Poll: Purchasing a Retro RPG

[New Troll]

Planescape: Torment is an awesome game, but it's not very long and has little replay value. I do highly recommend it if only for it's humor, but it won't be an easy game to find.

I voted Diablo 2. Still available to buy, not too expensive, and has tons of play to it, including still having a huge on-line fanbase to play with if you so desire. Personally, I only play with friends. I also don't really consider Diablo an RPG but an action clickfest, but to each thier own. Still an awesome game. Better than Titan Quest.

Also, did you play Morrowind? Yo can get the GoY edition for $20 at Best Buy and not only is it a really good RPG, but it has tons of Mods easily available for it also. Very buggy game, but so are all Bethesda games so no biggie. Oblivion is pretty good also, but a little more expensive.

 

[Kajt]

Get Fallout 1+2, by far the best option on the list.

 

[The Madman]

For the Baldur's Gate series, DO NOT skip to the second. Baldur's Gate 2 is the superior game, no question, indeed the original feels extremely clunky and bland by comparison. However if you want the full experience, from start to finish, you gotta start from the first and bring your character all the way from the runt of Candlekeep to the very end of Throne of Bhall where you're staring down ancient dragons and even Elminster and Drizzt tremble at the mention of your name. It is one of gaming grandest rpg experience and can easily provide over 200 hours of entertainment and a rewarding finish.

But you don't want the original to be a pain to play either, so that's why you download these:

Meet the tutu mod. It's a mod which brings the original Baldur's Gate into its sequels improved state, allowing you to play from the start with all the enhancements of the sequel. Allowing a higher resolution, better sound, enhanced gameplay, more class diversity, and more interesting combat.

http://www.pocketplane.net/mambo/index.php?option=com_content&task=blogcategory&id=143&Itemid=98

And that's only the tip of the iceberg, now you want to install the BG1 NPC project which brings the story and characters up towards BG2 standards. Hundreds of lines of high-quality dialogue, added side-quests, more interactions and an improved plot! Much of it is so well done it's impossible to tell where the official game ends and the mods begin.

http://www.gibberlings3.net/bg1npc/index.php

There are others, but those are the only two I consider must-downloads.

But now you ask "Will I be getting the authentic experience?" to which I reply "As far as I'm concerned, this IS the authentic experience. BG1 feels downright shabby without those mods. Unfinished, unloved, a nice first try and little more. But WITH, BG1 is an amazing experience that only grows better once you reach the second game!".

There are also plentiful mods for the second game... but the second doesn't really need any for the first time through. Most mods for the second revolve around the ideal of 'more more more' because no-one wants the BG2 experience to end, whereas the mods for the original were more along the lines of 'improve improve improve', you follow?

Regardless, playing from the very start of Baldur's Gate 1 to the very Throne of Bhall is a great gaming experience I don't think any rpg connoisseur should miss.