I can complete it with my level 10 bard if that's any indication.
Races
Any
Tricks & Traps
Light
Roleplay
Light
Hack & Slash
Medium
Classes
Any
Scope
Small
DMNeeded
No DM Required
Single or Multiplayer
Single Player
Max Character Level
12
Max # Players
01
Min # Players
01
Min Character Level
09
Content Rating
Mature
Alignments
Any
Description
It's a pain having to run things, but someone's got to do it. A castle, staff, stable, farm, diplomats from neighbouring realms and uninvited guests, where will you find time to hunt? And just what have your ancestors left for you to discover in the far reaches of the realm?
Overall I agree with Balcazar's review as well as the comments from the some of the players (e.g. Jess_, Marvin and Reeshau).
However due to a number of bugs I cannot really recommend it.
Pros:
+ The module is very original (you don't get to run a castle and a domain in other modules)
+ Outstanding visuals (in most parts) and nice additions (e.g. horse riding made available back in 2003)
Cons:
- Various Bugs, Design Flaws and Oddities (most) pointed out by others
- Could not complete the module due to bugs and or Uberness of some bosses at the end
* Spoilers *
Tried the module once and got stuck in the first area (the author decided to use specific invisible area transitions). Can't remember if my char was chased by the gang or simply looking for an exit.
Tried a second time and enjoyed the module except that I did not do things in the exact order and ended up facing the gang of bosses way too soon.
The third time, I tried my best to follow the flow intended by indy. Things were OK more or less. Too bad I did not buy the part after you get the device. The area design was terrible as well as the encounters. Worse due to a probable faction bug, I never got the conversation with the Final Boss who was hostile from the start (drinking a specific potion did not change that). Good luck fighting this epic NPC with your "level 10 bard" ;-)
Oh and I did not buy the Boss look either. Last but not least, the last area transition does not work (exit from crypt) even if the Boss is dead.
Posted by Jess_ at 2004-12-29 01:10:00 Voted 7.50 on 12/29/04
I give "7,5" because there are several points that I dislike really !!
First, there are too many fights, specially in the Spire great hall (a hundred monsters and a hundred traps...).
Second, our choices in the dialogs have no impact on the game or the alignment.
Third it is possible to kill the Dwarf and his sbires in the beginning and kill them all a second time in the end. BIG BUG !!! So I don't have to give him my gera and gold, but I can't say it ! And so I finish the game with more than thousand gold !!! TOO much, really too much.
The fights were too easy for my Rogue/Arcane-Archer with the shoot-and-run tactic.
Posted by Jess_ at 2004-12-29 01:04:45 Voted 7.50 on 12/29/04
Posted by Lady S ( ..xxx.xxx ) at 2003-06-11 15:39:00
I'll say this simple, played it, loved it. Hoping to see more from you in the future. Also helped me get better with my role playing, what needs alot of work as I tend to type the wrong things sometimes.
Posted by indy ( ..xxx.xxx ) at 2003-06-09 20:44:00
Thanks, Balcazar, for a wonderful review. It was a real plesure reading it as you showed sensitivity and thoughtfulness. That's really made my day.
Posted by Czar baal ( ..xxx.xxx ) at 2003-05-21 10:07:00
indy,
Hi, I downloaded this module a week or so ago, and noticed that you did an updated version on 18/5. When I re-downloaded it yesterday, the date stamp on the module was still 12/5. Did the vault not yet update with the new version? Also since I'm on dial-up, is there a place where I can just upload the new .mod file instead of the whole 16.5 MB file with the hak paks?
Posted by indy ( ..xxx.xxx ) at 2003-05-19 16:26:00
Wow, marvin. Most excellent report.
The Cash-Farm problem I've tried to fix again. I believe that it's broken, although I can't replicae it. I've created a new variable which will hopefully solve it.
I've removed the bears, which I never liked anyway.
Fixed the journal entry for Slig if you convinve him you're not to blame (which is a very hard skill check, and nice to see someone succeeding at).
The henchman/familiar in the towers (Castle Grounds Tower, Bluewood Tower and River Cliffs tower) won't follow because all layers are on the same map. They can't use doors unless it is an area transition. I thought about changing this, then decided it provided a little extra challenge to have to do it solo. It's not ideal, so I apologise.
It is hard to get out of that little swamp where the bugbears are, but if you use the Walk hotkey and manually push yourself through rather than moving by mouse click it should be a lot easier. It's meant to be hard intentionally to gain access to, but not stupidly hard.
Thanks for discovering the Amulet of Health bug. I may have to work out something else to give the elf. BTW, it's excellent to hear someone getting to that stage. Never thought anyone would check back inside the castle. You must have been talking with Temrekal a lot.
