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Ten role playing games you HAVE to play before you die
1. World of Warcraft (WoW)
The three way battle between the Horde, The Alliance and the forces of evil is the hall mark of the World of Warcraft. This game allows user to delve into the fantasy world of Azeroth where they can choose to fight as a human, dwarf, elf or even an Orc or troll among other races. So why exactly is WoW a must play game? WoW itself is the biggest any MMORPG has ever become. WoW Jargon has taken over the internet, many of the messages in the memes now were discussed on wow well before they were released. The WoW culture has become its own unique brand and something which is worth experiencing. The graphics, story, multi-player interaction, dungeons and player versus player combat are the other obvious reasons. While many complain that the game has lost its appeal in recent times, I would recommend you play this game at least once in your life time.
2. Suikoden II
You will almost never find this game on any top gaming list but believe me this, often underrated, game is one that a die-hard RPG fan CANNOT miss. Follow the hero (your choice of name) and his best friend as they find themselves in the middle of a war between two old enemy countries. Suikoden is based in a fantasy world with monsters, magic and swords and are usually based around one of the 27 true runes of power. This is a playstation game but don't let that fool you. It has decent graphics and the most amazing story line I have ever come across including strategy elements when two armies fight. Play this game if you haven't already you will not be disappointed. (If you really want to get into it try play part one first as you can load some data for extra stuff)
3. Final Fantasy VII
Another playstation classic that could easily be number one on any list. Play as the legendary Cloud, a mercenary on a journey to stop sephiroth and figure out who you are. The game is based in a world called Gaia with three major continents for players to explore. The bosses are quite challenging and the overall game play is very enjoyable. The graphics of this game are pretty impressive considering the time it was released and it has a very solid story line for players to enjoy. Almost any RPG-er will recommend ff7 to you.
4. The Elder Scrolls: Oblivion
The Elder Scrolls has been around since 1994. It has been one of the most successful series to grace the world of RPGs. It would be hard to find a fellow gamer who has not heard of The Elder Scrolls: Oblivion/Skyrim. While Skyrim is on every gamers mind right now, I feel that Oblivion has more solid game play. Oblivion offers a very lush and beautiful world to explore. One could easily play the game for 200 hours and more. The freedom players are given makes the game a very enriching experience. The sheer amount of side quests present in the game means that the player can choose how he wants the game to be played out. The game is not limited to questing however as every player has the opportunity to advance skills like lock-picking and stealth. The combat in Oblivion can be switched between first person to third person with a simple scroll of the mouse wheel. Characters are able to cast spells and fight with swords seamlessly. The enemy AI is also very smart and be aggressive at higher levels. I wholeheartedly recommend players try out Oblivion and try to experience the game in its entirety.
5. The Mass Effect series
By far one of the best role playing games I have ever played. This game is based in outer space where you play as Commander Shephard and visit various planets tracking a former spectre (special agents of the citadel council) Saren who is attempting to bring back the Reavers. Yes there is an alien council consisting of different races which pretty much runs the galaxy. The story is played out in three games (I highly recommend you play it from the first one) and all three games were amazing. The game is a 3rd person shooter and has a lot of action as well as a solid story line and characters. The best thing about Mass effect is that any decision has an effect on the story and people can have completely different story lines. This is a must play game and many predict it will win game of the year 2012.
6. Zelda
Say what you will about Nintendo but they do know how to make characters that make an impression for decades. Samus Aran, Fox McCloud, Mario and Luigi, are just a few characters that one can easily relate to Nintendo. One of their most if not the most popular character is Link from The Legend of Zelda games. There have been 16 official Zelda games and Link has been playing the lead character in all of them. Link finds himself saving or protecting Zelda and the Kingdom of Hyrule in every game. The key component to this very generic hack and slash game are the dungeons that link must explore through to finish the game. Every dungeon is riddled with puzzles and monsters that make the gameplay a whole lot of fun. Dungeons will sometimes hold certain weapons or items like a bow and arrow, hookshot, tornado gun, boomerang. These weapons in turn help solve certain puzzles or help defeating certain monsters. The game that really made The Legend of Zelda popular is The Ocarina of Time for the Nintendo 64. Exploring Hyrule in 3D was a great departure from the top down gameplay of the previous Zelda games. While the graphics may be blocky the gameplay is very solid and a lot of fun. Boss fights are always a challenge as you try to figure out what item is more suitable for defeating certain bosses. The currency in the game is called Rupees and is used to purchase ammo and certain upgrades for weapons and items. It is an absolute must to pick up a copy of The Legend of Zelda for your Console and play it.
