Open ended RPGs? - Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community

Zeraph · 01-29-2008, 10:10 AM

I love the open ended style of gaming. I'm fairly knowledgeable for PC games of this category but I just recently got a PS2 (for karaoke) and am wondering if anyone knows any games of this type for PS2? (PC too if you think I might not know it)

Essentially I'm looking for a single player MMORPG that never ends, never has a final quest. The elder scroll series is pretty close to it, but I want something even more open ended if possible (they all have a main storyline quest). Graphics don't really matter...so long as it's 3D. I also prefer the hovering 3rd person perspective (as opposed to the overhead RTS style).

MMORPGs are essentially perfect for the style I'm looking for with their huge worlds and open endedness, except for the fact that theyre online, not single player, and leveling is usually too slow.

So far Champions of Norrath (for ps2) looks promising. I plan on trying that as I used to play EQ and the nostalgia factor will be nice.

ObieX · 01-29-2008, 10:35 AM

Yea, from what i hear Champions of Norrath still has a pretty strong community so you should pick it up. Maybe get it used at gamestop or someplace similar so you can return it if you don't like it.

Plan9 · 01-29-2008, 11:37 AM

The model 7 is the world's most popular open-ended RPG.

Zeraph · 01-29-2008, 02:38 PM

Ziiiiiiiinnnnngggggggg!!!

Prophecy · 01-29-2008, 03:45 PM

Sadly, I can't think of any truly open ending RPGs on the PS2. I can think of some that have variety and branching paths, but nothing truly non-linear.

However, if you're looking for action-adventure RPGs/Dungeon Crawler games like Champions of Norrath then there are several other titles in the genre you might like:

Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance
Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance II
Breath of Fire V: Dragon Quarter
The Bard's Tale
Champions: Return to Arms

All but the Breathe of Fire game play similar to Champions, BoV is a more strategy based battle system.

LoganSnake · 01-29-2008, 04:56 PM

There's always Final Fantasy XI. It's a MMORPG. An expansion pack came out recently and another one before it. I believe it still has a sizable community. As of May 16, 2007 the user base was over 500,000.

Zeraph · 01-29-2008, 05:48 PM

Just as an aside, am I the only one desiring a truly open single player RPG? I dont get why they dont make more. If anything they seem simpler to make, since you dont have to worry about quality story line so much or balancing missions/quests.

Prophecy · 01-29-2008, 05:48 PM

Since the OP requested a strong single player experience I'd say stay away from FFXI. After level 10 it's pretty much impossible to anything without a party.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zeraph

Just as an aside, am I the only one desiring a truly open single player RPG? I dont get why they dont make more. If anything they seem simpler to make, since you dont have to worry about quality story line so much or balancing missions/quests.

I don't think you're alone in your search. I think it's just that the format you want these games on doesn't lend itself well to the genre or at least that's what the devs and publishers believe. For open ended content PC gaming has always been home. I don't see that changing anytime soon.

Plan9 · 01-29-2008, 06:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zeraph

Just as an aside, am I the only one desiring a truly open single player RPG? I dont get why they dont make more. If anything they seem simpler to make, since you dont have to worry about quality story line so much or balancing missions/quests.

Morrowind is an excellent open-ended single-player RPG. I dumped hours of my life into that game while in the army.

ObieX · 01-29-2008, 06:48 PM

If you can't find anything you like you can always make your own RPG with those RPG makers

LoganSnake · 01-29-2008, 07:52 PM

You will not find what you are looking for on a console unless you look into MMORPGs, where you will have to join parties. Hell, what you are looking for might not even exist on a PC. Games like that don't sell as well as FPS, action and sports games so there is less demand for them, which results in less games of that genre being available. If you want a single player game that's enormous in its scope and don't mind very (very, very) dated graphics, I suggest you get The Elder Scrolls II: Daggerfall for PC.

