tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post3510800133893504843..comments2024-03-28T15:25:30.216-04:00Comments on The CRPG Addict: Game 455: Lands of Lore: The Throne of Chaos (1993)CRPG Addicthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01238237377918550322noreply@blogger.comBlogger103125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-7234606458488371892022-06-26T08:43:43.934-04:002022-06-26T08:43:43.934-04:00Lands of Lore was the first RPG I ever played when...Lands of Lore was the first RPG I ever played when I was a kid, still on my brothers computer I think. I was so young that I did not know anything about "genres" and just played everything I came across. Even though I barely made it out of the castle, I was so enarmored with this game that I got myself a copy years later, still not quite in my teens. I managed to make it to the cave of the Draracle, but just couldn´t reach it, no matter how long I tried. <br /><br />I gave up then and forgot about this kind of games for many years. It wasn´t up until the release of Final Fantasy 7 that I really became enarmored with this genre in my teens. But I never forgot about Lands of Lore. A Walkthrough on Youtube shows me that I apparently was only steps away from the Draracle. Quite impressive when I think about my young age. But seeing the rest of the game I realize I would have never been able to beat it, given there was no Internet to search for informations. <br /><br />On a sidenote, there is a copy of Lands of Lore 2 floating around in my local charity shop for many years. Although I could probably get it for 50 cents, I still remember the bad reviews it got when it was released (at least in the german magazines I was reading at the time) and therefore never thought about giving it a shot. Alexnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-17756210856455011772022-06-23T13:11:51.702-04:002022-06-23T13:11:51.702-04:00I absolutely agree with Nifft, as I think is clear...I absolutely agree with Nifft, as I think is clear from my ratings on many series in which I rated the first game higher than later games in the same series that had engine improvements. <i>Pool of Radiance</i> and <i>Might and Magic</i> are two examples.<br /><br />So sacrilege here, Anonymous. Just preferences.CRPG Addicthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01238237377918550322noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-22698864584198624562022-06-10T08:13:25.104-04:002022-06-10T08:13:25.104-04:00It's probably sacrilege on this blog, but I fi...It's probably sacrilege on this blog, but I find Dungeon Master inaccessible because the interface is so unintuitive and the spell system is hard to grasp - as opposed to, say, Eye of the Beholder which is the well-known D&D standard, or Lands of Lore which is designed to be easy on beginners.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-1530457599492926392022-06-09T13:47:55.246-04:002022-06-09T13:47:55.246-04:00The surprising thing is that the Dungeon Master en...The surprising thing is that the Dungeon Master engine is still superior to all its successive clones. I think that we need to wait for the 2010's to find something equivalent (Legend of Grimrock).<br />Having a better game engine obviously doesn't mean that the game is automatically better.Nifft Batuffnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-1093750956547882522022-05-13T05:40:42.551-04:002022-05-13T05:40:42.551-04:00I've only recently stumbled across this blog, ...I've only recently stumbled across this blog, and was delighted to see that you had just started playing Lands of Lore. This was a game from my childhood that's near and dear to my heart. I think it was my introduction to RPGs, and it was so welcoming and streamlined.<br /><br />I also appreciated how the story was placed front and centre. It took time to give your companion's personalities (loved Baccata), and the environments were often so interactive. The short cutscenes interspersed throughout always felt like rewards for making progress. The voice acting added so much too.<br /><br />The thing about Westwood's games in this era that always caught my attention was the art style. It's just so lush and evocative. I was mostly an adventure game fan back then (still am) and the Kyrandia games felt like being transported to another world.