Twillight's playings

[twillight]

Yep, the big, ugly, infamous game.

I'm going Postal: playing this gem on Mazochist difficulty!

lvl1 had 2 hard points: getting out of my own garden was almost impossible. Then where the street sturned stood 3 guy with missle-launcher!

lvl2 was hard 'cause it had no supplies, and had to use the shotgun a lot (at close distance it is a must on this difficulty). So it was best going as soon as the requirement was reached. Also good idea to learn to use grenades/molotov coctail.

lvl3 was easiest to go from up to down. Reached 100%. Good to know that the game carries over your weapons/ammo, your armor, and lastly your health if it is above 100%. If your health is below 100, it'll be rised to 100.

lvl4: run in at the beggining to the fenced area, then when things calm down a little start to clean the map from the upper right corner to the lower left.

lvl5: try to rely on holes where the opponents can't pass. This outsmarts the AI.

lvl6: the place is tight, so try to outmanouver the enemy. The requirement is also 95%+.

lvl7: you must outrange the others. Try to use barrels, if one blows up it tosses away others (gives range).

Not sure if it is lvl8 or 9, but The Train is a bloody hard level, 'cause many enemy uses fire against you. And fire burns... The only advice I can give is: try to alway be behind cover, see what you're shooting at, and try to abose gellered shots (there is no time limit, and the ammo in SMG is unlimited, and the ARE dangerous).

The Construction Site: an nterresting level where the movement is limited, but the shooting isn't.
Seems for Mazochist diff. 100 health is the maximum, and I'm getting better as this was like the 3rd lvl where I ended with more then 10 armor.

In "The Getto" I found the last weaponry (auto shotgun).

Finaly finished! The Military Base, the last level is much easier if you played it before, as you'll know: if there is a door, throw a molotov coctail at it then go near - the enemy comes out and gets fried!
Also note: if you see or even suspect a napalmer, use a homing missile!
And at the beggining use rocket for fast clearing the initial enemies.

That's all folks!

[twillight]

Thx for the admins for the change of title.

Here are two titles to mention from this ocassion:

Purizushi:
A nice upgrade of blockout games as you have to distroy a picture (the game is 16+ or something) instead the usual blocks.
It works with mouse, thus the speed was incrised, what isn't that good if you ask me, and it only have 1 picture (with 2 levels and 2 difficulty).


Cartman's Authoriath:
Yes, you play the fat boy from South Park.
This is an excelent "let's spend 5 minutes" game from the platform genre.
It is fast-paced, but not timed, so you can "oh my god, they killed Kenny!"

Feels a little short with only 8 levels, but just give yourself some goal (like only use the SMG, or use always the highest weapon, or the hardest from my favourites: only use weapons with no ammo), and it will give you good replay value.

[twillight]

zombies ate my phone

An ok-looking flash play where I could not figure out how to buy upgrades, and it soon became repetitive.

Also lack any detail why "reject call" in the game.

[twillight]

Smash Franzy 4

Again a blockout game.
It looks very nice.

Well, as long as you ntice only the skin changes between levels. everyone should know a blockout game is about arranging the blocks!

Also if according to the backgroundstory (given in a docu before the very first level) we are aginst the alien, then why I'm battling pygims and ninjas?

From the all-hundred (so much not even fun) levels I found only 1 notable, where ninjas jumped on you from the upper floor when you destroyed the ground objects.


Cult
another disapointment.

For this game you can choose a wild variate of languages.
The story seems also appealing: you are a police-negotiator who wlks in a cult-hostage situation. The militarised cult has the usual toxins, brainwashed members etc., while you only have your negotiation-skill (noone shall be harmed if possible).

The game is a like something made by RPGMaker 2000 or something.

Too bad the movement is too fast.
You loose life for no appearent reason.
You don't really have a clue what to do (I was sent to a guy who I could not find, was sent for an envelope I don't know where to look for, pushed(?) buttons(?) just because they were there).
And the program seems awfully glitchy as it many times freezed. Actually it just lost the controlls, and I had to use the windows-toolbar to click on it again on what it said "Cult is already running", then the controlls got reactivated.

So good idea, bad design. Oh well.

[yoga]

Good for You, dear twillight!

These game directions are very useable.
Sadly, brave is trying to start the latest version of WmotA and SS2 but without success and have no time to try Your list games.

Actually, i am little tired after passing 62 games till now.

Your total games?

Greets from yoga.

[twillight]

Good for You, dear twillight!

Your total games?

Greets from yoga.

No idea of total games yoga. probably with all tried at least 500.



Necronomicon (full detailed walkthrough with reasons!)


You hear a knock on your front door. It is Edgar Witcherly. After a disturbing cutscreen he leaves.
As you go back to your room another knock is heared. This time it is Robert Eagleton asking you to pay a visit to your friend visiting just a short while ago, because he acts strange.


For this we have to go to the town. As we are a minor aristocrat thus living further from town we have to ride our motorcycle. That means get your keys. Also some spare coins will serve too.


In the town everyone is... avoiding you. If you've read the newspaper you might see some reason, or maybe Edgar is really acting weirdo. Finaly some old woman leads you to the grocery, what opens the same time. The gorcerer isn't helpful at start, so let's enter the row of his customers and buy a boksz of matchbox. Still not convincing enugh (or he's mere greedy), so let's buy a map too. Now we can at least fast-travel.


He lives in an unconvincing place. Sadly Edgar is not at home. We don't get any more information, so let's visit his father isntead (the opposite way to the town, strange we know the location of the father, but not the son). From him we hear two more person: Gregor Hershow and dr. Owens. One shady person from the past, one from the present.


Let's visit or mimir, the grocery shop's owner. For some coin he directs us to some shady fisherman to hear more about Hershaw. Why we want to know about him? Well, to have some understanding of Edgar of course, as that is one of his obsessions.
The ship-owner informs us he was a prominent person, so let's check the local news' archive.


From the news we get confirmed the Gregor was a prominent person, but the same time we hear fires and missing people.
Also amongst the current news we find report of graverobber. Hm, might something to do with Edgar's archeology-research? Nah, this is current day news. Still...
Anyway, back to the fisherman, who comfirms Hershaw was a shady person and leads to a new contact.


Who of course wves us away. Buy some booze to him and return. It will be a good sailor-tale, but all we get is mumies, and another tall-teller.
During waiting the new man to talk let's try again Edgar – and he's home. Acts... suspicious. Consult Mr. Eagleton, who says Edgar is into … mystical if not occult buisness, even visiting the cemetry.


Also don't forget Mr. Witcherly. Seems Edgar was really into Mr. Hershaw, and kept documents in his room. Let's check those out. Not as much as we hoped, but better then nothing.
At least we can talk with our last contact. Now HE is finaly useful, although looks just as batshit crazy as Edgar acts. But now we start to make connections.


Comes a not really obvious move: go to Edgar's place, and unlock the front door with the new found key.
Here you find the „undeciferible letter” (now we can telll have an official clue, lol), and some paper indicating someone is trying to rise the dead, and even traficating the Elder Ones.
When we try to leave we realise something is without question not well with Edgar, how lucky we know a psychiatrist.
Loot the house, then conspirate some with our guider, just to go and loot the bungalo too.


We arrived to the first puzzle. Let's solve it!
We have 3 discs to roll. One has names and symbols of angels, and we have a book to recognise those symbols and match them to days of the week. We have a letter mentioning a ritual, what must be done when „the Saturn is in trine”. We have a calendar on a trigone is sined, so we'll need Saturday.
The other two rolls have also 7 symbols, so they must also sign the days of the weeks, problem is, how to connect them to Saturday.
If we take a look on the big chart on the wall of the lobby we'll find the pictures of the angels on it too. Under each of them has a symbol. The Angel of Death has a scythe, and under it we have the second sign we need for the treshold. (Don't ask me to match all the smybols of the chart and the code-plate, as I can't though. Fortunatelly the sign we're looking for do matches.)
The third symbol we'll see on the drawning upside down. Behind the cupboard we found a key and an ornated thingy. The thingy has the third symbol.


Descend. When you light the last light you're out of matches. You pull a lever, and you're entrapped. Congratulation, you've reached Disc 2!


Your inventory is emptied, so get the lighter from the dask in the room. Go out and make some light – now you have a lantern. Time to desecrate a corpse, a book and an altar. Beware, that going to the altar to grab the axe is timed (the torch goes out after a few seconds)!
Bash the chest to have a replacement-lantern and the key to the cabinet. There is a book upstairs just as we're breaking privacy.


Congratulation you've reached the Lab. Obvious what to do (light up), less obvious how. Go to the furnace and put in coal as many you can. Click above the furnace (after you closed the grid) and fiddle the levers and the wheel until you succeed (we're not mechanics). Then return to where you came in, find a wheel to run, also look for a fuse-box (it is pixelhunt, as from the darkness you see squat).
Next thing: loot the place! You'll find a syrenge, a key (with an codeplate we're familiar with) and some caol-tabletts.
Here is the frustrating part: you can have only 1 herbs, so investigate further. There is a … talking machine what requests fluid. There is a row of containers and a mixing tank on the other side. There is really no clue to the solution of this, but I ease your work: don't bother the upper row of chemicals, they won't help you.
Injecting the fluid to the brain will give it power to talk. Listen the dialogues. It'll tell Edgard is posessed, and tell you who you'll have to summon up: Eliphas Lévi. Prepare yourself.


The treshold's code will be based on Eliphas Levi. Don't let the markings mislead you to Victor Hugo! So he is a Mars-spirit. According to the description of Spirits of the day he is of Tuesday, and thus Samuel.
The second symbol was on the chart on the wall up in the bungalo.
The third symbol is the astrological symbol of Mars (you can use the internet for this).
Welcome to the Jar Room. Remember who we want to summon. Find the monogram.
Entering the summoning chamber is no problem. Open the drawer, put things in the circle, put the coal and the incense on the pillar, then burn everything.
Next thing to do is grabbing a key what strangely saves us from the police and fullfills the final death requirement of … But I let Levi tell what.


As we have nothing better to do go loot Edgar's house again. It has a new area too.
Then we're in the library. Search the sections mentioned. There'll be a book mentioned „too horrendous”, now that's in the enclosed section.
Mapping the location of the Gate will be equally easy.
For the ancient building use the pyramid you got at the very beggining as map. Your goal is to open the big chasm.
Your goal is to go down. There will be 3 marks of the way. The first is a platform with hieroglyphas: follow the arrow. The second is some „stairs” although ard to tell what it actually is. The third is the end mark: green room with a pedestal. Push hte pedastal, and push all buttons in the same coloumn. This opens a grid. Enter that way, and push the big button, then start to run through the doors matching your set. When you reach through another door will be open what leads to a cutscreen what seems again from a previous version of the storyline.
The big building is actually pathetic, although I'd piss myself if it'd be real.
When in the final labyrinth the rule is: always push the left button.
Foir the final seal either just click on the buttons as fast as possible until you find the right combination, or push this order: 2-3-5-4-2-6-4-7-2-1, or stay there trying to decyphere the otherwise cool puzzle and die by the „bad ending” what is the better made one!

[twillight]

Prisoner of Ice

I've replayed this for the sake of comparsion with Necronomicon, both being based on H.P. lovecraft1s heritage.

The N. is much more nice, but the puzzles... Are for experienced puzzle-solvers (or you can solve them fast by simple trying until succeed).

While PoI has drawback (like almost charicaturistic NPCs), but the gaming-experience is high. I mean except the kattle-puzzle everything can be solved by a regular player who knows something about the adventure games genre. Even the timed tasks are ok and logical.

Giants: citizen kabuto
I found this while I was looking up Gorky17. Stored long time age for lack of requirements.
The graphic is beutiful.
But when I've launched the game the writings were incomprehensible. Tried all kind of settings, then gave up and click "reset default". That strangely worked.
But still no sound. Still loved the graphic.
1st mission objective #X: kill all shrieker, #y: reach the boy fast. Suprise: those buggers respawn. Hey, from ~building! Dang, not just I can pass objects, but some respawn-buiding was placed INSIDE the terrain? How'll I kill the enemy???
Hell with it, run to target. Hey, why I had to run when he is in invulnerable position? And when I reach him "mission accomplished"??? What happened with "kill all bugs"??
Mission 2: "save 4 idiots jumping among piranhas". Wtf? As soon as they reach water are bitten by fishes. Should I ctach them while falling? Wtf, insane difficulty?

Quit gaming :(

[yoga]

500 games?
Wow!!
brave passed 62 games only..
Probably You play day and night non stop?

Congrats, barat twillight..

I feel respect to the experienced sons of Hungary:
You, well respected Hunvagy and Tracker

[twillight]

Probably You play day and night non stop?


I play years and years with sometimes months of breakes, or playing only 1 game exclosively for several monthes.


For example I had an ATARI what had maybe 6 games (PacMan, Tennis, one very difficult what I think Abandonia has, Space Invaders, and probably 1-2 more).
For Comodore64 the starter pack (2 disk) had like 120 games, and games were exchanged between users like no tomorrow (they were extremly cheap, and basically no copy protection existed).
For PC demos were a hugh source of gaming-experience, though I don't count these as "games". Still, if I'd count the games I currently own, then number would be between 30-50 (I might count it some day).
Then came the age of Flash Games, most of those last 5 minutes per playthrough?
Then don't forget freeware, shareware and abandoned stuff.


EDIT: Currently trying a playthrough of Gorky 17. The trick is, I try to do it without EVER getting hurt. Fortunatelly I have a proto-version for this (made years ago), but still having hard times. It still will be upgradable, especially as stun should be tried on Grandma... Where I used a napalm-shot instead rifle shot unfortunatelly... Oh well, hope I'll pass anyway.

[twillight]

Teen Agent by Yahtzee

This a classic adventure game but with all the possible nasties what takes away the fun from an adventure game, and in numbers.
The problems are:
- illogical puzzles
- pixelhunt
- timed tasks
- forced solutions (times when to accomplish the task you have 15 things to do it the same way, but only one is accepted)
- "repeat until succeed" method (normally if a certain combination of items not work, you won't force and try it again and again and again, right?)

Fortunatelly the look and nostalgia with the game being short enough makes it ok to play it once (with the walkthrough at hand).

[Capo]

Since you play a lot of oldies why dont make some recordings for Abandonia ? :)

[twillight]

Since you play a lot of oldies why dont make some recordings for Abandonia ? :)

You mean those video-playthroughs?

Mainly because I never knew how.

Also I'm a slow palyer who praises S&L.

Lastly comments like "I shoot down those civilians because they'd get in my line of fire otherwise" (for Postal on Mazochist Difficulty you really start to think that way) would sound trange...


Not to mention if I'd upload anything but some basic comment on eg. the Revenge on Trilogy (School, Police and Army) I'd most certainly violate Abandonia's "under 18" policy.

Although the Renge on... games are really something to catch on. Too bad it wa never translated to english from hungarian, but I could make a surgery there the data-files are written in .txt format, lol
They look like the "Spellcasting" series with CGA graphic and basic "choose action" interface...
But as they are about mindless violence, violent sex and some bad jokes - no matter who clever (but basic) the adventure-puzzles in 'em, they are STRICTLY for MATURE audience (although let's be honest: these games work best for 16 year olds).

...on School is fast and excelent (for its goal). If you can suffer dying a few times you'll reach the end.
...on Police concentrates more on violence and less on intercourse. The inventory-system can cause unvolunteered restarts, and the final puzzle is really hard.
...on Army has almost no sex, and violence isn't that personal anymore (aka. you can't kill everyone). The story is on a much larger scale, and the puzzles start to reach frustration-level. But it actually started to grow from "going Postal" thing to real adventure platform (although of course not at all a politically correct one).
Sadly the series got terminated during the very beggining of developement of a fourth episode. Still it is a wildly known and preserved trilogy amongst hungarian gamers, what don't get old by the progress of computer-industry.


PS: Capo, if you tell me how, I will consider your idea.

[twillight]

Commando 2
Inspired maybe by TA's words in the chatbox, although he sure not referred on the flashgame:smile2:
It is a "go from left to right and shoot down things to reach the end of the level" game with some platform-jumping parts.
I found it cool in graphic, the weapon-arsenal and everything, although I disagree with the names of difficulty.
I'd call "easy" to "normal" (especialyy the second half) with a rather hard boss at the end.
"Normal" is "hard", and I confess I can't pass mission 2 of this difficulty. But it is definitly a fun game with clever design.


Sonny 2
Managed to unlock all achievemnts!
For "All Star" I had to win another battle after defeating the Major the third time. I was soo worried it is not included in the offline version, ad soo relieved when it popped up!
For the Legend acheivement I used the Cold Hydraulic build, and for Zone 6-7 the Psychological build.
For this time on the old favourite of mine strenght-poison biological felt sooo lacking in caomparsion...
For Zone 6-7 I grabbed the Psycho as it has the infamous "Shock Coma" combo, what is an instantkill strategy where you overheal the enemy. The combo is basically: high voltage, high voltage, shock coma, shock coma, high voltage, retrorgade. As passive you also need Overdrive. this causes 120% healing what with the last move you revers to damage. To ease your way you may start the combo Traumatizing the opponent to gain a free turn. It is important you get healed (bring Veradux + Roald), and not get hurt by the opponent (so wear vitality-equipment, the 75 vitality armor is a nice start). Also might want to invest a little into speed as High Voltage is not autohit :(
Anyway this makes things joke-easy with the exception of the Twin Guardians, where you again have to respec. But you'll have plenty of coin at this point, so oh well. Reaching lvl 30 is also very easy, as the game is generous with exp when you do train fights in Zone 6.
Against the Twin Guardian you must cause as many stuns as you can (well, at least on the bottom guardian), and that's all (just anote: take a look on Confinment to get more of the idea).

I'm very glad I completed this game. Hope the 3rd installment of the series will come out sooner then later.

[twillight]

Reinstalled Icewind Dale.

Don't have the expansion, neither the second of the series, but I checked the stories, and seems there is a reason why the whole is called a "trilogy".

My team will be:
fighter dwarf 18/80, 17, 19, 10, 10, 10 (for extra saving throws and good tank)
halfling fighter/thief 17, 19, 18, 8, 8, 8 (for extra saving throws, another fighter, and a trap-remover)
gnome illusionist 18, 18, 18, 19, 5, 8 (for extra saving throws and the extra spell slot)
fighter/cleric human 18/81, 18, 18, 3, 18, 8 (for additional melee power and healing, though it hurts that on lvl1 you can't rise porficiencies above 2)
half elf bard 15, 18, 11, 18, 10, 18 (I had a 6th character slot, so I though let's give a punch to dead weight and let it sing songs all along the adventure, while ocasionally tossing spells. I think I rolled good enough stats even to add some melee power if necessary)
half elf druid 17, 18, 16, 4, 18, 15 (originaly I wanned a fighter/druid dualclass, but even this requires insane stats. No wonder there are "very few true neutral characters". I got very fortunate only lacking 1 point from the perfect stat distribution, but this is a wonder still)

PROLOGUE: Eastheaven

Now I know why I didn't play this game since I first installed it. The pictures are boting, the movies are lame, you gain slow exp, you start lvl 1 (it is basically only luck if your character survives lvl 1, not skill by any means), there is very limited source of items what are even randomly generated and the money is scarce, and there is no full-detail-walkthrough.

According to my knowledge to get the best from the start you need:
- a bard (gives extra money - not just by pickpocketing - and exp, and every little helps while you're still lvl 1 and have no equipment)
- a dwarf (gives extra money)
- a thief (pick lock for extra money and later to save health by disarming traps)
- a cleric (else you'll run out of money)
For the later part:
- you may not have more then 1 mage
- paladin should be avoided if not for strickt powergaming
- cleric and druid can mean some extra exp (cleric even infinite exp bug)

[twillight]

Wizardry IV

An ancient game, inspired to play by yoga's current go with the 7th part of the series.

This sequel sound pretty badass being with the evil side and summoning things time to time to your side instead creating a fixed party.

The lack of sparkling graphic does not disturb, although a slower fighting sceen would be welcomed, but still nothing to scare me away.

The bad part is: there is absoltuely no manual. Thus you don't know what worth to summon (in the starting chamber you can't even leave until you summon priests and make them cast a certain spell at random during a rendom encounter, what later will be even hardened that they must do the same at a certain point of the maze as I've read...), there is no info what the different potions do, and I could not equip any equipment I'v found.
Also expecting I'll remember all the spells during fights I find ridiculous (although here alt+tab helps, as OTHER parts of the series has manuals to be found and that has the list of spells and their effects).

So if someone could provide me info on the how&what part I'd be thankful... Until that I made a short recording anyway if Capo is still expecting that.


Fearie Solitare

A solitare game with nice graphic, and a ... storyline ... what makes the thousands playing feel still different.
I has a ton of achievement inculduing "rising" pets on the usualy achievement table, and in the quickplay mode it even notes if you finish a full level (9 hands in a row) with all perfect statuses.

The game is a little longer then to be able to follow the story, but you can replay that ina separate menu, so it is nicely done.

The upgrade items have different usefullness, so it really worth to gather for certain more expensive things then to unlock from cheapest to most expensive.

[Capo]

So if someone could provide me info on the how&what part I'd be thankful... Until that I made a short recording anyway if Capo is still expecting that.


That would be great ;)

[TotalAnarchy]

Regarding the manual for Wizardry IV, the Ultimate Wizardry Archives which can be found on replacementdocs.com may contain some useful information.

[twillight]

Regarding the manual for Wizardry IV, the Ultimate Wizardry Archives which can be found on replacementdocs.com may contain some useful information.

That's the only doc I already found. Tells nothing about anything.
It has the list of spells attached for the firt game's details, and I figured out on my own that equipping might work like "delete item": only that is equippable what will appear on submenu when I hit "e" (= equipp button). Seems nothing I found was equippable.

Still: no info on the summons, what would be crucial. No info on the potions what questions their use. Etc.

EDIT: found full walkthrough here (http://www.zimlab.com/wizardry/walk/w4/2/w4walk2.htm).

EDIT2: got full list of summonables.

[Smiling Spectre]

Just checked Ultimate Wizardry Archives...

1. Well, main doc is first 60 pages or so. First 4 games, according this manual, using exactly the same system, so only flavor and installing info remained.

2. Spells are here, at the end of first part manual. :)

3. Potions are exactly the same as "instant spells". If you have it identified, it will be exactly the same (and you need manual to know what it does with all this SOTA and DEGA abbreviations).

4. You need to identify most of loot to use it (it's in the first manual too :).

No, I didn't play game by myself, but it's look quite logical for me...

[twillight]

Cobra Mission

Replayed this nice somewhat adult game again. Well, it is mostly fighting city-infesting gangs, with occasional chance of nudity-screens.

It is very much like the japaneese hentai-games, except it is made in the USA, and the eroticism isn't necessarily part of the game, but a very-very clever addition instead. Especially considering the age of the game.

The only problem each time I replay it I find it more and more easy. I wish there'd be a difficulty setting.

[hunvagy]

Cobra Mission

Replayed this nice somewhat adult game again. Well, it is mostly fighting city-infesting gangs, with occasional chance of nudity-screens.

It is very much like the japaneese hentai-games, except it is made in the USA, and the eroticism isn't necessarily part of the game, but a very-very clever addition instead. Especially considering the age of the game.

The only problem each time I replay it I find it more and more easy. I wish there'd be a difficulty setting.

It is very much like a H-Game, because it is one. It was not made in the US, it's a japanese game. Cobra Mission, Dragon Knight 3 (aka. Knights of Xentar) and a silly fighting game were the only games the company managed to localize before they went belly up.

[twillight]

It is very much like a H-Game, because it is one. It was not made in the US, it's a japanese game.

Rly not usA? My mistake.

And I said it was an adult game. What I praised is, you CAN AVOID most of the hentai if you want. From all the stuff you only have to meet 2 sceen (plus the ending), what is very generous.

[TotalAnarchy]

Avoid hentai scenes? Nowai!

[twillight]

Meh, after reinstalling the whole system I sorted out what to play with and what not to. Here is what remained (anything else got removed):
- Baldies (I won't give up trying to pass the Pharao Mask level, even if my life depends on it!)
- Fallout 2
- sam&max hit the road (I just want to pass this once more, it was so long ago)
- discworld 1 (I found the - I think - old HotU version what works with ScummVM, has sounds and speech and everything. Current HotU no longer has this, so if Abandonia would like it...)
- g.o.l.e.m. (Ill pass this with all three races/difficulties no doubt)
- Diablo 2 (to have a stupid action game)
- Gorky 17 is still to be reinstalled (I don't now where I've put the disc, it is somewhere in my room though)
- hunted, the demon forge (not reinstalled yet, but I want it. Not sure how much will I play with this, but there it is)
- Siege of Avalon (still waiting to be reinstalled, would be good to know if I have Chapter 6 to work, or still not able)
- Baldur's Gate 2 (I still have to check if I could replace my old savegames, working on poverty run)
- TerraFire (ancient game which for today went shareware status. Managed to have the full version with sound! It is really a cool game)
-----
Heroes of Might and Magic IV is pending
-----
There are some not tell their titles of adult games (eg. DiviDead) to run at least once (i got those five games once, never got to play them though).
-----
Having trouble reinstalling Fallout Tactics. After the patch some "missing file" stupidity comes up, what is nonsense and not happened before. Any suggestion for that would be welcomed.

[twillight]

Aliens busted
A sadly very short flash game, where you have to push down the road enemy cars. It resembles a lot to a C64 game of mine where you got scored for distance reached, maximum speed and passangers hit (that was probably a negative score, but you know the average player. Also policemens did not worth any point as passanger...).

Visitor: Massacre at Camp Happy
This is a horror-genre flash game. The idea behind it is to play through a B-horror movie with the alien flesh-eating beast devouring everything in sight.
While the idea is nice, but the human victims (the goal of each level) are too random to believe the storyboard, what really hurts the experience, and after 2-3 levels makes the game feel repetitive.

The Visitor Return
This is the sequel to the previously mentioned game, and a much better development is you ask me!
Here you play with the same type of alien, but the whole thing is more compound. For a start there is no roaming around, you just have to solve the puzzles on the same screen, each act changing the environment. And during that you grow, and grow.
The puzzles are not easy but doable, and the sights are really gorey, what is definitely an advantage. If you have 5-10 minutes to spare, really worth to check this out!

Red Code Origins
This is a surprisingly well-made survival shooter, I think based on Starship Troopers. It autosaves at each stages, and it don't suffers from "you made it wrong, you die", and neither the even worse "no matter what you do you'll die" designs. Even the lame ending don't ruin your experience with this.
Countless enemies, mindless shooting, and some real time strategy. Thumbs up!

[twillight]

I found my CD-key for Zax the alien hunter!

Imediatelly installed it, and it is as much fun as ever, though you probably don't know this excelent game.
It is a Diablo-clone with sci-fi storyline, pretty much bug-free, totally action-based, and the quests and storyline actually makes sense (unlike Diablo)!
Not to mention the ship's AI is totally like Mother from the first Alien movie: sexy, but totally insentient.

As this game could actually be a hugh competitor to Diablo 1-2, it was sentenced to forgetness, but not for me! I also realised I can not get information about basically the only one item totally optional in the game (a weapon), so I almost imediatelly restarted, this tie on Hard difficulty! Not that I expect any extra, but I'm perfectly skilled to beat Normal without any problem, so go all the way!

Here I'll note all item per mission just to make a guide (the game really don't require a walkthrough).

M1:
- Laser Welder: the starting weapon. Not much to say. Use anything else if you can. On Hard difficulty it is suggested to use this to open vases.
- shield 01: your basic shield
- battery 01: you basic energy-supplier for your weapons which use energy
- medic kit: a consumable what can be created by your ship. Don't make any if you don't have to.
- your ship is also capable to recharge either your weapon or your shield. Don't use this function unless you absolutely have to.

M3:
- you'll find 2 korbo artefact to reactivate the ship's medical station, which function is absolutely free (so use it whenever you have the chance)
- Light Pistol: this oneshots the basic opponents finaly.

M4:
- Plasma Thrower: your first weapon where you have to pre-make the ammo (so no recharge on field). It is good when you have to aim on one thing in the middle of a large crowd. Too bad it can not be reacharged from energy-bulbs.

M5:
- Semi Auto Weapon: the second weapon what uses ammo. It is fast, and has larger impact on single target then the Plasma Thrower, but it can't hit a line of enemy unlike that. The ammo can be found on the field (from red flying robots), so it is suggested not producing any ammo for it unless you absolutely have to. Again good if you want to blow up a transporter's control panel.
- During M5 there is a very hard fight against Azah-Pan. If you play on easy/normal you basic weaponry should be enough to win, but on Hard I needed 2 canister for the Plasma Thrower to disable the last pod before the room's entrance, and 3 more canister plus 2 medic kit to beat Azah Pan and its crew (not to mention several tires).

M6:
- Alien Electric Weapon: an autoaiming weaponry with limited range. You won't miss this as this is a quest item (what will be destroyed when used for that purpose)

M7:
- shield 02: while the first version only provided 75 shield, this gives 200. Cool.
- twin disruptor: this deals at best only slightly more damage then the previous weapon, but at a much faster rate. I dvise you to skip it unless you play on hard, 'cause it is harder to control energy-efficiency.

M8:
- autogun medium: an unmoving support weapon what you can place anywhere, then later pick it up. It is slow, it is vulnerable, so I suggest avoiding it anytime, unless you have a very-very good reason to use it, and plenty of resource to make these.

M9:
-granade launcher: it uses granades as ammo, what can be taken from several enemies, starting with the yellow spiderlike robots. Very self-endangreing, so I suggest you to skip it unless you play on hard mode, where of course you'll need every single type of equipment sooner or later it seems.

M10:
- I found the official secret areas! Two areas connected each other, their names called official "Secret ..." (won't tell the exact names)
- impact cannon: the coolest weapon until now. It don't eats all your energies, it has sufficient firepower AND it launches energy on a rapid scale! Perfect design.

As now comes the "interesting" part, I'll start a new post for size-sake.

[twillight]

Let's start this today:

M10, the three elemental temple area:
- as soon as you arrive you get the chance to produce Battery 03. As always battery enhances the life of your weapons.
- part 1 of a new alien weapon (handle)

---------

Here comes the three temple which order is theoretically independent. I can not confirm that for now, especially after the Temple of Air, but read bellow:

Temple of Air:
- nuclear disruptor: it has high velocity, but on Hard it isn't THAT useful. While it can help you blast through bigger crowds it no longer (unlike on lower difficulties) oneshots the big meanies, what is a definite drawback with its much higher energy-consumption.
- 1 part of new alien weapon (gun tube)
- the trouble what I faced here is when you are out of the temple itself out in the jungle again you can find the Secret Cave of Despair. Here an extra part is unlocked if you have a Moon Key when you enter the cave. The problem is there is no extra Moon Key I could find, thus this means a potentially gamebreaking design.

--------

Temple of Fire:
- full auto gun: an even faster version then the semi auto weapon. Good against crowds, or fast shooting opponents.
- 1 part of the new alien weapon (that part what hits the bullet. firing pin?)
- just to mention in the last section of the temple (where you meet the korbo) there are two places which says you'd need come cross-shaped keys. You can find none though, and I don't see any function for those thingies even if you'd have the items to activate them. Also right at the entrance I see no reason for the restricted platform appart from plain nuisance.
- again for curiosity-sake: at the very enterance there is a computer-treminal what looks like a summoning pod control board on a pedestal. It has no function, and the red portal never gets activated. It can however be destroyed if you lay a Proximity Mine besides it.

--------

Temple of Water:
- 1 part from the alien weapon (the backpart. It is found technically at the Water Temple Areas, but before actually entering the structure)
- 1 part from the alien weapon (scope)
- companion drone (much more advanced then the auto turret. It hovers around you, has actually some armor, and fires bullets rapidly. Don't use them too much though as they cost resource to produce)

----------

M14: missile launcher. As soon as you're offered go backwards to find a teleporting crystal and get it, at least on hard. It is immensely powerful, and the projectile won't bounce around finaly. It uses ammo.

When fighting here Azah-Pan it should evidently be an option to run in, push the lever, then shoot the console to disable his teleport pad, but that is not so. Just dispose this metal demon, and the remaining army won't even hurt you further this time.

--------

M15, Jailbreak: many people had trouble here though what should be done should be evident: stay behind the robots. You can even rescue a korbo here if your are feast, and kill the executioner when it comes back (this does not activate the turrets nor the teleport pads).
Here the game starts to be really hard with all the big flying robots, the granade-throwers (they throw granades out of screen) and the missile robots...
Here is an area called "secret" too in the Snow Brothers area, behind the fence what gets deactivated temporarily for spider bots. And here comes a bug: this can fail. The spider bots don't get out 'cause the fence never gets lowered sometimes. If this happen you lost your chance getting into this area.
More serious problem is, when there are items under little dome-containers what can not be shooted open, instead they have certain conditions to open. If the condition is destroying robots instead turning a valve you might get not able to reach the items, what is gamebreaking. This is solved retrying the puzzle from a save (on hard diff save is a must anyway).

M16:
here thing start to bend to this rule: do not leave any area until you discovered EVERYTHING in it. Like in the map where you are not allowed to use guns (to avoid unnecessary confrontation) when going backward you should hide behind the wall you're told going backward too (not at all obvious)!
Also at a point using 1 mine is "suggested" (I don't think the puzzle can be solved otherwise, and it is efficient to blow up with it the console + the robot + the item-box)

M17:
- shield 03 (gives 350 shield point maximum), what is almost hard to keep filled)
- trispread gun (not look really awesome as it fires 3 bullets spreaded. But it has really high velocity and eats very low energy)

NOTE: from plasma thrower you can have 12 canisters maximum. Not that you'd want that, as at this point it is kinda weak.
From the autogun and the drone you can have 3 each. As you should start to have more ore then you can spend (well, at least if you find your amo on field) you should make these just in case.

M18:
- there is a semi-secret area (it is secret as it can be found by blowing up a container, but not called "secret", but Money and Mayhem), good to try out the trispread gun
- alien electrical weapon enchanced (this is a quest item. If you remember M/'s alien gun, it is that returned. Has low velocity, but autohits in multiply direction, so evidently the crowd-handling weapon from now)

NOTE:
- There was an imprisoned corbo whose fence's other side we had to reach (using valves to course overpressure in tubes or something). This can be reached in this part.


M19:
- Psychic Wave Glove: it is a BAD weapon. It shoots a large chunk of energy causing area damage what spreads for like 2 seconds. Amusing against hugh crowds, but eats way too much energy, and most of the time a suicidal weapon due to its "spreading" effect, what is even armorpiercing.

[twillight]

Alon in the Dark 3

Well, this game is I feel terrible, but once it'd've been good to play through. But still I can't run, so there this game goes what could not decide if it want to have ghosts or mutants, be an AitD game or a Resident Evil game or a Prince of Persia game.

[twillight]

Sam&Max hit the road

This game is too surreal for me. Without a walkthrough thhere is no way I can accomplish it.
Well, after playing Alone in the Dark 1 I realised adventure games is a type of games where you aren't supposed to win without serious meta-knowledge. For example AitD starts with such timed puzzles (two) where you don't have enough time to solve the puzzles if you don't know them before they start to happen!
Not to mention after currently replaying Discworld 1 adventure games seem to have more problematic concepts to their puzzles then just surrealistic associations and timed puzzles (what are especially annoying in textbased games like Hitchikers' Guied to the Galaxy where at the start you have to get the Babel Fish - or you're screwed - from a limited number of tries choosing THE words the program expects - no synonimes accepted -in a very long line of stations for that quest), namely pixelhunting (when items you have to find are very tiny and blend in the background - there was even a game where one of the items was actually exactly 1 pixel large!) and absolute randomness (like after you feel you finished Act2 in Discworld, for some nonsense reason you have to do even more: some impossible to guess actions to actually finish that act).

So when it comes to "easy" adventures like Prisoner of Ice, I find THOSE actually more acceptable, 'cause although PoI also have some seemingly "random puzzle", but at least it does at places where you have only a few choices, and not that kind of insanely large inventory like in the Ultima series where in the first 2 minutes you find so many items like your weight three times in gold.

[TotalAnarchy]

If you're looking for more "easy" to play adventures check out Dracula: The Resurrection. Most adventures are somewhere in the middle. Out of the ones I played, Black Mirror II features some of the most down-to-earth puzzles. Even though I love the Broken Sword or Monkey Island series, they have some obvious headscratching puzzles. Hmm...

[twillight]

If you're looking for more "easy" to play adventures check out Dracula: The Resurrection. Most adventures are somewhere in the middle. Out of the ones I played, Black Mirror II features some of the most down-to-earth puzzles. Even though I love the Broken Sword or Monkey Island series, they have some obvious headscratching puzzles. Hmm...

Hey, thx!

Too bad none are abandoned, and both works by CD.

[twillight]

One more post to Zax the alien (treasure) hunter due to lenght (and convenience):

There was a fight, the area titled "showdown of Azah-Pan", thus theoreticaly the last fight with that entity, more on this later, anyway it was in M19. For the actual fight the constant 5 power-armoured rocket-bot are just a little bit too much for any sane person, so just stay at the red portal and shoot in blindly hoping to cause the death of the chief-metaldemon to at least stop the reinforcement. That can work, and makes life oh-so-much easier.

M20 is a short area, preluding the final boss, Ohm. Ohm-mani-padme-humm I think. And just to mention the look of Zax is strangly similar to Fallout Tactics. I mean on the robots part. I wonder if there is a real connection.

Now as short M20 is, it is just as dangerous. The second area contains a litle "run from the lava" incident, but appart not killing everything along the way, thus probably suffering not few damage, it is durable. The start is more laughable. First you activate by a terminal 2 gates what releases 2 power-armored-rocket-bot (let's call them armor-bot) AND activates to pod what spawns even more... Fun.
So to at least avoid imminent death, use the Psychic Gun to dispose one of the bots behind one of the fences. I chose the north one. Then you'll have to run blowing up the control panels hidden behind the walls and such, but with quite a lot of saves and not a little luck even on Hard Mode it is at least possible to do.

Now there is an interesting bug. During ~cutscreens not necessarily everything stops (especially not granades). So you might end up completing a puzzle/quest but ending up 0 health, thus ending up as both living AND dead, what is naturally bad. And even if you die for real, it is painful to redo such a hard task!

M21:
- appart assembling another quest item, a new weapon is waiting to be found. In progress.

(to be continued, only 2 more "chapters" estimated)

[yoga]

- Siege of Avalon (still waiting to be reinstalled, would be good to know if I have Chapter 6 to work, or still not able)


Please, dear twillight, give me in a mean time little bit more info about above mentioned game.
Thank You.

How are You?
Still fighting in FO2?

:smugulon:

[twillight]

- Siege of Avalon (still waiting to be reinstalled, would be good to know if I have Chapter 6 to work, or still not able)


Please, dear twillight, give me in a mean time little bit more info about above mentioned game.
Thank You.

How are You?
Still fighting in FO2?

:smugulon:


Siege of Avalon is a very Diablo 1-like game. Actually, I wrote the review of it for Abandonia.com: http://www.abandonia.com/en/games/29914/Siege+Of+Avalon+-+Chapter+1.html

Fallout 2 is reinstalled, but I have the "too fast worldmap travel" bug, and although I've found a theoretical solution (patch), but I did not try it out yet due to other things to do. So I still not left Arroyo. If I can circumgo the bug I'll write a journal version of my adventures to give it a better worth.

Oh, dang, if I'm already talking about journals and stuff, why not give list of my existing projects:
computergames: I have an ongoing tournament for Diablo 2 with a singlepass hardcore character. The Gorky17 "pass without any wound" playthrough. Siege of Avalon (but maybe I should get this from Gog.com or something to assure I don't have a bugged version as it is quite long if you think on it). Baldur's Gate 2 has probably an ongoing fighter-druid solo playthrough (dang, I don't even remember!) and the solo poverty playthrough (to see how far I can go). G.O.L.E.M.'s last race. Teraafire (minor project as it is kinda arcade-action game). Fallout Tactics deathclaw playthrough IF I can reinstall the game. Fallout 2's "ultimate pass". And the "I won't give up" game: Baldies.

books to read: The Flying Soucer Project quadrology. Justin Cronin's trilogy if he finish to write it. Power of the Cube. Tad William's Otherworld series (pentology?).

there are also a dozen tv-shows to watch too, but I feel the list is kinda fluctuating:smugulon:

Diablo 2
My singlepass character died. Not my failure, neither the character build (berserker), but 'cause AI-collapsing bug. I did happily killing a sole curropted ranger, when the AI got corrupted, and forgot there is my merc to be attacked instead of me, thus turned to me and oneshoted my character (multishot cursed whatever mobleader, the mob was taunted screens away).

Conclusion is, with a very well thought build and experienced playing and with a little luck (or persistance in shoprunning) it is theoretically possible to win D2 in a singlepass game, but due t the tons of bugs the very-very-very hard road becomes technically impossible.

I'll still keep the game for casual-gaming for its mindless killing-sprea, but otherwise I dispise it, and discourage you to play.

[yoga]

Siege of Avalon is a very Diablo 1-like game. Actually, I wrote the review of it for Abandonia.com: http://www.abandonia.com/en/games/29914/Siege+Of+Avalon+-+Chapter+1.html

Fallout 2 is reinstalled, but I have the "too fast worldmap travel" bug, and although I've found a theoretical solution (patch), but I did not try it out yet due to other things to do. So I still not left Arroyo. If I can circumgo the bug I'll write a journal version of my adventures to give it a better worth.

Oh, dang, if I'm already talking about journals and stuff, why not give list of my existing projects:
computergames: I have an ongoing tournament for Diablo 2 with a singlepass hardcore character. The Gorky17 "pass without any wound" playthrough. Siege of Avalon (but maybe I should get this from Gog.com or something to assure I don't have a bugged version as it is quite long if you think on it). Baldur's Gate 2 has probably an ongoing fighter-druid solo playthrough (dang, I don't even remember!) and the solo poverty playthrough (to see how far I can go). G.O.L.E.M.'s last race. Teraafire (minor project as it is kinda arcade-action game). Fallout Tactics deathclaw playthrough IF I can reinstall the game. Fallout 2's "ultimate pass". And the "I won't give up" game: Baldies.

books to read: The Flying Soucer Project quadrology. Justin Cronin's trilogy if he finish to write it. Power of the Cube. Tad William's Otherworld series (pentology?).

there are also a dozen tv-shows to watch too, but I feel the list is kinda fluctuating:smugulon:

Diablo 2
My singlepass character died. Not my failure, neither the character build (berserker), but 'cause AI-collapsing bug. I did happily killing a sole curropted ranger, when the AI got corrupted, and forgot there is my merc to be attacked instead of me, thus turned to me and oneshoted my character (multishot cursed whatever mobleader, the mob was taunted screens away).

Conclusion is, with a very well thought build and experienced playing and with a little luck (or persistance in shoprunning) it is theoretically possible to win D2 in a singlepass game, but due t the tons of bugs the very-very-very hard road becomes technically impossible.

I'll still keep the game for casual-gaming for its mindless killing-sprea, but otherwise I dispise it, and discourage you to play.

:whistling:

What?
My good friend stopped by "tons of bugs"!
No more.
I promise You, dear twillight, that after finishing System shock 2 and Wizardry 7, immediately will start D2 and will send You good save file to continue from the problem and difficult place.
Friend in need is friend indeed.

the brave

64 games over

[twillight]

:whistling:

What?
My good friend stopped by "tons of bugs"!
No more.
I promise You, dear twillight, that after finishing System shock 2 and Wizardry 7, immediately will start D2 and will send You good save file to continue from the problem and difficult place.
Friend in need is friend indeed.

the brave

64 games over

Please, don't do it dear yoga. I played D2 plenty of times, not to mention I have backup savefiles even for this particular character. I'm simply not interrested continuing this playthrough, or any other (I had/have a double swing barb and an inferno sorc on "try it out" bases, and a ranged enchant sorc for casual gaming experience what once I though will bring all the way to lvl99).

[yoga]

Please, don't do it dear yoga. I played D2 plenty of times, not to mention I have backup savefiles even for this particular character. I'm simply not interrested continuing this playthrough, or any other (I had/have a double swing barb and an inferno sorc on "try it out" bases, and a ranged enchant sorc for casual gaming experience what once I though will bring all the way to lvl99).

:doh:
Level 99?
Mama mia..!

Great!

Listen, man, You killed that boss in Doom 2, after up with the lift?
brave never did it.

:hello:

[twillight]

:doh:
Level 99?
Mama mia..!

Great!

Listen, man, You killed that boss in Doom 2, after up with the lift?
brave never did it.

:hello:

Oh, back then I even did all level to 100% secrets, and got shapshooter with the single barell shotgun:woot: But it was a long time ago, before I bought Doom 1 in shop and thought I got cheated when at a certain level all my stuff was taken away (later abandonia explained the game was made from chapters and that was how it supposed to happen unfortunatelly, but then I never went back).

Hm, isn't Elder Scrolls Arena using Doom engine, ES:Daggerfall using MM6 engine, ES4 using Fallout 3 engine (upgraded Unreal engine)?

[yoga]

Oh, back then I even did all level to 100% secrets, and got shapshooter with the single barell shotgun:woot: But it was a long time ago, before I bought Doom 1 in shop and thought I got cheated when at a certain level all my stuff was taken away (later abandonia explained the game was made from chapters and that was how it supposed to happen unfortunatelly, but then I never went back).

Hm, isn't Elder Scrolls Arena using Doom engine, ES:Daggerfall using MM6 engine, ES4 using Fallout 3 engine (upgraded Unreal engine)?

:OK:
I see You know all game engines?

What about BoK?
:D

[twillight]

:OK:
I see You know all game engines?

What about BoK?
:D

What is BoK?


And no, just a couple of famous ones. Not to mention all current game uses Unreal engine, so I'm unable to play them, due to virtual reality sickness.

Dang, there are only 3 type of games... 1 type of games currently in shops if you ask me, only differing in weapons:
- World of Warcraft: big manga-swords with occasional magic. Your character can WALK.
- Fallout 3: the above with guns.
- Prince of Persia Sands of Time: the above, but your character jumps with impossible moves in slow motion.

Ok, as MMO there is Sim City (in 3D again of course), but that's hardly any variety.

TerraFire
Huh, I remember mastering this game back then when I only had the demo, but now I can hardly proceed on Normal!
Ok, this is now the full version, and instead of like 5 levels from the early stages I have all the 27, but come on, the last 2-3 levels (I'm on 21 currently) was really pushing me to my limits. It'll be a wonder if I can finish this.
Until now (thx to saving whenever possible) I only lost life once (and gained it back via a bonus), so I still have some hope.

[Smiling Spectre]

Dang, there are only 3 type of games... 1 type of games currently in shops if you ask me, only differing in weapons:
Oh, come on, you are too general. :D I hardly can see how WoW and PoP are "similar" to you, but, oh well, there are much more games on market. Did you ever visited Steam? :) X3, Civilization 5, Magic Crystal, Nancy Drew and Amnesia hardly will fit your description, to name several ones. :)

[yoga]

What is BoK?