The Spire Crypt is small, and you end up fighting on the bridge, which is deliberate. The basic reason is that if you fly through the mod, not getting any NPC to meet you at the end, you have no chance of winning the fight against Mourdl, mainly because they will totally swamp you. You get to use the NPCs as a shield. That said, I totally agree with your point of view regarding that area....it needs more room. I'll see what I can do.
The problem of the PC not killing Mourdl, and thus not getting a variable they need, trully sucks. I gave the bugbears badges for this very reason, and gave Mourdl a Device. I just checked the mod and the Device is definitely droppable. Look around again for it. It's got to be there somewhere.
********SPOILERS********
Grab the Device, then talk to the NPCs who have helped you. This will set up the last part of the mod, which I don't think anyone has got to yet. With the device in your inventory, walk to the top of the altar, where Mourdl and his crew were.
You will be transported through a series of encounters before final confrontations with Illithids, Ruffians, and the ultimate bad guy. In other words, that device is crucial to complete the story.
Posted by marvin ( ..xxx.xxx ) at 2003-05-19 13:17:00
SPOILERS*************************************
I read more carefully the comments bellow, and just to report, that I didnt found this device in the corpse of the dwarf, what is it?
Posted by marvin ( ..xxx.xxx ) at 2003-05-19 13:08:00
Hi, it seems that my bug report comes a little late, but anyway:)
I started the module from the beginnig and allowed the dwarf to take my gear, I think this way it is more chalenging:)
ok, now on the bugs:
1. buton gives you cash for the farmers every time you ask for it.
2. if you attack some bears in the bluewood forest, everybody attacks you later in the castle - you can kill the traper, he is not the problem - I checked this
3. when you enter the tower in the bluewood, if you convinnce the orc that you are not responsible for your mothers death - blank journal entry
4. in the towers your henchman, familiars/summons dont move through the doors when you enter another floor - ....
5. it is very hard to move out from the little swamp in front of the bugbears caverns.. that was nasty....:)
6. if you have the amuleth of health on you(which the gnome gives you in the beginning), when the elven messenger drains health from you, nothing happens. Also, you can use scrolls of greater restoration to restore yourself after that....
7. the area where you enter the temple for the final battle is too small - with so many npc and familiar and summon I simply had very hard time to move from the door:) Perhaps a bit of redesign is needed here:)
8. If you dont kill the dwarf(or your henchman/familiar/summon) in the final battle, but instead someone of the other npcs, then nothing happens - I mean they still think that the battle is ahead:) (I had to replay it 3 times in order to be able to kill the dward with my own hands ... yeah, I mean spells:))
Overall very nice mod, I enjoed a lot, but a lot of fixing is needed:))) Also I think the financial chalenge is not very big, I ended with 200K, thanx to a lot of +3 items which I sold:) You can fix that by making the trade scheme harder(i.e the guys in the castle pay you very little for the items)
Very nice custom robes,cloaks, worg riders and so on;)
Regards
Posted by Reeshau ( ..xxx.xxx ) at 2003-05-18 18:53:00
Ahhh...that explains it. Since I raided the tower early, before talking to Temrekel, then that has the hobgoblins confused.
Posted by indy ( ..xxx.xxx ) at 2003-05-18 16:09:00
Thanks again, Resshau.
The final fight, just so you know, isn't with Mourdl and his crew, just so you know. You need to grab the Device from his corpse, and stand in the centre of the raised altar.
Temrekal would tell you that after fighting Mourdl, but you had to kill her before she could last time. The faction problem should be fixed so that Tem, Faz, and whoever else can help you in that fight.
I tried fixing the grain payment, and theoretically it should be working now, so it's a biatch that it ain't.
If you struck a deal with Ugolza, the hobgoblin chief, the hobgoblins won't be aggressive to you. But to me it sounds like you didn't see Ugolza.
****SPOILERS****
To see Ugolza you need to talk with Mourdl, talk with Burton, then talk to Temrekal. Get the Castle Tower quest, finish it, return to Temrekal, then be nice to her during that next conversation. If you are nice to her and tell her you are a changed person she will tee up a meeting for you with Ugolza.
At that meeting you decide whether you want the hobgoblins to be your friend or enemy.
The badges are there as a backup in case Oni kills one of the hobgoblin bosses. If he does, for some reason you don't get the right variable. So I added badges, and if you have all 3 and return to Temrekal, you get new dialogue options.
Those dialogue options suggest an order for the remaining tribes.
Anyway, my advice is to talk to Temrekal more. SHe's the key to getting things done.