Quote:

Daggerfall is the largest Elder Scrolls game to date, featuring a game world estimated as being 161,600 square Kilometres (63,125 square miles) with over 15,000 towns, cities, villages, and dungeons for the player's character to explore. According to Todd Howard, Elder Scrolls programmer, the game's sequel, The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind is 0.01% the size of Daggerfall, but it should be noted most of Daggerfall's terrain was randomly generated. Vvardenfell, the explorable part of the province of Morrowind in the third game has 6 square miles. The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion has approximately 16 square miles to explore. In Daggerfall, there are 750,000+ non-player characters (NPCs) for the player to interact with, compared to the count of around 1000 NPCs found in Morrowind and Oblivion. It should be pointed out that the geography and the characters in these later games are much more detailed.

Plan9 · 01-29-2008, 08:03 PM

Morrowind (ES:III) is better than Daggerfall (ES:II) in the graphics/sound and gameplay department, and while not nearly as large, it is extremely customizable. I have yet to find everything in that damn game.

LoganSnake · 01-29-2008, 08:16 PM

I never got into Morrowind and found it boring. Oblivion, however, I ate up and invested around 80 hours into it, completing only around 65% of the whole game not counting the two expansions.

EDIT: just remembered about the Fallout series. Give it a try. They do have a main story and they do end, but the gameplay is quite open ended giving you many choices on what to do and how to do it.

Zeraph · 01-30-2008, 11:12 AM

I've played Morrowind and Oblivion. Good games. Though I never liked their magic system.

Never played Daggerfall though. Do you know how their combat system is? Unless it's outstanding I don't think the size will make up for the graphics. I hardly need top end graphics but Daggerfall's is just bad.

Ya I keep meaning to play Fallout, just never seem to get around to it.

LoganSnake · 01-30-2008, 11:44 AM

Gameplay:

Quote:

The key feature of Daggerfall as in all The Elder Scrolls games is the freedom the game offers to players. Players are free to play the game in any style, from an honorable knight to an evil assassin. Players are also free to stray from the main quest at anytime and can choose not to do it at all.

Daggerfall features a spell creation system where, through the Mages' Guild, players can mix a variety of different effects, such as fire damage and levitation, into custom spells. The game will then automatically generate the mana cost of the spell based on the power of the effects chosen. Daggerfall shipped with several spell effects that did not function correctly, or simply did not function at all, namely the transformations.

Other features include an equipment enchantment system (similar in concept to the spell creation system), the ability to buy houses and ships, vast amounts of clothing and equipment, dynamic political relationships between kingdoms, the ability to become a vampire, werewolf, or wereboar, and the combat system, which utilized mouse movement to determine the direction and effect of weapon swings in melee combat.

The political system is supported by a net of Guilds, orders, and religions, all with unique tasks and quests. Joining and contributing to these facilities allows the player to raise ranks and achieve higher reputation in the game world. According to one's reputation, NPCs in Daggerfall will react differently (for example, over time nobles will be more well-mannered with the Player character if he's a high-rank Knight or Royal Guard).

Daggerfall has some cartoonish nudity, both on NPCs (particularly witches and temple priestesses) and on character's portrait when you removed all of your equipment. Options to turn off both nudity and blood are available.

I've never played it, personally, but I have heard people say that it is better than Morrowind and much better than Oblivion in the gameplay department. However, both those people are into old school games and into pen and paper RPGs so make of that what you will.

Here's a gameplay video through one of the quests for the Dark Brotherhood:

Plan9 · 01-30-2008, 12:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zeraph

Ya I keep meaning to play Fallout, just never seem to get around to it.

Fallout I and II are highly recommended.

They're not open-ended by any means, but they're huge and REALLY fun.

CyCo PL · 01-30-2008, 04:59 PM

For PS2, you should check out Final Fantasy XII. It's basically a Final Fantasy game based off of the Final Fantasy XI "engine" (which was an MMO).

