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I want to play a fantasy action RPG together with a friend.

Action RPG as in: it should not require much reading or NPC conversation; the main focus should lie on hunting/fighting and exploration.

But the game should be hard. There should often be the risk to get killed in a fight if we don’t concentrate; regularly there should be challenging fights we can’t win unless we change our strategy/tactics (or even skills).

Technical requirements

  • for Windows
  • needs to run on older/weak hardware (only onboard/integrated graphics), for example on netbooks of the first generation

Game mechanics

  • multiplayer mode: network co-op – via LAN (not Internet)

    • playing together in a team (e.g., sharing quests and experience points), not just each one on his own in the same world
    • real-time gameplay (no turn-based fights/movement)

  • camera perspective: first-person and/or (very near) third-person

  • controls: avatar movement and (basic) fighting must be possible with keyboard, not only by clicking with the mouse

    • so no FPS elements that would require manual aiming with the mouse; instead, it should offer either some kind of auto-aim or it should be possible to focus a specific enemy

  • "classical" RPG features:

    • earn experience points for solving quests or killing monsters
    • spend skill points to learn/improve abilites (the skill system should be extensive and complex)
    • find/buy better equipment
    • there must be an end (e.g., a main quest line that can be finished)

Ruled out candidates

  • Diablo II: wrong camera perspective
  • Gothic: perfect match if it had a multiplayer mode
  • Neverwinter Nights: too much reading; wrong camera perspective
  • Might and Magic VI: perfect match if it had a multiplayer mode
  • Morrowind: perfect match if it had a stable/polished multiplayer mode (and IIRC it also requires manual aiming for shooting)
  • System Shock 2: perfect match if it a) had a fantasy setting, and b) wouldn’t require manual aiming with guns
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  • While first-person RPGs are common enough, ones with local co-op in the main story are (as far as I know) quite rare. When you add in your other criteria I think you may be asking an unanswerable request. However - you may (no promises, I haven't looked) be able to find mods for Dungeon Siege that turn it into a more FPS-like experience. I remember having played a single-player mod that removed the ability to zoom out making it over-the-shoulder style third-person.
    – Ken Herbert
    Feb 10, 2014 at 22:14
  • Just out of interest, how did you get these highly specific requirements? E.g. the camera perspective and controls requirements are a bit conflicting.
    – dtech
    Feb 19, 2014 at 20:47
  • @dtech: Immersion works for me only when I share the perspective with the avatar and when I directly control his movements (if I have to click to move the avatar, I’m not "him" but just giving him orders, so to speak). Gothic, Morrowind, Might and Magic, System Shock 2 -- they all get it right. The part about FPS elements is not my personal requirement but my playfellow’s (probably playing with a touchpad instead of a mouse; also not that skilled with typical FPS aiming).
    – unor
    Feb 19, 2014 at 21:15

5 Answers 5

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Magic Meisters

Check out the IndieDB page for all the info on it. The trailers can be found here.

Platforms: Windows

Distribution: Desura (which is DRM-Free)

Magic Meisters

From IndieDB:

Magic Meisters is a Single Player / Co-oP adventure RPG experience where players can customize their own unique Mage, learn new spells, take quests, craft and do whatever they would like through a massive free-roaming RPG experience !

This game is still very early in development and far from being complete, but it may be worth keeping an eye on for you, because it sounds like it fits the bill pretty well. The IndieDB page states they're aiming for an initial release in Q3 2014

Unfortunately I'm not sure on the aiming thing, as I haven't played it yet, but I know it does have real-time combat.

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  • 4
    'You should answer questions when you have first hand knowledge of things that satisfies at least most of the constraints given in the question. You should be ready to talk about your experience with it, what you liked about it, what features it does (or perhaps doesn't) have, within the context of the question.' meta.softwarerecs.stackexchange.com/questions/455/…
    – Tasos
    Feb 14, 2014 at 12:44
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The perfect match for this should be Hellgate: London.

As far as I remember you can choose targets with Tab or aim directly.

From 6 characters being available, you can play with 4 from first person view or use third person view.

This game was made by part of the group who originally worked on Diablo 1 and 2. So tons of side quests, tons of equip and enchants for it. Different styles and of course you will die several times in this game, cause of low resists, wrong skills or wrong equip.

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When I read your question, the first game it came to my mind was Magicka.

Although it has been published 2-3 years ago, the requirements (and graphics) are quite low. In the game you will start as a magician (you can play with LAN or online with a friend and run the whole story together or play PVP arenas with other users as well). You have 8 magic spells in base with the elements of nature and you have to combine with the keyboard these elements to create a new one in the battle.

The game doesn't have a lot of text, but it uses a weird (funny) language. I spent hours of playing Magicka and you won't win if you won't find different strategies in every battle. For instance, you will die if you use lighting in a rainy day, but you can also take it as an advantage to the enemies.

I am sure that you will find it interesting. Here is a screenshot

Screenshot

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  • Interesting, thank you. -- However, it seems (I’d love to stand corrected!) not to meet two requirements: (1) Movement seems to be possible with mouse only, is this correct? (2) The camera perspective seems to be similar to NWN’s/Diablo’s (i.e., "god-like" in the sense that you can see way more than your character would be able to see). Is there maybe a camera setting that "fixes" it nearer to the character (without the possibility to zoom out like shown in your screenshot)?
    – unor
    Feb 11, 2014 at 11:48
  • the movement is through mouse, but believe me, you will need a more active hand in the keyboard! I cannot remember well now, but I think that you can move with arrows too. As for the camera, you can zoom near to your heroe, but not behind of him.
    – Tasos
    Feb 11, 2014 at 11:52
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You will not find it. The closest match to what you want is exactly Dragon's Dogma, however there's no known multiplayer for it.

Such games are butchered on the altar of MMO, unfortunately.

Neverwinter Online is yet another example of what you want. It was supposed to be a single-player game with lan support for co-op.

As you can see, PC gaming stands weak when it comes down to offering strong actionRPG titles with LAN support, which is overwhelmingly sad.

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Hammerwatch

Game Homepage | IndieDB Page

Platforms: Windows, Mac, Linux

Distribution: DRM-Free, Steam

Hammerwatch

This does not fit your criteria for camera perspective, but pretty much everything else is there. It is also entirely playable without the mouse if I remember correctly, so that should be a bonus.

If you've ever played the Gauntlet games, Hammerwatch is very similar. It's also extremely difficult.

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