|
The party's travels during this session.
|
This session begins in Chapter 3 of the game. The Moredhel (evil elves) are amassing to the north, and Sir James, Owyn the apprentice mage, and Gorath the rogue Moredhel are trying to figure out their plans. It's clear they've purchased the services of the Nighthawks, a guild of human assassins. We went to the city of Romney to meet a contingent of the king's soldiers, only to find them all slaughtered in the Black Sheep Tavern. Evidence shows that the Nighthawks arranged for the soldiers to get intoxicated to make the killing easier. The killers inadvertently left behind a spyglass and a silver spider. We're now looking for the Nighthawks' headquarters, and we've determined that our next clue is in Cavall Keep.
Cavall Keep is two towns to the north of Romney, but I'm going to get to it the longest way possible, pushing the boundaries of this open-world game.
First, though, we clear up a few things from the last session. We accidentally broke the quest chain by finding an NPC on the road before we finished the quest for Joftaz in Silden. I fix this by returning to Silden and burglarizing the house with the stolen pouch, then returning it to Joftaz. (Thanks to
Wild Juniper for the hint.) He tells me that he sold the Silver Spider to someone who looked like a Nighthawk, bound for Krondor on a ship. On the matter of the Spyglass, he suggests I seek out the trader, Abuk, who I encountered last time.
Meanwhile, commenters suggested that there might be more to the Silver Spider and Spyglass than just quest objects. This turns out to be correct. The Silver Spider will add poison to a weapon, and the Spyglass helps you find objects in the immediate area. Right away, we find a locked chest we'd missed, although it just has a suit of standard Kingdom Armor.
|
This comes in handy a few times.
|
We next run up the road to Romney, fighting a Nighthawk ambush on the way, to tell the Duke we convinced the head of the Ironmongers' Guild to return to the negotiating table. As the Duke gives us some coins and a key as a reward, he introduces a new word to my vocabulary: "One day the enfeoffed of the Kingdom will cross swords with the Guilds and it is not likely to be a bloodless affair." The "enfeoffed" are the serfs of the feudal system--those given land based on the promise to work it for a liege.
With now a reason to visit Krondor, I head south and west along the road. We check places we've already explored on the way back through, but I won't bother relating all of the "we've already been here" messages. I'm also not going to relate every chest we open, every skill book we buy, every night we camp or stay at an inn, every time we repair our items, every item we loot and sell, or every time we make some money singing for our supper. I will mention that we go from 2,615 sovereigns to 1,127, almost entirely because of a new staff.
|
Owyn still doesn't get a lot of praise, even when he makes money.
|
Let's get on with it:
- The first new thing we discover is a pair of Pantathians--serpent men--on the road to the Oracle of Aal. They are hard. Their spells absolutely lay waste to the characters. They always get to act first in combat, so my only hope is to surprise them with multiple buffs. They have a lot of hit points. In six tries, the best I'm able to do is one Pantathian dead, one fled, and two of my characters in the single digits for hit points.
|
A Pantathian takes Gorath out of commission.
|
- At the Oracle of Aal, I find that Owyn can ask about the murder in Romney. The Oracle will only tell us that one of the two objects we have "indicates a murder you may not have realized has taken place" and that in determining where to go next, "the brass Spyglass will guide you to your path." That would suggest we can ignore the Krondor lead. But of course we don't.
|
I'll be the judge of what I "truly wish to know."
|
- In Malac's Cross, we stay for a couple of days at the inn to recover from the Pantathian battle. Owyn earns more in barding than the room costs. In the Temple of Ishap, Abbott Graves offers some insight into the Silver Spider: It costs a great deal of money, so the person who used it must have been wealthy. Furthermore, he probably has connections with Kesh, where the spiders are made. We also spend 20 sovereigns for a lecture on tactics which increases our "Assessment" ability.
|
I have this screenshot of the innkeeper complaining about students at the Temple of Ishap, but I don't remember that anything came of it.
|
- Five Nighthawks attack us on the road between Malac's Cross and Darkmoor, and I surprise myself by defeating them, although it leaves us battered (about half-health). Their gear loads up our inventory.
