Unique non-hackn'slash isometric RPGs?

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MJ12

The Freeman
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I've kind of wanted to get into a good RPG in isometic view that is not pure hack n slash like Diablo.

Obviously not opposed to old games. I was thinking maybe Planescape: Torment or Arcanum?
(Also I know Fallout is an obvious answer but I don't want to play that at the moment)

Basically looking for 1. Good Story 2. Interesting Combat/Gameplay
 
don't waste time on fallout and Arcanum.

go for planescape or even baldur's gate(avoid throne of baal though) if you want newer stuff try dragon age: origins.
 
Isn't Bastion meant to be good? Dunno if it fits your bill though!
 
Bastion is basically hack and slash from what I have played.
 
There are several TBT isometric RPGs on the DS.
 
Looked at Baulder's Gate, Icewind, and Temple of Elemental Evil, but they all seem kind of Dragon Age-ish.
 
ZT said:
Looked at Baulder's Gate, Icewind, and Temple of Elemental Evil, but they all seem kind of Dragon Age-ish.
Click to expand...

I can vouch for the Baldur's gate series, I think I can blame a lot of bad school grades on those games lol, but yeah they're similar in gameplay to Dragon age.
 
Ahh, just reread the first post. It's late and I missed the not before Diablo. Sorry!
 
You need to play Planescape: Torment at some point so go for it. It's such a unique game and it's the best CRPG I've played (good luck finding a game with a better story). Takes a while to get into it though and if you don't build your character right you can miss out on a lot of important stuff but if you stick with it I promise it'll be very rewarding in the end.
 
PriNcE oF SpAcE said:
I can vouch for the Baldur's gate series, I think I can blame a lot of bad school grades on those games lol, but yeah they're similar in gameplay to Dragon age.
Click to expand...

How similar is Icewind Dale to Baulder's? I don't mind fantasy, but I'd really like something that isn't as generic as Dragon Age in terms of story/atmosphere.
 
Combat is fairly prominent in both Baldur's Gate and Icewind Dale, especially ID. And yes, they are both similar to Dragon Age in some ways, although DA is much easier generally.

Arcanum is valid, yes, but most importantly you should play Planescape: Torment. It's extremely story driven and you can avoid most of the combat through stealth or dialogue. The world is extremely unique and the story is wonderful. It seems to be what you are looking for.

It's worth mentioning that while PST's story is very notable, the combat is not. It's pretty bad. Luckily you really can skip most of it (if you choose the right dialogue options and such). I think there's only 3 or 4 mandatory battles throughout the whole game, and it's a pretty big game.
 
If you like turn based tactical RPG's, check out Jagged Alliance 2. Very underrated imo. It still has an active modding community too.
 
TwwIX said:
If you like turn based tactical RPG's, check out Jagged Alliance 2. Very underrated imo. It still has an active modding community too.
Click to expand...

I was just about to reccomend JA2 when I saw this.

Highly reccomeneded. Play the standard game first, then, if you enjoy it, Dedrianna Lives and Urban Chaos. Additionally, some people enjoy the fan made patch 1.13, not a fan my self, but may be worth checking out. Also, the expansion pack, Unfinished Business, is a good lark and has some great mods, most noteable, IMO being Vietnam: SOG '69
 
If you're looking for story or immersion and you want isometric, it's just a complete no-brainer to check out the old Infinity Engine games like Planescape and the Baldur's Gate series. The problem is that the combat in them is a little stink, although BG's combat is better and more tactical than PS:T. On the other hand PS:T's story is more focused and compelling than BG, which relies more on worldbuilding and immersion through beautifully drawn maps and great ambient sound (not that those are lacking in PS:T). Not having played DA, I can't say if BG is very similar, but if you're worried that it's too corny, it isn't, or at least it has enough charm to balance the corn. Also most of the exploration is optional and occurs across lubbly forest and countryside. BG2 was more linear and story/character driven a la PS:T, Icewind Dale was less story and more combat. I'm not sure what Prince of Space has against Throne of Bhaal? I thought it was excellent for what it was and it got a fair few 'Best RPG'/'Editor's Choice' type stickers at the time.

If you are going to play any of those Infinity Engine games, do have a look around for widescreen mods to make them playable on nowadays resolutions.

I know you don't want to play them atm, but of all isometric RPGs of that ilk the Fallout games had the best combat. Turn based is for dweebs, yada yada, whatever - I don't care, choosing what part of your enemy to hit with a sledgehammer and watching them hobble away because of broken limbs/no eyes/burst gonads just doesn't age.

My pick of that lot would be Planescape, though, due to the writing.
 
Don't be put off BG/BG2 etc. by Dragon Age, there are similarities but they outshine their successor in every respect besides graphics. Baldur's Gate is imo the best crpg series ever produced.
 
