tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post4994320565942636335..comments2024-03-29T02:34:55.592-04:00Comments on The CRPG Addict: Darkside of Xeen: We Know Your First Name is SheltemCRPG Addicthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01238237377918550322noreply@blogger.comBlogger30125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-56946060270698042452023-07-15T20:50:23.813-04:002023-07-15T20:50:23.813-04:00Crag Hack is clearly the Duncan Idaho of Might &am...Crag Hack is clearly the Duncan Idaho of Might & Magic.Bryce Bakernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-14261837115884443532021-06-04T17:31:46.231-04:002021-06-04T17:31:46.231-04:00Will the real Slim Sheltem please stand up?Will the real Slim Sheltem please stand up?Tipihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11416637333851125884noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-89569194091808438202021-05-27T03:27:24.195-04:002021-05-27T03:27:24.195-04:00Hiding names in walls isn't just a thing in CR...Hiding names in walls isn't just a thing in <em>C</em>RPGs. In one level of an early D&D adventure from 1980, <em>Expedition to the Barrier Peaks</em>, certain walls spelled out Gary Gygax's initials... (Of course, this wasn't a clue to anything in the adventure, and probably wasn't even something the players were expected to notice; it was just... there.)Jalen Wandererhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00973042209003357278noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-37711711457730900472021-05-22T08:34:46.889-04:002021-05-22T08:34:46.889-04:00Depends on how large the owners were.Depends on how large the owners were.thekelvingreenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01928260185408072124noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-58184076886954627662021-05-21T09:52:24.162-04:002021-05-21T09:52:24.162-04:00@Radiant - Good summary of how this series plot lu...@Radiant - Good summary of how this series plot lurches around as the developers repeatedly change their minds about what's going on. About you-know-who, though, I don't believe he appears in the Heroes games outside of a Heroes VI scenario that retells the World of Xeen (Rectangle of XEEN?) events. There's another Alamar, but he's unrelated to this villain or Varn's king.<br /><br />I don't need to tell you, but to those who haven't played the Heroes games, popular names get recycled. There's a Sandro of Xeen, a Sandro of Enroth, and a Sandro of Ashan. Four different Crag Hacks too, and another example of confused storytelling; the Heroes I & II Crag is initially supposed to be Terra's Crag, then in Heroes III they suddenly decide Enroth had its own separate Crag all along. And then they bring Crag of Terra to Enroth for MM8 anyway.Man of Stonenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-9919101412724479432021-05-21T07:35:49.863-04:002021-05-21T07:35:49.863-04:00A bit large for pets...A bit large for pets...Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-82526328317367868622021-05-20T18:53:01.780-04:002021-05-20T18:53:01.780-04:00While it's not exactly a name, Tower 42 (the f...While it's not exactly a name, Tower 42 (the first skyscraper to be built in the City of London proper) bears an uncanny resemblance to the logo of its original owners, the National Westminster Bank.<br /><br />Even if the architect likes to claim that this is purest coincidence.Martinnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-25241769522657584562021-05-20T17:03:39.945-04:002021-05-20T17:03:39.945-04:00...gone away with another "ship", becaus......gone away with another "ship", because...Guihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13743378192655941194noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-72930661517460548112021-05-20T17:02:07.496-04:002021-05-20T17:02:07.496-04:00The MM3 crew must have gone away with another, bec...The MM3 crew must have gone away with another, because they fell for the "Alamar disguise". Also they might have seen Sheltem ship in lava and thought that this was it.Guihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13743378192655941194noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-35512259404656822342021-05-20T13:09:54.190-04:002021-05-20T13:09:54.190-04:00I had a similar observation, a Dragon Mummy is a u...I had a similar observation, a Dragon Mummy is a unique monster. But I have a different theory. The Egyptians mummified cats which they considered sacred animals. So maybe once in the past, there was a society that kept dragons as pets and mummified them. And now, for some reason, those pet dragons are on the loose again.Patrykhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17471088989227692571noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-55382858752730409552021-05-20T09:13:02.714-04:002021-05-20T09:13:02.714-04:00In MM1 I believe the intent was to pleasantly surp...In MM1 I believe the intent was to pleasantly surprise the player as they unwittingly spelled out his name as they mapped with paper and pencil. XEEN revisits the concept for new players entering the series, but the cuteness of it all tends to fall flat with automap.Tizzynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-28730249739393825802021-05-20T08:28:42.986-04:002021-05-20T08:28:42.986-04:00If you watch the opening of MM III, you can see th...If you watch the opening of MM III, you can see that Sheltem is missing part of the left half of his face.<br /><br />I seem to remember hearing something about Sheltem getting damaged in such a way that it messed up his programming. Which is why Corak was sent to retrieve him in the first place. He was working against his directives in order to protect himself before Corak showed up, or something like that.<br /><br />It's been years since I played these games though.Drawdenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-78796658887326755882021-05-20T07:57:16.379-04:002021-05-20T07:57:16.379-04:00You don't really need to that many levels to f...You don't really need to that many levels to finish the game comfortably. Same thing about gems, there are plenty to keep the combo spells active during all the game without any fear for them to end<br />Getting obsessed about money is not going to get you anywhere different at the end, but to not enjoy the game in a more organic way.