Rajaah's CRPG Blog

Kharzette · Mar 22, 2023

For Ultima 7 and serpent isle, Exult is a well made modernish engine for it. It has some extra upscaling options, and backports some of the handy things from serpent to black gate, and fixes some of the clock problems.

Damn that reminds me I never got around to finishing a mod I was working on for serpent isle. SI lost a bit of the usual Ultima interactivity with world items that all the other Ultimas had. There were alchemy paraphernalia scattered about but you couldn't use any of it so I was going to add that.

The game kind of needs it if you are spellcasting alot. There's not much way to regenerate mana.

Kajiimagi · Mar 22, 2023

DickTrickle said:
Some games I'd suggest that probably didn't get a lot of exposure.

The Expeditions series (Expeditions: Conquistador, Expeditions: Vikings, Expeditions: Rome). Fun turned based tactical combat with overworld storytelling/adventuring/questing. The first one is less complex but I think these games have a really appealing tone to them that isn't really captured in a lot of other games with similar game mechanics.

Don't think I've ever even heard of these. FYI they are all on sale on steam ATM. I'm downloading Conquistador right now.

DickTrickle · Mar 22, 2023

Kajiimagi said:
Don't think I've ever even heard of these. FYI they are all on sale on steam ATM. I'm downloading Conquistador right now.

Glad to see someone trying these out! Fortunate timing on mentioning these given the sale.

That one is a decade old now and the company was much smaller, so keep that in mind. I think the atmosphere will still shine through, though. Vikings and Rome definitely take it up quite a notch both in terms of gameplay, RPG elements, and story.

wormie · Mar 22, 2023

All this talk about old ass video games and no mention of Betrayal at Krondor? God damn you all are terrible.

Burns · Mar 22, 2023

wormie said:
All this talk about old ass video games and no mention of Betrayal at Krondor? God damn you all are terrible.

I have actually been thinking about trying to play it again, since Raj brought up the old games marathon in the BG3 thread. Every few years I look at it and the graphics just look turrable now. So I wonder if replaying it will ruin the fond memories of it's greatness, and then end up doing something else.

For this thread and the start, in the BG3 thread, it was focusing on BG and newer games, that were isometric (plus NWN). So it's not really in the scope of what he is playing right now, so didn't see a need to bring it up.

Now the list has System Shock on it, which is much older, not iso, and it also looks pretty rough GFX wise. So maybe Krondor should go on the list!

wormie · Mar 22, 2023

Burns said:
I have actually been thinking about trying to play it again, since Raj brought up the old games marathon in the BG3 thread. Every few years I look at it and the graphics just look turrable now. So I wonder if replaying it will ruin the fond memories of it's greatness, and then end up doing something else.

For this thread and the start, in the BG3 thread, it was focusing on BG and newer games, that were isometric (plus NWN). So it's not really in the scope of what he is playing right now, so didn't see a need to bring it up.

Now the list has System Shock on it, which is much older, not iso, and it also looks pretty rough GFX wise. So maybe Krondor should go on the list!

It certainly didn't age well but same can be said for gold box games and some of the Ultima games. It was a great rpg still and the world it was in is well developed due to excellent books. Might be worth it.

TJT · Mar 22, 2023

Betrayal at Krondor was awesome. I'll never forget that bullshit where that guy leaves your party like 2/3 through the story and of course he was awesome and had all my good shit.

Rajaah · Mar 23, 2023

Burns said:
I have actually been thinking about trying to play it again, since Raj brought up the old games marathon in the BG3 thread. Every few years I look at it and the graphics just look turrable now. So I wonder if replaying it will ruin the fond memories of it's greatness, and then end up doing something else.

For this thread and the start, in the BG3 thread, it was focusing on BG and newer games, that were isometric (plus NWN). So it's not really in the scope of what he is playing right now, so didn't see a need to bring it up.

Now the list has System Shock on it, which is much older, not iso, and it also looks pretty rough GFX wise. So maybe Krondor should go on the list!

System Shock is being remade with a May 30th release date and I'm going to get it on PS5 then. Probably the shortest game on the list, be nice to have one that isn't a huge cut o' BEEF.

Now System Shock 2, yes, is old and dated and no remake is on the horizon. So that's a big maybe, and thus in the P3 part.

Rajaah · Mar 23, 2023

It feels pretty good to cross off games in the initial post as I finish them. Two down, like...19 to go!

Playing some more BGII since I have bouts of crippling insomnia. Either can't fall asleep, or fall asleep and wake up after 3-4 hours and can't fall back to sleep. So I do a lot of my playing in the middle of the night, and am usually completely wiped out during the day when I have to actually do things. Can probably run on 3-4 hours better than most people though, due to doing it so many times. If I have a particularly bad insomnia week where this happens multiple times, then on Friday or Saturday night I might get like 14 hours of sleep at once which balances it out I guess.

