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General discussionFree-movement blobbers(35 posts)(35 posts)
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This is my favourite topic
Posted April 14, 2021
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Gudadantza: They are not a majority, but at least in classic games, oldies, I can think in some examples like Ravenloft series and Menzoberranzan. I'd define them like pure classic blobbers ala Dungeon Master but with free movement and obviously real time combat. There is also a selectable grid based movement but it was not the default.
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Green_Hilltop: MIGHT AND MAGIC 6-9! :) Those are true, free-movement dungeon crawlers with optional turn-based combat. Also Lands of Lore 3, or at least I think you get a party eventually.
Well, yes, I guess Might and Magic 6-9 could be considered into that kind of blobbers.
Funny, Some of my favourite games ever but never thought about it. Maybe I didn't put them into the subgenre because I always considered them more complex than for example Dungeon Master or Menzoberranzan.
But it is the place where they fit better, indeed, probably because of the so evident classicism in gameplay.

Greetings
Posted April 14, 2021
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DiffuseReflection: Legendary Journeys
Also (all still in development as well):

The Fellowship Saga
Archaelund
Aeolwyn's Legacy
Call of Saregnar
Posted April 14, 2021
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DiffuseReflection: Arakion: Book One
Odd, the store pages says grid-based, was that changed? I found this.


For thoses who cannot access the spreadsheat, I have:

Aeolwyn's Legacy
Age of Silence
Albion
Ambermoon
Arcante
Archaelund
Bard's Tale IV: Barrows Deep
Betrayal at Krondor
Betrayal in Antara
Call of Saregnar
Crime Crackers
Crime Crackers 2
Cyberworlds
Descension
Dungeon Master Nexus
Elmarion: the Lost Temple
Frayed Knights 2: The Khan of Wrath
Frayed Knights: The Skull of S'makh-Daon
Gods: Lands of Infinity
Hexx: Heresy of the Wizard
Legend of the Stones
Legendary Journeys: The Eye of Baal
Menzoberranzan
Might and Magic IX: Writ of Fate
Might and Magic Tribute: Book of Ceth
Might and Magic VI: The Mandate of Heaven
Might and Magic VII: For Blood and Honor
Might and Magic VIII: Day of the Destroyer
Paper Sorcerer
Ravenloft: Stone Prophet
Ravenloft: Strahd's Possession
Realms of Arkania: Blade of Destiny
Realms of Arkania: Shadows over Riva
Realms of Arkania: Star Trail
Realms of Arkania: Star Trail
Rol Crusaders
The Dungeon
The Fellowship Saga
The Quest: Heroes
Whale's Voyage II: Die Übermacht
Wizardry 8
Wizards & Warriors
World of Aden: Thunderscape
Posted April 14, 2021
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DiffuseReflection: Arakion: Book One
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ZyroMane: Odd, the store pages says grid-based, was that changed? I found this.
I was mistaken about Arakion, the description does still imply grid-based, the Steam video simply looked a lot like free-movement due to a frequent use of mouselook.
Posted April 14, 2021
I don't really care about grid versus free in blobbers but the argument can be made that gridders ~feel~ more like you are controlling a group of people, while free movement movement can feel like a FPS.
Posted April 14, 2021
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Green_Hilltop: Also Lands of Lore 3, or at least I think you get a party eventually.
From the let's play videos I looked at, it seems like it fails at blob abstraction, i.e. the familiar appears in the game screen seperate from the first-person controller.
Posted March 19, 2022
I think this new spreadsheet will work better. Some new games have been announced as well.
Posted March 19, 2022
Wouldn't "tactical" turn-based require a separate battle screen? I always thought "tactical" implied positioning/movement of individual characters during combat (a bit more than just front<->back). I wonder, because you say "tactical" turn-based for BT4. I own the game, but got bored/frustrated before I even reached the first battle, so I'm not sure what the battle system is like.

