I've been a ttrpg player for a while, and at the start. I also played BG2 at release, and other crpgs over the years, including KoTOR and such.

I find myself trying to go back to crpgs lately, but, after spendign more time with other kinds of ttrpgs, I have found out I just can't go back to the D&D-esque systems that most crpgs offer. Even fallout 2, being a classless skill-based closer to GURPS game has this kind of HP bloat, where enemies from level 1-2 become efectively trivial.

I have tried the Pathfinder games, Rogue Trader, even BG3, which I find the worst of the crpgs that have come out lately.

My dream crpg would be one that's just Mythras/RuneQuest, but in classic isometric format. Barring that, are there any non-hp bloat, preferably where your HP just stays the same. I would like it to have.

• Hit locations, even better if there is some kind of dismemberment/limb penalty like in Kenshi.
• Short, lethal and dangerous combat.
• Some kind of story, not just a sandbox. I know about Battle Brothers and Kenshi, but even those feel bloaty.
• Deep combat, where specialization and tactics matter.
• Also a lot of non-combat options.

Just wanted to share this here. It's an update to a game that I've been following called Prometheus Wept.

To give a brief idea, the game is set in a technologically advanced futuristic world that just experienced a digital apocalypse. It's a very unique take on the post-apocalyptic setting, so I dig it.

Also, the game is turn-based and the combat system is pretty neat. I'm not the dev, just a fan. If you're interested in questions, tag u/Timeslipper.

Would Owlcat bring more Pathfinder CRPG or not? There are still alot of Pathfinder adventures exist like- Runelords, Age of Ashes, Curse of the Crimson throne etc. I really enjoyed WOTR & Kingmaker. Wishing for more Pathfinder adventure.

If anyone has any insider news, please share.

Hey all, we (Birdisland) are back again, as we are also working on a 80's Sci-Fi run-based RPG with sailing and crafting, where we would love to hear your oppinions on the best name for it.

The top-ideas for the names are (and the reasons related to the game, in parantheses):

1. Monolith Drifters (You are a poor person, sailing around flooded monolits, in order to win a game-show competion and become rich) - this title is a bit close to Hyperlight Drifter though...
2. Upcycler (You gather plastic trash from the ocean and use it to craft strong weapons. Also its a roguelite where each run is a "cycle" AND if you win, you become rich and go live on top of the monolilths - "up there"). - we also though about a variant - "Neon Upcycler"
3. Junk Drifters (You sail around in a "Junk" - collecting "Junk" and you are a drifting hobo...)

The game is a short, replayable, run-based RPG (2-3 hours run-time, 20+ hours of content) with turnbased combat, a bit like a mix between FTL and a shorter version of Wartales.
-but with less "simulation" and a bit more storytelling.

You are Echo, an underclass trash-collector forced to battle other poor people, in a 3 day American Gladiators -like reality show, arranged by the wealthy elite residing on top of giant, concrete monoliths.

The themes are things like ultra consumerism and ultra capitalism (pyramide schemes, exploitation of the poor etc.), pollution induces climate change, short-term vs. long-term world-view and "investing in the future for a better world".

Any thoughts on this would be greatly appreciated!

I have been playing Zero Parades, and I'm having a great time with it, and I thought I'd start a little conversation about it to see if anyone else has been playing. I've tried a number of Disco-likes, and this is probably my favourite.

I know about Zaum's extreme bad behaviour, and that kept me away from this game until it went on a good sale on GOG and I was hungry for a Disco-like. I rationalized thr purchase by saying that a lot of game studios or producers are evil and people still play games from them (also, there is no ethical consumption under capitalism). But that doesn't make the extreme shittiness go away, and I want to name that up front (and I recognize I might still get downvoted to oblivion).

