Indie CRPGs - post 'em if you find 'em

[Fez]

There was a prohibition on Japanese/FF looking RPGs.

 

[Top Hat]

Ahrimans Prophecy./

That sounds an awful lot like the expansion for the first Kohan.

 

[Ladonna]

There was a prohibition on Japanese/FF looking RPGs.

Even if its more of an RPG than most of the shite posted here? Its not an 'on the rails' game like FF games. It only has the same look. Not saying its the coming of the messiah but next to much of the trash in this thread its a gem. And its free.

That sounds an awful lot like the expansion for the first Kohan.

Ahh, but who named what first? :wink: Its more like 'The expansion for the first kohan sounds a lot like that RPG'.

 

[Fez]

Even if its more of an RPG than most of the shite posted here? Its not an 'on the rails' game like FF games. It only has the same look. Not saying its the coming of the messiah but next to much of the trash in this thread its a gem. And its free.

Saint never liked a lot of the FF or jRPG influenced games, as far as I remember. Except Cute Knight, I suppose. They were a pest to sort through when looking for indie games. There's about a million FF "inspired" clones to every western style indie RPG. So they were avoided for the most part.

I played it a while back and it seemed not too bad. It got a bit boring after a while, but I'm not a huge fan of most of the console RPGs.

 

[Ladonna]

Saint never liked a lot of the FF or jRPG influenced games, as far as I remember. Except Cute Knight, I suppose. They were a pest to sort through when looking for indie games. There's about a million FF "inspired" clones to every western style indie RPG. So they were avoided for the most part.

Oh, I agree with you there. Its a pain trawling through the insane amount of these games of which 80-90% are horrendous. This is one of those games that make up the ten percent. Its sequel for sale from the sale devs is even better, but its not free naturally :wink: Haven't tried the newest 'pet breeding' game though....

Be thankful someone is plodding through them. I certainly won't add something here unless I have tried it first and it doesn't suck. To me anyway.

 

[rei1974]

Well you didn't try well my game Magic Stones then, since I think is very far from being a "shite" or "horrendous" game as you say :D

 

[Ladonna]

Don't worry, theres plenty of good ones here, but also some garbage too. Yours naturally is not one of the latter :wink:

 

[rei1974]

Yeah I know what you mean, but at least for indie game I don't think is fair to say they suck (even if they actually do!) because of the amount of time spent from small teams (or in many cases even just 1 single person).
Is much worse when you see TOP budget games made by a team of 30 person in 3 years that have really crap gameplay...

 

[JarlFrank]

Yeah I know what you mean, but at least for indie game I don't think is fair to say they suck (even if they actually do!) because of the amount of time spent from small teams (or in many cases even just 1 single person).
Is much worse when you see TOP budget games made by a team of 30 person in 3 years that have really crap gameplay...

Sadly some indie companies just use their games as money cows, just like the mainstream devs. It's not many, but there are some, trying to sell their games by hyping them up for the elite gamers.

 

[Ladonna]

Yeah I know what you mean, but at least for indie game I don't think is fair to say they suck (even if they actually do!) because of the amount of time spent from small teams (or in many cases even just 1 single person).
Is much worse when you see TOP budget games made by a team of 30 person in 3 years that have really crap gameplay..

I disagree.

The advantage an indie gamer has is their power to project what they feel to be something great into their game, usually something lacking in the mainstream market. Its a work of passion, and should not be released until its relatively polished and the maker can sit back, take a good look at it and say 'I am damn happy with what I have made here'.

No game should be free from (Fair) criticism. Indie or mainstream industry.

I certainly won't hold back on something that I believe to be flawed, especially if that something should have been spotted 100km away, at night, during fog, by the dev/s before it hit release.

If we start kowtowing to a game just because it was made independantly, we are as bad as all the other blind fanboys/girls out there.

I am talking about gameplay here by the way. Graphics I couldn't care less about (As long as its workable. ASCII can be fine, 2D can be fine, 3D can be fine. Blurry disgusting, lazy 3D is not for example).

