(Not marking this as a "question" thread since I don't know that I could find one definitive answer to it- but thoughtful responses are appreciated.)

I'm a complete newbie to the Ys series. I'd heard of them years ago, but I've never played one and I've never really heard 8 much of them.

Anyone with some experience with the series: where should I start? Which game is the best choice? Or would playing via an emulator be a better experience?

Note: I'm only considering the Ys games sold on GOG (and also the only ones available on PC, in the West) as they are the only ones I've played.

My recommended order of play would be Ys I & II, both for story reasons and to get the "bump enemy to attack" system out of the way, as every other game plays like a regular top-down/isometric game, with "press the attack button to attack". Both first Ys games are awesome in their own right, but the bump system needs some slight getting used to.

Next, even though The Ark of Napishtim (Ys VI) came out before it, I suggest you play The Oath in Felghana, which is a reimagining of sorts of Ys III, and one I think you should play after Ys II for continuity reasons.

After Ys III, well, Ys VI: The Ark of Napishtim, since there's no Ys IV or V on the PC. Ys VI has some differences, because it was the first Ys game made using the engine that all their games have been using since, though there's an option to play it like Oath in Felghana, which I highly recommend if you played III before VI.

Lastly, Ys Origin, which is a prequel to Ys I, and I think prequels are not meant to be played in chronological in-game order, but release order -- especially if you want to understand all the references the game makes to all the previously released titles.

So, in short: Ys I & II Chronicles+ -> Ys: The Oath in Felghana -> Ys VI: The Ark of Napishtim -> Ys Origin

I would actually suggest Ys I & II Chronicles > Ys VI: Ark of Napishtim > Ys: Oath in Felghana > Ys Origin since Napishtim feels a bit more primitive than Felghana, so if you play it after Felghana, you might enjoy it slightly less. Oath in Felghana doesn't directly tie into any of the other games anyway.

Well... we only have same characters on new adveture, with only mentioning that they are comming back from the other. :D

Are you saying that characters don't carry over?

Yes, you start each adventure with a new Adol. There's no character transfer.

(This isn't Quest for Glory. Sorry!)

Note that Ys Origin uses other characters; Adol isn't (normally) playable, but there are 3 new characters who are.

But it's reasonable - Adol is so damn OP and he don't even need those legendary items he uncovers. So he starts a new to give the bad guys a chance.

Haha, I see :D I wasn't aware characters carried over in Quest for Glory, thanks for the info!

Isn't it because he gets shipwrecked quite frequently? I'd assume he loses all his legendary stuff to the sea.

Nope. In Oath he goes back to his standard eq. at the end. :D
And boats'n'ships are his only weaknesses. ;)

How do I delete my comments? I see a button for "edit" but not "delete".