7. Kingdom Hearts
SquareEnix is very popular for it's array of RPG style games. One of my favourite game from this publisher is the Kingdom Hearts series. Kingdom Hearts 1 and 2 bring the worlds of Disney cartoons and SqaureEnix games together to form a game that is quite extraordinary. You take on the role of young Sora who dreams of discovering different worlds one day with his friends Riku and Kairi. This dream comes true and you as Sora are sent across to many different worlds where you meet numerous Disney and SquareEnix characters. Journeying with Sora are two widely recognised Disney characters, Donald and Goofy. The combat in this game is a lot of fun. It is very hack and slash focused but you are able to seamlessly cast spells and string a variety of combos with your "keyblade" to keep the enemy from escaping your brutal attacks. Weapons, skills and spells are all upgradeable as is expected from a traditional SquareEnix game. The player can also upgrade and choose what skills their party members use and how often. Party members can wary depending on the world you are currently in. So if you went to Agrabbah you would have the option to choose Alladin as one of your companions but would have to replace either Donald or Goofy. Every Disney world is very beautifully designed and is open to explore. The addition of using some very popular actors and voice actors makes every moment believable. I whole heartedly recommend everyone dust off their ps2 and pick this game up.
8. The Witcher 2
This is another game I played this year and recommend to all hardcore RPG-ers. Play as Geralt, a Witcher as he chases down a mysterious assassin and unveils an even bigger plot as the game progresses. The Witcher 2, like all good RPG games, has its own set of unique characters which make the game stand out from average ones. I especially loved the two blades he carries on his back, one for slaying monsters and one for fighting other other people . Witchers are monsters hunters created by wizards who use magic to make normal people undergo long term evolution instantly. This game is also choice based- as in your choices throughout the game greatly determine the story line. It has a solid story, amazing graphics and the most interesting side quests I have ever played. Just a little warning to parents however this game has some scenes which you probably don't want your kids to see.
9. Breath of Fire IV
This is a highly underrated game which has an amazing concept, story and pretty solid graphics considering the time of release. Play as Ryu (name changeable) the second half of a great dragon who was split into two and travel with your new found friend and princess of Wyndia Nina as she searches for her missing sister. You always get to play as the main half of the dragon, emperor Fou Lou (who is extremely over powered btw) and transform into a powerful dragon form during fights. This playstation game has one of the best story lines you will ever play and I suggest you give it a try, if you haven't already.
10. Suikoden V
Now I just started playing this game a week ago and am about half way through but so far it has been amazing. This game created by Konami brings back many elements of the first two suikodens and has an awesome plot. Like all suikoden games you have to recruit 108 different people to get a perfect ending and most of them can be used in your party during combat! Suikoden 5 also has bad endings if you make really terrible choices, I made a bad choice once half way through the game and the game ended with the bad guys winning. There is also a cool element of strategy during huge military battles and a lot of monsters, swords and magic. I highly recommend you try the whole Genso Suikoden series because it's pretty awesome.
Please bear in mind that there are many other games of all genres which are all must-play games but this is just a list of my favorites :D
By ssolidsnake.
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2. Suikoden II
3. Final Fantasy VII
Another playstation classic that could easily be number one on any list. Play as the legendary Cloud, a mercenary on a journey to stop sephiroth and figure out who you are. The game is based in a world called Gaia with three major continents for players to explore. The bosses are quite challenging and the overall game play is very enjoyable. The graphics of this game are pretty impressive considering the time it was released and it has a very solid story line for players to enjoy. Almost any RPG-er will recommend ff7 to you.
4. The Elder Scrolls: Oblivion
The Elder Scrolls has been around since 1994. It has been one of the most successful series to grace the world of RPGs. It would be hard to find a fellow gamer who has not heard of The Elder Scrolls: Oblivion/Skyrim. While Skyrim is on every gamers mind right now, I feel that Oblivion has more solid game play. Oblivion offers a very lush and beautiful world to explore. One could easily play the game for 200 hours and more. The freedom players are given makes the game a very enriching experience. The sheer amount of side quests present in the game means that the player can choose how he wants the game to be played out. The game is not limited to questing however as every player has the opportunity to advance skills like lock-picking and stealth. The combat in Oblivion can be switched between first person to third person with a simple scroll of the mouse wheel. Characters are able to cast spells and fight with swords seamlessly. The enemy AI is also very smart and be aggressive at higher levels. I wholeheartedly recommend players try out Oblivion and try to experience the game in its entirety.
