Together RPG - Schedule & Discussion

[Menegrothx]

Now, lets do nominations!

List a game per group (obviously some games can overlap and belong to multiple groups.

JRPG
SRPG
Action RPG
Western RPG

JRPG
1.Earthbound
2.Phantasy Star
3.Tales of Phantasia
Chrono Trigger and Final Fantasy 6 are good choiches too, maybe a bit too "mainstream" though (too many people have already played the game)?
ARPG
1.Guardian Heroes
1. System Shock 2. The game is gameplay mechanics wise a full fledged RPG, but the combat is done in real time in first person view and there's no living NPCs to talk to, so I don't know if it's a RPG or an ARPG
2.YS book 1&2
3. Popful Mail
If we count FPS-RPGs as action RPGs, Deus Ex is also a good choiche, but like with Chrono Trigger and Final Fantasy 6, too many people might've already played this game.
SRPG
1.The Temple of Elemental Evil
2.Tactics Ogre: Let Us Cling Together
3.Pool of Radiance
WRPG:
1.Planescape: Torment
2.Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines
2.Ultima V.
I'm not sure which to pick: Ultima 5 is easily the most sophisticated RPG from the 1980s, but it's probably too old and hard for many people. Vampire the Masquerade is pure gold for the first two thirds of the game, but the game was rushed out so the last parts of the game were very mediocre and dissapointing compared to how well the first two halfs of the game were written and designed. Maybe if people could play the game for 12-16 hours and then decide if it's worth to play it till the end. Even keeping that in mind, it's still one of the best if not the best RPG from the last 10 years.

Eh, difference of opinion I guess. I don't see anything wrong with Eye of the Beholder and there's already been much "buzz" about it on the boards here.

There's nothing wrong with the game, it's just unremarkable. If some one is new to 16-bit platformers, you don't tell them to play Bubsy and Aero the Acrobat first, you'll tell them to start with the Sonic and Donkey Kong Country games.

[Stark]

JRPG - Wild Arms (PSX, PSN) - Played later entries, but never the original, I remember this is one of the earliest RPGs for the PlayStation as well.

SRPG - Jagged Alliance (PC,DS) - One of the original tactical RPGs, I played the sequel a lot and loved it, would be great to go back to the orignal! Plus it got a port to the DS.

Action RPG - Crystalis (NES,GBC) - Action RPG from SNK, a lot of my friends growing up loved it and I never got around to playing it.

Western RPG - Wizardry: Proving Grounds of the Mad Overlord (NES, PC, C64, MAC, more) - Grandfather of computer Western RPGs and I've never played it or any from the series, would love to experience it.

Thoughts?

[BoneSnapDeez]

Bone's suggestions...

JRPG - Chrono Trigger (SNES, PSX, DS)
SRPG - Shining Force (Genesis, Dreamcast, GBA, Xbox 360, PS3)
Action RPG - Ys Book I & II (Turbo CD, DS, PSP)
Western RPG - Eye of the Beholder (PC, Amiga, SNES, Sega CD)

[o.pwuaioc]

SRPG - Shining Force (Genesis, Dreamcast, GBA, Xbox 360, PS3)
Action RPG - Ys Book I & II (Turbo CD, DS, PSP)

I'm not personally opposed to either of these, but they both were recent "Together Retro"s, which may make some members not so interested in them.

[Stark]

SRPG - Shining Force (Genesis, Dreamcast, GBA, Xbox 360, PS3)
Action RPG - Ys Book I & II (Turbo CD, DS, PSP)

I'm not personally opposed to either of these, but they both were recent "Together Retro"s, which may make some members not so interested in them.

Actually I was just writing a response as such. I think it would be awesome if Together Retro and Together RPG didn't overlap.

[Menegrothx]

Wild Arms and Jagged Alliance sound good. Although Jagged Alliance 2 is a lot more famous, but I guess it would be nice to see the series roots. Can't comment on Crystalis, but I dont think it's a good idea to include a RPG from 1981. I doubt Wizardry 1 has anything that later games of the genre/subgenre don't have. If you want to know the history of RPGs, you should play this game. But if you just want to play through a well made old school RPG, there are better choiches out there. Like for example I wouldn't recommend Ultima 0-2, but Ultimas 4-6 (esp. 5) are still worth playing through. Dragon Quest 1 has very little to offer, but Phantasy Star 1 is still worth it.