- In Krondor, we stash some quest items in James's room. We speak to Katala, who says that Pug and Arutha have been acting secretive lately and aren't telling her anything. She also says there's been an outbreak of Quegian Fever at the ports. James gives her some messages for Arutha.
- Several battles with pirates that don't give me much trouble.
|
I have no sympathy for any of you feculent maggots.
|
- Three fairy chests at some point: "It flies without wings, strikes without beak, teeth, or talons. It has no eyes in its pointed head, but it can kill birds in flight" (ARROW). "They feel no pain, no sorrow, no greed. They have no anger, no hatred, nor need" (THE DEAD). "The strongest chains will not bind it; ditch and rampart will not slow it down. A thousand soldiers cannot beat it; it can knock down trees with a single push" (WIND). I don't think I found anything special in any of them.
- In Tanneurs,
which we have never visited, we find an abandoned house with a Horn of
Algon Kokoon. It turns out to summon a couple of hounds who assist in battle. I bungle a trap north of
Tanneurs, and James suffers serious damage.
|
Still can't figure out what I was supposed to do here.
|
- We make a disastrous side trip to Sethanon. With all the buffs and spells at my disposal, I'm unable to defeat groups of multiple shades. After five or six tries and a lot of wasted time, I reload.
|
Still can't do anything with these guys.
|
- The town of Eggley is mostly vacant and abandoned. A guy named Devon tells us what happened. During a recent annual festival, a key figure was killed before a ritual could be completed, leading the townsfolk to believe that the village is cursed. They've relocated to other nearby towns.
- We're attacked so many times by pirates and Moredhel between Eggley and Questor's View that it starts to get really old. Owyn is left near-death. We leave so much good equipment on the road that it physically hurts. This game could seriously use more shops more often.
|
The most infuriating message in the game.
|
- A trapped chest yields a Tsurani light crossbow and a note indicating that the Moredhel are still searching for Gorath.
- In Questor's View, we finally unload some equipment. In the tavern is a guy named Grimm who never laughs and none of our options get him to laugh. A week at the inn does virtually nothing to get Owyn off death's door. We need a temple.
Over the next few hours, I start to get seriously annoyed with the game, because we can't walk 5 steps in any direction without getting slaughtered by Moredhel or Black Slayers. In fact, there are two of the latter stationed just outside Questor's View, and they're so good that we can't seem to exit the town in any direction without triggering them. I begin to wonder how we got into the town in the first place. It's my fault for adventuring without enough herbs or potions or whatever, I guess, although I don't remember the last time we found a place that sold any of those things. Earlier, I said that I liked the weight and realism that came from taking wounds and poison and such, but the game could have perhaps been a little more forgiving. Getting knocked out in combat practically cripples you for the next four hours--real time.
I'm also a bit irked that surprising enemies hardly ever works, and that many of them can't be surprised because they don't exist in the environment until you wander into their patch of ground. Gorath is always stopping the party to warn us of danger ahead, but other than putting some oil on our swords, there isn't much that you can do with this intelligence.
|
Enemies lie in wait as we approach a bridge.
|
- Eventually, we break through to the south. In Sarth, we spend basically half of what we have on a Lightning Staff for Owyn. I don't even really know what it does--just that it's better than the regular wooden staff I already had. It has 40 "uses." I guess we'll see what it does in combat. We also spend a fortune getting Owyn back on his feet. Of course, this just cures his "near-death" status; it doesn't actually heal him. So naturally we're attacked by rogues on the way out of town, and Owyn is immediately knocked out again. On a reload, I try the new staff, and it casts a lightning bolt spell on one enemy. It's okay. Maybe not worth 1,200 sovereigns.
|
Owyn's new staff helps take out the Black Slayers.
|
- We take the road all the way down to Krondor and then back north again. This makes sense if you look at my map. We're in much better shape when we reach Questor's View again, and this time--with a combination of luck, buffs, and spells--we prevail against the Black Slayers. One of them has Dragon Plate Armor, the best armor we've seen in the game so far.
