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"And after further review ...."

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Llevram (5254 posts) Click to EMail Llevram Click to send private message to Llevram Click to view user profile Click to check IP address of the poster
Oct-16-00, 11:46 AM (Pacific)
"And after further review ...."
After my Initial Review, I put it down for a few days and decided to come back at it, knowing what to expect and also knowing what not to expect.

I have to say, it is addictive. I found myself unable to go to sleep (more so than usual) for thinking of things like "where could the thing be, that I need to get past the other thing"?

And looking past most of my initial problems, I found it a bit easier to play. And the further you get into the game, the more there is to do and see. Combat is sure different in real time ... you can hit & run, unlike the old days of Wiz 7 (where you could run, but would come back to fully healthy monsters every time). Though, it does get hectic when you have to run, then run into more bad guys

Overall, I am finding the game still irritating in spots, but more playable (for instance, I clean the kitchen for two minutes while the game is loading - which helps keep my wife happy too ).

Here are some tips (not spoilers) that may help:

1. Be sure to Use or Give when appropriate. I 'Used' an item on an NPC that I was supposed to 'Give'. Due to the limited number of saved games (8 ... or 9 if you count the "autosaved" last time you exited town one as well), I nearly had to restart the game for that mistake. As it was I had to replay about 2-3 hours, once I figured out the difference between 'Use' and 'Give'

2. Questing seems linear and is kludgy. I have two warriors and could only afford for one to join the guild initially. Having done so, he took up the first quest and eventually completed it. By then, I had enough gold for my second warrior to join.

He then took up his first quest - the same one just completed by the party. But he was not recognized as having done this quest, so I had to 'waste a trip' back to the site of the quest, then return to get credit ;-(

Knowing this, I had both my Wizards join their guild and accept the (same) first quest, before either completed it.

It was funny, I initially rated this game as (to me) worth about $30, the next day, Compusa dropped their price from 49.99 to 35.99 - I doubt this was more than sheer coincidence. But now I see their price is back up to 49.99. I recall someone saying that was the "weekend" price - maybe some holiday or special?

Anyhow, I am raising my rating to $35, given that it seems I am going to get a lot of play out of it. The question of Replayability will have to be answered later, at which time I may adjust my price rating again.

Another thing that would greatly benefit the game and it's playability (thus replayability) would be a patch, which HP has said they could easily do, but their hands are tied until Activision deems it is necessary and lets them do one. This "catch 22" situation, (for me anyway) doesn't bode well for continued sales of this product, or future sales for either company, especially when there are already talks (or at least whisperings) of a sequel.

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Black Fiend -ur (5 posts) Click to EMail Black%20Fiend%20-ur Click to send private message to Black%20Fiend%20-ur Click to check IP address of the poster
Oct-16-00, 04:44 PM (Pacific)
1. "RE: And after further review ...."
How far are you into the game?

I've pretty much played it non-stop since I got it (I'm currently off-contract ie: not working), and I just finished Skull Castle today.

My overall impression is that the game just eventually drives you to frustration. The people who play the first 3rd of it tend to sound like I did when I was in that spot... very forgiving. But mid-way through, the annoying things start to add up; almost to the point where I really wonder whether I can finish it.

Here is my gripe list:

1) Hoop-jumping interface. To be specific, this would include:
-No "standard" mappable hotkeys... including ones for player selection, scrolling through spells/items, bringing up the small map or big map etc. If I could earn Travel Miles in this game with my mouse, I'd have a free trip around the world by now.
-4 to 6+ clicks to use a Bard instrument, and the inability to even put the Bard instrument on your paper-doll in any slot. I don't even bother with my Bard anymore. If she wasn't a Wizard she'd be parked in the Inn.
-The annoying habit of the game going to your spell book after you hit F2 (usually after loading a game), even though you have a spell history.
-No instant "use item" function. The need to scroll through upwards of 20 items (with your mouse only) to find something you want to use is annoying. You should be able to go into your inventory and select an item to use it; OR at least give the quick-item slots hot keys.
-(as stated above) no hot key to bring up the large map and no hot key to zoom out/in. Flags are sometimes hard to target. They should have made the label display on a hover, not a click.

2) Short clipping plane. This really didn't bother me until Brimloch when I suddenly wished I could look across the ocean and admire the scenery. What I got was 50 feet of water then palm tree wallpaper. I have to totally rely on the map to get anywhere (no paths like in the forest). An Island could be 100 yards away and I still can't see it.