5. The Mass Effect series
By far one of the best role playing games I have ever played. This game is based in outer space where you play as Commander Shephard and visit various planets tracking a former spectre (special agents of the citadel council) Saren who is attempting to bring back the Reavers. Yes there is an alien council consisting of different races which pretty much runs the galaxy. The story is played out in three games (I highly recommend you play it from the first one) and all three games were amazing. The game is a 3rd person shooter and has a lot of action as well as a solid story line and characters. The best thing about Mass effect is that any decision has an effect on the story and people can have completely different story lines. This is a must play game and many predict it will win game of the year 2012.
6. Zelda
Say what you will about Nintendo but they do know how to make characters that make an impression for decades. Samus Aran, Fox McCloud, Mario and Luigi, are just a few characters that one can easily relate to Nintendo. One of their most if not the most popular character is Link from The Legend of Zelda games. There have been 16 official Zelda games and Link has been playing the lead character in all of them. Link finds himself saving or protecting Zelda and the Kingdom of Hyrule in every game. The key component to this very generic hack and slash game are the dungeons that link must explore through to finish the game. Every dungeon is riddled with puzzles and monsters that make the gameplay a whole lot of fun. Dungeons will sometimes hold certain weapons or items like a bow and arrow, hookshot, tornado gun, boomerang. These weapons in turn help solve certain puzzles or help defeating certain monsters. The game that really made The Legend of Zelda popular is The Ocarina of Time for the Nintendo 64. Exploring Hyrule in 3D was a great departure from the top down gameplay of the previous Zelda games. While the graphics may be blocky the gameplay is very solid and a lot of fun. Boss fights are always a challenge as you try to figure out what item is more suitable for defeating certain bosses. The currency in the game is called Rupees and is used to purchase ammo and certain upgrades for weapons and items. It is an absolute must to pick up a copy of The Legend of Zelda for your Console and play it.
7. Kingdom Hearts
SquareEnix is very popular for it's array of RPG style games. One of my favourite game from this publisher is the Kingdom Hearts series. Kingdom Hearts 1 and 2 bring the worlds of Disney cartoons and SqaureEnix games together to form a game that is quite extraordinary. You take on the role of young Sora who dreams of discovering different worlds one day with his friends Riku and Kairi. This dream comes true and you as Sora are sent across to many different worlds where you meet numerous Disney and SquareEnix characters. Journeying with Sora are two widely recognised Disney characters, Donald and Goofy. The combat in this game is a lot of fun. It is very hack and slash focused but you are able to seamlessly cast spells and string a variety of combos with your "keyblade" to keep the enemy from escaping your brutal attacks. Weapons, skills and spells are all upgradeable as is expected from a traditional SquareEnix game. The player can also upgrade and choose what skills their party members use and how often. Party members can wary depending on the world you are currently in. So if you went to Agrabbah you would have the option to choose Alladin as one of your companions but would have to replace either Donald or Goofy. Every Disney world is very beautifully designed and is open to explore. The addition of using some very popular actors and voice actors makes every moment believable. I whole heartedly recommend everyone dust off their ps2 and pick this game up.
8. The Witcher 2
This is another game I played this year and recommend to all hardcore RPG-ers. Play as Geralt, a Witcher as he chases down a mysterious assassin and unveils an even bigger plot as the game progresses. The Witcher 2, like all good RPG games, has its own set of unique characters which make the game stand out from average ones. I especially loved the two blades he carries on his back, one for slaying monsters and one for fighting other other people . Witchers are monsters hunters created by wizards who use magic to make normal people undergo long term evolution instantly. This game is also choice based- as in your choices throughout the game greatly determine the story line. It has a solid story, amazing graphics and the most interesting side quests I have ever played. Just a little warning to parents however this game has some scenes which you probably don't want your kids to see.
9. Breath of Fire IV
This is a highly underrated game which has an amazing concept, story and pretty solid graphics considering the time of release. Play as Ryu (name changeable) the second half of a great dragon who was split into two and travel with your new found friend and princess of Wyndia Nina as she searches for her missing sister. You always get to play as the main half of the dragon, emperor Fou Lou (who is extremely over powered btw) and transform into a powerful dragon form during fights. This playstation game has one of the best story lines you will ever play and I suggest you give it a try, if you haven't already.
10. Suikoden V
Now I just started playing this game a week ago and am about half way through but so far it has been amazing. This game created by Konami brings back many elements of the first two suikodens and has an awesome plot. Like all suikoden games you have to recruit 108 different people to get a perfect ending and most of them can be used in your party during combat! Suikoden 5 also has bad endings if you make really terrible choices, I made a bad choice once half way through the game and the game ended with the bad guys winning. There is also a cool element of strategy during huge military battles and a lot of monsters, swords and magic. I highly recommend you try the whole Genso Suikoden series because it's pretty awesome.
