The Longest RPG ever?

metalhead · December 19, 2002, 15:29

Just wondering what has been people's experience is the longest RPG in terms of play time? And in these long ones, do you spend a lot of time level-gaining, or is there a good, really long RPG out there with a solid story whose length is based more on adventuring than level-building/dungeon crawl? I personally remember playing Lunar: The Silver Star for a few hours every day after school for over a month, and it seemed to be a pretty plot driven game.

Drake Tungsten · December 19, 2002, 15:35

If you're talking about console RPG's, then Xenogears has to be one of the longest. Great story as well.

If you're talking PC RPG's, who knows? You'd could play something like Everquest for ever...

Traianvs · December 19, 2002, 15:45

Well i don't know morrowind and neverwinter nights enough (right now) but it looks like Morrowind is good for adventuring...

Divine divinity and the BG saga have a plot you have to follow somewhat (but you can still do whatever you want, just not always)... i did enjoy the BG series the most though... in fact i'll never forget it: one the top games ever !!!

DarkCloud · December 19, 2002, 18:09

I think that Morrowind is actually the longe4st; at least some computer gaming magazines claim that

but Neverwinter nights can be made longer with supplements downloadable from the net.

Comrade Chris · December 19, 2002, 18:18

BG must be long enough, and its definately one of the best

CapitanGarlic · December 19, 2002, 19:36

Online games probably shouldn't count here...

Tuberski · December 19, 2002, 20:25

Morrowind is very long and very easy to mod, there are already a lot of mods for it, both official and unofficial.

ACK!

Dis · December 19, 2002, 22:31

Morrowind

followed by Baldur's Gate 2.

As for NWN the original campaign isn't that long. I don't think you can add up original modules. And don't get me started on peristant worlds.

Urban Ranger · December 19, 2002, 23:00

Well, if you take Wizardry 6-8 as one big story, there's a very, very, long game right there.

Grumbold · December 20, 2002, 07:41

My longest RPG is the AD&D campaign that has been running for 18 years now and counting. That said, I don't think you can guage CRPG's on their longevity easily. If you stick to the essential plot only then most of them can be finished in 50 hours or less. Its the breadth of alternative paths that expand them out into much longer adventures if you choose. In that respect I think Arcanum, BG II, Morrowind, Wizardry 8 and Fallout 2 are all worthy. Planescape: Torment still caps them in terms of story content, but probably not in time taken to play.

Of all the MMORPG's I think only Asherons Call 1 had a vast amount of time and effort poured into the lore and history. Its hard to piece together parts of it without endless fighting though so I don't recommend it as a story led game.

DrSpike · December 20, 2002, 11:45

Don't paly that many RPG's but I played BG2, and that was rather long.

Boris Godunov · December 20, 2002, 13:04

If you take Ultima 7 pts 1 and 2 as one story, that's also pretty long.

Juggler · December 20, 2002, 13:28

both BG1 and BG2 are long and very enjoyable (although I think BG2 had me occupied for a longer time).

Boris Godunov · December 20, 2002, 15:23

Of course, isn't "length" relative? I finished BG in a month, but I first played Ultima 5 when I was 14 or so and have yet to finish it...

DrSpike · December 20, 2002, 15:31

Not really. If a game takes more hours to complete it is longer, regardless of how those hours are spread out.

DarkCloud · December 20, 2002, 15:36

No Boris.
Length is judged on game content, side quests, etc. and as Dr. Spike said; in hours to complete.

As a side note: I have spent over 15 hours stuck in BG I's 2nd chapter... I cant win

Comrade Chris · December 20, 2002, 16:11

yeah reloading for hours sucks.. (might and magic 6 or something, where they put 200 wolves outside some cave)

Imran Siddiqui · December 20, 2002, 19:22

Morrowind.

I've spent AT LEAST 100 hours on it, and I still have the last part of the main quest to go (which I'll ignore to do more side quests!

)

Kassiopeia · December 21, 2002, 04:52

I spent 120 hours on a single game of FF VIII, but most of that time was spent levelling up, playing a silly minigame and drawing magic.

child of Thor · December 21, 2002, 06:38

Probably 'Alternate Reality- The city' and the follow up 'The Dungeon', on an 8bit Atari. I worked out that i spent about 2 months in real time over about 3-4 years playing this game and never finished it.
I did start BaldursGate last year but haven't had a chance to get back to it.