- Chests on this route that I opened in previous chapters remain emptied.
- We find a random shop northwest of Questor's View which has the first herbal packs we've seen in a while. We buy a lot.
|
Owyn freezes an assassin.
|
We're attacked a lot as we head north, by bandits and Moredhel. I use the occasion to experiment with spells. I also note that Owyn's new staff makes him a player in melee combat, although it naturally isn't the best use of him.
- "Fetters of Rime" (1-20 points). Damages and freezes opponents for a few rounds. Very useful, especially since you can cast it at a low cost if you want.
- "Flamecast" (1-20 points). Casts a fireball that damages the targeted creature most but also does ancillary damage to anyone within 2 squares. Unless enemies are in the right formation, I'd rather use the points on "Fetters of Rime."
|
"Flamecast" damages one guy for a lot and a second guy for a little.
|
- "Despair Thine Eyes." Reliably takes one mortal creature out of action for a couple of rounds. Great low-cost spell, but I don't think it works on undead or magic creatures like the Pantathians.
- "Steelfire" (10 points). Causes a blade to do extra fire damage. I only cast it for the purposes of experimentation. It works very well, enhancing the power of melee attacks. But I think I'd rather spend the points on "Fetters of Rime."
|
James's "Steelfire"-enhanced sword does extra damage to a bandit.
|
- "Invitation" (1-10 points). Pulls the target forward. Usually, I want to keep targets away. The only time I've used it is in a trap encounter when I pulled an enemy into the trap.
- "Hocho's Haven" (7-14 points). Shields a target from damage. I have to experiment more to see how useful it really is. I'd rather take an enemy out of action for 6 rounds for the same number of points.
- "Gift of Sung" (1-20 points). An armor spell. See below.
- "Skin of the Dragon" (4-20 points). "Invisible armor," the description says. I always have trouble prioritizing defensive spells over offensive ones, especially when you cannot cast them before the battle begins.
Moving on, we find that combat is slowly getting easier. Or perhaps we're just fighting easier enemies.
- Not much happens until we reach LaMut, where the barkeep in the tavern tells us a long and complicated joke that depends on understanding Tsurani customs and mores. We don't understand it. But it might be what's necessary to make Grimm laugh in Questor's View--if we ever get back there.
- The dude that Gorath killed in the game's prologue is still lying on the ground at the start of the game.
|
Most bodies disappear between chapters. Not this guy.
|
- In Yabon, Owyn still doesn't want to visit his aunt.
- A guy living in a house, Jeremy, wants us to find a box just west of Hawk's Hollow and return its contents. He'll give us a skill book. I think I've met him before. I just didn't do his quest.
- South of Tyr Sog is new territory for me. I'm immediately attacked by four Moredhel with three dogs.
|
I don't like killing dogs.
|
- The city of Loriel has nothing going on. Except for one shop, all the buildings are closed.
- South of Loriel, we're attacked by a new enemy: giant spiders.
|
I'm not sure the game needed these.
|
- Hawk's Hollow is barely worth visiting, but we do find Jeremy's chest to the west. It is trapped, but I'm used to casting a trap-detection spell before opening chests. The chest has emeralds and a few doses of Redweed Brew. We return to Jeremy, yell at him for not telling us about the trap, and take from him a skill book called Thiful's Bird Migrations. Despite the unpromising title, it increases every skill by about 5 points. That was certainly worth it.
|
It takes each character 16 hours to read. Any idea why it increases every skill?
|
After returning to Jeremy, we're at the crossroads east of Tyr Sog again. Whether we go north or east, we're in brand new territory. This session has been largely about re-exploring ground we covered in previous chapters, particularly Chapter 1. I look forward to seeing what the next session has to offer, and I'll draw conclusions about the game's open-world approach then.