<br /><br />As I recall, the game's combat, mazes and difficulty got a bit much for me as I progressed and I was only ever to reach the end of the game by following a walkthrough published in PC Format magazine. I'm probably remembering the game through rose tinted glasses, but it had a big impact on me. I think I enjoyed the sequel more later, though.LeftHanded Matthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09356100685489177887noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-55175107878412922512022-04-19T10:36:54.563-04:002022-04-19T10:36:54.563-04:00I remember playing the disc version of this game a...I remember playing the disc version of this game and it didnt' have the intro with the history of the Lands. IIRC none of that backstory about the ancients and the war has anything to do with anything in the game itself.Tim Kaisernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-67891596259680034782022-04-15T15:23:58.116-04:002022-04-15T15:23:58.116-04:00UU's intro was bad, but I don't think I...UU's intro was bad, but I don't think I've ever heard voice acting as bad as Richard Garriott playing himself at the beginning of U7P2. CRPG Addicthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01238237377918550322noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-26433613965032217972022-04-15T02:37:16.581-04:002022-04-15T02:37:16.581-04:00Yeah I never had an issue with Lands of Lore eithe...Yeah I never had an issue with Lands of Lore either - at the time it was considered a very easy game puzzle wise, mostly from seasoned players of Bard's Tale, Bloodwych or Dark Heart of Uukrul. There is backtracking though.Risingson Carloshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08915480026187953569noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-80323788012530675942022-04-13T17:06:32.676-04:002022-04-13T17:06:32.676-04:00The best character is btw Baccata, so your choice ...The best character is btw Baccata, so your choice isn't too critical. With ferocious monsters, the healing power of Ak'Shel is probably most helpful. Just take Kieran if you can stand his sarcasm, I think he is the most interesting and unique. A good implementation of a rogue is rare enough, so...sucinumhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14198771998880365061noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-49087070950187127432022-04-13T13:40:57.060-04:002022-04-13T13:40:57.060-04:00If anyone wants to play along, LoL 1&2 is on o...If anyone wants to play along, LoL 1&2 is on offer now (until Sunday) on gog.Buscanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-3049058335024490162022-04-13T03:30:18.497-04:002022-04-13T03:30:18.497-04:00I'm still a fan of the sheer nonlinearity of t...I'm still a fan of the sheer nonlinearity of the first Eye of the Beholder - that's very much a rarity among blobbers.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-70481745246318636612022-04-13T03:10:50.361-04:002022-04-13T03:10:50.361-04:00I also think that the apex of DM games is DM. Land...I also think that the apex of DM games is DM. Lands of Lore is better or equal in everything - but gameplay.sucinumhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14198771998880365061noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-92128027625248129072022-04-12T09:41:18.980-04:002022-04-12T09:41:18.980-04:00It's more asvis mentioned below - spell power ...It's more asvis mentioned below - spell power is based on Might so if you build Michael's mana pool he is not only strong fighter but magic user as well. On the other hand Akshel kind of compensate that with largest mana pool which is good for healing.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01153258717695041353noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-2947321072002876822022-04-12T07:28:43.504-04:002022-04-12T07:28:43.504-04:00The two could easily be connected, it's very p...The two could easily be connected, it's very possible they couldn't afford good VAs because of the money going into Wing Commander.Twibathttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11872080022551062309noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-41422662606185539752022-04-12T04:12:43.039-04:002022-04-12T04:12:43.039-04:00Realms of Arkania 2 --> 3 went from blob based ...Realms of Arkania 2 --> 3 went from blob based to free movement and the game still looked pretty. LoL 2 was so fugly...Pedro Q.https://www.blogger.com/profile/03572150497835442981noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-80699187550506226842022-04-11T18:16:24.383-04:002022-04-11T18:16:24.383-04:00I also think the system works okay in MM6, but tha...I also think the system works okay in MM6, but that's about the limit. Once the game worlds start getting more realistic, they become too realistic for the abstract idea of blobbed party moving together. I'm sure that's why modern games that allow multiple characters force you to see the world through the eyes of one, with the others tagging along as NPCs that you don't directly control.CRPG Addicthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01238237377918550322noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-82827708878273749812022-04-11T17:32:50.308-04:002022-04-11T17:32:50.308-04:00"I love controlling a whole party in Might an..."I love controlling a whole party in Might and Magic 6 with real time fps controls btw."<br /><br />Oh, that is interesting. I watched a Youtube video how players use mouselook in Might and Magic 6. It seems to work alright. But do I understand correctly that players using mouselook use preselected abilities of their characters and need to switch to a normal mouse cursor in order to change the ability selection?