I am not enjoying Planescape:Torment :(

I couldn't get into Torment either, Elel, and I played it when it came out. The problem for me was that I was an avid fantasy reader and the writing is barely average in comparison. It might have seemed special to someone who doesn't read much fantasy. Since the rest of the game: combat, loot, exploration, etc, all feeds off the story, it just didn't interest me that much. I played for quite a while; I think I was seeking a witch in the forest, but never finished.

You are not the only one, Elel! I didn't enjoy PS:T either. Probably my least favourite IE game. I actually enjoyed reading the whole story in PDF version better than actually playing the game. For the record, I finished the game first before reading PDF novel.

For me, there was way too much dialogue and often got caught up in dialogue loop. The end result? I hardly made any progress and felt dead tired after each conversation. I also had problem of being in TNO's shoes. I just couldn't see the world in his point of view. The world itself was fascinating, intriguing and even scary but I just didn't like the character I am playing.

Whatever reason it might be, you shouldn't feel like you are doing something wrong or you are odd one out for not liking PS:T. Just give it a solid go and when you think you've had enough, just let go!

P.S. Ursusdraconis, you love this game so much! It's kind of funny reading your posts So keen! it's like me with BG2

Seems the only person who enjoyed PST here is me.
Until last year, PST was my #1 game of all times. Nothing could dethrone it.

A hint for a new player: do not forget getting your special power back in Mortuary.
Another hint: in PST hammers are mage/thief's best friend.
Hint for later: anarchists can teach you the spell.

If you end up not being able to stand PS:T…

Maybe consider Icewind Dale (vanilla or EE)? I didn't get very far in PS:T but I enjoyed IWD way more. Maybe it was the scenery, but I enjoyed the writing, too. It didn't try too hard, and I think that's why it succeeded for me.

(that's if you haven't already played IWD)

You don't have to love it. It's enough that you've tried. However, the companions don't talk much about themselves if you don't ask them. So talk to them. Some may teach your character something useful.

Not some. All of them can. If you meet their expectations.

Another hint: temporary boosts do not work in every chatty, in most however do.

Originally Posted by crpgnut
I couldn't get into Torment either, Elel, and I played it when it came out. The problem for me was that I was an avid fantasy reader and the writing is barely average in comparison. It might have seemed special to someone who doesn't read much fantasy.

I feel like this is my main issue, too. There's so much text in the game that it's impossible to ignore how mediocre it is. It's much easier in games with less text, I usually can completely ignore its quality.

Besides, everybody was praising PS:T's writing, so it was a big shock for me to see the actual uninspired writing. And then I started thinking that something was wrong with me for thinking that it's very subpar.

Originally Posted by purpleblob
I also had problem of being in TNO's shoes. I just couldn't see the world in his point of view.

And this is my second biggest issue. The protagonist is pretty much a blank, and going by his picture I can't identify with him. He looks like a wild beast without a brain. What does he care for? What does he want? I have no idea what feelings such a creature would harbor.

Originally Posted by joxer
Another hint: in PST hammers are mage/thief's best friend.

And apparently prybars, as well…

This game made me chuckle quite a few times I have to admit. Only in this game my protagonist had to sneak back into a mortuary in order to steal… yeah I'm not kidding… some junk he previously left behind. You know, for the portal. Sneaking into a mortuary to steal junk is quite something to do in a video game.

I didn't have any issues with the writing or the amount of text. It was the gameplay that I had an issue with. I didn't play PS:T until after I had finished all of the Baldur's Gate and Icewind Dale titles. Compared to those games, I found the combat in PS:T very mundane. It just didn't seem to have the same variety as the other IE games.

I thought the writing was fantastic by video game standards, but that alone wasn't enough for me to put it among my favorites.

I remember not wanting to buy it in the store because of people seeing the front cover. Glad I didn't because I am one of the fanboys and have been since it was released. Having said that few friends I've had that also like RPGs liked it so you are not alone.

I think what made it so special was the setting was incredibly novel and still is. I recall watching the movie memento in an art house within a few months after and they both fed my intellectual curiosity on memory. The brothel is still a favorite as is FFG and all of the companions really. There are lots of D&D in-jokes like the Vecna's head comment that you would only get it if you knew the background.

