Twenty Questions

[Steerpike]

Q7: Was the first installmant of the series published in the 90s?

[Lmns Crn]

A6: no.

[Lmns Crn]

A7: probably? I'll check and get back to you.

[Steerpike]

Q8: Is the gameplay based primarily around control of a single character? Note that I would include things like Mass Effect here, where despite the presence of party members you basically control one character, but not things like Baldur's Gate, where despite one character representing "you," the player fully controls the entire party.

[Lmns Crn]

A8: No. (i.e., gameplay is not primarily based around control of a single character.)

[Steerpike]

Q9: Do you regularly control armies or other large groups of characters (10+).

[Lmns Crn]

A9: No.

Q7: Was the first installmant of the series published in the 90s?

Okay, yes. I looked it up, and the first installment was from the 90s.                          

This is fun. Are you folks having fun? I'm having fun.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      

[Llum]

Q10: Do you equip various characters with magic items?

[Lmns Crn]

A10: Heck yeah you do.

Edit: Not totally sure what possibilities that question was meant to eliminate, but maybe there are plenty I'm just not thinking of.

[Steerpike]

This is fun. Are you folks having fun? I'm having fun.

This is fun! I was half-convincing myself it might be Heroes of Might & Magic, but with a "no" to the armies question that's definitely wrong.

So far we have a game whose first installmant was from the 90s, whose gameplay does not primarily involve a single character but doesn't involve armies (suggests a party), which has unique races, demons (angels not so much) and divine magic, and has a pre-modern fantasy setting. Magic-users aren't generally called Wizards. You definitely equip your characters with magic items.

I'm going to sneak in one more question and then I'll let others take a turn for awhile.

Q11: Is the publisher or developer Japanese?

[Lmns Crn]

A11: Nope, not a Japanese game.

[LD]

Q12: Was the game a mainstream game? (E.g. was it at least as big a hit as Planescape: Torment or Arcanum as opposed to something that sold 50,000 copies or less.)

[Lmns Crn]

Not sure, but faairly certain it wasn't a big hit. Not charging you an answer for my guess, though-- you already know it's an obscure title from what I said the other day.

[Steerpike]

Not sure what game this is, but I was looking through some old RPGs on GOG, and this thread inspired me to buy Darklands. Holy crap this game is cool. I mean, ancient and impossibly arcane, but the detail is ridiculous. Like Daggerfall levels of detailed. Not only is there a 108 page manual (which you really have to read to play properly), there's a 121 page "Cluebook" designed "for beginning players."

I mean, it's insane and would never fly today, but a part of me wishes this sort of baroque, sort of hyper-ergodic design philosophy still existed.

[Lmns Crn]

I do love that sort of thing.