Alright, so how should I invest my points in PS:T?
 
Wisdom is the most important stat by far (gives you more experience, lets you recall memories, opens up dialogue choices). I'd try to get it over 20 asap. After that probably intelligence then charisma for even more dialogue choices and stuff. You don't really need the other stats and because of this stat allocation I'd train as a mage whenever it is possible (there are some really cool spells aswell).
 
Still in the first level. It says Intelligence opens up dialogue options, not Wisdom.

I have-
INT 15
WIS 12
DEX 15
CHR 15

Do you think I need to start over?
 
ZT said:
Still in the first level. It says Intelligence opens up dialogue options, not Wisdom.

I have-
INT 15
WIS 12
DEX 15
CHR 15

Do you think I need to start over?
Click to expand...

The higher your wisdom, the more experience points you will gain throughout the game. And it does open up some dialogue options.

Intelligence is secondary but yes, it also opens up dialogue options. I'd prioritize wisdom and intelligence.
 
ZT said:
Still in the first level. It says Intelligence opens up dialogue options, not Wisdom.

I have-
INT 15
WIS 12
DEX 15
CHR 15

Do you think I need to start over?
Click to expand...

All I can say is that Wisdom is the #1 stat. I put max amount possible in it during the character creation screen. Not sure how much that "low" of a wisdom stat will have an effect.
 
What about the Commandos series too? Those were loads of fun and had very fun combat and gameplay. No, it is not your traditional CRPG or even SRPG but it is still an RPG to some extent with an isometric viewpoint and a different milieu than we are all used to.

Other than that, the Black Isle games are the best games ever made along with LucasArts' classic adventures imho.
 
ZT said:
Still in the first level. It says Intelligence opens up dialogue options, not Wisdom.

I have-
INT 15
WIS 12
DEX 15
CHR 15

Do you think I need to start over?
Click to expand...
TBH you will miss some exp rewards and possibly some memories if your WIS stays that low, but you if you don't want to re-roll then you can probably bump it up before the WIS checks of 13, 16 and higher start coming in. Just stick your next stat bonuses from levelling into WIS and buy a +2 WIS tattoo when you can (although this might be a bit pricey early on). There are also characters scattered throughout the game who give you permanent attribute increases and you can get a decent amount of WIS from that. Alternatively, re-roll and knock some points off DEX.

Also, just as a side note, make sure you switch class to mage when you can since there's lots of story & interaction wrapped up in it. It's easy to switch back and forth between classes so you needn't spend long as a mage if it doesn't appeal.
 
I restarted after I installed some graphical mods and patches, and got my WIS to 18.

Is it possible to have a bad relationship with one of your companions? I was joking around with Morte but I said something and he seemed genuinely pissed.
 
ZT said:
I restarted after I installed some graphical mods and patches, and got my WIS to 18.

Is it possible to have a bad relationship with one of your companions? I was joking around with Morte but I said something and he seemed genuinely pissed.
Click to expand...

Remember that what you say and do will affect your alignment without letting you know. For example, joking around with Morte will probably make you more chaotic etc.
 
Kisze said:
Remember that what you say and do will affect your alignment without letting you know. For example, joking around with Morte will probably make you more chaotic etc.
Click to expand...
Yep. Alignment is dictated a lot by speech and it affects how certain people react to you. There are also a couple of small goodies if you keep your alignment Lawful Good but I never bothered since there are faaar too many tempting (and often worthwhile) 'chaotic' choices in the game. On top of that you can permanently sour your relationships with some companions based on what you say, and the results can be either quite hard to notice or immediate and explosive, but I don't think Morte is among those companions who you can permanently piss off.. [EDIT correction: I went and refreshed my memory on this and it turns out the 'hard to notice' changes were never fully implemented so you don't need to worry about them, although there is a mod which sort of brings them back. You can still provoke some companions into beating you up in the vanilla game, however.]

I would say don't get too bogged down in worrying what kind of choices will net you this or that outcome. On my first play through I had insufficient Int/Wis for much of the game, never switched from being a Fighter, and without saying too much I didn't get the best out of the endgame, but it all just made for a kind of different flavour of play-through. That's not to say you'll need to play it multiple times, since you will experience the bulk of the game's content as long as you have strong Int/Wis, save your game a fair bit, talk to everyone and don't click the dialogue choices at random.
 
Heh, too bad Planescape: Pariah never came to pass.
 
I should really play Planescape Tourment at some point. I'm pretty up to date in terms of historically relevant games in other genres, but not RPGs.
 
Also bought Arcanum, I just loved the style and concept too much to pass up. I'll have to install a mod to make it more balanced though, because I really want to play as a techie rather than a magic user.
 
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