And no, just a couple of famous ones. Not to mention all current game uses Unreal engine, so I'm unable to play them, due to virtual reality sickness.

Dang, there are only 3 type of games... 1 type of games currently in shops if you ask me, only differing in weapons:
- World of Warcraft: big manga-swords with occasional magic. Your character can WALK.
- Fallout 3: the above with guns.
- Prince of Persia Sands of Time: the above, but your character jumps with impossible moves in slow motion.

Ok, as MMO there is Sim City (in 3D again of course), but that's hardly any variety.

TerraFire
Huh, I remember mastering this game back then when I only had the demo, but now I can hardly proceed on Normal!
Ok, this is now the full version, and instead of like 5 levels from the early stages I have all the 27, but come on, the last 2-3 levels (I'm on 21 currently) was really pushing me to my limits. It'll be a wonder if I can finish this.
Until now (thx to saving whenever possible) I only lost life once (and gained it back via a bonus), so I still have some hope.


BaK = Betrayal at Krondor
(The best RPG for me.)

:palm:
OFF
So sorry!
Rats!
Can You imagine my misfortune, mates?
Poor, pooooooooooor yoga!

I just received my dream - the new Kindle 4.
I am trembling and starving to start this device with my new BG and Russian e-books (from BG Chitanka and Russian Flibusta sites)
..i just entered my lovely site AB when...
:(((
a new 100-pages project is landing on my deck now!!!
I want to take AK-47 with 10 bullet loaders and .....

Yes, I am crazyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

At least 7 days out....

:picard:

[twillight]

BaK = Betrayal at Krondor
(The best RPG for me.)

:palm:
OFF
Can You imagine my misfortune, mates?
a new 100-pages project is landing on my deck now!!!

At least 7 days out....

:picard:

We all wish you the best dear yoga.
Until that I'll peek on that Kotor... or what. We won't betray you!


Betrayal at Krondor
Ugh, what to say? I know perfectly well what to say. This was probably a very innovating program of its era. Too bad like many game what was attracting when it came out it just scares away anyone who never played it before. Like the original Heroes of Might and Magic compared to the other parts of the series.
It look ugly - something what is not comfortable, but what you can get accustomed to. But the same time it works slowly and the controls are uncomfortable.

This game is practically has Might and Magic 6's gameplay before the engine actually worked. I mean for example characters in this game take 'steps", 'cause the engine could only handle hexagonals that way. But for a current-day player it is just "laggy".

The character-developement part comes streight from Quest for Glory series. So it is probably good.
Too bad a) you don't know which is your main character b) the intro's background story doesn't make sense (probably 'cause it takes pages of 1, 11 and 111 from its fictional source), c) probably there's no warning on character-changes d) it should be at least mentioned in any review of the game weapons get damaged by time and ammo is not infinite with bows e) the graphic of spells is although very eye-catching imeditally suggest you'll have trouble without a manual.

All in all despite not being a bad game, I don't suggest this to anyone, sry.

[twillight]

The Fifth Disciple

This game is so lol. It was great fun for me, though it is not really a ... it ... Oh, just I tell you.

This is a ... cRPG so to say, as there is character development, and it would be rude to call it an adventure game just for its interface, or action game for its slowness.
Well, it is instead a strategy game if we consider the battle mechanic's similarity to Disciple 2.

The fights are exchanged with adventure-puzzles... technically ... as almost none of the puzzles makes any sense. Fortunately for dedicated people there are only a limited combination of stuff, so theoretically it is possible to pass the game w/o a walkthrough... although beat me why would anyone do it.

The graphic on the other hand is passing. The atmospehere is what brings this on its shoulder. It has a complex background-story (the actual game is pretty streightforward), maybe even too detailed to only have it during cinematics.

It has also the design-failure demanding a lot of abilities on certain levels, namely:
fireball lvl 5, teleport lvl 3, illusion lvl 4, magic shield lvl 2, fastness lvl 2. I also found lvl 5 golem (best summon) and lvl 5 control a must. Other skills provided great benefit were Deathlink and Manadrain.

Oh well, I stop babble about this. To end: this game isn't great. But solid on its own right.

Motherload

And another classy flash game. I always wanned to do it for one go, and finally just found enough time.
Took a marathon 5 hour to beat this mining-game (with an interresting bossfight).
It gives me satisfaction, 'cause its savegame system, what although saves your stats and equipment, but do not saves the map, or the spent time, what gives on one side some annoyance (digging down requires lot of time) and on the other an unfair advantage to those who save after collecting a bloody hugh amount of money.
On the funny side the game has certain bonuses "hidden" on the map which give some instant cash. That's ok as someone always looks for rarity, but consider this: you dig out some dinosaur bones. Ye, right dinosaurs are fossils thus ready to be digged out - but we are on the bloody MARS! Pirate Treasure Chests could be hidden by the little green martians at least XD

[twillight]

Cursed Treasure

This is the flash-version of the Dungeon Keeper. You are the "evil warlord" who stores treasure in his/her fortress, and the "good adventurers" come and try to steal it.

The gameplay was changed to a Tower Defense mechanics.

It is very easy to use, and has more then basic graphic.

The gameplay is good, sadly the concept behind the game ruins the experience. I mean there are no achievements for starter. That was although inserted in the expansion pack (Cursed Treasure Level Pack), but that ... thing suffers from boring maps.
What the original lacks beside the achievement system is the challenge overall. I mean it'd be challenging and tough to think out a strategy IF you wouldn't be able to level up infinitly (at least until maxing out all skills). Dang, that way is what is even encouraged by the developers (from all forums of the game all "do it in lowest level" efficiency comments were removed, and a "max everything playthrough" is provided instead).

Anyway, just to see if you can achieve "Briliant" score for all level it worth trying, although the skill-developement for that seems pretty streightforward. To be able to do the first 5 levels you need maximum pool of mana. For the 6-10 levels you need cheapest + strongest meteor spell. Seems that a highly buffed damage-tower (what means either the last skill from green or red) is also a must (so it'll be red).
For 11th and 13th level you'll have to buy max. freezing + max. fear for blue towers. Without freeze you'll have absolutely no chance winning Briliant score for the "hard" maps.
For the remaining levels it seems you'll need more money and/or cheaper woodcutting spell.
It is rumored the very last boss is only defeatable if you have max. meteor and can supply to with mana from building red towers.
Well, that's my hints for you:max:

[twillight]

Zax the alkien hunter

I'm finaly at the end.

M21:
You can assemble an alien weapon: Heavy Barel. It is the energy-equivalent of the Rocket Launcher. Eats a lot, and pretty self-dangerous, but very effective (oneshots everything but the power armor bots). Fortunately it is almost unavoidable to get.
There is no crystal at the area to bring you back to your ship, so be cautious with your health.

M22:
The final area. Right at the start is a crystal, and a while later is another crystal. Use it to fill up all your weapons, even your shield!

These last areas are especially hard as they contain a lot of narrow areas and only the strongest robots. So each and every pod will be your enemy instead helping you resupply.
On Hard Difficult (remember, I play that currently) some situations are almost unsolvable, so saving every step is recommended. There are "puzzles" meaning if you open a certain door a certain pod will activate and such. This mean more saving and reloading. The map, the pods and number of heavy bots against you means it is a ~puzzle" to choose the right weapon at the right situation (at least in Hard Mode).

Now I go and try to kill the final boss.

EDIT: maximum medical kit: 15
herbal bags you find during the game: 6 (heals less then medic kit)

[twillight]

Gorky17

I will forever preserve this game, and now I've done my old-old dream of the "not a scratch" playthrough! None of my team member EVER suffered any (non-story related) damage.
I played all battles, and hired all characters.

With the new computer some compatibility-issue happend, but I managed to break through that. The new hardware was strong enough to prevent the all-so-famous battle with the succubis crashing the game.

Sadly the only known other bug remained, where if you cause damage with a bomb AND the same time you blew up a barrel (intending to cause even more damage), the game still crashes. Not that this'd matter too much, as it is unnecessary, and only one time the situation can arise.

Anyway, if you read this I repeat: I won the game without any of my party ever got hurt!

[twillight]

Dungeons of Dredmoor

Man, this game'd deserve it's own active topic so much!

It is basically a modern version of Dungeon Hack in the sense it is a totally randomised dungeon-crawling experience.

It has some important differences though.
First: at the start you can't switch too many things. You can only set the difficulty and wether you want to go with the original setting of "until first death", or you allow yourself a reload (I THINK it is a reload, as I did not try that).

This "hardcore" basic setting is really exciting, although sometimes very dangerous, but really adds to the game's tactical aspect, as it works in a turn based system.

The other, and most obvious difference is: there is The Major Villain! You don't meet much background story or lore, but it means heaven and earth.

Not that there wouldn't be a ton of ingame description and joke. There is. Although 99% of the time you don't bother with them. But as the game is quite hugh despite its simplicity, you'll most probably meet with them anyway. For example one of the skill-tree is copied from the original Diablo's first boss: The Butcher.

About skills: the game offers something for everyone, and they're quite balanced. There are overcomplicated skills like Necronomiconomicon, or vampirism (designed from the twilight saga, hey, why else would it have the skill "sparkling", eh?), or the very streightforward weapon skills.

Currently I try my luck with a very simple build:
- mace: originally I tried axes, but I realised I can separate monsters from each other, what is even pretty much advisable. The most easy way to die is to suffer a couple of critical hits in a row. And while swords offer some additional damage, maces can offer some extra distance. After gaining shoplifting I put a point here, as that means a difference of life and death from level 2.
- two weapons: if you ask me the best defense is offense. At least in current day games finding strong defensive equipments (in this case shields) is doubtfull. Oh, and even without a single spent skillpoint it functions well: full damage when you hold two weapons instead using a shield.
- burglary: this gives unlimited lockpicks what mean exp. To be honest I'm not sure what happens if you run out of lockpicks, what is a possible threat in a randomised game. I think you can kick doors open, but I'm not sure about locked chests (what means items). Gaining "five finger discount" skill in this tree right at the start (go down to level 2 as soon as possible 'cause shops are rarer there and the exp is more) means more chance stealing something good from the shops. Also the "ninja vanish" is a pretty awesome escape ability.
- mathemagics: pretty much my only magic skill currently. The main reason I chose this is the initial teleport ability: it places you random location, but it is a teleport (there are some "island" locations), and is a last resort cheap escape skill (it even brings you through walls). The other abilities it offers are also all handy.
- assassination: I chose this mainly for its passive bonuses, as most skills here provide that. Also gives more stunning ability, so it combines very well with maces.
- berserker rage: even more damage without the need of thinking. Also offers a hugh bonus to a magic resistance, what can come in handy at a certain point I'm sure.
- big game hunter: well, this was pretty much a spacefiller skill of choice. It provides some extra exp, some extra hp, tons of hit chance, and even a summoning skill what don't depend on some stupid magic skill

Appart the skill-developement of the game there is another cRPG aspect of it, namely how you get your items.
One choice is to get every coin you get and buy in the local shop's random offers. If anything I sell the traps I picked up here 'cause if I lay it down, unlike other items, they disappear (theoretically "used up" on some out of screen random monster).
The second is to get one or more of the crafting skill. The problem with that is, you need to invest a lot of levelup reward (aka. skillpoint) to rise them to the necessary level. Not to mention you'll have to find the necessary ingredients (I saw sometimes 1 ingredient in a recipe can count more then one time, but possibly it just appears so and not works that way), AND finaly you have to find the recipes for it (the "secret" recipes are much better options). Yes, you can't use some metaknowledge for the best recipes. Currently I'm not into this option, but I see it can be pretty good. And oh yeah, this game offers that many items like in an Ultima game (but the areas are much more compound, so no trouble there).
There is a third option too. There is an item "Lutefisk horadric cube" or what, what you can exchange at Lutefisk altairs for possible items. Here comes the tricky part: the item of course will be random, AND you can't quit without saving. BUT There is an autosave too. So what you should do is to wait until an autosave happens when you're around the statue, THEN go and exchange your sacrifise. If it isn't anything usable save&quit, and reload the autosave to try again.
The last thing here to mention is an enchanting anvil you find like 2 per level. It can give a random attribute to the item you place on it. Can be either good or bad. So play the same trick here again.

Lutefisk is a food what gives 1 hp otherwise. There are all kind of hidden effects for all kinds of items (to be honest magic wands and mushrooms are not even told what they do).

So bottom's up, what one of the three expansions this games offers 15 levels of dungeon crawling, and this time I like it! At every turn watch your health, and don't be afraid to run away! Climb back to a higher level to heal (if you're not a vampire you gain back hp by time), and descend via another stairway if you have to:smugulon:

[twillight]

Just some quick levelguide to the above game:

Level1: pretty streightforward. The real dangers are some unique to this level monsters, like Unfriendly AI. If you have the buglary skill it really worth to try to not find shops until you have the 5-finger discount, I just "stole" an 8* weapon ("stolen" items from store are randomly generated in the inventory unlike from vending machines).
Also: it is possible you get an impossible start where there are too many monsters in the first room. This is independent from your skill choice.

lutefisk tithe: maximum 3 star weapons, or 1 star for anything else. I wish I'd have preserve that crossbow getting damage reduction... But couldn't re-roll it again (and I left the game alone for whatever and the autosave overwrote itself with that time's current item)

subquests of inqonsequentia: the target locations/monsters are always marked on the minimap for the quest's duration

inside the wall: sometimes you can see unroofed areas totally sorrounded by walls. Those are valid location, but only reachable by breaking down walls, or the random teleportation of mathemagics (fat chance...). There MIGHT be an item what is determined by the map-level you are on.

Level 2: the uniqueness here is a "zoo", an area filled with monsters and coloured on the minimap. You have a chance to close its door if you find it too early. Seems if you kill all things from here you get a quest-reward (item).
The other potentially lethal thing is when mumies cast some purple fog effect. It is rare to cast, and placed at random location. If it is combined with a "haywire" effect (critical success for spells) in every turn it damages like 30 hp. Just telling.

lutefisk tithe: maximum 6 star weapons or 3 star anything else (in extreme cases maybe 4)

Level 3: the potential danger here is the size of the local zoo. You simply have to run back and rest while doing nothing, as they are so many you can easily run out of supply and they'll still coming.
The other threat here is also related to the zoo. If a bunch of octopus grouped together it is very hard to dispose them as they all have ranged attack and won't chase you around (instead they are moving random). So you either have to be very patient and wait until 1-2 separates from the mob, or get the Hunter's Lure skill (in case you are without ranged attack).
Oh, and do not stand in goo.

lutefisk tithe: weapons 6 stars (in extreme cases 8), anything else 4 stars (in extreme cases 6)

level 4: No good game is without error. Well, first, this level is nothing exciting finally. Really, quite calm. Bad news is: I saw my first magic golem. What's a magic golem? One of the few monsters (and a trap, so I'll have to pay attentiion) what destroys your equipment! If they get into melee range! No wonder all builds I've found on the net are all spellcaster (= ranged) builds it seems...

lutefisk tithe: weapons: 7 stars, anything else 5 stars
But in the shops I saw an only craftable (so you can't find it laying on the ground or get from lutefisk) 10 star mace... I sooo want it... But it is costy. I have 45K coin... And it demands 75K!

[twillight]

Sinjid
Meh, this part of the "Sinjid" series should have a second part of its title too, as this is the 3rd installment of the series (and probably the final part), made by the famous flash-programmer Krinn.

It is a good game, preserving the feeling of the series, which all three parts had a somewhat different interface, the first being a simply arena-game, the second a little walkaround sorrounding (and just for the hack of it this was called Arena).
This third is a "go from left to right", and is a real realtime action fighting design, like some old Stree Fighter series.

The graphic is nice, and the music-program is a new design implementing random parts mixing. Works ok, although I doubt anyone would care for the actual music here as it works really just a simple background thingy. At least it isn't something you'd automaticly look up how to turn off.

The abilities and their animations are ok. The best thing is, they are distinguishable from each other, what IS a good thing.

There are 4 classes, 1 being premium content. They are quit balanced, what is very surprising. I don't know when I saw last a game where the factions were made balanced in strength and capability.
Shops, money and items are pretty acceptably made too, you don't feel shops are out of reach or demand zounds of grinding in case you have to rely on them, what doesn't occur too many times, but amongst the latest items you always find something worth to add to what you found on field. So it is quit good.

The only problematic thing is 1) the "hidden" chests contain equipment not worthy for each class 2) the priest class what works heavily by focus is both slow because replenishing mana (called focus in game) is not as easy by food as health, and on hard difficulty where I tried out it is very hard to work out a priestly build what actually works (without grinding way above the naturally expected level).

The game won't be a thing we'll remember after years, but is very solid, and a promising prelude to Sonny 3.

[twillight]

I really wanted a "game in constant developement", meaning an MMO.
Of course I have bad taste and suspicion, and also low on money, so there were 3 cryteria:
- no regular payment. I just can't cover that. Also these games have the tendency to go into "new directions" what some - importantly: me - don't like, from what point that money is lost. Not to mention a full version "for all eternity" is usually the same price as eg. WoW for one mere month, so you see my issue.
To tell another example I very much like Adventure Quest, a tectical, turn based game with Mortal combat style battles. now there happened where (probably for higher income) they started to change the balance one day to another for the sake of entirely different builds (what means equipment, training etc.) what ment either literally hundreds of US-dollars or bloody high amount of time (where when you'd just finish they'd again make the balance upside down). So I left that game, although I already had a high level, and they always came up with a good story (of course only in the merit of brazil series or some such, but hey, it was way along serving the purpose and entertainment).
- no download. Spying on me, getting potential viruses and all nasty chances I don't ask for. Sry developer, I'm just not into that, even if you call me a fossil for that.
- attractive look/style of playing.

My greatest hope in the near past was Quest and Goblins. It looked planed a Diablo-like game where you had goblin minions as pets, or summons or something.
The game got canceled though, not that it surprised me the least. A lot of MMOs came out nowdays building your village/empire/sim city - however you want to call that. And although Quest and Goblins at least look the best of 'em, on the level of entertainment it was just another clone, thus destined to fail coming out too late and not giving enough over the others.

I got out of ideas, thus gave a thought after like 4 years, and checked out how is my Artix Entertainment account (they made Adventure Quest, and for a mere 10$ you could get a permanent account and access to plenty of side-projects and so on).
I had no intention doing anything but some ZardWars fights - a side project where you fight specific AdventureQuest monsters without any plot or reason -, and saw they released even more side-games for AQ.
So I said WTH, and checked out Oversoul, what - according to its description - is developed for a slightly mature audience. Well, that worth a 5 minute investigation I thought, and it worthed my time.

The game does not require an Artix-account to play, nor any kind of payment. And it is still in beta-fase, but this project won't be canceled that's for sure (the company is stable, and they made payment-content with strickt engagements). So it is quite early still to "rise amongst the best" fast (what is a plus for me, but checking the concept it isn't that major issue here).

It is (as basically all Artix-games) turn based 1 on 1 battles while wandering maps. Fine for me.

It has some more gory/slightly erotic etc. stuff in it already like Bikini Mail female characters (you all know what I'm talkin' 'bout), or a character called "Blood Fiend" what looks like came from the comic Swamp Thing (looks like a creature of The Rot).

By the way the concept is, you are a disembodied soul, whose "inventory" is made of possessed bodies (of defeated beings). It is promised to later include things from ArchAngels to YogSototh itself!

video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HsdR2SSQLoc)

I also try to write some fanfic (http://forums2.battleon.com/f/tm.asp?m=21207067) of it. It was sooo long I last wrote anything:rolleyes:

[Smiling Spectre]

My one and only MMO-favorite is Kingdom of Loathing (http://www.kingdomofloathing.com). It's Pro:

1. Free.
2. Humorous and (sometimes) very thoughtful texts.
3. Not real-time in most senses.
4. Gigatons of items and content that got updated now and again;
and
5. Great people for chat in right clans (actually, chats are half of enjoyment for me here).

Contra:
1. Monotonous. (All battles are typical "hit monster with weapon/spell/skill, wait for round 2" deal. But there are much more than battles, and it can be automated with 3rd party applications).
2. Repeating. (If, for some reason, you'll stick to main quest, it will be very similar now and again. Still slightly different for different paths - and after finishing main you can select another path. Most of content still in "side-zones" though).
3. Crude-drawing. Is simple black-and-white gif art enough for you?

As for me, game (and community) is great to keep me 2,5 years here already. :)

[twillight]

My one and only MMO-favorite is Kingdom of Loathing (http://www.kingdomofloathing.com).

Contra:
3. Crude-drawing. Is simple black-and-white gif art enough for you?

As for me, game (and community) is great to keep me 2,5 years here already. :)

I'm afraid because of the quality of graphic it's just a 5-minute-joke for me, but definitely sounds enough fun to the right people :OK: I'm happy to hear about this.


PS: the above mentioned game is a card-based thing. Currently not some direct pokemon-clone, hopefully never will be.

[twillight]

Now I remember why I left Artix Entertainment's games. The employees are total jerk.

[twillight]

I - for any reason - plan to make another journey through Might and Magic 7.

With a though to go party.

My initial idea is this:
Knight / Thief / Ranger / Ninja (=aka. Monk, but I also show I wanna be evil)

Or this'd be too much overlap? No idea, didn't look the charts (yet).


Any suggestions should consider this:
- the best healing in game is Shared Life, so no Paladin
- teleportation spells are overpower, so no sorcerer. MAYBE Town Portal could pass, so Archer as alternative will be considered
- the less protection the better, so no cleric, who is also a good healer
- the game is though and built really around developing 4 different characters, so no knight*4!


Anyone want to make a vote, will be welcomed!

EDIT: oh no, I forgot invisibility. I won't have invisibility, so there goes my archer. And druid.


Oh, ok, I shot out every alternatives. Sry guys!

[twillight]

So, here is my would-be party:

evil (as good would require invisibility, what I won't have)
1) dwarf knight
2) goblin thief
3) ranger
4) goblin monk

I'll only have 3 of the 4 races.

Here are some things to vote:
- knight's weapon: spear or sword? There are better swords in the game, but I think I'll use a shield, being the party's hp-mule, so no sword in the left hand. Spear sounds more protection.
- thief's weapon: double dagger or dagger and sword? With simply double dagger all my choices will spend a mere 60 skillpoints, so I tend towards simply double dagger with all its advantage. Too bad there is no reason using Elfbane...
- ranger's race be elf or human? Elf gets better starting stats, AND can wear elven chainmail. Humans can wear the Mind's eye artifact what boosts inteligence/personality by 15 (possibly better statboost then from the racial bonus), and give spellpoint-regeneration (what I might not need, as I'll probably mostly use my ranger to remove conditions).


Too bad the ninja isn't the same as its good counterpart, else I could go use all four arcomage-reward.


---------

EDIT: Also reinstalled Hunted: the demon's forge (on PC).
First go: The controls still feel awkward, but I remember my useable settings, so it's fine to go with. Did the first part of the tutorial where the two characters are changed by the AI, and got the first puzzle of the eight.
I'll use mainly Caddoc, the melee/barbarian character.
I won't use a walkthrough this time (for the first run I only reached the first building of the first town, so I don't have much experience here).
Despite the frequent autosave I still miss a good old save&load system.
If I manage to beat the game, I'll do a maximalist playthrough with "Old School" difficulty (yay!).

EDIT: Again H:tDF proves some unexplained design for giving you an ingame menu pretty lately (at the end of the "tutorial"-part): the special abilities.
This is - again unfortunately - unexplained, that when you gain some Crytsals to buy abilities from, you can spend the amount for BOTH of your characters separately. Also, there is no "save", just "autosave" in the game, and associated to this freakishness attached you can load back at waypoints if you don't simply "continue". Then ALL abilities (including ones unlocked by achivements, like resurrecting X times, doing Y headshots in a row etc.) at any stage are always given to you, as they are associated to your character, and not the locations.

Ok, this is not just a "little unusual", but maybe a natural thing amongst Playstation-games. The game is originally made for that platform, and THAT version has a regular achievements-section (independent from ingame features).

Uhm, well, just enjoy the story I think. An' get accustmed using the middle-button/roller for control too (I'm not used to a setting where there are 4 functions on the mouse: left click, right click, rolling the middle thingy, and clicking the middle thingy).

[twillight]

I installed Might and Magic 7. This is how you can ruin it under Win7:
1) "Shockwave" is probably not on your system, so let the game install it
2) install the game as usual, and accept the settings the game offers initially
3) set "compatibility mode" to Win98/ME. Without this you'll experience immediate crash.
4) when started New Game set under "Controls" the "Turns" setting to "smooth" instead of 16* or 32*.

Now the game should run as intended.
The only problem I suffer is some sound-infinity blooper, but for this old game I think this is a fair trade. If anyone knows where are sound-settings for the game, I'd still be greatfull.

[twillight]

So many great hopes, so little result - that's me trying to play nowdays.

Where I DID achieve some progress is Tumblebugs.
Simple little game about mostly your reflexes, but needs some skill to get far in it.
Lacking any guide on the net for it, I put here my results, ever growing. I have hopes in my skills, and this is rly just some casual-gaming: 10 minutes here or there.

garden 1.
1-2 sublocation: just be fast and try to aim the bigger packs.
3. getting the all-killiing bonuses is key to get good result.
4. here are 2 holes where the friendly bugs are led. You have to keep reaching them any of those.
5. try to aim the places between two colours.

garden 2.
1. shoot your balls where you see the same colours in the row. Also try to cut holes into the row to aim the covered things.
2. beware the times when the row goes backwards (if you eliminate some balls and the free ends remaining has the same colours the balls ahead roll back). Also watch out for the turnings (try to do some time trial before touching this level).
3. use the catapult/ballista bonus as key element
4. be cautious aiming where the balls go below the surface!
5. same as 1.5

garden 3.
1. here you'll seriously notice that each time you shoot a ball the row is pushed forward!
2. because of the many turnings try to catch the bonuses to ease your life
3. the beggining part of the road is hard to shoot at, and the covered area won't make your life easier. Still, far from impossible, but worth enhanching your skills on this level in the Time Trial mode.
4. the problem is here, the initial row is long. Also don't be kamikaze at places things go below. Bonuses help a lot.
5. the initial row is long, there won't be many big packages to shoot out, and the game isn't generous here (usually) with the bonuses. Learn to use the space to swap place!

Time Trial Mode:
you can try out new levels before you'd actually play them in the ~adventure mode. This is strongly suggested if you wish to pass the whole game sooner or later.
The problem is, the levels here differ from the adventure-setting this way:
- you only get initially the basic colours, gaining purple balls when the timer reaches 20, and oranges when it reach 30.
- the initial speed here is the basic speed from adventure mode 1.1, what gets fastened at a certain time (not sure when).
- bonuses have the same chance for all Time Trial levels, what differ from adventure mode's chances. Also EXTRA letters do not appear.

garden 4.
1. you get one more colour (purple), and the many twists can make hard to reach the bonuses - fortunately they are not that important this time.
2. The field is the same as 1.2, but the extra colour makes things noticably harder. If things get covered, make new plan along the way!
3. not really anything new
4. Now here is the first level I have to mention a strategy: while you can rotate and choose what to shoot from 3 bullets on your back, unnecessary balls can be dismissed if you shoot them to a direction where there are no balls on the road. They'll simply disappear. This is also true if you shoot an obstacle (or the evil black bugs). Now as this level's road is an inward spiral, you can't do this here, what WILL be a problem.
5. this is similar to 3.5, but now it even has 2 holes to protect. Ballista will come real handy. Otherwise the map seems very generous giving only a short initial row and such.

SOME TIPS:
one of the best bonuses are "roll back" bonus. Do NOT confuse this with "roll forward" bonus, what is BADD, unless you aim for a good time (what isn't necessary).
Also do not underestimate colouring bonuses what puff a cloud re-colouring everything the same colour. If you can shoot out the result of this in any way (the superbg can initiate this to happen too for example), you can get multiply bonuses the same time!
If you remove a ball what is in touch with the black bug (and only then!), the black bug will be stunned, giving your precious seconds without pushing the row ahead. Use this to your advantage.

BONUS NOTES:
If you get an all-colour bonus, that gives you 3 all-colour ball.
If you get a comet-bonus (destroys all colour in its way in multiply rows) you get only 1 ball.
For the rest (eg. stop or ballista bonuses) I don't know if the duration is real-time or number of shot based.

garden 5.
1. same field as 2.2
2. same field as 1.4
3. same field as 1.1. With all advancement try to aim the middle of the row, not the tip of it!
4. a level what starts to be hard. Aim to roll back (by the bonus), and when you start to encounter them aim for comets. If you can hit a comet with your comet you can get insanely lot of kills!
5. on this level you'll again feel the problem that the row is just pushed ahead with each shot, so watch out for rollbacks. This is a map where you won't hit things you see, but are actually under the surface, so get accustomed to this level in Time Trial I say.
6. This is a special map (meaning initially you'll get a lot of all-colour balls, and the black bugs do not move), what isn't just that easy. Do not push things further too much, especially not behind the black bug. Start to eliminate the top of the map. Try to reach rollbacks aiming the proper balls. Not easy, but finally a good bonus level.

garden 6.
1. don't let yourself confused by the spots the row goin' underground, and try to reach rollbacks the way you did the previous level (so not by bonus, but by merging loose ends).

[twillight]

Well, instead of listing each level for Tumblebugs I reached a point where general advices worth more. And that means I've reached Garden 8.

So:
Garden 1-4 solely depends on skill. With average skill you'll be able to pass these levels w/o loosing any life.

Garden 5-6: they depend on extreme skill. You must learn for these levels to pass that w/o concentrating on bonuses your lose is encoded. With perfect skill you might be able to pass these without loss of life for sure, but I think even the best can make a wrong move sometimes. So prepare to loose 1 life during these.

Garden 7: Here you'll face the game depends a lot on Real Life Luck. If things don't go the right way, you'll loose, no matter your skill. Be ready to loose up to 5 lives!

Now to tell how to save yourself from DOOM:
when you play a garden, you must pass all levels before being able to play in a different garden.
If you do not continue your current game, you'll be put on the garden-choosing screen with 3 lives. You'll get this result too if you loose all your lives.
You may only quit to the Main Menu if you are playing in a garden.
You may replay any garden you already passed once. This is a way to collect more life!!


On shooting balls:
- concentrate on the farthest part of the row on most maps
- use bonuses. Try to chain-use them. On later levels, where are many colours the re-painter bonuses are TREMENDOUSLY useful colouring (and many times eliminating) large amount of balls.
- only shoot to the end of the row if you must shorten the row imediatelly
- when the black bug appears, stun it constantly during the endgame
- if a ball is very close to the hole and there is a big gap between it and the main part of the row it can help you shooting a ball the same colour as the far-ball to pull back that rogue ball


Wish me luck with the rest of the gardens:3:

[twillight]

Starting with Garden 8 (in Tumblebugs) you'll not want to re-play the levels (at least not in story-mode).

New terrain (shown in Time Trial) you'll get in 8-6, and it is awefull.
Heck, the whoile of Garden 8 is awefull, as all row are initially long, and the +2 colours (purple and orange) really gets in the way.

Your only chance to win is:
- real life luck to get the balls not just 1 of each colour in long lines but many
- real life luck to get many special balls in position you can catch them
- clever use of bonuses
- 1 or 2 missshots at worst
- try to avoid longing the rows too much (so try to shoot at balls only at places what causes balls to disappear)
- for Garden 8 get 15 lives. At first try I passed this garden loosing 7 lives, at second try I lost 14. It is just real life luck, I swear, but with enough tries you must be able to pass.


For Garden 9 you get 3 new levels amongst its 7. So I suggest preparing 20 lives, although less might be enough.
The first new level has very short route until fall, and 2 position to launch from, although you can almost surely shoot to both row from either. Shoot to the middle (where they'll get lost) the balls you can immediately reach something.
The second has lots of twists, and two rows (again). The key is to shoot each ball you get immediately to something with the same colour.
For both of the above you'll also need tons of bonuses, depending on RL luck.

For the third new level you again get 2 holes and rows, and this time the rows cover each others. But there is a place where the row closer gets below ground, thus giving you a big gap to aim the one behind, what means at least this new level shouldn't be too demanding.

EDIT: the only thing with Tumblebugs, that even if it's portable, AND even if you make your HDD unwritable, it still manages t put it's saves on your HDD. This means bringing your saves with you to another computer is problematic.

[twillight]

For Garden 9 actually 10 life is only what's usually lost, at least that's seem the number. Still, gathering spare lives will release you earlier for later, so 20 is still a good number.

Garden 10 is HARD by maps, but there are some good news:
- as startegy try to go for rows of specials. That's the way to win.
A "combo" to keep in mind: if you get any of the "colouring" or so to say "cloud" bonuses AND right then a rolling bonus (even if it rolls forward), you'll effect an even larger amount of balls, especially if the rows turn a lot.
About the cloud-bonuses: the "dot"-like icon eliminates the balls in its could, while the "flower"-like iconed one re-colours the ones in its cloud (to its own colour). This was actually pretty hard to test out:smugulon:
You'll most likely loose a life or two on each map of this garden, but fortunately there's a level (I think the 4th) what is a) an easy map b) all balls in the row contain a letter. So despite the row almost imediatelly filling the path, you have a good chance here to re-fill more then one life, and win without loss.


Garden 11:
it has 8 sublevels, all are insanely fast, although most are versions of earliest levels. The worst exception is what has the map of 8-6, but now has 3 rows.
Because of the speed of the levels no strategy can be followed, just hoping the best and shooting all your balls as fast as you can to the best place you can.
Don't forget you can shoot to nowhere you balls to despise them (on most levels).

One more garden to go, and one map what is unseen yet.
I suggest keeping 25-30 lives for the last go, what shouldn't require too much effort, considering you already accumlated a lot just to be on the safe side.

[twillight]

Sinjid

Krinn's latest flash-game's hard mode I found lately "pretty challenging", what means "how the bleep do I win this", but it is at least not repetitive, and you know/feel the win is just not overlooking the right strategy (what noone seem to use consider normally, heh).

I found a strategy guide for the priest class (your hear me yoga?), so let's make a playthrough trying that.

Area#1:
Well, Meditation is now a big help, actually so much it feel OP. Really, with the simple summoned shadow and the basic missle you're pretty much invincible.
Don't forget of course to shoot from out of screen:sneakrete:
What you'd like if you find is a staff and a helm above what the guide (http://armorgames.com/community/thread/11449697/sinjid-walkthrough-priest-class-hard-difficulty) says. Oh, and do not buy anything in town. It isn't needed.

Area#2: pretty much the same as the previous.
To gain more exp I suggest after finding any quest-component to go back to town and start over the area. Gives nice amount of exp.
I also suggest collecting consumables one for each type of buff. Just to be on the safe side.
To reach the Kabuki Mask keep "up" pressed, and fast exchange the left-right directions (when reaching the walls). The last "jump" to the platform with the chest can be reached by Blink easier. The mask is heluva strong despite the "madness" suffix, so wear it.
From the boss I got Izumi's Grip (gloves), a nifty thing giving Int. Do NOT change the blue Bo (staff) you found in this area to anything else!

Area#3: Most things can be killed out of screen, and what comes alone the shadow will keep it up as before. The "madness" lowering of Int does NOT hurt, as your shadow against any single enemy lasts long enough, and you'll be able to cast your missiles until you can Meditate again, what means you can out-focus a healer, what is cool.
Battle#3 is potentially deadly IF you're unexperienced with your skills (most likely at this point). To win first summon a shadow (as distraction), MEditate to gain back focus, wait to gain back Meditation, and shoot a missile to pull out the enemy. Then shoot a Frost Spike to slow the one ahead, and Blink + run to the other side of the screen. This'll pull away the warrior, giving you a big chance to cause serious damage (summon shadow, missile). When the other guy shows up again do the Blink-away trick again as needed. If you get into trouble (most likely after the first Blink) drink your potion.
If you find "Shaman Spellblade" (dropped randomly by shamans) even one outclasses the Spirit Bo I used until that, so it might even worth to repeatedly visit this area for a second one.
Where I say nothing specific here or otherwise it is suggested to not move too much initially on a new screen to avoid finding more enemies, and be able to shoot them out of screen.
Beating the local boss is easy. Jump on the top of the boss-platform, but stay at the edge. Remove Kabuki Helm (you should have Hood of Night for switch), summon a shadow, meditate, wait until you can almost re-cast these, then activate the fight, when you immediately cast another shadow. Keep casting shadows whenever possible, and fire missiles the rest of the night. It don't even last too long.

PS: I don't know where I got "Shadow Walk" (boots), but definitely an advantage with its Swiftness attrib.

[twillight]

Still Sinjid:

Area#4:
you have to carry here 1 crab claw. Your backpack will start to fill up. Keep the rare buffers, and get rid of some food-type to be able to carry more item to sell (there are nifty-looking items in town, but money is scarce at this point, so I did not buy anything). Do NOT buy a mining pick!
Lucky Cat Amlet as long as you'll be able to survive worth wearing, despite Necklace of Wisdom will fall (keep that in store).
On Hard mode do NOT try to step in spikes as that's now instant kill. If an enemy dies on them, try gaining their stuff from the edge of the ground.
Crystals give buffs, what means only 1 from each type can worth its price. So if you find more of them either use it up immediately or throw it away, as they are not useful any more (except rising quality). Gold can be used multiply times, so that's the only one never to throw away.
Again do not listen to the guide, but on me. The initial strategy is to not move, cast a shadow, pull out one enemy with missile, and meditate as needed, then missile everyone from out of sight.

The fight against Lord Dajin is far from undoable, but lasts ages (compared before fights). The trick is to slow him down with Frost spikes, then Blink away and run to the other side of the screen, from where cast missiles when the extra buff is expired from him.
Oh, and to have enough focus, again change the Kabuki Mask!

Area#5:
don't forget to buy an Empty Potion.
This is the area your shadows tend to last shorter then you can re-Meditate yourself, so watch out, but nothing spectacular.
Ryota the Sly (the poison-cloud guy) surprisingly not last long. With shadow to block the poison-projectile, Blink and speed to run away from it, and Meditation to get healed, not to mention Frost Spike to slow him down it is an easy fight.
The good thing here is that you can find some new equipment, the bad is, they came rare and in poor quality (or just the random don't like me). And though the Venom Staff is god (in terms of Def and Int), but I'd keep my old Acidic Blade (damage over time effect, works with spells) and Shaman Spellblade (chance t replenish focus) around. Man, I wish for a bigger stash!
Anyway, in case you find anything good, save the game! Go back where it autosaves for you (because of all things being random and stuff).
Takeshi, the local boss, also known as "slefhealing scum with large area attack" is doable, although lasts finally as a normal boss somewhere else. The trick is to put a shadow on him, run away, then hit him hard with frost spikes, and meditate back your focus. When none is awaiable cast the regular missile for more damage. This cause enough dmaage to counter his regeneration.

Area#6:
For the first fight summon a shadow right away, and use Frost Spike, because the regular missiles are not enough anymore in real combat.
Haddaku the Swift is the first serious fight. You can not allow him to hit you any time, or you'll loose. Cast a shadow, hit him with Frost Spikes, and ALWAYS Blink away and run to the other side whenever you see him. The trick is to find out the timing of Frost Spike, Meditation, and the narrow limit Summon Shadow. Then all is about lasting out.
The fight after that differs from the previous one that you have to run up and down constantly. Meh, no more "did not even seen'em" victory:mischief:
For killing the two mage next you can only dream about separation. You have to run in, cast a Shadow at the middle, then jump around (not Blink!) and recast the shadow and Frost Spikes and most often the regular missile until the mages run out of focus and you finalyy will have the chance to kill them. Ugly, especially as the next fight isn't the slightest easier. The good thing is they can drop Staff of Order, in which case you MUST go back and make a save, it's just that good (60 Int, 34 Def).
For the next fight run in! After pulling out the nearer enemy of course. That leaves you much more space to manouver.
You HAVE TO take the bonus area for the cool Int-boosting stuff. Eat a shadow-potion (makes you invisible), run in to the chests, drink the second to open the chests, then the third to get out. Then go back to save.
Against the boss that Energy Field really do help to cover you (especially along Shadow, what will be here secondary to that). Oh, and again you'll need tons of focus (aka. mana), so swap helm again. Actually, a Nomad Cunning (beats me where I found it, probably in this area) might make you permanently remove the Kabuki Mask.

[twillight]

I tried out this awesome technology called "screen recorder":

Let's play Necronomicon (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nXiSafIB5nc)

part two (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PL38XbuHq6s)

part 3 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wXHBax4NY70)

part 4 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GYyvsx7DGWc&feature=youtu.be)

[twillight]

Sinjid part 3

(The Necronomicon playthrough will be updated in the post above.)

Area7, Haruki Residence:

On trinkets: as from the robe we get Lucky buff you want to take up Paku's Glass Doll instead Lucky Charm (which might be preserved in case you want hunting in the last area).

Most fights here start in visible range, but not hard and have the same strategy:
shoot the bad guys with missile to initiate the battle, cast a Shadow as meat-shield, then alternate shadow missile with frost spike, and meditate when avaiable.

I think the 7th battle was the first including something special as both attacker had lots of HP. The key was not let them corner me, teleporting away and running the other side of the screen. Otherwise the same.

For the 8th battle if you don't move too much (shouldn't be hard) you can dispose the remaining two opponent from out of screen.

NOTE: whenever you find a good trinket, look for an autosave (going backwards).

For the 9th battle: DO NOT MOVE for all that is holy! The second opponent should NOT be lured out as he can do insane damage for whatever reason. Instead lure out the first guy with a missile, change to frost spikes for the remaining time, and cast a Shadow when he basically starts to hit your head.
If the first guy dies, the second can be shot out of screen.
You'll find snow Silk Leggings here what is just time to swap for your outdated Leatherhosen. It has Reflex, so you can exchange your gloves too in case you got Mystical Vambraces in this area.

Lord Tetuso, the boss of this area is bad news, though not hard if you know what you're doing. Just annoying, because he can do a one-hit-kill.
To start the battle get to the edge of the starting platform, but do not step down to the Lord's level to initiate the battle. Instead summon a Shadow, then consume some Spring Water. Then initiate the battle, and immediately cast Soul Shatter and right next to it Frost Spike. The strategy from now on is to run far away to gain time, always have a Shadow running to spare you from instant death, and Energy Field on Tetsuo to keep him at bay (and prevent his healing). On the offensive part do the Soul Shatter + Forst Spike combo EXCLUSIVELY.
Oh, and whenever you see his boomerang coming and you have no Shadow up - teleport away, or you'll die.

----

Area 8:
The first who'll mean annoyance is Kazuro, the first half's boss. He is annoyingly strong, and can do a full heal.
Your chance is to do the strong combo of Soul Shatter + Frost Spike, although you can have enough charges to be able to cast TWO Shatter before the Spikes will be more useful (the Shatter loads back way faster).
Summoning Shadow is a necessity, although not a primary objective.
If you manage to whack his HP down, and you see he start casting something long, THEN should you cast Energy Field on his head, what interrupts his casting (lucky us), giving the chance to be able to finish him off (Energy Field both creates a Field where you stand in which if you manage to lure the enemy they'll get frozen, and the same time fully recharges you mana).

The next battle is easy-peasy. Lure out the first one, kill him not moving, then shoot the priest from out of screen.
Exchange your helm to Lunar Shako.

The next one is entirely out of screen victory. Keep in mind you should always check for this.

When you reach it wear Naga Eye. I knw what the walkthrough says, but as long as I can get away with my way, I'll stick to it. I don't get hit that often, and Soul Shatter relies hughly on the amount of focus, so duh.

The 9th battle here is though. Summon a Shadow (else you'll be pulled by some pesky ability to the middle of hurt) and rely on your "strong combo". When you have to run away, cast Energy Field on top of the farther one's head to trap both. Kill one ASAP. Might take a few tries, but doable.

The worst thing of the coming boss is, that there's no save at the beggining of her room.
The strategy should be otherwise: cast Shadow, do "strong combo", run away and heal, and Energy Field her whenever the ability is ready. Manageable.

Area 9 (final):
#1: summon a shadow and keep your distance to not get whacked to death.
#2: easy.
#3: shoot down the worker out of sight, then summon a Shadow, and Energy Field the coming enemy. This'll do it.
#4: cast Energy Field, because while it lasts you'll have infinite mana. Shoot a Shadow Missile to lock the target, then Soul Shatter to oblivion the priest.
#5: another "to hell with it" boss. She has 2 moves (ok, she has a standard attack too, but that doesn't matter):
First is an instant kill Gaze, what can be avoided if you turn your back to her. You can know it is coming if she starts casting something long. If you manage to turn back, you'll suffer a "normal" 4-500 dmg.
Second is a series of poison shots while she is in the air. Your only chance to avoid these shots if you run from one side to the other, preferably staying right under her if possible. A Shadow can draw some shots away from you.
You should start this fight with 2 Soul Shatter and a Frost Spike, then run under her avoiding the poison, then Energy Field her, then cast a Shadow behind her, run forward her, turn around - this time the Energy Field will fade -, shoot him the combo again, then try to stay close to her, and by all meaning keep her on screen to be able to see what she does next. With some luck she'll mostly do the Gaze, while you should stand passive and Meditate when your life drops. If you gain enough charges, shoot Soul Shatter on her! With not a little luck you'll survive until you can Energy Field her again, when she must have adequately low HP, thus that should it be.
To mention: she can drop Emeralds, so if you run out of hope but can beat her, then you can come back if necessary for infinite amount of gems. Good to know, eh?
#6: a strong, but uninteresting fight.
#7: shoot blindly 2 Soul Shatter + 1 Frost Spike. Some Shadow Missile if the "enemy died" popup doesn't appear. Heck, you can even just cast an Energy Field, and Soul Shatter all 3 enemy here to death.
#8: with a single Soul Shatter you can destroy the worker, and with a Shadow + Energy Field combo you can survive the priest's first moment. This is enough to run to the other side and escape. I hate this, but it IS a solution.
#9: start with a strong combo, what hopefully kills the first guy. Do NOT run around from the warrior, but keep him up with Energy Field / Shadow, and pump him strong when your mana charges back.
#10: final boss. No insta-death, so not that staggering. Basically you have to keep your distance to prevent to be stunned, and just Energy Field/blast him. Use Shadow to keep him up more. When he is in the air and summons his minion that's no worry, just be sure you hit the minion, as he himself will be invulnerable (I think it's a bug you keep aim him), and the minion is weak. Killing the minion fast gives you time to rest, as his levitation is set for a given time.
Finally I finished it on Hard Mode too!


(more to come)

[twillight]

Finished Sinjid this time with warrior.

Focused on damage, vitality, defense and strenght.