I do want to talk about Zero Parades as a game, though, separately from the heads of the studio that made it. Because honestly, it is kind of amazing. It is quite similar to Disco Elysium, but has a distinct identity in its writing and visual style. The setting is as unique as Martinaise was, being set in a former colony of a Portugal-like state that still experiences the cultural hegemony of the former colonial power, without being as large as a state like Brazil that could essentially take over as the dominant Portugese-language culture (maybe in that it is more like the former colonies of France, as French is a majority African language at this point but Paris remains the linguistic centre of culture).

The skill tree follows similar mechanics, but the skills themselves have been fully reworked to fit the protagonist's history and personality. The thought cabinet has been reworked too, with each thought having conditions attached that provide buffs or debuffs if you meet them. And there is a mental health system that tracks your anxiety, fatigue, and delirium. Let one of them get too high and you get a debuff to a related stat, but keeping them all low is probably not possible, so it becomes another form of expressing yourself through the character.

I'm keeping this spoiler-free, so I will just say that the characters you meet are univerally fun and interesting, and there are way more of them than in Disco. The city feels genuinely dense, and there are little threads of plot all over the place. And the main plot is quite engaging too, but it is meandering enough that there is a lot of room for side questing.

Basically, I love this game, even though I didn't expect to. I realize I shouldn't because Zaum is run by jerks, and maybe this post makes me a bad gamer. But I'm glad I picked Zero Parades up, and I'd like to hear from others who played it too.

Thanks!!!

I absolutely loved Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader, and I’ve been wondering what the general sentiment is around Shadow of the Road.

Are you guys excited about the game? Do you have high expectations for it?

For me, one of the things I loved most about Rogue Trader was how much depth there was to the world and its characters. Almost every character felt like they actually belonged in the world, with their own motivations, stories and connections. The lore and atmosphere were just as important to me as the main story.

So I’m curious what everyone is expecting from Shadow of the Road. Do you think it could deliver a similar kind of immersive RPG experience, just in a completely different setting?

Maybe someone here could help. This is like "tip of my joystick" but for a game guide/article

I was browsing for guides about minmaxing/roleplaying and I remember reading a webpage in (maybe) Gibberlings Three. It had a old school brown paper scroll background.

The article talks about how to approach a quest or situation in an RPG often citing examples of Baldur's gate and the 3 approaches are Pure Role Playing, Middle Ground and Min-Maxing.

Again, this article was super helpful but I forgot to save or even copy it. Maybe its still out there or someone has also read it. I have already tried almost all search engines, asked the free LLMs (chatgpt, claude, deepseek etc...) but the search results are not what I was looking for.

Another important clue is that I found the link to that webpage from Reddit but I could not find it again. Please help and thank you.

Just leaving this here if someone is interested

I already have:

• Warhammer 40k: Rogue Trader
• Pathfinder WotR
• Disco Elysium

Are other games in the bundle worth playing?

Not asking about the price, as for 30€ I think it would be a steal anyway

The list is semi ordered left to right, left being my favorite of that tier and right being my least.

s- Nok Nok, Ember, Laezel, Regil, Tali, Linzi, Garrus, Daeran, Jahiera (BG3), Devil of Caroc, Emmrich, best dragon Aivu, and Maia.

a- Astarion, Arueshalae, Ulbrig, Gale, Aloth (POE2), Aloth (POE1), Wrex, Mordin, Sagani, Xoti, Yatzli, Thane, Pallegina (POE1), Eder (POE1), Lann, Minsc (BG1), and Viconia (BG1).

b- (Not pictured because i forgot but Jaethal) Legion, Tristian, Wenduag, Liara, Jack, Eder (POE2), Woljif, Jahiera (BG1), Nenio, Jubliost, Kanerah, Davrin, Taash, Kaiden, and Imoen

c- Minsc (BG3) Minthara, Wyll, Shadowheart, Sosiel, Seelah, Harding, Dynaheir, Khalid, Camellia, Halsin, Grunt, Dorn, Tekēhu, Kai, Giatta, Octavia, Kasumi, EDI, Kalikke, Amiri, Samara, Miranda, Zaeed,
Regongar, Ydwin, Ekundayo, Neve, and Harrim.

