If you like RPGs, you'll love the best one ever made

 The best RPG ever made is Skyrim, which Legend has been playing on the hardest possible difficulty, but you should not do that until after you have played through the game once. 

Skyrim's developers devoted more productive time to it than any other RPG I know. Every space in this beautiful, cold, northern world runs well, and has cover and other features that both tell a story and make for combat that's a little different each time.

You'll learn to be an archer, sneaking around. Don't forget to poison your bow with readily available spider poison picked up in the wild. 

You'll cast spells and save the world for the Magician's Guild.

I would avoid the Fighter's Guild until late in the game, but if you do not -- don't complain that I did not warn you.

I would join the thieves' guild early on, as Legend did.

I would refuse to join the Assassin's guild -- but of course that's up to you.

You will meet the Daedra, powerful god-like beings most of whom have petty agendas (some have glorious agendas that you will be delighted to play a role in).  If you are playing as a good character, Azura and Meridia are appropriate for you. If you are evil, anything goes...

If you enjoy this game, try the older games, Oblivion and Morrowind (you'll need a game guide for Morrowind and perhaps for Oblivion).

In all of these games, I recommend working your way up the Guild hierarchies before tackling the main quest, although this is less important in Skyrim than in the previous two games.

I recommend Wizardry 8

 Wizardry 8 is an RPG that has a lot of grinding but is relaxing and peaceful, with slow turn-based combat, based on an HP / AC spell system that will be familiar to any RPG player.

I recommend it because:

1. The voice actors are very good. Make sure to choose the voices of your characters carefully. The NPCs are excellent.
2. It is sufficiently complex that I keep learning new things about it every time I play it.
3. The story is about saving the world, but is not gloomy (like Diablo) or cruel (like Warhammer and Warhammer 40K -- both of which I like)

If you choose to play Wizardry 8, you will need guides, especially if you choose what I think is an optimal outcome (which I cannot reveal without spoilers -- just google "alliance wizardry 8" although there is more than one alliance in the game.

In a game such as this one, the combat has to be interesting because it's most of what you are doing. It consistently gives you interesting choices, and also makes you think about how the effectiveness of alternative groups of character skills in different party arrangements.

The graphics are _old_ but generally are very good. Some locations will require you to look up a map. Don't play this game in a rush to the end. Play it to experience the variety of enemies and enemy abilities, to find the various secrets, and to explore every map in order to learn as much as you can about the story.

Do not, however, play this game if you are religious. Even though the end of the game recognizes Judeo-Christian gods, you will be offended by the middle-to-late game.

Alternative AI cheats

 Legend of TotalWar complains of anti-player bias in his lengthy Total War streams. And other streamers, such as Dame Offensive (who plays at Very Hard) have taken up the call. Myself, I play at Easy, and even I experience anti-player bias.

Nations walk around their own historical  enemies in order to attack you. Their troops don't rout when yours would (at those difficulty levels) 

My suggestion: give the AI some lore-friendly cheats.

Settra should have 90% physical resistance when wearing his scarab.

Queek Headtaker should have a sprint ability that gives him +100% speed and the dodge ability (if he does not already have it) as in the book Headtaker (which I strongly recommend). However, the skaven don't need buffs.

The vampires should reappear in Sylvania whenever order there is below 50, and perhaps in the other vampire locations, such as the Necrarch, Strigoi and Silver Pinnacle locations. And of course any location that carries Nagash's name should be able to resurrect Arkhan's faction.

Teclis should have a much more powerful spell buff -- perhaps half cost for all spells -- but far fewer HP than other heroes.

Tyrion should have double his normal melee defense.

Alith Anar should reappear in any Naggaroth ruin. 

The dwarves should be able to regain to full stamina after a forced march, and their major settlements should have traps, like Eltharion's.

Norsca could have a waagh-like mechanic when they capture key settlements, such as Couronne, but that is not related to the lore.

Note: I get my lore from the websites and streamers cited above and from books such as Headtaker, but not from the miniatures rules because those rule books are out of print and therefore not available to me.