 

[rei1974]

Well yes, I'm up for fair criticism too. I surely know that my games aren't the top, and I'm glad you weren't referring to mine. What I really meant was about the terms, saying "that game has bad controls etc" is ok, but simply saying "shite" etc is a bit too much "direct" I think :D

 

[Ladonna]

Oh that was just one of my generalisations. Fez is an Uber RPG Pope, he knows what I am talking about.

Mind you, I am not going to go through the entire list here and spell out what I think are the lemons. If something shows up in another thread and I think it sucks I will outline it there.

Best if we get out of here before a mod starts making up a new name for thread hijacking of a sticky topic :wink:

 

[Ladonna]

http://www.the-underdogs.info/game.php?id=4783

Dark Disciples

The gameplay is typical top-down RPG that you have seen many times since the days of Ultima 1. Talk to people, kill monsters, and get better loot and stats as you progress. The game starts somewhat slowly: it gets interesting only after you enter Lord Saradin's service, which is when you reach about ninth or tenth experience level. Once you are in his army, you will be able to complete three lengthy campaigns, each of which features a unique set of monsters, terrain, characters, and weapons. One campaign is set in the cold mountains, one in the plague-ridden swamps, and the last in the burning desert. These campaigns are reasonably long, and are packed with enough neat weapons to keep you playing to the end.

Might be worth a whirl.

 

[Fez]

That one has already been mentioned. I've played through it and it was not too bad at all.

 

[Ladonna]

Did you know DD2 is heading towards completion....sort of?
http://www.users.bigpond.com/lafebre/

Yes I bet you did you super nerd... :wink:

And that monika: Dodgysoft-making second rate games since 2004....

 

[Fez]

Of course I knew that, hasn't it been said that I am a super nerd?

His games do have that touch of humor too. Worth wasting some time on, even if they are second-rate.

 

[Karl]

Aliens Roguelike
http://alien.chaosforge.org/

Achtung! Seven day roguelike.

 

[dagorkan]

Aliens Roguelike

I liked it. Too bad you can't save though.

 

[Goliath]

I have recently tried Aveyond:
http://www.amaranthia.com/modules/tinyc ... x.php?id=2

.. and it is surprisingly good! It has the horrible JRPG look, but it is one of the most high-quality indy RPGs out there IMO. I give the game bonus points just because the first quest is not "kill some rats", though. The quest is ... pick some flowers. Yes, not that exciting, but at least unusual. I have only played through the beginning, but it was amazingly well done. The story/characters I mean. The combat is pretty standard JRPG-stuff. I did not notice much choice, so this is certainly not the next Fallout, but it's a nice story-telling/fairy tale RPG really. The reason why I stopped playing it was .. I could not take the girlyness of it anymore. It is one of the few RPGs designed by a woman .. and it shows if you ask me. I do not mean that in a negative kind of way. It is just not my kind of game, but it is good.

Try it!

 

[k_bits]

Warp Rogue

Warp Rogue is a gothic science fantasy roguelike game. It features RPG-like game mechanics, recruitable NPCs, and a consistent theme.

http://todoom.sourceforge.net/

 

[dagorkan]

LOL. Check out the sig of the guy above you...

 

[k_bits]

Kinda why I posted it

 

[Goliath]

Kinda why I posted it

Warp Rogue is not a RPG, though ("RPG-like game mechanics" only refers to the character development and combat system). In my book a real RPG needs at least:

1.) multiple quests
2.) some form of meaningful NPC interaction
3.) some choice (and consequence) outside of "which goblin will I kill first?"

Warp Rogue features nothing of the above. Most of the work done so far has been focused on the engine, character development, and combat mechanics. I am working on 1.) right now, and I hope that I will manage add 2.) and 3.) someday too, but it is kind of hard because the game is only a hobby, and I do not have enough time to spare.

 

[Mr Happy]

oh god yes

I forgot where I put it so here is a stolen screenshot

 

[Naked_Lunch]

Killa is my Game of the Year 2007