The GWJ CRPG Club - Part 1 - Old Thread

Updated! Two games starting to pull away? Shadowrun holding the slimmest of leads over Baldur's Gate EE.

Shadowrun: Dragonfall - 12
Baldur's Gate - 11
Pillars of Eternity - 8
Blackguards - 7
Planescape: Torment - 7
Vampire - 7
Wasteland 2 - 6
Icewind Dale 2 - 4
Icewind Dale 1 - 3
The Quest - 2
Tyranny - 2
M&M - 1
Arcanum - 1

Candidates
Arcanum: Of Steamworks and Magick Obscura ($5.99) (32.5 hours)
Baldurs Gate EE ($19.99) (30 hours)
Blackguards ($19.99) (45 hours) ($3.49 at Humble until 1/24)
Icewind Dale 1 ($19.99) (32 hours)
Icewind Dale 2 ($9.99) (43 hours)
Might & Magic VI: Mandate of Heaven ($9.99) (53.5 hours)
Pillars of Eternity ($29.99) (36 hours)
Planescape: Torment ($19.99) (33.5 hours)
The Quest ($9.99) (no estimate available)
Shadowrun: Dragonfall Director's Cut ($14.99) (21 hours) ($2.99 on Humble until 1/24)
Tyranny ($44.99) (23 hours)
Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines ($19.99) (24 hours) ($4.99 at Humble until 1/17)
Wasteland 2 ($39.99) (37.5 hours)

I'm fine with either front runner but if someone is basing their pick on a play time, 30 hours for Baldur's Gate EE is laughably understated. I'd say if you want a decent chance at beating the final battle you'll want to do many of the side quests, which at least doubles that length.

Running Man wrote:

I'm fine with either front runner but if someone is basing their pick on a play time, 30 hours for Baldur's Gate EE is laughably understated. I'd say if you want a decent chance at beating the final battle you'll want to do many of the side quests, which at least doubles that length.

It's worth noting that the EE version has a super-easy mode whereby it makes your characters immortal and gives them crazy buffs. Not something i'd recommend playing through the game on, but if it's a choice between ragequitting from an insanely difficult brick-wall of a fight or giving you a boost to get through it and progress the story...I know which option I've used in the past.

My experience with KOTOR's D&D rules is making me lean towards playing Baldur's Gate on one of those easier difficulties, if we do end up picking it for this quarter.

I reinstalled Shadowrun, but I did not reinstall Baldur's Gate. Just sayin' where my hopes are.

pyxistyx wrote:
Running Man wrote:

I'm fine with either front runner but if someone is basing their pick on a play time, 30 hours for Baldur's Gate EE is laughably understated. I'd say if you want a decent chance at beating the final battle you'll want to do many of the side quests, which at least doubles that length.

It's worth noting that the EE version has a super-easy mode whereby it makes your characters immortal and gives them crazy buffs. Not something i'd recommend playing through the game on, but if it's a choice between ragequitting from an insanely difficult brick-wall of a fight or giving you a boost to get through it and progress the story...I know which option I've used in the past.

"When the going gets tough, someone hold my rodent!" -Minsc

ClockworkHouse wrote:

I reinstalled Shadowrun, but I did not reinstall Baldur's Gate. Just sayin' where my hopes are. ;)

I've pre-made a character for both of them, just in case

pyxistyx wrote:
ClockworkHouse wrote:

I reinstalled Shadowrun, but I did not reinstall Baldur's Gate. Just sayin' where my hopes are. ;)

I've pre-made a character for both of them, just in case

Time to start a club where we just play every game nominated at the same time.

JeremyK wrote:
pyxistyx wrote:
ClockworkHouse wrote:

I reinstalled Shadowrun, but I did not reinstall Baldur's Gate. Just sayin' where my hopes are. ;)

I've pre-made a character for both of them, just in case

Time to start a club where we just play every game nominated at the same time.

Quite like the idea of a Character Creation Club.

Don't play the games, just spend hours mucking about making a bunch of characters for different games each month.

That's as far as I got on Wasteland 2 on PS4 and it's the best part by far of Saints Row IV.

Stick with that I would

I'm rooting for ****editnotsharing**** here, it's the one really fancy right now.

Baldur's Gate EE
Planescape: Torment
Vampire

My vote:

Wasteland 2 (Mmmm...Fallout)
Pillars of Eternity
Tyranny

Character Creation! How did I forget? That's a whole day right there.

Bubblefuzz wrote:
JeremyK wrote:
pyxistyx wrote:
ClockworkHouse wrote:

I reinstalled Shadowrun, but I did not reinstall Baldur's Gate. Just sayin' where my hopes are. ;)

I've pre-made a character for both of them, just in case

Time to start a club where we just play every game nominated at the same time.

Quite like the idea of a Character Creation Club.

Don't play the games, just spend hours mucking about making a bunch of characters for different games each month.

That's as far as I got on Wasteland 2 on PS4 and it's the best part by far of Saints Row IV.

Stick with that I would

I'm rooting for ****editnotsharing**** here, it's the one really fancy right now.

hehe that's as far as I got in Wasteland 2 as well.