Time so far: 30 hours
All roads lead to Roam.
ReplyDeleteFascinating reads, by the way.
I agree, it's very enjoyable to read about your Midkemian adventures.
DeleteI think the outlines of what's worth reporting, right before the bullet points begin, is a good compromise everyone can agree on.
Why does "Thiful's Bird Migrations" increase every skill? Probably just as a joke; the description makes it sound useless, but it turns out to teach something about everything.
ReplyDelete"Skin of the Dragon" is overpowered, but yes, "Fetters of Rime" is too, and temporarily turning off an enemy is often better than temporary immunity to attacks.
I don't think the designers understood just how strong paralysis is. They put a couple of "save or suck" style spells in a game that doesn't even give saving throws to resist them.
The use text of the Bird Migrations book says that the author quickly gets off topic and rambles about all kinds of different things, presumably in a very informative way.
Delete> The "enfeoffed" are the serfs of the feudal system--those given land based on the promise to work it for a liege.
ReplyDeleteThat’s not quite right - serfs weren’t given land in exchange for their work, they owed labor to the owners of the land, in exchange for (usually quite scanty, at least formally) protections and benefits. The “enfeoffed” are those who hold fiefs - that is, the noble landholders, who do owe their own set of feudal obligations, primarily military service, to their respective lieges.
So long story short the guy is saying the rising guildsmen will come into conflict with the gentry, not the peasantry, which makes sense given that Midkemia is a late medieval, early Early Modern setting and this is the typical pattern of economic and social conflict that played out in Europe around this transition point.
Good thinking that the joke about Tsurani customs might work on the unhappy guy in Questor's View.
ReplyDeleteThe game seems skimpy on anything better than basic gear, which is refreshing and makes finding it something special.
I continue enjoying your coverage of this so much, I like the way it's narrated from the point of view of the party. And the balance of detail is great honestly.
ReplyDeleteRoaming around will definitely help your characters level up a bit and find better gear. Don't worry about resting for weeks honestly, Health/Stamina go up with time and there's more than enough gold to buy food... I'm also not one for defensive spells but Skin of the Dragon is really powerful. Since you can't buff in advance, surprising foes is effectively important to get a first spell in, that's why all my chars wear elven slippers that boost stealth.
On another topic, I was currently playing Krondor, the GoG version, on a Windows VM (Parallels) on my Mac. As my Parallels license is expiring and I didn't want to renew it right away, I looked into Dosbox versions for Mac and stumbled upon Dosbox-Staging, which is a modern fork of Dosbox, that also works on Windows/Linux. The big "selling point" is that it emulates CRT displays and the way they were blending pixels. I gave it a try and my god the difference is really there, it looks so much better (and period-accurate). It also made me realize the GoG version of Krondor is stretched, it's not the correct aspect ratio. Characters look (a bit) less stupid now. I did some comparison screenshots: https://imgur.com/a/582grLp
If anyone is interested I can share the configuration files, it took me some trial and error to get the sound to work. I was able to just copy my GoG directory over and continue with my existing saves.
Does Wineskin Winery help with playing on a Mac? I've been using it to play a few games that I couldn't get running (in some cases because the Mac version never upgraded past 32-bit) and have had at least some success. (Including Legerdemain which I occasionally talk about--using Wineskin Winery is very silly here because it is a Java file which I should be able to run in Mac, but nothing else worked.) However I haven't tried it with anything in DosBox.
DeleteIf you don‘t want/need to run a full virtual Windows system on your Mac, I understand there is ‚Crossover’ for a lower one-time fee rather than a yearly licence.
DeleteFor games only, I‘ve got a lot of Windows ones running through the ‚Porting Kit‘ (not to be confused now with Apple‘s own Games Porting Toolkit which might also offer a solution). It‘s a free tool developed by a Dutch guy calling himself ‚paulthetall‘:
https://www.portingkit.com/
(Hope linking this is OK since it’s free - I sent him some money because I found his work so useful).
