I'd like to play me a good old CRPG. I'm not sure which one to play, though.

Here are my choices:

Icewind Dale
Baldur's Gate
Planescape Torment
Temple of Elemental Evil
Arcanum
Shadowrun: Dragonfall

I'm leaning toward Icewind Dale, since I like the setting. However, it should be noted that apart from some experience with Fallout, Morrowind, and Baldur's Gate 2 (which I didn't even get close to finishing. Something I plan on remedying some day), I am not very well versed in CRPG down and dirty mechanics. So I'm not sure if there's one of these that might be particularly unforgiving to new players.

So throw me some suggestions!

Planescape: Torment.

Grab Shadowrun: Dragonfall. I mean it, it's as oldschool as you can humanly get, it's not particularily long and it solves most of the pet peeves I've had with any of the actually old CRPGs I have ever played.

Failing that, out of the given selection, Planescape: Torment

IWD is more about combat than anything else.

PST more story than anything else

Given that choice, I would say Arcanum (patched up, of course)

YARP!

The Icewind Dale series of games play more like a strategy game,
in that it is more about combat than story, though the story is still good.

The other games are more story focused, and will take a bit longer to explore.

Over time you should try to play them all...

Yeah I've got to say going from a newbie perspective myself you cant beat Planescape. Plus your first buddy is floating wise cracking skull.

Just bought Shadowrun: Dragonfall as well, so that's in the running now. I plan on it.

It depends on your mood, reall, but I will put them in my personal order of preference:

-if you want to experience the greatest narrative in vidoegaming ever, go with Planescape. Just keep in mind that the combat -although very rare, if you play a diplomat character with hgh INT, WIS and CHA- is probably the worst of them all;

-Icewind Dale has indeed a nice setting, and while the story is thin it is still very enjoyable. Imo, this is by far the best among the Infinity Engine games in terms of gameplay, allowing you to completely cutomize your party and throwing you in a series of combat-heavy dungeons that will put your abilities to test. It is perfectly balanced, never being too hard to beat but neither being forgiving, and I hink that the maximum level of difficulty is the best way to play it.

-Baldur's Gate is the eldest of the IE games, and it is a sort of middle ground among te previous two... having neither the excellent combat of IWD nor the literary greatness of PST. Still, it is a very good game, even if quite overrated.

-Temple of TEE is the closest you can get to the pen and paper RPG, having probably the best combat (notice that it is turn-based, unlike te others) among the lot but also the worst writing by far. If only the plot could match that of the previous titles, this could be a legenadry RPG; alas, its faults are too big to be ignored.

-I do not own Arcanum, so I can't say anything about it! :(

Of all the games you mentioned, Temple of Elemental Evil
is the only one you might have to find community patches to play.

All of the other games I've been able to play through without issues
and without needing to add fixes or mods.

Planescape torment isn't even in the same league as the others, you should play it.

Arcanum is very interesting also and would be my second choice, if you can really get into it. However I found the interface kind of clunky and while all the customization it gives you on your character is good, it's very easy to make one that can't survive the first couple of encounters.

Then Baldur's gate and Shadowrun: Dragonfall are about tied for third, both have good and bad about them.

Icewind dale isn't very interesting and I would avoid it, and Temple of Elemental Evil is actually a pretty terrible game and I would take it off your list, it's not worth playing.

Can you be more specific about what you don't like about those games?

If you are like me Icewind (Enhanced if you can).

Of course if you are like me not knowing what RPG to play is the least of your problems.

Icewind Dale- probably the most accessible of the games you listed. Combat intensive.

Baldur's Gate- less combat intensive than Icewind Dale but with more emphasis on plot/atmosphere. The start of the game is hard for someone playing the game for the first time.

Planescape Torment- never played it

Temple of Elemental Evil- combat intensive. There are a lot of boring quests in the beginning of the game. Somewhat buggy, but fan patches are available. The most true to D&D rules out of just about any D&D based computer game.

Arcanum- something of an expert level game with complicated character builds. Something like Fallout in terms of combat.

Shadowrun: Dragonfall- never played it. If it's like the original Shadowrun Returns it's fairly accessible.

Planescape - It's the best from the list, and it's easier to get into .