The writing is/was considered so elevated because you have to remember that this was 1999 and Baldur's Gate 2 wasn't released yet and only just got Fallout 2 and BG in the previous 1 year or so. Few games had much story and a lot of it was the classic chosen one, rags-to-world savoir story. This is arguably not that or is at least an interesting take on it if it is. As others have said video games do not compare well to novels but I still believe this is about as intellectual as one typically gets in a game.

I'd still recommend finishing it and cheating if you need to speed it up but nobody will judge you if you stop. Heck I tried to replay it and had difficulty but some of that was I remember too much of it too vividly and too fondly 16 years later and dont want to ruin my rose tinted glasses.

Originally Posted by joxer
Seems the only person who enjoyed PST here is me.
Until last year, PST was my #1 game of all times. Nothing could dethrone it.

Not at all, I loved it at release -- it really was great for its day. But it was years before I attempted a replay, and when I did it was a shock how much of the shine had worn off.

I'm curious -- what's the game that finally replaced PST as your personal #1 last year?

As I said earlier in this thread, I like it and still enjoyed it recently. I will probably play it again next year or so.

Yep. I tried to play it a few times, years apart. So over-rated.

Originally Posted by Hexprone
I'm curious -- what's the game that finally replaced PST as your personal #1 last year?

The Witcher 3.
Release version, of course. I didn't buy season pass.

Originally Posted by JDR13
I found the combat in PS:T very mundane.

PST is a game where combat is the least important thing. Things are reversed in PST, in PST combat is just an irrelevant filler. Perhaps it'd be better to describe PST combat as being a sidecontent.
I'm pretty sure anyone who adores games that have nothing except combat (DarkSouls and clones) will hate PST with passion.

I adore PS:T and consider it to be one of my all time favourite RPGs. But I can understand that it may not be everyone's cup of tea. No point in trying to force oneself to like it.

If something receives critical acclaim and is considered a masterpiece according to consensus, that doesn't automatically imply that every individual ought to like it.

Baldur's Gate (particularly the 2nd one) is also one of those games that is universally hailed as one of the greatest RPGs ever and while I enjoyed them, I have never been too impressed by them. In fact, in my subjective perception I felt they lay in the shadow of PS:T and Fallout, which were to me far superior playing experiences.

I didn't expect so many people on an RPG forum to tell me that PS:T is overrated and that it's ok not to like it. That's a big relief.

So I've finally decided to let go of PS:T! I picked it up because it was hailed as a masterpiece, so I thought it'd be ideal to distract me from thoughts about my problems, apparently this was a tall order for this game. To be fair, that's a tall order for any game. I'll try others from my wishlist for that purpose, hopefully one of them will be good enough for that!

And I think I'll go back to PS:T in a month or two. I might like it better when I'm back in good mood.

I'd say this first and foremost: No matter what anyone else says or thinks, if the game isn't fun for YOU, find one that is. Thankfully in this day and age it shouldn't be too hard, just because many hail it as a good game doesn't mean every single person/player will agree.

I played Planescape all the way through a few years to knock it off my bucket list, but like you it didn't really grab hold of me. Some moments were compelling, but I think I may have rushed through too many of the parts that people fell in love with. Maybe I have just become too accustomed to modern game design.

I would also like to add that I was mind-numbingly bored with the first Witcher game too (at least up until the very end sequence). Yet Fallout 1 & 2 are my favorite games and I still enjoy playing them occasionally.

PST, along with Arcanum, could really use an enhanced version at this point. Neither game has aged anywhere near as well as Baldur's Gate and similar. There's just something inherently clunky and sluggish in them.

Personally, I never understood why PS:T had to be the way it was :
That morbide mood, lots of craziness up to sheer insanity, a cruel and dark world (although not as dark as others) …

But so much text in it ! So much lore ! So many crazily good ideas ! So much … just wow !

To me, this makes the impression as if good games have to be - per definition - as dark, as cruel, as morbide as possible - and that lighthearted games are - per definition - childish and plainly dumb.

It's as if someone said : "If you want to hear REAL music, then you must listen to Heavy Metal !"
Totally neglecting ALL other forms of music, because they are - per definition - just too dumb. And too childish.
It's as if Mike Oldfield's interpretation of "Wonderful Land" just was not music. Because it sounds rather beautiful. And everything that is beautiful is - per definition - just plainly dumb and childish.

I call this the "heavymetalization of everything art" age.