Are there actually any games similar to the Ultima Underworld series? - by sammy22
sammy22 on 25/3/2004 at 12:45
Just wondered if anyone knew of games which resemble the Ultima Underworld series, I don't care how old.
By similar I mean that they incorporate a charicter that you can develop, whilst maintaing a unique 3d experience and exploring a variety of different occasions.
I don't just mean any old rpg, one which is specifically more like underworld 2 than Arx F in terms of stats, skills, and developing experience.
AA_Mikel on 26/3/2004 at 06:49
Gotta Ask Sammy. Are you sure you were playing Arx Fatalis and not Anachronix? Im getting the feeling you and I played different games. The game I played was very similer to Ultima Underworld. Not only the plot lines but also the actual Mechanics of the game. No one is claiming its better then the original UWs...but I think its very good for what it sets out to do.
And to be quite honest I didnt care much for UW2 all that much. UW was a better game, more puzzles, and more areas.
But lets address your complaints. Stats? I count 4 stats to UW's 3. Skills. Well, UW had more numerically but if you actually read the descriptions of AF's you will see many are combined. Object knowledge and Intuition both incorperate several differant skills. Same with Close Fighting.
And killing monsters will give you experience. Completeing quests will give you exp. Were you not getting exp? Bring up the equipment screen (not your inventory) and right at the top of the skills and stats page should be EXP with a #. Check the # for Exp accumulated. Put your pointer over it and it should tell you how much is needed to level.
As for the multiple environments. Theres 8 levels, with sometimes several different areas each. You would be surprised at the detail that went into this game. I do think it was small, not because they didnt put enough area in....merely because I craved more. I wanted the experience to last.
Not only do we have all this depth but we have it with good visual graphics and a great magic system.
I honestly think that if you stopped trying to have it compete with your memories of UW games and gave it a chance, you will find it very entertaining.
Thats not to say its perfect....its not. If I had to find a fault with it; it would be that sometimes you are not really sure of what you need to be doing. The journel system is not always updated with needed information and even when it is...sometimes the information is not useful. I was actually stopped 2-3 times. Once was because I wasnt doing something right and it needed to be done specifically a certain way. (It had to do with the Shovel and not double clicking). One of the others was a side quest was very similer to a stage in the main quest and I was a little confused. Another thing is (and I may be just lacking the knowledge) there needs to be an alternate way of identifying things. I had plenty of money at the end game and had 3-4 items I couldnt identify. Im sure that 70k gold could have gotten them ID'd if someone was available.
All in all, I liked this game very much. Not as much as the Thiefs or System shock games but definately more enjoyable then NWN or even BG (original not BG2:SOA). I liked it a whole lot more then the Deus Ex games.
Im not saying your not entitled to your own opinion but cmon....if UW2 is the best you've played might I give out some own recomendations.
Fallout 1 and 2.
Daggerfall
Privateer
Freespace 1 and 2.
Master of Magic
Age of Wonders: Shadow Magic
Alpha Centauri
Sanitarium
Thunderscape
System Shock 2
Thiefs 1 and 2
Europa 1400: The Guild *Gold edition*
Carmageddon (Original and Splatpak)
sammy22 on 26/3/2004 at 15:13
Thanks AA Mikel, for your help and aynalsis of the game. It is entirely possible that my memorys of the underworld games clouded my judgment o n this game, as it was a direct comparison to the games I enjoyed so much in my youth.
I have played about a third of the game (upto the poisoning the apple pie, or is it a laxative), and so felt that was enough not to be enjoying the game.
However my interest for this game has been re-fuelled by direct comments about the game, and how I may have misjudged it.
Subsequentlyl I am going to "dig out" Arx F and begin playing again (I deleted it from my hardrive, but I hope it still has my saved games stored when I re-install it).
It's just I have discovored cheap games recently, and have a line of games i'm waiting to play. I've just finished Devine Divinity, and still have Arcanum, Grim Fandango, and Discworld Noir to play. Aditionally I have ordered Fallout 1 and 2 and planescape torment, all for under £25.
