I've been thinking about WRPGs and some of the SaGa series, and how some of the SaGa games are like WRPGs, but I'm wondering if there's any actual turn-based WRPGs that are similar in structure.

Here's what I'm looking for:
* The game is filled with side quests.
* There's very little mandatory main quest stuff, or if there are mandatory tasks, they're not ordered.
* Preferably, the endgame will open up without having to go through a strict main quest. For example, maybe the end game opens up after enough time has passed, or competing side quests eventually opens up the endgame.
* (Alternatively, a game where you have to perform certain tasks, but not in a strict order, could work here.)
* The game is balanced around the player completing a considerable amount of optional content. In other words, if the player tries to ignore all of the game's optional content, they will struggle with the endgame. (Doesn't have to be quite like Zelda: Breath of the Wild or Lute's quest in SaGa Frontier, where the endgame is immediately accessible, but it's OK if it is.)
* Bonus points if the game has multiple playable characters, each with a different beginning, or something along these lines.

Examples of what I'm *not* looking for:
* Anything not turn-based. (In particular, no Elder Scrolls or Baldur's Gate (except maybe BG3).)
* Anything where the game is divided into "Chapters" or similar. (So, no Baldur's Gate or Pathfinder games.)
* Any linear games. (So, no Eye of the Beholder or Bard's Tale 3.)

So, are there a decent number of games that meet these criterion?

The early Might & Magic games, maybe?

There's only about three or four things you absolutely have to do, and aside from picking up those handful of plot coupons, the only thing stopping you completing the game right from the start is that you're not strong enough to survive the fights in most places. There are puzzles and mini-quests to provide some flavour and variety to the grind process, but they're all theoretically optional.

This appeared in my Steam discovery queue. Early access not the full game, there are some videos on youtube https://store.steampowered.com/app/1527950/Wartales/

First King's Bounty, if you would consider bounty contracts to be sidequests.

Jagged Alliance 2 - you have to finish at least some sidequests to gain trust from locals and establish your economy. And without money, you wouldn't get firepower to win. Though I've heard you can kill Deidranna almost from the start but it's hard and you need a special build for it.

In XCOM and XCOM2 missions from various governments aren't strictly necessary but you must complete a certain amount for those governments to keep founding you. Some Heroes of Might & Magic can fit too. I remember Heroes4 maps especially filled with sidequests that give you powerful heroes and artifacts.

Endless Space. Probably. I'm not sure how difficult winning would be without completing sidequests.

Fallout 2 seems to meet criteria. Turn based, no chapters, side activities takes 10 times longer than main storyline and without exploiting or cheating it would be very hard to rush main quest without exploring or doing sidequests.
IIRC the main quest itself is quite short and at some point early you get very vague objective to find something which is impossible to achieve without a lot of exploring and asking random people unless you know exactly what to do and where to look.

Two Worlds
https://www.gog.com/game/two_worlds
Ton of side quests, you can basically reach the final battle right from the start (not that you would stand a chance), etc.

That's an Action RPG, not turn-based.

Dang, you're right.
Forgot about the TB-requirement.
Well, then forget about TW, dtgreene. My bad.
:)

Battle Brothers is that kind of game you are looking for. I haventm't play it, but for some reviews I know is like that.

But Battle Brothers is a strategy title - not an RPG.

EDIT: well, game's page says: "Battle Brothers is a turn based tactical RPG", but...

As someone who's played and is still playing it regularly it does indeed meet all of the criteria, even the one in regards to different beginnings or "company origins" as they're called.

It's not 100% turn-based though, as traversing/exploring the randomly generated overworld or "global map" is done in real-time (which technically can still be considered turn-based, but in really small increments).

The RPG aspect, while not the focus per se, is still there, as you assume the role of a mercenary company's leader responsible for the well-being/survival of your eponymous battle brothers (complete with distributing attribute points and perks upon leveling up).

I remember seeing a speedrun for either this game of its sequel where the player found some random NPC that happened to secretly be the final boss, turned him aggressive, and then got the townspeople to kill him, winning the game. (And this ccould be done very early.)

On the other hand, I heard that they patched that out later.

(Then again, as paladin181 points out, that game doesn't fit my criteria here.)

Well, I did it the oldfashioned way, but that sounds like a really cool idea, too. :)

First thing that comes to mind is Divinity: Original Sin. It does have a main quest and the ending is linear, but the major part of the game is pretty open and filled with side quests. You move on to different open areas when meeting particular requirements, which is somewhat similar to chapters, but contrary to D:OS2, you can still go back to the old ones at will until you initiate the final quest. IIRC, there is only one dungeon area that gets locked off at a certain point, everything else remains accessible throughout the game. Your progress is mostly measured by certain items that you find by exploring the world and doing quests and which unlock stuff in a hub area. This is somewhat intertwined with main quests, too, but I did not feel such a strict separation of main quests and side quests as in other RPGs. You will often be able to solve both types just by free exploration.

Pool of Radiance might apply, too, to some extent? Not sure as I haven't played much of it, so I don't know if there are many side quests. But I've heard that you could theoretically just walk up to the final boss without going through a linear main quest line first.

I *think* it's this run:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5NeR-bT3uv0

(Notice that this video is less than 5 minutes?)