Please bear in mind that there are many other games of all genres which are all must-play games but this is just a list of my favorites :D
By ssolidsnake.
6
A beginner's guide to WOW arena
Most people stay away from the pvp (player vs player) aspect of The World of Warcraft because they can't seem to progress.
While Arena is a tough aspect of the game, there is no reason why every player shouldn't be at least 2k rated.
Here are some basics for new Arena players:
Key Binding
Key-binding is the most important thing you need to do if you wish to pvp.
Key-bind everything from you hearthstone to your mount. you can use 1, 2 ,3, 4 , 5 ,6 to Shift+1, Shift+2, to control +1......q e r t f g h z x c v b and shift and control all those ( u get the point)
At first when you use key-binds it will seem like a hassle and you will be tempted to revert back to your old style: DON'T DO IT! Go do quests that is the best way to get used to new key-binds
When you can press control+z and hide all your keys and still be able to use your moves, you are ready for PVP.
Addons
Addons are an optional feature which help you track the enemy abilities among other things.
You can get addons from wowinterface or curse.
Addons I use:
Gladius: An absolute must for beginners in arena, This addon tracks enemy health bars, their class / spec, whether they are drinking, their trinket cool-down and has an option to announce it all on chat.
OmniCC: is an addon that shows the actual timer of your abilities which are on cool down and is very useful for letting your team know how long you have to an ability.
Doom Cooldown pulse: actually flashes your abilities in the middle of the screen as they come off cool-down so you don't have to look down. Very useful.
Spell Alerter: shows you what spell enemies are casting at you or your party on the top of your screen.
Quartz: is an addon i use to track cast bars. I usually have my focus cast bar in the middle of my screen.
Deadly boss mods: i use sometimes to track shadow sight gems but you do not really need this,I am just lazy to turn it off usually.
Now unit frames are the users choice and you can even use the default wow unit frames but i use Xperl because it alows me to customize my unit frames completely.
I also suggest you download Leatrix latency fix.
Macros
Macros are in game commands you can use to make your PvP life a lot easier.
While there are too many classes and spells to list the macros on this thread I will list a few important ones which are necessary:
Focus: press /macro in game then create new macro. Type /focus in the macro box then key-bind it (It is important that you key-bind focus because you may have to change your focus target in game). Now click on your enemy and hit the focus button, a screen should appear and you can now see his health bar.
If you downloaded xperl, click on the white button on your minimap, go to focus tab and put your focus targets frame where ever you find convenient (I put it under my targets frame)
Note: you can set quartz to track focus cast bars.
The next macro you make is /cast [target=focus] "insert spell name without quotations" this will cast whichever spell you list at the focus target. Really useful for casting your CC spells at the focus.
You can also replace the focus in [target=focus] to a team members name to cast a beneficial spell at any of them.
Once you get the basic idea of macros you can play around with the commands and make your own macros easily!
I will post a macro tutorial on this site soon!
Who to play with?
You are now ready to hit the arena, but you must now find players who are suitable to play with. There are a couple of things you must avoid.
Players who have been high rated tend to be reluctant to play with new players, they also do not stay in the team very long and will blame every loss on you. Try to avoid these players unless you know them personally or they are unnaturally friendly.
Players who casually PvP and would rather raid then do arena. Arena is all about experience and to become good you have to play as much as possible, these players will make you wait and your skill level will not increase.
Try to find players who can do arena with you regularly at times which you can play. Avoid team hopping and try to build an understanding with whichever partner you choose.
Play as many games as you can, i suggest 30 games a day at least. After each loss or win discuss with your partner on where you went wrong or how the victory can be achieved more efficiently.
You will not start winning right away, be patient and have fun expect to lose 70% of your matches but remember always learn from them.
DO NOT RAGE: raging will quickly build you a reputation as a rager, something that will make most people reluctant to play with you. It also spoils your game experience as well as your friends.
Communication
You can not progress in arena without some sort of communication.
I use skype, but ventrilo is another option (this is preference based).
Call out EVERYTHING! I often get told for not calling the small things which aren't really important: If you get cc'd, throw a cc(crowd control), a move is on cool-down....what ever happens in game just call it. Talking is really important it lets your team mates know what is going on
Positioning
The difference between good teams and amazing teams is positioning. It is complicated and I will post a detailed guide later but basically, Don't Line of Sight your healer, and don't stand in open if you're a healer. watch your team mates position and try to adjust yourself to the fight.
You also want to be able to make switches and not over extend. A detailed arena guide will be posted soon!
And there you have it, my first arena guide for beginners, just follow this and your pvp experience will be a much better one.