Before I start them I may just give Arx F another chance to shine.
AA_Mikel on 28/3/2004 at 04:31
Arcanium is definately a great game, I dont know why I left it off my list.
sammy22 on 28/3/2004 at 12:44
Thanks, since I finially got the interent after all these years (though i'm still only young) i've been able to pick up some right bargains from amazon.com, or amazon.co.uk. So far I have invested in about 8 games (either rpg's or adventure) and have spent under £40 buying them, and getting them delivired.
i shalll add the games you've mentioned onto a list of possible games to get along with fallout1/2 an planscape torement.
I also consdirered games such as "albion", Lionheart" and even dungeon siege, but out of those 3 only dungeon siege seemed to be appealing having read reveiws.
Of the games on your list do which are based most around skills, stats and experience gained to go up levels. If any are similar to might and magic 6-8 then they are the sort of games i'd enjoy, along with wizardry 8 (could have been great, but the combat system takes to long) and wizards and warriors.
Again could I trouble you to name any games that are similar to these, eg they are very much based around charicter devlopment, killing monsters for exp and solving quests, finding quest items and interaciting with npcs
Any games with skill features like enchant, trade, disarm trap, learning, identify item, and repair would be great, and by putting skill points into these skills you improve them
Aditionally a game with spells such as "travel, lyyoyds Beacon, town portal, day of the gods, heroism, heal, protection from resistances and fly would be magnificent features.
Thanks to anyone who can provide games whre these features are incorporated (other than wizardry 8, and might and magic which I have played and enjoyed)
driver on 29/3/2004 at 00:28
Hmmm decent RPGs eh?
Baldur's Gate 1 & 2 (inc expansions)
Diablo 1 & 2 (although if you haven't played 1 you mihgt as well skip it and go straight to 2)
Arcanum: Of Magik and steamworks obscura (bizarre name but excellent character developmet)
Throne of Darkness (party based samurai take on Diablo)
Odium (hard as nails)
Fallout 1 & 2
Revenant (slightly cartoony diablo, but damn fun. Not so much of the skills though)
Planescape: Torment (some people swear by this, but I didn't like the setting, too alien for me)
Neverwinter Nights (and expansions, Baldur's Gate in 3d! \o/)
Temple of Elemental Evil (weak on storyline, strong on character development)
Pool of Raidience (same as above, I didn't really get into either due to lack of story)
Deus Ex (the original, made by the same guy as UW, and it shows)
System Shock 2 (Same as above)
Vampire the Masquerade: Redemtion (One of the best stories in an RPG, not bad character dev too)
Morrowind (unparralelled freedom and character dev, make sure you get both expanisons and look for fan mods too)
Gothic 1 & 2 (smaller versions of Morrowind, stronger on plot/story though)
If I think of any more, I'll let you know... ;)
Udasai on 29/3/2004 at 07:27
Let us not forget "Descent to Undermountain". Never, never forget.
Shadowcat on 29/3/2004 at 08:51
Quote:
Originally posted by driver Deus Ex (the original, made by the same guy as UW, and it shows)
System Shock 2 (Same as above)
Uh, yikes. That's almost entirely wrong and very misleading.
Ultima Underworld was made by Blue Sky (later LGT), with Warren Spector acting as
producer at publisher company Origin.
System Shock 2 was made by Irrational Games and Looking Glass, and Warren had left LGS by this stage. (He left during the early development of Thief, another game people like to credit him with, although he had essentially no input into the final form of that game either).
Deus Ex was made by Ion Storm Austin, headed up by Mr Spector, and I believe that this game was indeed his baby. To say that either of the other two were "made by" him is absurd, however.
driver on 29/3/2004 at 13:45
I wasn't saying that he was a one-man coding machine, but Deus Ex wouldn't have existed without him. Ok, I got SS2 wrong, I was under the impression that he was involved in that...