Posted by indy ( ..xxx.xxx ) at 2003-05-18 03:13:00
I've uploaded a new mod with the bulk of the bugs squashed. As for the means of breaking the mod, I can't really fix them without either a lot more time and skill, or a philosohpical shift. It's up to the player to decide to play the mod in the spirit of which it's been built, or not to.
There's only 1 encounter that requires players to do this, the first one. I could have stripped items and gold when a player enters the mod. I decided to do it in the first encounter so the player has some motivation and enjoyment added, and as a means of creating a level playing field.
Thanks very very much to the players who are reporting their findings, and especially to Reeshau who seems to have made it to the final stage. It's greatly satisfying to have someone play through it, and I hope it was worth it for you.
Posted by Reeshau ( ..xxx.xxx ) at 2003-05-17 21:30:00
*spoilers from the start*
After checking an earlier saved game, I think that the problem lies with the Tracker, not the bears. I did kill him, after he tried to kill me.
That sure makes the back door to the spire nasty, as well - everyone wants to kill me!
In an unrelated circumstance, I also meet two fazilles in the spire - whether I've stirred up this bug or not.
Posted by Reeshau ( ..xxx.xxx ) at 2003-05-17 21:06:00
I have a few comments on the game. Also, I am now stuck (not really, but something is obviously wrong)
I've just finished the Bluewood forest, including the tower. Upon return to the castle, everyone including the guards and Oni is hostile. I was attacked by some bears in the forest. Are they somehow responsible? The only person who didn't attack was Burton.
Some other items I noticed:
Burton will give you cash for fixing the farmers any time you want it...repeatedly.
I went into the castle grounds tower before being assigned the quest, so it is stuck now.
I know you say in the readme that you're not out to outsmart people who want to break the module, but I have two situations regarding the opening scene:
1) I was able to just outrun everyone, without a diversion attack. I was attacked repeatedly afterward, for not having paid my "protection" money, but everyone insisted I was robbed.
2) You can outsmart the theft by simply dropping everything before the dialog. Then just pick everything up afterward.
Posted by indy ( ..xxx.xxx ) at 2003-05-15 21:04:00
Brilliant! You escaped! Actually, as long as you can get through the first few lines of dialogue and get the variable you need, it's ok to flee. Even though some folk assume you've been robbed it's not critical. That said, a big part of the challenge of the mod will be gone financially speaking, as you have retianed all your equipment and gold, and then receivered the treasury from Burton. Doesn't really matter though.
And you are spot on about Burton's saying 'milord' when he should be saying milady. I promise that it is only for Burton this will happen, as his was the first conversation I wrote, and I had used 'milord' before I remembered to use the token system.
Anyway, thanks for the tips. It's great to hear you enjoying it, especially finding the horses. I have no idea how to use a female rider, and the dragon sounds like great fun.
Posted by marvin ( ..xxx.xxx ) at 2003-05-15 17:08:00
Hi, up to now I played your module only 1 hour, but it looks very promiseing. Tomorrow I'll give it a more time definitly. For now encountered however few bugs:
SPOILERS below****************
1. In the first part I actually succeeded to escape the robber y buy attacking with my pixie familiar the dwarf and then running away and casting invisibility. However it seems that this was critical part of the plot, since everyone assumes that I was robbed.
2. I played a female charackter, but at some places the title was milord/sir (the starting dialog with burton, and the guard). Also when polymorphed to rider, it was a male rider:) - I guess I want to much now:) Buy the way in Dreamcatcher 3 Adam Miler succeeded to somehow to make your original charakter to ride a dragon....
Generally this seems very promising mod, I hope tomorrow I will have much more time to play it.
Regards
Posted by indy ( ..xxx.xxx ) at 2003-05-13 20:19:00
I'm so pleased you actually took a look at it. Thanks for checking it out.
I agree with you big time, but I wasn't sure how to level the playing field, so to speak. If I let you use any PC at the start of the mod with all their equipment and gold, the challenge of keeping some gold in the bank would be gone, given most player PC's would have far more than my 50,000 starting treasury.
Oni returning some free gear to the PC was to ensure the PC didn't spend all of that 50,000 on equipping themselves, but I agree, it's not everyone's cup of tea.
Posted by altima ( ..xxx.xxx ) at 2003-05-13 18:46:00
Decent Module
But these modules with rewards with no challenge are not my style (even tho it fits the plot)
Posted by indy ( ..xxx.xxx ) at 2003-05-12 19:00:00
Well, it seems fixed. I think maybe I have Maximus to thank.
Posted by indy ( ..xxx.xxx ) at 2003-05-12 15:59:00
If I'd known not making it 'Final Version' disabled voting, I would have made it final version. Oh well.
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