Hi Maigrets.
I'm a 50 year old Aussie gamer (bloke) and I agree with pretty much everything you say about DKS.
However, some things in the rest of your post I totally disagree with. The major one being this point:
"I don't understand why games still use turn based combat in this day and age when real time combat is more immersive and adds to the whole experience"
1) You mention this in reference to Dragon Age. Please, DA:O is NOT 'turn based' (not even close), it is RTwP (Real Time with Pause) - a completely different (and retarded) mechanic altogether.
2) Now, while this is completely subjective, I'm sorry, but 'turned based' leaves 'real time' (and RTwP) for dead when it comes to combat mechanics. Especially for party based RPG's. In fact, it's the only mechanic that can handle tactical combat when controlling more than one charactre or unit.
Also, the last part of your statement, that real time is "so much more immersive and adds to the whole experience", is just plain wrong in my opinion. I find exactly the opposite to be true.
While real time may be fine for a single player controled ARPG like DKS, real RPG's like the original Fallout's (1&2), Arcarnum etc. - and even TBS (Turn Based Strategy) games like the Civilization series and HoMM (Heros of Might and Magic) definately benifit greatly by being TB. In fact, some would just be impossible to play in real time.
If you want to try a game, with perhaps the best implementation of tactical turn based combat ever devised - give Jagged Alliance 2 a shot. It's even got a few RPG elements. I also see you liked Vampire: TM by Trokia, well give their other games a go: Arcarnum and Temple of Elemental Evil (both turn based and excelent games - Arc for RPG goodness and ToEE for awesome D&D TB combat).
Turn based games just offer so much more depth in combat strategies and tactical maneuvering then real time ever could. Have you played the original Fallouts? Give them a shot, they are SO much better than FO3 it's not even funny. Agree though that New Vegas is a step in the right direction - mainly becase it's made by Obsidian rather than Bethesda, who havn't made a decent RPG since Morrowind (sorry, but even modded Oblivion is crap).
Spot on with the Gothic series (especially 1&2+NoTR) and Risen (not Arcania). Excellent games. I honestly don't know how anyone who's played them could ever stand playing the atrocity that is Oblivion.
Anyway, "horses for corses" as they say. As you can probably tell, I prefer the more 'in-depth' experience of traditional RPG's as opposed to the more casual ARPG's, but I can definately appreciate the brilliance of games like DKS, which is actually equal parts RPG/ARPG in my opinion.
Cheers
