So I'm wondering... (GOG sale)

[Rath Darkblade]

GOG recently re-launched Warcraft I and II on sale - $22 for both, or $9 for WC1 and $14 for WC2. (See here: https://www.gog.com/game/warcraft_bundle).

All right, I remember WC1 and 2 from when I was in uni (back when the dinosaurs ruled the earth). But what do you think - are they worth that much? After all, we're talking about games that are 20 and 25 years old, respectively.

Or I could pick up TES4: Oblivion and still have $7 left. https://www.gog.com/game/elder_scrolls_ ... deluxe_the

So what would be your pick? WC1 and 2 or TES4?

[MusicallyInspired]

Obviously you've played Warcraft. Have you played Oblivion? If not, my go-to strategy is always to get the game I've never played first. If it's on a better sale that's a no brainer.

[Tawmis]

Warcraft I and II were fun games, back in the day. But - as much as I loved them (the only RTS games I ever really got into), they didn't really "develop" until Warcraft III.

I'd buy Warcraft I and II later down the line, when they (undoubtedly) go on sale for a cheaper price. Same reason I am holding out on Diablo from GOG.

[Rath Darkblade]

Hmm. I played WC1 and 2 back when I was in uni. I also played Oblivion (almost to death), and I still have my Oblivion DVDs somewhere. The only reason for me to consider this one are:

- the Shivering Isles expansion (which I don't have), and the extras - like:
- the Fighter's Stronghold Expansion
- Spell Tome Treasures
- the Vile Lair (for assassins)
- the Mehrune's Razor dungeon
- the Thieves Den (for rogues)
- the Wizard's Tower (for wizards, natch)
- the Orrery; and
- the Horse Armor Pack.

That's quite a few things I haven't experienced in Oblivion!

As for WC1 and 2 ... I can't remember the story in either of them, but I don't think they were about telling a story. I know that RTS games are essentially "Build a base, build an army, go over to the enemy's base, attack it until it's destroyed." Lather, rinse, repeat. Yes, the WC1 and 2 stories are that memorable ...

I remember more of the story of Starcraft 1, and that's saying something.

So ... I guess the consensus is TES4: Oblivion, then?

[MusicallyInspired]

Shivering Isles is a huge expansion and to many, it seems, really improved on Oblivion which many dislike. Have you play Knights of the Nine? That was the other expansion, though not near as big.

As for the others, they're pretty neat but most of them are not quests or anything. Basically cool new areas where you can live depending on what kind of character you like to role-play as. The Thieves' Den is the best one, though. There's a bit of a quest to that. Turning an old cave near Anvil slowly into a thriving pirate business den is fantastic. You get a sweet thieves office made out of a shipwrecked boat that's really neat. I think the Orrery has a bit of a quest to it as well. They're all mostly small though. But yeah, give Shivering Isles a go. It's what many call the best part of Oblivion. Actually, I have yet to beat it myself.

[Rath Darkblade]

I played Knights of the Nine, yes. It was a cool expansion, although I found the voice acting a bit too hammy for my tastes. "Hail the Lord Crusader! Hail!" Yeah, yeah, enough butt-kissing.

As for what character I like to play? Both the thieves and the assassins have a cool quest line. Warriors and mages? Meh. I usually don't bother to join the fighters guild, and I only join the mages' guild to recharge my magical equipment and research invisibility spells - that's all. Invisibility spells rock when you're a stealth character like thief or assassin. Chameleon FTW.

As a matter of fact, I think I tried Shivering Isles many, MANY years ago. It confused the heck out of me. Suddenly everything was so incredibly bright - and everything in the caves was poisonous. Gahh! *runs away*

Similarly, I didn't like the main story-line because of that one quest - late in the main story-line - where you have to go into a daedric gate to defend Bruma. I was under time pressure, and I didn't know where to go, which didn't help. I managed (finally) to close the gate by sheer dumb luck.

[Datadog]

Until now, both games were only available as Abandonware, so maybe hold off until a deal.

My experience with them:

Warcraft 2 is pretty great for multiplayer. We used to play it during lunch hour in high school. For single-player campaigns, it can be a huge time-suck. The battles will go on for hours depending on your skill level with RTSes. But it is more polished than the first one and probably worth revisiting just to hear the nostalgic Orc-chatter.

For Warcraft 1, you should know right now that you can only control 12 units at any time. For missions where you need 20+ people across the board, most of it will be spend going back and forth and micromanaging everyone's positions. It's still pretty good, but the learning curve will feel like a chore. You should be a Warcraft enthusiast before tackling this one.

If you're in it for the story... maybe read a wiki article?

[Rath Darkblade]

Warcraft 2 is pretty great for multiplayer. We used to play it during lunch hour in high school. For single-player campaigns, it can be a huge time-suck. The battles will go on for hours depending on your skill level with RTSes. But it is more polished than the first one and probably worth revisiting just to hear the nostalgic Orc-chatter.

Quit poking meeee!

For Warcraft 1, you should know right now that you can only control 12 units at any time. For missions where you need 20+ people across the board, most of it will be spend going back and forth and micromanaging everyone's positions. It's still pretty good, but the learning curve will feel like a chore. You should be a Warcraft enthusiast before tackling this one.

If you're in it for the story... maybe read a wiki article?

Yikes. I remember that ... wow. IIRC, the graphics are similar to Dune 2.

So maybe I shouldn't get either of them. I just about played TES4: Oblivion to death, anyway.