What was your first RPG?

[Sarafan]

@Sarafan - I do, I just took a shot of it yesterday morning.

I envy this gem. I miss the big boxes as well. Don't have too many of them, but I can't deny that they have a unique style. I still remember times when big game boxes occupied shelves in stores. I loved the view. Now physical distribution is really on the margin and big boxes are completely absent.

While digital games are really the only way to install a game nowadays, but I do miss having real game manuals, the occasional cloth map, or oddities like that hardcover book in Stonekeep.

I especially miss the goodies. Cloth maps aren't available even in collectors editions.

Wish they would be remade and kept as top-down, turn-based RPG's.

Did you try ATOM RPG? I know that it's not good times to recommend Russian products, but the game is a spiritual successor of the first two Fallout games.

 

[Max_Headroom4]

I would have to say Final Fantasy in the 90's......Oooo the Chocobo days

 

[mainer]

You all mentioned Fallout 1 and 2, and those were my first RPG's that weren't in the fantasy genre.

Those games were my first introduction into a non-fantasy world as well, and the first I'd played in a post-apocalyptic setting. While I loved the 1st person Fallouts that came later, the character building, story & lore, and turn-based combat system of Fallouts 1 & 2 are still the best.

Loved those games, though. Wish they would be remade and kept as top-down, turn-based RPG's.

I'd love to see it, but since Bethesda owns the rights to the Fallout universe, I have doubts that we'd ever see a top-down, turn-based remake(s). There are modded remakes in the works for both FO 1 & 2, but both are in 1st person. I was going to link some videos, but they're kind of longish, but if you do a search for Fallout 1 (or 2) remake you could find them.

I didn't pay attention to gaming news and had never heard of them.

Back in those days, I had monthly subscriptions to 3 gaming magazines from where I got my gaming news & reviews: PC Gamer, Computer Gaming World, and Computer Games and Strategy Plus. Only PCG survived the magazine apocalypse (and I still have a monthly subscription), but I used to love comparing previews & reviews across all three.

Did you try ATOM RPG? I know that it's not good times to recommend Russian products, but the game is a spiritual successor of the first two Fallout games.

From the videos on the Steam store page, it definitely has that Fallout 1 & 2 feeling. I've had it wish-listed for awhile now.

Save 80% on ATOM RPG: Post-apocalyptic indie game on Steam

ATOM RPG is a post-apocalyptic indie game, inspired by classic CRPGs: Fallout, Wasteland, Deus Ex, Baldur's Gate and many others.

store.steampowered.com

 

[Pifanjr]

turn-based combat system of Fallouts 1 & 2 are still the best.

I tried Fallout (2?) once and got into a random encounter with some radscorpions. Apparently none of my characters could hit the broad side of a barn, even with an automatic gun, so I got wiped. I quit and uninstalled the game.

 

[mainer]

I tried Fallout (2?) once and got into a random encounter with some radscorpions. Apparently none of my characters could hit the broad side of a barn, even with an automatic gun, so I got wiped.

I died a lot early on in both FO 1 & 2, your character (as well as any companions you find) can't hit anything consistently, and the random encounters could be brutal (but they weren't always combat oriented if I remember correctly). Your character has to build his skills up to become effective. I actually love that kind of approach to RPGs, but it can be frustrating at first.

 

[Slasken]

My first RPG was Phantasy Star on the Sega Master System.

 

[MountainSlayer]

It was Gothic and Diablo II
Those were great times

 

[martinmiller116x]

It was Heroes Might and Magic 3. I would play it for hours

 

[SourdoughPancakes]

This one's pretty old school but mine was Kings Quest V Loved it

 

[Larwri]

Wizardry was definitely up there in my list. But my first official RPG was definitely the first Final Fantasy for NES.

 

[Tiaremane]

Wizardry was definitely up there in my list. But my first official RPG was definitely the first Final Fantasy for NES.

Final Fantasy was worth the play, tbh. My first strategy game was Clash of Clan; it was pretty interesting and, over all, addictive. I also played Warcraft; I might say it was similar to this new game called Immortal Gates of Pyre, which is launching soon.

 

[Smellincoffee]

KOTOR, I think, unless we're counting Pokemon.

 

[Zloth]

KOTOR, I think, unless we're counting Pokemon.

We are not!

Errr, I don't think, I don't really know much about that game. Knights of the Old Republic is super-cool, though. I played the second game through twice, which is rare for me!

 

[bretbernhoft]

My first RPG was Baldur's Gate 1.

 

[ElvenNeko]

Final Fantasy 8. Still my favorite game in series, also probably because of it i still love jrpg's, despite their obvious design flaws.

 

[Colif]

KOTOR, I think, unless we're counting Pokemon.

pokemon is a role playing game just as Mario is, but I feel that most of the examples here are of you beating up monsters yourself or in a party, not having something else fight for you.
Often Dungeons involved. Watch out for newts
I know the term RPG means so many things now but in the past it was more specific.

 

[JCgames]

I'd love to see it, but since Bethesda owns the rights to the Fallout universe, I have doubts that we'd ever see a top-down, turn-based remake(s). There are modded remakes in the works for both FO 1 & 2, but both are in 1st person. I was going to link some videos, but they're kind of longish, but if you do a search for Fallout 1 (or 2) remake you could find them.

