Various role-playing RPG game stuff not deserving its own thread

[psychic_dream]

Tales of Symphonia isn’t much fun to play anymore now that I’ve played the newer Tales games. The artes lack variety, chaining attacks isn’t smooth, and bouncing between the two worlds just feels like a chore. There are plenty of smaller complaints , but it’d take too long to list them all.

I gave the Vesperia remaster a try when it dropped, but I didn’t get far before losing interest. Yuri came off like a snarky redditor commie personality—probably designed to appeal to fujoshis. Then there was that short-haired mage girl with her memorable TIDAL WAVE spell casting. Despite all that, the combat system was a clear step up from Symphonia, which I definitely appreciated.

Has anyone here played Arise? Is it decent or just mid? The series seemed to start declining with Xillia, right around when development costs began creeping up—and Japanese studios haven’t recovered since. With the amount of revenue that comes from Tekken 8 and their anime stuff, Tales probably just isn’t a priority for bamco anymore.

[Val the Moofia Boss]

From what I have heard, "Arise" wasn't even supposed to be a Tales game. It was a Versus XIII situation where it got rebranded as a Tales game to keep interest in the franchise's brand name alive after a long drought.

[Tangerine]

I gave the Vesperia remaster a try when it dropped, but I didn’t get far before losing interest. Yuri came off like a snarky redditor commie personality—probably designed to appeal to fujoshis. Then there was that short-haired mage girl with her memorable TIDAL WAVE spell casting. Despite all that, the combat system was a clear step up from Symphonia, which I definitely appreciated.

I liked Vesperia back when it came out, but I wouldn't be surprised if I came to the conclusion you did if I played it now.

The series seemed to start declining with Xillia, right around when development costs began creeping up

Didn't play Xillia, but Zesteria is pretty awful all around. Berseria is marginally better due to more interesting characters and ditching Zesteria's obtuse weapon crafting system, but you have to deal with Jennifer Hale for the whole game.

[psychic_dream]

The translation patch for Sakura Wars 2 just dropped. Grab it here at: https://retrogametalk.com/repository/se ... h-patched/
Mednafen, a good Sega Saturn emulator: https://mednafen.github.io/releases/

[Acrux]

B2 modders can all quit now. We've reached the apex.

https://github.com/shohysie/Modern_Mili ... s/releases

I spent a full month on making this tank animation...

/////////////////////////////////////////////////////
/////Shohy's Modern Military Store v0.96 ////////
/////////////////////////////////////////////////////


---------- Installation & Notes ----------

This mod is **only compatible with the Enhanced Edition (EE)** series of Baldur's Gate games and cannot be used with the original SOA, TOB, or other non-EE versions.

A merchant selling modern military equipment has been added to the following locations:
- **BG1 & Dragonspear**: Second floor of Sorcerous Sundries in Baldur's Gate.
- **SOA**: Trademeet.
- **TOB**: The Oasis.

The merchant sells modern firearms (e.g., assault rifles, sniper rifles), military supplies (e.g., bulletproof vests, tactical grenades), and advanced gear.

Firearms use a ‌unique firing system‌ and independent proficiency system‌ distinct from vanilla weapons. Detailed mechanics are explained in the following instructions.

Powerful items‌ (e.g., drones, robotic dogs) ‌will not appear in early gameplay.

Drone Usage Note‌: When operated outdoors, drones enter a high-altitude state, ‌immune to all AoE damage and ‌not prioritized by enemies‌. In indoor environments, these protections are disabled, rendering drones ‌vulnerable to destruction‌.

Players with sufficient combat strength can challenge the merchant for rare rewards.

**Install this mod after other equipment mods**, as it modifies all armor in the game.


---------- Firearm System ----------

1. **Weapon Effects**
- Firearms have a chance to trigger additional effects: **extra damage, bleeding, slowing, stunning, knockback, or knockdown**. Larger calibers and higher kinetic energy generally enhance these effects.
- **Immunities**: Non-living targets and large creatures are immune to most effects (especially from small-caliber firearms).
- **Armor Interaction**:
- Pistols (high stopping power) excel against unarmored/lightly armored targets (robes, leather, etc.).
- Rifles (high penetration) perform better against heavily armored targets (plate armor, etc.).
- Creatures with natural armor (e.g., Ankhegs, Umber Hulks) are treated as heavily armored.
- **Damage Balance**: Average damage aligns with D&D 3.5e/5e modern weapon rules.
- **Spell Interactions**: Blocked by *Protection from Missiles*, *Protection from Magic Weapons*, etc. *Stoneskin* and *Iron Skin* can block damage and effects but may fail against high-kinetic firearms.
*(Firearms are with the animation of crossbow as custom animations are beyond the modder's capability.)*

2. **Ammunition & Firing Modes**
- **Ammo Types**: Bullets, magazines, drums, belts (universal for simplicity).
- **Firing Modes**:
- **Single-shot** (bullets).
- **Short burst** (magazine: 3–5 bullets per target).
- **Long burst** (drum: 1–3 bullets per target in a 45° cone).
- **Full-auto sweep** (belt: 90° cone).
- **Compatibility**: Firearms have specific ammo requirements (e.g., rifles may only use single-shot). Check item descriptions for details.

