# Toward A Straight Dope CRPG FAQ

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/toward-a-straight-dope-crpg-faq/466424>\
**Category:** The Game Room\
**Created:** [October 4, 2008, 6:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/toward-a-straight-dope-crpg-faq/466424 "2008-10-04T06:57:24Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Johnny\_Angel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d26b3c/32.png) [@Johnny\_Angel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Angel)\
**Post date:** [October 4, 2008, 6:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/toward-a-straight-dope-crpg-faq/466424/1 "2008-10-04T06:57:24Z")

</div>

It frequently happens that someone will pop up asking for a recommendation for a computer RPG. This almost always results in pretty much the same recommendations from pretty much the same people, tweaked slightly for the stated preferences of the petitioner. While I recognize that these threads serve as a happy opportunity to talk about our favorite games again, I’ve often thought that we should put together some kind of FAQ on the subject.

Just as a preliminary idea of what form it would take, I’ve bashed together a sort of template that I think covers most of the information people need, including broad classification and analogs (since people most often for games similar to another game they liked). _Chequez vous_:

> [@](#):
>
> **Game:** Planescape: Torment  
> **Platform:** Windows  
> **Company:** Black Isle (Interplay)  
> **Year:** 1999  
> **Keywords:** Isometric, Infinity Engine, AD&D (2nd Edition), Continuous Turn-based  
> **Analogs:** Baldur’s Gate, Icewind Dale  
> **SDMB Rating:** {specifics to be sorted out}  
> **Description**  
> An immortal protagonist wakes up in a morgue with no knowledge of who he is. In his journey of self-discovery he confronts the flotsam of his many past lives and from this knowledge re-invent himself for better or worse. Planescape: Torment is widely considered the best of CRPGs. Gameplay is dialogue-intensive and the story features grim themes and philosophical elements.  
> **Links**  
> [Planescape: Torment - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Planescape:_Torment)

I think it would be a good idea to have an average SDMB rating for each game, though I don’t know by what procedure we’d actually generate such a metric. Also, particular comments from users beyond the general description of the game might be of interest to others, especially given that there are some intense differences of opinion about certain things and people might like to hear both sides, though how we’d decide what to include and where we’d put it in the entry is also something that needs sorting out.

There would also be a need for a bit of a glossary to elucidate terms like ‘Continuous turn-based’.