Similar "Party Based" Games to Icewind Dale w/ More Character Slots?

Varwulf

Greetings all, once again I come at you for your experience and knowledge with another Icewind Dale influenced question!

As I stated before I have more past experience with the Icewind Dale series than I do Baldur's Gate. I love both to death, but I still really appreciate creating my entire party from scratch (which I can do with Baldur's gate, yes).

I was wondering if anyone knew of any games similar to this series that allowed maybe, an 8 character party? Perhaps a 10 character party? Or maybe even a 12 character party?

I'd even listen if you knew of any games that fell back into the text based years of video gaming, though I'm likely not to give it a shot lest it is some sort of forgotten gem of it's time that I must indeed play, I still would love to hear it!

I know this is most likely a ridiculous request, but I have to ask :P Tactics and RPing are two of my favorite things - combined together, it's virtual crack for my hungry brain.

Thanks in advance!

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Night_Watch

Dungeon siege is worth checking out. The first 2 are party. Wouldn't bother with the third since it's only 1-2 player

Varwulf

Good advice, information and suggestions, thanks!

Night_Watch

If you have a ps2 or xbox I'd recommend gladius. It's a story set in a Rome/barbarian themed world where you recruit your own school of gladiators, fight tournaments and follow the story of two protagonists.

Also I think fallout 2 was mentioned but fallout tactics has a much stronger emphasis on combat

ZanathKariashi

Temple of Elemental Evil, allows up to 8 if memory serves. 5 player created, 3 NPCs.

You'd probably like ToEE. It's true PnP-style turn-based and is a HIGHLY accurate interpretation of it's DnD ruleset (easily the most accurate of any CRPG to date). Also has several roleplaying options available, since it's based on the PnP module of the same name.

Hard as $%#^ though (if you've never played real PnP, or BG/IWD/NWN/Etc have been your only experience with DnD), and you need the latest Circle of 8 fan patch to fix the bugs, since Trioka went under shortly after it was released, and Atari forced them to release it early.

Varwulf

Night_Watch said:

If you have a ps2 or xbox I'd recommend gladius. It's a story set in a Rome/barbarian themed world where you recruit your own school of gladiators, fight tournaments and follow the story of two protagonists.

Also I think fallout 2 was mentioned but fallout tactics has a much stronger emphasis on combat

I do happen to have both consoles, though I seldom use them compared to the PC, it sounds like a pretty neat game though

Fallout 2 and Fallout Tactics I've both played, though you are limited to only creating your own character which is kind of sad

ZanathKariashi said:

Temple of Elemental Evil, allows up to 8 if memory serves. 5 player created, 3 NPCs.

You'd probably like ToEE. It's true PnP-style turn-based and is a HIGHLY accurate interpretation of it's DnD ruleset (easily the most accurate of any CRPG to date). Also has several roleplaying options available, since it's based on the PnP module of the same name.

Hard as $%#^ though (if you've never played real PnP, or BG/IWD/NWN/Etc have been your only experience with DnD), and you need the latest Circle of 8 fan patch to fix the bugs, since Trioka went under shortly after it was released, and Atari forced them to release it early.

I picked up ToEE on GOG awhile back, just haven't got around to playing it yet. It sounds like it'd be something out of this world then, if my BG/IWD/NWN experience might actually reduce my ability to comprehend the more challenging features of the game :O It might be worth looking into sooner rather than later.

ZanathKariashi

If you enjoy tactics, ToEE is basically the best, bar none. Just take it slow, read your spell descriptions and especially the game manual carefully, and if you get massacred in one of your first few fights, don't get discouraged, part of any new game or system is the learning process.

And again...get the Circle of 8 fan patch...seriously....the bugs are what killed that what could've been the start of a new series to dethrone the infinity engine games as the pinnacle of CRPG DnD gaming.


I'd still love to see someone pick up the engine and use it for FR based adventures (Greyhawk is pretty bland, imo...and ToEE based on basically the first DnD module ever made..so it can come off as trite or cliche by modern standards...still good, even if just for the combat and rule implementation alone), or at least release a user-friendly toolkit for it, since making new content for it is incredibly frustrating.

AendaeronBluescale

Night_Watch said:

Dungeon siege is worth checking out. The first 2 are party. Wouldn't bother with the third since it's only 1-2 player

Dungeon Siege 1 Singleplayer has 1 PC + 7 NPCs and in Multiplayer no NPCs are recruitable (max. 8 players)
Dungeon Siege 2 Singleplayer has a cap of 2-6 party members (1 PC +5 NPCs, cap increases during gameplay), Dungeon Siege 2 Multiplayer has a total cap of 12 characters (2Players 6 Chars each, 3 Players 4 Chars each, 4 Players 3 Chars each, 6 Players 2 Chars each)

NOTE: The Steam versions of DS1 and 2 are stripped from their MP functions (even Direct IP Connect and LAN are gone!) because ZoneMatch is no more.

NOTE: In order to run DS:LoA non-Steam on an x64 OS, disable DEP for DungeonSiege.exe and DSLOA.exe, because the copy protection loads itself as a raw asset and then tries to execute from assembly, which modern CPUs do not support for virus protection.
(System -> Advanced System settings -> performance -> settings -> Data Execution Prevention -> Enable Exceptions -> Add the two executables.