Build:
Level 2: Iron Discipline 1/2
Level 3: Iron Discipline 2/2
Level 4: Brutal Advantage 1/3
Level 5: Brutal Advantage 2/3
Level 6: Brutal Advantage 3/3
Level 7: Concentrated Brew 1/2
Level 8: Doom Blade 1/3
Level 9: Doom Blade 2/3
Level 10: Doom Blade 3/3
Level 11: Blood Thirst 1/2
Level 12: Blood Thirst 2/2
Level 13: Heavy Armor 1/5
Level 14: Avenger 1/3
Level 15: Avenger 2/3
Level 16: Avenger 3/3
Level 17: Heavy Armor 2/5
Level 18: Heavy Armor 3/5
Level 19: Heavy Armor 4/5
Level 20: Heavy Armor 5/5

Strategy (this is an almost nobrainer build):
- separate the enemy
- run around until your abilities (mostly the basic stunning hit) recharges
- there's a self-buff what can heal. Rely on that at times.
- kill weak enemy ASAP if separation not possible
- leave the last priest alone (just like with the priest)
- food is your friend, especially if they give vitality-boost
- wear "tank" buff armors

[twillight]

Rage of Mages 2

Because The Gamers 3: Hand of Fate comes, as tribute for The Gamer 2: the Dorkness Rising (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tOUksDJCijw) - the best pen&paper-RPG based movie ever made! - I started this old gem with a female lance-specialised warrior character, and this time I'll play it regularly!

The game was designed to play the campaign mode with a mage protagonist (a warrior and another mage will join), so this will be a proper challenge, especially as I took Hard Difficulty!

As I'll need all the advantages I can make, I modified the initial stats to this:
32/39/34/20. This way my damage don't lowers, and for the tradeoff of 20 HP (99 initial HP instead of 120) I got more learning, aka. skillrise. As there're a fixed number of thingies to kill in the game, this feels quite important.

I remember fire resistance will be important because of animals (including dragons) and astral + air resistance because of enemy mages (the group of necromancers).
From the magic elements air is cool for Prismatic Spray, what is a multihit-autohit spell (up to 5 enemies, and is quite strong). Water is for Ice Rain / Poison Cloud, what the AI don't use too much as far as I can remember. Fire has the good old Fireball and Firewall, the enemy constantly blasting you with Fireball, so it'll be important (sadly key thingies will be highly resistant to this). Earth is negligable element, while Astral has healing, lifedrain, shielding and so on buffing.

At the start it is key to be able to do ranged damage for some extra $$$ and to incrise your skills.
Each and every critter has some or more regeneration, so especially on the higher difficulties it is advised to rise your skills by hurting things, then letting them heal (even heal them by yourself). So the first map will probably last ages this time at me, pls be patient.
Most things I managed to kill without real problem, there remain only 3 things: a troll (but don't even try to go against the quest-giver troll, even though trolls are slow as mountains rise, his bats would easily dispose you), an ogre (can be shot from the safety of trees, worth doing), and some turtles.
The problem with turtles is I barely land a hit on them, they have quite good HP against a starter, and as any critter-group, they attack as group, and is very hard to pull away any of them (impossible to separate). I still managed to kill all but one until now, so I'll be able to train my pike-skill (I think I'll have the patience to go 25. Initially I had 20 as tagged skill, and got 2 along the way).
As I'll need strong ranged damage, training the bow on the ogre and the troll will be what'll demand hours and hours of play, but sonner or (likely) later I'll kick their asses. Not the donkeys.

08.09
Pike skill at 22, and because with this a single turtle is trustably damagable, even 23 can be a problem, so that'll be my limit.
Shooting skill is 15, and still miss too much. Training on the ogre currently.

08.10
Pike skill is 25, but then I got out of patience waiting all the time the turtle get healed, so I killed it finally. There must be other turtles somewhere right, if future need will arise?
Shooting is 20. I keep training this. Would be good if I'd finally be able to see the ogre's HP...

08.11
Shooting skill is 30. I think now I'll go and kill the quest-troll as I start to hit more reliably (since skill 17 I started to hit the ogre once in a while, at 22 no longer just once a year).
Also by skill my attack and damage goes up too, what is a good thing.
My HP went up too, what is even better.
EXP-gain is by successful hits, but I think with higher skills you have to land more hits to gain another point in the used skill, so rising all skills to 25 can mean just a little extra HP without the need to find some special enemy to train on. Good enemy to train on is what has high HP and low dmg. To help yourself, preserve very low dmg weapons for this purpose.
Unfortunately it seems you gain knowledge of enemy stats only by killing incrised numbers, and nut just hurting one of the species a lot.
Speed is good to engage the enemy, or to run away from. Engaging only counts for the warriors (being mostly melee), but running away is always useful - if I went into stats I tell you this too.
Sight is important to be able to see and select target, especially for mages, whose attacks gain distance when their skill incrises I assume.
So that's it for today.

08.12
After realising I do an "awesome" one dmg per shot to the troll, I decided to load back and train as much as possible on the ogre.
Man, the longest starting area I've ever done. The dragon at Might and Magic 7 was like this, but that was waaaay faster!

08.18
To show my persistance - and because my net went away for a short time - I rised my shooting by 10 points today (40 in all).
I rly want to kill the ogre here, no excuse, although I just remembered this game (what I think uses the Warcraft 2 engine) only drops items you see the enemy is wearing. And the ogre has a club, what doesn't fit, but whatever.
And why I train so hard? Aside the feeling of perfection when you choose to play on Hard, you must be ready in any game to use the nasty tricks, especially when it gives you free levelups. So be patient, I'll finish with this sooner or later. Because any time I could move to the next area, nothing stands in my way, except this ogre (what can be avoided), and that sidequest to kill the troll.

[twillight]

I found my old Diablo 1 CD, and it was not glitchy (except some beeping during the town music).

Cleared even lvl 4, and wasted all my gold to try punish King Leoric, but I failed with that.
No death until now, but King Leoric will have to w8 until I get some serious equipment.

My Necronomicon and Rage of Mages CD went dirty, and I lack 100% alcohol at home, and the holiday prevents me getting access to it, so I checked what else, and finished Thumblebugs!

The last but one garden (I won't check if I wrote about it already) was just about shooting wild like no tomorrow, all level being extra fast.
The last (12th) garden had instead all levels with an inward spiral (prevents you to spam out unsuable balls), demanded to rely on RL-luck for series of special balls coming (and be avaiable to the balls you can shoot out!), with the last level being a 3 row of balls to dispose of, each covering the other. Fortunately they have pathetic speed, so it was managable after a couple of deaths.
There are 9 freaking sub-levels for the 12th Garden, what is encumbering.
I lost 10 lives on all but the last, and 5 more on the last one. 30 lives I had, and that's probably the life-insurance here.

The end of the game is fraud, just atitle-screen with "Congratulation, To Be Continued". WTH happened?!? I was.

[twillight]

Let's play Necronomicon part 5 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K1EiLbd4vNc)

part 6 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g-9Z4h-gmws)

part 7 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-gb128mywkc)

part 8 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WTRetGjnaeI)


Rage of Mages 2

08.21
The Ogre died at Shooting Skill 41. Droped 809 gold, what is even more then the offered reward for the troll (700). Got a dialoge for disposing the "old and toothless" ogre.
I made an archive-save and went troll-hunter. I can not come out of this "arena" I'm in, because Hydun The Second would kill me Big Time. No chance against that lvl 2 troll and its lvl 2 bats (4 of 'em).
I want to KILL the troll as soon as possible, so whenever I have HP filled, I try to improve my Pike skill by melee. It sux at this point, but if I'd reach 30, I'd expect to do damage like no tomorrow. Too bad I dunno how the exp works, let's hope it does not give 1 skill at exact exp, because that'll likely be my Shooting skill, as between regeneration I use my bow to prevent the troll's regeneration (it has incrised regeneration I assume).
Fortunately lvling my bow provided me some extra HP (141 now), and the troll don't hit that large (10-25 in face of the ogre's 30+). And even my bow does some damage now (ca. 3-5 per shot), ca. the same my pike can when it finaly lands a strike.

http://i.imgur.com/N6wrzL4.png

08.22
Shooting: 44
Pike: 27
The skills I tested, and grow independently from each other (so it is not "skill rise to the last hit when lvlup). I bet this'll go on until Shooting will reach at least 50.

08.24
Shooting: 45
Pike: 28

08.25
Shooting: 50
Pike: 31
I feel I start to deal continuous damage (ca. 6 per hit). But if I'm wrong (actually the hit-rate is only ca. 50% with bow), I'll kill the bastard as it took too much of my time already.
Anyway, MY regeneration-rate is 1/second, applied in every 3 seconds (so 3 HP gained back in every 3 seconds if you couldn't follow).
There's also a stat "weight". This is hidden stats of the items, and effects Speed (at least it is told that way), what is derived from Agility (and not Body, what I'd equal with the more common Strenght).

[twillight]

Let's play Necronomicon part 9 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k95gAAV_rAw)

RM2:
09.14:
pike: 32, shooting 51

09.15
pike: 36, shooting: 55 (at 220K exp)
According to the damages I suffer the troll's damage-potential is 15-30 (from what my absorption comes down, what is 4). It's absorption is ca. 13. Of course what'd interest me is the bloody amount of HP this earthslide has...
Weight seems only effect the characters by what they wear, and you can potentially carry around infinite amount of item. At least this is indicated that by changing my weapons (bow and pike) causes a change in weight. Related to this the char-sheet says Body (stat) effects the strenght (aka. how much weight you can carry), but there's no feedback to check that claim, thus you can only rely on Speed-change if it'll occur.
The xp you gain is also effected (along number of successful hits) the amount of dmg you cause, you having a bigger stick does worth it:OK:

09.20
pike: 37 shooting: 56

09.21
pike: 40 shooting: 58
If I had to make an estimation, I'd say at 50-75 will I win this battle. Wish I just would need persistance for Baldies too....

[twillight]

Man, I wish I had double me.
According to my final list of "to play with", I have:

11 computer games to finish
5 books to read
7 tv-series to watch
5 movies to see

and 1 life to live.
And life always gets in the way:ouch:

[twillight]

Let's Play Necronomicon part 10 (http://youtu.be/Dauf4s-vB0s)

Bubble Witch Saga

Unusually this is a facebook-game.
It is one of the primitive concepts, this time you shoot bubbles to remove bubbles from the screen.
The thing I like(d) is is, it is always innovating during the story-mode, either by intorducing new type of bubbles, or giving out new extras, or for it presenting a story what goes from beginning to the end.
Not an unmissable factor is either, that although it uses random at level-generation, after at worst 10 tries, you'll pass on the adventure-levels.

Beside the adventure mode, where even you have the encouragement for playing a 3-star system, there is also "eternal island" what is an extra area what always gets new levels, and a "daily bonus" level from what you can actually gain some much needed ingame (free) currency. Which can ease your life, and especially make you achieve higher score, but even then is not forced on you to spend (well, 99% of the time not.

Rly, this game is awesome and perfect example for the free-basis games.

UNTIL you reach the seemingly last level of Adventure Mode, the 170th, what is actually only really realistically possible if you got the free, 24 hours renewing "precision" bonus, what shows where actually you'll shoot your balls. Without that I confess lots of levels end you in suffering, but hey, we talk about a free-basis game.
Now the main problem is, even the adventure-mode continues infinite it seems! Afer the original 170 levels, you get another 170 (to "chase the main boss, defeated in your world, to its home and beat it there"), then you "go back home" for another 170 levels - what are currently not all out, and by trend we can bet it'll not stop even there.

I wish after the first 170 lvls of adventure mode the creators would have stop. Ok, the game is a mediocre success, and it is I bet not THAT hard to create a level, even with obvious care, design and EVEN TESTING, but ... It is just so stunning standing at the doorway of victory what just runs away farther when you seem reach it. Feels like being cheated, despite the constant fun the game provided.


EDIT:
AAAND I quit this game at lvl 213, because:
- relies heavily on random chance
- has impossible layout
- the program cheats against you
So as it isn't working even as a time-waster, where no skill or even any luck would help, it'd be madness to try the same thing over and over expecting a different result.

[twillight]

Let's play Necronomicon part 11 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KxLR0Ll7tBQ)

Let's play Necronomicon part 12 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yAn9MyL2T4c)

Let's play Necronomicon part 13 (http://youtu.be/GYRDB0-ik9M)

Let's play Necronomicon part 14 (http://youtu.be/abOKcQtGpAE)

Let's play Necronomicon part 15 ("bad" ending) (http://youtu.be/2ZOLeFImj4c)

Let's play Necronomicon part 16 (The End) (http://youtu.be/wR9DAQoyhWE)

[twillight]

Plants vs Zombies 2

I got a tablet, and after that someone remembered me it uses Android, and as the facebook-version wants $$$ from me (some strange way of registration for the game, third party installment), I went and got this game.

While most if not every review complains it is just the same as the first installment just with more type of stuff, it is a new experience if you ask ME.

The differences are astounding:
- the game is much more fast-paced, unlike the 1st with the avaiability of godlike personal interaction, and just the more commonly used "plant food", what exchanged the plant-upgrade system for short term special useage.
- the old upgrade-plants are still in the game, but as self-sufficient plants. there are new plants too, and the uses got changed (eg. from now on any plant can destroy graves, ballistic-plants have specific use on flat surfaces etc.)
- instead of time of day you go around in different times. This means many new levels. To avoid repeativeness all zombi-types have a different look for all worlds. Except the yeti-zombie. And for all good, finally any level can be re-played any time you want.
- unfortunatelly Crazy Dave's shop disappeared, you collect your plants along your trip. The minigames are simply just levels, more often then not just special conditions on a regular level. In itself special conditions and star-grading for the levels is welcomed, but I really miss a separate minigame-folder. Or at least a Zen-Garden. And the Tree of Knowledge with its unlockables.
- the levels seem scripted :sick:

Summery:
Positive:
- new gaming experience, much faster gameplay
- kept the good from the old stuff
Negative:
- no off-story experience
- limited replay-value

[twillight]

First: the playthrough for Diablo 1 of me is canceled. I just decided not loving that game.

Second: Got patched version thx to gog.com, so I can continue my deathclaw-playthrough!

The other playthrough running: Rage of Mages 2 with spear warrior

The other playthrough planned Might and Magic 7 with "worse team"

Other game coming: Aboimnation - the nemesis project

[twillight]

Fallout Tactics: this is no longer Kansas
Because I finally finished the mission.

Arrive - send out the troops - make them eat drugs to bear their weapons while my deathclaw bargains with the ghoul leader was no small task, especially as you're not allowed to save during the supermutant ambush (as you'll do it turn based).

I was with bad luck or what, lost 3 ghouls, but not loaded back, this is not about perfection.

For the north gate my deathclaw was enough, and the rest was the same as always.
After the ambush there was not many chance to fight in melee - maybe if I'd taken Better Criticals instead of Though Hide... We'll not know it.
As there wasn't many chance to throw granades either, my deathclaw was mainly for scouting the enemy. Still useful. Would be more useful if someone in the team had Awareness as usual, but oh well.

Next time going against Gamorrin!

[twillight]

Fallout Tactics: Osceolla

So the Supermutant Threat is disposed of. Pretty much no chance for meleeing, AND the mission is troublesome with the heavily armoured big gunned mutants.
As currently NONE of my personal can naturally use M2 Browning you can imagine the chances. Fortunatelly there are plenty of space for throwing granades as the AI is simply dumb, and don't come out of hiding.

There were some though spots, like the mutant on the bridge amongst the fuel tanks (no, the big ones can not be blowned up) and such, but with some trying it got solved. By rocket launcher.
Against unarmoured mutants the SAW works fine.

For this mission bring all your remaining ammo what gives both penetration and damage, as they will be almost worthless against robots, they not being living. And granades. I used like 150-200 granades for this one.
Hint: to spare munition, if an enemy gets unconscious AND is without support, you should kill them by hand.

Tp blow up the room full of gas-containers I used my sole remaning Molotov Coktail, incinerating myself a lot of times until found the safe distance. Meh.

Also this was the first time I went down on the right side instead of the left to the boss.

The Sniper Nest did nothing to me despite being sunlight, and the two mutants even disappeared after I killed Gamorrin (and retrieved the locket. And the holodisc. And the nuclear briefcase). I have no idea how could anyone kill those two "sniping" without a fully working Browning and luck.

Otherwise my party suffers other ways, like Billy Bob can shoot only once per turn (but then he hits), Babs with her 5 STR can barely carry around anything aside basic equipment, Mandy only now will have anything better than Small Guns (next mission is to gain energy weapons from the reavers), and PipBoy is just PipBoy.
At least all the secondary traits are in order: PipBoy can gamble (gambling away all things from the armory in the bunker is just fun), Babs can steal, Mandy heals, Jax disarms the mines. Mandy can lockpick too if necessary. Oh, and there's no greater view then a deathclaw behind the wheel :sneakrete:

[twillight]

Shadow Man

Got it too from GOG.com, I hope this time my computer will be strong enough the handle the effects.

Anyway: just entered Deadside with 14 Cadeaux.

[twillight]

Fallout tactics: Junktown

Having a sneaker-granadier doesn't seem that big of an advantage here, as most area are open. but seeing where the enemy is to position your team, or eliminating a unit at a very uncomfortable place without seeing each other is a good thing :ouch: Only thing I missed to have a good trap skill to not run into the mine-field, but nothing is perfect.

With energy weapons and clvl 15 on most member my team from now on will be much better, not to mention the next mission will give me Power Armors, giving the ability to use those precious Borwnings.

Another tip for this place: if you have someone to do, you can get good use of Rocket Launcher. If you can single out the remaining enemy at the end, you'll be able to blast them to pieces giving some use this much neglected weapon.


EDIT:
So got my first Power Armor, the Better Criticals perk, and a Power Fist (stolen from Ma Baker). Feeling ready to wreak havoc.
Otherwise the mission could be done with some SAW machine-guns, but mostly with sniper rifles. I mean Laser Rifles. Granade-throwing can be used at certain enemies, but it isn't too much. The highlight for my protagonist was the no need to worry of the hostage's safety (can be thrown a granade, preferably napalm on the guy if you make yourself noticed and thus chase the guy a little away before switching to melee).
Another tip is to bring AP, or even Sabot rockets, as they are great help against those pesky power armors.

[twillight]

Total Annihilation:

#1: march your team to the feet of the mountain, then make a run-for-it with your fastest units while the rest taking the fire.
#2-3: commander marching. To replenish energy dor D-gun build 3-4 solar collector.
#4-5: tower defense with commander marching. 3-5 light laser turret to defend your mines, otherwise that1s it.


Fallout Tactics:

Beaten the robots the first time!
Bringing a garandier sure made thing oh-so-lot safer, even if demanding a large supply of stuff.
Adding this, there're a lot of melee units on this map, so bring in a Pancor Jackhammer with those purple bullets! You'll be able to spam those bullets, as they'll go out of fashion from this point!

NOTE #1: there are still places where you have to outsnipe the robots (meaning you use more snipers then him, so you stay alive).
NOTE #2: flamethrowers do squat to robots. I wonder why that thing is even in the game. Want a challenge? Go with a character using melee weapons (NOT unarmed!), flamethrowers and Granade Launchers! You'll guaranteedly suffer!
NOTE #3: I remembered the Punch Gun before selling it. Ok, the little bugger had no use for me at all, but maybe if I manage to load it with electric bullets... Oh, the phantasy.

Wish me luck against those Scurry Bots!

[twillight]

Fallout Tactics:

The final mission before moving to Bunker Epsilon (the last bunker).
Here it turned out a couple of things:
- Flash Granades do squat to robots. Too bad I not used them up earlier.
- the low-AP granades are BAD. They do almost no damage, and have additional flow. Eg. Flash Granades' stun ability is not 100% and last only deci-seconds. Acid granades have no area-splash. And so on.
- Scurryx Bots (the crab-like ones coming from underground) just ruin your sneaking-experiment. Meh.

There was 100% no chance to fight barehanded, and Better Critical doesn't work if you don't do a critical, what don't happen always even with 10 LK. Have to wait for becoming the Slayer.

At least I have tons of exp now. Unfortunately Advanced Power Armour also only gives 3 STR, so no Browning for Babs still. A little more exp, and she'll get Gain Strenght, so it'll work out.

I used the tank too as always, especially as I start to run low on granades. I just put in Babs with that Pancor Jackhammer (a kind of combat shotgun) with all the purple bullets, and killed all the scurry bots, and even some humanoid bots. The vehicle sure have a think panzer!

Still had some though spots where the only chance was to outsnipe the enemy, but at least Rocket Launcher still gives some mighty use. The most tricky situation was a hangar with sleeping bots, where I just HAD TO use browning.
Oh, and the three sleeping hover-bots got killed by plasma granades. Plasma granades are good stuff.

[yoga]

Fallout Tactics:

The final mission before moving to Bunker Epsilon (the last bunker).
Here it turned out a couple of things:
- Flash Granades do squat to robots. Too bad I not used them up earlier.
- the low-AP granades are BAD. They do almost no damage, and have additional flow. Eg. Flash Granades' stun ability is not 100% and last only deci-seconds. Acid granades have no area-splash. And so on.
- Scurryx Bots (the crab-like ones coming from underground) just ruin your sneaking-experiment. Meh.

There was 100% no chance to fight barehanded, and Better Critical doesn't work if you don't do a critical, what don't happen always even with 10 LK. Have to wait for becoming the Slayer.

At least I have tons of exp now. Unfortunately Advanced Power Armour also only gives 3 STR, so no Browning for Babs still. A little more exp, and she'll get Gain Strenght, so it'll work out.

I used the tank too as always, especially as I start to run low on granades. I just put in Babs with that Pancor Jackhammer (a kind of combat shotgun) with all the purple bullets, and killed all the scurry bots, and even some humanoid bots. The vehicle sure have a think panzer!

Still had some though spots where the only chance was to outsnipe the enemy, but at least Rocket Launcher still gives some mighty use. The most tricky situation was a hangar with sleeping bots, where I just HAD TO use browning.
Oh, and the three sleeping hover-bots got killed by plasma granades. Plasma granades are good stuff.

Yes, they are for sure.:smile2:
Maybe You are the best specialist of all Fallouts!
Since You are able to win with simple stone in the hand, respect!
:OK:

[twillight]

If you want a mindless shooter what allows you to kill-kill-kill until your brain leaks out your ear, allows you to use the equipment YOU like, and finaly tops this all with a hard-but-managable boss, try this:
http://armorgames.com/play/15739/madville

[twillight]

Fallout tactics: Canyon City

This mission was surprisingly well-fit to a granadier. Nearly every moment offered a "behind the fence" solution, what made it oh-so-more easier then my usual "snipe them out" approach.

Some tips:
- Flash Granades can be used to move single targets a few step away, what can make them get close enough to another target, saving you some supplies. As granades run RLY low here, you should go for that.
- Plasma granades have a very large radius

The other weapon to be used here is the Rocket Launcher for its single-shot, single-aim, splash damage chance. No need to go big, use the regular explosion rockets.

Also: the towers here remain "hostile/enemy" when turned out. Mleeing them even with a deathclaw (turned off they're harmless) take immense amount of time, but with Power Fist they die soon (regular damage is 1-9, criticals go 20-30).

At two places you need firepower: underground against the melee-bot, and the pacification-bot at the #6 compound.

I was left after this mission like 10 granades (5 napalm which r probably useless, 5 flash, 1 emp, 4 plasma gr), but it absolutely worthed it, AND some extra can be bought in the general store. I also suggest to buy power armor for everyone at this point if you did not started that earlier, and buy the electric rockets. In the next mission you'll need ambush-firepower FOR GROUP, so it'll be useful, unlike in the last mission.

[twillight]

Fallout Tactics: Buena Vista

Man, I hate this mission.
First: I always forget to pack extra dose of ammo unfortunatelly. Luckily this time at least I did put in like 30 extra rockets for my launchers, and it was good.

Meleeing again only used to spare ammo when destroying Power Nods. That lvl 24 is very far away... I start to wonder if I'll ever gain that Slayer perk.

My deathclaw outside only did some exploring, and I hated to rely on browning-ambush (steping out from the corner with 2-3 member holding Brownings), but there was simply no other option, as the robots had sand-bags between us and them, what even prevents rockets hitting them:sick:

Entering the complex was ugly, BUT sneaking helped. First i sent everyone behind the barricade on the platform, switching them to rockets and such. This is to eliminate the sole tower there. Using Brownings would be a waste, as it is single target and further away.
Then sent my DClaw ahead stealthing (125%). This activated the ambush of the robots, but I had enough time to run into cover, while the robots and the rest of my crew went into shooting each others.
Activating the Behemoth relied on D'Claw too, lacking armour and firepower. And I wouldn't go against a Behemoth even with my 270 HP.

For things remaining in cover Rockets are good way, as here they tend to be out of reach for the granadier.

Granades were mostly used to dispose some very-key targets. Hold an emp-granade for the robot at the alarm-console inside, where extra robots are behind a laser-fence. Bringing plasma-granades from the store added to the ones you find in the area makes you able to kill some towers - to mention something on the good side.


On Babs:
I investigated her case, and Advanced Power armor DO give +4 STR, problem is the ghouls' racial maximum being 8. On this not even Way of the Fruit helps (what IS strange, as with Buffout or Mutats - this later for sure - the stats CAN go beyond the racial maximum).
But there's always Weapon Handling and Bracing. I gives a scary thought thata guy with 1 STR can use Brownings with these perks and Power Armor...

On the sidenote: seems (Core)PipBoy seems not to have racial maximum for any stas. The little bugger runs around now with 11 STR thx to Advanced Power Armour.

[twillight]

Fallout tactics: Scott City

The mission has 3 parts:
- the junkyard / internate camp
- the outer buildings
- the central building

I LUV the first part, but dispise the second, lastly find the third mediocre.

For the first part your best bet is to carry all the electric shotgun bullets in a pancor jackhammer, and clean the junkyard with that. For the pacification bot & co you can use granades on the leftmost tower. Against any tower granades are a good way to reach them as soon as possible, and they are voulnerable to any kind of garandes (I used up my incinerate ones).

Unfortunately most part of stage 2 is blasting the heck out of them, meaning with the majority of your people you run in with full power, and just try to blast them to pieces. Interestingly Rockets work. Explosive ones. They can do insane damage.
At some places rockets do NOT work - there you'll need brownings.

The alarm consoles are ridiculously hard challenges.

After Stage 1 there are practically no chance to throw things, stealth, not to mention melee. And even though I ended up as General (and Defender for Wastes-karma), I'm still only lvl 22, and I won't grind on the map.

Ok, in Stage 3 there are 2 places you will want to throw granades: on the stairs in the central building other then which brings you to the body of General Barnaky an emp-granade is the most easiest solution.
And on the very top to kill the robot with the gauss minigun (it likes to kill your troops by wasting YOUR precious ammo).

Meleeing is restricted to destroy the jamming towers and the disabled turrets.

Coming soon: final mission!
Until then: cybersex!

http://i.imgur.com/otZaOiG.png

[twillight]

Shadow Man:
Reached the Prophecy Chamber.

Cadeaux: 23

Movies:
- intro
- talking with Nettie (NPC 1)
- talk with NPC 1 after entering Deadside, but before tlaking with Jauntie (NPC 2)
- talk with NPC 2
- talk with NPC 1&2 after talking with NPC 2
- talk with NPC 1&2 after entering Prophecy Chamber
- talk with NPC 1&2 after consuming first dark spirit

[twillight]

Fallout Tactics: Final Mission

Phase 1:
Granades? Melee? You must be jokin'.
Here the best tactic is, was and will be to put 3 people into the carrier (no more room), give each of 'em Brownings (and rocket launcher for the Behemoth at the end), plus a ton of repair-kit, then just powder the robots.

Phase 2:
Here you'll mostly need 2 weapons:
- Gauss Minigun, because some things hit hard, is far away, AND stand in a group. But this beauty cuts like knife to butter.
- Emp Granades, because they instakills the robots, and there are covers to throw them occasionally.
Of course terminals are handled by the protagonist (ye, it is wise to teach Deathclaws to science. I mean all those aliens in history with their claws, paws and such were able to build and handle high-tech's tiny buttons, so why ot Deathclaws?).

Still, at a point I had to feed a Psycho to one of my personals, so many was the resistance.

Phase 3:
Even though I reached lvl 24, and with it became The Slayer, this phase is so against anything but "open door, kill monster, loot", that it ment nothing.
Granades could be used in the special-brain rooms, at least for the first two. The third room is simply not shaped to make it avaiable.

Well, this is the end of the Calculator. I ended up with positive karma, thus brought peace to the Wasteland.
What will come next? Who knows.
There are still:
- 1 movie to watch
- 2 tv-series to watch
- 4 books to read
- 10 games to played
for the new year.

[twillight]

Rage of Mages 2
12.31
pike: 43 shooting: 61
exp: 400K

The stupid git who came up with the stats for this task. Some game requires persistance, but this is over the limit!


Terrafire:
last two missions (http://youtu.be/TYHLH4eX5Pg)

[twillight]

Quest for Glory

One of my 10 remaining games, I started this. I mean the whole of the series.
I just started Day 3, and some things are unfortunatelly UNTOLD in walkthroughs, like:
- if you break into a house, you can't re-enter it another night if you left some thing unsolved (typically the sheriff's safe, what requires high lockpick skill)
- the conversation-time for fairies is limited. Yu only have a certain amount of time before they go, and you'll never have another chance with them
- the conversation with the meeps seems also limited by an undetermined factor. I managed once to left without any of the two items from them AND no chance talking to them again. The second time I got only the spell, and I had to re-talk them to get the fur
This means I had to restart the game once...

Naturally I started as a Thief to go for maximum skills. Seems thief don't get points for fighting the Weapon Master, neither for killing monsters, neither for learning spells. Oh well. At least they get all the quests.

The first (half) day I managed to buy licence, tools, rob the Little Old Lady (aka LOL), conversate everyone in town, carry away the aples and free the fox, even get the ring of the Healer. Hint: do NOT buy food in the inn for Abdulla! Use your provisions, as there's no need for them!
Second day I upped my lockpick to 100, my sneak almost to 100, raked in the Castle, solved Baba Yaga's task, bought the spells in the town, got the Dryad's recipe, robbed the Sheriff's house, got Fairy Dust. Hint: Fairy Dust goes into the Undead Unguent's potion!
From this point there are no timed quest (neither by counter, nor attached to nighttime), so it'll be about me walking around training until my brain falls out.
Note: I have no idea what's the criteria of sleeping in the Stables. I could neither sleep there going there at night (midnight), going there the same way but raking there previously that day. Not that this'd matter, but still.

[Capo]

You dont need a walkthrough for that come on :dislike:

[twillight]

You need if you go for perfection.

Ok, maybe you don't need for qfg1, but the rest of the series is timed, so there.

Hints how to improve your skills:
Stealth: just go verywhere in stealth mode until maxed
Weapon Use: fight in random encounters
Throw: pick up as many rocks as you can and waste them on the Archery Practice
Lockpick: use your lockpick on the Healer's house until skill 51. Then pick your nose until 91. Then go into town during night, and use the skill on the bakery/fish shop 2-3 times then leave the screen. Repeat until maxed.
Vitality: get hurt in battle. Rly.
Dodge: only start to rise when you have HIGH stamina. Find a goblin to battle, and instead killing it, dodge its attack.
Parry: same as Dodge.
Climbing: at the hermit you can rise it to 81. At the town-gate during night you can rise to 88. As I see no other place to improve it further, my bet goes on, it'll have to w8 until the Brigand Fortress.
Magic: ?
Agility: ?
Strength: ?
Luck: ?
Intelligence: ?
flame dart: at Archery Practice
open: I bet on any locked door
detect: my previous notes says best place is in the Kobold's Cave (can be spammed blindly)
calm: ?
trigger: ?
fetch: ?
?(7th spell)?: ?

[twillight]

Strike Force Heroes 2:

just some casual flashgaming for you this one. Pretty well made. It is a platform-jumper, "kill-em-all" game wich got tested before released it seems.

It has 5 distinct classes:
Sniper: very good aim he has, but very low health. That, and the very low ammo-supply not rly fits me, so albeit this was my initial try, I did not like the way it ended up: shoot out all my ammo, die to refill my supplies, again, so changed it to
Juggernaut: not seem much, as it is suggested to go a lot melee. Actually it is good, as it has a lot of HP, armour, and can go mid-range, what is good, as these games don't get designed in big, fullscreen windows.
Mercenary: has the problem of running out of bullets until gets the armor what gives 30% more ammo. Seems it needs to outlevel the opponents as its main weapon is full-auto machinguns, but not entirely bad. The rocket launchers seem terrifying, but did nt try them.
General: a general attrib char, who seems to have the chance to buy even stronger Pump Action Shotguns then the Juggernaut. If you don't like Juggs, go with this. The special skills support the troops (lead by AI), and we all know on higher difficulty the party-AI how unusefull can be.
Engineer: Teh Weak Class. Low dmg, running out of ammo, worthless skills.

There is a shop, what offers stuff related to your level, but at random. The supply is rerolled after doing any battle, so don't worry about randomness.
In the shop there's also a Slot Machine. Beats me what it does.

For Normal Difficulty the Campaign with Jugg requires only one trick: go to range, then jump over the enemy head back&forth. This does the trick when you need a kill.
For Capture Flag do not try to preserve the flags, you have to allow the enemy to capture it, otherwise you get no points. I don't really understand this system, but not goes into frustration, so good so far.
For "carry baggage" avoid the enemy. They usually group at one level - you just run the other platforms in and out as fast as possible. Shoot while running to cause panic.

Challenges can be frustrating with giving out special weapons and skills. You better learn using Killstreak for these - or in these. Random weapons sux most, you need luck to have good weapons and the enemy bad ones.

Good weapons have range, aim and damage.
Bad weapons deal no damage, do elemental damage (what means no damage), don't fire in a streigth line, don't cause damage when hit (granade launchers).
Sheep-launcher deals damage after a short time hitting the enemy, so it is only a #2 choice of weapon. Still very god if you get this in a random-weapon campaign.

Skills:
Engineer:
Repair Bots incrise your HP-regeneration to the skies - now you only need a little space to heal. Problem is, from Hard diff you either get 1hit killed, or not get hurt much.
Efficiency: comes too late to make it useful for gaining the medal.
the other two passive is forgetable.
Killstreak skills:
Battle Turret: no damage, can only be placed where there's no enemy, has duration (every duraion in the game is short). No good.
Combat Drone: I saw it not doing anything. Used it while trying to get the medal of the class. Fortunately the kills you yourself do is also accepted for it.
Tesla Coil: sounds like it can help you. You need it for a medal anyway. Has good duration.
Rocket Sentry: no idea what it does, but a 6 killstreak is VERY long, even for Normal diff.

Merc:
Passives:
No Sweat: for certain challenges it could be useful if you use this class.
Sacrifice: more damage is good. The loss of HP is not significant.
Scavenger: With the ammo-armor I see no real need for it.
Ammo Feed: comes too late for the medal unfortunetely. Sounds solid.
Killstreaks: Surge: bloody lot of damage and many extra HP for its duration. Perfect for gaining the medal.
Surge: no idea, but on high level it either turns you almost immortal, OR proves inadequate.
Rage: insanely boosted dmg. Good.
Death Wizard: I heared there are guns which require no reload. This'd support 'em good. Seems the idea can be comboed with Ammo Feed.

General:
Passives:
Fast Hands: solid starter skill.
Full auto: sounds scary. The ammo-supply can prove a problem though with this. Also not forget you still have to reload.
Transfusion: 25% health per kill in close range. Dunno what's close, or 25% of what, but if it works while jumping over the head of the enemy, then it is nice.
Gunplay: secondary weapons are to avoid. You go for dmg with them too, so almost ensuredly they'll be a sword, and those use no ammo - right?
Killstreaks:
Regen Boost: AI friends either die or live otherwise.
Aim boost: no idea if these skills help you too, but if they do, this is acceptable as minimum.
Critical Boost: no idea how worthy criticals are. Probably not that much.
Morale Boost: all the above with half value. Well, at least it makes them a generally better AI. Still remain AIs.

Sniper:
Passives:
Kill Steal: conditional, so no.
Armor Piercing: well, at least someone will use those special bullets lowering armorpiercing.
Extreme Focus: the skill designed for you.
Overkill: no idea. Either very good, or worthless.
Killstreak:
Battle Scan: extra dmg is always good.
True Stealth: you can get in to grab the luggage, but will you be able to get out after that?
Aim Bot: headshots are good.
Wall Hack: shooting through walls. What's OP if not this?

Juggernaut:
Passives:
Immovable object: more armor is always good, as it means more survival.
Reflective plating: 8% is just not much.
Booby Trap: loosing all armor means you'll die in the next milisecond, so this is risky. I'd try to shoot from some distance instead. Also means after this you'll have to go back, find some more armor-pods, w8 until it spawns, grab it...
Resistance: VERY conditional. Probably the 30% extra armor is better either way.
Killstreaks:
Combustion: well, ok start. More health, AND some extra damage for the time you'll die anyway.
Sub Zero: the more dmg red. sounds good, but this does no dmg The fire rate reduction just doesn't seem that cool.
Static Field: again 30% dmg red, and at least 9 sec. duration. This time not the fire rate but the damage output is lowered. Sounds improvement.
Corrosion: Biggest advantage is the 10 sec duration. Deals dmg, what probably exceeds nerfing effects, as all these skills have very low range.

More later.

[twillight]

Strike Force Heroes 2:
Campaign: Familiar Faces (Hard): to succeed I stood at the top of the map at the transporter ray, and shot who came close. All other option endd in disaster the enemy ganging on me.

Medals:
The End: beating the game on Nromal worth this if you only go for the story and one completion. The level-suggestions for the higher difficulties are no joke standing, so if you don't want to go deeper, this medal is still for you.
Strike Force Hero: beat the last challenge. Opening the challenges on Normal diff is easiest of course. Some challenges are tricky, but I found the last one not that hard.
Maxed: just use one character all the way.
Hardened, Insanity: check the playthrough part
Can't see me: unknown
Compulsive gambler: gambling becomes more costy as you advance in level. But I bet the chance for good stuff incrises as well, so I'll just collect the $ until I can do this at one go. 200K$ after beating all Normal, no grinding on Custom maps.
Entrepeneur: I bet from the Slot Machine you'll get stuff to sell, so this'll w8 too. Otherwise this is again a money-sink.
Rake out the trash: killing 500 enemy is hardly a challenge, and it accumlates easy. Check the classpsec medlas to see this is just no amount.
Classpec medals: Engineer and Merc requires you to go into Killstreak mode and kill stuff under that condition. Takes a while. General just wants you to activate its Killstreak, Sniper just wants you to kill stuff no matter when. Juggernaut requires to get hurt, a lot, so this is another reason to use it as primary.
Samurai: like for most of the classpsec medals this sghould be done in the 3rd map of Campaign Mode on Normal. There the enemy plays easy, your team is passive, the enemy number is high, amking the level perfect for these grinding.
Close Coil: you'll probably accumlate this and the armor/ammo medals anyway during normal play. I not, play the same as for the classpec medals, as there the supplies are easy to come by, and you can control the damages you suffer.
Vegetable guy: shoot all vegetables down from their pult on a map of market (try Normal diff, Campaign mode, Reunion map).
Party time: during the very first mission do NOT smash the console, but go to the map's exit point to unlock. dunno what "unlock ... mode" does, I nowhere see a button, neither changes anything, despite the description.
Game Breaker: with Engineer you have to have Tesla Coil, what means lvl 16 for it. Then go to your normal grinding map (or any other map with Base map - check the top of the writings at map selection), get the necessary amount of kills to activate Killstreak, and activate you ability at the middle of the map. that'll cause a Blue Death on the local computer :)

[twillight]

Strike Force Heroes 2:
The Secret Medals' unlock-thingy is at the Custom Mode. They r fun.

For the last two Campaing mission of Hard I had/have to grind, as they are a lot harder, and lacks team. Ye, the team on the later Hard levels had a nice supportive AI.

To grin I set at Custom Team Deathmatch, 1 vs 5, 100 kills for win. This basically gives me an entire character level (I went 32 to 35 with this against Normal diff opponents).

[twillight]

Strike Force Heroes 2:
Engineer Killstreak Bots:
#1: Disappears if hero dies. Disappears after duration expires. Disappears if shot down. Has low damage. Shoots in straight line. Pretty bad bot.
#2: Follows you around. No idea if it does anything.
#3: Deals damage in a fixed radius. Has considerable HP, and 18 sec duration is pretty long. Deals good damage (against very easy oppoents). Can give you considerable amount of kills if you put it at an enemy spawn-point and you keep killing the enemy at other places. If the enemy wears katana though, they can kill it in no time, but wth.
#4: 6 killstreak is still too much, and it can't even be 5, as engineer don't survive without nanobot healing. Places a turret with homing missiles. Unfortunately the aim does not notice walls, and thus shoots missiles for no use. MIGHT have good damage, but I'm not sure.

Hard chalklenges:
#1: play semi-defensive: stay in the bottom, only going up if you rly run low on life. Do not let people behind you, and shoot anything what moves.
#2: play defensively: put your turret at your team's bag, stay at the bag yourself for top priority. Your team will sooner or later DO capture bags, your job is to prevent enemy capturing yours. Enemy at your half of the field mean less enemy protecting their half, so killing the enemy is NOT priority.
#3: Juggernaut is perfect here, as it has a "no burning" skill, "less splash damage" armor, and good health. Just don't forget to shoot like no tomorrow.
#4: Bring Juggernaut. Bring armor what gives extra melee damage. Don't know if it works, but try the attachment you think would give best boost from what you have. Play coward: at the middle of the top platforms is a "barell" - crouch there until you get full HP and an enemy stands on the top of the "barell". Then jump up, and hit it hard. It'll jump on the farther side of the map (the AI just lub the transporter beam), so run after it and finish it if noone follows. Go back to your position after. Crouch to show smaller target. With luck the AI will even get weapons what can make it commit "suicide": self destructing damage. That can happen by the plasma-beam at the bottom (unlikely), flamethrowers, acid sprayers, or rocket launchers (any version).
#5: Play DEFENSIVELY. Bring weapons to do ONE HIT KILLS, as on this level all the AI does that. Unfortunately your team WON'T mae the job for you. So the strategy for this is to run for the baggage, shoot down/harm anything you pass by, and make every bullet you use count! Then this is all about persistance, as some very precise conditions have to meet: 1) get past the enemy soldier till the bag. This is suggested to be done on the upmost platforms as that is the fastest. Die if you see your team not capable holding the enemy, and use the middle platforms if you see the enemy making a combined ambush. 2) Be able to grab the bag. This means the enemy team is not dieing in that moment, respawning on your head. 3) get back to your base. This requires the enemy focusing on the arriving remains of your own team. If there are none, you won't reach back. To reach back it is suggested to use the bottom platforms, as that gives the most cover, and makes following you a little harder. The nastiest thing here is, that everyone shoots through walls like they're not there. Killstreaks are disables, but you wouldn't be able to use them anyway.
#6: just camp at one of the bottom corners to be safe.
#7: I am not sure for this. It is obvious that more HP and more protection from burning and splash damage helps. This means either the merc, or the juggernaut. The weapon-resolution is either random, or works like the "kill to downgrade your weapon" challenge. If the first, then it is RL chance, if it is the later, you have hope. Tips that will help: 1) avoid blowing up yourself. 2) Never aim downward with the flamethrower, as then you'll burn yourself, commiting suicide, loosing points, probably going backwards on the weapon ladder. 3) Flamethrower is what sux most. You have to get rid of it. Go for a garbage-kill, meaning finding an opponent who just survived a fight with minimal HP, and try to kill THAT. Otherwise this challenge is insanity with all the nifty effects, ka-booms and all.

[twillight]

Strike Force Heroes 2:
Hard Challenge #8: Bring Juggernaut with balanced armor, or maybe General with Automatic Weapons passive skill to avoid the need o constant clicking. You have to capture 2 flags, then just sit waving your weapon until time passes to gather points. There are several problems though: 1) the enemy has a team, while you are alone. This makes holding, or even capturing two flags hard. 2) protecting the middle flag is suicide. 3) you can't reflect flamethrowers, most rockets/granades, and the bullets are not reflected back to your attacker directly, so there is a HUGH Real Life Factor for this. Suggested passive: Reflect bullets. Crouching makes enemy hit you even less.
#9: You have to be agressive. For this you need the RLF for meeting enemies. At many times you simply can't encounter anyone, and those times no matter how pro you feel, you'll loose. The only good news is, that the Point Leader (the only AI which will gather points enough for victory) will lickely kill itself a couple of times with bazookas and more often flamethrowers. That's your chance to gain advantage. As your armor will be shot down fast, I suggest bringing only balanced armor. Might worth trying armor against explosion+elemental damage too. Class is definitely Juggernaut for extended health.
#10: very easy at last. The AI is stupid, don't go after you, just pass a predetermined route. Go the rugged platform, and crouch in the small tunnel on its right. Check the radar. Wheneber you see a red dot on the rugged platform - shoot. If you run out of bullets (you will after a lot of kills) come out and let them kill you to refill your ammo (I don't think there's an ammo-spawn at this map).
#11: most frustrating this mission is. You get points two way: you shoot the burning man, or you kill someone while you yourself burn. In theory the next burning man is, who shoots the burning man. Except when the guy manages to kill itself, then the burning man is random. So you must gain points by kill the burning one, then die by the hand of someone else then the Point Leader, what is bloodly hgard to determine when everyone is doing 1HKO from out of screen.
#14: depends on Real Life Luck. Reroll the level until the enemy has low armor, bad weapon setup, then watch out who is the AI-nominee, and steal kills from it, as well as let the other kill you when you are low on HP, ammo, or such.
#15: you have to gain advantage at the early period, else they'll outshoot you with that sniper rifle and whatnot. I found it most effective if you stand below the bottom left platform and w8 until they jump down from it, or crouch on the upper left platform blindshooting down-right. These r the safest position I found.

Insane:
Campaign:
#1: stupid little gun you have. Don't even think about going melee. the only advantage you can get is health and armor, so bring your best setup for that. Play cooperative defensive: your team won't do your job, but they aren't too bad either, so always try to go in pair with one, using it as meatshield, killing from behind the guy. You're max lvl anyway, so you don't need the kills for yourself.
#5: play defensive. Capture 2 flags by your team, then just sit tight on one as long as possible.
#6: play DEFENSIVE. Your team will do the job sooner or later if they outgun (random weaponry u know) the others, but they sux defending your bag. So push ahead when and how much possible, but remember that your top priority is protecting your base. But if you see them all running away where you can't reach the, - go give it a try and try to steal their luggage!

[twillight]

Strike Force Heroes 2:
Insane:
Team Deathmatches and Capture the Flags missions: Bring a Sniper with a very long range weapon with Laser for maximum onehit kills. The AI will run&jump around, so standing still w8ing them works out for Deahmatches, and holding a flag for your team is again most easy if the enemy don't come close. Of course it also helps that you can reroll the two team until the enmy gets inferior weapons - hopefully to your entire team, but definitely to your sniper rifle.

Campaign:
#7: safest position is the side toward the transporter beam of the barell on the top platforms. Most efficient killing points are on the top of the barells built in the bottom platforms (not the bottom of the map). You yourself have to do a large number of kills here, as your party mostly sux. You need a large does of RLL for this - if the enemy soon gets away by 10 points, you shall reload.