<br /><br />I'd prefer to take advantage of a free mouse cursor that enables selecting different abilities and spells on the fly. A mouse cursor also allows targeting the abilities on the party members themselves, who are only shown in the UI (so they couldn't be targeted by a FPS crosshair). And a magic system like that of Dungeon Master or Ultima Underworld, where a spell is assembled with multiple runes, would be rather contrary to a mouselook / FPS crosshair UI.<br /><br />I examined LoL's movement animations because I'm toying with the thought to program a little prototype game with this kind of fake 3D pixel graphics style, which I love. But regarding gameplay and combat, I'd try to maximize the potential of stepwise movement and a free mouse cursor.<br /><br />Imagine the final combat against Lord Chaos in Dungeon Master I, where you have to surround him in Flux Cages, with more area of effect spells such as poison clouds or walls of fire which spread over several tiles, which need to be counteracted with the appropriate spells; for example, using a water spell to create a gap in the wall of fire in order to pass through.Bitmapnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-34483294026548687632022-04-11T14:37:53.731-04:002022-04-11T14:37:53.731-04:00I've completed it repeatedly without knowing a...I've completed it repeatedly without knowing about this. The hint you really need is found in the library in castle Gladstone.Buckhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07270991090065636515noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-1065437716092577612022-04-11T10:50:16.749-04:002022-04-11T10:50:16.749-04:00"His performance, particularly in contrast to..."His performance, particularly in contrast to the wooden one by the advisor, really goes to show why professional actors are enlisted for these kinds of projects. Origin could have taken a lesson from Westwood on that point."<br /><br />About Patrick Stewart, he did a lot of VA work for videogames over the years.<br />He puts a bit too much emphasis,IMHO, when doing fantasy roles, but it might be just me.<br /><br />About Origin, it's funny how they could splurge to have the likes of Mark Hamill and Malcolm McDowell as live actors for their Wing Commander series, but Ultima has always has sub-par VA.<br /><br />Ultima Underworld intro is famously bad, but Ultima 8 and 9 will also be kind of painful...Vincenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-15557530718296102182022-04-11T10:33:32.322-04:002022-04-11T10:33:32.322-04:00Some walkthroughs note that as the only way to pro...Some walkthroughs note that as the only way to proceed, but I'm very sure I've completed the game without figuring that one out.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-571226494267443362022-04-11T09:50:42.510-04:002022-04-11T09:50:42.510-04:00Being able to inspect items for more information w...Being able to inspect items for more information would definitely have helped. The thing that also sticks out to me is how n Inryna’f Phor jvyy qrsrng tubfgf va gur Vibel Gbjre, ohg guvf vfa’g abgrq naljurer va-tnzr.<br /><br />Someone said it trivializes that part of the game when I noted that on a posting a long time ago, but I don't see how it's even completable otherwise.dsparilnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-75778594929975666042022-04-11T09:04:55.097-04:002022-04-11T09:04:55.097-04:00Wasn't there a similar levelling exploit in Du...Wasn't there a similar levelling exploit in Dungeon Master 2? Those that started with lower magic, eventually would become the best casters, because they would "level more"Pedro Q.https://www.blogger.com/profile/03572150497835442981noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-67524865803485513502022-04-11T09:01:12.464-04:002022-04-11T09:01:12.464-04:00Interesting, I finished this one with no hints bac...Interesting, I finished this one with no hints back in the day. I do remember I had a friend sitting next to me at the very last dungeon level, so at the very last puzzle he, who had never played the game, gave a suggestion that ended up being the right onePedro Q.https://www.blogger.com/profile/03572150497835442981noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-66950959248649211692022-04-11T08:16:17.380-04:002022-04-11T08:16:17.380-04:00I agree... even if also Ultima Underworld 2 is a c...I agree... even if also Ultima Underworld 2 is a challenging game without a guide.Vincenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-34483120644124316972022-04-11T08:11:57.927-04:002022-04-11T08:11:57.927-04:00Fallout 2 to 3 is one of the starkest changes in c...Fallout 2 to 3 is one of the starkest changes in consecutive titles of the same series I can think of, even if of course they were ages apart.<br /><br />Outside of RPGs, Gabriel Knight 1 was a classic hand-drawn pixel art point and click adventure, 2 became a FMV game with live actors and digitized graphics, 3 was a full 3D game with textured polygonal models and controllable camera.Vincenoreply@blogger.com