LadyRhian

Gold Box Games allowed six party members, but you could add one more if you picked up an important NPC (like Vala in Secret of the Silver Blades/Pools of Darkness) and you could hire henchmen in the original Pool of Radiance. There is a Dwarf who joins the party in Dark Queen of Krynn as well, Grunschka, I believe her name was, This character is added as a seventh party member to the list of six. You may have been able to hire up to two mercenaries in Pool of Radiance. I honestly can't remember, it has been so long.

scriver

If you're interested in tactics games and don't mind them not being fantasy, check out Jagged Alliance 2 - a "modern" (20 years ago ) combat tactics game. The original game only allowed one player-made character, but last I checked the 1,13 mod allowed for six characters if your own making. Both still have dozens of NPCs to hire or recruit, of course. It's on the lighter side with the RPG elements but it's still an excellent game and one of ky favourites ever.

Night_Watch

AendaeronBluescale said:

Night_Watch said:

Dungeon siege is worth checking out. The first 2 are party. Wouldn't bother with the third since it's only 1-2 player

Dungeon Siege 1 Singleplayer has 1 PC + 7 NPCs and in Multiplayer no NPCs are recruitable (max. 8 players)
Dungeon Siege 2 Singleplayer has a cap of 2-6 party members (1 PC +5 NPCs, cap increases during gameplay), Dungeon Siege 2 Multiplayer has a total cap of 12 characters (2Players 6 Chars each, 3 Players 4 Chars each, 4 Players 3 Chars each, 6 Players 2 Chars each)

NOTE: The Steam versions of DS1 and 2 are stripped from their MP functions (even Direct IP Connect and LAN are gone!) because ZoneMatch is no more.

NOTE: In order to run DS:LoA non-Steam on an x64 OS, disable DEP for DungeonSiege.exe and DSLOA.exe, because the copy protection loads itself as a raw asset and then tries to execute from assembly, which modern CPUs do not support for virus protection.
(System -> Advanced System settings -> performance -> settings -> Data Execution Prevention -> Enable Exceptions -> Add the two executables.

I wanna play dungeon siege again. So many games... -.-

LadyRhian

Avernum/Exile from Spiderweb Software. Old School RPGs in the Gold Box/SSI type format. The much older Exile Games (there were 3) allowed up to six party members. The newer Avernum games allow 4, all customizable.

Also, there is Realmz (though I don't think this one is being supported/updated any more). It's a game with different modules available for it that you can play, from the first (available when you buy the game) that has a town and wilderness to explore, to a "Giants" one called "Castle in the Clouds". It was developed by a company called Fantasoft in 1994. They have since made it freeware (2008), and because it was developed for Macintosh, that version is the one with the most complete final update, released in 2000, I think. In addition to the standard classes and races, they had unusual ones like demons, vampires, Shadow Elves, Cathoon, Furfoots (Halflings), Goblins, Hobgoblins, Leprechauns, Pixies, Brownies... well, you get the idea.

The Gold Box/SSI games were the first games released for AD&D back in the day. Old interface, old graphics, but still eminently playable if you can get them to work. The Pool of Radiance series (Pool of Radiance, Curse of the Azure Bonds, Secret of the Silver Blades, and Pools of Darkness) and Savage Frontier series (Gateway to the Savage Frontier, Treasures of the Savage Frontier) are set in the Forgotten Realms. There was a version of Neverwinter Nights (multiplayer online world) available through AOL at one point. It was available for six years and became the basis for later online games like Everquest and Ultima Online.

There was also a Gold Box/SSI game series set in Krynn, the Dragonlance series, with Champions of Krynn, Deathknights of Krynn and Dark Queen of Krynn (I played the last one, but not the first two). There were also two games set in the Buck Rodgers XXV Century game (Published by TSR- not one of their more successful games) called "Countdown to Doomsday" and "Matrix Cubed".

And Spiderweb Software recently released a new game called Avadon, which shares a lot in common with their Exile/Avernum games but has a main character and other characters you can recruit. If you like that game, I would also suggest their Geneforge games, which involve one character who creates monsters to help him or her overcome obstacles, defeat enemies and so forth, with the monsters being your "party". It has a really interesting and engaging storyline, with many people to ally with/make enemies of and so on.

And there is one more- Nethergate, which is a Fantasy RPG based around the Roman occupation of Britain. You can play as Celts- with greater access to magic, and a more friendly relationship with the various fae and peoples you encounter, or as Romans, with no access to magic (at least at the start), but better martial training. You are adventuring to advance the cause of your people, and get caught up in interactions with the faeries and a fight to retain magic. Included are a visit to the Celtic land of the dead and at least one fight with a Dragon and against three old crones who are also witches. Spiderweb Software also included a scenario creator/editor with the game "Blades of Exile/Avernum" that allowed you to create your own scenarios for the game. Realmz also did so with their expansion "Divinity".

Nerdy_Anarchist

I didn't read all the comments, but the only other games similar to IWD and BG are Shadowrun & Shadowrun Returns. Although you have party members u can't edit em from scratch, but they are controlled by u and not NPC's. Another games similar to the role playing style is Heroes Of Might & Magic III. Turn based rpg with rpg elements similar to IWD AND BG kind of are Banner Saga, and Kings Bounty. Just to name a few. I have no idea what others have recommended. I've played em all, and M&M is a lot of fun, also published by Ubisoft.