ME ME ME LET ME IN

*Legion* wrote:

ME ME ME LET ME IN

IMAGE(https://media.giphy.com/media/MSFIpODrmWdk4/giphy.gif)

*Legion* wrote:

ME ME ME LET ME IN

Our numbers are Legion! Welcome!

I’m starting to consider getting Icewind Dale 2, which I’ve never played, to play along with whatever we pick. What with all that free time.

Also, i’m 18 hours ito Tyranny and that number of hours to beat seems really low. Unless you don’t read text?

TheHarpoMarxist wrote:

Also, i’m 18 hours ito Tyranny and that number of hours to beat seems really low. Unless you don’t read text?

Those numbers are never accurate for me. I'll double the How Long to Beat number up for a closer estimate of my play time.

Godzilla Blitz wrote:
*Legion* wrote:

ME ME ME LET ME IN

Our numbers are Legion! Welcome!

Success!

OK, my votes are for:

Pillars of Eternity
Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines
and a protest vote for Arcanum because it's the classic "RPG you should have played but haven't" and only has one vote, WTF

*Legion* wrote:

and a protest vote for Arcanum because it's the classic "RPG you should have played but haven't" and only has one vote, WTF

Finally a second vote!

Updated. Shadowrun and Baldur's Gate are dead even!

We still had a decent amount of voting today, but it's definitely slowing down. Let's keep things open and see where we are toward the end of the day tomorrow. If we do end up tied, I'm thinking a quick run-off election between the tied games would be fairest.

Shadowrun: Dragonfall - 12
Baldur's Gate - 12
Pillars of Eternity - 10
Vampire - 9
Planescape: Torment - 8
Blackguards - 7
Wasteland 2 - 7
Icewind Dale 2 - 4
Icewind Dale 1 - 3
Tyranny - 3
The Quest - 2
Arcanum - 2
M&M - 1

Candidates
Arcanum: Of Steamworks and Magick Obscura ($5.99) (32.5 hours)
Baldurs Gate EE ($19.99) (30 hours)
Blackguards ($19.99) (45 hours) ($3.49 at Humble until 1/24)
Icewind Dale 1 ($19.99) (32 hours)
Icewind Dale 2 ($9.99) (43 hours)
Might & Magic VI: Mandate of Heaven ($9.99) (53.5 hours)
Pillars of Eternity ($29.99) (36 hours)
Planescape: Torment ($19.99) (33.5 hours)
The Quest ($9.99) (no estimate available)
Shadowrun: Dragonfall Director's Cut ($14.99) (21 hours) ($2.99 on Humble until 1/24)
Tyranny ($44.99) (23 hours)
Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines ($19.99) (24 hours) ($4.99 at Humble until 1/17)
Wasteland 2 ($39.99) (37.5 hours)

I’d actually push for a runoff between the top five (or six, if there is a tie at the five spot) with just a single anonymous vote per person.

My reasoning is that there’s a certain amount of calculation you can employ in a public vote, and let’s say I really wanted the Quest but haven’t voted yet. I look at the front runners and maybe I feel pressured to choose between BG and SR instead, otherwise my vote is effectively wasted.

If it’s about the top five, most games are still in the running and late voters will be more inclined to vote closer to preference. A second round with one vote also gives everyone one last bit of input.

Of course it is also an extra layer of complication, and not how we initially laid the process out when we began, so I’m perfectly happy to keep it simple and just run the top two off of it comes to that. Figured I’d offer the top five one or two day final vote round idea to the group though.

TheHarpoMarxist wrote:

I’d actually push for a runoff between the top five (or six, if there is a tie at the five spot) with just a single anonymous vote per person.

My reasoning is that there’s a certain amount of calculation you can employ in a public vote, and let’s say I really wanted the Quest but haven’t voted yet. I look at the front runners and maybe I feel pressured to choose between BG and SR instead, otherwise my vote is effectively wasted.

If it’s about the top five, most games are still in the running and late voters will be more inclined to vote closer to preference. A second round with one vote also gives everyone one last bit of input.

Of course it is also an extra layer of complication, and not how we initially laid the process out when we began, so I’m perfectly happy to keep it simple and just run the top two off of it comes to that. Figured I’d offer the top five one or two day final vote round idea to the group though. :)

Seconded.

I'd be fine with that.

That's a lot of work for what's essentially a straw poll. You already have three votes to both voice your opinion for the top game and that you'd like to play The Quest. If the game you really want to play doesn't get picked, wait a couple months. It'll fly by.

I don’t know. Sounds more complicated than necessary, IMHO.

Yeah, someone might not bother voting for something at the bottom of the list at this point, but I think they’re still going to vote for games they’re interested in playing.

I'm fine voting top two or five. I think 1 round of voting would be easier

We should start a nominating process to form a voting committee to decide rules for a runoff election. When should that process begin? I vote next week.

I would just flip a coin. I mean, we will eventually play all the games anyway, right? The voting process should be quick and defined so people can start playing!

Running Man wrote:

We should start a nominating process to form a voting committee to decide rules for a runoff election. When should that process begin? I vote next week.

;)

Seconded!