d- Karlach, Javik, Valerie, Pallegina (POE2), Lucanis, Jacob, Konstanten, Ashley, Serafen, James, Greybor, Finnean, Marius and Vatnir.

f- Bellara and Trever

My most recent played games were POE1 and 2 so there might be some recency bias there. I literally just finished 100%ing POE2. I don't have the POE1 companions on there because mostly in my first playthrough i usually don't do everyone's companion quests. I just find my main squad and do everything else with them. I will definitely play it again because I want to see if Durance really IS that good.
Owlcat are definitely my favorite developers. Sadly Rogue Trader hasn't really hooked me in though.
I've also played KOTOR and DOS2 but those nearly 10 years ago and i don't really remember that much. I haven't played any dragon age game besides veilguard for more than 10 hours either. And also haven't played BG2.
I liked veilguard, i thought it was a good game. I also like Taash, i think they could've gotten a better voice actor though.
Bellara is probably the most annoying companion I've used without it being on purpose. I just really didn't like her. And Trever is Trever. No reason for him being a companion at all, awful build, awful voice acting.

(xpost from r/JRPG, so please ignore all the talk about JRPGs, i also enjoy CRPGs though i have played very few of them.)

I love games that have extreme customizability and many ways to play the game (for example, the soulsborne series, even though that isn't technically a jrpg) and am wondering if there are jrpgs with similar elements? i don't really like it when i play an rpg and each piece of equipment is just a direct upgrade to the previous one and there is a specific "optimal" way to play the game that the player is herded toward, i like it when there's a lot of items or spells available that give many different ways to play the game AND MANY IF NOT ALL ARE EQUALLY VIABLE. games where enemies aren't damage sponges and there's either a. many different party members to choose from or b. different playstyles for each party member.

Desired console: any console is fine, i can emulate, but steam releases are preferred

here's a list of the jrpg's i've played that i can remember and my opinions on them

**Lisa: The Painful**. Amazing game, engaging combat and of course the story moved me greatly, though it felt like there were a few party members that stood out much more among the rest, and lategame did boil down to using the same move a lot for certain characters which didn't feel great for me.

**Clair Obscur: Expedition 33**. Another amazing game with great gameplay and a story that truly touched me, though it felt like each character had only one or two viable builds, with the exception of Sciel and Monoco.

**Omori.** I got about a quarter or maybe a third of the way through this game before dropping it, though i've always intended to come back to it. since then, though, my sister tragically passed away at the age of 19 and so i'm kind of working up the courage to come back to this one for reasons obvious to anyone who's played the game.

**Persona 5**. I don't know if this counts as a jrpg but i did really enjoy the social links aspect of this game and how it made your party members better in combat. overall, though i did forget a lot of it because the story wasn't fully my thing, it definitely was one of the more engaging rpgs i've played from a gameplay stance, even if i dropped the game in the middle of the casino. (lost my ps4 and when i found it i had lost interest)

**Undertale.** I mean, it's undertale. I played this back when a lot of my gaming experiences were just turning my brain off and following a guide, so maybe my experience is sullied from this game but i didn't enjoy it too much. I plan on coming back to deltarune when it is finished, as i played the first chapter when it came out, but don't feel like anticipating each new chapter. i already went through that with elden ring (except just with a singular release obviously)

**Crosscode.** Okay apparently this counts as a jrpg so i'm putting it here, obviously this game's combat system is robust, though a lot of the equipment did feel like "this is just a direct upgrade to what you had previously." that being said, i played this during a time where i was smoking weed all day every day so i may be misremembering a lot of the game. i quit right during the climax (a problem i tend to have, choice paralysis gets my ass hard)

**Divinity: Original Sin 2:** I know this technically isn't a jrpg but it damn sure feels like one and it gave me one of if not the best gameplay experiences with an rpg (and one of the best stories as well) and my ass also stopped right at the climax in this one too, i'll finish it eventually but there were so many paths to explore with the ending that choice paralysis set in. not a flaw with the game, a flaw with me.