Beyond that, some of the remaining games not covered by the PK I‘ve managed to get running (with varying degrees of success) either indeed with Wineskin Winery or directly with Wine (helped by comments on the winehq AppDB).
Thanks for the suggestions! I've had the machine (an M1 Max) for about 3 years now and there hasn't been a game I didn't manage to play. When I started the mac gaming journey in 2021, Crossover was still very hit and miss. For example it couldn't run the Witcher 3, while I was running it inside Parallels without issues at max settings. But they have improved massively, and now have moved past Parallels with features like DirectX 12 which the other doesn't yet have. For some reason it didn't want to run the GoG BAK, though. Yet again I didn't spend much time trying settings, just switched to Parallels. Anyway, let's not get off topic on Mac gaming, the point of my post was to report on a possibly better cross-platform DOS emulator which could be useful long-term for the blog, and also report that Chet is playing the game with the wrong aspect ratio.
DeleteFor DOS games, including BaK, I‘ve never tried to run them through the double layer with Windows, just directly through DOSBox (sometimes replacing GoG‘s bundled version with a newer one), partly using Boxer.
DeleteHaving said that, the information about DOSBox-Staging was indeed new and helpful, at least to me, so thank you!
Just to complement the ‚tools‘ aspect by something also potentially interesting for all platforms, I‘ll note I was surprised to see the vast number of games you can play through ScummVM. Not just adventures (though they still represent the majority, I think), but also other kinds, including RPGs like U4, U6, several MM games and Westwood‘s EoB & LoL.
I think it's come up here before that the pixels in the old VGA 320x200 mode are not square, they are 1:1.2 (tall). I believe you can approximate this with dosbox config, but it's been a while for me.
DeleteI never use the bundled dosbox configs, I have my own set up to mimic different era machines for 1982, 85, 90, etc...
They aren't perfect, but I suppose if anyone wants them, I can share.
Chet, which version are you playing, GoG? Your combat encounters and lack of gear upgrades makes if something was changed in the code. I honestly don't ever remember Nighthawks or Moerdhel ever giving very much trouble without spellcaster being present. Are you clicking on the models in game before you move into them? That's how you ambush them, if you haven't been. Skin of the Dragon is really strong. You can use Gift of Sung to heal James and Gorath if Owyn is close to full, and then just have him to heal up during rests
ReplyDeleteI'll second people's comments about the usefulness of Skin of the Dragon, since it grants immunity to *any* damage for a number of rounds equal to the casting cost. Best for fights with a lot of enemies as opposed to a few strong ones (you're better off Fetters of Rime-ing those). Skin of the Dragon is also the cheat way to solve any trap, but I think it's usually more fun figuring them out.
ReplyDeleteYeah, one of the issues of exploring parts of the map you missed in earlier chapters is that sometimes the combats tend to stack up. There are a few combats in Chapters 1 and 2 that are absent in 3, but most of them stick around, so you're fighting three chapters' worth of combats around, say, Eggley, since you didn't go that way the first time. Still, you get to see some rare enemies this way (I don't think there are a ton of giant spiders in the game, for example).
A note about ambushes: the game checks your character with the lowest stealth rating when it figures out whether you get a surprise round or not (or can skip the combat entirely in the case of ambushes). So if you boost your least stealthy party member's stealth with skill books, selecting their stealth skill, giving them stealth-boosting items, etc. it might help you get the drop on a larger number of fights than you have been.
Also a tip if you want to better utilize books/trainers: if you go into your character sheet and select only the skill that you are training before reading/paying the trainer, you get a bigger increase than if you don't select it (or have other skills selected alongside it). Just don't forget to go back into their sheet to change everything back afterwards. I'm not sure how it works with Thiful's Bird Migrations, though, since it's the all-skill-boosting book (maybe it gives a larger boost to selected skills?).
I'm excited to see you get past Chapter 3, though. It was the one I got stuck on when I played this as a kid, as I wasn't observant enough to solve the mystery. I was like nine or ten years old, though, and just got overwhelmed if the goal was more complicated than "Go to Krondor!" or "Go to Romney!"
