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Streets of Rage-style side-scrolling beat-em-up game with D&D rules?


suy

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I just saw they are available on Steam, too! But for Windows only. 

These games are great fun, possibly the best instance of that genre. I spent many quarters on them once upon a time. 

I only found out more recently that they actually have an incredibly faithful implementation of the D&D rules, as faithful as BG itself - never realized it back then. It’s amazing. 

Edited by subtledoctor
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Thank you both. I checked the intro video, and it did look to me as way different to what seemed a faithful D&D (due to the "action" nature, or the spells pausing said action, apparently), but I'll definitely check out the game to judge for real. I've always loved Streets of Rage, so I think I can like it any way it's implemented. :)

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On 12/3/2022 at 5:45 PM, suy said:

it did look to me as way different to what seemed a faithful D&D (due to the "action" nature

I mean it's not a turn-based game and I guess APR is baked into the graphics attack animations. And maybe thac0 and AC got left on the cutting room floor. But it uses game-accurate classes, and hit points, and spellbooks, and memorization, and monsters, and XP, and... like, every aspect of D&D that could fit into that genre of game is perfectly faithful to BECMI D&D rules.

(And honestly you can't really say any more than that about BG - a hundred D&D rules and concepts were left out of these games, only the ones that fit this particular genre/engine are in the game... but what they did put in the game is pretty damn faithful to AD&D.)

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I did play the first of this (with just one class, and trying a bit the others), and to me it did not seem that accurate at all. Given that the combat is driven by user controls, all this things that you mentioned of course go out of the window. I noticed picking the boots of speed, and did not notice any change at all. Also getting the Gauntlets of Ogre Power, and not notice any change. The use of spells seemed based on items, and I did not notice at all memorization or spellbooks.

Also, of course you respawn with coins (I mean, the real ones, which of course are just a key press on the computer), which helps at just blasting through the game in an instant unless one self imposes a limit on "lifes".

All in all, the game is not bad for sure, but I don't think it felt at all like D&D rules, except for some fluff in the names of things. :)  Maybe I'll check again.

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18 hours ago, suy said:

I did play the first of this (with just one class, and trying a bit the others), and to me it did not seem that accurate at all. Given that the combat is driven by user controls, all this things that you mentioned of course go out of the window. I noticed picking the boots of speed, and did not notice any change at all. Also getting the Gauntlets of Ogre Power, and not notice any change. The use of spells seemed based on items, and I did not notice at all memorization or spellbooks.

It definitely has spellbooks and Vancian memorization of spells (which get refreshed when you rest), though there are also scroll drops and items that let you cast spells to supplement your spellbook spells, because rests are few and far between. And monsters have lore-accurate hit dice and player attacks do lore-accurate damage, etc. (Presumably the Gauntlets of Ogre Power increased your damage and helped kill monsters faster, though the numbers would not be shown to the player and the chaotic fast-paced gameplay would make it hard to notice.) Also, notably, I specifically remember the second game, and playing on a real arcade cabinet; it's possible the first game didn't have as much accurate implementation of the rules, and it's possible that the PC port dumbed things down.

But the point is not "which is more accurate?" Shadow Over Mystara of course does away with attack rolls because you just move your guy and strike - like the change from Morrowind to Oblivion. But that makes sense, because only a portion of the rules can translate into a particular game style. I mean, Baldur's Gate is completely inaccurate here as well, throwing out D&D's turn-based rules and important things like initiative, and instead grafting on a system derived from RTS games. But each one works for its particular game, and neither of them is "wrong." Each brings in from D&D what makes sense to bring in from D&D, and leaves out what doesn't make sense. But what each one brings in, it brings in accurately.

Edited by subtledoctor
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