<br />I suppose that last advice works in real life tooshankaohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06194425920878224732noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-79058217837359662112021-05-20T07:55:38.473-04:002021-05-20T07:55:38.473-04:00Sheltem's motivations make more (initial) sens...Sheltem's motivations make more (initial) sense when you realize that he was assigned as Guardian of Terra before any seedships were sent, thus the only ecosystem/civilization on Terra were entirely aquatic; the landmasses didn't exist until CRON sent some VARNs to the surface. Knowing that The Ancients were intending on supplanting the natural ecosystem with what amounts to artificial landmasses, he sabotages the first attempt to seed Terra (which is apparently what the giant underground ship was, a sunken CRON vehicle). It was this sabotage that caused The Ancients to decide to bring Sheltem in for reconditioning.<br /><br />Might and Magic 1 and 2 are all about Sheltem trying to return to Terra. As for causing more problems once back on Terra? Realize that although he helped to integrate the VARNs as islands on the planet, he was still resentful of the invasion, thus he upset the balance of the alignments in an attempt to sabotage what The Ancients were trying to accomplish with Terra in the first place.MaxKnighthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00272881764375311864noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-76537172352006593822021-05-20T07:54:37.632-04:002021-05-20T07:54:37.632-04:00The amount of gameplay NWC managed to cram into th...The amount of gameplay NWC managed to cram into this game is impressive. I'd have probably beaten the game blithely unaware of half the content.Raifieldhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08478524519453417677noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-857893922578128922021-05-20T05:34:20.620-04:002021-05-20T05:34:20.620-04:00Buildings, no, to my knowledge. Trees, yes. There ...Buildings, no, to my knowledge. Trees, yes. There is a type of geoglyph made by planting groups of trees to form letters, numbers or shapes when they grow to full size. It was rather popular in USSR, and some of these are can be seen from the satellites to this day.VladimIr V Yhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04673420469663885531noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-27347393846804966232021-05-20T05:23:12.652-04:002021-05-20T05:23:12.652-04:00I presume, the party from M&M3 ended up in sta...I presume, the party from M&M3 ended up in stasis, and the spaceship itself stuck at the bottom of the lake somewhere in the Clouds. And they emerge only many, many years after the grand finale of M&M4+5. You'll know how things are coming together after seeing it.<br /><br />Also, I forgot to tell about the one unique genie from the previous entry. If you don't take all his gold, nothing more happens, you just part ways amicably.<br />If you do take all his gold, he'll appear later in the game to punish the party for being greedy. He takes all of the party's gold on hand, gold in the bank being safe. I don't know what triggers it, some kind of a timer or specific point of the main quest, maybe. But he seems to appear after using Town Portal spell, so it may be linked to the squares where the party appears after using it.VladimIr V Yhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04673420469663885531noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-63567227640094001812021-05-20T05:01:49.387-04:002021-05-20T05:01:49.387-04:00Stone heads in Sheltem's pod are useless, actu...Stone heads in Sheltem's pod are useless, actually. Only the heads from Corak's pod work.VladimIr V Yhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04673420469663885531noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-35073231078578022642021-05-19T23:07:53.514-04:002021-05-19T23:07:53.514-04:00Imagine Sheltem directing his minions or whatever ...Imagine Sheltem directing his minions or whatever to build his name out of walls. <br />"Nah dude it's gonna be so sick, when they look with the automap it'll spell my name!" <br />To which the creatures of darkness reply, "What's an automap?"<br /><br />I wonder if there are any real buildings that do this. It seems awfully wasteful for what is, essentially, a prank.Alexhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14025511634630902101noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-81200213733514176992021-05-19T22:44:03.344-04:002021-05-19T22:44:03.344-04:00I always assumed that the mm3 party were the origi...I always assumed that the mm3 party were the original owners of Newcastle.<br /><br />So they beamed down, built a Newcastle, then used all their knowledge and experience to build the xeen slayer sword. Then they were retconned into 6.<br /><br />roberskihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16592531934505180702noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-9830058296657814492021-05-19T17:52:33.942-04:002021-05-19T17:52:33.942-04:00My recollection of money near the end of the game ...My recollection of money near the end of the game is that if you think you have enough, you really don't. I remember getting into an issue where I was one armor piece breaking away from being completely screwed, because I was completely broke by then and wouldn't have been able to fix it.Twibathttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11872080022551062309noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-51386830921077915092021-05-19T16:37:41.883-04:002021-05-19T16:37:41.883-04:00Hi!
My name is
What?
My name is
Who?
My name is
Ch...Hi!<br />My name is<br />What?<br />My name is<br />Who?<br />My name is<br />Chika-chika<br />Slim Sheltemposter formerly known as VKhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09766031949641666286noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-39726278351474301392021-05-19T16:19:59.456-04:002021-05-19T16:19:59.456-04:00"The deadliest enemies so far."
I was e..."The deadliest enemies so far."<br /><br />I was expecting the caption "the mothers of all dragons".<br /><br />PetrusOctavianusnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-65896718867249556702021-05-19T15:48:50.609-04:002021-05-19T15:48:50.609-04:00The suggested backstory for this entire series is ...The suggested backstory for this entire series is positively bonkers, to put it mildly ;)<br />BESTIEunlmtnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-4404093130818493782021-05-19T14:36:53.099-04:002021-05-19T14:36:53.099-04:00Another thing. Considering your playstyle and play...Another thing. Considering your playstyle and play time being limited, you might reconsider going back to just go ahead and grab any of those +1/+2/+5 level rewards you've held off on getting.<br /><br />Its only inefficient if you're trying for top tier. Otherwise its perfectly acceptable in a basic playthrough and to just get through the game for the play experience.<br /><br />Happy adventuring.Tizzynoreply@blogger.com