I‘m not a big fan of some types of ‚puzzles‘ often used copiously in CRPGs (especially spinners), but these trap screens look fun.
ReplyDeleteNot yet having played BaK, here is (in ROT13) how I think you could solve the one shown in the screenshot (assuming the hidden third pole is on the line between the cannons and the full crystal one row below it):
1. Zbir lbhe yrsg punenpgre nebhaq gur yrsg nibvqvat gur mnccvat yvarf.
2. Chfu gur genafcnerag pelfgny hc gb gevttre gur yrsg pnaaba, qvfnoyvat gur hccre cbyr naq jvgu vg gur qvntbany mnccvat yvarf.
3. Chfu gur shyy pelfgny orgjrra fnvq cbyr naq bar bs gur pnaabaf, yrnivat n fcnpr orgjrra cbyr naq pelfgny (r.t. ol chfuvat gjb fdhnerf gb gur yrsg be evtug naq bar hc; be bar yrsg be evtug naq hc qvntbanyyl va gur fnzr qverpgvba).
4. Abj lbh fubhyq or noyr gb jnyx guebhtu fnvq fcnpr jvgu gur shyy pelfgny oybpxvat sveronyyf sebz bar fvqr/pnaaba naq gur cbyr sebz gur bgure bar.
Never used HOCHO'S HAVEN when SKIN OF THE DRAGON feels objectively better and cheaper. However, INVITATION is better than you think. Some enemies are a lot worse in melee range (spellcasters). If FETTERS isn't an option because they are immune to it or you don't have LOS, you can "invite" them to melee with your fighters to weaken them or force them to spend a turn getting out of melee.
ReplyDeleteThat being said, FETTERS OF RIME is the go-to spell if it works. Cheap, and taking an enemy out of combat while you focus on the remainder is really effective.
From a power-gaming perspective, it's probably worth loading up on rations and reading Thiful's Bird Migrations (with key stats like accuracy highlighted) until it's nearly worn out. You have around an 8% chance of getting another 5% increase to all stats on subsequent reads, and the passage of time also increases character stamina and health. Stats are the equivalent of levels in this game.
ReplyDeleteI'm sure you're right, but I almost never look at things "from a power-gaming perspective."
DeleteI may be remembering things wrong, but I think Invitation comes in handy for some of the traps.
ReplyDeleteI'm assuming your barkeep screenshot is the setup for a joke on the universality of new student behaviour at the start of the term.
ReplyDeleteI agree. Even as I was hearing it, I thought it might be a joke rather than a side quest.
DeleteThis one brings the most memories since your journey through 'Pool of Radiance' and 'Champions of Krynn'. Really like your narrative approach and intense exporation of the world. Thanks for that!
ReplyDeleteWhat Betrayal always made stand out for me, is the depth with which Feists World is pictured and transfered into the Game. There are really very few examples where the source is respected and implemented so well.
This one gave me and my best childhood friend the possibility to dive so deep into Midkemia, the impact lasts till today, even if the books and the prose itself (much like Salvatores works) doesn't stand the test of time. The game on the other hand is something I still revisit regularly.
Nice to see you have fun with it.
"They feel no pain, no sorrow, no greed. They have no anger, no hatred, nor need"
ReplyDeleteThis doesn't sound like a very good riddle. My first thought was ROCKS (maybe because "a rock feels no pain"?) I did get the intended answer, but it feels like almost anything would fit.
The possibility space of all potential answers is much more constrained in the game, since you know it's a 7-letter word and have just 4 letters to choose from in each position.