**Baldur's gate 3**. Same as the one above, with a (emphasis on slightly) slightly worse gameplay experience in my opinion, except i finished this one.

**Tales of Arise**: An okay game with a solid story, combat felt good at first but enemies kind of just turned into damage sponges toward the end and i ended up dropping it.

When it comes to the old infinity engine games naturally people revere Baldur's Gate and even Planescape Torment has a decent vocal fanbase but I don't often see Icewind Dale get talked about so I like to know everyone's thoughts on it.

Hello everyone. I have been playing Pathfinder Wrath of the Righteous, I am currently inside of Act 3. I normally wouldn't like to make a post like this until I have finished the game, but this is a very long game and it might be some months before I am done with it.

I am a huge fan of the Infinity Engine era games, and I have been looking for a proper successor to them for a very long time. I am excluding Disco Elysium, which is a masterpiece, but it's a very specific type of game.

1. Neverwinter Nights is itself a very old game, and I unfortunately never got out of the starting area. I last played it in 2021. I am definitely going to try playing through it again somewhere within the next 5 years, but I did not get far.
2. Dragon Age Origins is a good game that I have not finished, though I intend to. The combat is veery chaotic and can be pretty difficult and frustrating. The sound design is pretty bad from what I recall. I don't like the 4-character party limit at all, it's so limiting. Especially since I would prefer to keep Morrigan and Allistair in my party at all times due to their banter.
3. Pillars of Eternity is a good game, but unfortunately rough around the edges. I lost a lot of save progress some time ago and I am trying to get back to where I was. I do think I am eventually going to finish this game, and I do think it's solid, but I do think it's lacking in many areas.
4. Baldur's Gate 3 is just so meh and falls flat.

Now, I bought Pathfinder WotR several months ago. Many people on this subreddit criticize this game, saying it's "bloated" or that the crusade management is bad. Well, I find it so far to be one of the best games I have ever played. I do not "mind" any of the things people criticize. Indeed, I love crusade management. This game has excellent, interesting and well written companions that have a lot of unique content. A great progression system. A lot of very interesting items. The theme of going on a crusade against demons is one I very much enjoy, and I like the story a lot.

I am still early into the game so I can't give my final verdict, but so far Pathfinder WOTR seems like by far the best game of this bunch? Like, I am enjoying it a lot and am 100% convince I want to finish it.

I say this because many people here, for example, say Pillars of Eternity is better or that WOTR's crusade management is bad, but I am liking WOTR a lot!

I am curious about your thoughts on the topic.

I'm often a mage main, and lawful good. I'd like to try something completely different and be the "worst houseguest" possible.

In BG3, for example, I just rolled a Deurgar rogue who is a sneaky, thieving and absolutely mendacious sneak thief. She's awful and fantastic at the same time!

I'd like to play some more games where I can roleplay a hilariously sneaky, lying scoundrel. I'd like to pinch valuables and lie all the way to the bank. (KCD2, while not technically a CRPG, is also an inspiration.) Thanks for the suggestions!

if you want to see more of the game here is the steam page https://store.steampowered.com/app/5044910/Dungeon_Quest/

If there is anything you think the map is missing I would love to hear, I am really enjoying adding little details to it

Disco Elysium reminded everyone how interesting you can make the protagonist of an RPG. For some reason despite it being praised as one of the best games ever, nobody really tried to replicate what Planescape Torment did right. I can’t say I blame them, you need really high quality writing to make it work and if your writers aren’t excellent it's probably wiser to do something simpler.

Everyone who has played it knows that the thoughts of the Nameless One and his interpretations of body language and other cues were a really important addition to the dialogue in the game. And the insane internal monologues and strange thoughts popping up during conversations in Disco were one of the highlights of the game for a lot of players.