Play Wasteland 2 and 3, they are way better than the fallout games. I played 1, 2, 3 and new Vegas and didn't like any of them. I think 3 I played the most which was barely 20 hours. Wasteland 2 on the other hand I'm closing in on 300. The way you build characters is really cool and rather fun. The NPC's themselves are way ahead of fallout games and a closer step to BioWare games. I highly recommend them. I will say, if you don't like long games wasteland 2 can drag a bit at the end as it takes like 60-80 hours, 3 thankfully is a bit shorter and takes it to another level.



As for the topic, Tunnels of Doom, It's a dungeon crawler with no story but was a pretty cool dnd game for 1984. You made your character and stomped raced through the dungeon to find the treasure and make it out alive (you have 150 turns) So you skip stuff and have to get 15 lvl's down were getting eaten by a rust monster was a nightmare! I also played some text adventures on as early apple, Not sure what they were called though. But the first real RPG i played is arguably one of the best RPGs of all time Baldur's gate!

That's probably why party based RPG's are still my favorite games. Now "Dungeons of Naheulbeuk", "Midnight Sun's" and "Lamplighters League" * have dominated my gaming time for the last 4 years, all are highly underrated. They are all off the beaten path typically not even registering on steams top 100 which is a shame because it makes squeals far less likely though I have hope that DoN might get one. These days not being on steam's top 100 means I have a much higher chance of liking something as i swear it seems like if there is just a couple games a year that pique my interest it's a good year. Fortunately, I seem to have a knack for finding hidden gems. Here are a few more "loren of the amazon" (VN/RPG) Dead in Vinland, (survival/RPG) Banner saga (RPG/VN) and Druidstone (RPG light) are just a couple others I've really enjoyed over the last 10 years.

 

[March's Ghost]

I honestly don't remember, but if I look by date to the earliest one from those that I remember so far back it would be Ultima II - Revenge of the Enchantress that I played on my Atari 800XL. I bought it from K-Mart.

 

[Zloth]

I also played some text adventures on as early apple, Not sure what they were called though.

Infocom style games like Zork and Hitchhiker's Guide? Or was it one where you could get adventures made by other people, in which case it would have been the Eamon Adventures.

@January's Ghost - my first was Ultima ][! Played it on the Apple ][+. (Or was my first Eamon? It could have been either, I suppose.)

 

[ZedClampet]

Infocom style games like Zork and Hitchhiker's Guide? Or was it one where you could get adventures made by other people, in which case it would have been the Eamon Adventures.

@January's Ghost - my first was Ultima ][! Played it on the Apple ][+. (Or was my first Eamon? It could have been either, I suppose.)

My roommate in college was playing one of the Ultima's while I was playing Bards Tale 2. I liked the first person perspective of Bard's Tale and never actually tried any of the Ultima games. I'm making the assumption that it's WAY too late to try them now. Too bad they haven't gotten the update treatment like the Bard's Tale games did.

 

[Zloth]

My roommate in college was playing one of the Ultima's while I was playing Bards Tale 2.

Yeah. I could see playing some of Ultima 2 just to see what it's like but not playing it to really have fun. Or maybe playing Ultima 3 all the way through just so you can get attacked by the grass, which will earn some bonus respect in certain circles. They DO have 3D portions, though! When you go into a dungeon, it uses the classic wire-frame graphics.

 

[ZedClampet]

Yeah. I could see playing some of Ultima 2 just to see what it's like but not playing it to really have fun. Or maybe playing Ultima 3 all the way through just so you can get attacked by the grass, which will earn some bonus respect in certain circles. They DO have 3D portions, though! When you go into a dungeon, it uses the classic wire-frame graphics.

I wonder who owns the rights to those? Seems like they would be a prime target to be remade.

 

[JCgames]

Infocom style games like Zork and Hitchhiker's Guide? Or was it one where you could get adventures made by other people, in which case it would have been the Eamon Adventures.

It was not Zork, or made by players. All i recall is it was like zork, as it was a text adventure, but it also had some combat, you could steal, i think. It had a list of commands, and you explored by typing go north! What it possibly could be i have no idea. It was on an apple that had a green screen, possibly the apple II. Me and my friend would play it at the apple store at the mall when we ran out of quarters for the arcade. It was 84 and i played it a handful of times.

I can tell you it was not castle Wolfenstein. I don't recall all the in's and outs of that one other than a top down shooter, that maybe had lvling up and RPG stats. it did have loot and finding items. I honestly don't remember much outside of you could shoot people and if you saw an SS you would toss a grenade and run out of the room or you would kill yourself too. Then you came back to the room and looted. Was that an early RPG or iso shooter?It was a game that someone's older brother had and we would sign up at the local library to use the comp. We'd spend a couple hours after school playing and watching other people play it. Just image the outcry today if 6th graders played shooters at the local library, then again they already thought we were satan worshipers for playing dungeons and dragons soo you know..

 

[Rataplan]

Terranigma on the snes. Still the best rpg ever imo, it´s magical.

 

[Kaamos_Llama]

Looks like I never replied to this one. I think it was Ultima V on the Atari ST. There was a slightly older kid up the road from me that had a 386 and I used to go around and watch him play different PC games, I got my own copy for Xmas and played it quite a bit, although I never finished it as I was pretty young then.

It could also have been Knightmare but I barely played it because the 1991 instructions werent clear on how to move upwards so I never made it out of the very first section.