DeleteWell THAT is the second layer of the riddle, is it not? So, many things WOULD fit, but you need ONE answer, so now you have to think, - how is the answer that IS the right one related to the text of the riddle in an unique way that other possible answers are NOT? For example, perhaps that-which-is-the-answer has something IN COMMON with those who feel pain, sorrow etc? Or perhaps that-which-is-the-answer could be MISTAKEN for those who feel pain, sorrow, etc? ...although, this train of thought leads me to "the undead" sooner than to "the dead". After all, the undead are moving, they might be mistaken for living from a far distance, and, if it's higher undead, they could even be mistaken for having emotions, although "need", "sorrow", "anger" of a vampire could (perhaps) be no more real stuff than apologies that chatGPT gives you when it starts hallucinating...?
Delete"The possibility space of all potential answers is much more constrained in the game, since you know it's a 7-letter word and have just 4 letters to choose from in each position." Right. I get most of the answers by thinking about the riddle while scrolling through the letters and looking at potential combinations.
Delete@CRPG Addict - In a way, it makes up for interesting possibility, does it not? On the one hand, it makes the task much easier than the traditional "riddle" game where not only are all letters allowed, but you don't even know the number of them? (The Hangman must be the middle ground between two). On the other hand, this allows for much more complex and interesting riddles, by the virtue of less possibilities being available? It is a bit like the trade-off in transitioning to click-and-point adventures or "list of verbs" adventures from parser adventures: a parser allows for much more freedom, but the choices themselves must then be neccessarily more easy, logical and intuitive for this all to have sense; but, with only so much of action types and points of application of an action, you can create much more elaborate puzzles that are still viable to solve because of there being lesser amount of possibilities?
DeleteIt often bothers me if I'm confronted by a riddle in a game and I can think of an answer that fits better than the intended one (I am still salty about one that asked for a word that can refer to both a kind of boat and a thing you can drink from), so I would agree that adding the constraint of the letters helps.
DeleteI also think that it helps with the "thing"-ness of the puzzle; it feels more like a real physical object because it is constrained by the physicality of the tumblers (I grant it's not impossible to make a lock that could allow freeform input, but I'd put that in a "true but not helpful" space)
Lorigulf: Yes, I agree. I hope what I wrote above didn't come off as a complaint. I have a lot of fun with these puzzles. They engage two parts of my brain at the same time.
DeleteJust a quick question: did you cast Final Rest on dead Nighthawks so that they don't turn into Black Slayers afterwards?
ReplyDeleteNo. I think I did get a hint to do that, too.
DeleteIt comes up at the very beginning of Chapter 2, where you meet Brother Mark (or whatever) in the field near Sarth. James specifically requests about this item. Perhaps that's the source of your troubles.
Delete...and, of course, over the course of this playthrough you missed visiting one plot place in Krondor that was extremely openly hinted at in Sliden.
ReplyDeleteA few notes:
ReplyDelete1. Chapter 3 was designed to be played in the southeastern corridor between Krondor and Kenting's Rush. It also involves an awful lot of going back and forth within this corridor and this corridor only, and, from what I can tell, it is quite balanced in terms of combat and exploration within this corridor.
2. Herbal packs are much less useful than restoratives. I didn't hear you discussing these, but, basically, if you double click on a character portrait in combat, it will open the inventory menu, where you can double click on restorative to heal within combat. It can be used multiple times per turn (and multiple potions can be used as well). Also, potions like restoratives and herbal packs stack, although the implementation in game is somewhat buggy.
3. At 30 hours, you are playing this surprisingly slowly. If GOG Galaxy is to be believed, it took me about 10 hrs to get to the point you are at.
4. The trick to stealth is Weedwalkers; the second trick is knowing that effects from multiple instances of a single item somehow stack (i.e. I have two Amulets of Upright Man on James to have his lockpick at 100%). I somehow managed to sneak to Sethanon past shadows only to find out that there's nothing to do there (yet, I presume).
5. Don't forget to repair your weapons and armor (both skills are ridiculously easy to train, since you can just repair everything on corpses and dump it back). Blessing is the best overall buff and well worth the money. Spells are worth the money, as a rule, too. There is no obvious progression in weapon damage; i.e. a sword that was brought up only to, say, 75%, can be brought to, say, 85% if you repair it after it suffered some damage (say, 72%).