Wizardry 8

[Urban Ranger]

Originally posted by Pembleton
One of my problems is that certain characters, like the Bard, are overpowered, and thus hampers the replay value for me.

Bards are overpowered? Never used one. I am using an imported party and the new system of changing professions really bugs me.

For example, if you have a level 10 rogue whom you want to make a bard. Before this, he loses all the attribute points he gained to the bare minimum for a bard, but keeps everything else. The positive side of this is he is a level 1 bard and gains level quickly.

Now he doesn't lose anything, but he's considered level 10 in terms of experience required to gain a new level, but he's considered level 1 in terms of bard abilities. It's really messed up.

Originally posted by Pembleton
One standout feature: The fighters are the best units in the game, and the magic-users are necessary but never become almighty toward the end, like in so many other RPGs.

I think it has a balancing problem in the middle somewhere. For example, a lowly Ironskin Croc can dish out over 100HP worth of damage in one round. Couple that with the fact that no matter what, the monsters get to move first , and you have a problem.

Originally posted by Pembleton
But later in the game (actually pretty early in the game, and there is also a spell that allows you to do this), many of the battles are avoidable.

You sure? Some times I can outrun some of the monsters, but they don't go away if you just sit and hide somewhere. I don't have the savegame anymore, but in one situation, a bunch of twilight bats were waiting for my party. I figured that, if I just sat around long enough they'd go away. No. Even after the party camped for 8 hours the bats were still around

[yin26]

I have had to put this game on hold because of some odd slow-downs I am experiencing. I've got a solid system with brand-name components and such. Even when I set video to 800X600 with low color demands and tuned down all the bells and whistles, I inevitably get a slow down during a battle. The mouse become nearly impossible to move etc. I figured this might be a sound card issue, not sure.

Has anybody had this problem?

At any rate, I did get awfully tired of the battles. I remember my 'old days' when I didn't mind slogging through them all. And to Wiz8's credit, the skill system does keep you interested in gaining levels ... perhaps it's just the darn slowdowns that really took the wind out of me.

[Pembleton]

Wizardry 8 was good. Most people who have played it loved it. They call it a "throw-back" and "old-school".

One of my problems is that certain characters, like the Bard, are overpowered, and thus hampers the replay value for me.

But the graphics are good, the levelling/skill system is excellent, and it's a lot of hack and slash but with a good amount of tactics, and the story is minimal. One standout feature: The fighters are the best units in the game, and the magic-users are necessary but never become almighty toward the end, like in so many other RPGs.

It's also relatively difficult (note *relative*, difficulty is different for different people), and those who don't like hack and slash may get tired of the numerous battles. But later in the game (actually pretty early in the game, and there is also a spell that allows you to do this), many of the battles are avoidable. However, I did this rarely, and only toward the end, because you should actually want to battle to increase in levels. And because of the skill system, I found this to be quite addictive.

[Imran Siddiqui]

I liked the story of Baldur's Gate... it was great fun. No Planescape: Torment, but then again, no RPG can come close in story. Some RPGs I play for the story (well all of them MUST have a good story), others I play so I can do whatever I want (which is why I'm getting Morrowind).

I knew BG was going to be fairly linear in terms of story (and non-linear in side quests).

[paulmagusnet]

bg

I remember when wizardry was a dos game and I thought a mouse was something cats ate.

You really like Baulders Gate? Eccch, it forces you to do everything as the programmers wanted to make sure you see Everything they wrote. It was just horribly constraining. Gender is an asthetic choice, really, so pc. So many things are just immune to anything you do and give you no choice but to follow the 'story' line. The additions are even worse, there is more program control of your direction and many more entities that are simply immune to anything you can do. Basiclally it is an animated book with some RPG elements.

Wizardry 8 is available here but only in Russian, which even at only 100rubles isn't worth tyring to dicypher.

[Urban Ranger]

Yeah, some of the voice overs are funny, various PCs and NPCs have distinct personalities.

My elf bishop would say, "Shoo, shoo, go away!" when he spots monsters.

[Grumbold]

I love the game. The plot is detailed but it is the different character voices that I think really make it work. Every single one of them have different things to say in different situations, some triggered uniquely by specific NPC's or encounters. Unlike the BG games where I got sick of endless "buttkicking for goodness" and Boo repetitions, in Wizardry it actually works. Especially the comments that come out when things go wrong. Many of them are genuinely funny in a way that I've not seen for years.

[Urban Ranger]

Take your time. The controls are decent but not top rated, so you need to get use to them.

There are things that could have been done to make controlling combat so much easier. Small things. For example, make walking the default setting with a button for running. Another example, if the party has killed the first target, the program can interrupt the execution and ask you to retarget your remaining attacks instead of doing it automatically.

[yin26]

I just finished the Lower Monastery ... as you can tell, I'm taking my time. I'm still getting used to the combat model, but I think I have it figured out now and have a good formation in order. I'm happy to note that the use of magic is fairly important in stunning or paralyzing enemies, etc. Adds some nice strategy.

[Urban Ranger]

How's your progress in the game so far?

[yin26]

Thanks for asking. I start a new job in April, at which point my gaming time will plummet ... along with posting time. Poly rejoice!

Regarding changing professions, I haven't played hardly enough to even know where to start.

[Urban Ranger]

How's work at the university? Not too taxing I gathered

I just don't like the way they changed how characters change professions

[yin26]

Well, I broke down and had the game delivered. I guess I couldn't wait until April to play. I hardly had time to even just mess with character creation and so forth, but I like very much the interface and super clean graphics. It seems they put a premium on making the game comfortable and easy to use and look at.

I only played about 10 minutes of the start of the game (now I'll start over with my own characters), but it brings back so many good memories! Sure, Ultima 9 had much better graphics -- once you got them to work properly -- but there's just something great about W8's 'old school' top-quality approach.

[Urban Ranger]

The monsters are a lot smarter in this game.

First of all, they will try to surround your party instead of line up in a straight line Secondly, if they are blinded, etc., they'll retreat until the condition is lifted.

[Urban Ranger]

Originally posted by Imran Siddiqui
Yeah, same as I thought. I read this review on it where it brought up this point, saying in a multi party game, the isometric view of Baldur's Gate and Fallout were the best, and the first person view is best if you have one player.

That's just subjective. Both have advantages and drawbacks.

Any "aerial" view (this includes isometric view) is problematic when the party is in a dungeon. There's also the problem of not being able to see far enough with these views so the party can easily be rushed by monsters. This is a problem shared by some old arcade games, particularly driving games.