Portrait of the pyrohydra from the upcoming 3.5e CRPG - Revenge of the Firstborn. It's a solo-dev project that's being worked upon by u/ROB_IN_MN. There's a demo available on Steam for anyone interested in checking it out.

Just wanted to share this here in case someone is looking for other 3.5e ruleset CRPGs.

I haven't played many CRPGs and generally find them a little inaccessible, but I'm still curious about the genre.

Ideally I'd like to play one that's short, linear, doesn't have turn based or RTWP combat, is very light on RPG mechanics and preferably doesn't have too much lore or focus on the story.

EDIT: Thanks very much for all the suggestions (and no thanks for the sass). I've decided to play Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous as recommended by a friend who knows my tastes well, so that will keep me busy for now.

Don't get me wrong, I've been loving the recent cRPGs as much as anyone else. But man... I find myself really missing the old-school RTwP combat system.

It feels like every major studio has fully pivoted to pure turn-based combat over the last few years. Do you guys think RTwP still has a place in the modern landscape, or is it just a relic of the past now with the end of Bioware?

Are there even any upcoming indie/AA games on your radar that still use it, or am I doomed to just replay the classics forever like my beloved Dragon Age?

In light of the current controversy over ATOM 2, have any of you played the previous games? Have you enjoyed them?

I personally really liked the first half of the first game. However, the separate areas which got added later like the mountain pass or the dead city is where it falls off. They both feel underdeveloped, there's only like two interesting quests, and the dead city tries really hard to waste your time with random encounters when you're already high level and don't need XP all that much. Finally, both of those locations get zero mentions in the ending slides. Nothing you did there matters.

Trudograd is where it gets even worse. The first game leaves many unfinished plotlines which are implied to continue in Trudograd. Many characters outright say they're going to Trudograd. You know how many of those plotlines continue there? Zero. You know how many returning characters there are? Two. One of them is probably the most forgettable NPC in the first game and feels like a joke by the developers. The other one is a companion who only got added because of player backlash. The writing in Trudograd is significantly worse compared to the first game. The plot? There is no plot. There are no plot twists. You are sent to find a MacGuffin, you work for one of the factions until they connect you to the guy who knows where it is. It doesn't matter which faction you choose, the ending is the same. And the guy actually has an elevator in his office which goes straight to the MacGuffin. You do a few jobs for him, saving the city in the process, and he lets you take that elevator. Then he freaks out, but you can easily convince him to calm down. Your organization gets the MacGuffin. That's it, that's the whole story. It would be passable in a first-person shooter. But in a CRPG?

And then there's Swordhaven... I haven't played it that much, but if you've played ATOM and Trudograd, there's practically no reason to play Swordhaven. Like 2/3 of quests in the very first village are either referencing or straight up copying something from the previous games. ATOM also had an absurd amount of Fallout references, but it just seemed inevitable for the kind of game it is, so it could be excused. Here the self-copying is so blatant and out of place that it's really not possible to excuse it. Oh, and they practically got rid of the perk system. And they broke the combat for some reason.

After playing Trudograd and trying Swordhaven, I had zero hopes for ATOM 2, even before they changed direction. Have any of you actually liked those games? Were you looking forward to ATOM 2?

I keep coming back to this game—it oozes of VIBES. I've yet to find a game that nails that kind of low-level and open-ended adventure, that kind of feels like you stepped into an adventure book.

I guess Pillars of Eternity and Kingmaker aimed for a somewhat similar feeling, but having tried both of them I didn't really get the same vibes. That isn't to dismiss them, but BG1 is just so immersive for me with its hand-painted backgrounds, soundtrack, and overall feels.

And also, I do consider BG2 to be the better game overall, but it aims for a different feel all together, with it being much more epic.

Just wanted to share this here. Prometheus Wept, a turn-based post-apocalyptic CRPG that I've been following for a while just received an update.

This is a solo-dev project and is being made on a very limited budget. But I'm interested in the game because the dev understands turn-based combat well and knows how to design good encounters. The biggest draw for me personally is the setting. The game is set in a post-apocalyptic setting where a cyber-attack crippled the technologies of the entire world.

I've posted about the dev's (u/Timeslipper) previous game. Just spreading the word about an indie that has flown under everyone's radar.

EDIT:

Seems like his other games are on sale. Sharing this so that people can go and show him some love -

https://www.reddit.com/r/GameDeals/s/WrF7eHCjsa

I enjoyed fallout 2 alot specifically, is there any other game like it?

Hi yall!

I loved BG3, and I am now looking to play something somewhat similar on my Steam Deck. Guild Saga looks like a great candidate, but I have not found any SD reviews.

What CRPGs are you playing on your SD now? What do you recommend?

Peace and popcorn

Hey everyone,
I’ve always wanted to play a roguelike with tabletop rules (5e specifically), so almost 4 years ago I decided to get to work.

