Vote for the Best DOS RPG - Discussion

Wow … this is really cool. I missed out on so much of these while playing FPS and other stuff back through the Apple ][ and DOS days (yeah, played some Wizardry in 80-ish but never got hooked). I haven't really played enough to contribute to a poll - some Betrayal at Krondor, some of the Might & Magic games, some Ultima IV and some of the DOS Wizardry games.

I'm the same as Mike (above), I'm too young to really have enjoyed that age of gaming. I played Wasteland, BaK, some M&Ms and a few others.
It was actually all those (or most) things you guys are talking about that bothered me about those games (except BaK). The fact that either there is no in-game map (or automap), the fights, the puzzles.
I like story and gameplay which for me are the most important things in a game. When I have to draw a map myself to be sure I get everything and can return later to know exactly where everything is. TilexTile cartography is something I don't find enjoyable, but gamebreaking and time-consuming. IIRC M&M was like that, you could only go forward,left,right or backwards, and you couldn't see more than one step forward, so the only way to go back to a shop was to draw a map.
The fights were alright, but if it was against some form of rat then it was too easy and when it was against some form of stronger creature then I either had to run or get killed. I liked the fights in Betrayal at Krondor, really nicely made, I believe. The puzzles were nice, but in those games the puzzles took more weight than the story. Most of the gameplay were puzzles, which for me was gamebreaking too.
Some puzzles were easy (which was nice for me), some were alright but when I managed to find out how it was supposed to work then I didn't feel any satisfaction, but instead I felt and thought :'How in someone's name could I bring myself to walk about the same room (Tile by tile) to after an hour finding out the mechanism to open the door or something like that?!?'. Other puzzmes were just too hard for me and I either took a walkthrough for them if I enjoyed the game (BaK's chests were the only thing I took a walkthrough for since I had no idea how to open the chests, couldn't find the secret words, but since I was enjoying the rest of the game, I didn't mind) or I just stopped the game altogether if I wasn't enjoying the game.

Originally Posted by Pladio
I'm the same as Mike (above), I'm too young to really have enjoyed that age of gaming.

I'm certainly not too young, and had a Apple ][+ in high school and college at the time, but didn't game ovrely much, and was more into Castle Wolfenstein and some others at the time.

@pladio:
Might & Magic 3, 4, 5 … all feature nice world maps and in-game automaps.
I'm not too keen on drawing maps myself, either. But I disagree with pretty much
everything else you just said.

I'm young. I was not playing games in the 80's and I did not understand roleplaying games in the early 90's when I started playing. To me the the non-freescrolling movement and pseudo 3D graphics of these older games were - at first - something I had to get used to.
But after I did I can say that in some way I actually prefer that now to the modern scrolling full 3d gameplay. It's easier, it's simpler and you never have to wonder "Did I miss anything? Should I increase my gamma because I missed that chest in the corner? Am I supposed to see that goblin there? Is my resolution sufficient? Should I use higher texture detail settings? Is my framerate too low? Should i buy a new graphics card or update the drivers? etc… etc… etc…"

Also - I don't have to be whipping my mouse all around bashing the left mouse button to play the game.

Instead - if a step on a tile, I see/get/experience everything I'm supposed to.
I can sit in my chair leaning back peacefully with the keyboard in my lap (yes, even in combat!).

It's just so much better. It so much more fun. And it feels so right.

Originally Posted by txa1265
I'm certainly not too young, and had a Apple ][+ in high school and college at the time, but didn't game ovrely much, and was more into Castle Wolfenstein and some others at the time.

Oops, sorry Mike. Wasn't the way I meant it to be. I meant what you said, not your age

@Zakhary :

I don't remember which M&M I played, but I don't remember it having a map.

I never really had those problems you're talking about. For multiple reasons actually. I mostly return to where I was so I find things I've missed. I've never had to change my gamma or any other options to find something neither.

I don't like bashing my button either and that's why I'm not enjoying GIII so much or enjoyed Morrowind, …

I did however like the FOs, GI & II (keyboard controlled, completely, so you can enjoy the game sitting back with your keyboard in your hand, GI even has some puzzles, good story and gameplay. GII too, but less.).

Actually it's only in the FO games that I missed stuff since some things are hidden behind buildings…

Do you mind telling me where you don't agree a bit more specifically, I'd like to understand and if I may respond to it.

I do not mean to attack you or to belittle you or your opinions. I was just stating that I disagree with you, so don't worry. I love the fallout games too btw!

EDIT: And of course I intensified some of my remarks about those modern games - just to make my point clearer. And we've all had major or minor tech problems especially where modern 3D graphics are concerned, so.. I don't believe you there

Alright, I misunderstood you then. Sorry.

My "gaming career" began slowly in the mid-90s - or rather in the later 90s.

I didn't play many RPGs then, so I wonder whether I should really participate in that poll …

If you have played some of the games on that list and really like them, and would like them to have your vote, go vote!

I think the only M&M to not have an automap was M&MI. II did, at least the DOS version did.

I was born too late for the '80's era of gaming. I caught the tail end really. I'm a '90's guy, playing the early '90's stuff more than anything. The only reason I played alot of the older classics is because we had an 80386 until 1998. Then we finally "upgraded" (more like downgraded, IMO) to Win98. Then my brother blew up the 386 and we had to make things work in Win98, which wasn't always easy.

Now, I'm on Linux, and pretty much anything I can play is through DOSBox or the native stuff. All I'm missing is a WWII FPS, but that's another forum.

Linux & Dosbox huh? Well.. that's not a bad idea, really. Once i REALLY go tired of all this windows crap.. thats something i might concider.

I'm editing my choices. Nethack is going to get replaced by Ravenloft - Strahd's Possession. Great game. Great fun.

I have a feeling you`ll edit your post many times.

Not only do I have a feeling that I will edit it many times…
I _KNOW_ I will edit it many times as these games
are not _KNOWN_ to me yet.

Sorry.. couldn't help it.. I played PST quite recently.

Guess I should start thinking about compiling the results soon?
Those of you who have not voted - please do so now!

The Voting itself is going on in this thread:
http://www.rpgwatch.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2298

I would say the most underrated in Anvil of Dawn. I don't know if Black Crypt ever made it to the PC platform, but those are my favorites. Oh what the heck, I guess I should mention Betrayal at Krondor, lol.

Three levels (I think) of Black Crypt were ported to the PC, that was all.