You're going to be hard pressed to find a console game that isn't somewhat linear, but FFXII allows a lot of sidequests and monster hunts that are a good alternative to following the main story.

speedingavenger · 08-07-2008, 10:03 AM

Loved DaggerFall back in the day. That is the first Elder Scrolls I ever remember playing. I liked morrowind also. But I hear you completely. Why not make more open-ended games? Lmao I was just thinking that today after playing Oblivion. What really pisses me off about most games is the lack of control the owner of the game has. One new game I like is Sins of a solar empire. Most strategy games require you to do missions or basically lead you along a storyline where they designate places for you to go. What I like about Sins is you point and click, the tempo of the game could be faster at times and it would be cool to actually visit the surface of the planet but the point is I have control and several options on how I want to proceed. I send my units to whereever, I can take part in the battle if I want or just do other things while the battle takes place. Love that game, played it for like 3 weeks straight after I bought it.

ironpham · 08-07-2008, 12:31 PM

Grand. Theft. Auto.

LoganSnake · 08-07-2008, 12:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ironpham

Grand. Theft. Auto.

Not. Quite.

BulletCatcher · 08-07-2008, 07:51 PM

You could try the Gothic rpgs for the PC. They are about as open ended as the Elder Scrolls games meaning they have a main storyline but you are free to pretty much ignore it if you wish and still find plenty of things to keep you occupied for quite a long time. They are also a bit more 'adult' than the Elder Scrolls series.

Another one to check out would be S.T.A.L.K.E.R. . Though more of an FPS than straight up RPG it offers a rich story and you are free to go almost anywhere anytime you want though there are some areas of the Zone that will eat you alive if you are not properly prepped to be there.

Dragonlich · 08-08-2008, 02:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LoganSnake

Gameplay:

I've never played it, personally, but I have heard people say that it is better than Morrowind and much better than Oblivion in the gameplay department. However, both those people are into old school games and into pen and paper RPGs so make of that what you will.

I've played Daggerfall, Morrowind and Oblivion; I only didn't play the first elder scrolls game. And I like pen-and-paper RPG's too.

Daggerfall is indeed huge. I've spend months playing the game with one character, and even after all that time, there were still places I hadn't seen. The biggest drawback of the game was that a lot of towns and dungeons were pretty much identical. The graphics were pretty good for the time.

Morrowind is smaller, but looks much better. The game play is quite similar to Daggerfall, but there are not as many side quests (obviously). The identical dungeons problem of Daggerfall was pretty much gone here.

Oblivion is simply beautiful, especially with some of the graphic mods out there. The game is bigger than Morrowind, and has more side quests. The main quest is more obvious here; it "pops up" all over the place. However, you have plenty of time to wander around and do your thing.

One problem that all these games have, is the fact that after a while, they're simply not challenging enough. Eventually you can sneak your way through the most dangerous dungeons, slaying everything with a single blow. Or you can simply run around doing the same; the monsters can’t get through your armor anyway. Or you can cast a few spells that obliterate everything in range (especially in the earlier games), and then pick up the loot.

ironpham · 08-08-2008, 06:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LoganSnake

Not. Quite.

What are you talking about? GTA is as open ended as it gets in terms of single player. It might not be that RPG elemented, but if you get San Andreas, you have stats to level up. It comes pretty close, but in general if you're looking for open ended outside of an MMO, you can't beat GTA.

LoganSnake · 08-08-2008, 07:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ironpham

What are you talking about? GTA is as open ended as it gets in terms of single player. It might not be that RPG elemented, but if you get San Andreas, you have stats to level up. It comes pretty close, but in general if you're looking for open ended outside of an MMO, you can't beat GTA.

Once you complete the missions in GTA, there's not much to do aside from beating personal records (jump distance, rolls, wheelies, etc), and drive around.

Most RPGs mentioned here let you do just that.

japhyryder · 08-28-2008, 05:35 AM

Mount and Blade. It is published by paradox. Kotaku has a some info on it and it is in final beta right now. Huge world set in midevil europe. check it out Paradox Interactive - HOME

It is a very quest based game but it doesn't throw you right in the middle of the end of the world

CyCo PL · 08-28-2008, 11:28 AM

Mount & Blade is good stuff, if you can get around the low production values (it's developed by a husband and wife team). It kind of reminds me of Sid Meier's Pirates!, except taking place on land and having massive army-based combat rather than naval combat. The combat is extremely fun, it's completely action based and unlike anything I've played before.

