. Being able to "do anything" gets old fast.
- Western roguelikes are mostly kinda shitty. The Japanese did this genre better.
- Diablo is really fun for like three hours.
- Betrayal at Krondor is the best WRPG ever. The sequel: ass.
- Dragonstomper is severely underrated.

To your points:

- WRPGs better on consoles.

Yes and no. I think there are some definite generational shifts. Console versions in the '80s and '90s, yes, I can think of many examples of games being improved for a console release: Ultima IV, Drakkhen, Wizardry V, and so on. However, once the modding community took off, I think things have switched. I'd much rather play Morrowind on a computer than on the Xbox due to the ability to change and upgrade the game in ways that add to it substantially. I also believe part of the improvement is that we ended up getting advanced enough in our tech we could start realizing those worlds that WRPGs were so often trying to build but were so severely limited in.

- Interplay is underrated.

Agree. I have been meaning to return to Dragon Wars for a while...

- Wizardry IV blows.

You mean the "hardest" WRPG ever created? Well...yeah, isn't it designed to dick us all over?

- Might and Magic is too long.

I think it's a case by case basis. Some entries, yes, I agree. Some entries, particularly III, IV, and V, I don't fully agree. V felt a little overly long, but I had it combined with IV. VI did feel too long, but this is partly also because there was even more stuff to go do like dungeons in the middle of nowhere with no associated quests that you had absolutely no reason to go into. Still, it's no Inquisitor.

- The good Ultimas.

While I have a soft spot for I, yeah, it's rudimentary. II is painful. I can't go into detail beyond that because my experience with the series is mostly from the beginning.

- Western roguelikes are kinda shitty.

Depends on the game. I loved Dungeons of Dredmor.

- Diablo fun for three hours.

Actually, I just like clicking things.

- Betrayal at Krondor

I need to get around to playing.

- Dragonstomper

I can't comment on this one.

[BogusMeatFactory]

Hey Bone, did you ever play Betrayal at Antara? I know Krondor 2 is much more..... different ( I would not say bad but it is such a drastic departure from 1.) If you have how is it?

[Tanooki]

While I have it, I prefer playing Diablo 1 on PSOne because you can use a gamepad. I know that one isn't popular around some types. The game just feels more responsive.

[noiseredux]

While I have it, I prefer playing Diablo 1 on PSOne because you can use a gamepad. I know that one isn't popular around some types. The game just feels more responsive.

I think Diablo III is way better with a controller as well. Using the right analog stick to dodge stuff is fantastic.

[BoneSnapDeez]

Yes and no. I think there are some definite generational shifts. Console versions in the '80s and '90s, yes, I can think of many examples of games being improved for a console release: Ultima IV, Drakkhen, Wizardry V, and so on. However, once the modding community took off, I think things have switched. I'd much rather play Morrowind on a computer than on the Xbox due to the ability to change and upgrade the game in ways that add to it substantially. I also believe part of the improvement is that we ended up getting advanced enough in our tech we could start realizing those worlds that WRPGs were so often trying to build but were so severely limited in.

Yeah I was thinking specifically of the old stuff. I'd rather play The Bard's Tale on the NES than any other platform.

To get back to Ultima games, parts III and IV have really interesting and quality NES ports which differ significantly from the computer originals. I'd recommend playing those two on the PC and NES. The other ports can be skipped, as they're much rougher.

I've never played Morrowind on PC but I get your point. And I can't imagine something like Neverwinter Nights on a console.

Today WRPGs are no longer ported to consoles -- the PC and console versions get released together. In these cases I'm way more comfortable with playing something like Mass Effect on the 360.

Hey Bone, did you ever play Betrayal at Antara? I know Krondor 2 is much more..... different ( I would not say bad but it is such a drastic departure from 1.) If you have how is it?

I forgot about Antara! It does look worthwhile in many respects. Return to Krondor I just find clunky and underwhelming.

Bone did you play Diablo III ?

Own it, need to sink more time into it. I know you and dish recommend it highly.

[BogusMeatFactory]

Also, in response to the Ultima 7 comments. 7 isn't as big as it sounds. I started playing it recently and you can travel the central continent in just a couple minutes. The dungeons themselves aren't overly large either. The big draw is just the npc schedules and the huge variety of activities you can do in terms of crafting or the depth of the side missions. It is definitely more compact than the other Ultima games.

[Segata]

Diablo III on PS4 is great. They did an amazing job of adapting it to a console that I can't imagine playing any other way.