My wish would be that Together RPG would only focus on RPGs with well written stories and games that are significant for the genre or did something totally new, like Planescape: Torment, Vampire: The Masquerade, Chrono Trigger, Earthbound, Persona, Valkyrie Profile, Parasite Eve and Deus Ex did. I don't totally oppose more battle heavy non strategy/tactics RPGs as long as they have game mechanics with depth or stand out from the crowd otherwise (setting, athmosphere etc), like System Shock 2 for example. So no cookie-cutter/mediocre RPGs please

[Stark]

...I dont think it's a good idea to include a RPG from 1981. I doubt Wizardry 1 has anything that later games of the genre/subgenre don't have. If you want to know the history of RPGs, you should play this game. But if you just want to play through a well made old school RPG, there are better choiches out there. Like for example I wouldn't recommend Ultima 0-2, but Ultimas 4-6 (esp. 5) are still worth playing through. Dragon Quest 1 has very little to offer, but Phantasy Star 1 is still worth it.

It being one of the first Western RPGs and being beloved and ported so heavily is why I chose it. I've played and loved many of the games that follow in Wizardry's footsteps but never played the original that inspired them.

...My wish would be that Together RPG would only focus on RPGs with well written stories and games that are significant for the genre or did something totally new, like Planescape: Torment, Vampire: The Masquerade, Chrono Trigger, Earthbound, Persona, Valkyrie Profile, Parasite Eve and Deus Ex did. I don't totally oppose more battle heavy non strategy/tactics RPGs as long as they have game mechanics with depth or stand out from the crowd otherwise (setting, athmosphere etc), like System Shock 2 for example. So no cookie-cutter/mediocre RPGs please

I like all of these picks except for Earthbound. I have a personal distaste for that game.

[Jmustang1968]

I dont usually like the JRPG and WRPG designations either, but I think it serves our purpose and helps mix things up.

I also dont necessarily agree we have to go with the profound or gamebreaking RPGs. This club may be a good way to open up obscure RPGs for us to explore together.

I also think we should avoid overlap with TR. However, a follow up to a TR game with its sequel sounds excellent to me. Ys 2 and on, Shining Force 2/3/CD, Baldur's Gate 2 etc...

I will nominate a few per group.

JRPG -
Suikoden (PS1, PSN)
Phantasy Star 2 (GEN, GBA)
Lunar Silver Star - (Sega CD, PS1, PSP)

Action RPG -
Ys II (multiple)
Tales of Phantasia (SNES)
Shadowrun (Genesis or SNES but they are different)

SRPG -
Ogre Battle (SNES, PS1)
Shining Force 2 (GEN)
Warsong/Langrisser (Genesis)

Western RPG -
Buck Rogers: Countdown to Doomsday (Gen, DOS)
Fallout - (PC)
Baldur's Gate 2 (prefer when BG2EE releases)

Wildcards -
Icewind Dale (PC)
Dark Wizard (Sega CD)
Dragon Force (Saturn)

[MrPopo]

...I dont think it's a good idea to include a RPG from 1981. I doubt Wizardry 1 has anything that later games of the genre/subgenre don't have. If you want to know the history of RPGs, you should play this game. But if you just want to play through a well made old school RPG, there are better choiches out there. Like for example I wouldn't recommend Ultima 0-2, but Ultimas 4-6 (esp. 5) are still worth playing through. Dragon Quest 1 has very little to offer, but Phantasy Star 1 is still worth it.

It being one of the first Western RPGs and being beloved and ported so heavily is why I chose it. I've played and loved many of the games that follow in Wizardry's footsteps but never played the original that inspired them.

The original Wizardry trilogy will end up being far more frustrating than fun for the average player. And the less said about Wizardry IV the better. Might and Magic would be a better game to use as a turn-based dungeon crawler.

[BoneSnapDeez]

SRPG - Shining Force (Genesis, Dreamcast, GBA, Xbox 360, PS3)
Action RPG - Ys Book I & II (Turbo CD, DS, PSP)

I'm not personally opposed to either of these, but they both were recent "Together Retro"s, which may make some members not so interested in them.

Whoops. My apologies, I didn't do the Shining Force TR. Shining Force II then? No GBA remake, but it's available on all those Sega compilations.

The Together Retro was Ys I only so maybe Ys I & II could be amended to just Ys II?

Keep in mind that Ys I is just 5 hours or so, so those who have never played Ys I would be wise to play both instead of just playing Ys II (it's very hard to find a stand-alone Ys II anyway - I don't think there even is one in English).

Also, if you choose the Turbo Duo version you must play Ys I first, they're lumped together into one long game. With the DS and PSP you have an option on the title screen to choose either I or II.