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Ok kind of a silly question here. Is this game more of a story driven RPG (ala Planescape: Torment. BG Series, etc.) or more of an action RPG (as in Diablo, Dungeon Siege, etc.)

Just looking for a good RPG to play, as there has been a serious absence of any good story driven RPG lately. In fact can't remember any good story driven RPG in recent years besides KOTOR 2 and NWN 2.

Definitly in the line of Dungeon Siege I and II, Nox, and Diablo. I just finished Diablo II with LoD expansion and Divine Divinity.

I am about to commit grand heresy in the eyes of Diablo fanatics but I think Divine Divinity is a much better play. There are a lot of side quests, I like the way you can build your character, and there is a plot. Diablo, IMO, is a snooze fest.

The only RPG elements you'll find in DD is the leveling up, other than that it's pure hack&slash. When i first played this game, i was also playing Sacred, and DD reminded me alot of that one, with the exeption of the respawning creatures throughout the land.

So if you're looking for something that comes anywhere near Planescape: Torment, this is not the thing you're looking for.

I have to disagree with both previous posters, in part because I reviewed both games, and interviewed the developers after DD's release. Their model wasn't Diablo, or indeed anything action-oriented or hack n slash: it was Ultima VI and VII. They created a more interactive environment in DD than any other RPG since Origin Systems' celebrated games, and took it still further in BD. You can use honeycombs to make honey, discover the damage value of kitchen implements, and combine a range of items to make new ones. There are also plenty of side quests and non-quest areas of interest, which you can ignore or attempt to figure out, with no bearing on the rest of the game.

As for battle, you can pause the game anytime, switch weapons, choose a spell or action from a list, examine your inventory, etc. This is the opposite of the way things are handled in Diablo and its clones.

Bear in mind, though, that both games have problems. The sheer number of skills you can learn in DD and especially BD meant that balance wasn't quite achieved, so some are much stronger/weaker than others. Also, the last quarter of DD is far less interesting than the rest, with a less interactive environment and repititive enemies (until you face the big ones at the game's conclusion). The developers told me that they were rushed by the publisher to get DD out quickly, which led to a lot of plans for that last section being dropped. Which explains many of the empty buildings you'll find.

That said, I found both games a good deal of fun. Nice to know, too, that after gloomy predictions they wouldn't make another old-fashioned RPG (because publishers only wanted MMORPGs or fast-paced action RPGs for kiddies), they've found the cash backers for a third title, currently under development.

Ok guys thanks for your opinions, I guess Fable has me sold on it. So I'm off to bargain bin section of my local gamestop

I think DD is more of an action oriented game, but Fable did nail the interactive part cold. You can move many objects around in the game, and there are a few puzzles that require it. There are also hidden easter egg quests and other interesting discoveries along the way

There's also much more story in DD then in most Action RPG's as well as a whole slew of quests, which you can solve at your leisure and are well-thought out.

GawainSS is correct, and in addition, several of the side quests require problem solving rather than simple FedX (go-get) and go-kill.

I think some quests even support multiple endings. Think of the game as Baldur's Gate with 1 character and Diablo ruleset.

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