Challenges:
Pacifism: bring a General. It don't have to be maxed, just have the "all weapon is full auto" passive skill. Add the extra regeneration killstreak as that's the only one what does anything now. Conditions have to met to be able to win: the enemy must not have any elemental weapon (eg. flamethrower), nor any blasting weapon (eg. rocket launcher). The Enemy must not be interested in capturing flags (happens 50% of the time). You must spawn at right locations. The strategy is to capture the SIDE flags, and stay on one crouched swinging you weapon until your other flag gets captured. Do NOT try to go for it, also do NOT bother capturing the middle flag (unless you spawn right on top of it). When your other flag gets captured, commit suicide: simply fall along the running gears and die. You have minimal chance if at all to pass the map the other side anyway. The trick is that you have a chance to be spawned on the side-flags. Got it? Keep dying. That's you strategy.
Randomania: Hard and Insane r pretty much the same. TZhere r a whole lot of random factors that have to meet to win this:
- no juggernauts (so you oneshot ko everything)
- have you original weapon when you respawn (probably bug. Use a Sniper)
- not respawning in the middle of the enemies (90% this means not in the middle of the map)
- enemy come into visual/shooting lane (believe me this is a hugh factor here)
- no underpower guns constantly for you, no insanely OP guns for the others
As you can see these are MANY real life factors, you need an awful lot of preservance to reach success for this.

[twillight]

Some people like to ask the above question, so why not tell in titles flashgames I played and ganied title for them even, so htere is proof I played them!

1) Kingdom Rush Frontiers: a sequel to another game which story wasn't great, and was created to revise all the problems with the original, and made it so good, it became evident how you should play it.
Still it was one of the better games on the list.
2) Bubble Tanks Tower Defense: bad game with only one music track and minimal (but quite unique) graphic. The concept is interesting, but the game is made too hard to be enjoyable, and just overall not satisfying. There is an official cheat though (infinite resources), what makes the game a joke, except 2-3 levels, what are more annoying then anything.
3) Building Rush: fast paced casual game with certain achivements which are impossible for bad design.
4) The King's League Odyssei: time based, and that time rolls like no tomorrow, what is annoying as you are not told what to do, so you just get frustrated trying this.
5) Kingdom Rush: Nice graphic tower defense game, but the levels just require so definite setups it lacks any replay-value, what it tries to balance with various difficulty-settings, but that just makes it boring. Good if you like challenges, but otherwise... Its Hero Mode also not worth it.
6) OFFS3T: a puzzle-game. They are too easy always, but this at least tries to give you logical puzzles.
7) Incursion 2: Nice graphic like Kingdom Rush, and much more enjoyable playing. Too bad some level are just too hard, you earn too little cash, you get no info on the stuff from the shop... So it has its flaws. It has some nice challenges though, but as being a Tower Defenmse game, it offers not much replay-value. And the story is more an annoyance than interresting.
8) GemCraft Labyrinth: if you like Tower Defense games, this is one you'll really love. Tons of levels, variable gameplay, short levels - the dream of a casual-gamer.
9) Epic boss Fighter: nowdays topdown shooters are not really made, especially notgood ones. This one soon will make your computer lagging, what is unfortunate, as it is quite ok.
10) Epic Battle Fantasy 4: long time no see an enjoyable anime-adventure game (usually they're made by RPGMaker2000). This one is quite good. Minimal problems are involved, but really a space-filler.
11) Castaway 2: mindless hack&slash. Rly a disappointment for starting a story, what never continues beyond the first area. Ugh.
12) Infectonator 2: Remember the original UFO? It made me remember on that. Here you won't be bothered by stupid invaders, or loosing money, you just start to dominate the world. Oh, did I say you are the evil scientist causing the zombie-apocalypse?
13) Labyrinth: Secrets of Shadowhaven: a platformer, what is ruined by its all-dominating randomania. Bad design for a potentially good game.
14) L.I.F.E.: primitive graphic, DOS-game (or shouldI say C64-area) playstyle, and a very hard final level.
15) TreadmillaSaurus Rex: a lowbudget, lowidea, crappy flashgame, what is further ruined by its all-case randomania.
16) Crystal Story 2: another RPGMAker2000 animegame, but this one is not made well, for you can reach bosses way before you'd be levelled enough to beat them. There is simply not enough things to do in it, or just they don't give enough exp. The controlls aren't the best either. So it is below your expectations.
17) Demons vs Fairyland: another TowerDefense game with graphic for 5-8 years old, and a story with a twist what can cause problem for children of that age.
18) Give Up: a very hard and fastpaced platformer. Even with a walkthrough (more to call playthrough) it is challenging, but if you figure out the hardest moments, it is doable. I suggest this if you want a challenge, and like flash-platformers of action.
19) Cactus McCoy 2: a platformer with logical puzzles, but still the old "jump fast" thingy. I found it too long, and at times too boggling with its puzzles to claim it enjoyable.
20) Jacksmith: you craft weapons, and send you crew against monsters with them. Unfortunatelly you can't replay levels, you aren't told how long you'll travel until the final boss, what happens if you can't beat the boss for the first go, you can't win every fight, and the weapon-parts are not that often, so you always feel you should hold back for artefatcs until it is too late. Well, it DO give you enough stuff to win easily against the boss, but these elements just took away my fun. Still quite unique game, so you might want to give it a try.
21) Papa's Freezeria: in theory the same type of game as the above, but you have no time-limit, and is just a simple "push the button at the right time" game. Pretty good time-waster though.
22) Zombotron 2: Time Machine: a game in which death means nothing what makes it kinda boring. Some levels are not just a little anoying. But you drive here a real monsterous wagon, what is kinda satisying. Look it up on youtube, it'll rly make you smile!
23) Strike Force Heroes 2: jump up-and-down platforms in an arena, shooting the enemy. Various maps with various win-conditions, nice wide arsenal (too bad you won't spend money until you have max-level character), good ingame jokes, worthy achievements. Some levels are too hard / rly on random real life luck, but it is still a very-very good game. Too bad no multiplayer mode.
24) Zombotron 2: this is DIFFERENT from #22. The gameplay is the very same with a smaller vehicle, and I say a little more enjoyable playthrough.
25) Cursed Treasure 2: Just your usual Tower Defense game, what is a typical flash-sequel: better graphic what kinda ruins the playability.
26) Crush the Castle Adventures: an Angry Bird clone if I may say, where you at least see what you shoot at. Has too many levels, and makes levels too hard in hope you buy bonus content, what is understandable, but it also gets noted on the page, what turns this into something dispisable for the average user.
27) Sentry Knight: an excelent "protect your gate" type of game. Fast, adequate graphic (especially if you grown up on DOS- and C64 games), smooth playing.
28) House of Wolves: annoying strategy-game with too frequent enemies, limited resources, encouraged grinding a the start, and lowish graphic.
29) Sequester: a very-very nice logical-platformer. You don't need fast reflexes, but more a Rubic Cube solving mind. I approve it.
30) Bit Battles: this is a funny little game if you get the hint of it (what means choosing the right troop of yours against the bottom - ranged - enemy).
31) Into Space 2: turns out not just a little bit repetitive to gain resources, and some missions seem entirely impossible, but a "run X miles" game what definitely made with effort into variety.
32) Tower of Doom: too short, and the Survival Mode is too boring, but the concept makes it worthy to play it once or twice.
33) Bubble Tanks 3: I found it too easy, than at a levelup I found myself stuck in a certain form for possibly leveling backwards, what is just stupid. Also too long and repetitive.
34) Ragdoll Achievement 2: boring as heck.
35) Batalion Commander: Here I found out some flash-programmer is just ass-lazy to make their game fit automatically to its supposed window. Not too hard "run X miles" game of Vietnam-theme.
36) The Gun Game: mixed levels of reflex and logical puzzles. I had long ago a game like this with just a cowboy poping up randomly on your monitor shooting you after a moment (depending on difficulty-setting), and that was already quite enough of this, but it is rly a nice time-waster. Too bad no unlimited mode or sg.
37) This is the only level 4: an absolutely logic-platformer from the "think out of the box" style. I hate those.
38) KOIM: an itemhunting labyrinth-platformer. Kinda interresting for me, but probably annoying for anyone not growing up in the C64-area.
39) Epic Combo Redux: quite annoying until you find out what you're supposed to do, when it is too easy and fast, what takes away from the enjoyment. Also some of the items can't be figured out for their use. And can e set for unlimited combo. The 100,000,000 combo takes a LOT of time (durin what you are not allowed to touch your computer as it takesa lot of RAM to run).
40) Fire Catcher: made by the guys who made the Zombotron series. This tells all. Maybe this one is even more boring.
41) Diggy: made from that animated cartoon, the play being totally the same as Motherload, just for lower age target. The most annoying thing is, that if you reach the goal (Center of the Earth), the game ends, pretty much cheating away all the nifty stuff you did not found until that, what is just BADD DESIGN.
42) Road of Fury: a well-made shot-em-up.
43) Sushi Cat 2: this form of casual-games I don't rly like, but it was doable in a reasonable time.
44) This is the only Level 3: practically the very same as #37.
45) Chuck the Sheep: one of those "hit the Penguin" games. Resources are sometimes hard to come by, and quests are sometimes hard to made, so it is quite a grinding, but at least you don't have to just buy through yourself to finish all.
46) Burrito Bison Revenge: another "hit the Penguin" with a VERY good concept, what is ruined by the need of constant grinding, no backtracking, and impossible quests (on which you are advised to buy through yourself - not with real money fortunatelly). Quite a shame, as otherwise it could have been enjoyable.
47) Coinbox Hero: again a game what isfrustrating until you figure out what you're supposed to do. Minimalist design.
48) Help the Hero: now THIS is a fun and unique game. Couldusea sequel I say.
49) Railbot: a quite frustrating "jump and run and not hit anything" game.
50) ShellShock Live 2: I too late noticed it is an MMO, but anyway: itis of minimalist graphic, terrible control, and disasterous gameplay. How this can even be an MMO? No idea.
51) Decision 2: an anti-zombie world-domination game. Offers just the right amount of variability and length to be enjoyable.
52) Chibi Knight: this is your typical, enjoyable flash-casual-game.
53) Catapult Madness: an ok, fantasy-themed "hit the penguin"
54) Monster Bark: logic-game for DOS and C64 enjoying people. Nice retro.
55) Batalion Commander 2: a well-made "run X miles" game.
56) Road of the Dead 2: long, repetitive, and causes computer-sickness. the idea was nice though.
57) Deeper Sleep: an ok horror-adventure game. Somewhat on the track of Maniac Mansion, w/o the funnyness.
58) Upgrade Complete 2: acceptable.
59) Insectonator: Zombie Mode: a game to let loose your frustration-caused agression. Well-made.
60) Sinjid: fighting-game what I spoke about here already. Fun.

[twillight]

After making a schedule and a lot of consideration I terminated most of my projects.

This includes even such things like The Ultimate Playthrough of Fallout 2. It really aches, but all things shown to take too much time, so I had to make sacrifices.

-------

What remained is:

computer games:
- Rage of Mages 2, hard difficulty fighter playthrough (invested too much time to terminate, despite the bloody troll not dying yet)
- Shadowman
- G.O.L.E.M. (who'll play through all of it if not me?)
- Total Annihilation (not at all top priority, and after a while I might skip this, but yet it is still on the list)

pet project computer games:
- abomination: the nemesis project (where did I put my german-language CD of it???)
- hunted, the demon forge (good game, good game, but not important for me to watch the ending and more)
- baldies (I refuse to delete this game from this list, even though I have 0 chance to pass the level I'm stuck on!)

tv-series:
- watch the remaining of Star Trek (I will be the only one who saw all the episodes and movies!)
- watch the remaining of Xena

books:
-W.A. Harbinson's "Flying Saucer" quadrology, but I seem to lost the 3rd part of the series, so this is only a theoretical issue currently
- Tad William's Otherland cycle (pnetology?). It is long, and after the first two books it is hopeless they'll translate it to my language, so only avaiable on english, but it has very hard language, so it will be a problem
- Justin Cronin's trilogy: the third part is not even made, so...

[dosraider]

................
- watch the remaining of Star Trek (I will be the only one who saw all the episodes and movies!)
.......
Nope, you're dreaming. XD

[twillight]

Nope, you're dreaming. XD

Don't laugh. I alread went through TOS, TAS, TNG (Tier Nan Gorduin is a really famous hungarian character, eh?), DS9, and the first 3 season of Voyager (and the movies, except First Contact, which I stored for later).

And I have my personal notes and logbook on all the episodes to prove it!:drool:

[dosraider]

Don't laugh.....

Still laughing, it's about:
...... (I will be the only one who saw all the episodes and movies!).......
The only one? Dream on.
Me and myself and moi haz seen everything what's to see about Star Trek, and probably a zillion others also.
:woot:

[twillight]

The only one? Dream on.
Me and myself and moi haz seen everything what's to see about Star Trek, and probably a zillion others also.
:woot:

Anyone can say that, but it usually turns out like with a believer (trekies and other core fans are a lot like that): all talk, but nothing to back up. A bit from here, than from there, but missing large chunks, and never from cover to cover.

[yoga]

After making a schedule and a lot of consideration I terminated most of my projects.

This includes even such things like The Ultimate Playthrough of Fallout 2. It really aches, but all things shown to take too much time, so I had to make sacrifices.

-------

What remained is:

computer games:
- Rage of Mages 2, hard difficulty fighter playthrough (invested too much time to terminate, despite the bloody troll not dying yet)
- Shadowman
- G.O.L.E.M. (who'll play through all of it if not me?)
- Total Annihilation (not at all top priority, and after a while I might skip this, but yet it is still on the list)

pet project computer games:
- abomination: the nemesis project (where did I put my german-language CD of it???)
- hunted, the demon forge (good game, good game, but not important for me to watch the ending and more)
- baldies (I refuse to delete this game from this list, even though I have 0 chance to pass the level I'm stuck on!)

tv-series:
- watch the remaining of Star Trek (I will be the only one who saw all the episodes and movies!)
- watch the remaining of Xena

books:
-W.A. Harbinson's "Flying Saucer" quadrology, but I seem to lost the 3rd part of the series, so this is only a theoretical issue currently
- Tad William's Otherland cycle (pnetology?). It is long, and after the first two books it is hopeless they'll translate it to my language, so only avaiable on english, but it has very hard language, so it will be a problem
- Justin Cronin's trilogy: the third part is not even made, so...
:smile2:
Wow!Wow!
You are crazy man!!
So many projects? Do You sleep really?
Mamma mia!!!!!

May i recommend You this writer, pls?

Terry Goodkind
(born in 1948) is an American (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States) writer and author (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Author) of the epic fantasy (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epic_fantasy) The Sword of Truth (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Sword_of_Truth) series as well as the contemporary suspense novel The Law of Nines (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Law_of_Nines), which has ties to his fantasy series, and The Omen Machine (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Omen_Machine_%28novel%29), which is a direct sequel thereof. Before his success as an author, Goodkind worked primarily as a painter, as well as doing carpentry and woodworking. Goodkind is a proponent of Ayn Rand (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ayn_Rand)'s philosophical approach of Objectivism (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Objectivism_%28Ayn_Rand%29), with references to Rand's ideas and novels in his works. The Sword of Truth series sold twenty-five million copies worldwide and was translated into more than twenty languages. It was adapted into a television series called Legend of the Seeker (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legend_of_the_Seeker); it premiered on November 1, 2008, and ran for two seasons, ending in May 2010.
:max:

[twillight]

:smile2:
Wow!Wow!
You are crazy man!!
So many projects? Do You sleep really?
Mamma mia!!!!!

May i recommend You this writer, pls?

Terry Goodkind
(born in 1948) is an American (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States) writer and author (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Author) of the epic fantasy (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epic_fantasy) The Sword of Truth (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Sword_of_Truth) series as well as the contemporary suspense novel The Law of Nines (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Law_of_Nines), which has ties to his fantasy series, and The Omen Machine (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Omen_Machine_%28novel%29), which is a direct sequel thereof. Before his success as an author, Goodkind worked primarily as a painter, as well as doing carpentry and woodworking. Goodkind is a proponent of Ayn Rand (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ayn_Rand)'s philosophical approach of Objectivism (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Objectivism_%28Ayn_Rand%29), with references to Rand's ideas and novels in his works. The Sword of Truth series sold twenty-five million copies worldwide and was translated into more than twenty languages. It was adapted into a television series called Legend of the Seeker (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legend_of_the_Seeker); it premiered on November 1, 2008, and ran for two seasons, ending in May 2010.
:max:

I've read the first two of the series, but found his style to simplistic, too dross-literature. Also very chauvinist.
The tv-series had much more developed and well-played characters (well, at least from the point where the blond chick joined - maybe second season). I liked the show, too bad it was gone for the strike. I never really liked Stryker in Mortal Kombat either, but always thought he'd been great movie-material.

Minor note on Objectivism: I accept that PART of reality is mind-independent, but I disagree that all of it is, based on phylosophical reasons and biological studies.

[twillight]

Rage of Mages 2
04.28
pike: 46 shooting: 63
exp: 495K

I runned some test, and figured out the actual HP is saved on the enemy, so I don't have to worry that the troll not died because I don't kill it in one go. Now we only have to figure out its regeneration-rate.

Found some cheat-codes which actually worked too. Turned out I could kill the troll in just matter of minutes, in 5K exp. If I should not move away constantly for being hit.
Good thing is, this proves with my equipment and skill I CAN kill the stupid git, it is just the matter of time to realise the trophy

EDIT1:
Rage of Mages 2
04.28
pike: 48
shooting: 65
exp: 600K

This is not hard. This is beyond any limit.

[twillight]

Total Annihilation lvl 6 (against Core):
Got some time and finished the level. The trick was to spit on defense whatever the briefing says, just build a shipyard, resource-production, and kill stuff with the commander (meanwhile making submarines as units) discovering the preset enemy ships by radars.:bleh1:

lvl 7 is annoying: the computer is superior in technology in every sense. They still not have a base, so there is no hope of preemptive strike.

lvl 8: annoying level where you can't have a base (again), and must protect 3 ships constantly: the ranger (the only thing what can kill stuff now, too expensive to replace any time), the commander (puts down radars) and a repair ship to fix the commander.
As you shoot things from out-of-view the level is particularly stupid, as you should preserve a certain object. Guess how you find which.

lvl 9: finaly something quick: you do what the briefing say: build the airport, build the carrier, fly over and capture in peace. Easy-peasy.

lvl 10: again you only need the commander and a repairbot. Did I mention the builder-bot can create missile-towers what I found the only solution against the aircraft-nuisance?

lvl 11: Initially you are weak on metal, so you'll need a bunch of Metal Maker (produces metal from energy). Always go to the weakest of resistance, and where you find something cool (metal, geothermal energy) build a minibase with anti-aircraft towers (missile towers if you forgot). Then repair your commander and send it out to the new direction.

lvl 12: same as the previous, but in a resource-rich world.

lvl 13: annoying level because the enemy is plentyful and you can't reach it on foot. You must as soon as possible make a solid base to counter enemy aircraft. Then as fast as possible you must reach the border at the middle as clearing the enemy units massing there can turn impossible otherwise. Metal production is a problem on the level, and the advanced constructors worth practically nothing aside building advanced construction-sites. You NEED advancad ariport, two of it to produce a massive amount of aircraft (let them be stealthers) to be able to defend a landing-position for your commander on the other side of the border.
Oh, and don't even dream being able to shoot the enemy from safe distance by some big guns. That won't work.

lvl 14: build some solar plant to cover your immediate energy-need, build a couple metal plant to cover your immediate metal-need, then build a bot-plant to make a constructor which makes a geothermal plant so you have more energy then you'll ever need.
Next is toi make some advanced constructors to make some moho mines and make 2-3 advanced air-plant where you make stealthers which'll guard your commander who'll destroy everything.
Oh, as the Zeus is just another enemy unit, don't even dream about capturing it. Not that it'd effect anything.

lvl 15: you only have the commander, and a survivor unit runs in too. The "meteor shower" is just in beta-phase, so aside the initial one it won't happen. IMPORTANT: turn shooting to Hold Fire! Not many enemies, so if you built 4-5 solar plant you'll have enough energy to shoot the D-gun.

[twillight]

Total Annihilation:
lvl 16: Same as before, just initially you have very little metal, but canb uild plenty of geothermal. So you'll needa bunch of stuff to create metal, what means build a sufficient base.
Then build 3-4 adv. airport where you assemble the regular aircraft, what blasts through everything. Make them guard the commander, it makes them more controllable, less voulnerable, and sometimes the commander can blast stuff faster.

lvl 17: you don't have space and energy is insufficient, not to mention metal. So ASAP build solar plants, mines, and advanced airports (2, possible 3 at endgame). It is wise to have 3-5 missile tower too as though the enemy has not much in airforce, but it will send what it has at the beginning.
Forget you ship-armada, it won't work. The enemy has a regiment of warlords, that beats all what cann ot move away. Airplanes can. With a dozen+ plane you can win the entire scenario.
Beware though that you may not destroy the "Silencer" at the middle big island, nor I strongly suspect the atomic power plant.
Hint: the commander when under water is invulnerable. So guarding him is almost sure. But with all the targets around you'll have to hotkey and direct command your airforce!

18: stupid little scenario. Just press "select all unit" and horde the enemy.

19: not much. Lacking air-support and heavy tower-defense you only have to supply energy for the Commander, and occasionally build 3-5 missile tower against the very few planes.

20: a clean-up mission. There is no resistance, and you unfortunately don't need the salvage for anything. Just build 5-7 solar panel and hunt down the stuff. They don't even resist 90% of the time.

21: the enemy lacking air units and the terrain makes you able to immediately build a safe base. Don't bother with anything else than aircraft from units. Build at least 2 energy storer. Then when you have enough planes make them guard the commander and start to play hit&run tactics. The D-gun is just devastating.

22: a stupid mission. You need nothing else but aircraft to kill EVERYTHING on shore (don't worry, there is barely any opposition), THEN you even ahve to build a couple of torpedo launchers (plus maybe sonars) to destroy the submarines. DUMB.

23: build a base (again nothing but airport). Build a Fusion Reactor this time (advanced constructors can build it)! You'll have demand of energy for your troops. The Hawks (stealthy fighters) will clear the whole map for you, except - again - submarines. So when all is dead and silent, build a shipyard, then advanced shipyard, then 3-5 advanced submarines. Win.

24: not much. The AI is not playing hostile. Just build a base, nuclear plant ASAP, 3 adv. airport, hawks, and clear the area. Then bring (build a carrier for style bonus) the Commander to the center. That's it.

25: Strange, not what I remembered. Or maybe I mix it with the other campaign.
Anyway, the attack is not coming, so buil 10 solar panel, 10 metal mine, then 1fusion reactor, 2 moho mine (fun fact: "moho" on hungarian means someone who takes more than fair share) and for the end 4+ airport. Nothing surprising here therefor.

[twillight]

Total Annihilation - Against Arm (Core Campaign walkthrough)

1: you get a bunch of troops with no chance to repair. Your goal is to climb up to your Commander (paralyzed, won't be harmed), and this means destroying all enemy. Go upward, and keep your troops in one bunch. Use cover if possible to face only 1 enemy at a time releasing full ammo on that one. Run up ramps as fast as possible, so your shots won't stuck.

2: there are 3 problems on this level: the initial arm arrivals have heavy armor, and/or very fast. So you'll need your Commander to shoot them off. Second: you can not have any repair for your Commander, so best bet is to make a base, clear the outside patrols with your commander, than back off. During this build vehicles in your plant to assault. Third and last problem is the lack of radar. So the last hiding enemy to find is problematic (build scouts and place them systematically, sooner or later they'll find it).

3: Don't mind the attacking Arm, just build like 3 solar panel, than go after them. Walk across the transport-route and destroy the arm units along it. Do not mind any Core unit aside your commander, you can not control them. When you finished in the tunnel build an energy storage, some additional solar panel/mine, and finish the map.

4: I bet you could make an entire army, but just make some basic protection for your energy-supply, and send in the commander to clean the map. Fortunately from now on you have both repair and radar.

5: So, it seems the resource (metal) production will be a problem as advancing, unlike for the other campaign. Here we also start in the middle of the map, AND the enemy has airforce. What we have to destroy.
The aircraft goes down fast for some missile tower, the real annoyance is the source of metal is close to the enemy, which especially likes to ambush your radars. Still not hard.

6: An annoying level because you can't just walk in and win.
At the start Arm has mines all over the hugh map, and will rebuild them constantly, AND will produce a hugh number of fast&cheap units which'll you need the commander to lead against.
So build a basic base and an airport on which build fighters ASAP. Than go out and conquer some territory, aka build your own couple of mines, ever fortifying your new bases with zounds (like 10) missile towers (whatever their name is on this side).
After you have a foothold, send your planes to destroy mines to cut the resources of the enemy (yes, this time this is how it goes). Your planes will be devastated after a while but who cares. Under that time build 3-4 more airports in which start producing a mix of fighters and bombers. None of them are really good, but that's life. You should use them to eliminate the frech mines, plus the enemy constructors, than make them patrol high enough for the entire map preventing the enemy from rebuilding those mines. The map is too hugh to build your own mines there, and probably enemy aircratft or something would cut them down anyway.
When you feel confident enough make your planes assault the enemy, concentrating on the unit-production buildings. If you manage to destroy those buildings, there'll be no more things to build anything for the enemy, so your commander can walk in finally and make you win.

[twillight]

Total Annihilation - Against Arm (Core Campaign walkthrough)

lvl 7: Finaly a totally fast level, but the mission-description is lying. Instead marching in trying to capture moho-mines what is impossible for defensive towers, build your base! You know the drill: solar panels, mines, geothermal plants (hey, they really are useful for Core), energy storage, maybe a metal storage, and the ever-needed missile towers. The towers are important to have in 10, as when you start to move out (bring the commander, do not produce unit wasting time) a bunch of flyers will come to you.
To kill the tower-defense build "plasma towers" or what. They hit hard on targets which don't move from very far away if you have them on radar (lead manually).
Oh, and don't forget to capture at least 1 (moho) mine, as that is objective for now.

lvl 8: This way is the other way around. Noone has too much resources, and the enemy has some hard-hitting stuff against you - but they don't have numbers. So cover your resources FAST, meaning zounds of solar panels and metal makers, with 5+ missile tower for defenses.
Then move ca. the middle of the map where you'll find a geothermal spot - make you second base here. Make an advanced plant here making jammers (I prefer bots).
Then move north again until you find a metal spot. Cover this place with the help of jammers and missile towers, plus like 2 plasma battery, the guns you know from the previous missions. They'll cause harm on the outer defenses and such. Fortunately the Gate is far enough, so you won't have to worry shooting it down. Finally send out the Commander, making first the planes shot down by towers, then eliminating ground defense solo.

lvl 9: Here is why I hate water-levels on Total Annihilation: the concept not work here. You can do barely any "annihilation" here. The ships move slow, they are extremly slow to built, and the shipyard is too strategic to have to make up for the rest of the game.
This is where G.O.L.E.M. can shine in comparsion.

lvl 10: this time you really barely have any space, but at least you have some instant metal in rocks which you should use wisely. First thing first is to cover you resource-need, than air-defense. Yes, this means towers, as you can't have airport here.
Following that you want water-domination. And I mean water, so build 2 shipyard close to the starting island to be able to defend it from planes by towers, and mass-produce submarines.
When you cleared all moving units (including a giant ship called Millennium) is time to make an advanced shipyard (or two, you have the resource and time) where you make 1+ missile ship which'll clear the towers on the islands if your commander build on the accessible islands radar towers.
Than just send a transport-ship to the nothern border.

[twillight]

Total Annihilation - Against Arm (Core Campaign walkthrough)

lvl 11: Your resource-hunger is overwhelming. Put solar panels on your island wherever you can, build metal mines as soon as possible, also the geothermal plant. Than continue the process with zounds of metal makers (transforms energy to metal). This will still not be enough. Oh, and you better make a row of missile towers too just to be sure.
So what you still need is MORE resource, thus build a tidal wave farm on the north side, a shipyard at the south, than an advanced shipyard (shall I mention a water-radar is needed too?), and start to produce both submarines and the giga-ships (warlord). Oh, before you make the warlords, make 2 missile ship there too, they'll be important.
If you made it this far (you should if you don't move from your very shore), you should start launching missiles on targets and prepare for an anti-strike of a ton of "small" ships + submarines. You should be able to clear this if you have 2-3 warlords (submarines comes slightly faster). Be prepared as the AI may start to send some ships to the north circumgoing your troops - prevent this at all cost. Also with this first anti-strike will come some missile-ships from the enemy, so roam after them ASAP.
But don't rush too ahead, else you'll face enemy planes. Heck, it is better to start creating your own fighter-planes purely for anti-airforce as your ships did cost a fortune and you don't want to loose them, and you'll probably be away from your base a little. And those enemy-planes are slightly bigger than basic. Still, 5+ fighter jets should work.
After this mess you should dominate land and air, so there is only the enemy island which your missile-ships should clear from most stuff - anything that moves. Do not hurt what moves, that can be THE Zeus. Send in your Commander fully repaired clearing the remaining structures and bots, and capturing the Zeus which WILL shoot back, so have enough HP.

lvl 12: Hopefully the last water-level.
Yes, it is. The obvious problem is you have like 0 space. But you should realise you have access to very high level of technology, so start with 5 solar panel andmines to cover your basic need (add more when you need), an energy storeage + metal storeage, than a k-bot lab to have builders which can make geothermal plant for you.
When this is made build advanced lab and change all mines to moho mines.
After that your immediate goal is a nuclear reactor. Yes, you'll produce mass amount of energy.
When it stands you need 4 things: shipyard, another nuclear plant, zounds of metal makers, and basic defense, what means like 5 missile tower covering 2 plasma tower (both made by basic construction bots, remember). With these your initially few ships will have a nice support to destroy the arriving enemies (fortunately they aren't many).
When you have a shipyard add advanced shipyards to it, and start producing submarines and warlords like no tomorrow. Some missile ships are also nice.
When you feel confident, start an all-out attack. A troop of 10 warlord will disintegrate practically anything (if they have submarine support, as they can not shoot under water).

[twillight]

Total Annihilation - Against Arm (Core Campaign walkthrough)

lvl 13: This is a joke-mission as long as you set the commander "hold fire", D-gun everything, and keep away from any red dot when transported.

lvl 14: Should be another joke-mission, but the AI is definitely cheating. Ok, I can go with it seeing farther, but c'mon, being hidden from the radar w/o a radar-jammer? Not fair.
Anyway, take your initial group and capture the nearby village. Than repair up your commander, and go to the southwest corner from where destroy everything until the southeast corner. Than go and patch up. Also a good idea if you make like 10-15 new troop, and patch up the remaining originals when you start invading the eastern border, preferably staring with the upper corner. And that's it.

lvl 15: another joke-mission 'case the enemy has no moving units or production. So you build a starting base to cover D-gun's energy-need, and start things to make a fusion reactor. During that your commander go east and capture the Big Bertha. When you have a free adv. bot. you send up to this cannon, and make a big radar. Than the Bertha will have enough energy to continuously fire, and sooner or later you'll destroy the target-building.

lvl 16: this is the definition of Bad Design. Why? Because you have 0 resources, the enemy has very strong units at start, and there are meteorshowers, and for all these you are under constant pressure to build things.
The meteorshower what ruins totally the entire map, especially its random behaviour. It can do 3 things:
- destroy the whole base you assambled at the start, making you absolutely defenseless, without any hope of rebuilding, given there are almost nor resources around (the couple of energy-plants cares noone).
- hurt the wrong enemy units either by activating too many, or by activating too strong units. Especially if those enemies are planes, against which your commander cann ot do anything.
The hugh masses contain missle-units which until there are any other units seeing you shoot devastating projectiles destroying your key structures, missile towers preferred which are your only chance against planes.
Actually the planes are so strong you'll need 2 times 5 missile towers as bare minimum to deal with them.
Some tips:
- save regularly
- start covering your basic needs
- I don't know which is better: to start with an advanced bot lab (as you have a basic bout builder I'd take it as a hint), or a normal bot lab. The difference is, IF you don't get destroyed directly or indirectly by some meteor-shower the advanced construction unit can start to build moho mines which help a lot. Unless they get destroyed in a meteor-shower of course. The regular lab can produce you missile (anti-air) and rocket (both? ground?) units which are cheaper and come faster than towers, not to mention they can manouver and maybe avoid part of meteor showers. No matterwhat you do, you WILL need missile towers, and some units MUST be ahead of them, or they see nothing and will be vaporized before shooting a single shot.
- after this phase you shall try to cover your resource-hunger and build a freakin' nuclear plant. At least that's what I did. The most massive enemy attack will come BEFORE you are able to dedicate yourself to making an atomic plant though. Also send your remaining troops just a little north to destroy the enemy's airport (if your have enough left).
- the enemy is on some stupid platform, so don't send your ground-units there, they'll be vaporized. Instead build airports. I could care less at this point and made 3 advanced airports making the ever-loved "stealth fighters, here named "vamps", but who cares. A horde of 10-15 will disintegrate the remaining enemy.
Bad news: again comes a water-planet.

[twillight]

It was a while ago since I told my gaming plans. These plans become more and more realistic I think:

computer games:
- Total Annihilation : will finish soon
- Shadowman: will start from scratch since the lasttime I played it was on a previous installation.

pet project computer games:
- Hunted, the demon forge
- Paladog (this is a flashgame what I found interesting enough on "hell" difficulty to go back casually)

games I'll likely never finish, but I'll never say I gave 'em up:
- G.O.L.E.M.
- Baldies
- Rage of Mages 2
- Abomination, the Nemesis Project (I can't find the darn CD)

tv-series/films:
-

books:
- W.A. Harbinson's "Flying Saucer" quadrology's last book
- Tad William's Otherland quadrology's last two books
- Justin Cronin's trilogy's last book

[twillight]

Total Annihilation - Against Arm (Core Campaign walkthrough)

lvl 17: I HATE this level.
You are on an island. The island is covered by useless stuff you have to clear off (use D-gun). The northern part of the island will be suffocated by every kind of foolish enemy, so you don't even have one island. The attacks start coming early, so you don't have time to build stuff. Not that you'd have space to build stuff. Aside the incoming ships and tanks which can pass water underwater (so your radar won't show them until too late) AIRFORCE is coming TOO just to complete the picture. :no:
So my bet goes on building only basic structures, airport as the only unit-production on land, and right at the start strategically 3*3 missile towers or somesuch.
I really hate this level.

[twillight]

Google Store games:

Let's talk about Google Store contents a little.

They offer single player games only, and single player oriented MMOs. One can understand this given the technical frame and net-accessibility, but I wouldn't criticise that anyway.

Let's check what there IS, and how they work.

First of all: there are either "free" or "pay for it" programs.
As you can not have any idea what the contents will be, or the program will at all run on your device, no matter it allows you or does not allow you to download, I wouldn't advise to go for a pre-paid stuff. It is simply too risky.

Now the accessibiliyt of the apps depend first line n the seller-typed requirements, which are either true or not.
The second is the WTF factor. You can be prevented from finishing (or starting hopefully) the app by:
- your devise's serial number
- your location
- language of your device
- the programs utter hate against you.

Now if you managed to install the application, these thing can happen:
- the application does not start
- the application starts, but turns out is not suitable for your resources, and will lagg out after a couple of seconds (or just freeze your device)
- turns out the application only runs when it has internet-access, which is nowhere mentioned on the download
- the game will actually work as intended (same for any other kind of applications).

Now let's check the games themselves:
- most of the "free" apps, and many of the pay-to-have ones rely on the pay-to-win basis, aka. you'll get nowhere w/o paying a zounds of money constantly. I just remove these at sight.
- there are some MMO-ones which can be played free, but either payed or free, they simply lack interaction. You go up there 1-2-24 times a day, and do something under 10 seconds, and that's it. One example of this is Dragon Story. Ye, nice interactive screen-saver I assume.
- there are games which are designed properly TO BE A STANDARD GAME. They were not developed to have secondary currencies, that feature is built up later. This makes the ingame-currency practically useless, and albeit does not prevent you from free gaming experience, but if you try that, you'll have to grind as much as to finish DLC-Quest's grinding quest w/o the proper DLC found ingame. Problem is, the pay-to-win aspect from the other point of view simply costs so much real cash, no sane person would/should cough it up. I mean the program that way lasts like 5 minutes, than The End. Notable example is: Garfield PetHospital.
- some games made proper for both parties (reasonable payment, and shorter-than-inifnite grinding), but in that case they like to spam you so much with advertisements along a fast-paced gameplay, they ruin your mood. Notable example is: Swamp Attack.
- the last category's example is Doctor Who Legacy. The game seems perfect in almost all aspect, except for its primitive concept the levels are a bit tediously long, and there seems to be no reason to pay aside some minor extra content for real fans. I mean you can't avoid the leveling-process, and by gaining the sufficient exp you seem to gain the pay-to-win content anyway. Correct me if I'm wrong.
- Of course I won't mention such stupidity as "electronic toilet paper", or "Talking Tom", as I don't see what makes them more than a one-time-joke-for-5-seconds, and that's more than the download demands.:lame:

[twillight]

Phantasmagoria

This game is infamous for two things:
#1: It is known amongst players for mainly about the protagonist looking into all the mirrors brushing her hair. And man, there are mirrors EVERYWHERE.
#2 Originally it took no less than SEVEN CDs. Yes, you heared right. Imagine the box-set. And the frustration when one of the CDs just got corrupted. And in those days that was quit common.

Well, what to tell as review?
The "Day 1" - although I suspect some meddling there - is good and spooky introduction, IF you do a lot of optional stuff, which will be necessary stuff in later chapters. Details change in mirrors, there are some dram-sequences, voices out of nowhere, and unseen ghost-hands grabbing towards you.
The last chapter is actually supposed to be rolled back when you're done with it as a large movie. Creative. And you can die A LOT. Even if you know the sequence. Under gorey circumstances (they are quite well done).
Unfortunately there is only one save per playthrough, but fortunately if you die, you can reload the autosave from the point you were still alive.

A nuisance with the game is, that sometimes it relies on the notorious adventure-game-mode pixel-hunting, even though the objects are quite large, and most are obvious. Still, the telescope-lense and the paper-knife for me were less-than-obvious.

The biggest problem as far as I see is the middle part, where nothing much happens, the tense do not really grow, only the returning features really work (like the drowing ob absint, the fortune-telling machine etc.), and you eventually rely on "let's do that today too lacking any meaningful action" solution, which frotunately do not contain oh-so-many possibilities, if you can filter out the real useless ones (like those pesky haribrushes, face-creams, other womanly stuffs, the toilet, the stone harp, the tv etc.)

But the whole thing is somehow so simple and elegant still like the Dallas, so it got so popular, they made a much better sequel... Well, the Puzzle of Flesh had nothing to do with the original "Roberta Williams' Phantasmagoria" aside 1 actor and the "interactive movie" concept. I personally wouldn't call these two games an "interactive movie", but would name them as "live action adventure games".

PS: This game is perfectly fine for younger audience, like 12-15, the only possibly problematic part is the softcore rape sceen for the 12-13 audience. And not just to them, but also those in their 30s.
The P2: PoF I'd suggest to a somewhat more mature audience, like 15-17, or anyone who likes B-category trash-horrors (most zombie-horror, animal-horror, or anyhorror from the '80s, like Brain Damage, Hellraiser 2, or Blood Gnomes). I LUV this game for its mature contents, like light sex-sceens, the S&M club, and the homosexual relationship between Curtis and Trevor (man, in this game everyone is into the protagonist!). Not to mention its many easter-eggs, like Invaders minigame, Ping Pong minigame. And the zounds of optional things to do. And so on, but let me play it again first, Sam.:ouch:

[twillight]

After the original windows version stopped working I got the GoG version. Probably the last investment of my life to entertainment, but this I still wanted.

I always luved P2: Puzzle of Flesh. It is full of side-stories, very life-like, with good story, adventure/scifi elements, and solvable puzzles. Well, there are not that many real puzzles, most of the game is just clicking around formore conversation, but they are always entertaining, the "cheap acting" just giving it the necessary push to make the otherwise casual talks to the quality-level.

And after all those playthroughs it IS the thing for me making it "an interactive movie" where all the nitbits don't just come up, but you find all the pieces, and arrange them in an order that finally makes sense (or at least eliminate as many cases as possible where they don't.

So here is my "final solution" for the first chapter, without spoilers (I mean I won't tell you what happens). Most of the stuffs are optional, or only makes sense from adventure game playing perpective, like collecting a screwdriver just because you can, or entering a room you have nothing to do in because you can AND find new video there.
- examine yourself in mirror
- open drawer, collect all three stuff
- examine mailbox
- use mail on you, Curtis
- pick up x-mass photo
- examine rat
- in the position you see the rat-cage click on Curtis' nose until he farts (such nonsense jokes are easter-eggs, made by ingame animation, not as video play)
- examine book case
- Ctrl Alt click on book on table
- Ctrl Alt on one of the big paintings on the wall
- click 10 times on radio (on screen's right side)
- try to leave your flat
- move the cursor on the mask and type "burp"
- move the cursor on the mask and type "burP"
- enter the living room from the hall until you get a different enterance-video (unfortunately not on the playback list)
- try to look all 4 pictures around the bookcase by switching view back-and-forth, as the 3 on the right activates randomly
- examine couch
- pick up rat
- use rat on couch
- use chocolate on couch
- leave flat (yes, with the rat on you)
- try to enter all doors (usethe key-card to try the glass doors)
- in the storeage-room discover and try to open the small door (no, it does nt lead to John Malcowitch's brain)
- try to use the screwdriver on small door
- use screwdriver*5 than wallet on Curtis in store room
- use key-card to enter the office
- use water tank (Curtis drinks)
- while standing beside the water tank press Alt and click on Curtis' belly
- examine boss' door (actually this makes less sense than could if you'd be able first talk to Trevor)
- enter Tom's cubicle, talk, show wallet, show key card
- enter Jocilyn's cubicle, talk, show sexy post card, show parent photo, show x-mass photo, talk (I found this order tells best there is problem with their relationship)
- enter Curtis' cabinet. This activates the boss' room to open. Enter boss' room, click*3 on weasel (video!), examine plaquett, examine picture on desk, try to open drawer
- enter Bob's cubicle, talk*2, show x-mass photo (this way you develop shaming factor)
- enter Therese, talk, show sexy post card. This activates (or sometime soon it'll be active) a new sequence for the water tank (drink again!).
- enter Curtis' cubicle, sit down
- enter Trevor's cubicle, talk, show sexy post card, show x-mass photo, show photo of parents, show key card (this way you feel their rleation is more real friendship than something casual)
- Curtis' cubicle, examine rat picture, examine notepad (GoG version removed Curtis' oneliner on the picture)
- call Bob, Trevor, Tom, PAW, Jocelyn*2, Therese, Me (GoG removed the oneliners where recipient does not answer)
- use computer (login with oyur account)
- phone Me
- phone Trevor
- talk Trevor
- talk Therese
- enter storeage
- talk Therese
- enter storeage (this is the"moving cables" sceene. All this helps to develop relation to Therese, and shows the growing instability of Curtis)
- enter Curtis' cube, use computer, reply mails, read personel files, try the archives, read files of other personal, log out.
- login either as Jocelyn or Therese (the two are not separrate in the game-engine!). Password: "xxx". Nudity code: "adrienne" (caps-sensitive)
- log back as Curtis, work on the Veniman Document (VD from now)
- phone Trevor
- talk Trevor*3
- talk Max
- talk Trevor
- enter Curtis' cube, reply on mails, log out.
- log in as Trevor. Password: "bellybutton". I never actuallyknow this is "buton" or "button" XD And the "y" is by english-only keyboard, meaning you likely have to type "z". Whatever, it works. Try out all three games.
- Alt-click on wynvade.exe and win a level
- talk Bob
- talk Trevor
- sit back to the computer and solve the puzzle
- talk Bob
- work on VD
- go home,examine mirror (don't ask how this sequence ended up here, maybe Curtis got tired and/or forgot his date)
- go Dreaming Tree
- talk Jocelyn
- talk Max
- talk Jocelyn as long as you can
- use wallet on bill
- press Alt and move the cursor over Jocelyn's tits (this is a really lame easter egg)
- talk :max: Jocelyn

[twillight]

This chapter is mostly linear despite the many places visited, but has some alternative shots, and a lot of independency in the order. But here comes my solution:

- examine mirror
- turn around to see an unused door. Press Ctrl and click*6 on it, than the same by pressing Alt. this activates the door ina sense, so click it.
- examine mail box
- examine rat
- CTRL + Alt click on book on desk
- use mail on Curtis
- go Wnytech, talk Jocelyn, Trevor, Therese (in this order)
- open office door
- enter boss room
- pick up Post It
- enter office
- wait until spoken to
- wait until spoken to
- examine cubicle
- talk detective
- examine cubicle (alternative: wait until spoken to, but that's like a cenzored version)
- talk Jocelyn
- talk Therese
- talk Therese (alternatively talk to Jocelyn, but that's less moody)
- talk Therese
- examine rat
- examine mirror
- examine book case
- use name card on telephone
- go The Dreaming Tree
- examine menu: examine drinks, examine foods (one liner for food is removed in GoG version, also one liners for "not yet" visitations for map)
- talk Max*2
- go Wyntech
- examine boss door
- enter office*2
- click on Curtis' ear*5
- try enter boss room
- enter Tom's cubicle, call PAW
- enter boss room, click on nostrils of goat while also seeing Carpe Diem plaquette until it bleats
- examine photo on desk
- examine monitor
- open drawer, pick up small key
- enter Bob's cubicle, pick up button
- try enter Curtis' cubicle
- enter storeage, use screwdriver*5 than Post It on Curtis
- open small door with small key (the most unexplaned act in the game if you ask me)
- examine file cabinet
- pick up toolbox until it ends up in your inventory
- go home, open toolbox
- pick up lace and file
- examine toolbox
- use screwdriver on toolbox
- go Doc Harburg
- use lace, than sexy post card, than greeting card on window (this is a video-easter egg, what even works as a semi-disturbing hallucination, heh)
- show x-mass photo
- talk to Doc
- show sexy post card
- show photo of parents
- use lace
- examine snowball
- use lace
- show greeting card
- use button
- show file (these last two might be better in reverse order. I made the order at the psy based on position of charactersin the shots, themes mentioned, reaction level, emotions.)
- go Borderline
- talk bouncer
- show sexy post card
- show greeting card (check names in the inventory to not mix them up)
- try enter The Pit
- talk person at the bar
- examine toilet
- go to the back room
- talk Therese*3
- drink cocktail
- volunteer (alternative: do not do anything, but that's less intense)
- examine piercing

Well, in this chapter there are some creative detailed murder, and some passionate sex. The weak point is the alternative shots. the chapter could have been better with some more complexity instead of those, but hey, things start to happen, unlike in p1:OK:

[yoga]

Total Annihilation - Against Arm (Core Campaign walkthrough)

lvl 17: I HATE this level.
You are on an island. The island is covered by useless stuff you have to clear off (use D-gun). The northern part of the island will be suffocated by every kind of foolish enemy, so you don't even have one island. The attacks start coming early, so you don't have time to build stuff. Not that you'd have space to build stuff. Aside the incoming ships and tanks which can pass water underwater (so your radar won't show them until too late) AIRFORCE is coming TOO just to complete the picture. :no:
So my bet goes on building only basic structures, airport as the only unit-production on land, and right at the start strategically 3*3 missile towers or somesuch.
I really hate this level.