Also, first I even herd of the Realms of Arkania 1-2 remakes. It'd be nice if they could come to gog. Not sure if they'd be any better (or if they'd even work on Linux/wine), but I'd probably get them anyway just to try.
Posted March 19, 2022
I'd never heard the term "blobber" before, but I get it. I think Wizardry 8 is one of the most shockingly brilliant and unappreciated RPG's ever. It's graphics weren't cutting edge, even twenty years ago, but they retain an essential charm. And the gameplay is about as deep as it gets.
Dominus wants YOU, soldier!
Post edited March 19, 2022 by rabblevox
Posted March 20, 2022
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rabblevox: I'd never heard the term "blobber" before
I'd just always categorized them as dungeon crawlers, whether one is above or below ground no matter whether single or multi party play was used for combat. *shrug*
Posted March 20, 2022
I've also seen the term "DRPG" used for at least some subset of these games. (To me, DRPGs are games like classic Wizardry, where movement is grid-based, combat is non-tactical turn based (and on a separate screen), and the focus is on dungeon crawling and combat rather than exploration and role-playing. In particular, games like Dungeon Master and Dragon Wars don't fit the "DRPG" definition for me, though they're definitely (grid-based) blobbers.)
Posted March 20, 2022
Mazes of Fate DS for the Nintendo DS, is a3D remake of Mazes of Fate for Gameboy Advance. It has free movement, unlike the original. It's a game-changer since it is now much easier to maneuver around foes and avoid their attacks. The 3D models are ugly compared to the original sprites though.

Year: 2008
Developer: Sabarasa
Platform: Nintendo DS
Grid Option: No (?)
Combat Screen: No
Combat Perspective: First
Combat Type: Real-time
Full Party Creation: No, only the the main character can be created.
Post edited March 23, 2022 by SpaceMadness
Posted March 20, 2022
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SpaceMadness: Mazes of Fate 3D for the Nintendo DS, like the name implies is 3D remake of Mazes of Fate for Gameboy Advance. It has free movement, unlike the original. It's a game-changer since it is now much easier to maneuver around foes and avoid their attacks. The 3D models are ugly compared to the original sprites though.

Year: 2008
Developer: Sabarasa
Platform: Nintendo DS
Grid Option: No (?)
Combat Screen: No
Combat Perspective: First
Combat Type: Real-time
Full Party Creation: No, only the the main character can be created.
I've actually played this game. (Never played the GBA original, as the only way to get a copy was via e-bay, even back in the day, and I wasn't interested in buying anything from there; the DS version, on the other hand, made it into retail stores.)

Of course, I did find a bug that allows me to permanently increase stats to really high levels. (It involves the game not handling the "inventory full" situation properly when trying to change equipment IIRC; I think there might have also been some type of potion that never wore off.)

Another interesting thing I remember is that you don't actually get healing magic until later in the game, and there's actually a plot reason for this.
Posted March 20, 2022
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ZyroMane: As for what: free-movement blobbers are first-person party-based games with blob abstraction in, at least, exploration with at least three degrees of full movement. The abstraction comes from the fact that the party moves as a single nebulous unit. Also known as nongridder blobbers.
As most likely you are the party in 4 parts them moving as a single unit is a little.... unrealistic, but otherwise harmless.

Hmmm i was going to post an RPGWorld comic reference but the site is long gone. :(
Posted March 20, 2022
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darktjm: I always thought "tactical" implied positioning/movement of individual characters during combat (a bit more than just front<->back).
With "blobber" being defined as a game in which the party moves as a single unit, or "blob", applying that definition of "tactical" to it would result in an impossibility.
... Or so I thought, but apparently it is a thing, though the OP there does specify that it's a list of games with blobber exploration and non-blobber combat. So I wouldn't personally count them as blobbers. Otherwise basically every JRPG would be a blobber, for one.
Post edited March 20, 2022 by Cavalary
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General discussionFree-movement blobbers(35 posts)(35 posts)
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