3) NPC speeches without a quit command. This becomes taxing after a while. There is no way to stop these speeches, so you end up listening to some stories over again because you chose a different blue word. What's funny is that one NPC asked me if I wanted to hear a story. I said no, and he told me anyway. The worst, though, has got to be the town quest NPCs. I believe the second Bushi-Dojo quest in Brimloch takes FIVE+ minutes for the NPC to tell. And I had 3 guild members who needed to get the quest.

4) The "on my way" feature that makes you dance around automatically. They should have just said "I can't get that from here". Also, if you are not looking down on an object far enough, it will send you "on your way" even though you have it targetted and it's right at your feet.

5) The 2 second delay that occurs after you drop an item on the ground (regardless of scene complexity). You cannot perform any actions during this time other than moving the mouse.

6) Level/Button/Key games. I can get into these... but not when important items are tucked away in unlikely places, are hard to see, and/or don't even show up with Spirit Sight.

7) Busted quests. Both my Priests get XP everytime they go into the Church... which isn't so bad. But my Bard should have been a Warlock. She isn't because of the screwy Scabban quest. So far I've got a Ninja, but I'm hoping the Zen Master and Valkyries quests work for me. They haven't for some others.


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mojo (0 posts) Click to EMail mojo Click to send private message to mojo Click to view user profile Click to check IP address of the poster
Oct-16-00, 05:23 PM (Pacific)
2. "RE: And after further review ...."
...I think I'll wait a while on this puppy. Sounds incredibly frustrating. And things like (lack of) hot keys that you'd think would be common sense by now.

Tho one does wonder just how "common" common sense is...hmmm...

Common Sense--The Movie--
"I think about dead people..."

Anyway, Electronic Boutique may have this in their recycle bin before too long. At under $10., I might give this one a spin. Someday.


CPoW

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Llevram (5254 posts) Click to EMail Llevram Click to send private message to Llevram Click to view user profile Click to check IP address of the poster
Oct-16-00, 05:46 PM (Pacific)
3. "Benfitting from experience (others, that is)"
Well, it's like if you bought a car with broken window crank and the seller didn't tell you. You could spend a lot of frustating time trying to get the thing to work, thinking what am *I* doing wrong. Versus the scenario when the seller tells you, hey the window is broke. Then you could spend time trying to make it work ... oh, different analogy

But you get the picture. Yes, there will probably be frustration, but if you know about it and can look past it, the game does have real promise and some really good features. Hopefully there will be a patch to address at least the interface and quest issues. Then it could truly be a great game ... until then, maybe it's just a "Wizardry Gold".

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mojo (0 posts) Click to EMail mojo Click to send private message to mojo Click to view user profile Click to check IP address of the poster
Oct-17-00, 02:21 PM (Pacific)
4. "Gold Bugs..."
...are good bugs! Happy bugs...make characters strong! Give party shiny armor...large swords!

Like Gold bugs...cheat bugs...menu bugs!

Hate bad bugs! Hate can't pick things up bug! Hate can't get past NPC in bottleneck bug! Hate disappearing inventory bug!

Have not enuff hair left to pull any out over frustrating game! Especially if great game otherwise.

Publisher want 40+ bucks...no tell me window broke! Friends do, tho! Wait till fix window. Then drive patched-up car.

Look for good bugs then! Must...keep...stress...low...

Hey--! Who wants to play Pong?

CPoW

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jersey (0 posts) Click to EMail jersey Click to send private message to jersey Click to view user profile Click to check IP address of the poster
Oct-17-00, 02:42 PM (Pacific)
5. "LOL--thanks I needed that :D (nt)"
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Llevram (5254 posts) Click to EMail Llevram Click to send private message to Llevram Click to view user profile Click to check IP address of the poster
Oct-17-00, 03:08 PM (Pacific)
6. "I think Mojo should change handles ... to Tarzan :) (n/t)"
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mojo (0 posts) Click to EMail mojo Click to send private message to mojo Click to view user profile Click to check IP address of the poster
Oct-18-00, 07:25 AM (Pacific)
7. "Heard it thru the grapevine..."
...eh, Prof? Yeah, I'm quite a swinger alright.

Tho Tarzan--The Handle--wouldn't be bad...considering I'm hangin' around with you apes!

(And no place else I'd rather be...best bunch'a folks on the net!)

CPoW

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