3. **Weapon Proficiency**
- Firearms use crossbow proficiency, but existing crossbow proficiency is temporarily disabled when using firearms (may require a round to switch).
- **Training**:
- Gain proficiency through combat (experience scales with firing mode: single-shot < short burst < long burst/sweep).
- Train with the merchant up to Master (3 slots). High Master (4 slots) and Grand Master (5 slots) require combat experience.
- At Master (3 slots): Gain "Automatic Weapon Proficiency I."
- At Grand Master (5 slots): Gain "Automatic Weapon Proficiency II"
- "Automatic Weapon Proficiency" increases the number of bullets that hit targets during bursts and sweeps. The specific effectiveness depends on the firearm, offering a substantial boost to high-rate-of-fire weapons that are difficult to control in full-auto mode.
- Switching back to other weapons resets crossbow proficiency (may take a round).

4. **Attacks Per Round (APR)**
- Base APR varies by firearm (factors include recoil, auto-fire capability, handling, etc.).
- APR bonuses (proficiency, class perks, *Haste*, gear) apply normally.
- **Firing Mode and APR**:
- Single-shot: Normal APR.
- Bursts/sweeps: Reduced APR due to time spent firing (player action paused).
- Example: A 600 RPM firearm fires a short burst (3–5 bullets) in 0.5 seconds; a long burst (5-8 bullets) in 1 second. a sweep (about 15 bullets) in 1.67 seconds.
-Firearms with a rate of fire below 600 RPM require more time for burst fire and sustained fire, while weapons exceeding 600 RPM maintain their firing duration but deliver more bullets per target (certain exceptions apply for specific firearms, as noted in their item descriptions).

5. **Malfunctions**
- Firearms may jam (indicated by an overhead alert).
- Minor jams: Fix manually (1 round).
- Severe jams: Repair at the merchant.
- Characters automatically switch to backup weapons if a firearm breaks.

6. **Close Combat Compensation**
- Pistols, SMGs, shotguns, and PDWs negate the usual ranged penalty (-8 attack, -4 AC) when enemies are within 4 feet.
- The specific compensation mechanism works as follows: When enemies enter within 4 feet of a firearm-wielding player, sidearm users receive combat compensation of +8 hit advantage and +4 defense bonus. However, distance checks occur once per second and may not u

pdate in real-time.

[rusty_shackleford]

I really hate items with arbitrary attribute requirements to equip.

[DagothGeas5]

Does anyone knows why ATOM keeps changing review score on Steam? I sometimes see it in passing as I read around Steam for other games and the reviews now classify it as Mixed. I have noticed there are some sort of sudden bursts of negative reviews, is there something going on behind the scenes in some way? When I clicked on the Steam chart to see the reviews to read what was going on it filtered them so that there seems there are no reviews (those that showed up after some tweaking were almosts all in cyrillic).

[rusty_shackleford]

Does anyone knows why ATOM keeps changing review score on Steam? I sometimes see it in passing as I read around Steam for other games and the reviews now classify it as Mixed. I have noticed there are some sort of sudden bursts of negative reviews, is there something going on behind the scenes in some way? When I clicked on the Steam chart to see the reviews to read what was going on it filtered them so that there seems there are no reviews (those that showed up after some tweaking were almosts all in cyrillic).

AFAIK it's related to russians reviewbombing it for political reasons

[DagothGeas5]

Does anyone knows why ATOM keeps changing review score on Steam? I sometimes see it in passing as I read around Steam for other games and the reviews now classify it as Mixed. I have noticed there are some sort of sudden bursts of negative reviews, is there something going on behind the scenes in some way? When I clicked on the Steam chart to see the reviews to read what was going on it filtered them so that there seems there are no reviews (those that showed up after some tweaking were almosts all in cyrillic).

AFAIK it's related to russians reviewbombing it for political reasons

Thank you for the information! I wonder what it may be their issue, will be reading up on this, thank you once more!

