Which RPG has the worst combat?

[Invictus]

To me the best combat systems in RPGs are all about the ability to enable orders and have characters actualy react to those orders in a believable manner and encounter design.
While Turn based combat is very engaging in games like Wizardry because of all the options available for combat (using mental attack spells to turn enemies crazy or damage their armor insteda of just chucking fireballs) in some games like the earlier Might and Magic it was a much fast paced les tactical approach where of you had the correct equipment and damage spells you were fine too.
I think that turn based is a remnant of the old table top RPGs which is best for maximum control over abilities and combat micromanaging...but in reality combat would be much more like Darklands or the IE games; throw in a potion or spell while wailing with ranged attacks for melee based enemies or rushing in to engage magic users or long range enemies is the principle but that can turn very fast into an Ultima 7 15 second kiddie park free for all

 

[Crichton]

This question is difficult to address because the RPG with the absolute worst combat is probably something nearly no one has played (Soulbringer? Random Diablo Clone #4567? Shitty Russian Game from the Early 00's?).

Of the games I've played for any significant length of time, I would propose:

-The Witcher: You click once, then you click after Gerry does the sword flourish. That's it. Is your opponent blocking? Wait until the sword flourish and then click. Is your opponent attacking you? Wait until the sword flourish and then click. Did your opponent just leave himself open after dodging? Wait until the sword flourish and then click. Does your opponent have his back turned to you? Wait until the sword flourish and then click.

I chaff at Roguey's overuse of the phrase "cargo cult", but this is one case where he may be onto something. It's as if the Developers wanted to make something that looked like a game but didn't realize that the stuff on the screen was supposed to have something to do with those buttons in front of the monitor the player keeps pressing.

-KotOR/KotOR2: You wouldn't think you could make NWN combat worse. But you can. You can use it for a space opera game. Imagine a game with laser guns where you can't use cover or control the positioning of your two companions. Now imagine a game with lightsabers where they can be parried by sticks wielded by Sand People. Now imagine a Star Wars game where everyone uses a sword. Imagine watching them and their little swords do a little "dance of death" over and over and over.

-Divine Divinity: The Diablo-clone combat of Divine Divinity bears a unique honor. Alone among the games listed here, the combat actually kept me from finishing the game. There was simply so much of it that I wasn't willing to click through enough orcs to beat the game, even though I rather enjoyed the other portions of the game.

 

[Invictus]

Since The Witcher tried to add some player interaction to the aurora engine of NWN I think it is comendable and as you get more combat abilities Geralt gets more fun combos, the different weapon styles add some variety plus the use of magic can change your playstyle a lot...I love using Aard on a crowd and finishing one or two who got knocked out or who lost their weapons first
I wouldn call it magnificent but I would never dare to put it on the same level as Diablo, Dungeon Siegue or that ilk

 

[MasterSmithFandango]

Twitcher isn't good, but compared to other RTwP games, it's a huge step up.

 

[ikarinokami]

the witcher is in no way terrible at combat, it's not great, but it comes no way close to being terrible and should not even be mention in the same breathe as planescape torment as far as awful combat goes. one might be a little dumbed down, the other is just an afterthought.

 

[Doctor Sbaitso]

I didn't find that PS:T combat was really much worse mechanically than most RTwP games of the era. I guess I didn't mind the encounters so much since they usually had some sort of plot relevance.

 

[Black]

And PT didn't have much combat so little amount of shit. Compared to bgs and nwns it was heaven.

 

[Lilura]

the witcher is in no way terrible at combat, it's not great, but it comes no way close to being terrible and should not even be mention in the same breathe as planescape torment as far as awful combat goes. one might be a little dumbed down, the other is just an afterthought.

Your post is both.

But snark aside, the Witcher does indeed have awful combat.

You're either spraying signs or spamming sword attacks, and quaffing potions and applying oils to weapons (and lets not kid ourselves, that's only needed on highest difficulty), then dumbly watching all the cinematic actiony BS unfold, with meaningless numbers flying all over the screen and bleed and stun messages here and there.
Your most important tactical consideration is "Am I using the right sword-style/sign for this encounter", and you'll instantly know if you're not, cuz you're not gonna be damaging your opponent/s. So you switch to the right stance or sign, not exactly rocket surgery, and not exactly fun. The Witcher is "Aurora engine Diet-Lite".

 

[VentilatorOfDoom]

Since The Witcher tried to add some player interaction to the aurora engine of NWN I think it is comendable and as you get more combat abilities Geralt gets more fun combos, the different weapon styles add some variety plus the use of magic can change your playstyle a lot...I love using Aard on a crowd and finishing one or two who got knocked out or who lost their weapons first
I wouldn call it magnificent but I would never dare to put it on the same level as Diablo, Dungeon Siegue or that ilk

You never get *more combos*. All you ever have is: click when the sword makes the orange swoosh. That's all there is to TW combat. What you actually mean is, more animations of Geralt flipping out are unlocked as you put more points into the sword skills.

 

[Whisky]

Who uses swords in Witcher? Just spam Igni until everything dies.

 

[granit]

Considering legacy and potential, I think Skyrim has some of the worst magic combat. Skyrim completely butcher the beauty that was Morrowind Magic use, should have learned from the mistakes made in Oblivion but did not. Mods cannot help. It is a disgrace.

 

[Sinatar]

It's gotta be Risen 2. It gets every single thing about combat wrong.

