SO excited for this!! @theWellRedMage is an engaging, thoughtful, and meticulous writer, especially when it comes to the system and genre he loves most. If you're a SNES or JRPG fan - or even just interested in games of the era! - keep an eye on this one. It's gonna be great.

40 years ago, Ultima IV: Quest of the Avatar released. And in all that time since, I still haven't quite seen anything like it. It dropped the player into a realm at relative peace, focusing on a tale of virtue and personal development instead of foiling a Big Bad.🧵

It's been a while, but I've got a #2025RPGchallenge update - Game 3: Complete!

Given my love of Ultima, I've long thought Might & Magic would be a series I'd enjoy, just never had the chance to do so. Now that I have - I was so, so right. I'll be returning for sure.

#2025RPGchallenge update!

Game 2: Complete!

And oh my goodness what a harrowing final stretch The Bard's Tale has. I enjoyed it well enough right up until then, but Mangar's Tower has so many elements to it that just feel unfair. Glad I've played it, but think it's a one-off.

#2025RPGchallenge update!

Game 1: COMPLETE!

Wizardry: Proving Ground of the Mad Overlord has long been on my list. Counterpart to my beloved Ultima, it's a true OG of the genre, and well worth a playthrough for anyone interested in the formative years of CRPGs.

All right, I have my twelve:

Wizardry: Proving Grounds of the Mad Overlord
The Bard's Tale
Might & Magic Book One
Pool of Radiance
The Elder Scrolls: Arena
Fallout
Diablo
Gothic
Arcanum: Of Steamworks and Magick Obscura
Divine Divinity
Shadowrun Returns
Pillars of Eternity

Planescape: Torment, a personal favorite of mine and the game I credit as the one to first get me thinking about games as *art*, is 25 years old.

Some reflections on the game at this particular milestone🧵:

I never did get around to posting about my Serpent Isle replay earlier in the month, but now #Ultima VIII is in the bag as well! First time I saw this one through to the end.

Playing Ultima VIII lately and, uh, I don't remember THIS part of the tale of Beren and Lúthien...

Happy 25th, Ultima IX! For all its tumultuous development history, for all its flaws, for all the flak it gets - yes, I do consider U9 a worthy finale to my favorite game series.

ultimacodex.com/2024/11/ulti...

I only have one thing to say, and that is "Yarrrrr!!"

Ooh, personal Top 10 Games list time? Lessee...

- Ultima IV: Quest of the Avatar
- Morrowind
- Planescape: Torment
- Civilization IV
- Wind Waker
- Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door
- Pokémon Emerald
- Ultima VI: The False Prophet
- Ocarina of Time
- Lord of the Rings Online

Favorite console: Are we sticking to *just* consoles? Probably GBA in that case, but DOS is the true answer ;)

Favorite retro game: Ultima IV!

Retro game I most want to play: I've never finished a Wizardry or Might and Magic! I'm missing not one but TWO of the OG 3 CRPG franchises!!

Ooh, I like this twist. Will be some time before I can spin 'em up, but totally jumping on this train.

1 like = 1 haiku about a game I like!

Ultima IV was 12ish when I first played it. Still a frequent replay even as it pushes 40.

Planescape: Torment was 11 on my first play, and still one of the most personally impactful for me.

Heck, I first played Chrono Trigger *this year.* Quick favorite.

Good games shine, even with age.

Hangin' out in LotRO this month, because where better (worse?) to spend the spooky season than in Mordor?

25 games to get to know me! Made some modifications from the last time I put one of these together, but this probably encapsulates my tastes a bit better. Not necessarily TOP 25, but ones that have shaped how I understand and enjoy the medium. Arranged from the center out to show what's most "core!"

Time to dust this profile off!

I go by Linguistic Dragon 'round these parts. I work in translation, act as editor-in-chief at video game review site the-pixels.com, and generally blather about language, video games, and storytelling.

Welcome to my li'l corner of the Internet!

HELLO, BLUESKY!

...there, I think that takes care of Obligatory Initial Post on New Social Media in proper traditional fashion!