[psychic_dream]

I'm gonna be honest with you guys—three ****** in a row gameplay isn't fun, and I don't see why anyone would think all the Final Fantasies would suddenly sell like crazy if they returned to tradition™. What is it in these games that means so much to you anyway? Each one has its own standalone story and lore, only sharing a few recurring elements from other installments. It's not like there's any real continuity, so why do you care?

[UltraFan123]

If talking about Final Fantasy in particular, then I'm curious if "returning to tradition" would mean the fantasy settings of the first 6 games or the somewhat-modern-with-a-little-magic settings that FF7 made iconic.

[Val the Moofia Boss]

What is it in these games that means so much to you anyway?

• Beautiful aesthetics. Characters, monster designs, environments, weapons, architecture, spell effects, menus, etc.
• The music. Memorable, melodic tunes. The Uematsu-esque slightly hopeful, but slightly sad, but very emotive feel. Powermetal and prog rock.
• The characters are very likeable and endearing, whereas most Western game characters are meh to me.
• The stories are sincere and sometimes quite powerful.
• I quite like the way JRPGs present their combat. It is very visually memorable and dramatic with a team of characters posing in front of a menacing monster. The cool cutscene attack emphasizing each character's unique techniques.

Each one has its own standalone story and lore, only sharing a few recurring elements from other installments. It's not like there's any real continuity, so why do you care?

There was a throughline of the same people working on each game, so yes even though they were separate stories, they had the same writing style, musical composition, design philosophy, and artstyle, etc. So if you enjoyed one game you would likely enjoy another FF game. Similar to how a fan of Trails might also like Falcom's other games because they are made by the same people, or how a fan of Atelier might like Gust's other games, etc.

If talking about Final Fantasy in particular, then I'm curious if "returning to tradition" would mean the fantasy settings of the first 6 games or the somewhat-modern-with-a-little-magic settings that FF7 made iconic.

Up through FF6, the two main gameplay pillars were that it was 1# visually dramatic, menu based combat with a party of characters, and 2# you spent most of the game traversing a vast wilderness. Starting with 10, the series began losing that second point with the removal of the world map, though you were still trekking across a lot of wilderness maps. 12 lost that first point by dumping the visually dramatic JRPG combat for boring Western MMO RTWP autoattack combat. 13 went back to the visually dramatic menu based combat, but then you spent 40 hours of a 60 hour long game running down industrial corridors, and don't reach the wide open wilderness until near the end. This was the most obvious departure from classic Final Fantasy that fans pointed to, but it was really an aggregate loss of things like the classic writing or Uematsu's musical style. And then with 15, you lost the stylized, visually imaginative worlds and instead just got boring Barstow California, and the dramatic menu based combat with characters posing and camera framing was gone. And then 16 doesn't even have a party anymore.

[psychic_dream]

Why does Todd Howard receive less scrutiny every time he overpromises and underdelivers? Peter Molyneux faced harsh criticism for failing to deliver on the hype his work was expected to bring to the RPG scene.

[Val the Moofia Boss]

Why does Todd Howard receive less scrutiny every time he overpromises and underdelivers? Peter Molyneux faced harsh criticism for failing to deliver on the hype his work was expected to bring to the RPG scene.

Todd made three megapopular games which are still megapopular today so he gets a free pass. Peter Molyneux made that god game Black & White which only a few people remember today.

[Rand]

I tried both Two Worlds and Two Worlds II.

They're bad.
Clumsy to play with both bad systems (horse riding) and very weird systems (spellmaking).
Nothing is well explained and the balancing and design decisions are reliably peculiar and poor.

There's a starter island in Two Worlds II with goblins (other name but they're goblins) and some are level appropriate while there are whole groups of level 15 that will one-hit you.
This island from any normal developers would have gently scaling enemies from level one to level 5 or so, giving the player time to gather XP and money before setting out to the main continent and quest.
But as it is, at least 40% of the island is lethal until the player goes off to the main quest and FOR NO REASON goes back to the "tutorial" island at a much higher level in order to clean it out.
And the player has no reason to do so since he's already doing quests and stuff elsewhere.
Just baffling design.

[rusty_shackleford]

I tried both Two Worlds and Two Worlds II.

They're bad.
Clumsy to play with both bad systems (horse riding) and very weird systems (spellmaking).
Nothing is well explained and the balancing and design decisions are reliably peculiar and poor.

There's a starter island in Two Worlds II with goblins (other name but they're goblins) and some are level appropriate while there are whole groups of level 15 that will one-hit you.
This island from any normal developers would have gently scaling enemies from level one to level 5 or so, giving the player time to gather XP and money before setting out to the main continent and quest.
But as it is, at least 40% of the island is lethal until the player goes off to the main quest and FOR NO REASON goes back to the "tutorial" island at a much higher level in order to clean it out.
And the player has no reason to do so since he's already doing quests and stuff elsewhere.
Just baffling design.