01-29-2008, 10:10 AM	#1 (permalink)
Zeraph Banned Location: The Cosmos	Open ended RPGs? I love the open ended style of gaming. I'm fairly knowledgeable for PC games of this category but I just recently got a PS2 (for karaoke) and am wondering if anyone knows any games of this type for PS2? (PC too if you think I might not know it) Essentially I'm looking for a single player MMORPG that never ends, never has a final quest. The elder scroll series is pretty close to it, but I want something even more open ended if possible (they all have a main storyline quest). Graphics don't really matter...so long as it's 3D. I also prefer the hovering 3rd person perspective (as opposed to the overhead RTS style). MMORPGs are essentially perfect for the style I'm looking for with their huge worlds and open endedness, except for the fact that theyre online, not single player, and leveling is usually too slow. So far Champions of Norrath (for ps2) looks promising. I plan on trying that as I used to play EQ and the nostalgia factor will be nice.

01-29-2008, 10:35 AM	#2 (permalink)
ObieX Pickles Location: Shirt and Pants (NJ)	Yea, from what i hear Champions of Norrath still has a pretty strong community so you should pick it up. Maybe get it used at gamestop or someplace similar so you can return it if you don't like it. __________________ We Must Dissent.

01-29-2008, 11:37 AM	#3 (permalink)
Plan9 I Confess a Shiver	The model 7 is the world's most popular open-ended RPG. __________________ *Whatever you can carry.* "You should not drink... and bake."

01-29-2008, 03:45 PM	#5 (permalink)
Prophecy Oracle & Apollyon Location: Limbus Patrum	Sadly, I can't think of any truly open ending RPGs on the PS2. I can think of some that have variety and branching paths, but nothing truly non-linear. However, if you're looking for action-adventure RPGs/Dungeon Crawler games like Champions of Norrath then there are several other titles in the genre you might like: Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance II Breath of Fire V: Dragon Quarter The Bard's Tale Champions: Return to Arms All but the Breathe of Fire game play similar to Champions, BoV is a more strategy based battle system. __________________ La Disciplina È La Mia Spada, La Fede È Il Mio Schermo, Non salti Ciecamente In Incertezza, E Potete Raccogliere Le Ricompense. Last edited by Prophecy; 01-29-2008 at 03:48 PM..

01-29-2008, 04:56 PM	#6 (permalink)
LoganSnake We work alone Location: Cake Town	There's always Final Fantasy XI. It's a MMORPG. An expansion pack came out recently and another one before it. I believe it still has a sizable community. As of May 16, 2007 the user base was over 500,000. __________________ Maturity is knowing you were an idiot in the past. Wisdom is knowing that you'll be an idiot in the future. Common sense is knowing that you should try not to be an idiot now. - J. Jacques Last edited by LoganSnake; 01-29-2008 at 05:00 PM..

01-29-2008, 02:38 PM	#4 (permalink)
Zeraph Banned Location: The Cosmos	Ziiiiiiiinnnnngggggggg!!!

01-29-2008, 05:48 PM	#7 (permalink)
Zeraph Banned Location: The Cosmos	Just as an aside, am I the only one desiring a truly open single player RPG? I dont get why they dont make more. If anything they seem simpler to make, since you dont have to worry about quality story line so much or balancing missions/quests.

01-29-2008, 06:48 PM	#10 (permalink)
ObieX Pickles Location: Shirt and Pants (NJ)	If you can't find anything you like you can always make your own RPG with those RPG makers __________________ We Must Dissent.

01-29-2008, 08:03 PM	#12 (permalink)
Plan9 I Confess a Shiver	Morrowind (ES:III) is better than Daggerfall (ES:II) in the graphics/sound and gameplay department, and while not nearly as large, it is extremely customizable. I have yet to find everything in that damn game. __________________ *Whatever you can carry.* "You should not drink... and bake."

