Heck, I even noticed it when I was playing Might & Magic: Mandate of Heaven and Ultima Underworld; there have been so many improvements in graphic technology that it's hard to see past the limitations. While this is acceptable in a classic action game, it is harder to get into a RPG. Adventure games also benefit because there is always the story, puzzle, and character factors, but there's no denying that good graphics have always been part of CRPGs.
I agree with that in regards to 3D games, but I find I actually have a preference for old-style 2D sprite graphics. It's something akin to a sweet spot for me. Today's attempts at 2D sprite graphics are often rather garish for my tastes - I seem to prefer simpler, less detailed pixels. I think an RPG CAN get by with minimal graphics, at least for me, if they're done in 2D. Rough 3D is hard to take no matter what the game is...
Matt Barton wrote:
Honestly, if I were determined to sit down and play through a classic CRPG I'd opt for something like Wasteland or Autoduel, or possibly the interesting Ultima games that used the Ultima engine but for a different purpose (I believe those are called Ultima Adventures). One I saw was based on an Amazon theme and looked very intriguing.
I have and beat Autoduel for the C-64 (I've since picked up the Atari ST version as well, though I think the Amiga version was the best). It looked, sounded and played exactly like the Apple II version. With that in mind, I think you'd be very frustrated with it, as I was even then, though I did come to love it. It relies a great deal on arcade sequences, particularly for the intrinsic vehicular combat in arenas. It's a blast, but the cars control in a very slippery and imprecise manner. I plan on revisiting either the ST or Amiga version (again, the former is supposed to be poor) to see if that was fixed for those technically superior systems (the C-64 version could have been much better if it wasn't Apple II shovelware), but I bet it's still not as a good as even a mediocre action game. My point is, while I love and highly recommend the game, it's one you definitely need patience for (and it's helpful to have the original fold-out map).
Matt Barton wrote:
I should make a list of CRPGs that have stood the test of time and still play well today. I know for sure that this would be a much different list than what I consider the most important or influential CRPGs. Just a quick stab at it--
Sword of Fargoal. Easy to pick up and play--highly recommended.
Bloodstone: An Epic Dwarven Tale. I played a little of this game and really enjoyed it; it's supposed to be a prequel to the Magic Candle series.
Rogue. There are many versions of this out there, but I'd probably go for Nethack. I still fire this up and play occasionally.
Dungeon Master. Another old game that plays surprisingly well today.
The Dark Heart of Uukrul. Similar to the Gold Box games, but with a smoother interface and lower learning curve.
That would be a good list, particularly with a good list of reasons why, but it's an intensely personal thing nevertheless. I think most old games would be intolerable for most modern gamers regardless.
I really would like to try Dark Heart. I have a nice boxed copy and I've heard very, very good things about it, and it's certainly of the "underrated" variety. To your point, in playing Wizard's Crown recently, I was struck by how sluggish everything was in loading (particularly on a Commodore). That's the kind of stuff you kind of nostalgically gloss over and something we have very little tolerance for today, when 20 second initial loading screens are blasted for being way too slow...
Wii: 1345 2773 2048 1586 | PS3: ArmchairArcade Bill Loguidice, Managing Director | Armchair Arcade, Inc.
*************************** Bill Loguidice, Managing Director
Armchair Arcade, Inc.
Heck, I even noticed it when I was playing Might & Magic: Mandate of Heaven and Ultima Underworld; there have been so many improvements in graphic technology that it's hard to see past the limitations. While this is acceptable in a classic action game, it is harder to get into a RPG. Adventure games also benefit because there is always the story, puzzle, and character factors, but there's no denying that good graphics have always been part of CRPGs.
I agree with that in regards to 3D games, but I find I actually have a preference for old-style 2D sprite graphics. It's something akin to a sweet spot for me. Today's attempts at 2D sprite graphics are often rather garish for my tastes - I seem to prefer simpler, less detailed pixels. I think an RPG CAN get by with minimal graphics, at least for me, if they're done in 2D. Rough 3D is hard to take no matter what the game is...
Honestly, if I were determined to sit down and play through a classic CRPG I'd opt for something like Wasteland or Autoduel, or possibly the interesting Ultima games that used the Ultima engine but for a different purpose (I believe those are called Ultima Adventures). One I saw was based on an Amazon theme and looked very intriguing.
I have and beat Autoduel for the C-64 (I've since picked up the Atari ST version as well, though I think the Amiga version was the best). It looked, sounded and played exactly like the Apple II version. With that in mind, I think you'd be very frustrated with it, as I was even then, though I did come to love it. It relies a great deal on arcade sequences, particularly for the intrinsic vehicular combat in arenas. It's a blast, but the cars control in a very slippery and imprecise manner. I plan on revisiting either the ST or Amiga version (again, the former is supposed to be poor) to see if that was fixed for those technically superior systems (the C-64 version could have been much better if it wasn't Apple II shovelware), but I bet it's still not as a good as even a mediocre action game. My point is, while I love and highly recommend the game, it's one you definitely need patience for (and it's helpful to have the original fold-out map).
I should make a list of CRPGs that have stood the test of time and still play well today. I know for sure that this would be a much different list than what I consider the most important or influential CRPGs. Just a quick stab at it--
That would be a good list, particularly with a good list of reasons why, but it's an intensely personal thing nevertheless. I think most old games would be intolerable for most modern gamers regardless.
I really would like to try Dark Heart. I have a nice boxed copy and I've heard very, very good things about it, and it's certainly of the "underrated" variety. To your point, in playing Wizard's Crown recently, I was struck by how sluggish everything was in loading (particularly on a Commodore). That's the kind of stuff you kind of nostalgically gloss over and something we have very little tolerance for today, when 20 second initial loading screens are blasted for being way too slow...
Wii: 1345 2773 2048 1586 | PS3: ArmchairArcade
Bill Loguidice, Managing Director | Armchair Arcade, Inc.
***************************
Bill Loguidice, Managing Director
Armchair Arcade, Inc.