RPG Huntin'

[MacWeirdo42]

Hey, I'm looking for a good open-ended RPG. I recently became a convert to the genre, but I don't want something that's very storyline-intensive. Not that I have anything against an intensive storyline, but those kinds of RPGs tend to be very linear, and I don't want to be forced to go on a certain path. Also, I don't really feel like going through pages upon pages of narrative as part of the game.

I suppose Morrowind would be an example of what I'm talking about, though I'm not such a fan of Morrowind (never liked the combat). Knights of the Old Republic has a great system, but on the other hand, it's incredibly linear and too storyline-intensive. I just want something I can relax with, go questing, level up, find treasure, etc., while at the same time giving me the freedom to go where I want, do what I want.

[Darth Marsden]

Hmm. That's a bit of a challenge. I suppose you've tried online RPGs? Very open, and I've found them to be very friendly as well.

Single-player, I guess I could send you in the direction of The Elder Scrolls series which Morrowind belongs to (The series went Arena, Daggerfall, Battlespire, Redguard, Morrowind and the forthcoming Oblivion), as well as Fable (which will be coming to the PC soon-ish). You might enjoy those, though I've only played Morrowind and Redguard.

[Kairyu]

Legend of Mana.
Think of Secret of Mana. It's like that, except instead of causing physical pain when played, it causes happiness.
You have a LOT of freedom about what you do next, and you can choose from many weapons and attacks to add to your character. You can also have allies join you (or even create/raise your own), and the music rocks. It's for the PSX.

It's not exceptionally RPGish, but Castlevania: Symphony of the Night for the PSX is excellent as well. It starts open-ended and becomes more so as you progress.

I'd suggest the Tactics Ogre and Ogre Battle series, but they have LOTS of storyline. They aren't too linear, though. You can make at least one choice in (I think) every game in the series which determines what side your character joins and how the storyline develops.

[MacWeirdo42]

Of course! I've been meaning to get a copy of SotN anyway. Just recently came into a PSX, actually. Funny story, some friends of mine were having a garage sale of everything the previous owners of their apartment had left behind, and I got to keep anything that wasn't sold, a PSX being one of those items. Only problem is I'm a little short on cash at the moment, but as soon as I get some money, I'm totally getting a copy.

Anway, I would love to try a MMORPG, but I don't feel like coughing up cash monthly, and on top of that, we have a wireless network, and since my computer is far from the source, the connection is not very stable. With high bandwidth games, I tend to disconnect about every five minutes, which isn't bad for a quick FPS like Counter-Strike, but I tried to play City of Heroes (they had a free 14-day trial), and though I loved the game, I hated the fact that I constantly had to quit and re-login.

[vegeta1215]

Legend of Mana.
Think of Secret of Mana. It's like that, except instead of causing physical pain when played, it causes happiness.
You have a LOT of freedom about what you do next, and you can choose from many weapons and attacks to add to your character. You can also have allies join you (or even create/raise your own), and the music rocks. It's for the PSX.

I've been looking to get Legend of Mana since it's the only game in the SD series I don't have yet. It's hard to find though - well, it's hard to find at a good price. Everywhere I look people want $30-$40 (or more) for it. I'll probably just break down and get it though.

SoTN was a good game, but I expected more after everyone said it was the best in the series. I liked Circle of the Moon on the GBA better. I liked having a whip instead of a sword, and I loved the DSS magic system. Not to mention there was a lot more replay value with in CoTM with the unlockable modes (where you start with different stats and strengths/weaknesses)

[Darth Marsden]

I've been looking to get Legend of Mana since it's the only game in the SD series I don't have yet. It's hard to find though - well, it's hard to find at a good price. Everywhere I look people want $30-$40 (or more) for it. I'll probably just break down and get it though.

SoTN was a good game, but I expected more after everyone said it was the best in the series. I liked Circle of the Moon on the GBA better. I liked having a whip instead of a sword, and I loved the DSS magic system. Not to mention there was a lot more replay value with in CoTM with the unlockable modes (where you start with different stats and strengths/weaknesses)

It is against the rules to link ROMs or ISOs of games, etc ~vegeta1215

I didn't realise you were after PS games. If that's the case, I'll recommend the Tactics games as well (as well as adding Final Fantasy Tactics & FF Tactics Advance, both of which are pretty open-ended), along with the Final Fantasy series. They're fairly linear, but they're still pretty good. In between the boring story bits there's that freedom to level up & quest that you're after.

Truth be told, I'm not that big on open-ended games. I'll enjoy it for a bit, then get bored and wish someone would give a good ol' story to follow. I like my RPGs with a strong plot, but also with the option to go off and find hidden relics and whatnot.

[Kairyu]

I've been looking to get Legend of Mana since it's the only game in the SD series I don't have yet. It's hard to find though - well, it's hard to find at a good price. Everywhere I look people want $30-$40 (or more) for it. I'll probably just break down and get it though.

Same here. I got a defective copy for Christmas (It froze when checking most of the information menus) and tried to get the seller to replace it, but they just dissappeared. I've been meaning to buy another copy, but haven't, for one reason or another.

[Darth Marsden]

If you still physically own that copy, then I believe you're entitled to a back-up copy. I won't link (I've already been told off for that, and am typing this from the corner with a big dunces cap on), but have a search.