01-29-2008, 08:16 PM	#13 (permalink)
LoganSnake We work alone Location: Cake Town	I never got into Morrowind and found it boring. Oblivion, however, I ate up and invested around 80 hours into it, completing only around 65% of the whole game not counting the two expansions. EDIT: just remembered about the Fallout series. Give it a try. They do have a main story and they do end, but the gameplay is quite open ended giving you many choices on what to do and how to do it. __________________ Maturity is knowing you were an idiot in the past. Wisdom is knowing that you'll be an idiot in the future. Common sense is knowing that you should try not to be an idiot now. - J. Jacques Last edited by LoganSnake; 01-29-2008 at 08:20 PM..

01-30-2008, 11:12 AM	#14 (permalink)
Zeraph Banned Location: The Cosmos	I've played Morrowind and Oblivion. Good games. Though I never liked their magic system. Never played Daggerfall though. Do you know how their combat system is? Unless it's outstanding I don't think the size will make up for the graphics. I hardly need top end graphics but Daggerfall's is just bad. Ya I keep meaning to play Fallout, just never seem to get around to it.

01-30-2008, 04:59 PM	#17 (permalink)
CyCo PL Addict Location: Tulsa, OK	For PS2, you should check out Final Fantasy XII. It's basically a Final Fantasy game based off of the Final Fantasy XI "engine" (which was an MMO). You're going to be hard pressed to find a console game that isn't somewhat linear, but FFXII allows a lot of sidequests and monster hunts that are a good alternative to following the main story.

08-07-2008, 10:03 AM	#18 (permalink)
speedingavenger Upright Location: Florida, hate it	Loved DaggerFall back in the day. That is the first Elder Scrolls I ever remember playing. I liked morrowind also. But I hear you completely. Why not make more open-ended games? Lmao I was just thinking that today after playing Oblivion. What really pisses me off about most games is the lack of control the owner of the game has. One new game I like is Sins of a solar empire. Most strategy games require you to do missions or basically lead you along a storyline where they designate places for you to go. What I like about Sins is you point and click, the tempo of the game could be faster at times and it would be cool to actually visit the surface of the planet but the point is I have control and several options on how I want to proceed. I send my units to whereever, I can take part in the battle if I want or just do other things while the battle takes place. Love that game, played it for like 3 weeks straight after I bought it. Last edited by speedingavenger; 08-07-2008 at 10:29 AM..

08-07-2008, 12:31 PM	#19 (permalink)
ironpham DOOMTRAIN Location: NC	Grand. Theft. Auto. __________________ SIGNATURE.

08-07-2008, 07:51 PM	#21 (permalink)
BulletCatcher Crazy Location: America's Outback	You could try the Gothic rpgs for the PC. They are about as open ended as the Elder Scrolls games meaning they have a main storyline but you are free to pretty much ignore it if you wish and still find plenty of things to keep you occupied for quite a long time. They are also a bit more 'adult' than the Elder Scrolls series. Another one to check out would be S.T.A.L.K.E.R. . Though more of an FPS than straight up RPG it offers a rich story and you are free to go almost anywhere anytime you want though there are some areas of the Zone that will eat you alive if you are not properly prepped to be there.

08-28-2008, 05:35 AM	#25 (permalink)
japhyryder no one special Location: Charlotte, NC	Mount and Blade. It is published by paradox. Kotaku has a some info on it and it is in final beta right now. Huge world set in midevil europe. check it out Paradox Interactive - HOME It is a very quest based game but it doesn't throw you right in the middle of the end of the world __________________ It's only entertainment, someone's sick idea of a joke.

08-28-2008, 11:28 AM	#26 (permalink)
CyCo PL Addict Location: Tulsa, OK	Mount & Blade is good stuff, if you can get around the low production values (it's developed by a husband and wife team). It kind of reminds me of Sid Meier's Pirates!, except taking place on land and having massive army-based combat rather than naval combat. The combat is extremely fun, it's completely action based and unlike anything I've played before.