2500 paladin
2300 priest
2100 shaman
1800 hunter
1800 Death knight
Read more
While Arena is a tough aspect of the game, there is no reason why every player shouldn't be at least 2k rated.
Here are some basics for new Arena players:
Key Binding
Key-binding is the most important thing you need to do if you wish to pvp.
Key-bind everything from you hearthstone to your mount. you can use 1, 2 ,3, 4 , 5 ,6 to Shift+1, Shift+2, to control +1......q e r t f g h z x c v b and shift and control all those ( u get the point)
At first when you use key-binds it will seem like a hassle and you will be tempted to revert back to your old style: DON'T DO IT! Go do quests that is the best way to get used to new key-binds
When you can press control+z and hide all your keys and still be able to use your moves, you are ready for PVP.
Addons
Addons are an optional feature which help you track the enemy abilities among other things.
You can get addons from wowinterface or curse.
Addons I use:
Gladius: An absolute must for beginners in arena, This addon tracks enemy health bars, their class / spec, whether they are drinking, their trinket cool-down and has an option to announce it all on chat.
OmniCC: is an addon that shows the actual timer of your abilities which are on cool down and is very useful for letting your team know how long you have to an ability.
Doom Cooldown pulse: actually flashes your abilities in the middle of the screen as they come off cool-down so you don't have to look down. Very useful.
Spell Alerter: shows you what spell enemies are casting at you or your party on the top of your screen.
Quartz: is an addon i use to track cast bars. I usually have my focus cast bar in the middle of my screen.
Deadly boss mods: i use sometimes to track shadow sight gems but you do not really need this,I am just lazy to turn it off usually.
Now unit frames are the users choice and you can even use the default wow unit frames but i use Xperl because it alows me to customize my unit frames completely.
I also suggest you download Leatrix latency fix.
Macros
Macros are in game commands you can use to make your PvP life a lot easier.
While there are too many classes and spells to list the macros on this thread I will list a few important ones which are necessary:
Focus: press /macro in game then create new macro. Type /focus in the macro box then key-bind it (It is important that you key-bind focus because you may have to change your focus target in game). Now click on your enemy and hit the focus button, a screen should appear and you can now see his health bar.
If you downloaded xperl, click on the white button on your minimap, go to focus tab and put your focus targets frame where ever you find convenient (I put it under my targets frame)
Note: you can set quartz to track focus cast bars.
The next macro you make is /cast [target=focus] "insert spell name without quotations" this will cast whichever spell you list at the focus target. Really useful for casting your CC spells at the focus.
You can also replace the focus in [target=focus] to a team members name to cast a beneficial spell at any of them.
Once you get the basic idea of macros you can play around with the commands and make your own macros easily!
I will post a macro tutorial on this site soon!
Who to play with?
You are now ready to hit the arena, but you must now find players who are suitable to play with. There are a couple of things you must avoid.
Players who have been high rated tend to be reluctant to play with new players, they also do not stay in the team very long and will blame every loss on you. Try to avoid these players unless you know them personally or they are unnaturally friendly.
Players who casually PvP and would rather raid then do arena. Arena is all about experience and to become good you have to play as much as possible, these players will make you wait and your skill level will not increase.
Try to find players who can do arena with you regularly at times which you can play. Avoid team hopping and try to build an understanding with whichever partner you choose.
Play as many games as you can, i suggest 30 games a day at least. After each loss or win discuss with your partner on where you went wrong or how the victory can be achieved more efficiently.
You will not start winning right away, be patient and have fun expect to lose 70% of your matches but remember always learn from them.
DO NOT RAGE: raging will quickly build you a reputation as a rager, something that will make most people reluctant to play with you. It also spoils your game experience as well as your friends.
Communication
You can not progress in arena without some sort of communication.
I use skype, but ventrilo is another option (this is preference based).
Call out EVERYTHING! I often get told for not calling the small things which aren't really important: If you get cc'd, throw a cc(crowd control), a move is on cool-down....what ever happens in game just call it. Talking is really important it lets your team mates know what is going on
Positioning
The difference between good teams and amazing teams is positioning. It is complicated and I will post a detailed guide later but basically, Don't Line of Sight your healer, and don't stand in open if you're a healer. watch your team mates position and try to adjust yourself to the fight.
 |
| This is the basic position, try to fight around that. |
You also want to be able to make switches and not over extend. A detailed arena guide will be posted soon!
And there you have it, my first arena guide for beginners, just follow this and your pvp experience will be a much better one.
2500 paladin
2300 priest
2100 shaman
1800 hunter
1800 Death knight
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