BALDUR II NOTES

-I think I said it already but it bears repeating that these Versus Books guides are SO NICE. If you're gonna play BGII or replay it, I highly recommend picking up their "Perfect Guide" for both Shadows of Amn and Throne of Bhaal. They add something to it, and really make me feel like I'm back in 1999. Plus with all the maps, screenshots, and full-color pages, the guides are useful for the games and easier to refer to than going on the internet and scrolling through guides.

-The first dungeon is so long. I'm still on it and I've been at this game for two days. Maybe 2 hours played?

-Yoshimo seems cool, has a katana and a bow. Good to see an actual new character I didn't meet in BG1.

-Jaheira was my favorite chick in BG1, too bad I didn't keep her around too long because better characters came along. In BG2 she's kinda terrible though. Different, vastly less-hot portrait. Freaks the F out at everyone and is basically insufferable over Khalid's demise. It's alright to mourn and everything but she's like blaming everyone around her and snapping at Imoen for trying to talk to her. Worst of all, she called Boo a rodent. Probably gonna give her the boot already, considering half an hour ago I was planning to keep her in the party for the entire game.

-Khalid's dead! NO!! Anyway...

-Wow, a cloudkill trap room just murdered my entire party except the MC. Was humming along without any real issues until that point. Traps have been the bane of my existence in both games simply because they do so much damage. The Ultima series did a lot of that too.

Prodigal · Mar 23, 2023

Jaheira gets somewhat less annoying shortly, and she does get the best rez (Harpers Call) and also solid summons relatively early in the game.

Burns · Mar 23, 2023

Rajaah said:
It feels pretty good to cross off games in the initial post as I finish them. Two down, like...19 to go!

Playing some more BGII since I have bouts of crippling insomnia. Either can't fall asleep, or fall asleep and wake up after 3-4 hours and can't fall back to sleep. So I do a lot of my playing in the middle of the night, and am usually completely wiped out during the day when I have to actually do things. Can probably run on 3-4 hours better than most people though, due to doing it so many times. If I have a particularly bad insomnia week where this happens multiple times, then on Friday or Saturday night I might get like 14 hours of sleep at once which balances it out I guess.

BALDUR II NOTES

-I think I said it already but it bears repeating that these Versus Books guides are SO NICE. If you're gonna play BGII or replay it, I highly recommend picking up their "Perfect Guide" for both Shadows of Amn and Throne of Bhaal. They add something to it, and really make me feel like I'm back in 1999. Plus with all the maps, screenshots, and full-color pages, the guides are useful for the games and easier to refer to than going on the internet and scrolling through guides.

-The first dungeon is so long. I'm still on it and I've been at this game for two days. Maybe 2 hours played?

-Yoshimo seems cool, has a katana and a bow. Good to see an actual new character I didn't meet in BG1.

-Jaheira was my favorite chick in BG1, too bad I didn't keep her around too long because better characters came along. In BG2 she's kinda terrible though. Different, vastly less-hot portrait. Freaks the F out at everyone and is basically insufferable over Khalid's demise. It's alright to mourn and everything but she's like blaming everyone around her and snapping at Imoen for trying to talk to her. Worst of all, she called Boo a rodent. Probably gonna give her the boot already, considering half an hour ago I was planning to keep her in the party for the entire game.

-Khalid's dead! NO!! Anyway...

-Wow, a cloudkill trap room just murdered my entire party except the MC. Was humming along without any real issues until that point. Traps have been the bane of my existence in both games simply because they do so much damage. The Ultima series did a lot of that too.

Are you not putting points into find traps on a character? It's why I always run a Thief or Bard in my group. Of course you need to have them walking close to the front of the group and try to keep everyone grouped up too.

Tuco · Mar 23, 2023

Rajaah said:
-Wow, a cloudkill trap room just murdered my entire party except the MC. Was humming along without any real issues until that point. Traps have been the bane of my existence in both games simply because they do so much damage. The Ultima series did a lot of that too.

When I do my next BG2 playthrough I'll probably either mod them out or do something to make them less obnoxious. After 60 years of either steamrolling the traps and absorbing the damage or having a thief sloooowly plod through I think I've had enough.

TJT · Mar 23, 2023

Cloudkill is for sure the most annoying spell in BG2 as it remains deadly throughout the entire game. That said wands of Cloudkill are the best items you can get early on as they allow you to take out Firkraag via the Room Breach Method. Which was always lol.

Burns · Mar 23, 2023

TJT said:
Cloudkill is for sure the most annoying spell in BG2 as it remains deadly throughout the entire game. That said wands of Cloudkill are the best items you can get early on as they allow you to take out Firkraag via the Room Breach Method. Which was always lol.

Yea! Sneaking into a room/area, to see just enough to toss in a cloudkill and a fireball was a favorite tactic in some dungeons.

