A "top 3" list is very hard to do, since there are just so many RPGs I played, but I think Nethack would surely be in there, if not at the first place.

I fully expect Skyrim to not be in the list for a long time (basically, until a PC version with no DRM or at least an acceptable to me DRM scheme appears).

Torment:Planescape
Baldur's Gate 1 & 2
Gothic

Haven't played a really good RPG in a long time...

1. The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind
2. Summon Night: Swordcraft Story
3. Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic

Besides the second choice, nothing unusual here. I have to admit the entire Summon Night series is a huge guilty pleasure of mine and I wish more of them got released in America.

Knights of the Old Republic is a no brainier. You don't even have to like Star Wars, but playing that game will give you temporary life consuming Star Wars fanboyism for the duration. It's almost more Star Wars feeling than the original trilogy, and that says something.

Then there's Morrowind. I'm not ashamed to say it's my first real RPG, but that doesn't mean it isn't still one of the best ones ever made. It captured everything it needed to about the whole first person adventure style TES is known for, without needing to focus on all the flashy hot new physics and grafix.

1. Morrowind
2. FF12
3. Alundra

My top 3 RPGs would be my top 3 games.

1.Oblivion
2.KOTOR
3.Fallout New Vegas

1) Ultima Online - the only game I've played where any profession could be rewarding, boasting (once upon a time) entire medieval-fantasy societies with laborers, guards, sages, the whole lot from king to commoner.

2) Deus Ex - just goes to show how potent fully integrating RPG elements into an FPS format can be, and it's just as taut now as 10 years ago.

3) Morrowind - mind-bogglingly broad while still stunningly detailed, it set the bar so high only Bethesda have been in the running to compete since (and they still haven't quite surpassed it yet.)

Other mentions would have to include Fallout 1 & 2, Planescape: Torment, the Baldur's Gate series, KotOR 1 & 2, Mass Effect (just ME1, not ME2) and Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines. Great depth of character interaction and storyline in each of these, but my top three exhibit that special something that draws me back into their worlds again and again, free to explore at my own pace and always finding something new.

I would probably say:

Tactics Ogre: Let Us Cling Together (played in Japanese on the SNES)
Baldur's Gate & Planescape: Torment
Fallout 1 & 2
Morrowind

Those are ones that really stood out for me when rummaging through my ravaged memory.

@CptJoker: Ultima Online was amazing. I played it soon after launch but I gave up after a few months because I am not much of a guild person and it was damn hard by yourself. My phone line was busy a lot back then.

Oh yeah, I forgot to guess where Skyrim will rank. Hmmm... I am sure it will be a great experience, but I don't know exactly how it will affect me emotionally as I haven't played it yet. The above games have some emotional connection.

In no particular order:
Fallout NV
Morrowind
The Witcher 2

I'm confident that Skyrim can top the Witcher 2.

Baldur's Gate II
Morrowind
Mass Effect 2

But KotOR, Chrono Trigger and a few others are right up there. I'm sure Skyrim will be as well.

I'll probably be changing my list up in one week and possibly in 3 months when Reckoning comes out. My list right now.

1. Oblivion: I can't understate how awesome this game is. It might have flaws with the attribute system and scaling but it's still a great game that I could play for hours and it won't get old. After 3 years it has gotten old but the 1st couple of times I played this I loved it and still do.

2. Fallout 3/Fallout New Vegas: These two are tied for 2 and 2A. I love both games, there's something about an openworld game and guns that is just great. Not to mention the perks, The Awesome Special Attributes, The guns. Both games have flaws but still I love both.

3. .Hack GU Vol 1, 2 ,3: I absolutely love the .hack series, probably one of the best stories that I have experienced in a video game.

Honorable mentions include Dragon Age Origins, Earthbound, Final Fantasy XII, Final Fantasy VII.

Oblivion, Mass Effect and Dragon Age.

1 .Fable (tlc)
2. Fallout new vegas
3. Alpha protocal.

Skyrim wont beat any of them. Allthough Kingdoms of Amalur may become 2nd or 3rd.

Planescape Torment
Fallout 1 + 2
Mass Effect series

Morrowind
Deus Ex
Baldur's Gate 2

My list as of now.
(Note: I am not really an RPG fanatic, normally I prefer strategy games, (First real game I ever played was Age of Empires 2) I mainly only play Bethesda RPG's, but I do have a few exceptions. i.e. Borderlands, Overlord, GTA3)

1. Oblivion
2. Fallout 3
3. Morrowind

(Yeah, you guessed it, I am a Bethesda fan. ) Skyrim will most likely take Fallout's place. As for Oblivion, we'll have to wait and see... :wink_smile:

Picking three is way too tough. Let's say:

1) Daggerfall
2) Vampire: The Masquerade -- Bloodlines
3) Darklands

But this could change at any moment. Other big contenders are the Witcher and Arcanum.

Hmmm...

1. Daggerfall: Gameplay mechanics out the yang.
2. Morowind: Scope and replayability up the wazoo.
3. Baldur's Gate I & II (with Icewind Dale lumped in for good measure) : Just good ol' D&D fun

Skyrim anticipation? Unsure, but possible to enter my top 10.
Though I wish I could, I won't get it for pc (Steam-invading-my-isolated-monster-rig-aversion).
However, I'll be sure to give it a whirl on the 360 for a few giggles.

Chrono Trigger
Earthbound
Oblivion

1. Morrowind
2. Deus Ex Human Revolution (I haven't played the original yet I'm waiting for a while to get it)
3. Fallout: New Vegas

3 - Mass Effect 2
2 - Dragon Age: Origins
1 - Fallout: New Vegas

Honourable mention to Oblivion. I love the action and the freedom in it, but the story, the setting and the characters were no where near as interesting or as deep as the ones in my list.
Of these games, Dragon Age: Origins has my absolute favourite story, dialogue, setting, characters and interactions of any game I have ever played.

Still not enough Bloodlines in this thread! Here it goes:

1) VtM - Bloodlines
2) Knights of the Old Republic
3) Morrowind

The Witcher 1, Deus Ex and VtM - Redemption are all very close to being as amazing as the games on that list. The Witcher might as well swap places with KotOR or Morrowind, I'll probably answer that differently every time you ask me. The only constant is that Bloodlines is my absolute favourite. And while I obviously can't properly judge Skyrim, being as how it's not out yet and all that, I am still pretty sure that it won't be anywhere near as good as any of the games I mentioned.

1- Oblivion
2- KOTOR
3- The Witcher (?)

I am really unsure wether I prefered Oblivion or Kotor, and about the third one... Mass Effect could easily fit in there. But ah well, for the sake of RPGness, The Witcher occupies it

I expect Skyrim to get to first place on the list! Let's see how it goes eheh

1. Fallout 3
2. Darklands
3. Fallout New Vegas

Damn that is a hard thing to do. So many great games. Got to go the Nostalgia route though.

1) Might and Magic 6
2) Might and Magic 7
3) Final Fantasy 10

Morrowind and Oblivion could be interchangeable with any one of those. Pretty sure Skyrim is going to be sitting pretty at the top of that list. And if I had completely finished Morrowind before it got spoiled for me I would probably have that at the top as well.

Fallout 3 and New Vegas below those. Followed by Demons Souls. Then Dragon Age Origins and Mass Effect. KoTOR and The Witcher as well. Def many of the Zelda's, Dragon Quest 8. Agghhh. Screw three I want more lol.

These lists seem like none of you played the real classics

1. Chrono trigger
2. Earthbound
3. Last is tough but im going chrono cross or zelda OoT