RPGs with "living worlds" like Ultima?

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Long before Bioware, I grew up playing the Ultima series...and there is still one thing that Origin did that not many other companies have done: created a world that "feels" like a living world.

Ultima 5,6, & 7 are the best examples: The games showed a world where the NPCs had their own schedules, simple as it was, and they weren't just standing there waiting for the PC (something even BGII does to a certain degree.) I felt like the NPCs had there own lives, and weren't just there to sell me something or give out a quest.

I've heard that Morrowind and Oblivion tried to do something similar, but haven't played them myself...

Are there any RPGs that feel like more than just a stage setting...where the NPCs really move around and look alive?

(Oh, and I'm not thinking about MMORPGs...that's going to far in the other direction into chaos to me.)

Thanks!

-D

 

With Morrowind it varies with where you are. Some places the NPC stays put, other times they walk around. Usually when they're in a building they stay there unless it's quest related...

Also, as you behave in the game, the opinions of you will change. When there's a bounty on you, NPC's will react fearfully, and when you do stuff for an NPC, they usually like you...

 

If you are looking for something with the same level of detail as Ultima 5-7, you'll probably not find it, sad to say. Some RPGs tried to make NPCs more like people, but none of the ones I have seen managed to do it as well as the Ultimas. Some games have a very well-built world in terms of architecture and geography, but that doesn't mean that NPCs act like real people, if you see what I mean.

 

You could try Arcanum, where people react to you based on what you do (and where you are), and there's a day\night cycle where the NPCs head off to their beds etc at the given time. It's also a great RPG, IMO, although as noted above it doesn't have the depth of the amazing U7.

 

I think what I'm looking for is an RPG with "heart". Ultima in it's prime was all about heart. LB found a way to challenge the norms of RPG's at the time and give players a reason to be good without being too preachy about it.

I like Bioware, but there's still something lacking in most of their games. BG2 has heart for sure, but the others are just missing...something.

Arcanum is on my list of games to play, if I can ever find it cheap again.

 

Morrowind didn't do too well on the "living world" issue. The walking around is more annoying than anything. Searching all around Gnisis every time I want to find the guy who

Spoiler

is annoying, especially since some of the walking paths lead up onto the ridge surrounding the place. And I'm not talking about that weird cafe-looking area. I mean mountains that look like a fricking rock wall.

Oblivion, OTOH, I hear does do the "living world" thing. Shops aren't open 24/7 as people go to sleep at night, etc. From what I hear you won't find much "heart" in the game, though.

 

Arcanum! How could I forget it. Probably the only one that fits what you're asking for. People do have their own schedules, their own lives, and their own problems (that they may or may not tell you about, depending on who you are). I do think it has a heart - the steampunk/magic mix is very well done, and makes the world come alive in a unique way.

 

I haven't played them, but I hear that the Gothic series has that kind of thing.

 

Some modules for Neverwinter Nights have some features of a living world. At least the NPCs don't stay in one place, although it's not like they can live or die, open shop in this or that city quarter, attain a level or five levels, you get the point.

Out of the Elder Scrolls series, I suppose Daggerfall was the closest to a living world.

Morrowind feels as if it lives on its own instead of depending on you - even if it does in fact depend most heavily on your actions.

Personally, I'd love to play a game where you start out at level 1, live fascinating adventures, build up your character and your name and you're only limited by your creativity, time, dedication and so on. R. R. Martin's world would be ideal for that, wouldn't it? Another possibility would be Tad Williams' books.

 

What about Fable? Not sure if that's what you're exactly looking for though, I've not played the Ultima series. The NPCs wander around depending on times of day they do different things. Clean their homes, go to the tavern, set the dinner table, etc. Even school hours and shop hours are maintained with houses locking up for the night. Many quest NPCs are stationary though and some areas just have ambient NPCs who stay around whatever the time.

 

There is a mod for Morrowind that puts NPCs on schedules. Oblivion has it and, frankly, it sucks. In the days before Oblivion and after Morrowind there were so many in the player community begging for various silly things to be included in Oblivion and Bethesda, God bless 'em, listened.

So Oblivion has shops that close at sundown and shopkeepers that go to sleep at night. Wow. Awesome. You hit a key on your computer and tell it to wait until dawn. A second later it's dawn and the shop's open again. Feeling immersed yet?

You also see some NPCs walking from village to village to buy an apple or something. God forbid you need to track that NPC down for a quest. Actually, Bethesda took care of that with green quest arrows and whatnot. Lots of hand-holding crap to make it easy. Ah well... give the people what they want, I guess.

 

Bethesda's working on Fallout 3, just in case everyone doesn't know by this point.