:3:
No any atom bomb, dear and brave twillight?
Show them who the boss is!
..and do not forget that brave is ready, armed near around..
just after the corner.
Call me and Finito la commedia...
:smugulon:
Capo is also ready and much more friends...
Stand up and fight!!
:hello:
very silently:
-Do You know that brave finished 32-th level of Doom 2?
Just shot the big bad head, using the lift..

[twillight]

grat youga for beating Doom 2. I did that when it was stardom, today I could not repeat it,as that engine makes me computer-sick.

Also, I think I'll never finish Total Annihilation. It just takes too much effort, and I'm slowly run out of money for lacking a job,and noone responding to my applications. I'd sell my soul to a minimum-wedge work.

[yoga]

grat youga for beating Doom 2. I did that when it was stardom, today I could not repeat it,as that engine makes me computer-sick.

Also, I think I'll never finish Total Annihilation. It just takes too much effort, and I'm slowly run out of money for lacking a job,and noone responding to my applications. I'd sell my soul to a minimum-wedge work.

Sad news, amigo.
:(
Still...?
This damned idiot Orban slowly kills the best people in Europe.
You have some friends in London to help You?
Many BG countrymen find good job in England.
The air-ticket is about 20-30 Euro only.
You are educated and nice specialist anyway..
I want to say God bless this good man but know that ....
But my thoughts, my soul are with YOU.
Sometime bad days will end.
Dazed and confused
:palm:

[twillight]

Nope, I have no contact in London, it'd be too expensive anyway with all the necessary paper, rent and so on.

But enough of me, let's back to GAMING!

Chapter 3 is mostly about how Curtis deals with the death of his co-worker who he hated. Despite the events actually being fast, this chapter felt way longer than it actually is, for it is that more serious (and lacks zounds of distracting childish easter eggs):

- answer phone (so it won't annoy you)
- examine mailbox
- examine mirror
- Alt Ctrl click on book on table
- while being able to seethe rat-cage click on Curtis' nose until he farts (this is a slightly modified version of the previous)
- examine rat
- examine mail
- go wyntech, enter storeage (guides usually refers this as "Network room", though beats me on what basis), pick up hammer from table
- click on Curtis with screwdriver*5, than with hammer (dunno whythis egg has so many versions)
- examine small door
- re-enter storeage
- enter office
- exit Curtis' cube, examine boss' door
- enter Curtis' cube
- phone Trevor
- phone Curtis
- phone Jocelyn
- phone Therese*2
- phone Bob, examine phone
- talk Jocelyn
- talk Trevor*3
- talk Therese*2
- click*3 on silver statue on There's desk
- talk Jocelyn
- enter Curtis' cube, log in computer
- read/answer mails
- read archive (code: Carpe Diem)
- read memos (codes are on the Post It)
- try working on Alotharia9.doc (one liner is removed in GoG version)
- examine box in Bob's cube
- examine boss' door (the order of action in the office is arranged to build up the emotional tension)
- talk nurse
- examine ball (important to not mess with the belts before this if you want to watch the cutsceen)
- examine belts
- examine rat-woman*2
- examine male patient sitting
- examine female patient sitting
- examine male patient standing*many times
- examine ball
- examine belts (the actions for this segment arranged based on actions, although they are almost nonrelated)
- now you have an alternative: either run away (lame), or wait (better)
- examine mirror
- examine rat*2
- examine book case
- use toolbox on Curtis
- use combination of hammer + screwdriver on toolbox
- pick up letter
- go The Dreaming Tree
- talk Trevor until he leaves
- re-enter The Dreaming Tree (you were force-moved for unknown reason)
- talk Max*2
- go Doc H.
- talk
- show button
- show sexy post card
- show greeting card
- show treshold file
- show letter*2
- show parent photo
- show lace
- show x-mass photo (the converstion with the psychiatrist is arranged based on themes, described events and grammar (really). At this point Curtis is really shown falling apart, the talks start to get loose and vary.)
- go Borderline
- talk with patron at bar
- try enter The Pit
- go home
-talk Therese until chapter finish (SAVE at this point, timed stuff coming)

[twillight]

Ok, I was "lying" about timed stuff (in a sense), but I really hate to land in the middle of a situation w/o a chance to save.

But here is Chapter 4, what is a lot of walking around, almost like someone would like to memorize you all the places before the Big Stuff.
Despite the obvious weakness of this chapter, it turns pretty straight that Curtis is either now mad, or the interdimensional research made some obsessive enemy on Curtis' neck (or both).

- hold the cursor over the detective's butt for 20+ seconds
- talk detective*4
- examine mirror
- examine mail box
- Ctrl Alt click on book on table
- examine rat*3
- examine book case
- examine mail
- call psychiatrist
- go wyntech, enter office (this event makes no sense unfortunatelly, should happen along the next time you visit wyntech:wacko:)
- click Curtis' ear*5
- although I did not mention this, but every day you could drink a limited time from the water tank with the exact same result a the first time. The thing I mention it now is, that you are able too this time, despite:
- try enter the boss' room (the detective calls you away)
- try enter Tom's cube (and the detective kicks you out)
- go The Dreaming Tree
- talk Trevor*4
- re-enter The Dreaming Tree
- talk Max
- go to Doc H.
- use wallet on large diplom (code: batman)
- talk
- examine snowball
- talk
- examine snowball
- talk
- go home
- examine mirror
- examine front door
- talk Jocelyn*2
- pick up hairpin
- go wyntech
- enter storeage
- use screwdriver*5 than hairpin on Curtis
- use hairpin on boss' door (ye, I know)
- try open drawer
- use screwdriver on drawer
- pick up book, pick up paper
- log in computer as Curtis, read mail
- log in computer as PAW (code: Carpe Diem)
- set Curtis' security lvl to max (no info what if you only set 2 out of 3. Code: blacklotus)
- try enter office from boss' room (see, makes no sense the previous visit)
- enter glass door
- use lift
- go in
- examine jacket
- go in
- examine toy
- go in
- examine blanket
- try go in (SAVE)
- examine panel (code: 10958, and you have to enter it FAST)
- try enter Treshold
- use computer (code: rosetta)
- answer questions (there are some variations in the conversations. To check all, follow this guide: 1: why / when or how; 2: yes (jumps to 4) / why / no (logs out); 3: yes; 4: why; 5: (logs out either way, but most sense has „how”)
- go Borderline OR if you want to see a Game Iver use key card on reader (same video, but slightly longer than not setting the code on the door here when entering)
- examine patron at bar
- try enter The Pit
- try use the toilet
- rest the cursor on the door of the toilet and type "whipme"
- talk Therese*2
- examine cocktail
- try enter The Pit
- use greeting card (sexy post card works the same, but this is more sensical, and you can't try both) on bouncer
- use borderline invitation on bouncer
- try enter door
- solve puzzle
- examine rack
- go out to the bar
- re-enter The Pit, examine curtain

Unfortunately this "sex" is almost nonexistant :whops:

[twillight]

Oh, what we all waited for! Animated stuff combined with live shots, lots of carnage, aliens, conspiracy, whatnot!

- talk detective
- examine rat
- talk detective
- talk detective OR wait (although the later is a bit nonsensical if u ask me)
- examine mirror*2
- use hammer on mirror
- open nightstand, pick up wallet
- examine mailbox*2
- examine rat*2
- Ctrl Alt on book on table
- call Doc H.
- examine phone (although the next video won't be effected by this...)
- go behind desk
- exit OR hit guard / wait (but why wait for the same stuff to happen?)
- go wyntech
- examine water tank
- examine Tom's computer
- examine Bob's "computer"
- examine Curtis' computer*2
- enter boss' room (beats me how you are able to still roam around ona multikill crime sceen)
- login computer as PAW, read new file, print
- login computer as Curtis, read mail
- enter storeage
- pick up Trevor's key card
- enter basement
- login computer
- type your answers (3 questions, my favourite answers are yes-why-yes, but lot of variability)
- use Tervor's key card on reader
- enter correct glyph
- examine consol
- talk PAW*2
- talk apparition
- examine console
- talk apparition
- examine console OR wait (in which case you die)
- pick up alien slime, 3*alien creature, alien fungus
- combine starfish alien + U-alien = combined alien creature OR combine starfish alien + lightbulb alien to die
- use alien fungus to trap electric alien
- use combined alien on energy barrier
- enter energy pillar
- examine creature
- examine creature OR try to go back in which case you die
for the coming choices only the first allows you to survive:
- pick up syringe, OR pick up scalpel, OR w8
- examine pistol, OR click Jocelyn, OR w8
- pick up card key, OR talk all three zombie (you can pass talking with only any two of them), OR w8
- use card key on lift, OR w8
- use lever, OR hit Therese, OR w8
- talk mother, OR try to leave, OR w8
- examine creature
- examine creature, pick up alien glop
- combine alien glop + alien slime = alien ooze
- use alien ooze on spot below portal
- use electric alien on portal
- solve machine-puzzle. WARNING. Once you start this, you can not do anything else. Also, if you do an incorrect move, the game crashes (yes, even the GoG version). So save each time something new happens.
- choose your ending. Although even if you could blame all stuff on PAW, neither you or Jocelyn have work to go back to. And you might be incompatible. Although you might just plan an alien invasion :sneakrete: Anyway, this game ends here. Might be interesting to find out what would bethe MINIMAL thing to do, and wether that way it still makes sense or not, but I leave that up to you :lame:

EDIT: to get to the "Easter Egg Score Screen" exit your location (just using the map won't work), and click*10 on the partially visible representation of the building on the bottom of the map, closest to the river.

[yoga]

Oh, what we all waited for! Animated stuff combined with live shots, lots of carnage, aliens, conspiracy, whatnot!

- talk detective
- examine rat
- talk detective
- talk detective OR wait (although the later is a bit nonsensical if u ask me)
- examine mirror*2
- use hammer on mirror
- open nightstand, pick up wallet
- examine mailbox*2
- examine rat*2
- Ctrl Alt on book on table
- call Doc H.
- examine phone (although the next video won't be effected by this...)
- go behind desk
- exit OR hit guard / wait (but why wait for the same stuff to happen?)
- go wyntech
- examine water tank
- examine Tom's computer
- examine Bob's "computer"
- examine Curtis' computer*2
- enter boss' room (beats me how you are able to still roam around ona multikill crime sceen)
- login computer as PAW, read new file, print
- login computer as Curtis, read mail
- enter storeage
- pick up Trevor's key card
- enter basement
- login computer
- type your answers (3 questions, my favourite answers are yes-why-yes, but lot of variability)
- use Tervor's key card on reader
- enter correct glyph
- examine consol
- talk PAW*2
- talk apparition
- examine console
- talk apparition
- examine console OR wait (in which case you die)
- pick up alien slime, 3*alien creature, alien fungus
- combine starfish alien + U-alien = combined alien creature OR combine starfish alien + lightbulb alien to die
- use alien fungus to trap electric alien
- use combined alien on energy barrier
- enter energy pillar
- examine creature
- examine creature OR try to go back in which case you die
for the coming choices only the first allows you to survive:
- pick up syringe, OR pick up scalpel, OR w8
- examine pistol, OR click Jocelyn, OR w8
- pick up card key, OR talk all three zombie (you can pass talking with only any two of them), OR w8
- use card key on lift, OR w8
- use lever, OR hit Therese, OR w8
- talk mother, OR try to leave, OR w8
- examine creature
- examine creature, pick up alien glop
- combine alien glop + alien slime = alien ooze
- use alien ooze on spot below portal
- use electric alien on portal
- solve machine-puzzle. WARNING. Once you start this, you can not do anything else. Also, if you do an incorrect move, the game crashes (yes, even the GoG version). So save each time something new happens.
- choose your ending. Although even if you could blame all stuff on PAW, neither you or Jocelyn have work to go back to. And you might be incompatible. Although you might just plan an alien invasion :sneakrete: Anyway, this game ends here. Might be interesting to find out what would bethe MINIMAL thing to do, and wether that way it still makes sense or not, but I leave that up to you :lame:

Hmmm.. your help is so detailed
that i think to see that game after RTC.
Do i need very powerful PC?
Have i Yr permission to copy this review for
personal usage, pls?
:3:

[twillight]

Hmmm.. your help is so detailed
that i think to see that game after RTC.
Do i need very powerful PC?
Have i Yr permission to copy this review for
personal usage, pls?
:3:

No, yoga, you don't need strong PC. This game was made to run on win'98, and the only version it runs from it is DOS-Box versions.
Legend says there were 2 versions: the dos-version and the win-version, I never saw both, the GoG-version runs pretty solid and is running based on dos-box, but the quality might match the windows version.

Comes to my mind, they solved the juke-box crash bug for Chapter 5, those clever GoG-people. Just to mention.

Phantasmagoria2 was made in mind how Real Actors could incrise the quality of games, but later the technical development shown data can be compressed, but video-files can not (that much). Still, in that age it was a pretty innovative and working idea, I praise Sierra for it.
Come to think of it, from the old companies of the dos-based area (including win'98 OP) my favourite company is Sierra. They had so many PERFECT games...

---

Back to your question:
OF COURSE you may use my guide (if you put it anywhere, pls mention my nick). Feel free to do it! It was made to be used, AND this is the internet for all sake.
Also: I think I perfected all available walkthroughs with this work. I not just added all the official the easter eggs list, but also included all optional stuff, and even tried to organise a schedule where to go in what order to make it the best experience FOR THOSE WHO ALREADY PLAYED IT.
Yep, the game is really not hard to figure out (in most cases, especially if you read the ingame manual what only takes a minute or two), and best played by your own for the first go. I really intended to make the Ultimate Solution.

If you manage to get accross any new stuff, please tell me, and I'll add it to the list of actions (and mention your name). Though I highly doubt that can happen :D

Oh, sources I used while making the walkthough (although I added things too neither source had, at the same time I corrected their mistakes): HarroSIN's walktrough, D. Melanso's walkthrough (special thx for the re-enter the storeage move), and for the easter eggs: Phantasmagoria 2 Overview Memorial Page.

[yoga]

No, yoga, you don't need strong PC. This game was made to run on win'98, and the only version it runs from it is DOS-Box versions.
Legend says there were 2 versions: the dos-version and the win-version, I never saw both, the GoG-version runs pretty solid and is running based on dos-box, but the quality might match the windows version.

Comes to my mind, they solved the juke-box crash bug for Chapter 5, those clever GoG-people. Just to mention.

Phantasmagoria2 was made in mind how Real Actors could incrise the quality of games, but later the technical development shown data can be compressed, but video-files can not (that much). Still, in that age it was a pretty innovative and working idea, I praise Sierra for it.
Come to think of it, from the old companies of the dos-based area (including win'98 OP) my favourite company is Sierra. They had so many PERFECT games...

---

Back to your question:
OF COURSE you may use my guide (if you put it anywhere, pls mention my nick). Feel free to do it! It was made to be used, AND this is the internet for all sake.
Also: I think I perfected all available walkthroughs with this work. I not just added all the official the easter eggs list, but also included all optional stuff, and even tried to organise a schedule where to go in what order to make it the best experience FOR THOSE WHO ALREADY PLAYED IT.
Yep, the game is really not hard to figure out (in most cases, especially if you read the ingame manual what only takes a minute or two), and best played by your own for the first go. I really intended to make the Ultimate Solution.

If you manage to get accross any new stuff, please tell me, and I'll add it to the list of actions (and mention your name). Though I highly doubt that can happen :D

Oh, sources I used while making the walkthough (although I added things too neither source had, at the same time I corrected their mistakes): HarroSIN's walktrough, D. Melanso's walkthrough (special thx for the re-enter the storeage move), and for the easter eggs: Phantasmagoria 2 Overview Memorial Page.

One more word:
-I have 2 PC.
First PC is located in a room let say A. It uses Win 7 Pro 32-bit.
Also Win XP Pro is used. This OS is installed with Virtual Box.
For Phantasmagoria 2 i am able to mount Win 98.
Moreover i am ready with Win 8.1 and Win 10.
But i like present W 7.

Second PC is located in my hall.
It uses Win XP Pro and this is my game test PC.
Here i may install Win 98 also.

Both machines are connected in home network by cable through drilled in wall hole. I like to play some games with friend battling in network.:3:
Today i will try to find Phantasmagoria 2.

[twillight]

I pulled out again this game, finally, as The Last Game I Really Want To Play.
Anything else will just be a bonus.

"Not much more" since the last go, although this is a reinstall, and I suspect I "missed" something in Liveside, as I definitely remember fighting there krokodiles and such. Likely the result of going back to the ship and shooting its door open or something... But not sure. Who cares, there'll be time.

But I definitely reached Temple of Life. Man, the squares just before that was a mess to map.

Especially that I have some Undiscovered Passes at this point, two of them to be precise, which way I COULD go. Not to mention those places which are currently being blocked by lava.
This game is geniously made, but you definitely need an attitude to play, for it demands map-drawing (and it is not coming from the Might and Magic 1 era), meticulous note-making, constant re-visiting places... And the whole thing is HUGH.

----------

Found the Bajou (teleporting knife).Will have to figure out how to use it on Liveside though (I suspect that comes lategame).
Also will have to find out how to crack the liveside govis (suspect the same as above).

Got a new movie when unlocked lvl 2Shadow Man.
Unlocked secret "play as duppie".

Found those crocodiles, mapped the area.

Now I have 2 undiscovered passages, and a lvl 2 door to choose from where to go.

-------

New movie when reached the perimeter of the Asylum. Also new talks.

Not to mention I walked all available passes, so I can go this time only one way. Keepingtrack where I am is at times problematic, seems the map ... Just don't fit to what I see, meaning parts connect which should not be able. Or it is just me drawing wrong distances, not matching the actual angle of corridors. Still, I'm not lost, so I'm glad with it.

Got two new stuff too:
- asson, which seems bloody useless (all the magic stuff seems bloody useless given the very limited mana)
- engineer key.

Yep, I'm right in the room where the engineer key was, so I'll be able to go and backtrack all those doors I passed to reach here. Or just go forward at the moment? I think I'll try to reach the next warp point to avoid messy situations, like sniper rifle demons and those two meat-hooker which guarded the engineer key (used the baton and sniper mode too to eliminate them, as you come through the roof into a compound room - what the designers thought?!?).

Oh,and I have 76 cadeaux at the moment.

-------

97 cadeaux! 3 more, and I get more HP!

Also, when coming back from the Cathedral of Pain, I just tried to shoot open the door I skipped until now at the back of Nettie's church. And it worked! Just had to aim the padlock. Will investigate next.

Some nasty tricks the programmers came up with though too: an altair which teleports straight into lava, or a schizm which lands you right in front of (one of) The Boss. Jeez! Ok, the protagonist is technically immortal (if you die you restart from the nearest warp point, like for Planesacpe: Torment), but was this really necessary?
I think it was.
Not that I wouldn't save at every corner :D

I think after that crpyt-door I'll go for the dead-end lvl 3 gate which holds some minor artifact just to lessen the choices I have to keep in mind.
After that I'll aim the Temple of Fire, then all will depend on the found govis. In ideal case I'll be able to go for the Poigne, than Flambeau. A great deal of backtrack each will open, but after gaining these will really be messed up, as reaching the other to fire-immunity tattoos are placed so far..

PS new talk-videos after passing a schizm (use the two-lance one, that has a safe arrival-spot).

[twillight]

Well, those doors turned out less exciting than I thought. Just little rooms, they were.

So I found time to pass the Temple of Fire. Now have to do some backtrack, as lvl 4 is not yet. I remember this was the stage my old computer gave in, so imma happy.
Or was that a temple later? Huh, I'd be surprised if the same lag would dispose me nao.

New movie: after gaining La Luna, Nettie told some new stuff.

Secret: Flame On Mode I gained in the Temple of Fire in the room with the big ramp. Ideally you'd gain this coming back with the Flambeau, but due to design-flaw and gamer-persistence you can just jump to the location's corridor from the other end :shifty:

-----------

Hm, that backtracking rose me to lvl 5, but they were almost always just small rooms and niches. Strange, like inthe middle the game would gain speed, instead building even more humongous mazes. Unlike Might and Magic 6 did :D OH, those EYES!
Also, as got the Poignant, aka. climber claws, the need of backtracking and eliminating markers on my hand-drawn map got really a good idea.

But first of all went to exchange 100 cadeaux to the loa, and I did need the HP at one point, where some vulture-demons spat at me while climbing a tower.
I also have 50 remaining on me at this point. (and I have I think 28 dark souls. No idea why the aquirable cadeaux are not noted ingame)

A moment for that tower: I really don't mind the buttons in this game. They are not just door-openers, but alwaysstraight told what they do. Very good. It is also giving itself when you are supposed to go and find a button, 'cause w/o it u can't progress ;)

Got the Flambeau. Now unlike the other magical stuff this just held in your hand drains your mana. Too bad, it'd've been a really useful secondary item, being a torch.
This also means some more backtrack.

Coming to that, there is a WP, unmarked in walkthroughs, for the Temple of Fire, at the end of the first trial 8on top of the ziggurat).

Also, the secondary stuffs: they are to be kept in mind. They are not for everyday use,and if you have a thingy in both of your hands you won't be able to play Prince of Persia (grabbing walls at the end of a jump), but they give occasional firepower, what can come in handy. The "dagger" (bayou) costs a lot of mana, but is very strong. The "magic wand" (asson) is like a secondary pistol, and serves good against The Sisters or other grouping flying monsters. It also costs only a fraction of a dose of your energy, so you CAN SHOOT a couple of dozen shots before you expire.

Aside from backtracking the possible doorways at this point are: lvl 4, lvl 6, lvl 7, lvl 10, AND we're waiting to summon night on Liveside.

-------

Done with the backtrack, only one way accessible. I feel freaggin' strong, but I think this is partially for the GoG-version - I don't remember the shadowgun charging this fast, or the shadowgates open that fast. Might be doen sg of course with the stronger computer either.

I THINK I am done with 33% of the game, even if I only have like 30/120 dark souls. Who knows, there could be a harvest somewhere instead of the looking around. Oh, one can hope :ouch:

This post starts to grow too big, so add some content to really make it reasonable to open a new one:
- there are two bosses I could visit any time. Of course I did tried them just for the taste, and the army-guy with the machine-gun seem to offer the tactic of hiding behind a pillar, and shooting him between his shots (he periodically shoots a range of ammo, than stops for a second or two and so on).
- the other guy had a pistol, which autohit. I think I'll need the shield-artifact to protect myself while killing it with a weapon. If that works that way. If not, than just shoot the two biggest gun porrible I assume.

On the official map there are superficial markers to help the player. Most of them r obvious (although bets me why the Temple of Life is not marked, and certain things get way more attention on it than they deserve), but what could the purple lines/pathways mean?!?

Finally let me tell you how intelligently this game is designed:
there is this last location I visited. You pass the usual caves, opening chests, disposing the encountered natives (I really like the enemies here are "natives", and not "monsters in dungeon" ), than you reach a hole you'll have to fall down into. Now be clever and DO NOT jump there.
Instead choose sniper-mode, look down, and "kill" (a lot of monsters respawn, so you don't kill by strickt meaning) the immediate threat. Jump down.
Now you are surrounded by walls. there are crates, but climbing crates again WOULD BE BORING. So instead grab the edges of the wall, and climb holding there on top of the(otherwise too high) boxes. They are on a ramp, so the fence/wall is less tall on one side. You climbthe boxes, and jump into the next cage (the map titled Cageways, heh).
There you encounter more hostiles, so run and STRAFE around to avoid their attacks while disposing them.
Ok, so you are in another cage, surrounded by walls. No, you won't again climb walls and boxes. You'll this time climb a rope (handful to be there, but it is not totally unacceptable).
And when you are out, you can continue your travel BY TRAIN :idea:

The bad side though:
- you can only keep down 2 buttons the same time. I could have used 3 occasionally.
- the replay-value.. Aside that the game is humongous, I think there is little of it. Not that most of us would care.
- at the point I am now I start to feel some more background would be good. I mean right at the beginning there were cutscreens of background and lore, than you find books telling you details and all, than you enter the chapels of the Five - but now what I got for long is mostly gathering a bunch of new items, and even those start to run low. I really wouldn't like the second half/remaining part of the game just turn to be a bigger and bigger massacre of monsters trying to kill you.
- the equipment is really designed to fight ONE enemy at a time. That is kinda limiting.

[twillight]

I think a free-roaming game does best when you can "re-play" it for good after all the leveling, equipment-gathering, questing; without actually restarting from scratch.
So, we'll see how being Lord of Deadside works here. Long way ahead, but keep it in mind. The point was, replay-value can mean two different things.

Let's take a look on the ~game mechanics, aka. what you collect and how does that effect you:
- you gather equipment to have stronger weapons and to be able to do stuff, as almost all equipment is only weapon as secondary function.
- you gather cadeauxes to gain higher maximum HP (most reviews forget this feature).
- you gather dark souls to rise your "shadow level", what allows you to enter more areas, and expands your maximum mana, and maximum charge of your basic weapon.
- you collect mana separately.
- you collect med-kits and ammo cartidges (yet to see this later for me though).

New secret:
You'll need the Touch-gad. Port to Asylum: Cageways, drop down at the entrance to the left, and go until you reach the first rooms after the lava. Go right, climb up the boxes, jump to the second plank. Go to its middle, and jump on/through the third plank to gain Trippy Mode.
What'd even look good, if they wouldn't shake the screen.

New movie: talk NPC1 after gaining La Soleil

What else could you remember more that this is a 3D game than an UNDERWATER CITY?

New secret: Invisible man mode: in Asylum playground there is a corridor with 5 prison-cells on it. In one of the two empty you gain it.
I don't like Asylum: Playground. It is vast, it is twisted but straightforward (mostly), and the noises are really disturbing. I mean they are literally maddening, so perfect they are. Giggles slipping into screams, squeaking of puppies transformed into drill-screams... It'snot easy to have an effect on me, but these ARE disturbing.

After passing the WHOLE of the Playrooms, except thelast part which demands Marsher Gad (= walk lava) I possess 118 cadeaux, and 41 dark souls. This means porting for more max. life, than going for the enseigne,and THAN passing forward.
Btw, I really dislikes Playrooms, if nothing else for a battlewhere you just emerge from water, and are attacked before being able to climb out by no less than 5 shooters. You have to know some things to understand the problem: if you are hit when in water/climbing rope you'll submerge/fall down. You can not shoot/aim a target form underwater, but the enemy can shoot you, at least for a limited dive. So this is totally ridiculous. Fortunately for when coming back most passes could be turned into circles meaning they have 2 enterances - but this took a LONG time here.
Heck, after completion I'll even try to install my old scanner and scan my own maps just to show you XD

-----------

After collecting what I mentioned there'll be 3 open routes, two leading to lvl 7 doors, which I cannot open yet, so for the first time I'll not cleansweap all possible flicks, but go straight for the Marsher Gads in the Temple of Prophecy.

What first looks very straightforward, than it throws you zounds of rooms and passes, and you'll be glad to barely pass to the Gad (tattoo) and go on backtracking.

New Secret: in the Temple of Prophecy in the "flambeau maze" (pretty evident when you are there) I gained Play as Nettie. Very deep voice this Nettie has :D

When I collected enough dark souls to be lvl 7 I ported to get the Marteau, and restart the backtrack.
What actually rises a question, and gives some real free-roaming aspect for the moment.

There are still places I can not open lacking the equipment. I wish the "acid pools" would be more distinguishable from "lava pools" on the top of it, as learning the hard way is frustrating (especially when I forget to save, fortunately no lost data until now).

So, the choices come this way:
- I could go for a single dark soul to the Playrooms, but that seems redundant, as right next to it will be another, not to mention a new weapon, but the weapon will require an accumlator, but to gain that I'll first assemble The Eclipse, kill one of the BOSSES... You see my point.
- I could open a new territory and try to go for the last piece of the Eclipse
- I could do some minor backtracking in Asylum: Gateway, but why go there before gaining The Eclypse?
- before you say "than go for that Ecplipse-thingy" I have to consider 1 redundant passages, to walk them for the purpose being there.
- there is again the Asylum: Cageways just for progressing there too for a while (according to the map of the manual that's the way to the final boss after a while)
- there is also the (Asylum:) Lavaducts, what I heared tended to confuse those who played the game having two identical area (?).
- finally I could go again against the Temple of Prophecy to map it correctly.

Man, I really needed to write all this down, else I'd got lost :)

So, finished the redundant passage, got The Eclipse, and licked the Swamp (this is where you gain the first shotgun).

---------

Glitches:
- when reloading, many times a bunch of mana-skulls pop up at random location.
- grids can stuck into each other, as for ALL 3D games. Simply jump to solve it.
- the dogs after The Ritual become hostile from neutral. The glitch here is, the aim tends to forget them, and shoot above them, they being low-height critters.

[twillight]

Ok, so killed the first boss (military guy with machine gun), and there found a machingun for myself.
Yes, the tactic was to hide in cover when he shoots, and shoot him when he don't. Pretty obvious.

Than ported to the PlayRooms, turned out I can't get the heavy machine gun (violator), as it requires 3, and not 1 accumlator. Doing.
Still, got the remaining two darksouls there, including one local bossfight.
This giant monster has some self-guided missile launcher or what, but the projectiles are slow, and most of it will hit the wall if you don't come out from the ventilator duct for the battle.

NOTE: strange, but true, that the official map lacks marking one of the equipments-to-collect.
Also, could use some ingame info how to use those retractors...

Seems I found a bug. While clearing the Temple of Prophecy the last darksoul appeared outside its sigil. It should have been in under the glyph only accessible by the Calabash (yet to find), but it just appeared in mid-air.

As I (finally!) am lvl 8 shadow man, I decided to go for the last Gad (last part of the tattoo). I imagine it won't make me immun to fire despite I'll be able to swim in acid? lava?, I'll still suffer damage I bet from fireballs.
Stil, if I'll have that, and the Calabash, only items to kill the Final Bosses will remain to hunt, and those don't really effect the gameplay, heh. Definitely no more backtrack. That starts to be annoying, although there isn't much to backtrack anymore with all my thoroughness.

Strange, but I still don't have 300th cadeaux. That means more than 200 is still around.

Areas undiscovered at this point:
- Temple of Blood
- Lavaducts
- Undercity
- Gardelle Jail (3 of 5 bosses, 1 down)
- Merdant Street (1 of 5 bosses)
- Dower Street (1 of 5 bosses)
- second half of Asylum: Cageways
- Engine Block
- Legion (End Boss)
All this at worst 20-30% of the whole game (estimation).

--------

Well, things are harder than they look, as the Calabash has the requirement of lvl 9 :(
Also, while the Temple of Blood is relatively simple, it is made on the thought "do it or die". So almost no threat - except constantly being consumed by fire. At least the maze is not confusing. Btw, there is absolutely nothing in the pool where the Gad is, so don't go and check (the room contains a massive battle).

On battles: with this high lvl it is less problematic even against hordes.

standard enemies are:
- dog: annoying, but not much threat being melee.
- "zombies": the first enemies(?) you come across. Being passive until you get close make them look not-so-nasty, but if you're forced to land in the middle of them that's bad, especially that their projectile(?) can not be avoided(?)
- slasher thingy: the second enemy you came across. Massive speed, and can shoot a very slow projectile from far (so it is not that much of a threat). Just strafe them.
- fat person with meathooks as palms: melee guys. After you have like lvl 5, your charged shots will stun them, making them almost negligable. Until then just back when they are coming and strafe when close.
- gunner fat man: single shot slow projectile.
- sisters: keep them in one side while your back is safe. Do not stay too close to any wall, as they projectile bump back. Strafe their projectiles. They are not that bad, and even in hugh number they fall when you reach lvl 7+.
- skinny red guy with SMG: they only burst periodically, and the projectile isn't fast, so strafe. Not much of a threat.
- robodog(?): dunno what they are, but are melee, hit harder than a dog, but has almost no life. Fun.
- chainsaw guy: the only thing good in them is they are melee. Only lvl 8 charged shots seem to start stunning it. Although melee, its weapon has a massive range. You might try backing, but that hardly helps. When gets close strafe, than back off fast, and you might not get hurt.

Hm, another detail missing from the manual's map: where is the soulgate trace from the Engine Room to Mordant Street?

----

Anyway, got the 300th cadeaux, not that I'd need it (well, don't know about it), and preparing to infiltrate the Lavaducts. 16 dark souls until Calabesh.

Glitch: when swimming in acid for no appearant reason sometimes the game pushes me on the surface.

[twillight]

The difficulty of mapping the later levels comes partially that they instead of corridors work with rooms, and especially multilevel design, what is a nightmare to draw.

Than in the Lavaducts if you are not aware that TWO IDENTICAL mixers are working there, you'll easily get lost.

Although I really wanned avoid it, but after licking clean the LavaDucts I still possess insufficient dark souls, so I have to the Cageways.

Ok, so this game is so "nonlinear" as a Super Mario. Ok, I give to it you collect the wacchamacallings in an unfixed, not left-to-right order, but it still is only "free roaming" in the sense of levels, which includes backtracking previous levels. And every stupid last wassit must be collected (ok, technically you could leave out the cadeauxes, but c'mon, you have to look in every cracks, so they come naturally, and the few which don't are still right before your very eyes, so you'll collect them).
Ok, that was just my frustration.

On the good side the last gad DO makes you totally immun to fire - one less thing to worry about.
Noticed this when I went back to the Temple of Fire (I really did not want to start the Engine Room, ok?), there being the only remaining dark souls I somehow couldn't aquire. This time I even looked up a freaggin walkthrough - still no luck. So just started to aimlessly wonder around and kill stuff (as long as you don't port away they remain "dead"), when I missed a jump, and by that discovered an unfamiliar passageway - the rest is history. 96 drak souls on me, I RIGHT NOW go for the Calabash.

--------

With the stuff went blowing things up. Ended up with 103 dark souls and 82 cadeaux (130 is still unfound according to the manual. No idea why they put there 512 cadeaux when you can only use 500. Maybe forthe feeling you don1t have to collect EVERYthing,despite you must?). And yes, in Temple of Prophecy I found 14 souls from the available 13. Don't ask.

New secret: blowing up the sigil next to Nettie's church and entering the tunnel gave Play as a dog. SPOILER I wonder how many other game offers bestiality. SPOILER

--------

The horror-parts of the game:
- the start is like a ghost-story. Grey, lone spirits in a wasteland of eternity you see. Most people does not appreciate ghost stories, as they lackthe adrenailne-factor, but they can be nice.
- around the middle, particularly in the Aslyum-areas they were working with disturbing noises. You don't actually see the torture, but it is still vivid enough.
- in lategame, Asylum: Undercity they started to play peak-a-boo, the classic "monster jumps on you for scare" basic horrorfilm design. And it works too.

Glitch: re-play a movie, your location in your save will be at the front of Jaunty.

http://imgur.com/m71c6qk

----------

Nothing remains but The Five, the Engine Room, and The Evil from Beyond.
Current dark souls: 106
Current cadeaux: 15 (+ 400 exchanged for max. HP)

The second boss, mentioned earlier, likes to run around - but not if you manage to chase him so close he gets melee.Usually melee means higher damage on you, but at this point noone cares: just equip your shield while max-charging your shadowgun.
If for any reason your mana would deplet switchyour second hand to the SMG you got from the other boss defeated earlier, and win.
In the area of this boss you'll find another SMG, the 0.9 SMG (the previous was the MP-909).

------

There is an unexpected place to use the Calabash: a metal door at the third boss schism arrival. OR, and it is neither obvious, you can shoot with anything a schizmata-symbol at the same location. Both lead the same place: an accumlator.

New Secret: Shotgun Head Mode I got in one of the rubber-rooms deep in the insanity ward.

Oh, just to tell, I gave up creating a map for the Jail. This was the point what was too much for me. I still think I got everywhere, as in the end the complex is not that complicated: 3 section of prison (lizard man's schizm arrival, repo guy section, video nasty killer section), than the insanity ward, and I THINK you can only go ahead, only things right in front of you gets open every time you unlock a new section. Ok, I'm not 100% sure, but WHO CARES.

Glitch: if you alt-tab like me can happen that when you switch back to the game the screen remains black. If this happens, alt-tab until you (again) reach the game's icon. That fixes it.

Ah, came to mind: the third boss. But first: the helicopter:
- the helicopter is ... Victim of bad design, as it ended up worse than in theory. It is in the game likely for no other purpose that The Lizard King is not in the section where you arrive through his portal, but in the 4th section (the other two section has two others of The Five). The basic strategy is to CONSTANTLY strafe and fire it, than you can always just be ahead of its autamatic-weapon-fire. But as it is a flying enemy, you can end up get close to the prison wall, under platform of the next level, what can cover you from the fire (at least it did to my surprise).
- The Lizard King himself ... I'll be flat: is a jerk. You start in melee distance with 'im, has no ranged weapon, also lacks muscle-strength. I pulled out double-shotgun (the shotgun is LAME weapon in this game as it turned out), constantly backed away, and fired until he collapsed. Any of The Five must be finished off with the shadowgun, so quickly changed to it then, and finished 'im off. I was disappointed. (PS: nevermind his flashing and changing form, that just marks his loss of hp, that's all)

------

Seems someone made some computergenerated maps (http://www.yiya.de/games/shadowman/index.htm). No idea how really they work, I rely on my personal maps, but definitely clearer than a housemade drawing.

[twillight]

Not much remains left:

The Mordant Street, "Home Improvement Killer" is an IDOT. There is no challenge defeating him. He is at the end of a long corridor's corner, so you charge - jump out of the corner - release the shot etc. When he finally reaches you he'll barely have any life left.

Cadeaux: 71
Dark Souls: 109/120 (this is VERY good as there'll be another of The Five (110), and 11 more in The Engine Room (121/120!))

NOTE: I have 4 accumlators, so I could go and get Violator-machingun for More Dakka, but as I did not yet used the SMGs, I'll rip Jack to shreds with those.

London is unusually big compared to the other bosses' places. Compared to? f*me, it is so vast it easily another Cageways, or Playrooms, or Asylum Gateway! And there is (was) no map for it! I felt totally overwhelmed!
What you might want to know either way is, that the whole place is one giant circle, except Jack's place, what is connected it througha way starting with blades rotating vertically, only half in the water.
And you know what's the WORST of the place? Up to now, with the end of this level and clean-sweaping EVERY locations to the bone, you are able to collect 499 cadeauxes. Not 500, not 512 - just the measily 499. Dammit!
*checked again drawing a rough map of the Jail, and no cadeaux missed.

Oh, the fighting strategy: Jack is a nasty enemy. He climbs the walls and gets behind you very fast, so you have no chance shooting him. Then he jumps on the back of you causing damage, just to disappear again. Sounds unfair. And yes,this is finaly a place where you are better off with as much HP you can have.
No, you can't just run into a corner and w8 ur chance - I've tried.
The solution is to run in circles in a U-shaped corridor which leads back to the starting room, and you make full circle by jumping to the water and restarting the same pattern. Somewhere along this run he'll jump down and miss you. He won't climb the walls again until lands a hit on you (or swings a hit. Or takes massive damage. I think.). So run ahead - he is slower than you this way. When gained enough distance to turn around w/o getting hit do it, and double-SMG him while backing. Hopefully he'll gain enough damage to jump away before hit you, and definitely suffer enough damage to die sooner than you.

New Secret: in the (women's) toilet you gain Pea Soup Secret.

--------------

The Engine Room is actually 4 different level, which gets connected after solving each part separately. Just to erase confusion.
Also, there seems to be no twists for any of the parts, so no rant from me.
Although I yet to see any of the 13 leftover cadeaux. I think I just give up. Definitely won't go through all the areas just for the hope of some forgotten p*** of s***. I am f*** GOD anyway to collect 499 ANYWAY.
YEAH!

(Too late now. Will finish tomorrow.)

-----------

Hopped for the Violator. Left the full magazines for now, they'll held for the End. You can find bullets for this weapon in barells until now. Worth the More Dakka against the Trueforms. For the times I can't sustain the Enseigne (shield). I suxor when it comes to running around u know.

Anyway, the arrival from the Cageways way easy, from London too.
Then I hopped to New York, and kept blasting in frustration the (once already) opened boxes, but here I found a cadeaux. Wtf, I'm happy like noone else. Go for more elife after this. Arrival from here was not smooth, big welcoming comitee.
Arrival from the Jail in itself is not hard, but the unavoidableshot you catch in as part of the movie(!) is not pleasant. Either way, the hardest part of this section is, that you'll face no less than 6 Truforms (monster-minibosses, first fought back in the Playrooms). That means a LOT of resources.
You even have to fight two at once once.

New movie: after you enter into the Engine Rooms from the Cageways side you get the area-move, and than you can go and talk to NPC 2. One might suspect there is a similar movie with NPC 1, but damn me if I go and figure it out.

New Secret: open the lvl10 door. It is lame, but that's all you get. A sketchbook.

What remains is the final fight...
The first part is easy: back off while shooting with fully charged shadowgun.
The second part... Well, the boss flies, and shoots two thing at you: a straight beam, which is too fast to bother with (either misses you or hits you, you can't do anything 'bout it), and a plethora of selfguided missiles which last very long, and you likely won't see when/if they dissipate.
The theory is to run in circles on the upper platforms to miss the projectiles following you while occasionally shooting the big baddy - but I could not figure out how to win exactly.

:headslap::idea::woot:

In case you have trouble beating the Final Boss:
Start the battle from the very beginning, so Legion is just a suited man.
Equip the Violator and the Shadowgun.
Run in, ignore Legion.
There is his big "throne", held on the sides two coloumns. Start shooting the top of the left column (from your point of view). Use the Sniper Mode. You'll notice bleeding. Keep attacking it (no idea wether charged shots or rapid shots required, but definitely keep shooting from the minigun) until it produces "dying effect", I mean those circulating whitish-blue particles. When they fade (from 10 life-unit you should have 4-6 left) switch back to normal and kill Legion, so he transforms. You shall be put in front of it, wherever you had been. Run in and keep shooting it in sniper mode with the shadow gun. It dies almost immediately.

The source of this bug is likely programmer's fault, as the Worm Form likely not rendered during/after the movie, but is present from the start to preserve resources of the computer or something.

[twillight]

Despitemy better judgement played again Little Big Adventure 1 and it still is as terrible it was for the first go.

- it is very slow. I mean your character is too slow compared to the environment. This also suggests you are better off w/o sound; they might be ok, but they soon would kill you by going on your nerves, being more interesting than what's happening on the screen.
- no. despite you are able, you won't run, because
a) the visual range is too small, and there are enemies everywhere, not to mention walls
b) if you try to run up a stair you'll bump like you hit a wall.
- the small "resolution", better said: visuals, again not help as your attack is slow, and has very-very-immense delay between two shots. And you can't even move the camera.
- your attacks are not just suffer from being slow, but are also impossible to aim, given no auto-correction, or any definite hit aside the general direction faced where you'll shoot at. As there are some intense combat-situations, this is a high priority problem. With arms in not being able to turn fast.
- as this game has "intense situations" mentioned, the lack of run-jump is also a hugh problem at times, especially in the Temple of Bu part two where you run from the spiked log. That part alone will takes hours to finish despite it is a 30 second platforming.
- time-consumation again comes from the factor you can only level-save, and certain maps start with an unskippable animation.
- the save is also a nonsense. You can not only just level-save, but your current save always autosave over itself when you enter a new map. And autosaves on any saves you made while being in-game. Let me explain:
assume you load "first.sav" starting in location 1, you play an hour or whatever, and then you save your location as "second.sav" at location 2, then you quit the game at location 3. What will happen is, when you load either first.sav or second.sav, you'll be at location 3.
No to save properly you'll have to archive-save, meaning:
you start a new game (or load, doesn't matter, the game will be stored as first.sav). You go to location 1, and QUIT playing. Now you go to "mess with saves" menu, and COPY first-sav as second. sav. Now you continue playing with second.sav, and have first-sav as archive save at location 1.
Assuming at this point you fail miserably while playing (game over or something), you do NOT reload second.sav, as that is GAME OVER, meaning you can not load it back. Ever. You also not load back first.sav, that'd be suicide.
What you do is, DELETE second.sav, COPY first.sav as second-second.sav, and THAN "continue playing" with this second second.sav.
- ingame mechanics are not better either. You'll always have too few mana, especially until magic level 4. You'll have always to few health at least until magic level 3. You will have 0 chance regenerating you health/mana bar, lackng the resources. You'll have to use clovers for full-recharge, or more like extra lives.
- clovers only work as "extra lives", because if something start to hit you, you are as good as dead. There is simply no "combo breaker", running away, or anything else, you'll just stunned around until you finally drop dead.
- despite the above annoyance, you should still think like you have 1 LESS clover than you actually have on you, as reaching the point you'll start to use them you'll run-bump into walls, hit by singled projectiles and more, loosing substantial amount of HP.
- one oft he most frequent damager is actually "climbing down on ladders", mostly because there is no such thing implemented in the game. You simply fall like nothing is there and hurt yourself reaching ground.
- if you play by yourself, you'll also easily run out of coins, and will spend hours entering/exiting a certain building with a pot at one side pulling whatever the game throws on you from it, hoping it is a single coin. Lacking any other source of coin-replenishment, thisis a problem. Yes, there are some beings which drop nice amount of coins, but they are always quest-object, meaning they disappear for good after the first occasion.

Yes, the graphic is nice, and the story don't have problems (aside that it is from Monkey Island, being a hunt-for-pirate-treasure), but beats me why this got any popularity, or sold successfully. It'd been a good shareware game, but otherwise nah.

But here is a quick tip entering the HQ: start from the tank. It doesn't move if you were not this time at the other end of the map, so don't worry about it. From semi-behind the wall kill the soldier in the trench. Walk in along the trench to the sandbags. Kill the machinegunner.Jump into its place, and kill the rabbidbunny. If you are lategame and you want to press on, jump out when the tower-machingun is on the east (right) side , so you'll be able to run in on the left. Stay there, and be able to see the red elephant. You'll be able to kill it from here with your ball.

At the end, where there is he room with the machine-penguins have one penguin, run in to the elephant, lay down the penguin, let it blow up the 'phant, take the key and open the door with it. Get another penguin, and kill the rabbidbunny with it. Get another penguin, go to the control-station, run ahead, lay down the penguin, and kill the scientist on your floor by whatever means while the rabbidbunny is blown up by the penguin.
That's what the penguin is actually good for.

A QUESTION: on the first island you get out of the asylum, carried out with the trash-truck, than reach the first area of proper play, where the pharmacist is (who has the red syrup). on the southwest corner, top of a walled-in building is a yellow 'phant. If you kill it it drops a key.
As all key is lost when you leave a map (entering a shop also counts), what this key unlocks?