Footie Mad · December 21, 2002, 08:06

Quote:

Originally posted by DarkCloud
As a side note: I have spent over 15 hours stuck in BG I's 2nd chapter... I cant win

You still stuck? I might be able to help.

DarkCloud · December 21, 2002, 14:14

Thanks for the offer.
I've looked at strategy guides and still can't play well...
-Do I need to accept EVERY side quest before going into the mines?
How far should I level up before going into the mines.

3. I hate the mines. I probably spent 5-7 hours of the game in them alone and I cant see anything

4. I turned the difficulty down and it is better, but I still get my whole party killed by 1 bear on level one... and can't get past the bridge to help minsc fast enough as a wizard...

(I've played twice. 1st- ranger... I lost minsc because I got to Dynaher THE DAY that he went mad; and due to a bug; he didn't notice that I had rescued her)

But as a wizard I am notably weaker and can't get past the bridge

I really dislike hard games... I'veo nly ever been able to beat one RPG- Kings Quest V... and yet I own so many

I have seriously been consdiering the Drizzt cheat

Oh well... *sigh*

axi · December 21, 2002, 16:26

Might & Magic 6 is looooooong....

I guess the type of games where you can reach level 100-150 tend to be really long.

SnowFire · December 22, 2002, 02:18

For Console RPGs, Xenogears or Grandia, definitely. Both of those can take 60 hours easily.

Open-ended ones are harder to judge as noted... can'ty give any better guesses than those already mentioned.

DarkCloud: BG1 isn't actually that good. I recommend you skip it and go straight to BG2, which actually has strategy in its battles. If you're having trouble in BG1, here is the one strategy to rule them all for the vast monster hordes lying around: equip all your team with bows. Send one scout forward to distract the next 1 or 2 enemies and get them to follow. Watch as they get mowed down by your teammates with arrows. Send scout back. Lure more bad guys back. Maybe move ambush forward a bit. Repeat until all 200 gnolls are dead, or whatever else you're fighting.
Spellcasters can be annoying when you're at low levels in that they can kill you with one hit sometimes; all I can say is once you level up it won't be as big of a problem.

BG2 has much harder and more interesting combat than BG1, IMHO.

Dis · December 22, 2002, 03:41

I haven't played much BG1, but BG2 does seem much better.

I died a lot at first, but once I got a hand at the combat system it became easier. But you do have to learn the importance of spells like breach, kheldings wharding whip and such.

Straybow · December 23, 2002, 01:51

Quote:

Originally posted by Grumbold
My longest RPG is the AD&D campaign that has been running for 18 years now and counting.

18 years? By now you should be about 180th level and exterminated every monster on the prime and adjacent planes.

Long ago I played AD&D. We didn't do it like a typical adolescent hack 'n' slash game. No computer version has the depth of immersion you get from a well moderated game. Players do things nobody could have predicted.

I remember a campaign with a GM in college. He wanted it to work out one way, but nobody else saw what he was trying to do. It ended poorly. Many books I read are similar in that the authors make the characters do Things That Nobody Would Do. I ground my teeth through the Illearth series just because I wanted to read how Donaldson would kill off Thomas Covenant in the end. I get the same feeling going through the few scripted scenario games I've tried.

I was tempted to try Arcanum because the reviews said they did a good job of making it seem like your character would be motivated to follow the script. But I'm convinced that computers and programmers will not be capable of it in the foreseeable future.

Apocalypse · December 23, 2002, 02:37

Arcanum is good for plot twists. You really aren't motiviated to follow a script either. It is like Fallout in this respect.

Straybow · December 23, 2002, 10:09

Well, by "follow the script" I mean "do what it takes to win the game." There is a mystery to be solved or something. Since MoO3 is indefinitely delayed… might try it.

Apocalypse · December 23, 2002, 10:38

There are a few ways to beat the game. It starts off a little scripted, but that actually contributes well to the story. It is kinda like Fallout scripted in the beginning. You follow a basic path for a little while, then it becomes far more open.

mrboo123 · December 23, 2002, 12:32

The only RPG games I played were Mario RPG (hope they make a re-make of it with game boy,) and Pokemon (yes, I played it... when I was ten...) and to me, they both tied because I never beating none of them!