I don't think the worlds in RPGs should have content laid out in a linear fashion but instead have enemies of all kinds mixed together

[Rand]

I tried both Two Worlds and Two Worlds II.

They're bad.
Clumsy to play with both bad systems (horse riding) and very weird systems (spellmaking).
Nothing is well explained and the balancing and design decisions are reliably peculiar and poor.

There's a starter island in Two Worlds II with goblins (other name but they're goblins) and some are level appropriate while there are whole groups of level 15 that will one-hit you.
This island from any normal developers would have gently scaling enemies from level one to level 5 or so, giving the player time to gather XP and money before setting out to the main continent and quest.
But as it is, at least 40% of the island is lethal until the player goes off to the main quest and FOR NO REASON goes back to the "tutorial" island at a much higher level in order to clean it out.
And the player has no reason to do so since he's already doing quests and stuff elsewhere.
Just baffling design.

I don't think the worlds in RPGs should have content laid out in a linear fashion but instead have enemies of all kinds mixed together

A stupid and irrelevant comment.
A training island is a training island and there's no reason for half the monsters to be one-hit lethal to the player, especially when they come in groups and the threat is not told or shown to the player in any way.
It's simply "here are more goblins" then "they killed me in one hit... reload time".

[Oyster Sauce]

I tried both Two Worlds and Two Worlds II.

They're bad.
Clumsy to play with both bad systems (horse riding) and very weird systems (spellmaking).
Nothing is well explained and the balancing and design decisions are reliably peculiar and poor.

There's a starter island in Two Worlds II with goblins (other name but they're goblins) and some are level appropriate while there are whole groups of level 15 that will one-hit you.
This island from any normal developers would have gently scaling enemies from level one to level 5 or so, giving the player time to gather XP and money before setting out to the main continent and quest.
But as it is, at least 40% of the island is lethal until the player goes off to the main quest and FOR NO REASON goes back to the "tutorial" island at a much higher level in order to clean it out.
And the player has no reason to do so since he's already doing quests and stuff elsewhere.
Just baffling design.

I don't think the worlds in RPGs should have content laid out in a linear fashion but instead have enemies of all kinds mixed together

A stupid and irrelevant comment.
A training island is a training island and there's no reason for half the monsters to be one-hit lethal to the player, especially when they come in groups and the threat is not told or shown to the player in any way.
It's simply "here are more goblins" then "they killed me in one hit... reload time".

skill issue

[Roguey]

Poles couldn't design games. Many still can't.

[Lhynn]

Poles couldn't design games. Many still can't.

Verily!

[rusty_shackleford]

iirc I pulled this off of a disk intended for media outlets I found on archive.org

[Valter]

party-based RPG... with mechs

[Val the Moofia Boss]

party-based RPG... with mechs

Xenoblade Chronicles X is the only RPG that I have know of where you can run around the game world with a party of mechs. Otherwise, you are looking at either mission/level based SRPGs (Vanguard Bandits, Sakura Wars, Mech Commander, Front Mission, and Ring of Red), or JRPGs like Trails of Cold Steel where you only get to use the mechs during certain segments.

[Valter]

party-based RPG... with mechs

Xenoblade Chronicles X is the only RPG that I have know of where you can run around the game world with a party of mechs. Otherwise, you are looking at either mission/level based SRPGs (Vanguard Bandits, Sakura Wars, Mech Commander, Front Mission, and Ring of Red), or JRPGs like Trails of Cold Steel where you only get to use the mechs during certain segments.

Not the first time I've heard of Sakura Wars

[1998]

party-based RPG... with mechs

Battletech. Probably closer to a tacticool than a real RPG, but close enough.

[Acrux]

party-based RPG... with mechs

MissionForce CyberStorm is the pinnacle of mech games.

[Nemesis]

party-based RPG... with mechs

Chained Echoes

[Tweed]

party-based RPG... with mechs

MissionForce CyberStorm is the pinnacle of mech games.

Beat me to it.

There's nothing quite like Cyberstorm. Corporate Wars isn't as good though. It tried to solve some of Cyberstorm's shortcomings, but it lost far more than it gained.

[Ligrev]

Peter Molyneux made that god game Black & White which only a few people remember today.

...oh my... sweet childhood. i liked this game. alot. the nostalgia feels. man... spend months with my friends in multiplayer skirmishes. wow.

completely forgot this ever existed.

[psychic_dream]

What are your favorite RPGs made by BioWare, and how would you rank them? In your opinion, which game marked their inevitable decline into mediocrity?