[twillight]

Man, if this would be ananimation-movie it'd be awesome. This way... It is not so much.
And only the length makes it an actual sellable game, otherwise it should be a freeware.

There happened some improvement since the first game, like you won't beat yourself to death if you try to run,and there IS a way to climb down ladders even if you'd never use it - not that anyone mentions it anywhere either way.
Also, the movie-shots are not lazy-made, so the characters have FACE for example on it.
Again an improvement of the introduction of multiply weapons, too bad you have to experience with what can hit what, they still have the "you don't know where it goes" attitude, and the fights are anyway about outranging the enemy.Oh, and could next time someone tell if a weapon does not feed on mana (laser gun to start with), and will have unlimited ammo, even if you find some ammo separate? (blowgun)

And the length. The game actually isn't that long, and the maps are actually go-straight corridors, just in a confusing design. The confusion if made worst in the first city, where everything is jumbled around (no cross-shaped streets and so on), and the camera-angles are totally weird.
Yes, I know you can manually switch the camera... but that many times worsens the situation further.
Solution could have been: well-designed angles, MOVABLE CAMERA, and/or a regular TPS-view. I really start to think french people just can't get program.

Not that I didn't encounter some enjoyable, good french games. Alone in the Dark 1 was perfectly good in what it did,but there were real good games too: The New Adventures of the Time Machine (http://spong.com/game/screens/11024471/The-New-Adventures-Of-The-Time-Machine-PC/11634) was a classic (and could have been more successful if you could've used the Time gates properly), Blair With Project volume 1 (http://yirorhea.tumblr.com/rustin-parr-game) was totaly working (and could have beena classic if the innovative stuff, like infra-googles would have worked for some use, and the sequels wouldn't ruin it).
LBA2 isn't on that level unfortunately.

And the ending... Totally ruins the experience. The game had already cheap solutions, like only 3 movies for travel when the minimal amount of traveling is 4, but the ending...
Reused parts of other maps, stolen design from Prince of Persia, and a bossfight of Demogorgon from Baldur's Gate(2)... This is just awkward.

A word on the music: it helps tolerating the game, just wish it wouldn't make that screeching noise at times...

Also, they for reasons (sarcasm intended) threw out the levelsave concept, making the clovers to actually provide you just immense amount of HP. Well, in theory at least, as there are not many places you canfind a clover, so you better save a lot. Especially as "you died" even can happen very-very easily. Step in water? Step in lava? Hit anything while hovering? Lava splashed on you? These are just examples what can kill you, no matter what. And as you can't for example judge when you'd reach down trying to jump on that floating tiny thingy in the lavapool... Where for reasons :sarcasm: your jetpack does not work...

Now that's another issue. It SEEMS you can't fall down anymore from edge of the road. Well, not always true (of course only at the most unexpected situations), and this really gets in the way when you finally have the jetpack. Ok, you don't jump into oblivion w/o protection, but you are wearing a jetpack for all sake!

Finally mention missed opportunities: when you get the "jetpack" it is for any reason still the "protopack" from the prequel. Why? Why it never got finished as jetpack? Than it ends up a super-jetpack for :reasons:
And why another planet with again 4 species?
And if you in the first game reached GODLY POWER, how can you level further? How is that every minor mageling starts as lvl5, what is 1 lvl higher than GODLY POWER?

Lastly the very ending: now THAT was anticlimatic. No long-lasting battle, no skill needed, just "activate artifact". And I count that as "positive" for not giving even more problem.

[yoga]

Man, if this would be ananimation-movie it'd be awesome. This way... It is not so much.
And only the length makes it an actual sellable game, otherwise it should be a freeware.

There happened some improvement since the first game, like you won't beat yourself to death if you try to run,and there IS a way to climb down ladders even if you'd never use it - not that anyone mentions it anywhere either way.
Also, the movie-shots are not lazy-made, so the characters have FACE for example on it.
Again an improvement of the introduction of multiply weapons, too bad you have to experience with what can hit what, they still have the "you don't know where it goes" attitude, and the fights are anyway about outranging the enemy.Oh, and could next time someone tell if a weapon does not feed on mana (laser gun to start with), and will have unlimited ammo, even if you find some ammo separate? (blowgun)

And the length. The game actually isn't that long, and the maps are actually go-straight corridors, just in a confusing design. The confusion if made worst in the first city, where everything is jumbled around (no cross-shaped streets and so on), and the camera-angles are totally weird.
Yes, I know you can manually switch the camera... but that many times worsens the situation further.
Solution could have been: well-designed angles, MOVABLE CAMERA, and/or a regular TPS-view. I really start to think french people just can't get program.

Not that I didn't encounter some enjoyable, good french games. Alone in the Dark 1 was perfectly good in what it did,but there were real good games too: The New Adventures of the Time Machine (http://spong.com/game/screens/11024471/The-New-Adventures-Of-The-Time-Machine-PC/11634) was a classic (and could have been more successful if you could've used the Time gates properly), Blair With Project volume 1 (http://yirorhea.tumblr.com/rustin-parr-game) was totaly working (and could have beena classic if the innovative stuff, like infra-googles would have worked for some use, and the sequels wouldn't ruin it).
LBA2 isn't on that level unfortunately.

And the ending... Totally ruins the experience. The game had already cheap solutions, like only 3 movies for travel when the minimal amount of traveling is 4, but the ending...
Reused parts of other maps, stolen design from Prince of Persia, and a bossfight of Demogorgon from Baldur's Gate(2)... This is just awkward.

A word on the music: it helps tolerating the game, just wish it wouldn't make that screeching noise at times...

Also, they for reasons (sarcasm intended) threw out the levelsave concept, making the clovers to actually provide you just immense amount of HP. Well, in theory at least, as there are not many places you canfind a clover, so you better save a lot. Especially as "you died" even can happen very-very easily. Step in water? Step in lava? Hit anything while hovering? Lava splashed on you? These are just examples what can kill you, no matter what. And as you can't for example judge when you'd reach down trying to jump on that floating tiny thingy in the lavapool... Where for reasons :sarcasm: your jetpack does not work...

Now that's another issue. It SEEMS you can't fall down anymore from edge of the road. Well, not always true (of course only at the most unexpected situations), and this really gets in the way when you finally have the jetpack. Ok, you don't jump into oblivion w/o protection, but you are wearing a jetpack for all sake!

Finally mention missed opportunities: when you get the "jetpack" it is for any reason still the "protopack" from the prequel. Why? Why it never got finished as jetpack? Than it ends up a super-jetpack for :reasons:
And why another planet with again 4 species?
And if you in the first game reached GODLY POWER, how can you level further? How is that every minor mageling starts as lvl5, what is 1 lvl higher than GODLY POWER?

Lastly the very ending: now THAT was anticlimatic. No long-lasting battle, no skill needed, just "activate artifact". And I count that as "positive" for not giving even more problem.

Yes,
Alone in the Dark 1
is very nice french game.
:3:

[twillight]

WTH? My Rage of Mages 2 no longer works. No idea why.

[twillight]

I might take the effort installing win'98 on a spare HDD... This situation really gets annoying.

Until that, I replayed Monkey Island. All the first 3 I have.

The Secret of Monkey Island was likely the best graphic adventure game ever. Fun, great graphic, not-too-hard-not-too-easy language, comfortable controls,and almost all puzzles were logical.
Well, it wasn't flawless, as those pesky Random Pirates walk the road before you'd be able to fight them, and I suspect you actually don't have to buy the sword from the shop (not that you wouldn't have the gold), and only people lost will find the "hole in the wood" easter egg, not to mention gaining the Red Herring is pixel-hunt, giving the idol to the cannibals is counter-intuitive (those are told to be precious sacred idols you better not mess with), and following the shopkeeper is less than obvious, but that's really a minority report.
Also, there is an Alternative Ending depending wether you sink the Sea Monkey or not (the official ending seems you do sink it), what is a big plus.

Le'Chuck's Revenge... Well, it is full of even-hunt, what is similar to pixel-hunt, but instead of a random pixel you look for a random place to go/ random thing to say what'll trigger the event demanded o roll the story, and the spitting-contest is "doing the same thing and hoping a different result", not to mention finding Walley (or walking Disney Island), who is on the end of a corridor which looks like part of a maze...
And the ending... It seems obvious thisis the game you finally learn "a disturbing truth on your world" - foretold by the Voodoo Lady in the first game. Who approved that?
There is also an "alternate ending", but that's so unlikely to trigger, doubtable anyone ever would gain it. It is also associated with an Easter Egg.
So, you remember hanging with Walley in the dungeon at the end? The Easter Egg part is to let the time expire. You not only "die" there, but switch back to the intro-scene, than continue.
The "alternate ending" comes as the legend told if you did not participate in the Spitting Contest. Beats me why. Or just not gained the Green Drink? More likely.
This'll not actually be an ending per-se, but an infinite loop, where you miss an item. This can happen if you while going for the map-piece in the antique-shop don't gain the money from the spitting contest, instead buy each thing possible from the antique dealer, then go to the three Lazy Pirate, and wax their peg-leg until your eyes fall out, gain 5999 gold (they always give 1 less old than you would need in the actual chapter I assume, as in chapter 1 you'd need 20 gold and you can get 19 from them), sell back some of his own stuff to the antique dealer,and sail the glass-ship by that money.
The problem is, you can gain 5 pieces of eight in 1 minute, making it 300 gold/hour, what means 20 hours constant mindless clicking for the supposed goal, what even the most lifeless zombie wouldn't do.
BUT the game introduced icon-items instead of text-items, and a lot of advanced hand-drawn graphic, while departing from the "talking head" design, so it has its place.

Curse of Monkey Island is a definite hit. Cool graphics, even better animation, crazy ideas like El Pollo Diablo, and excellent choice of character voices.
The game unfortunately got a bit old, and runs now in emulator instead of full-screen, but as this is not dosbox material anymore, we must be glad they made it for summvm.
The game is definitely for a more adult mind. The puzzles are demanding a wider imagination/knowledge - but they do make sense at least.
One issue though: you can easily miss a good chunk of the story if you don't talk enough. You can still do the stuff, but it'll never turn out why you do what you did. Not that serious for those who re-play the game of course...

PS: aquired a CD1 for my long-not-even-looked-on-it 4th part of this series. Will play tomorrow, or something.

[twillight]

I assume this was the end of it, thrown out the idea of a 5th game.

The controls are clumsy, the graphic... Ok, it is 3D, it was maybe nice enough in its age, AND it did not demand a Voodoo card... but...

It also lacks charm the previous games had. It is just not funny. It is an adventure game definitely, but so general.
Also, even if some puzzles simply insult your intellect for being so primitive, still blocking your way with the issue of controls, many stuff will turn out just totally random shite. Like why sprinkle perfume on the kangaroo? Why is the "solution" of the prohestetics-puzzle on the sewer-cover?

Come to prohestetics, the Abomination of Nature requires these:
- head: 1-2-3
- gut: 2-2-2
- head: 2-1-1
- stomach: 2-3-3
- liver: 1-1-1
- feet: 3-2-2
- butt: 3-3-2

The game also lacks regular-enough cutscenes. And an intriguing story. I mean you just run after Elaine's stuff. No mystical treasure. Even the insult-fights are degraded as you at start know all the insults and answers, collecting which was major feature in the series until now.

Will be an edit after I finish, but don't expect greatness.:sick:

EDIT:
bugs:
- In the prohestetic-shop the skin turned odd-colour, and Guybrush got an eye-cover from the same material: white fabric with yellow-red-blue dots. Lasted until reload.
- after capturing NoNose, if I went back to check his cottage (as just as you arrive you leave it always worth checking) the game/save got corrupted, and Guybrush' walking/running animation got lost, substituted with paddling animation. Solved by reloading save before going back to the house.
- could not heat up the mecha, 'cause when I sucked up the reeds, the game crashed. This actually prevented me from completing the game. Of course it is data-corruption obviously, not the game itself (well, I hope), had to watch the ending on youtube. Not that much interaction remained as it turned out.

Final words: I totally see the satire (and may I say education) in this game, the bothersome part is, this is not going well with Monkey Island. And the controls are bad. And the puzzles are very hard. And the Monkey Kombat learning procedureis ridiculous. The game could've still passed with a better script though, like the scrip of Tales from Monkey Island (developed by another group after Lucasarts practically sold the rights).
I have mixed feelings as the material was really strong. It is just ... NOT MONKEY ISLAND.

[twillight]

I'm really sorry for this game, as by theory it is very good. I could even forget the uncomfortable controls.

BUT. It is timed, you have very few lives, you die just by touching one of the many obstacles, you can't know where you can jump onto, I have 0 idea how to get (use?) equipment, and the X-ray works only for a given period, not as activate/deactivate.

After 2 minutes of trying, I just gave up.

[twillight]

Siege of Avalon

Nah, I'm out of games for a lifetime (as the only remaining games, namely Baldies and Rage of Mages 2) would only work on win'98, and I odn't find it important enough to reinstall that OP.

Anyway, here is some tips on Siege of Avalon:

General tips:
- talk with everyone, and report everything to everyone as soon as you can.
- Do NOT accumlate reportable stuff, you can miss tps that way.
- Kill everything hostile or neutral for extra tp (but never harm friendly ones! Check another walkthrough if you need help deciding what is what). New stuff spawn after the completion of a chapter, so backtrack areas.
- Shops never gain new stuff. No need to check them at each chapter.
- Old stuff and quests disappear at the start of a new chapter. Be sure you killed and collected everything before triggering the new chapter!
- chapter 4 walkthrough is later in this thread

Fighting:
- if you engage melee, don't try to tactic. Focus damage on one enemy, than go the next and the next until noone attacks you. Start the massacre with the mages and archers, or you'll piss blood.
- ranged fighting has three part: if you are both mages or lame archers, itis outdamaging the other. Second version is that your opponent is melee, than you can gain advantage that the damage only happens at the end of the animation, so you can move away while the enemy is swinging (the enemy is too stupid to do the same, so no worry). Third dis if you have a fully evolved archer (hopefully 100 stealth or close), then you are in GodMode and can kill anything without problem.

Starting a character:
- fighter: the easiest of the classes. Put all initial point into Strength. If you have all 6 chapters you'll swim in training points, but there is no skill rising strength, and the best weapons require 16 strength (in chapter 4 for fighters), 10 for your starting weapon, and 12 for the average weapon found on field. Yes, there is a 10 coordination requirement, but before your first fight you can cover this need by a skill.
Actually if you have all 6 chapters you'll barely need to spend any skill point aside buying each and every skill (including spells, and those are mostly trophies), but you'll still have to accumlate as many as you can gather for the sake of chapter 3.
Fighter has a very basic concept: you tank in the first lane with the heaviest armor you can find. Go for the highest resistance bonuses and highest damage topped with attack bonuses (this means use swords as weapon).
Spells and extra gear is mostly restricted to protection from damage (especially elemental damage). And for the sake of chapter 3, as well as all classes there, you'll need stealth-gear, and a bow.
NPCs should be another fighter and Phelic's Apprentice, who is a healer. Anthology version does not allow you to remove items on the NPCs at fixed parts (at earlier patches they only needed to have there something,what made Dinadon ultragood). Ranged offensive NPCs are DUMB and just slaughter your own party, so don't bother.
This class' weak point is the fight with encumberance, but usually you should be able to wield the best available armors. NOTE: the strength statistic has nothing to do with the encumberance-level!
- scout: this is for the most part the easiest of the classes, as soon as you build it up.
Initially rise mysticism to 5 to be able to cast Shadow spell (+50 stealth) as an early solution. Have 12 strength to be able to use your bow. Rest into stealth, because that is the core of the class.
Stealth is a passive invisibility skill in percentage. If you have 100 stealth, you are invisible until you speak to someone, and then you turn visible for only that person. Still should not try melee though. Oh, and while being unseen, all your hits are instant kills (supposedly).
Bows have the restriction to allow only 30 encumberance (called restriction ingame), but this should not be an issue, as only heavy armors have lots of restriction but they are also noisy, so a scout don't wear them anyway. There are some quests which demand heavy armor (in chapter 3), will report them later.
NPCs: you likely don't want any, or only ranged ones, else you'll easily slaughter them. And they hinder your stealthy way. You still want to recruit everyone for the tp though.
- mage: the most complicated class in terms of equipment if you want the more useful hybrid, who can engage in combat himself too, or you can go the pure-mage way what is also not that simple (and there is the problem of waiting for the managlobe filling back).
The developers seem to had in mind at a point that mages should go for high defense, but that simply does not work. You can instead go for a lot of armor and weapon skill with magic alternating depending on the situation, or can try to have as much mystic skill as you can. If you go for a pure-mage you might try to build your equipment with awfully heavy armor, even skipping restriction-lowering skills,as you won't attack with weapon anyway, and that the only bad side of encumberance is, that your weapon deals less damage each hit (ok, after a while your walking speed would suffer too, but as I said, there is way enough points to buy restriction-lowering skills). This later part is also a reason why Phelic's Apprentice is so popular a choice as NPC.
So depending on your plans initially either rise your stats to be able to lift a sword, or put everything into mysticism to have a lot of starting mana. Mage has the advantage of high manapool, so will be able to start chapter 3 with less stealth if needed (initial stealth for this class is terrible).
NPC-wise this class is flexible. You can regularly cast Shadow on an archer for instant kills, or get Phelic's Apprentice and a melee specialist and do double healing, or whatever you can handle.

Chapter 1-2 gives regular combat, 4 is about stealth (with gear you'll have to have there 100 stealth), 3 is about physical damage in confined space, 5 is magic damage in wide open space (a lot easier than chapter 3). Chapter 6 is the boss-battle.

Training:
Here is how much training points you'll need to buy all available skills and spells per chapter, and also what other stat-requirements arise:
- chapter 1: 33, and scout needs minimum 30 stealth to even have a chance to do 1HKO on ahouls
- chapter 2: 185, and need 15 perception for certain quests
- chapter 3: 70
- chapter 4: 70, and need continuous 100 stealth
- chapter 5: 135
- chapter 6: class-dependent: mage - 135, knight - 60, ranger - 85.
You should gather items to cover your perception/charm requirements as much as possible, so you'll have 3 gears to keep an eye for: regular battlegear, questing gear (perception/charm boost), stealth gear (what you can dispose after chapter 4).

Spells:
- charge: the mage class' starting damage-spell. The to-hit radius is miniscule, and it barely has any damage. So, your typical starting spell.
- fireball: deals heat-damage and some crush damage. Your first real damage-spell. It is das, and you castit way faster with 30-50% mysticism. It has some minor self-guide. Its damage isn't that great though, though an item will upp it to the level of frost in act 5. And resistance are plenty, so that isn't world-saving property still.
- frost: deals cold, and has a good manouverablity. Unfortunately it is slow as heck, and after Act 3 it start to feel lacking.
- shrapnel: meh. Supposedly physical damage, but it stinks.
- flame strike: it has pure heat damage, but better use the book whichdoubles the ffectiveness of fireball for all sake!
- great wolf: phyiscal damage, but not that effective, and costs a ton AND the animation is slow
- great hand: physical damage. Only 1 type, so either it'll be completely resisted, or not at all. Comes too late.
- blizzard: NPC only
- shock: NPC only
- aura of iron: as well as the rest of the proteting-spells it has very limited use because the resistances are logaritmical, ca. 90% being the maximum.
- prot. from lightning/cold fire: see aura of iron
- aura of steel: improved version of aura of iron
- heal: your mana gets back way faster than your life. Simply means you don't have to stand around that much. Can also help some in battles.
- shadow: with some act 5-6 enemy can make you invisible. Duration is heavily dependant on mysticism, so don't try to rely exclusively on it unless you have like 30-50 mysticism (might depend from class).
- hold: potentially game-breaking. It renders the enemy helpess for a duration. Plenty of use if you are a pure mage: you hold the enemy/s, and your party massacre them. The duration with high enough mysticism can be so high you alone can make the kill too either by weapon or by switching spell (unfrtunately there are no hotkeys to swap spells). Mostly useful in act 5.
- mana thief: useless
-forget: absolutely useless
- summon wolf: weak as a kitten. Can be useful to trigger faraway enemy.
- mirror image: costs a ton of mana, has limited effectiveness. Best for mage-warrior hybrid.
- heal all: now you canheal the entire part. Problem is, you rarely need to heal the entire party the same time, costs a ton, heals way less than heal.
- deflect: essential. Makes you immun to spells.

Optimum gear at the end of chapters for each class:
#1:
- warrior: there and back for the first time, a glowing diamond ring, signet of latigid, officier's sword, tower shield, black boots, steel gauntlets, splint kilt (steel kilt if can be found), pants, fine steel kneepads, great helm, leather arm splints, giant's pauldron, fine steel pauldron, steel hauberk, armoring doublet (leather armor if you find, I might have overlooked as these two look identical)
- scout: there and back for the first time, a glowing diamond ring, a spell book, hunting bow, black boots of the shadow, leather gloves&bracers, quiver belt, pants, Elven Leather Breeches, 2*studded coif, leather armor, soft leather vest
- mage: chalice of life (it is a quest item which will be taken from you, but for a god portion of the chapter you may use it, and it is far better for a mage than any other), a glowing diamond ring, a spell book, officier's sword, tower shield, old magic boots, gloves: optional, chest 1-4: optional (giant's pauldron and soft leather vest is good choice), steel kilt (would be too for warrior, I might missed this for him back then, but it is here optional too), pants, fine steel kneepads (or whatever), , fine steel pauldron/pants.
Most things are optional, because you don't get hit. Your fireball can face all the one-on-one enemies.
#2:
- warrior: sacrificial dagger (likely result of coding error, but who cares?), a glowing diamond ring, signet of latigid, officier's sword, tower shield, white steel boots, white steel gauntlets, ahoul leather plate kilt, black pants of the shadows, fine steel greaves, fine great helm, steel bracers, giant's pauldron, heart guardian, chainmail hauberk, scale hauberk
- scout: there and back for the first time, a glowing diamond ring, ring of protection (or/for a time: smoldering ring), elven fine long bow, combat boots, hands of the truth (or black gloves), quiver belt, black pants of the shadows, elven leather breeches, 2*soft leather vest, black studded shoulder pads, open black cloak
- mage: the mage's companion, a glowing diamond ring, sacrificial dagger, mystic claw, tower shield, old magic boots, hands of truth, wizard's bracers, chain coif (helmet from Vasek), heart guardian, soft leather vest (changed to rotting black robes when the lich is disposed,but there is no more enemy after that), giant's paulderon, mystic blackrobe (bought from shop, costs 800$), pants, black pants of the shadows, a troll girdle
#3:
*found a bracers called "shadow cuffs" on a lizardman in F7, atthe top bridge. It is a better-than-listed-below stealth stuff.
- warrior: sacrificial dagger, a glowing diamond ring, (whatever third misc you want as I gave the sign of lathigid to Dinadon for more restriction), fine crafted longsword, tower shield, king tortain's boots, white steel gauntlets, ahoul leather plate kilt, black pants of the shadows, king tortain's plate greaves, white great helm, fine steel arm plates, giant's pauldron, heart guardian, king tortain's chain hauberk, king tortain's cuirass
- scout: there and back for the first time, a glowing diamond ring, ring of protection, elven fine long bow, combat boots, hands of the truth, quiver belt, black pants of the shadows, elven leather breeches, 2*soft leather vest, black studded shoulder pads, open black cloak, fedora of the deceiver
You'll also need 48 stealth.
- mage: the mage's companion, a glowing diamond ring, sacrificial dagger, mystic claw, tower shield, old magic boots, hands of truth, wizard's bracers, helm of reason, rotting black robes, giant's paulderon, mystic blackrobe, a troll girdle, king tortain's chain pants, black pants of the shadows
#4:
start the chapter with this gear, independent from class: magical mask, black leather gloves, pants, black pants of the shadows, quiver of fire (or of ice), elven fine longbow, shadow cuffs
- scout: ring of speed, ring of balance/a map (in Village 15-16 where the enemy don't give XP), ring of shadow, draugdur's bow, combat boots, hands of the truth, quivers of lightning (none has resistance for electricity in the entire game), black pants of the shadows, elven leather breeches, tunic of warmth, tunic (from the houndsmaster's tent!), mail of midnight, open black cloak, magical mask
You'll also need 100 stealth after casting Shadows, or 100 w/o it with all the stealth-gear and training.
- mage: NOTE: my equipment is NOT the optimal, because my base strength became my strength adjusted by currently worn equipment. Keep this in mind.
smoldering ring, a glowing diamond ring, ring of shadows, draugdur's bow, combat boots, hands of truth, shadow cuffs, magical mask, rotting black robes, giant's paulderon, mail of midnight, (hundsman's) tunic, quiver of lightning, elven leather breeches, black pants of the shadows
#5:
- warrior: there is no real chance for upgrading your equipment.
- scout: ring of speed, ring of balance*2, draugdur's bow, combat boots, hands of the undying revenant, quivers of lightning, greaves of extinguishing, limbs of the crawling dead, tunic of warmth, cloak of the frozen dawn, mail of midnight, shadow garment of the wraith, fedora of the deceiver, wizard's bracers
- mage: felious' grimoire, ring of magic, tomb of burning pit/ring of meditation, mystic claw, leviathan's scale shield, scarlet slippers of the sorcerer, scarlet gloves of the sorcerer, wizard's bracers, helm of reason, shadow garment of the wraith, scarlet garment of the sorcerer, scarlet robe of the sorcerer, rbes of the ineffable darkness, skeletal sarong of the specter (belt), greaves of the feaver guard, black pants of the shadows
#6:
everyone should get the magic amulet for finding new apprentice for Phelic.
- warrior: no reason not to wear all pieces of the special gear. Aside that (and the magic amulet) I suggest these: leviathan scale shield, black pants of the shadows, white great helm, troll girdle, the book of elements, and any thrid miscaleanous item you want (ring of balance or ring of greater health suggested).
- scout: ye, ye, you get a new bow with quivers. As long as you have any bow, it doesn't matter whatyou wear if you wear anything at all.
- mage: the same as the previous chapter, with some changes for the boss-fight: 1) get the robe Anthamas made 2) Mithrias actually has some spells that can break through. To prevent this wear some resist-gear: sparkling gloves (electric resistance), book of elements (instead of Fester's tome), and the Magical Amulet the new apprentice of Phelic gives 3) for offensial purpose wear the tomb of burning pit. This combined with the robe Anthamas gives makes you able to literally incinerate entire armies.
NOTE: depending on the patch you might end up with some named items missing from your version. Do your best. I actually make a chart to decide (problematic as the game is sensitive to alttab), might upload it somewhere later. No suggestion includes items bought from shop.

Chapter helps:
#1:
Warrior will have hard time with a two-archergroup in Village 4, the ahoul guarding the locked chest, and the shaman.
Scout has problem with any archer (if they roll sniper hit you're as good as dead, so save regularly) and the shaman (you must hope for a cast shadow -> do 1HKO there).
Mage: just your maximum mana. Only the Ogre because of it will pose real problem, and you'll stand around a lot waiting to be recharged (there is no manapotion, and Borther Curly is so far away you'd gain nothing most of the time visiting him).
#2:
If you have company watch out, as in the latest version unlike in the previous versions mercs don't get autoheal if you click on them and then click another character (the other merc or the protagonist).
Other minor tip: Waynar does not appear until you kill Lydia's body. Make yourself an easier time by going up before his group spawns and kiling some troops. And against the lich you just have to hold on, so no need to attack, or keep the second party-member there (although bigger grouő makes things easier, but it takes so much time to walk around).
Scout: the skills are good investment, so for the first half (until cave 2 or further) you won't have a chance investing into stealth, so you'll have to save regularly. Things get better if you get Wyatt who has 50+ basic stealth, so just cast shadows on him regularly,send him out and let him snipe down everything.
All the gear-choices also relate to what's your plan with Wyatt. I see a chance keeping him on the long term just by pushing his stealth skill through equipment to continuous 100 while the main character will get its stealth from skills and leftover gear. Also, Wyatt's strength is punny, so if you want to give him anything but hunting bow you'll have to provide him the strength-gear instead keeping them for yourself (at least the Smoldering Ring and the Hands of Truth).
Hardest enemy are the lurkers as they tend to notice you no matter what (and you meet them pretty early too), and they are fast too. So don't forget to save between fights.
I kept around Phelic's Apprentice for this, but you're likely better of with some melee NPC, unless it turns out like maging, where friendly projectiles can hurt/kill your own party.
Mage: You mana is good, but your spellcasting is not fast enough yet, sobring some NPCs to the caves. The ideal party is a rogue and a warrior: the rogue can be shadowed (Wyatt) and sent to safe massacre, while the warrior is for tanking (I brought Vasek). There are the big lurkers vs ahouls fights in the caves though where you're better of leaving the party behind, and you circling the enemy.
#3:
The hardest quest in the game is here, as one of the trainings you can get: you have to fight 3 "swords" in a confined space, w/o party (they are not let in). SAVE before trying, and hope only 1 sword activates. Kill it, and activate another sword by casting on it. The warrior is pretty invincible, and the mage should be able to deal fast damage. Yet to try how scout performs.
Also, the last fight is long and trying, no melee merc has any chance (the new melee mercs are pathetic anyway), so recruit Kalevi for this event. He can not wear any items not already on him, but used with caution will turn out a worthy addition. And you can dismiss him after done.
Scout: To beat the swords you need to be undetectable. That ment for me 48 stealth for what the shadow spell gave me 100, which is 2 more than it is supposed to, but I won't complain. Actually, you could easily just rise you stealth to 100 natural, but I like to restrain myself for sparing points by later equipment and skills. Not that it'd be needed, but atleast now we all know how that quest weight.
For the chapter you might want to rely on Wyatt if you don't bump your own stealth to 100 right there. He'll happily snipe down everyone if he has 50+ natural stealth (that's 100 with shadow spell). Your mana should cover the need of the spell with minimal standing around for recharging.
Forget Kalevi. He can't even hold his own weapon, and can only wear as extra misc items, which I only had 1 Smoldering Ring around to bump his strength by 1 while he'd need 2. For the final battle leave behind your pryt, and go alone. The Baron is immortal, and the NPCs just make themselves killed as you can't tank for them.
Mage: for the first part have 50 stealth and cast shadows regularly. This time I went killing everything which I knew not needed from meta-knowledge, so the order was: V1-2-3-4-5-6-10-9-13-14-7-8-11-12-15. Only the scout goes to V16.
#4:
Lacking a sufficient walkthrough you'll have to READ who you should visit, but that's mostly obvious within the keep (except when you come back with the new of the ram, and they say go to the alchemist, but first you have to go to Elzarath!). In the village it is more problematic. What you should do is to talk the first generic-named ahoul until your journal gets updated (their speech is randomly generated). From then on you can kill any generic ahoul you want. Then there are two ahouls which are part of a sidequest: Kellden and Darg. Do not kill them before completing what they want. And do not kill any named ahoul before talking to them. Also, there is the Scoutmaster and Old Ben who I never tried kill as they are "good guys". Btw, Scoutmaster worth XP.
Finally it is pretty easy to miss certain equipments (chests being hidden from eye, item looking the same as generic objects). Be thorough (or consult a guide). Oh, and collect all rings. One ring can rule them all, but you're better off with all of them!
scout: have 100 natural stealth before entering Elazar's tower. That'll make thing easier. Also, in this chapter Wyatt's stealth is incrised to 93. THIS CAN NOT BE INCRISED FURTHER. Do not remove or add any item to him in this chapter which has bonus to stealth, that'll ruin him!
Also, in Frosthelm's dungeon move around cautiously, else the Doomfrosts can harm you. Still, with Phelic's Apprentice Icharus + Wyatt you should be safe even if you go too close and one starts to attack.
In Inferno the Fire elementals are way too agressive. Your stealth will only work like half the time, so save after each and every opponent eliminated. Preferably just get through that place asap. No, fire resistant gear do not help.
#5
Most if not all stuff from the shops goes obsolate at this point, maybe with the exception of golden hauberk/cuirass (less so if you have this anthology version), and two mage-only odities.
The most annoying part in this chapter is at the very beginning: the wraiths in Elazar's tower are immun to physical damage AND can temporarily turn immun to magic too by casting. And the NPCs are far from being clever. So save and fight them one by one.
For the other realms you don't need much preparation. Frosthelm only demands 1 ring of greater protection from cold per charater, and Inferno 2, although there beware of the fire elementals, as somehow no matter your protection they can just mutilate your health. Deal them one-by-one, preferably with boosted frost spell, and always save after each kill. Oh, another annoying thing on them is that they float over inaccessible terrain many time.
Might be a good idea to go to Notsuoh and get the deflect spell early,despite this makes no sense story-wise. Mages don't need this trick that much as they can simply hold all nousance. A party helps too.
#6
I hope you learn Deflect. Heck, there is no reason you should not learn yourself ALL spells from scrolls, as you can't pass them to the mercs.
I hope you do not store anything in the south gate levels, because they will be lost soon.
WARNING. One of the stuff you must aquire (quest) is from a merchant (George), who offers his stuff ONLY ONCE. You should have plenty of money at this point, and your equipment does not change the price (1,000 gold) as it turned out, still, this is cruel.
Also: do NOT fight the enemy when you don't absolutely have to. It is a waste of time.
Lastly: this chapter differs for the classes. You'll get your own class-quest, class-gear, and won't have access to any of the others.
scout: leave the NPCs, you won't need them. Be ABSOLUTLY SURE Mudam gives you the Amulet of the Unseen, else the candelabra won't appear inside the place where the class specific stuffs are, soyou won't be able to get access. Not that it'd have any consequence.
To hold the floor (you'll know when) you should just run around until friends arrive and dispose the enemy.
Final fight, warrior: if you did not spent your training point like I, you should have 500+ point after all training and spells bought (although you should only have used heal, shadow, fireball, frost, deflect). Spend all point to strength for insane melee damage. Cast deflect, and hope your own damage what Mithrias reflects to you (he'll be busy casting spells which all will be deflected) won't kill you before he dies. The whole fight will last for ca. 5 seconds this way, lol.
Final fight, scout: you don't need to fight the ahouls at the yard before Mithrias, just run downward and hit the teleport. As soon as you appear before Mithrias RUN AWAY, cast Shadows, and murder the scum. He really won't notice you this way,and goes down by a sniper shot.
Final fight, mage: total easy. Put on yourself a deflect, then just keep blasting him away with fireball. You don't even need to spend any of your 500 training point.

[yoga]

SOA
is my future game.
....
OFF

Well, i uninstalled F3 because of many bugs.
FNV is installed and started.
Sadly, file created with PrScr was very big but i re-sized it to show my very first step.
Strange detail:
The voices are English but text is Russian.
No problem for me because i like Russian lang.
(Pls, excuse me dear SS).
I passed F1,F2 and F Tactics.
:3:

[twillight]

SOA
is my future game.
....
OFF

Well, i uninstalled F3 because of many bugs.
FNV is installed and started.
Sadly, file created with PrScr was very big but i re-sized it to show my very first step.
Strange detail:
The voices are English but text is Russian.
No problem for me because i like Russian lang.
(Pls, excuse me dear SS).
I passed F1,F2 and F Tactics.
:3:

Lol, remembers me a copy of Evil Dead 3, which spoke english, but had norvegian subtitle burned on it XD
Gogogo with New Vegas, and don't forget to tell us if you ended up with small guns, energy weapons or big guns!

[yoga]

Lol, remembers me a copy of Evil Dead 3, which spoke english, but had norvegian subtitle burned on it XD
Gogogo with New Vegas, and don't forget to tell us if you ended up with small guns, energy weapons or big guns!

:whistling:
Ha ha ha,
have to learn Norwegian lang.

[twillight]

Tried to install it (was in a magazine). Turned out, it is hardcoded to only work with company X's totally unnecessary videocard Y.

This is just outrageous. Noone needs a videocard nowdays. The computers in the shops are so strong, even the sellers confess you can't use them out even if you try to at full capacity. So adding another accelerator (a video card, which has the power only a fraction of the computer, thus again totally unnecessary, as it simple can't make things work noticeably faster) is just dumb.

You should have amnesia relating the Amnesia-series. Because it is nothing else then pulling money for no conent from your pocket.

[Capo]

SOA
is my future game.
....
OFF

Well, i uninstalled F3 because of many bugs.
FNV is installed and started.
Sadly, file created with PrScr was very big but i re-sized it to show my very first step.
Strange detail:
The voices are English but text is Russian.
No problem for me because i like Russian lang.
(Pls, excuse me dear SS).
I passed F1,F2 and F Tactics.
:3:

You ever buy games yoga ?

[yoga]

You ever buy games yoga ?

Si,si.
Wait a scanned CD photo which i bought when You was still not born.
BTW, are You games seller?
Do You remember some time ago asked me - yoga, why you are so much obsessed with the game Betrayal at Krondor?
As an answer i stop forever discussion about this game after competent opinion of well respected twillight concerning bad graphic of BaK.
May I ask now why You are so much obsessed with above mentioned question?
Thank you.
Grazie.

[Capo]

Cause stealing stuff is not good, guess is not like that is east-europe.

[yoga]

Cause stealing stuff is not good, guess is not like that is east-europe.

Thank You for kind words.
But You do not read what i wrote You.
Immediately when return from Sofia to my native town of Asenovgrad ( i have no scanner here)
i will scan and send You my stuff with paid and legal software.
Anyway, may i very politely ask You to stop this discussion,
which is very unpleasantly for me because You accuse me i am pirate.
Yes?

[twillight]

Do You remember some time ago asked me - yoga, why you are so much obsessed with the game Betrayal at Krondor?
As an answer i stop forever discussion about this game after competent opinion of well respected twillight concerning bad graphic of BaK.

Oooh, I ruined someone's childhood :blush: Achievement completed!

Cause stealing stuff is not good, guess is not like that is east-europe.

Who knows where yoga gets his stuff.
Also, legality of softwares varies from country to country. Let's trust each other that our copies are not warez, k?

[yoga]

Oooh, I ruined someone's childhood :blush: Achievement completed!



Who knows where yoga gets his stuff.
Also, legality of softwares varies from country to country. Let's trust each other that our copies are not warez, k?

:smile2:
Dear twillight,
First pls excuse me i soil Yr thread with our
little misunderstanding with my friend Capo,
concerning fundamental question:
Is yoga pirate or not?
Hmmm.. i think this character yoga is not holly angel
but he is not bloody pirate at all.
...
As usually You are very kind.
Still BaK is my childhood love.Bocsánat.

:whistling:

OFF
Before hours i returned to my town.
My first target were my newborn red peppers (chillies).
High - about 25 sm.
Gladly, the are very good.
With foresight i put their plant pots in bigger
vessel, filled with enough water to be feed with water during my absence.
Moreover i supply my chillies with very effective bugs who eat their enemies - plant louses.
I had 13 chillies and only one died. Maybe fatal number is not good idea.
It is very good playing in desert Mohave (Fallout New Texas) to be surrounded by nice greenery and listening traditional Irish songs.
Only 2 passed games to the number 100.
Go, brave!

[twillight]

The funny thing is, Capo did not ruin anything, as I myself was ever-curious how can you lay hands on so many games.
Nao we know.

Grat to the chillies too. I have 3? 5? pots, and I use the harvest as C-vitamin source for the winter. Still have almost half the package thx to no snow around, and that I realised they should be eaten like spirit drank: slowly, very slowly. One cup of snaps should be drank under the same time as a pint beer :ouch:

[yoga]

The funny thing is, Capo did not ruin anything, as I myself was ever-curious how can you lay hands on so many games.
Nao we know.

Grat to the chillies too. I have 3? 5? pots, and I use the harvest as C-vitamin source for the winter. Still have almost half the package thx to no snow around, and that I realised they should be eaten like spirit drank: slowly, very slowly. One cup of snaps should be drank under the same time as a pint beer :ouch:

:whistling:
True!
When i eat a small piece of my chillies then my speed is increased from 1 meter/sec. to 50 meter/sec.
Before some time i visited a restaurant in the nice town of Budapest.
I asked the waiter to offer me the very best Hungarian dish.
And he offered me goulash.
But, but it was terrible dish, amigo.
So much chillies in this goulash than Yr humble slave started to cry, tears on my face and all kitchen personnel stared on me and smiled.
You are abs. crazy!
How can You, Hungarians, like so much dish full of chillies?!
.. i am sure that Italians for example do not use chillies at all.
But Yr wine of Tokay is the best in the world.
Bravo!
:perv:
PS:
Have i kill all demolishers around or not?
i visited some private house, steeled all stuff and .... lost all karma!
To reload game and be a good boy?

[twillight]

:whistling:
And he offered me goulash.
But, but it was terrible dish, amigo.
So much chillies in this goulash than Yr humble slave started to cry, tears on my face and all kitchen personnel stared on me and smiled.
You are abs. crazy!
How can You, Hungarians, like so much dish full of chillies?!
.. i am sure that Italians for example do not use chillies at all.
But Yr wine of Tokay is the best in the world.
Bravo!
:perv:
PS:
Have i kill all demolishers around or not?
i visited some private house, steeled all stuff and .... lost all karma!
To reload game and be a good boy?

Haha, gulash don't even has chilli in it! Just some regular, 10 times weaker than chilli paprika :ouch:
You'd want spicy food, you should order some at the local asian-fastfood kiosque :suspicious:
Otherwise, people usually complain the fat in hungarian foods (gulash, stuffed paprika, pörkölt, hurka etc.), not its spicyness, lol

NEW VEGAS: as far as I remember you are better off reloading. Bad guys even in the fallout-series don't gain much in return. Best to only attack who attacks you/is quest to kill.

[yoga]

Haha, gulash don't even has chilli in it! Just some regular, 10 times weaker than chilli paprika :ouch:
You'd want spicy food, you should order some at the local asian-fastfood kiosque :suspicious:
Otherwise, people usually complain the fat in hungarian foods (gulash, stuffed paprika, pörkölt, hurka etc.), not its spicyness, lol

NEW VEGAS: as far as I remember you are better off reloading. Bad guys even in the fallout-series don't gain much in return. Best to only attack who attacks you/is quest to kill.

Rodger that!
Merci.
:smile2:

[twillight]

Ye, I know. This game likely sux. Who cares, I have it, never tried it, but seems to work, so let's give it a try!

And I'll do it completely blind!
Well, after reading the manual. Ok, not the manual what sux, but some source which contain the information the manual should have.

Skills: the new versions are confusing like heck, each skill giving different bonuses based on class, but I'd be damned to look all these and check all the artefacts like for the M6-8. I'll just go by the proficiencies.
Axes gone for good, they never could design a good one anyway. For any reason there came thrown weapons which I could care less. Unarmed is still here which again not attractive for me.
Removing daggers on the other hand seriously limited things. No sword+dagger by expert level, no dagger at all to mage/lich...
Spells got merged: there is no more fire/earth/etc., just "elemental", also only spirit remained from cleric spells. But just to f* u up now learning spells is again confusing as heck, so again i'll just go with what I find along.
There still is the IDmonster, and all the accustomed supplementary skills. Fine for me. Crucial ones are, based on previous installments:repair, perception, id item, disarm. Given that hirelings also got messed up, preparing to develop IDitem.

Classes: initially I'd choose Gladiator, Lich, Assassin and Druid just for sounding cool. Unfortunately druid still sux for being the unarmed fighter instead of a caster, so reconsider by skill-need.
I'll need Priest. For whatever reason this class, despite how I hate it for forcing religion on your throat, has GM repair item. And the last thing you want to is a broken weapon in a big fight, so there you go.
GM Perception is cool, and dodge allows some interesting messing around with Ranger. Why not.
ID item is Mage. Mage is a Priest clone here, and should fok it. I'll spend some gold on ID instead, but still go with a Lich!
Fourth... Skill-wise Assassin would have GM disarm, but than I'd lack the tank making my party fragile. Gladiator sounds so awesome!
Gladiator: spear + shield gm, armsmater + body building gm, disarm m
Assassin: blade can go gm but who wants that. Spear m, shield expert only. Hm, maybe spear + sword combo from MM6.

Races: elf gives accuracy (at the price of endurance), so ranger will of course be elf. Dwarf is the ultimate fighter throwing away magic for more stats (HP). Halforc gains might for speed, so gladiator only.

Good ideas until now:
- simplified character progression. This might prevent you start with 1 HP mages and crap.
- less, but hopefully each-of-them useful spells.

---------

Ok, the intro sux. The graphic is lower than expected even from a wallpaint, the "story" is at best an afterthought, but it is not miserable.
And although the character-portraits are limited, and seems to be attached to the voice, but I don't feel this a problem. Prequels had either terrible draws, or 50 years old pornstar-faces mostly, so I always chose the same faces. Here I feel all choices viable.

The sound-setting is still only applies after you hit ok, making the setting difficult as you don't know what you are doing.

Patch seems a must. I could care less for most features of the official patch, but HP/MP regeneration IS an issue. You'll notice if this is installed as there is a background-music in the main menu, but no version-number is anywhere.

1.3a patch is unofficial and should stricktly be installed after the official patch is applied. I have no idea how you know it was applied.
It is like a usual patch, messes around numbers which had no problem for "rebalancing", and "reinstalling original intention", and fixes invaluable features, like done quests not removed like you couldn't remember anyway.
The parts that can be useful are a quest working properly (because random can generate the reward elsewhere), some locks remaining open (puzzle related?), and certain dungeons can be done not just for the first, uninterrupted go, or prevented to be accessible if planned conditions don't met (aka. opening puzzle not solved).
I decided to install this, but as it is a double-edged sword, and doesn't seem to do anything from the absolutely must have category, you should decided wether you want it or not.
Also worth mention there are some other unofficial patches (1.3, 2.0), but those are lamer than this and not compatible.

------------

I made my troops.
Too bad you can't choose ALL the skills in the game, I'd give throwing to my lich-wannabe. Who will be a half-orc from sheer frustration.

Races are totally at imbalance.
First: humans: unless you want a character with absolutely balanced stats, you should not bother.
Second: Elves rock. Their prime stat is accuracy which is always useful to anyone, and the bad-stat is endurance where 3 point won't hurt you that much. If you minimalise the bad-stat and max the prime stat you'll still have 15 extra statpoint to distribute if all other stats are 10. This is 2 more than for any other races. So there is no reason to not havea full-elf party.
Dwarf: the HP-powerhouse. If you want a meatshield, make a dwarf, he1ll start with double HP (40 instead of 20 if endurance is maxed (25 at start), and the others have 7-10 for comparsion).
Half-orc: speed being the bad-stat is already not attractive, and might being the prime stat is at best mediocre. No hugh HP, no repair gm for gladiator... the only really good in them is they still gain some extra stats if you go with the racial stats, and they have the best portrait.

