I think I lose interest right around Zork. Text-based adventures aren't for me.

On graphics-scale only, text-based games like old BBS door games are fine; 640x480 resolution and higher is fine; 320x240, however, is not (at least I've kept away from them unconsciously for a while now). I can't seem to stand vanilla Minecraft graphics, either.

You probably should avoid The Witcher 2 then.

I'd argue there was never anything to like about something like the original King's Quest. However, I do like a lot of old stuff, even the Zork games (actually, especially those, I actually like the graphical ones a whole lot less). Something like Ultima is still plenty playable to me because I'm used to that brand of obtuseness those old games had and should I have actually forgotten something important the internet has got my back.

I do have a bit of a thing against mediocre, 8 bit, sidescrolling platformers, those were often not actually very fun for me, even back in the day. Hard is one thing, hard because of shitty mechanics really bothers me.

I tend to leave the games which require a keyboard only, in the past.

It is the opposite of when mice first came out, as most of my favorite games were keyboard only, and most of what I did on the pc were keyboard only as well. After Windows games, I used the mouse almost exclusively for games, and the keyboard for work (coding etc), and wanted to leave the keyboard behind me at all times when not working.

Overly pixelated sprite or 3D graphics DO make a dent on me enjoying a game, so the game will have to have some sort of gameplay mechanic or killer story that makes up for it. Clunky controls that are hard to figure out or master are the reason I haven't tackled "Die by the Sword" and "Crusader: No Remorse" past the very first mission and repetitive MIDI music eventually gets on my nerves, but is the most tolerable of my old school gripes.

I think the "control" one is my biggest gripe, since it's not just with old games, but with new as well. I'm simply not too skilled at games demanding timing or combos and that force you to repeat stuff if you miss or fail (an old game staple by the way). I never bought super meat boy after watching the videos and deeming me pulling any of that off would be impossible. I liked combat and story in Prince of Persia, but the timed swings and jumps eventually got the better of my patience and I ended up uninstalling it. I installed VVVVV and it's pathetic to see me die multiple times at the very same spot and Lara Croft Anniversary not only had the timing puzzles and "get it just right" situations, but the control issues as well.

An old game that has all three (of which there are several platformers) remains unbought. I got VVVVV on a bundle by the way.

I put graphical style above technical excellence. Part of Doom's aesthetic is the sprite graphics, just like 2D JRPGs are a genre unto themselves with their aesthetic style. I can't help but feel that they have lost a little of their character in their transition to 3D.

I use the Doomsday Engine to play Doom, but I don't use any of its added features except the horizontal mouse control. The high-res textures, 3D models, enhanced soundtrack and so on seem far too removed from the game's original vision, but the keyboard control seemed like a compromise even back then.

As for difficulty, well, I don't subscribe to the whole "older is better because the games were harder". The best games are hard but fair. So many games today do indeed have you on a leash, but many old-school games went to the other extreme and chucked you in at the deep end with absolutely no information, leaving you to use trial and error to get through.

Good game design is leaving the player clues and allowing the player to use their initiative, intelligence and skill to get through it.

I understand where you're coming from. The control scheme in the Crusader games is rather complicated. However, it's also very versatile and advanced, and if you do master it, the games are absolutely fantastic.

But I'm with you on the controls thing. I absolutely loved Dune 2 when it came out (I played it on the Amiga). However, when I tried to go back and replay it many many years later, I found that I just couldn't do it, due to the lack of interface functions that are standard in all modern RTS games. Particularly the lack of right-click move/attack commands, and the lack of a grouping of units. Having to move each unit separately, and having to do so by first clicking "Move" and then clicking on a target, simply felt like too much of a hassle now.

I can't stand text interface adventure games.

I can't stand first-person adventure games that zoom to the next screen without animation.

I can't stand straight-up top-down views like Ultima (but I like "isometric").

I can't stand shooters that are more maze than action. I can't stand mazes in general in anything.

Graphics wise I can take almost anything. There are other things that annoy me but aren't deal-breakers like weapons breaking or endless text instead of gameplay Return to Krondor!).

My biggest issue with a lot of old RPGs are boring settings, to be honest. Most of them are straight-up Tolkien thievery and I find that very boring. I fell in love with RPGs because of games like Fallout and Planescape Torment, so playing yet another dwarves and dragons game makes my eyes roll. Where is the creativity?

I agree with this completely.

Wizardry7 was one of those trial and error things that drove me nuts. Liked the game, but going up and down different floors to build a workable contraption in the funhouse, and bumping into all of those invisible walls in that one city near the end of the game drove me nuts.

The former was trial and error, the latter was t&e with a diagram I created from notes to get through. A great game, but tough as hell in areas.

I'm generally a very tolerant gamer, and could play pretty much anything out there, with the exception of almost anything made before the 90's - those games are usually too freaking ugly for me.
There are notable exceptions, like Prince of persia or Monkey island.

I don't have any issues with most of the games on GOG. I don't really feel like my enjoyment of a game hinges on the age of the game that much.

Then again I have played Dwarf Fortress. It's an amazing game but surely there can't be anything out there that looks that ugly.

I think for me when I'm looking at picture of a game, it's more about style and aesthetics than it is about something that is top of the line. It's the vibe the game gives off. That would be more likely to hook me if I was making my judgement on pictures alone.

I think it mainly depends on whether you like the game and especially if you liked the game when you were younger then you will tend to play it a lot longer than someone who will jump in like for instance now to play Zork (A great Text Adventure game).

I have noticed at least for myself me playing old games that I used to love playing while I was younger a lot more than than games that I am just first playing now despite them being good games or not

you don't have problems with Baldur's Gate,do you?
because the story of the series compensate the setting