Hateyou · Mar 23, 2023

Rajaah said:
It feels pretty good to cross off games in the initial post as I finish them. Two down, like...19 to go!

Playing some more BGII since I have bouts of crippling insomnia. Either can't fall asleep, or fall asleep and wake up after 3-4 hours and can't fall back to sleep. So I do a lot of my playing in the middle of the night, and am usually completely wiped out during the day when I have to actually do things. Can probably run on 3-4 hours better than most people though, due to doing it so many times. If I have a particularly bad insomnia week where this happens multiple times, then on Friday or Saturday night I might get like 14 hours of sleep at once which balances it out I guess.

BALDUR II NOTES

-I think I said it already but it bears repeating that these Versus Books guides are SO NICE. If you're gonna play BGII or replay it, I highly recommend picking up their "Perfect Guide" for both Shadows of Amn and Throne of Bhaal. They add something to it, and really make me feel like I'm back in 1999. Plus with all the maps, screenshots, and full-color pages, the guides are useful for the games and easier to refer to than going on the internet and scrolling through guides.

-The first dungeon is so long. I'm still on it and I've been at this game for two days. Maybe 2 hours played?

-Yoshimo seems cool, has a katana and a bow. Good to see an actual new character I didn't meet in BG1.

-Jaheira was my favorite chick in BG1, too bad I didn't keep her around too long because better characters came along. In BG2 she's kinda terrible though. Different, vastly less-hot portrait. Freaks the F out at everyone and is basically insufferable over Khalid's demise. It's alright to mourn and everything but she's like blaming everyone around her and snapping at Imoen for trying to talk to her. Worst of all, she called Boo a rodent. Probably gonna give her the boot already, considering half an hour ago I was planning to keep her in the party for the entire game.

-Khalid's dead! NO!! Anyway...

-Wow, a cloudkill trap room just murdered my entire party except the MC. Was humming along without any real issues until that point. Traps have been the bane of my existence in both games simply because they do so much damage. The Ultima series did a lot of that too.

Get some blue blockers man. Staring at a flickering screen for baldurs gate amount of hours a day isn’t good for sleeping.

reavor · Mar 23, 2023

Jaheira is actually a pretty decent support character. Druid/fighter is an alright combo that works well both in early and late game

Burns · Mar 23, 2023

reavor said:
Jaheira is actually a pretty decent support character. Druid/fighter is an alright combo that works well both in early and late game

Yea, she's not bad, but I'd rather have Viconia or (and) Aerie fill that spot.

Rajaah · Mar 23, 2023

Burns said:
Are you not putting points into find traps on a character? It's why I always run a Thief or Bard in my group. Of course you need to have them walking close to the front of the group and try to keep everyone grouped up too.

Putting most thief points into Pick Locks. I assumed that it was like Fallout where you needed a certain skill level to open things, and wanted to keep my skill level high so I wouldn't run into un-openable things.

However, in one and a half games I've never run into any lock that said my skill was too low to open it or something. Not one. So I'm guessing it isn't like Fallout after all.

Totally neglected Find Traps, that stops now though. Imoen sodded off, but I still have Yoshino for thieving.

I go in a 2x2x2 formation with the MC and Minsc at the front, always. Thieves are usually in row 2.

Tuco · Mar 23, 2023

Rajaah said:
Putting most thief points into Pick Locks. I assumed that it was like Fallout where you needed a certain skill level to open things, and wanted to keep my skill level high so I wouldn't run into un-openable things.

However, in one and a half games I've never run into any lock that said my skill was too low to open it or something. Not one. So I'm guessing it isn't like Fallout after all.

Totally neglected Find Traps, that stops now though. Imoen sodded off, but I still have Yoshino for thieving.

I go in a 2x2x2 formation with the MC and Minsc at the front, always. Thieves are usually in row 2.

Also note that Potions of Master Thievery are common IIRC, allowing you to just potion your way through high level locks with a modest level of thievery. I always had enough to spare so I don't know how annoying it'd be to do this in early game.

TJT · Mar 23, 2023

Rajaah said:
Putting most thief points into Pick Locks. I assumed that it was like Fallout where you needed a certain skill level to open things, and wanted to keep my skill level high so I wouldn't run into un-openable things.

However, in one and a half games I've never run into any lock that said my skill was too low to open it or something. Not one. So I'm guessing it isn't like Fallout after all.

Totally neglected Find Traps, that stops now though. Imoen sodded off, but I still have Yoshino for thieving.

I go in a 2x2x2 formation with the MC and Minsc at the front, always. Thieves are usually in row 2.

Use the Potion of Master Thievery on the shopkeeper once you're out of the tutorial dungeon for a solid item. The shopkeep having it is so strange that I can only presume the developers knew some cheeky fuckers would immediately start robbing everyone they possibly could.

The theft system in BG is quite good, its just often unnecessary because so little counts as being stolen.

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