Posted April 13, 2011
As most people have already said you really aren't going to find a 'fast paced' true CRPG. Out of the ones you listed Gothic should be more familiar to you in terms of perspective but the controls might take some time to get use to (although you can easily set them to standard WASD) as far as combat goes. Even then, questing and playing the story takes time to develop. I'd say a first playthrough of Gothic is around 35-40 hours and there is a lot of walking/exploring involved.
Also, to add, most ARPGs aren't really RPGs. I still like them, but usually the only RPG elements they have are leveling, abilities, and loot a la Diablo, Sacred, Torchlight, and Deathspank (and honestly Deathspank is more of an Adventure game with ARPG mechanics).
MaxWilco: However, when I think about, that's exactly what dissuades me about some RPGs. When I play a game, I actually want to play the game. I don't want to spend time fretting about how to distribute my skill points properly so I don't shoot myself in the foot later in the game, and I also don't want to spend twenty minutes comparing my party's armor and equipment to make sure that I don't accidentally sell the wrong equipment set and lose out on better items. I know that most all RPGs do this and that at varying levels for each. It's just that I'd rather play the game and follow the story through, rather than spending time leveling up and balancing my equipment.
However, I'd still like to play games like Planescape Torment and Neverwinter Nights, as the stories interest me. The stat-building and equipment managing may dissuade me, but perhaps I'll just have to get over that. Maybe the best thing for me to do is to actually buy one the games and see if I like it. That's like saying you want to get into FPS games without having to shoot at people. Stat-building and itemization/inventory management are pretty core aspects of CRPGs. If you don't like that type of game, you just don't like that type of game. You shouldn't have to force yourself through it. If you just want to see the story, watch a Let's Play on youtube.
Also, to add, most ARPGs aren't really RPGs. I still like them, but usually the only RPG elements they have are leveling, abilities, and loot a la Diablo, Sacred, Torchlight, and Deathspank (and honestly Deathspank is more of an Adventure game with ARPG mechanics).
However, I'd still like to play games like Planescape Torment and Neverwinter Nights, as the stories interest me. The stat-building and equipment managing may dissuade me, but perhaps I'll just have to get over that. Maybe the best thing for me to do is to actually buy one the games and see if I like it.
Post edited April 13, 2011 by Metro09