When starting the game did not respond after loading. I alt-tabbed, and it started to work. Lag? Annoying definitely. But it works, so oh-well. Oh,and the character-sheets' portrait are associated to wrong characters.
My party:
http://i.imgur.com/RPGU7na.png

[twillight]

It is terrible. The first island is EMPTY. Nothing to pick up.
Seems there is no alchemy in the game (relief), no amount of item restriction (relief), no food (relief), no respect (relief. No need to worry for paying gold and killing townguards for bad deeds).
Now you actually have to walk inside houses. I don't know why the old "we talk standing in the door" method did not fit, but whatever. Maybe the goofy looking 3D-monster-people were more important. Also, no hirelings on the street (or in houses). Yet.

I wandered around pushing useless buttons, entering The Secret Cow Level, and got frightened when jumped from very high (into water so no harm done, but swimming seems pointless).

Then came The Attack of the Red Dots!
Seriously, I could not identify what they were at all.

There are though two reasons why I probably won't play this game unfortunately:
- before the gamebreaking feature I confess I got computer-sickness. That's a problem.
- the unavoidable problem though is the loading system. Whenever I load I have to alt+tab to get the screen back from the loading screen. Also, after changing area, the game just froze. If this'll happen every single time I'll enter a dungeon, I'll be forced to give up and watch the cutscenes on youtube or something.

By the way, what crappy storytelling is this? My party asced around about some guy I have no idea who he is. The cutscene also told this:
"After the tremendous losses of the battle of Fondale, noone was eager to go to their death. A few have tried - none have returned."

WHUT? After a lot of people died noone tried to go and die, and those who did try to go there to die have not succeeded because they died?!? WHO SMOKED WHAT?

[yoga]

Relax, amigo, relax.
:smile2:
Concerning my intention,
very politely will note,
You are wrong.
..and take it easy.
Anyway MM9 is only game and...stupid game..
:OK:

[twillight]

Relax, amigo, relax.
:smile2:
Concerning my intention,
very politely will note,
You are wrong.
..and take it easy.
Anyway MM9 is only game and...stupid game..
:OK:

While it might not be obvious to others, I actually like(d) MM9. The changes were enough to produce a next installment, and if the story correct/explains itself later, it might even be good.

It is just obviously rushed. And that loading-problem.:cry:

[yoga]

While it might not be obvious to others, I actually like(d) MM9. The changes were enough to produce a next installment, and if the story correct/explains itself later, it might even be good.

It is just obviously rushed. And that loading-problem.:cry:
---
I am in the second town - Stumford.
We are 5 persons - 2 fighters + 2 initiatives +Forad Darre
Strange - there is no way to know his stats?!
Front line - 2 fighters + Forad Darre
Second line - 2 ladies
Moment status : 1 person - level 4
3 others - level 3
Foral is hiding his stats.
I do not know how to transfer stuff between members,
how to drop down some object.
Rats!!
I have no loading-problem.
Win 7 pro 32-bit
Coeff. = 5.9 from max of 7.9
No bugs till now.
Even game-play.
But..but plot is very poor and graphic is very monotonous..
I think that this game is step back from previous games.
But who is yoga to evaluate the games?
Just humble gamer with 103 passed games only.

[twillight]

---
We are 5 persons - 2 fighters + 2 initiatives +Forad Darre
Strange - there is no way to know his stats?!

I do not know how to transfer stuff between members,
how to drop down some object.
Rats!!

I have no loading-problem.
Win 7 pro 32-bit
Coeff. = 5.9 from max of 7.9
No bugs till now.
Even game-play.


No, there is no way to check the hirelings' stats. In contrary I heared they can fight along you, and get hurt? If you notice he died tell us after resurrection of course.

To swap items simply drag&drop the item to portait. I did not try to get rid of anything, even useless junk worth 1 $, so I'd just dump all trash to one character and sell in shop. Unless it turns out here is item-limit. Will investigate when I launch the game again how to drop.

I neither noticed bug, aside I had to say goodbye to Grandpa a second time to gain the two skillbooks at the start (the net warns you you have to talk with everyone about everything, and talk again just in case, so lol).

Grat for no loadscreen-bug!

[yoga]

No, there is no way to check the hirelings' stats. In contrary I heared they can fight along you, and get hurt? If you notice he died tell us after resurrection of course.

To swap items simply drag&drop the item to portait. I did not try to get rid of anything, even useless junk worth 1 $, so I'd just dump all trash to one character and sell in shop. Unless it turns out here is item-limit. Will investigate when I launch the game again how to drop.

I neither noticed bug, aside I had to say goodbye to Grandpa a second time to gain the two skillbooks at the start (the net warns you you have to talk with everyone about everything, and talk again just in case, so lol).

Grat for no loadscreen-bug!

Yes, hireling stats are hide.
But after so many battles i may say that this character is immortal. I did not saw any case when he died and resurrected. He is like my partner in FNV - the robot Ed-3, which never die.
I will cont. to observe behaviour of this character and will report if he die and resurrect.
--
Thanks for advice how to transfer stuff.
--
You need money?
Did You jump in the well (located 200 meters before trainer) to find at the very bottom 2 bags with 300-400 bugs?
Do You know that if You left the second town and cont. right You will find soon forest with 10-12 birds. Kill all of them.Every monster will give You 14 bugs.Then cont. to the road. You will find robbers around camp fires.
Battle tactic: Distant bolts, then meet them in direct battle. Do no allow to be enclosed. When some robber bend his hands it is a signal for firing; move left-right to avoid bolt. Again continue. You will find closed fort with 2 strange lizard-like monsters around. Kill both.
After a while robbers and bird-monsters will appeared again.
This way i up my Exp to 7000 points.

[yoga]

Here we are.

[yoga]

..and 3 more. The fifth hero is anonimous.

[Capo]

Will you make a video ?

[yoga]

Will you make a video ?

:smile2:
Will You a----k me?
If No, Yes.
:smile2:

[Capo]

:smile2:
Will You a----k me?
If No, Yes.
:smile2:

Only if you want and have time, no problem if you dont do it ;)

[yoga]

Only if you want and have time, no problem if you dont do it ;)

:smile2:

[yoga]

Pray,
hope
and wait,
Mr. Rickett.
Maybe today will be Yr happy day.
:smile2::smile2:

[twillight]

You can't have more gold than me:

http://i.imgur.com/3Suyh1a.png

[yoga]

Dear twillight,
Would be so kind answer me the next 2 question, slightly philosophical?
Thank You very much:
1-What can change the nature of a man?
2-Why some persons like Yr humble slave believe in God, till others like …;) not?
Again my sincere thanks for Your time and help.
To compensate You let inform You that:
Realization of Fallout 4 will start this October.
One secret for You only:
There will be a dog who will help the hero.

[twillight]

Dear twillight,
Would be so kind answer me the next 2 question, slightly philosophical?
Thank You very much:
1-What can change the nature of a man?
2-Why some persons like Yr humble slave believe in God, till others like …;) not?
Again my sincere thanks for Your time and help.


Dunno how it helps, but as you insist...

1) I pretty much agree on what Planescape says. Or nothing.

2) religion is a persisting bronze-age cultural phenomena.
Its persistence comes from a multitude of reasons:
- threatening unbelievers with death
- causing psychological damage to young ones
- segregation from everyone else
- promising to answer The Big Questions
and so on.
Others find enough doubt, realism, self-trust and chance to live outside the cult to no longer fall for the con-mans.

If sy gets offended by the above, I don't care.

[yoga]

Dunno how it helps, but as you insist...

1) I pretty much agree on what Planescape says. Or nothing.

2) religion is a persisting bronze-age cultural phenomena.
Its persistence comes from a multitude of reasons:
- threatening unbelievers with death
- causing psychological damage to young ones
- segregation from everyone else
- promising to answer The Big Questions
and so on.
Others find enough doubt, realism, self-trust and chance to live outside the cult to no longer fall for the con-mans.

If sy gets offended by the above, I don't care.

Offended, me?
You do not know me, dear twillight.
Vey sad.
First, i respect You so much to be offended by real Wizard.
Second, i am jester-like person, but trust me good one.
Third, seriosly, i respect everyones right to speak/defend his political/religios believs.

I was really offended first time only when one forum member told me:
- yoga, y"re cheating in that game..
No, no i will never tell You who was. He knows.
And second time when other member told me:
- yoga, y"re real idiot.
Because i did experimet with my security, being without antivirus program about six years. I swear in my mam and dad that during this test period NO one friend, relative or client was virused by me..
Now?
I do have 2 antivirus programs: Stopzilla and Malwarebytes
:smile2:

[twillight]

Offended, me?
You do not know me, dear twillight.
:smile2:
No, not you. But this is an open forum-page.

[yoga]

Pst!!......
Tired and go to sleep.

[twillight]

Decided to do Fallout Tactics again this time with a single SuperMutant protagonist as fighter in though-guy mode (no saving during missions).
Used the game's own editor to fix the SM-char in "races mod" (its only function to allow you play non-human races in the single player campaign).

Starting stats: 9 strength (to carry around Browning) / 6 perception (machineguns don't need more) / 4 endurance (oh well) / 1 charisma (who needs company?) / 6 int (still ca. the same skills as a gifted char with 9 int) / 8 agility (7 minimum for perk, and the extra point helps until bug guns appear) / 6 luck
Traits: Ham Fisted (bonus tag), Fast Shot
Tags: big guns (prime weapon), unarmed (until big guns are available), sneak (bullets hurt), steal (the general has the first available big gun and a small amount of ammo too)
Throwing will also be a skill on the "do not forget" list, although during mission1 it is entirely useless (and will be like that until being able to invest into it heavily).

First mission: the people with shotguns are dangerous, as well as crowds. Healing stuff is plenty and Stitch is with you too. Do not make your company killed: Stitch should stay with you to make inventory-management easy, and Farsight can open some locks until you find spare skillpoints. Mission 3 will have a notoriously "come back later for it" safe anyway, so likely I'll keep her around until that.

---

Arriving back to the bunker lets you save finally. Clvl: 3. With steal 80% you can steal General Barnaky's weapon with one barrel of ammo (for a long time you'll have no more, so just keep it somewhere).

You can go to hunt special encounters, I suggest to do so. Here are the notable ones:
- Brahmin Poker: lots of money. As stealing make people hostile, you won't actually steal outside the bunker as Though Guy, so better be prepared.
- Hermit: aside the junk-items he has an Outdoorsman book.
- Farmer: he has 1 .50 cal DU. Still, ammo is ammo.
- Gas Station: the most important one, gives 1 Endurance
- Trader (actually merchant is in the location but whatever): skillbooks and some plasma granade. The guards have pancor jackhammers to steal (not relevnat for me, but nice).
- Trader (in this location is the merchant, but whatever): rocket launcher (no ammo), 150 5.56 cal, avenger minigun (same as General Barnaky, uses 5.56 ammo)
It is best to do the encounters in twos. Also, you can leave the trader/merchant pair until you gain your first vehicle.
- Brahmin Armour: while this armor transforms a human into an useless brahmin it does not so with the other races. Gaining it is tricky though 'cause the turrets here fire deadly precise high damage at you. To get this as ThoughGuy you either have to save after dealing with every turret (means a trip back to the bunker each time), or arrive here at night, and snake to the dead brahmin after the initial cannon self-destroys.

But time to invest some into sneaking!

----------

Mission 2:
Possibly my least favourite mission for being frustrating. It demands 70% stealth to be effective, so have that - remember though guys can't save during missions.
First run to the bottom right corner and kill the sleeping raider, get the stuff, pass the ditch here, stealth to the allied raider if possible, steal its psycho if you want (at least try, restart if no success), than fight the three guys buzzing around. Beware, do not follow them around mindlessly because they like to run away attracting unwanted attention.
If you don't suffer an unlucky critical continue north - not stealthing. Go until you can speak with the prisoner, switch back to stealth. Cautiously disarm the alarm here, and wait the guard to come around further east to kill it.
Go to the north edge, crouch, pass to the locked building with the sleeping sub-boss raider. Stealth around until you can break the alarm, turn off stealth, lure the walking guards in the middle to you one by one.
HEAL, than go back to the prisoner's house. There is a second guard walking around nearby in a fixed route with a shotgun. Let's hope you don't roll minimum damage and he don't roll a critical - than he'll be down.
Further down there are 2 raiders at the south side of a tent - dispose them. Go in the bottommost tent on the right and punch these guys too (they are sleeping).
Go to the middle tent on the right. Pull out an incindenary granade to kill these two guys fast (sleeping), because AK47 hurts and could kill you otherwise.
Go into the top left tent, and use your second incindenary granade to kill these two sleepers - again an AK47.
Still not allowed to consume any Healing Powder, but heal up (, possibly take a buffout), go back to the start and kill the guards outside the complex. Beware to separate them as much as possible, 'cause two have hunting rifle, and that can damage you. Heal up. Run in to the still and kill the easy targets - still using only your fists. There's an AK47 guy along the destiller, so I hope you brought your avenger minigun! Aim the destiller, and hope the explosion kills primaly the AK47 guy. 1-2 burts should be enough, do not waste bullet! Dispose the remaining opposition here.
Clean the complex. Beware the bottom left tent, there the sleepers are not next to each other, and the further one has an AK47. Possibly try to throw on it your 3 molotov cocktail to kill/soften the situation. After all AK47s are dead, feel free to use Healing Powder.
Lastly, there are two guys sleeping the middle of the complex. The one on the left side has a pistol. If he manages to shoot any, that'll awake all sleeper in the compound. I simply avoided him as long as possible.

As this mission took a large amount of my thin supply I went to the trader/merchant encounters to have stuff. Impact gloves also appeared in the BoS shop, which is one of the few unarmed weapon better than a SuperMutant's bare fist.

--------

Mission 3:
The problem here is, everyone walks around with AK47 and you barely have anything.
Rise your throwing skill to 40+ because for unknown reason at the same distance here and in mission 1 my aim is 33% whil in mission 2 was 70. Bladder.
As a solo supermutant (NOTE: ghouls can buy a ghoul armor from Bazaar Day encunter) you lack everything yet bring TONS of healing stuff, and dare use drugs! Do NOT touch the mines, and if you even suspect someone has AK47 stand far away and let it burst until he runs out of ammo and only shoots single bullets.
Also because lacking HP and granades don't pass walls skip certain enemies! There's no punishment for it, and the minor amount of exp isn't relevant. The guys in the tunnel on the left side and others up on the wall are examples.
The highest risk here is the front gate, where frontal assault IS suicidal, but you STILL have to do it. I suggest going from the right to the guy nearest the gate as he has AK47 and hope your incineration granades will hit. Than run away separating the horde. That's my best advice.
The most dangerous boss (aside the final is Daisy because the three unit there hit hard, so have enough HP (and eat a voodoo), ok? Against Bo you can't do anything aside hoping he won't blow you up with his granades.
For the final boss I say consume the psycho you stole and flash granades after running round the room.

In the bunker gamble away all stuff from the mechanic, and maybe steal some super stimpacks from the random guys around, than move the next bunker where gamble away all equipment from everyone (the guy at the medic never let me succeed, but I could rob him blind except his money), and as Barnaky got refreshment steal his new dose of ammo (no wonder he'll be captured, I stole his ammo, lol).
Get rid of Farsight, there'll be no unfair locks anymore, and if there would, there's always Stitch.

EDIT: Almost forgot: Power Fist is available in the shop. While it consumes ammo - which is easily accessible from a special encounter -, it is the most damaging unarmed weapon still, so buy it. Seems there won't be Big Guns until St. Luis, which is also reason to risk Macomb first for the infinite inventory car. Bring there all your weapons and repair kits!
NOTE: Preoria with a single character is impossible to be done for best result, which hurts both rank and karma. The mission can be completed solo, but all the tribe would be killed, which also means no extra power cell. I won't go that much hardcore now.
Strickt solo play would also strip you from collecting the vehicles, because unlike in F2 there isn't a "vehicle here" sign on the map if you leave a vehicle at a random position. And collecting the loot also takes immense time in comparsion. So just have one extra recruit I say. It doesn't have to do anything aside being a mule, but it is a big relief.
Oh, and clvl 6 now.

[twillight]

Macomb:
It is not exactly hard, but like a rogue-game has occasional death-locations.
Suggested stats: 60% Big Guns, 50% throwing, 70% repair (as the game does not offer until now or made available from random encounters repair books let Stitch repair. You COULD repair yourself, there's enough tools for it, but nah).

Arrive AT DAWN. It is crucial you can be seen!

First stealth along the northern edge to the building on your right to kill two guys and open the first gate. Go out, climb up, and kill the guy on the roof, than RUN down.
Stealth to the Bowling room and wait until you see a silouette, than start the mayhem. Stealth out and go amongst the wrecked cars to lure there the dogs. One will only be able to get to you, so use piston gloves to spare ammo (I don't think you absolutely need this, but hey, it's fun!). If the raiders across the street on the rooftops don't harass yu catch their attention and far enough to not get hurt crouch until all four stop bursting, than run away.
Patch yourself up seriously, than stealth across Bowlarama to the ladder on its other side. Take a voodoo, than climb the ladder. This is a big and serious fight against many enemies, so here are the rules: only approach a raider if your AP-bar is full (even with power fist you need 2-3 hit to kill an enemy). If your AP-bar is not full, just stand around and watch your HP. If ca. half your HP is lost, eat a super stimpack! This is a very important part. All these raiders have AK47 (now only single shot) but one has a shotgun (on the first roof, kill him fast!).
As the drug is in your system do not stop for a moment! Make Stitch drive through the car on the first gate, while you go there too and pack down the loot. Approach the other side of the roof stealthed from the north through the building and climb the ladder. If you despite this are bursted down go to the street and let them shoot until they have ammo to burst. If you came from the middle of the building though, this is unlikely. Run to the first guy for kill (usually he's passive) than the second guy. The third guy will be easy again.
Let the Hungry Raider make his speech and die, open the next gate, get in the car, grabbing molotov coctails in your free hand. Enter a bit so the rocketeer can waste his TWO rockets. Let the granade-man notice you, than drive there as fast as possible in agressive and let the coctails (you have 4, will likely all go) defeat him. Jump out and kill the rest with fist. Take note that the granadier's body can not be looted by a SuperMutant because the walls are too close to each other.
Now comes a very dangerous situation as there are 3 AK47 raider on the left (after the 3rd gate). Make the rightmost waste ammo from far away, than you can't do anything else but jump in. Kill the rightmost guy, eat a super stimpack if you're still alive (good chance). Kill the leftmost guy, than the last.
The next building is owned by a civilian, no need to kill him (BoS needs slaves!). Still run in and loot the fridge.
Go to the big building Avenger minigun in the right hand. Kill the three guy in the hall (no problem) and possibly the civilian on the street (unavoidable, but as he's pathetic, use the piston gloves). The courtroom is a deathtrap walking blocked everywhere, so minigun in hand enter - shoot until guy on the left is dead- some more steps - the guy from the right come running shall be dead - run to the pedestal for the third guy. If you're lucky 3 burst will do it, but DO NOT SPARE HERE. It is a deathtrap!
Around this time your voodoo will expire. If it holds let the citizens from the rootop throw things at you until it lasts, or if not and you're in a hurry jump in the car and camp with it.
Wait until you regain your stats, then pass the next gate (still on foot of course). Kill the immediate raiders on the left, then we'll bother with the mine-field on the right.
Pick up the unarmed mine just to have it, than drive the car on the mines to "disarm" them. Only use one side of the road, so you only have to blow two mines. DO NOT LET THE CAR GET WRECKED, it is (unfortunately) objective to keep it in one piece. The max HP of it is 200, try to fix it near that. Walk on foot towards the next building and camp crouched until the raiders on the rooftop run out of all ammo. Yes, they can't even singleshot, that'd be death itself.

Now comes a most problematic part. Enemy comes from both left and right, they like to run around, and both guy from the east/north/right side house has granades (for any reason usually only one comes out if they start to come out)! While you do have enough HP now to suffer some AK47 burst even, granades are oneshot. I suggest minigunning the throwers right after the rooftop-team runs out of ammo, then clearing the rest the best you can.
After this is solved the second party-member comes useful, because (s)he can attract attention, making it possible for you to enter sneak mode.

After the second set of dogs of this map there are only civilians in the buildings until the gate.
There is also a civil in the building you can climb up to kill and loot the rooftop-raiders, and some are in the cemetery.
You CAN kill the raider standing at the bottom of the rooftop-team's stairs without the civilians taking notice, although it isn't relevant, because these three and the above WILL be attracted to the fights, which stes civilian victims number minimum 5.
If you get spotted by the civilians you CAN run away, hop into the car and drive away fast speed (press shift for extra speed if I'm correct). Coming to the car: with almost no pilot skill you can only drive the car forward. After reading the pilot books until now (2 if I'm correct) I could also go backward. In case anyone actually cares what this skill does.
But comparing my result with others' killing the entire town doesn't seem to make any difference. Not that the civils would have anything good, or deal mighty exp (likely removed quest/condition).

To not die at the very end sneak/run to the south house and start the mayhem from there (otherwise everyone will run onto you what is bad). It is outmost importance to kill the guy on the second floor of the building ASAP because he has granades, although god news is, he starts with puny acid granades.
Finally the rocketman: he has - again - TWO rockets. Do NOT climb to him until he fired TWO times. Also, he has a double barrel shotgun, so be fast after he ran out of rockets!

-------

Preoria:
This mission isn't such a big deal - if you stole the ten-pack antidote from the doc that is.
As mentioned before making the locals live demands a second character. If you go total solo, you'll loose promotion, recruits and quest exp as well as karma. Not that soloing would give you chance for the good ending, but still.
After the first gates on the right there's a crate a Supermutant can not loot being slower then the other races. Another reason to bring company.

EDIT: ok, I confess this wasn't went so smooth I'd like you to think. You can (I did) die several ways:
- being unlucky and get shot by laser turrets
- Roachor dealing out massive damage (it could destroy 50% of my HP undrugged). To be (more) safe eat a voodoo AND a trauma pack, AND hold in hand incineration granades (I had 2) + molotov coctail/other granades in the other hand. Watch out as regular cockroaches can steal hits (so kill the ones in the bottom please).
- with ca. 1:3 chance per try when you deactivate the inside turrets the outside turrets will kill one or more tribesman. This is the most frustrating thing ever (steals mission success) and you can't do anything against it.

NOTE: although the village elder "gambles" I could not win against him.

--------

Special Encounters:
By default they are marked to specific locations. There's a map about it.
Now if you get two encounter any time on the same special-encounter-grid things will be messed up. Some SEG will no longer allow encounters, some will allow up to 4 special encounters. And the encounters themselves don't go around just random: some is fixed to its original location (Bazaar Day), some will be relocated to a fixed new SEG, and some will appear in a fixed sequence. Beats me how they coded this.

--------

Mission 6 (Quincy):
If you did not do so, go for the brahmin armor! Also buy the 1,000 available 5.56 bullet from the Quatermaster (some also found in Preoria, bring those too). You'll need it. And even than you WON'T be able to succeed in most subquest. You have practically zero chance freeing up the brothel, and good chance to mess up each of the optional sidequests too. Crossing fingers.

#1 Freeing the major: arrive at night (between 20.00-00.00). Eat an afterburner gum. Stealth up on the side of the building, get in, break the alarm, kill the boss. Do NOT bother with the ground floor! Do not forget to disable the siren.
#2 The power plant: Have 70% big guns, eat an afterburner gum when you reach the building. Do NOT turn off the light. When you see the patrolling leader sneak out on her, kill her (with the regular power fist), run to the nearby two raiders barely crossing the sandbags and kill both with a single burst from your minigun. Run down, goaorund the sandbags standing between the raiders. Punch them to death. Disarm the Remote Mines (the rest "looks dangerous", and even this is a risk somewhat). W00t, you likely won without 0-1 causality!
#3 Sneak to the central building's north(?) wall. Wait until the patrolling raider turns back, then follow him and break the alarm. Climb the ladder there to avoid attention, and go in the building for cover. Wait until the raider on this level walks away from the alarm, and break it. Do NOT bother with the raider himself. When the raider down goes away descend and wait him, kill him. Wait until the other patrolling raider further south turns away, and "hurry" to disable the alarm. He'll notice you but it's too late for him - kill him after the alarm is broken. Eat an afterburner gum. Climb back on the mentioned ladder to kill the guard, then climb the roof to kill another one.
#4 Sneak to the western side of the brothel. This is why you ate so many drugs. Step in and kill the first raider, then run in the middle to dispose the two melee raider/beastmaster, than kill the one on the left, finally the one at the south window (you can reach it from indoors). Don't forget that there's a (fortunately passive) enemy on the east too. Let's hope some *****s are still breathing, but rly this is the best you can do. NOTE: seems the patrolling enemy can be killed without rising attention (I managed to lure him at the western corner). The pistol-guy behind the bar may duck and lkeave he "ladies" alone, so the major problem is only the two meleer, who focus on you if you get close enough. This way I managed once with a single causality.
#5 Go (sneak) back to central building, climb it, and descend through the stairs inside. Kill the guy at the door, than keep sneaking. The goal is to destroy the alarm inside. The deathclaw is a big challenge, my tip is Big Gun, although you should spare the bullets, as the major mayhem will happen in the ghoul district, for what maybe it'll be wise to wait until ingame-morning if you can afford the real time. Also, there you can get use of the remote-mines you liberated (and the T45 mine you got from Macomb).
Liberate the rest of the building.
#6 Let's free the town's local hero I say. Passing the tunnel is the first thing. Go up, kill the beastlord right there, nevermind the floor just go up. Here your snake automatically deactivates (dammit), so just run in to the leader and punch him to pulp. Run right to the sandbags and lay waste the couple there by minigun just to ensure victory. Deal with the remaining ones as you please because likely the rescue-await runs into safety.
#7 Time to free the ghoul quadrant. You can try setting traps if you want, but it is not mandatory. Talk to Eliot and run camping (standing position) to the entrance. When they are sufficiently close (like passed half the initial distance) hit agressive (oh, yeah, deactivate agressive mode before starting the fight!) and hope noone will cripple you on the arms, eyes or head. The deathclaws WILL reach you and make you fall a couple of times but with your killing speed and the help of the ghouls hopefully you'll be ok. One of the adult deathclaw even ran away from me in fear and had to hunt it down! Switch to power fist and kill the leftover beastmen on the ranch to free the captive ghoul, and voila, this mission is complete too! <--- THIS IS BS! DO NOT TRY IT!
#7 If you were darn lucky until now like me, do NOT WASTE A PERFECT MISSION! Let the remaining enemies to themselves, and GO BACK TO BASE FOR SAVE! You can come back later if you really miss messing with deathclaws for items you won't be able to use anyway (the metal armor mark 2 in the church).

http://i.imgur.com/Uw5TAPG.png

[twillight]

Mardin:
This is a frustratingly hard mission for still not having access to anything basic, slowly running out of doctor kits (I wish during the previous missions not used them to remove bandaged status!), and there are a zillion monsters to fight! I can hardly think what'll await in Springfield...
But first arrive here. That's very-very hard because the welcoming cometee is hugh, and even starts with 2 shotgun-shots in yo' head. You can die even just from that, but than you must minigun down the crew in the way the initial grneadier/s will die for f* sake or you are dead as a kitten. Consuming a super stimpack in the middle of a crowd is also a great achievement, so let's hope you won't need that.
If that's done, you must find the second grenadier which ran away most likely and kill it without drawing attention, as well as the other guy patrolling in the middle with 2 small cockroaches (there's also a scorpion, but that's rly a minor issue).
Third move left on the bottom and let the wasps attack you (their beatmen won't notice you if you do it cautiosly). Oh ye, practically never can you sneaking as everyone will notice you, and they go in groups anyway. The wasps can cause all kind of conditions from crippled leg to winded (which for a bug I suspect sometimes won't go away naturally), blindness, unconscious... And you can't do anything about it.
Let's hope you don't go suxxor, and go back to the beginning else you'll be DEAD. Seriously. Go in the ruined house guarded by puffin-mines (can't even try to disarm, they are "looks dangerous" with 75% traps!). The enemy CAN trigger these mines, so beware. Start to lure out the nearest beastman - a whole PACK will be on your neck! Start with possible grenadiers, than just stay alive. Kill the rest here but do NOT kill the baby-deathclaw if it doesn't attack you!
If fortunate the two guys sleeping in the hut won't wake up, but it's no biggy. Run there in cover, and throw them 2 grenades then finish this fight.
Go towards the cemetary and hope everyone will run at you - if not you'll have to run around like headless chicken amongst graves and other obstacles AFTER you dispose the enemy on the right side where the toxic waste is.
Another "nice" thing with this mission is also that sometimes anyone can shoot through walls...
Back to the collapsed hole to squash bugs. Did I mention this is the last area with poison, so bring all your remaining antidote and use them as coming?
You HAVE TO kill the two baby-deathclaw in the pit after the bugs, but that's unavoidable, else you'll get stuck if major crap happens. They usually don't do worse than winded though, especially if you take a dose of psycho before descending. In a perfect world I'd know how long it takes to finish the mission from start and insist to eat psycho at the arrival, but... But here it is safe enough.
Clear the dungeon focusing always on the shotgun noises, but you should be fine enough. You won't be able to open the deathclaw-cages, but even Mother's help should be enough to win the bossfight. Pack up and leave. Prepare for Springfield.

Notes for bunker Beta: going back after Mardin you find a "Medical Officier" instead of the usual medic-trader. Rob him blind.
Moving to Bunker Gamma let's you rob even more stuff, although Tiduk's and Shauri's initial payment (2K BoS money each) can not be stolen or gambled (Tiduk offers a chance for gamble initially, but it doesn't work).
Dunno what happens if you don't go to Springfield yet this point as that mission is still from General Barnaky. I want to avoid possible bugs, but it'd worth to investigate. We'll see.

--------

Springfield:
Your hair will fall out with this one if you don't have ranged weapon, because this town is built to be a straight out swiping mission. There are constant enemies buzzing, no chance to sneak or even get behind them. So starting even is a miracle, especially that there is a grenadier amongst the welcoming comitee, and practically every enemy likes to run up and down making melee almost impossible, or at least very frustrating. and the car has very low health, so the best you could do with it to drive in (everyone flees) and throw 1 and only 1 grenade then drive out ASAP.
Your goal is to kill enough people to be able to go behind the buildings on the south (the guy behind the sandbags at the corner can be left alive, won't notice you too much, and kill stuff there, going in the houses eliminating threats, than defeating the patrols on the street. I hope you have doctor kits when loosing limbs, grenades for tactical use and some luck!
The three(!) guys behind the initial fence is best to shot 1 burst of minigun (can't really afford more). Beware, because on the upper side two other "raider" resides, and 5 people shooting at you can easily be too much. Ye, 3 will hopefully die in the first second, but...
If you somehow survive, don't be happy: open the first gate! There is a whole ARMY behind it, so do it sneaking, and get cover. Showing yourself will pull out the melees, and hopefully attract more guys close enough to pull out a second wave. Be cautious, as one of the enemy is again grenadier! Actually there's a second two, but he's in the back, so you probably will be able to come up with a strategy or just use the fact he's alone.
Against the guys in the digs use grenades from the right angle (not from the side they lean to).
The next section is a deathrun with high-hitting people running constantly away from you, and that was the point I said it doesn't worth it and went to St. Luise.
After coming back from there this whole thing turned out to be a real bonus mission, me happily exterminating whoever I pleased (as long as I did not go too close I did not suffer lethal damage). I still advise eating a voodoo though for the bossfight. Or a traumapack.

St. Luis: Be this a simple rescue mission: no heroics. Have the fully loaded Avenger Minigun in your hand and drive in full throttle to the mutants ahead. Three dead mutants later hop out and grab a SAW. Now you can hit any mutant you encounter, including the one just a bit behind your back. REPAIR the APC.
Continue to #1 (110% big guns if I may) stopping at the large rock, so not all three will hit you the same time and maybe they'll get closer making easier to hit 'em.
Grab the sniper rifle - even though you can't use it it's loot! REPAIR if you didn't done it by yourself! At this point some repair-books became available, and I had higher repair with them than Stitch, who's still useful for first aid/doctor:mhh: At the start there was another pilot book, and with all the books my skill became 101 with that one, which means the car no longer drifts when stops.
Go towards #2 on the pipmap with full throttle and kill the two mutant behind the sandbags (advise: 120% big guns). Kill the others visible too. REPAIR!
Go in to meat the wired guy. Sneak on your belly, and come out on your front too to avoid getting shot (hopefully. The mutants will crouch and no longer bother you after 1 burst).
Blast up the minefield from safe distance bursts. Actually leaving mines on the west row can be adventageus as they can blow up occasional mutants. Drive to the rock-plateau on the right with 130% big guns (you should be able to afford), and DRIVE OUT IF THINGS GET UGLY! Hopefully you win, but there's a chance the car will blow up unfortunately.
Here comes the annoying part: in the tunnels is a mutant which can blast your mission very easily - I suspect he has browning. Do NOT go close for all sake if he is standing! If he is crouching he isn't an issue, but if he stands... Cross your fingers. And repair!

Jefferson:
I rly don't know why Kansas City is offered. You don't have the equipment to deal with that, doesn't make sense with the story, and you want every ounce of power you can collect before you go there. Solo party can't solve it properly anyway (the mutant ambush demands at least 4 members to deal with it).
There's not much to say about Jefferson. You have your guns, and basically no need for grenades. Use the rocket launcher to spare .50 cal ammo, but be extremely sure nothing blocks the way to the target or you can kill yourself. Destroying Generator#2 disables the towers, which have thick armor so you either brought power fist, or you won't destroy them (not that you'd miss anything). Whenever the only way though to kill an (armored) enemy is close range combat, try your best to snake, and don't spare with the Browning. Better shoot some extra bullets than die!
After this mission I had like 1000 .50 cal, and clvl 14. I'd be much more happy with clvl 15 and Bonus Rate of Fire, but whatever. Can't get 20K exp from random encounters just for this!
NOTE: the chest in the toxic tunnel is inaccessible for supermutants! (space too thin)

*BONUS CONTENT*: Before Jefferson I went back to infiltrate the Supermutant Base in St. Lousie. Here is how it can be done:
- bring these items: 1 buffout (I have 9 strength but need more to carry the stuff), 1 mentat (you NEED aim), 40+ frag grenade, 10 explosive rocket, rocket launcher, SAW + 200 bullet, (brahmin) armor, 2 expanded lockpick, 10 super stimpack, browning + whatever ammo you salvaged (ca. 100-200). These are stricktly to infiltrate the base, NOT for the tunnels!
- required skills: 70% stealth, 80% throwing, 130% big guns.
- kill everyone in the tunnels. Never stand up from crouching, and if you see/know the mutant has armor switch from SAW to rocket launcher.
- sneak in through the back opening. If you are detected you are screwed and have to reload, so stay close to the walls for cover! Lay next to the walled hideout (not bunker) on the north. Eat the mentat. With SAW hit agressive. Wait up to 20 seconds until a mutant arrives and make himself killed.
- with grenade kill the mutant within the hideout. Staying at the very edge of the screen go around the hideout with 33% agressive until you shoot at the mutant in the western bunker. If you clicked between the wall of the hideout and the edge of the map you won't be seen by mutants on the east. Crawl back, and crawl to the west wall of the closest bunker. Switch to the SAW whenever you see the mutant in the western bunker, otherwise throw grenades in the bunker next to you. There are 2 mutants in it. Do NOT go too close to this bunker or you'll die. If you see the top removed that's perfect position. Watch the battle-briefings to watch if both mutants die (the mutant in the western bunker will die too).
- Crawl along the northern wall of the bunker in 66% agressive. This is the hardest part because somehow the mutant not far away in the tunnel can see and shoot you no matter your position. So have the browning at hand, or be extra careful.
- get to the western bunker stealthing. Yes, now you can stealth here. Go inside the bunker, and kill the mutant right next to it with grenades. No idea why, but you can't see him normally, despite he standing at the window...
Get stealthed again, switch to rocket launcher.Go to the windows of the bunker in DEFENSIVE mode. Make sure you see only 1 mutant from the three standing in the open. Hit agressive, and when the animation of the attack starts - DUCK. Crawl back to get into sneak mode again and repeat until all three are dead.
- There is a bunker on the south, and outside it in the tunnel stands another mutant. Kill it from distance.
- Whenever you're pleased now get stealthed and wait until the mutant on the sniper-roof stands up so you can see it. Get close for a good % and hit agressive. Hopefully it dies. It is a grenadier, and there's no way to climb up there for loot.
- There remains 2 mutant in the southern bunker. Crawl to them from outside, and kill them with grenades! <-- LIE! Can't aim to the inside of the bunker! Must crawl near (stealthed), and browning them down! Must hope you'll be faster and/or they miss. They are armored with browning, but this is the only way.
- Loot. there were 5 mutants with brownings, and 2 had DU ammo, 90 each if they did not fire any.
- Be happy, find transcendence!

[twillight]

Kansas City:
Actually this mission is "Gravestone", and "Osceolla" will be Kansas City, but whatever.
What I always hated in this mission is, that you have no time even to speak with the ghoul leader before positioning your units, not to mention the south gate. And the ghouls' AI is total stupid making some of them running into certain death, like the mission wouldn't be hard enough anyway. And it usually comes way too early to make a proper Big Gunner at least. The mutant ambush with a full team works like this: one (the protagonist of course) speaks with the ghoul leader and later joins the south gate, one goes north, one (PipBoy usually for me) goes east, and the rest goes south. When the party starts maybe north will reach position barely, and south is halfway to the gate needing to hurry because there a ghoul just lubs to run out, and the heaviest artillery ever will arrive there (of course .50 cal and some rockets can actually solve it), while south takes most of your time.
Soloing here is determined "bad outcome" because although the mutants never actually enter the town itself, they do happily massacre the defenders at all three gates. Bummer.
It is said 5 ghouls may die, so I'll try this: Switch will actually get a gun or two and defend the north gate (minimal action there), and my supermutant (darn, I'd give something for a supermutant armour!) will deal with south. East will be destroyed, but if there are no more than 5 ghouls, that gives a marginal chance for the good outcome still. Well, it is a theory...

Well, I managed to get away with exactly 5 ghoul causalities. I gave Stitch all 3 small guns books (I don't need them. Supermutants can't even hold small guns, and I don't go for sniper) and pumped further the skill to 200%. His weapon was the unique XL70E3 from the St Louis Supermutant Base.
My mutie also decided to get drugged. Literally fly on drugs. Now there are a couple of things with drugs:
- you can NOT take a drug on the fast travel map, travel into a mission and do it, even if the duration should still hold (useful drugs can have days of duration, and I suspect time during missions passes the same speed as real life time).
- taking drugs depend on Endurance, but it is not "EN/X = Y amount of drugs be taken". For example with my basic 4 endurance I could take 1 mutie, 1 buffout (12 Endurance after these), 1 mentat, 1 afterburner and 1 voodoo without falling unconscious being overdosed. On the other hand if I took 2 mutie (13 Endurance), 1 mentat, 1 afterburner and 1 psycho became available. So if you're planning to fly on drugs, save and try out the combination you're into before wasting your time!
- it is possible that independently form Endurance taking a certain amount of the same drug will overdose or even kill you (it is generally told the max afterburner you can take is 2, and that's it).
My weapon of choice was the Browning naturally (during the entirety of the mission I used up almost 500 bullet for it, half the total of my supply), and here is a video that can give you ideas what I did: VIDEO (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NErH7HtpYp0). Note that the guy in that record lost the entire east gate (6 ghouls just from that) and 1 more from the south, while I had 2 alive in the east, and he still got the best ending.
Here are my stats at the beginning and after the end of the mission (seems mutie don't last 10 days, but around the same duration as psycho, both ca. 2 hours real time, not 4 as guides says for Psycho).

http://i.imgur.com/m2P0a2l.png

Mission 12 (Osceola):
This is the mission requires your grenades (frags and maybe incineration), plenty of healing, and rational use of Browning. Grenades will come useful against the east gate, and mutants along the northeastern walls (you CAN throw through grenades). Unfortunately your frags can easily be blocked by the wall or sglt, so you need the healing. But it is still the best option.
Lethal points:
- the east gate can only be freed by browning. You must outshoot the two guards there
- the sniper nest. 90% that your browning will kill them before they can shoot, but I still don't like it at all
- the gas-chamber (obvious, but let's mention)
- Gamorrin. He somehow shoots precisely and hard from his puny gun. Use browning to outdamage him.
PS: I always forget to go back to Roshombo (and let him be killed)

Here is a complete comprehensive list of alternative/additional things to do in every mission for karma/BoS ranks (optional mission briefings not mentioned):
- Brahmin Wood: bonus: don't let any villager die / negative: let villagers die; let Fairsight and Stitch die (in any mission basically all friendly/quest character's death/loss of quest items counts towards the negative)
- Freeport: bonus(?): unlock Ripley's door
- Rock Falls: bonus: get device, free mechanic, free Nanuk
- Macomb: bonus: return the librarian's glasses (actually not for rank, this is a proper sidequest which unfortunately only spares you minor amount of cash)
- Peoria: bonus: no tribal died (depends on real life luck); gain 4th battery (do not have any battery on you when talking the elder after finishing the quest, otherwise you don't get it 'cause bug)
- Quincy: bonus: rescue major's daughter, rescue Warden Felix / trading karma for BoS rank: save ghoul village, rescue Gorgi, save as many "working girl" as possible (might have the requirement of minimal loss).
- Mardin: trade: save mother
- Springfield: -
- St Louis: optional area for .50 DU ammo
- Jefferson: negative: destroy the lab
- Kansas City: 5 (7?) or less ghoul die
- Osceola: bonus: pick up holodisc, Barnaky's letter, Briefcase
- Junction City: bonus: heal the mechanic's father. Also, optional area of the rat-tunnel.
- Great Bend: -
- Cold Water: bonus: save the hostage girl / negative: kill Ma Baker (in 1.0 it even made me negative if I spoke with Don Vinchenzo and didn't check this since then)
- Newton: bonus: have the EMP-prototype when leaving. Optional stuff: repair the tank.
- Canyon City: -
- Buena Vista: -
- Scott City: -
- Cheyenne Mountain: - / Vault 0: a locker with a pulse rifle demands 180% lockpick as "optional area" / Calculator's Lair: the 4 alternative endings (why isn't there a neutral ending?)

[twillight]

Mission 13:

Leave at home the Browning, a superheavy equipment - you won't need it. But bring all lighter equipment (boom-bugs etc. - unfortunately molotov coctails have no use) because this is almost the last opportunity to find them any use. Also bring rocket launcher, it can be a nice help, and using big guns being so cheap (in AP-cost) you can always shoot 1-2 to start the mayhem.
Oh, and before this mission it worth to "hire" Pump who is the only one can "give" you the best supermutant armor. Actually the Brahmin Armour was like a normal Leather Armor MK2, the basic SM-armor is like metal armor MK1 (a bit better on the lategame aspects than Brahmin, but way more heavy), and the spiked mutant armor equals metal armor MK2 (slightly less AC which doesn't really matter at this point but way higher damage tresholds). These are my stats with it (I also have Though Hide racial perk):

http://i.imgur.com/TSao71C.png

Ok, these might be at best around environmental armor MK1 (maybe somewhat inferior even to that), but being a supermutant still has some nice part, and if nothing else, trophy.

The bookcase at the major can not be accessed by supermutants. the mission is very straightforward, the only real danger are the minefield and the getting in to the hacienda where the 5 (6) guard at the front (3 (4)on the balcony, 2 down) can be lethal if you just run in kamikaze.

--------

Coldwater:
It always worth taking ahead, because the equipment it demands is far more expendable than what robots eat.
Bring grenades, rocket launcher, healing stuff, saw, browning - so the whole arsenal for variety. Oh, don't forget you power fist/razor claw because of the hostage sidequest.

As this is again a mostly simple mission in tactic (although the enemy definitely not joking about firepower) I give you my perks of choice:
- for this playthrough (supermutant, though guy, solo) my perks are/will be (in order of picking): steady arm, bonus ranged damage, bonus rate of fire, though hide, bonus ranged damage*2
- if this would be with a party and not though guy, I'd add bonus ranged damage instead of though hide gaining the third rank earlier, and the lvl 24 perk would be entirely optional (but still likely though hide)
- if it'd be solo but not though guy, I'd skip the bonus ranged damage perks, and instead gain Awareness, Silent Running and Loner. Also instead of Though Hide likely choose Psychotic. The order: Awareness, Silent Running, Steady Arm, Bonus Rate of Fire, Psychotic, Loner (or Loner -> Psychotic).
PS: I'm playing w/o Awareness if it wasn't clear. Not knowing the weapons or HP of the enemy adds to the challenge and fun.

EDIT: As Coldwater can turn to be more trouble than it worth, here are some tips:
- rockets and grenades are useless if hey have sandbag as cover
- rockets are very effective against groups patrolling the corridors (lvl 2-4). But don't waste all your rockets, spare at least 1!
- on lvl 3 go to the terrace and eliminate the guy standing on lvl 4's terrace. This way you will be able to sneak farther from the patrolling group on lvl 4 to see their sequence and not get shred accidentally because they at that time bumped and thus groupped right at the door (but outside your senses).
- fear the mines more than the sniper on the roof on lvl 4, but be noted that here the game just likes to make you solo character unconscious (although it usually don't kill it during that).
- when reaching the boss' hideout there are 2 guys behind sandbags. You MUST use browning against them from very far away. With all bonuses (meaning help yourself with mentat) I suggest 175% big guns here, crouch position, 33% agressive.
- stay this way when reaching the door of the powerplant, because the three guy inside the door can easily shred you.
- You can actually kill/damage a merc of the boss from outside. Unfortunately the windows don1t work, but there is an error in the graphic I think.
- from the boss' lackeys the most dangerous is actually the rocketman standing right at the door. Who was that idiot placing it there for all sake?!?He has itchi fingers, so try sneaking it from behind with browning to at least have a chance!

[twillight]

Great Bend:

This mission gave me way more bother than it should, but at least I know the level from inside out:
- at the start just kill every robot stepping out. Watch out for the incoming melee robots (hopefully one gets fried in the electrics), and the fact one shooter is too far to die w/o getting closer. Also, the friendly guy at the arrival CAN get shot by the robots despite being behind solid wall. don't ask, but he died for me once.
- do NOT open the first gate before killing the patrolling 2-robot-squd from behind holed fence-parts. Yes, on this level this feature DO work. Use stealth to wait for them to walk into position.
- the robots are practically immun to anything except .50 cal (Browning) and explosives (forget traps, those are ... self-dangerous). I used up like 950*.50 cal, 100 frag grenades, and all remaining rockets I had. To help your case you might try shooting first from Browning, than switching to SAW IF there is only 1 robot you're facing, it is not a special robot I mention, AND it reached Almost Dead condition (still useful).
- next sneak+crawl to the sandbags next to the gate of the white, two-story building. Crouch up and kill the two robots, than climb down to the central tunnel, pass the small tunnel, and VERY CAUTIOUSLY kill the three security-bot in the white building one-by-one. You can crawl close enough to the third. They are the most f*in' dangerous thing maybe on the map with very-very high damage and perfect accuracy. So don't try to spare on the .50 cal.
- with 1 rocket go to the other building and pull out the load lifters. They are nutty on armour and have a crapload of HP, so learn how to destroy them by grenades from safe distance. You can always run back to the depressed guy's cottage, and the AI seems broken for these load lifters as they soon leave you alone and stick to some fixed pattern... Good for us. Destroy the secu-bots in the building, and sneak in defensive/passive up its stairs. Wait until the two patrolling robot you see from the window get close to each other than start shooting. With 33% agressive, because after the first shot they somehow reduce the hit chance on them by 10%... Don't ask.
- To start the jumkyard blow up with a grenade or two the barricade at the entrance, and walk from turn to turn.
- the woman-on-bed offers gamble but won't let you win and don't have anything really good, but has a good story. Well, better than the other two talking face.
- there is a dead body with loot in the central tunnel.
- the next section is some sniper-rifle robots. Kill them using the available covers.
- the next section is what I hate the most. It is a bunch of load lifters. Bring tons of grenades, and the browning in case you get stuck. Use ultra-caution because their body is unpassable, meaning youcan get blocked from advancing, and that's bad, because this way is your only chance against
- the robot with vindicator minigun in the middle section. Normally that kind should not offer any challenge, but somehow THIS particular a-hole can cut you in half if you are "close enough". Now here "close" - for reason - means half the screen. Very very bad.
- the last load-lifter can be killed by the industrial presser to spare ammo.
The exit will be at this point, not at the insertion point. I think this mission is a cancelled project which secondary objective was left as prime...
And it is helluva boring!