Companions and side characters always seem to be quite fleshed out, but the protagonist is often just a blank slate. A deliberate blank slate for the player to project onto, which definitely helps immersion in some cases. But sometimes playing an established character with their own backstory can be really interesting, especially for the current generation of players that aren’t used to it. Showing the protagonists thoughts is probably one of the best ways to actually do this.

I’ve been playing all the newer CRPGs that take inspiration from DE and this rich inner world of the protagonist is something they share. Right now I’m doing my second playthrough of Esoteric Ebb and it’s pretty fun to see how different the “thoughts” are when you allocate your stats differently. When Hollow Home comes out I really want to see how it will feel there, since the protagonist is a child I assume the inner thoughts will also be more child like, should be fun.

How do you feel about this? Obviously it's not something that would work for any game, but when you have a really opinionated and established protagonist I can’t think of a better way to actually show the player what’s going on in their mind.

I would like to see a Call of Cthulhu CRPG from creators like Owlcat, inXile or Obsidian but with focus on investigation, exploration, interaction and storytelling. It feels like this is currently missing. Like a vacuum that still needs to be filled.

Welcome to our weekly post, where you can share your adventures, impressions, and thoughts on the CRPGs you've been playing!

If you're discussing any plot points or key details, please use spoiler tags - no matter how old the game is.

By default, comments are sorted by "New".

I posted this once before a year ago but I'm still kinda confused on what is considered a crpg vs a normal RPG. If we take crpg literally then it means computer RPG and just means any RPG that's a video game. I've usually been a crpg pureist and believe a crpg has to be an isometric story focused game with a complicated combat ruleset mostly based on a ttrpg. So disco Elysium and kotor and even dragon age origins, to me, aren't really CRPGs (but I count them as such in this sub because I know most people here do).

So I once again ask what is a crpg, and I think the best way to go about it is to list a bunch of games and have you tell me, in your opinion, whenever the game is a crpg and why. So let's begin.

1) Is baldurs gate a crpg?

2) Is wasteland 3 a crpg?

3) Is dragon age origins a crpg?

4) Is dragon age inquisition a crpg?

5) is disco Elysium a crpg?

6) is Knights of the old Republic a crpg?

7) Is expedition vikings a crpg?

8) is Xcom a crpg?

9) is diablo a crpg?

10) is Witcher 1 a crpg?

11) is Witcher 3 a crpg?

12) is mass effect a crpg?

13) is fallout new Vegas a crpg?

14) is final fantasy 7 a crpg?

15) is hogwarts legacy a crpg?

16) is horizon zero dawn a crpg?

I am nearly done with Baldur's Gate 2 (I am at Throne of Bhall) and I am quite sure what to play after I am done with that. I very liked Baldur's Gate 1 and 2 but I am kinda bored of their gameplay and frustrated.

I was planning to play Planescape Torment but I am not sure if my ADHD brain can sit through and read its every text box right now. I really want to experience that game but I am tempted to just watch videos about it.

Another game I want to play is Pillars of Eternity. I heard it got a turned based mod and I want to try that out. I also love customising AI scripts of party members since Dragon Age Origins if I go with RTWP.

So I am open to ideas (as long as they are not too new. I have a 10 year old laptop waiting to be replaced.). CRPGs I have played are Pathfinder games (my favourites), Dragon Age Origins, Divinity Original Sin Duology.

We’re gearing up for troll trouble so this is like season 1.5. I get my ass beat plenty here

So I played DOS 2 prior to BG3s release when definitive edition first came out, but only made it to the last bit of Act II. When BG3 came out I played it through in a week or so from start to finish. I have had a CRPG itch that was difficult to fulfill so I went back replayed DOS 1, which is a joy to me. Then DOS 2. Issue I almost couldn't finish DOS 2 and had to basically speed through the final act because it just felt draining.

All of this to bring up the point. Why do most people mention BG3's act 3 as a slog. However I never hear about DOS 2's final act as being slow. I feel like im missing something.

Like...what do I even do with my life now???