I also keep trying to get into cRPGs. I really love the lore and exploration in these games. But what usually kills it for me are the massive amounts of text you need to read in them. I start to cry every time I reach a new town or the NPCs suddenly start to say new stuff so I have to talk to all of them again (I probably approach these games the wrong way and should just ignore the NPCs unless I have a reason to talk with them, but I always feel I might miss out on a reward that way).

Deciding for a build is usually the second obstacle, that often already makes me stop at the "Create character" screen.

Yeah, like I said, I've played plenty of CRPGs, one could say they're among my favorite genres, but new cities still make me groan every time as well. I don't know how others feel about it, but personally I don't like certain tropes and design choices in your average CRPG at all, and I'm convinced you could convey lore in better ways than to have the player listen to each and every peasant's and shopkeepers life story or make them read through long passages of books and journals.
Not in the ones I've played. For every better item you might get, you usually get a huge dose of guilt-tripping as well. And I don't remember many Assassin's Guilds. ;)

Anyway, I get your point, but I also get drealmer7's. I'm in between, I think one of you is overreacting to the issue, while the other one is downplaying it. My issues with the game, as mentioned above, were of an entirely different nature. :P (But like I said, I assume drealmer7's aversion to it is less about the game itself and more about the creators, marketers and the fans' hype.)

Not really avoiding, but while I played some Skyrim, Oblivion and a little bit of Morrowind, I always lose interest in these games at some point. They are more open than others, that's true, but that's just one series, compared to the great amount of CRPGs out there, that's nothing, at least not "usually".

Well, that's just the first example that came to my mind. I can't give you too many simply because I usually play the good guy and wouldn't know even about the Oblivion Assassin's Guild from my own experience. I know from personal experience that in Wasteland 2 you can solve at least one major quest through wholesale slaughter and as far as I know face no consequence (aside from losing an optional companion), just bullshit your way through it with your superior and loot the bodies no problem. In KotOR and ME series not only are you not punished, but the morality mechanic is build around one option being play just about the most blatantly fan-fic level evil cool awesome dark kill people and kick puppies guy (which is why, while I would not play dark side anyway, I never even found it tempting). I think it's mostly that BioWare stye paragon of goodness/dr insano lvl evil morality that led people to bring up "maturity" so often when talking about the first Witcher and the far more complex and shades of grey approach to story and choices it represented, and not the sex.

I should make a gif of my default Arcanum party one of these days. It's like my mage got pissed off about not being allowed to ride the train anymore and charmed random people into following him everywhere making choo-choo sounds.

Yeah, tell me when you find a CRPG that gets away with only few lines of text.

I personally have only really found Icewind Dale so far. And maybe Lords of Xulima if we count that CRPG.

Other than that, I satisfy my western exploration needs without much dialogues by playing dungeon crawlers instead.

they are offensive in that they exist at all and that they thought it was wortwhile to invest time and money to make a part of the game to "keep track of your scores" - and it's not about the act of having sex itself, (seriously you think TAHT is the issue I have? sex is great and natural and I'm all for some sex!) it's that attitude and maturity level with which it is all done

I like to use food analogies. You can tell me I don't have to eat mcdonald's food ever and because I don't have to eat it I shouldn't be offended that it's offered as an option to others to eat. But no, I am. I don't think mcdonald's should exist like it does at all. It perpetuates a culture of factory farming, junk-food eating, not caring about what you put into your body or where your food comes from, and subversively brainwashes children in to wanting what they have to offer without the children even realizing what they're being offered is not good. and people eat it up like it's okay, when it is NOT
I highly recommend UnderRail. Not a lot of dialogue or things to read like this at all. It's pretty much all told through locations and quests. You learn the lore by just seeing it, walking through it.

How did you like Arx Fatalis, assuming you've played it? I loved that one.

I actually own that already but forgot about it. I'll put it on the list, thanks! One day ...

Hard to tell...I'm not that hardcore into rpg gaming anyway (e.g. I wouldn't play something like the old Realms of Arkania games). Pretty much every crpg I've played has some drawbacks and significant flaws. I really like Albion, even though it's fairly restricted in the choices you can make and in character development...it just has a wonderful setting and despite the horrible graphics I like its dungeons. I also enjoyed Baldur's Gate 2 a lot when it came out (though it does have flaws as well, your choices in quests are too limited; and in any case it's a game I've probably played too much of...I've become almost allergic to it as a result). Recently, I found Age of decadence quite interesting...it's somewhat flawed and can be frustrating, but the basic concept is fascinating.
So if you ask me, I'd say Albion, Baldur's Gate 2 and Age of decadence, while very different, are better games than the titles mentioned above (except Drakensang and Shadowrun which I haven't played). But that's just my personal opinion of course.

About Kotor: The game is really at its most difficult at the start, on the first planet (it's moderately challenging there imo). Once you acquire lightsabers and force powers, it becomes much easier, actually too easy imo.

an expansion is coming out SOON too (:

it's superb (I played probably 15 hours into it, which is not much it's like a 100hrer)

Haven't played that one. I have a problem with first person games that are not grid based because they make me motion sick (not all but many). Maybe I'll give it a try if you liked it, though! :-)

Edit: Oh and I also prefer games that are party-based.