 

[Gozma]

I didn't find that PS:T combat was really much worse mechanically than most RTwP games of the era. I guess I didn't mind the encounters so much since they usually had some sort of plot relevance.

I replayed PS:T a couple of years ago and this was true for most of it, but once you get to Ravel's area/Curst they forget that IE combat is not capable of sustaining a game and start throwing it around like IWD/BG/NWN2/DAO and it's just suffering, particularly because you feel the contrast. In particular the dungeon before Curst prison and then Curst prison itself are horrendous. Completionists would also force themselves to do the optional dungeons which are similarly terrible.

 

[Haba]

Answer: Pillars of Eternity.

 

[Nihiliste]

\Bullshit.

No.

Did you even play fukkin' TOEE or vast m,ajority of other TB games? Gb games also were the Kings of Trash Mobs tm. FFS

Bottom line is DOS has abvoe average combat but overall the combat is easy. I died 5 fukkin' times and only one maybe two of thsoe wer e'legit'. The others were me not giving a fuck. The Void Dragon had like 20,000 APs and he still never fukin' threatened me. LMFAO

\Also HP bloat? At level 21, I had over 2k HP. LMFAO

I'm so bewildered by your religious translation of fucking into fukkin'. Are you mentally damaged? Isn't that shit exhausting? It makes me want to put you on ignore just to avoid it

 

[dryan]

Witcher's is the worst I had the misfortune to try.

 

[imweasel]

Hopefully Dragon Age: Inquisition has been mentioned.

 

[Jaesun]

Hopefully Dragon Age: Inquisition has been mentioned.

That is worse than Ultima VII's Clusterfuck Combat System™?

 

[imweasel]

Hopefully Dragon Age: Inquisition has been mentioned.

That is worse than Ultima VII's Clusterfuck Combat System™?

No, but it deserves to be mentioned.

Arcanum has the worst combat in my book... Ultima VII is probably a close second.

 

[Doctor Sbaitso]

Yes, nothing like sparring with shrubbery to improve one's Humanoid, Mammal, Titan and Titan Female Body skills.

As long as it works, why on earth would a reasonable player NOT do that? That's hardly any more autistic than standing under blows for hours doing nothing to grind blocking skill.

Just laughing at the game.

In morrowind, my father found a wall sconce that was 3 inches taller than his dude. He stood under it and put a weight on his mouse button and left it over night. His guy would jump, immediately have the jump interrupted by his head hitting the sconce. Came back in the morning and had 100 acrobatics lol.

 

[Clockwork Knight]

Considering legacy and potential, I think Skyrim has some of the worst magic combat. Skyrim completely butcher the beauty that was Morrowind Magic use, should have learned from the mistakes made in Oblivion but did not. Mods cannot help. It is a disgrace.

The loss of many fun and/or useful effects such as mark/recall, levitation and jump and is a shame, but I for one don't miss the jazz hands nor the fucking annoying fizzles.

 

[mondblut]

In morrowind, my father found a wall sconce that was 3 inches taller than his dude. He stood under it and put a weight on his mouse button and left it over night. His guy would jump, immediately have the jump interrupted by his head hitting the sconce. Came back in the morning and had 100 acrobatics lol.

Your father indeed knows how to play Elder Scrolls

 

[octavius]

Yes, nothing like sparring with shrubbery to improve one's Humanoid, Mammal, Titan and Titan Female Body skills.

As long as it works, why on earth would a reasonable player NOT do that? That's hardly any more autistic than standing under blows for hours doing nothing to grind blocking skill.

Just laughing at the game.

In morrowind, my father found a wall sconce that was 3 inches taller than his dude. He stood under it and put a weight on his mouse button and left it over night. His guy would jump, immediately have the jump interrupted by his head hitting the sconce. Came back in the morning and had 100 acrobatics lol.

I once opened the console and edited my character. A few seconds later my character had 100 acrobatics lol.

 

[Doctor Sbaitso]

Yes, nothing like sparring with shrubbery to improve one's Humanoid, Mammal, Titan and Titan Female Body skills.

As long as it works, why on earth would a reasonable player NOT do that? That's hardly any more autistic than standing under blows for hours doing nothing to grind blocking skill.

Just laughing at the game.

In morrowind, my father found a wall sconce that was 3 inches taller than his dude. He stood under it and put a weight on his mouse button and left it over night. His guy would jump, immediately have the jump interrupted by his head hitting the sconce. Came back in the morning and had 100 acrobatics lol.

I once opened the console and edited my character. A few seconds later my character had 100 acrobatics lol.

Hah! He's not too savvy that way and actually LOVES building his characters up to demigods; the epitomy of degenerate gameplay. He grinds stats and skills like a mofo, is anally thorough in his exploration and ends these games with hundreds of hours played and everyone who can die dead (after sucking every scrap of XP out of the world). Being retired, he has the time I guess.

 

[octavius]

Hah! He's not too savvy that way and actually LOVES building his characters up to demigods; the epitomy of degenerate gameplay. He grinds stats and skills like a mofo, is anally thorough in his exploration and ends these games with hundreds of hours played and everyone who can die dead (after sucking every scrap of XP out of the world). Being retired, he has the time I guess.

Well, in the end the only "correct" way of playing a game is the one that gives you most enjoyment.
Personally I found Morrowind to be too easy, so I never saw the need for any grinding at all. In fact I ended up nerfing my characters instead, giving them major skills that only advance slowly (like magic skills).