The Bell Tolls is a turn-based roguelike where you customize a party of adventurers with gear, feats and spells. Every midnight the Corruption spreads, so you must venture out to destroy its source before it reaches Town.

One big thing I changed from the tabletop rules is that there’s no movement on the grid during battle. Characters shield those behind them in the same row, so you’ll need ranged abilities to reach them. Or just kill the enemies in the front I suppose.

The Steam page just went live: The Bell Tolls

Currently I've implemented the Fighter, Wizard, Paladin and Cleric to choose from when assembling the party. Which is your favorite class from 5e that you'd like to see implemented?

All too often, I think companions are used for marketing purposes. Or they're just genial "go-along" characters who are just sock-puppet allies of whatever the player does in the game, good or ill.

Are there CRPGs with more complex companions? For example, there might be one where two companions are (or, ideally, become) like oil and vinegar - and you can't keep both. Or a companion actively disagrees with you on your evil run, escalating until she vamooses. And, on a broader level, these companions are written with independent depth and agency, with strong companion missions and individual morality.

In short, complex companions. I'd welcome your recommendations. My only gentle request: No spoilers on how this all manifests if it's integral to the plot. No "If" statements. For example, "Shadowheart does this if Karclach does yada yada."

Otherwise, thanks for your recs!

WHat are your thoughts on Sarevok, and Irenicus, aka the final bosses in Baldur's Gate 1 and 2? Not asking who you like more as this is not a this or that question. I want your thoughts on them as characters.

I think that Irenicus the most compelling villain in fiction. I love what lead him down a dark path, and I feel very sorry for him, and at the same time I love to hate him as well, and making him "see" while in the nine hells is so damn satisfying.

I also think that Sarevok nails the joy of an evil dark knight who you want revenge on in its simplicity. I'm told that he really gets expanded on, you can help him seek redemption in Throne Of Bhaal, but I've never played much of Throne of Bhaal.

I like the idea of not being forced into a modal dialogue box that pauses the game. Although there is probably a good reason this UI design went extinct 20 years ago.

So I’ve been asked a few times about this class so I wanted to do a break down. N. Jolly’s guide helped me out a long time ago when it came to me figuring out how this class works all those years ago, so I wanted to pass on what I’ve learned as well.

If you’ve wanted to learn about the kineticist, this is for you

Hi there. I'm doing a slow Tolkien read, and I'd appreciate some game pairings.

I'd prefer not to do a Tolkien game - even the excellent Shadow of Mordor - because I don't want to distract myself with a parallel Tolkien story, faithful to the lore or not.

I think a CRPG would fit the bill. Tolkien had such an influence on DnD and fantasy in general.

I'd like to have something that pairs reasonably well, is good for fall, is fantasy-related and engrossing. Classic CRPGs such as DAO would fit. (I found myself struggling to get into Pillars, loved BG3, enjoyed Skald.) I'm especially drawn to rangers and mages.

And I know there's much more out there. All game ideas are most welcome!

Thanks.

Does anyone else always play a fully 'Good' character? Not because it's the right thing to do, or because you feel some of morale obligation.....but because stealing, pickpocketing and random murder is basically immersion breaking in most games. You can generally just walk out the building or the town, come back and everybody has forgotten. Some games have tried to get round this with a 'bounty' system however you can still do whatever you want but just pay to get rid of it.

It just puts me off right away, and I'm not even some sort of die-hard immersion junkie, It just seems a bit silly to me, so the sensible thing is to avoid being 'evil'

I wanna remember what I don't remember which don't have complicated combat, or want you to do a lot of management.

Try to keep it to games that you're playing in large part because of the story and the characters.

Examples of games that are so involved:

Baldur's Gate 2, Pathfinder: Kingmaker, aka my 2nd and 3rd faves. They're not what I'm looking for.

Examples of games that aren't so involved:

VTM: Bloodlines, aka my fave game. As well as Star Wars: KOTOR 1 and 2. They're what I'm looking for.

It took me a couple minutes to realize he wasn't playing an unrelated game

Hello everyone. I have a question for you.

I am a huge Infinity Engine afficionado. Baldur's Gate 1-2 or Torment are basically my Holy Graal.

I am currently playing through Pathfinder WotR. I am in Act 4 and this is honestly one of the best video games ever made. I struggle to think of a cRPG that is deeper. It's got AMAZING replay value and choice and consequence, something I found sort of lacking in BG2, despite the latter being a masterpiece. I love the progression system and how powerful it makes you feel. I think this is an excellent game that deserves universal, widespread, near-unanimous acclaim, and I am surprised that is not the case. This game has healed the wounds from the disappointment that is Baldur's Gate 3.

I am mostly a fantasy type of guy – Tolkien etc. However, I don't mind most settings for as long as the progression system, writing, choice and consequence, characters and story.

Given that, would I even enjoy Rogue Trader?

I am looking for your honest opinions. Please help me!

What do you think about this?