-----------

Mission 16:

The bugged piece of s&@#˘!
First, I long noticed I somehow gained 5 amount of weight (whatever the ingame measure is). I still have this even with empty backpack. Well, I thought minor thing, when I can carry like 300 weight...

Then went on this mission, and found out trying to melee scurry bots (those crab-things) is hopeless. You can theoretically punch one to death (while loosing a crapload of HP), but if it makes you unconscious or simply bump you from your leg YOU CAN'T STAND UP ANYMORE.
If you try to run away (supermutants are still faster than these) THAT IS AUTO KO FOR YOU. Yep, you die.

Ok, my fault, why try hard. But than at the first building where the tank-bot and the hover bots "sleep" (nice trolling, designers!) the way to dispose the tank-bot seemed to run up the stairs at the side and throw grenades. Well, at a certain try I could not throw grenades on the bot without hitting myself too. Uhm...

I was happily browning everything away (there are not THAT many robots - used ca. 500*50 cal -, and scurries if you are cautious and activate from far enough can be disposed with SAW), was about finishing the mission, when I climbed up on a ladder in the junkyard-section with my mutie for a shelves to rob. But I could not climb down. Any way.

At that point I tried everything in frustration, and accidentally opened the character-sheet. Whoa, I said in surprise, why is my AC in negative, marked red? I didn't do no drugs since two missions back!
Removing armor thinking AC isn't that big of an issue at this point it figured I also lost like 10% damage resistance from every treshold.

Infuriated I reloaded and roamed the desert for 6 FREAKIN' MONTHES, and that crap still did not go away.

So I lost all interest in this. Yes it is possible, after all I did it back when there was no gog-version and FT crashed like every second try. Just use browning, rocket launcher, and occasional grenades, do not try to kill everything (only what you must, and what gives .50 cal ammo), and that's it. I'm finished.

[twillight]

Baldur's Gate is effected by Planned Obscolescence, but it STILL can be re-installed if you know how.

As I had to gather the informations from several unconnected places, here is the guide for the know-how of it all. Of course this is for those who have the original CDs, or the 4in1 DVD-pack etc, not the Enchanced Edition,Gog-version or anything which are already fixed, and likely merged the two games and their expansions in one go.

So:
#1 Have the CD/DVD/imagefile (latest in case your CD/DVD got destroyed but you preserved them in electronical format of course) of the games AND their expansions.
#2 Likely the autoruns won't work. At all.
#2a) Don't panic.
#2a I.) Insert BG2 in your drive, and start "Setu.exe". Choose full install. Change the installation's directory to anything but in the Program Files. c:\baldur2 will work.
#2a II.) Insert BG2Tobinyour drive. Start "Setup.exe". Choose full install.
NOTE: BG2 can now be played if you want.
#2a III.) Download the two extra merchants (http://www.sorcerers.net/Games/BG2/index_mods_hosted_bioware.php). They are in two area-files which have to be copied in the override directory.
#2a IV) Download the version 26498 patch (https://www.google.hu/?gfe_rd=cr&ei=ClACVsu7Ga2t8wfngI5A&gws_rd=ssl#safe=off&q=baldur%27s+gate+2+patch+26498+download). Install it.
#2b) Restart your computer. Wait until the boot-menu's screen disappears, and IMMEDIATELY press F8 to start the computer in Safe Mode. Might have to press F8 repeatedly. Restart computer if it started normally.
#2b I.) Insert BG1 in your drive. Start Setup.exe. Choose "custom" install, and tick each boxes. The installer will say you don't have enough space, but that's a false statement. Choose "install anyway". Set the installation directory to not be under Program Files, NEITHER the same as BG2! c:\baldur1 will work.
NOTE: if you only want to play BG1 w/o TotSC you may restart your computer and do so.
#2b II.) Insert BG1 TotSC. Start Setup.exe. Choose "custom" install. Tick each boxes.
NOTE: Likely you won't be able to launch BG1 anymore because "this program only runs under english version of windows", and I read it isn't even indifferent if it is US/UK windows (or the location-setting). Just to mess with you.
#2b III) Pull out the box of the game (let's hope you did not trash it, otherwise you're doomed or something). Find the age-rating ON THE DISC of BG1. NOT TotSC, but the pure game!
- If it says ESRB around a T (http://www.mocagh.org/loadpage.php?getgame=baldur) than you have the US-version.
- If it says ELSPA around a number (eg.15+),than you have the UK-version.
- If the game does not have english language at all (but only german or french) than it is the international version.
#2b IV) Download the appropriate version 5512 patch and install it (http://www.sorcerers.net/Games/BG/index_misc.php). On the link it is called "Baldur's Gate: Tales of the Sword Coast Patches". IMPORTANT: the patch won't happen if you try to apply it outside Safe Mode!
NOTE: BG1 can be played again.
#2b V.) You may restart your computer.
#3 This is optional. If you want to add Baldur's Gate II fix-pack, do it now. I personally hate patches, especially these unofficial fan-made patches which "intend to follow the programmer's intention", but a lot of places mention it, and it has to be done in the correct order if wanted so here you go.
#4 download and install WeiDu (http://www.shsforums.net/files/file/54-baldurs-gate-trilogy-weidu/). This merges the two games without modifying them to another game like Diablo 2's 1.07 "patch".
#5 you're allowed to uninstall BG1. Its content is now copied under BG2. So you better have enough space for this whole process (ca.10 GB free space at #1)
#6 you may install any mod you wish. Some more common mods are mentioned at Gog.com (https://www.gog.com/news/enhance_the_gameplay_in_your_edition_of_baldurs_ga te_from_gogcom).

IMPORTANT: although created for the same intent, Weidu is NOTthe same as Trilogy! Trilogy had many criticism for messing with the games too much, not being compatible with enough mods etc. Trilogy is practically a beta compared to Weidu everyone agrees on this.

------------

INSTALLING WEIDU:
- choose language of installer
- you can choose to "read" the weidu's readme. If you choose yes, it brings up weidu's homepage, not opens some file on your computer or shows text within the installer. This step is unnecessary though.
- choose install (this installs Weidu)
- confirm BG1's directory.
- I have no idea what is "biff all new resources", but unless you have zounds of mods it says recommended yes.
- the installation starts. Took 10 minutes for me in contrast to the approximated 20-60 minutes. Press enter when the installer finished.

--------------

Playing with Weidu:
The main menu of BG2 will change so your initial choice is between BG2ToB and other.
Other offers the choice between starting a new BG1 and BG2 game. There is no option for tutorial (so you'll miss its starting exp).

[twillight]

http://i.imgur.com/kj2gNZC.png

Don't mistake me, it is a B-level (flash) game. The graphic could be fine-tuned, and the controls can be messy.
What makes it good is the long-term creativity. While the game becomes substantially harder by time, and a little monotonous doing the same thing over and over, and a lot of the fun is taken away by the fact the items-to-find are not fixed (so don't go for a well-hidden giftbox, no reason to - also don't try to kill every single enemy, no reason either), the bosses and the achievement passing the longer and loner levels is something to look for.
Btw, the last regular level is actually just a big room random enemies (or sequenced?) falling in constantly, and there is a big change,as you can have multiply boosters at the same time unlike on any other level where the new upgrade/downgrade strips away the previous.

I won't go into details how to pass levels, as that is self-evident (if needed there are also arrows pointing the right direction, although the general direction to follow should be evident), I'll give some tips on the BOSSES:

I don't remember the order of them.

- platypus-boss: it is an easy enemy so to say. It farts exploding eggs at you (also hurts if touched). Those can be destroyed by hitting them. It also spits green blobs at you if you're ahead of it - I think you can run below them. The platypus also passes through garage-doors at periods. You can jump on the back of it to pass to its other side.
http://i.imgur.com/K4S51VX.png

- Poison Ivy: some kind of half-female half-plant thingy. It shakes down fruits or digs its tentacles into the ground - the later is semi-dangerous. This boss is medium, because it has very low damage. The parts you should attack is the claws at the end of the tentacles: the bottom ones can be hit in melee, the upper ones needs ranged attack standing below them.

- moth-boss: you can only hit the boss if you first hit all the levers around. there are 4 small and 1 big switch. If all the switches are activated, then you must jump n the big switch. This makes the moth fly aside, get electrocuted, and you can hit its eyes to damage it.

- snowman boss: you don't attack the boss itself for a long time. What you should do is to use the elevators around and destroy the air-conditioners (I think that's they are, though it looks like the sceen from Johnny Mnemonic). The hardest to destroy are the ones in the top corners,and the one right at the head of the boss - if you get close to the boss you get winded away.
The boss has some different attack types, but only one you should care of (the others are too random, just tank them out). The dangerous attack can on the other hand take away 50% of your max HP or so, and is signaled by a dinosaur-roar. When you hear it asap go to the other side of the map.
This boss is hard, but the main problem is its last form. When all the air-conditioners are destroyed it transforms into an ice-demon which if you touch you're onehitted. Very problematic. Do your best - just keep hitting the bastard.

- shark boss: this is an unfair boss. First, it has some normal bouncing projectile attack - just tank it out. Second, it can transform into a megasaw - when this happens there is to possibility. If it happens at your side, jump down and stand in the bottom left corner. If it happens at the other side compared where you stand jump to a platform, else you suffer major damage. Either way when it passed jump down asap and stand in the bottom corner or suffer major damage (90% HP any time the saw hits you). The shark in any case will reappear on the left side of the map.
Now here is the first major problem: the shark loves to change sides causing two problems:
1) it has a whirl-attack. If it happens from the other side of the map then you stand, you should keep pressing the other direction, and you shall escape it unharmed when it stops. The problem is, when it happens at the side you are standing - then it is instant death. Try to last as long as you can and keep dealing damage.
2) the only thing you can damage is at the back of the shark (its cyberbrain).
When you manage to damage the shark for a good portion (like when the snowman makes the final transformation) you'll fall down (after a last unavoidable attack, what CAN be an instantdeath attack). During this phase two things rotate:
- the shark attacks from one side causing instant death if you are hit
- the shark slowly swims in releasing some projectiles which you must tank out. You should again hit the brain on its back. To move around is the tricky part here: left and right is the usual, but going "up" demands the "up" button,not the "jump" button. The up-button otherwise has no use in the entire game!

- mecha bos (final boss):
http://i.imgur.com/6pzmf9c.png

This is actually a multisection-boss. The first is a skull (can damage anywhere). It releases chickens which run around until bu,ping into you when they stop, and blow up after a second. While jumping (do melee attacks) you'll avoid most if not all the damage.
The second is a pterodactilus. You must tank out its damage. The damageable spot is the unarmoured piece of its beak. Keep jumping doing melee.
Third is a poison-section. There is some tongue flashing around - tank it out. Stand near the ~poles and keep doing ranged damage to hit multiple ones at the same time,speeding the process. There are some spider-spawn too occasionally - changing to melee when they are on you kills them before they could do any harm.
Fourth is the cow-level. First destroy the heart moving around, then the cow-head. Don't mind the bees - tank them out.
Fifth is the bear-level. Keep jumping up doing melee - things are like for the first section, only with two targets.
The 5th and final part is grrr. First it bites out half of the platforms, throws out some swordfish, then it did some instant kills which I couldn't avoid,but here is a video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tlhOdkAHyT8) about the whole thing. The part you can damage is the glass pilot-dome.

[yoga]

brave is proud to announce ToB is passed.

Wow, it was terrible long battle!

But i do not have idea how to clacify this (these) game(s)?

BG2 as BG2 and

BG2 EE as other game?

Or ToB is add on of BG2?

What do You think, dear Capo and SS?

...
I started solo bard new game ToB, keeping my word.

Before 2 hours.

But i meet one very hard and bad problem:

- There are no new good games for me ahead..
:(
Yes, no games for brave.

I see the my listing and cry.. What to play?

Mortal combat again? Doom 1?

New games are with nice graphis and stupid ideas.

Very fast and main character is as God.!?

[twillight]

brave is proud to announce ToB is passed.

Wow, it was terrible long battle!

But i do not have idea how to clacify this (these) game(s)?

BG2 as BG2 and

BG2 EE as other game?

Or ToB is add on of BG2?

...
I started solo bard new game ToB, keeping my word.

Before 2 hours.

But i meet one very hard and bad problem:

- There are no new good games for me ahead..
:(
Yes, no games for brave.

I see the my listing and cry.. What to play?

Mortal combat again? Doom 1?

New games are with nice graphis and stupid ideas.

Very fast and main character is as God.!?

BG 1 was a standalone game, and had the expansion TotSC. TotSC just added some sidequest and rised the exp-limit, but had no influence on the main story.
The second game is BG 2, which has the expansion ToB, which both had a decent addition in playtime AND heavily influenced the story, and added so many features it is nowdays considered a third installment despite not running w/o BG 2, thus making the series a "trilogy", where ToB is "BG 3".

BG EE is reloading/reenactment of the original games (the old saves are even compatible?). Basically the same, but can worth the extra credit.

--------------

I'm not familiar with all the new games either, but until you figure it out here are some decently long, and high-quality fleshy games which can take a couple of days to pass, and decently challenging:
- Sky Quest (http://armorgames.com/play/16106/sky-quest?via-search=1) is a top-notch side-scrolling shooter, similar to Raptor on abandonia. I found most skills not-as-handy-as-could-be, but hey, it is at least not fixed at the start, and the gameplay is varying and addicting for sure.
- Epic Battle Fantasy 4 (http://armorgames.com/play/14799/epic-battle-fantasy-4?game-referral=sky+quest) is something like the jrpgs, but man, it is fun and complex and simple enough to play. Epic Difficulty is a real challenge, but playing on normal is already satisfying and interesting (especially if you go for all the medals).

[yoga]

BG 1 was a standalone game, and had the expansion TotSC. TotSC just added some sidequest and rised the exp-limit, but had no influence on the main story.
The second game is BG 2, which has the expansion ToB, which both had a decent addition in playtime AND heavily influenced the story, and added so many features it is nowdays considered a third installment despite not running w/o BG 2, thus making the series a "trilogy", where ToB is "BG 3".

BG EE is reloading/reenactment of the original games (the old saves are even compatible?). Basically the same, but can worth the extra credit.

--------------

I'm not familiar with all the new games either, but until you figure it out here are some decently long, and high-quality fleshy games which can take a couple of days to pass, and decently challenging:
- Sky Quest (http://armorgames.com/play/16106/sky-quest?via-search=1) is a top-notch side-scrolling shooter, similar to Raptor on abandonia. I found most skills not-as-handy-as-could-be, but hey, it is at least not fixed at the start, and the gameplay is varying and addicting for sure.
- Epic Battle Fantasy 4 (http://armorgames.com/play/14799/epic-battle-fantasy-4?game-referral=sky+quest) is something like the jrpgs, but man, it is fun and complex and simple enough to play. Epic Difficulty is a real challenge, but playing on normal is already satisfying and interesting (especially if you go for all the medals).
:smile2:
Thank You, dear twillight, thank you.
I know that i may rely on You concerning both games
BG and
Fallout.

Merci for new games offered.
Can You imagine in my despair i climb back to Samurai:vengeance
but does not like.
-to Prince of Persia 3,4,5 - same.

Now i concentrate on my Solo Bard ToB and then will try
Final Fantasy 8 recommended kindly from my friend SmilingSpectre.

grateful yoga

[Capo]

Have you played the gothic series Yoga ?

[yoga]

Have you played the gothic series Yoga ?

:lame:

Non ancora.

Perché, amico mio?

(Still no.
Why, amigo?)

:smile2:

[twillight]

:lame:

Non ancora.

Perché, amico mio?

(Still no.
Why, amigo?)

:smile2:

It was a suggestion if you didn't catch that.
Gemplay vdu: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fXLKoov2ZZQ
wikipedia article on the franchise: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gothic_%28series%29

[yoga]

It was a suggestion if you didn't catch that.
Gemplay vdu: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fXLKoov2ZZQ
wikipedia article on the franchise: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gothic_%28series%29

:smile2:
OK
OK
Nice video.

But why this mage does not use for example

1. Molotov cocktail

2. AK47

3. Mirror image?

Only fireballs?

He seems to be poor fighter? No spells?

Like idiot he runs up-down before monkey.

Stand up and fight like a man, like brave.

:smile2:

[twillight]

So, I put this back. What a miracle.
The last bunker can be gambled as intended (free for all), the jet bike key does nothing despite the popular rumor about Phil the Nuka Cola Guy.

The missions offer practically no advantage to mix their order, so w/o furtther ado:

Mission #17

You'll pee blood, because the game is cheating against you.
First:you'll need every type of weapons you can use:
- power fist t smash some towers
- rocket launchers because there are plenty of free ammos here for that
- saw minigun + browning because 1 round from the browning damages the crab-bots (scurry bots?) enough that the next round can come from the SAW.
- grenades. Grenades will be used at the #5-6 complex.

First kill everything right north where you arrive. Let's hope they don't instakill you (they are many), and the upmost bot does not notice you so you can get close to it and kill it fast - it has gauss ammo. When the first wave is destroyed get behind the fence so the second guard-bot won't kill you, and the gauss-bot won't wast your ammo.
Go further, kill some crabs. Don't mind the generators, they must be blown up the same time, but there are remote dets and detonator around, so you don't actually need those to be brought (although 2 explosives helps ensuring the kill).
Climb down the ladder, and turn off the agressive setting of your character. Go to the switch. Wait until the mines are found so you will be sure you deactivated the towers here. Use rocket launcher to blow up the tower you see. Two of the three guard posts have entrance from behind - get close to them to see the bots inside and throw grenades at/next to them. Do NOT stand where they can see you. You also CAN'T throw grenades over the walls surrounding them, you must throw through the "gates" of the walls. Problem is the third post, which you can not kill with grenade. Actually the whole kill of it depends on sheer luck.
Also beware the bad texture which can make you see/make you be seen by a pacification-bot inside the front gate. It has short distance, but it likes to be invisible, and is just annoying. Use rockets against it through the texture if you can. Beware, do not stand close to the walls and accidentally blow yourself up!
Do NOT go to the upper floor until the rocket bots on the main streets are eliminated (more on this below). Use the side-entrance in the gorund floor. There is a tank-bot, it is melee- use rockets and run behind cover. Disable agressivity whenever it comes to the door, or you'll cut this entrance. Go down with powerfist on your active slot and punch the tower to death. Go back up and get to the room of generator #5. It has 3 invisible guardbot inside. I'm not actually sure what to do here, they tend to fry my arse. Maybe an electric grenade...
There is another (another two?) room on the upper floor... I adivse using the stairs from outside and try activating the invisibots by rockets or something.

To get to the #2 and #3 firstyou need to kill 2 crab-bots, then shoot down one-by-one some human-bots. Not hard. Avoid the rush to #3 because of the doorframe. Through THAT doorframe you can dispose the rocketbots one by one (the second usually flies in your line of sight and makes itself killed). Every other way you are toast.
To get to #2 there is a ditch with 2 bots. Run to the eastern side of it and kill both the same time. They aren't lethal. Go to the entrance, lay down and switch the switch. Go in and punch the towers to death. Go to the other entrance, run in - 2 crab-bots will be activated.

There are 3 ditches in the south side (and generator #4).
From the side pass the building on the south, kill the human-bot, open the door, run out and kill the two rocket-bots. They usually die the first burst, and never actually killed me.
The generator-house has 2 guardbot, but they are anything but dangerous.
The 3 ditches exist just to f* you with. They have weapons that can tear you shreds even from a distance, and they tend to get the initiative, so make instead a frontal ambush not sparing browning/rocket from an even higher distance. Do NOT try to ambush them close from the north!

The rest of the level is ok, but those *#&@ invisibots are making me maddd.

[twillight]

This flash game (http://armorgames.com/play/18027/dead-end-st) is a rare gem.
It lacks practically all originality, but it is has a good progress into being hard while remaining in the realm of possible.
There are almost no bugs (only the laying-too-many-mines bug which shouldn't be an issue in normal play), and it gets good use of its mechanic. I recommend it.

[twillight]

Thx Gog for win10-compatible version. Made a mage instead of my lost warrior,and took the ogre-killing dialoge:

http://i.imgur.com/pzdOrxs.jpg

At 30 point in water and 22 in earth (bought staff in starting town) gaining more skill proved mostly futile (the troll died before being able to gain another point of skill, so duh).
Btw, later if you have a protection-spell and just let the game turned on, your skill'll go up infinite by time, so duh.

After map1 immediately (no town in-between) comes a second map ca.same size. It has an ogre (at live village), 2 zombies (NE), a crapton of bandits (NW) at locations. With hit&run you CAN kill them or just lead each of them to the local knights guarding the exit.
There's a dead village at the starting location, and if you have only Earth attack you're as good as that as there're some ghosts immun to that element.

Next I can choose 3 quests:
- run for a magic sword (why do it with a mage)
- kill a bunchof bandits (considering the previous ones you better have company, either way it won't give you THAT much gold)
- the quest to have Igles the knight. Sounds the most reasonable, you'll be able to train the whacko asap. The only downside is, you won't be able to kill the local dragon. Not that I'd see any chance fighting it anyway (and being a flying thing knights can't hit it with anything except bows, which suxxor).

[twillight]

Most of my notes on this game are on the 15th page of the thread, but whatever. Here comes how to do this chapter with minor fuss:

You can get 34 stealth in this chapter, 5 less if you are not a scout by starting profession.
You should always stick to the known passes because some codes kick in with a delay, and there are some miss-programming (regular enemies being naturally hostile instead warchef/general/shaman), and wolves are perma-hostile. Of course most of these are avoided if you stealth is natural 100 (aka. you don't need to activate for that the shadow-spell).
If you are powergaming gather the stealth-bonuses first and start killing the enemy only after that. Or just do as you please.

Page Entrowe sends you to Mudam after what you need to report back to him. Mudam sends you to Village 4 to see nagas, V7 to see ahoul training, V10 to see a ram under construction, sends you to Sir Soth who wants back ovoron's satchel, also to Ambassador Johfrit who wants you to rescue Edgard, and to Olon who wants you to bring him a dreamcatcher wand for he sends you to Pell.
Now leave to the Village(s).

V1: speak with random ahouls until your journal gets updated. Not sure if this, or any other update worth XP, but whatever.
V2: -
V3: Old Bensends you to swap Mithras' staff as the scout-initiation. Report back after done for +5 stealth and ring of speed.
V4: Scoutmaster sends you to get the hundsman's tunic (when worn wardogs will be yellow = not hostile), after which you can choose from two quest/training: get "a map" or kill lizardmen. I suggest this order.
V5: -
V6: -
V7: find the training ground. There is an ahoul called Shellen, but has no use aside some special conversation. Won't mention similar ahouls anymore.
V8: -
V9: Shiilazia updates journal. After speaking Kallden you can get some XP from Darg who is in V11. Not sure if this is true if you kil Kallden befroe talking with Darg. Equipment: Draugdur's Bow, map, assassin knife (I never use this)
V10: here is the ram, and the hundsman's tent, inside in chest is his tunic (it has no special name, so don't loose it). When visiting all sites for Mudam you must got to Elzarath instead Mudam (or go to Mudam, then to Elzarath despite none sending you there) then back to Mudam, and NOW you finally can visit Fester for Oil. Equipping the oil is how you supposed to destroy the ram. Note: youcan't destroy the ram with bow. Switch to any melee weapon, or just drop the bow and use your fist.
V11: Darg is here. Mard updates your journal.
V12: lizardmen. Check their corpses, now they have some stuff on them.
V13: Equipment: dreamwalker staff, boots of evasion, ring of shadows
V14: helmet of alertness, mail of midnight, cloak of storms, voreworm skin shoes, 2*ring of balance (this on ahoul archers walking around, gives 10 coordination, 10 HP)
V15: Edgar is here. He joins as a companion, so avoid confrontation while he's with you, and yes,you must walk allthe way this time. In V1 4 ahoul will appear near the bridge to the castle during this. Edgar will vanish as soon you enter the castle. Still have to report to Johfrit this for XP. Yes, this must be done too before Sir Roth makes you able to kill Ovoron. Nug Roth until you get it as quest to kill Ovoron (only available when all other possible things are done in this chapter). Equipment: greaves of extinguishing, scimitar of winds. Ovoron's equipment isn't bad either. His satchel is here too, in a chest.
V16: Mithras' staff is in his tent.

Note: at a point Roth sends you to Mudam, who sends you to Captain Calvaric. CC asks you to offer him to the attention of King Vortigern's head honcho of his army, but this doesn't seem to be available, at least not now. onle the journal's minor notes section is updated with this.

And that's it.

----------

Also, here are the differences between classes, aside the obvious special equipment they get:
- warrior: get some initiation-speech, nothing really more than a "nao you are knight, happy?". The initiation-quests can be done by the other classes, even the items-to-gather can be found.
- scout: you get a unique quest which includes some special equipment to carry around - special mage-related equipment, so you won't use them. The initiation-speech is almost non-existent, but the quest-talk mentiones "you are nao part of the illuminati". The whole quest comes from an otherwise-useless NPC.
- mage: a whole new quest, I mean a side-boss-battle. Almost no initiation-speech. Still the bestof the bunch.
Beware, mage playthroughis bugged, you can't free the Queen's spirit because the chapter--finishing conversation does not activate. This does no effect the play otherwise. Here is the journal-entry if you're curious:

http://i.imgur.com/WmPLBA3.jpg

[twillight]

You can't blame a man trying. And as I know the armor-bug, I can fix it via the editor.

So, made the character:

http://i.imgur.com/s6xsWvY.jpg

And finished the 1st mission. Shotgun-users must be dealt with standing far letting them waste all their ammo (after the first locked door outside the building; at the "bunker" on the top left; outside the front side of the boss tent. The sleeping gangster also has one, but you know - he's seleeping). Same strategy applies to the boss' tent.

Used items:
- stimpack: 25
- healing powder: 3
- happy pie: 2

http://i.imgur.com/26Jcher.jpg



http://i.imgur.com/TuoLerA.jpg

-------------

EDIT:
Having some trouble with the Special Encounters:
- you get special encounters only in given hexes
- you can get 2-4 special encounter on a specialhex, but that randomizes their location
- after a while the encounter you'll get is unavoidably Pitch Black, and it's death-sentence until very-late game
- after a while the encounters get randomized, so only get to these encounters, in this order to be effective:
I. from Bunker Alpha go 4 hex down: Brahmin Poker. Grab the money.
II. from I. two hex to the right, 4 down: Hermit. Buy Scout Book. Learn from it.
III. from II. teo hex to the right, 3 down: Brahmin Armor. This is the most dangerous and otherwise problematic encounter. First: only try this during night. Second: do not leave the encounter until you have the brahmin armor, or you risk (make?) the exit grid not working anymore. You heared it right: you go back to your base, save, come back, and you'llnever be able to leave the encounter ever again! Third: have 70% stealth. As soon as you arrive start stealthing. Start walking - and when you getdetected running - towards the nearest turret. If all goes well it self-destruct, maybe hurting you a good portion too. If not, it'll just kill you. Stay there (you can loot it) until the rocket-tower keeps firing (and maybe you hear the brahmin's moo as it dies). Fall back then, and enter stealthing again. Lay down and crawl to the cow's body. If the cow is still alive, you'll die. Get out.
IV. from III go diagonally up-left (not touching the Hermit-grid) 9 hexes, then 1 to the left to find the Farmer. Buy small guns + outdoorsman books, plus 1 piece .50 DU ammo
V. from IV one down, 3 to the left: Gas Station. Buy the Elixir of Life (+1 Endurance).
VI. from V down-left 15 hexes, then 2 down: Merchant. He has 3 kind of book (*2 science, traps, pilot) for starters.
VII.from VI two up, 8 to the right: Trader. 150*5.56 ammo (one more magazine for avanger minigun).
Back to Bunker Alpha to save: 2 up, then straight up-right to Bunker Alpha. During this last course at the 2nd hex keep the upper part to avoid Komodo Man, down at 4th to avoid Deathclaw Liberation, down at 7th to avoid Pitch Black.

http://i.imgur.com/olu7NGj.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/kyJddfx.jpg


-----------

Freeport

Having my guide from before helped :)

Consumed stuff:
- 1 use of doctor's bag by Stitch. Ok, this is just bending the rules - I mean my own rules. See, A's hand got crippled, and while kicking myself through the game would have been a way probably, I just did not wanned to pry that way. And my own skill is negligeable.
- 7 stimpacks. Well, after the Still I just did not need any healing.
- 1 buffout. Roaming the Still was just safer this way. Also, the boss in the locked building had AK47. He went down smoother with the risen stats.
- 2 burst of 5.56 to destroy the Still. Well, even the first round killed the raiders around it, but I can not control things that good in this :P
- 2 incindenary grenade
- 4 molotov cocktail

http://i.imgur.com/0ugHayv.jpg

preparing next mission:
- buying 1 impact gloves

Rock Falls

Wearing the Brahmin Armor this time ment a lot.

Consumed Stuff:
- 14 stimpack
- 5*first aid (by Stitch)
- 2*doctor (by Stitch)
- 1 meat pie
- 1 afterburner gum (at beginning of mission)
- 1 buffout (when entering Daisy's house)
- 1 voodoo (when entering Daisy's room)

http://i.imgur.com/f3zp06P.jpg

[twillight]

First, here is the Random Encounter Map: http://i.imgur.com/XBse4Yq.jpg

Macomb:

Consumed stuff:

super stimpack: 2
stimpack: 17
first aid: 2 (by stitch)
voodoo: 1
molotov cocktail: 17 (mostly blowing up barricades - I missed a lot)
acid grenade: 3
repair: 7 (by stitch)
5.56 ammo: 360 (I'm left with 30)
shotgun shells: ca. 20


http://i.imgur.com/DUlySCW.jpg


Preoria:

Do NOT try to overdose turrets with buffout! It won't work!

Consumed stuff:
super stimpack: 3
stimpack: 2
first aid: 3 (by stitch)
doctor: 4 (by stitch)
afterburner gum: 8 (used on surface turret)
psycho: 3 (used on surface turret)
trauma pack: 1 (at roach-king)
rad-X: 1
bug-on-the-shell: 1
antidote: 12
punch gun (ca. 100), power fist (ca. 15)


http://i.imgur.com/PIoglU1.jpg

Don't ask the age of the char. It came with the altered file, and I did not pay attention to it. It doesn't matter anyway.

Preparing for next mission:
- buying allavailable 5.56 ammo in the bunker
- stealing small energy cells fr5om everyone in the bunker


Quincy:

Tips:
- the alarms outside the town hall seems to do nothing after the main sirenis disabled. This went on my nerves, went to see if the daughter can be saved, and turned out there was no reaction on the inside of the building.
- with 2 causalities in the brothel still got positive comments from the employees there, so I assume that's ok. Well, actually the success might depend on how many are alive WHEN you kill the 3 beastlord within the building, not when the mission ends. Your reward for successfully making it is 400 exp.
- I considered Psychotic as perk. Turned out it only applies to normal damage, and as your armor and natural resistance gives 50% base resistance to that anyway, this perk is pointless. Potentially awesome for a multiplayer match as you don't have to buy an armor this way, but for normal gameplay it is pointless as with your armor and psycho normal dose you'llhave 100% normal damage resistance anyway!
- in the Ghoul Town the attack initiated by your visit, NOT your talk with the leader!

Step-by-step manual:
- arrive at night. Eat an afterburner.
- talk with the NPC, make Stitch run to the factory, you climb the mayor's house stealthed. Step front of the alarm inside blocking the way, appear, kill the stupid leader (power fist), talk with mayor, stealth to the roof, disable siren (1600 exp).
If you later still have enough resources and want to clear the building, climb back this way and start with the baby deathclaws (one can only reach you if you stand on the stairs).
- go to factory. Stealth, go down. Do not disable light. When you see leader patrolling go after her/run when noticed. Kill her with power fist. RUN to just the other side of the sandbags switching minigun on the way (80% big guns here). First burst kills both enemy, run down to the front of the sandbags, punch the enemy to death, also the other. This worth 800 exp. If you disarm the two remote detonator you get another 200 quest exp. Eat an afterburner.
- go to city hall. Kill things in the front at your leasure. It worthstealthing, but the alarms have no consequence actually. Kill the guy at the front, also the patrol with the three dogs on the other side.
- go to the "west" side of the brothel. Watch the patrol starting to walk towards you, and stealth to the door your side. Count until ... 10-14 seconds pass and walk to the nearest enemy, punch it to death. Run in a little, and adjust to the two melee enemy inside. Kill the pistol-one inside, than the patrol outside - if it is at the window, use minigun. Stealth out and kill the passive one on the east. Eat a mentat.
- Stealth inside the city hall on the left crawling, break alarm. Get to inner room, punch the sleepers to death. Stealth-crawl back to the front gate, and from that direction put the beastman between you and the deathclaw (ca. atthe edge of the light). Start minigunning.
- go down to infiltrate the prison. Climb up stealthed, get along the wall so not noticed. When you see the patrol going away go and break the alarm, and step a half step away from the corner. The patrol will make himself punched to death. Go up stealthed, go directly to the boss. If noticed asap run there, kill him,then run to the sandbags minigunning the two there. Switch the minigun to superstimpack and use it on the local hero. Punch the enemy to death in the towers.
- go towards the Ghoul Town. DO NOT ENTER AT ALL COST! I dunno if the mob is teleported outside or what then. Just go around, get to the enemy farm's fance - a little farther, so deathclaws can't reach you at all! Whait until the dogs start running and start the mayhem: minigun everyone down (have 100% big guns). The deathclaws are Death Incarnate otherwise (they shred through your armor like it's not there).
I have no idea wther getting the speech(es) from the ghoul leader have any merrit, but duh. I've finally done this!

Consumed stuff:
- doctor's bag (by Stitch)
- first aid kit (by Stitch)
- stimpack
- superstimpack: 2-3
- afterburner gum: 2
- mentat: 1
- some food in spite of stimpack
- power fist
- avenger minigun (remaining ammo: 10)


http://i.imgur.com/AZc8kVW.jpg

PS: I'm holding my perks. Supermutants gain a perk every four level, so I'll get though hide on lvl 12 and bonus rate of fire at lvl 15.
Actually, I made a list of the "useful" perks to be sure. Man, most of the perks are totally useless in this game for one reason or another.

Good perks:
- supermutants: steady arm, though hide (race-specific toughness perk)
- ghouls: cancerouth growth might occasionally make conditions goaway w/o doctor's bag, making it ok choice for a SOLO ghoul.
- deathclaws: brutish hulk (deathclaws can't wear armor, so ever yHP helps), hide of scars (race-specific toughness perk)
- party: tag! (toadd big guns/energy weapons), mutate! (if they have no trait at all you can give them this way), gain stat (many times they just lack that one point), awareness (not good enough for protagonist, but otherwise very useful), bracing (in case of not enough STR for big guns), weapon handling (incase of not enough STR), action boy (if you can't come up w anything else)
- turn based playing style before patch: flexible
- if playing with a full party: leader, team player
- generally good skills (in order of usefullness): bonus rate of fire, bonus ranged damage, sharpshooter, loner, toughness, more criticals, better criticals, lifegiver
- a pure melee character would probably die soon, but it'd likely demand at least: slayer, silent death, silent running, bonus HtH attack, bonus HtH damage*3, more criticals*3, better criticals - of course this is not possible under normal circumstances, so likely would also include Divine Favour and a ton of wasteland-roaming. Maybe with an edited character could be fun for an hour, but I've learnt through my deathclaw, that nah.


Mardin:

The starting was tough, but managed to lob the CAWSer with molotovs, and from there itwas manageable. Mostly. Keep in mind your superstimpacks.

Consumed stuff:
- rad X: 2
- rad away (could have been prevented by eating radX early)
- stimpack and food
- super stimpack (ca. 3-5)
- first aid (by stitch)
- doctor's bag (by stitch)
- molotov cocktail (1 remaining)
- psycho: 1
- antidote (ca. 5)
- impact gloves
- punch gun (this and impact gloves used primaly lacking resources otherwise)
- power fist (small deathclaws, Emperor Darr, though situations)
- razor claws


http://i.imgur.com/k0ljiue.jpg


Springfield:

[twillight]

St. Louise:

Doing it in 3 passes:
#1: the main quest, and all surface-area. Consumed stuff: first aid (bystitch), repair, avenger minigun (stole General'sammo before leaving), incineration grenade (ca. 5), SAW minigun, rocket launcher (on armored mutants).
Because the mutant with Browning in the northern tunnels was standing, I had to eliminate him, and with that decided to clear everything outside the tunnels. The APC served well as shield.

http://i.imgur.com/SUwC9wt.jpg

#2: clearing the tunnels: Consumed stuff: saw, rocket launcher.
#3: clearing the mutant base (after Springfield, gained lvl 13 here): Consumed Stuff: 1 buffout, 1 mentat, 1 voodoo (could be trauma pack, forgot), saw (2-300 ammo. Can find more during the task), rocket launcher (used up all 8 rockets I had, wish I had more), frag grenade (ca. 20), browning (4 bursts), lockpick + advanced lockpick (there's a locked chest on the bottom left corner along the ooze-tunnel), super stimpack, stimpack


Springfield:

http://i.imgur.com/SUwC9wt.jpg

Jefferson:

After this in the desert had to kill somestuff, because driving 2 cars was problematic.

Consumed stuff:
- stimpack + food
- first aid (by stitch)
- boom bugs (2*3, to destroy generators)
- power fist (ca. 3 full charge, to destroy turrets)
- saw (on unarmored and "almost dead" enemies)
- browning (980 ammo left + 100 uranium)
- rocket launcher (1 rocket left)
- repair kits

http://i.imgur.com/6asPjzW.jpg

Kansas City:

Preparation:
- Just realised I've learnt the Small Guns books. Darn. Would have beenadvantageous to stitch now.
- Stitch will guard the north gate, so giving him something to defend himself. Also will wear environmental armour.
- Will use these drugs at arrival: 2 mutie, 1 mentat, 1 afterburner, 1 psycho to be able to carry around all my stuff.

NOTES:
- sometimes opening a chest or killing a certain enemy gives oddly high amount of exp. Here for example a supermutant gave 7K. Another on the other hand gave 30. I call Bad Programming.
- read through all the battle-logs, and 5 ghoul losses I've counted.
- initially I've tried giving Stitch the XL70E3. With terrible result. Made him a big gunner. Providing character screen on picture.
- put Stitch outside the sandbags to avoid ghoul causalities there.
- do NOT leave the southgate until "objective complete"!

http://i.imgur.com/02ku68u.jpg

Consumed stuff:
- browning (380 bullet left)
- saw (on some unarmored muties)
- rocket launcher: 1 (I had this rocket left over from the previous missions)
- mutie: 2
- mentat: 1
- afterburner: 1
- psycho: 1
- super stimpack
- stimpack

http://i.imgur.com/DAOnT41.jpg

Osceola:

http://i.imgur.com/4WaP8rK.jpg

Consumed stuff:
- SAW
- browning
- rocket launcher (all rockets from previous missions, used against armored mutants)
- grenades (only at the south gate I managed this time. Neither the west or east gate works, nor could drop on the head of the four mutants running up-and-down within the compund's fence :( )
- boom bug (to blow up the gas chamber)
- super stimpack
- stimpack
- foods (I got bored carrying them around)

[twillight]

Junction City:

Preparation: hire Pump fora second, and take his armor.
NOTE: there is a bug which seems to be related to leather/metal armor mark II and their mutant wariants (ghoul, spiked supermutant, maybe reaver too). Enviromental and power armor seems uneffected. I'll keep watching my stats, and try prevent the bug (which made me terminate my playthrough last time) by not wearing the spiked armor while entering/leaving any mission.

NOTE: to prevent reavers entering the city not started to collect parts immediatelly. During my fight the enforcers (city guards) ran ahead making themselves killed. This could not be prevented, and has no consequences.

Consumed stuff:
- SAW
- browning (2-3 bursts inside the reaver HQ just to be safe)
- power fist (against the giant rats inside the tunnel)
- super stimpack
- stimpack
- foods
- first aid (from now on I make my own patches)

http://i.imgur.com/e4NWahU.jpg


Coldwater:

TIP: on every level walk around the edge to see if you can "reach" enemy on the next level. If you can - shoot it!
Also, at the final building try positioning at the first window(s). The texture is faulty there, and you can shoot down the boss,and at least 2 of his lackeys! Unfortunatelly not the rocket launcher guy. Man, I hate that!

http://i.imgur.com/f8KwZsk.jpg

Consumed stuff:
- SAW
- rocket launcher (explosive rocket. 1 at each "group patrolling the corridor" encounter, that makes 2)
- browning (at the stairs from lvl 3 to lvl 4, at the sandbags of the last building, against all power armor boss, against the rocketeer)
- grenade: 1+ (at last house' entrance sandbags 'cause the enemy did not stand up, so needed to activate him. Did not react when not hitting him, that's why not simply 1. Oh, from the two the upper one is more dangerous, only he has browning!)
- mentat: 1
- psycho: 1
- first aid
- stimpack
- food
- super stimpack: 2
- lockpick
- doctor's bag: ca. 5 times, by stitch


Great Band:

Hm. After beating this next to Coldwater, I somehow fell back like I never did Coldwater. Seems a bug. Have to do this again. Some other day.

Consumed:
- SAW (occasional killing shot)
- browning
- frag grenade: ca.100
- boom bugs: ca. 10 (to blow up barricades)
- first aid
- stimpack
- food
- lockpick
- doctor's bag (by Stitch)

http://i.imgur.com/8JgYNLQ.jpg


Newton:

Well, robots. Mostly straight out stuff, although there are some dangerous spots,especially if you want to destroy everything, like the 2 robots crouching on that corridor at the #1 building.
Also, as there are scurry bots (the crab-like things): do not try to fight them unarmed, unless there is only 1 remaining, and you already hit it with the browning.
The #2 building canbe conquered without any fight (ok, there's a scurry bot on the roof).
Do NOT climb around with a supermutant in the junkyard!
Do NOT try to grenade those tankbots, they are too fast. Use rocket launcher.

Consumed:
- browning
- rocket (whenever there is clear path between you and the robot, and the reobot is not a rocket-bot)
- power fist
- stimpack
- super stimpack
- lockpick
- first aid
- doctor (by stitch)


http://i.imgur.com/0YDESq0.jpg

[twillight]

Canyon City:

As far as I can remember this level likes to crash if you leave #5-6 for last, so first clear the robots in the alley near the start, then get to the long underground tunnel - this is doubly important, because for some Strange Coding the turret here becomes active if you descend from above (from the building of #5-6) and can be beaten to death if you arrive from the tunnel.
There are many scurry bots. The level also contains masisve amunt of rocket ammo, but no rocket launcher. Bring one and use it happily.
The problem is the .50 caliber ammo (of browning), as youcan practically find here none of those, so bring a LOT.

Consumed stuff:
- browning: ca. 1200
- rockets: as many times possible (dunno, 50 maybe)
- frag grenade: ca. 100
- flash grenade: 10-20 (used to check if I can hit robots beyond wall - hits for nothing but at least there's no risk killing myself, also is cheap thus affordable. Any other now-useless grenade can replace this, eg. incindenary grenade, molotov coctail)
- power fist: ca. 5*40. Use this to preserve ammo when destroying disabled turrets. All turrets can be disabled (on the turret in the tunnel check above)
- stimpack
- super stimpack
- first aid
- doctor (by stitch, although I could probably afford this now)
- remote detonator: 6*2 (to destroy the power nods. Probably good idea to stand at #2 when you detonate because there only 1 can be placed correctly)
- lockpick


http://i.imgur.com/6N6rU5F.jpg


Buena Vista:

At the start there is a hole in the fence, 2 bots coming through. Deal with that nuisance before anything else.
When you reach the main gate to survive drug up, step in, RUN out, start shooting.
It is extremely important to use the rocket launcher to spare on the browning.
You need to use science! Use up all the science books!

Btw, reached clvl 24. This if I'm correct w/o though guy happens during the very last mission. Still feels forced though.

Preparation:
if you went in the mutant HQ of St. Louise bring the .50 DU ammo! That's your best chance when going through the complex's gate.
Also might be clever to bring sabot rockets because of the behemot-behind-the-fence.

Consumed stuff:
- browning: ca. 1200 ammo (900 left, plus whatever the shop offers) + ca. 75 DU (left enough for 2 bursts)
- rocket launcher: ca. 100, maybe more
- power fist: ca. 200 (to beat power nodes offline)
- mentat: 1
- afterburner: 1
- buffout: 1
- psycho: 1
- stimpack
- super stimpack
- first aid
- (doctor's bag by stitch - I did not actually got hurt this way, but let's mention it)

http://i.imgur.com/6g6QjlI.jpg


Scott City:

This map is friggin HUGH. Takes 3-4 hours to finish. It is alsovery straightforvard. Do not try to use backdoors, sniping positions or other such things. Go full frontal. Oh, and do NO try to shoot the turrets on the roof from the room with the General's body - you'll die 100% of the time that way. Before you ask, the turrets can NOT be disabled.
Also as the map is hugh, better invest into doctor skill to avoid the need to crawl back all the way to stitch.
The footlocker in the hidden room is trapped, but can not be opened by any means.
The house in the junkyard can only be opened by the key from the ghoul prisoner's cell.

NOTE: I think the alarms on the map can cause these prisoners die. If the robots there are killed and the prisoners liberated, it doesn't matter anymore if they activate it. The place with the lock should be avoided though until you destroy the behemoth on the other side of the fence.
EDIT: Nope. The prisoners just get killed randomly. If Sebastian dies only, than none cares. The others worth exp, and likely karma.
On Sebastian: he'll initially talkto you, than you can unlock his cell, and talk with him. If you talk to him the 2nd time after unlocking the cell he'll run ahead and die without achieving anything, Ye, he's totally useless

Behemots have low range, and are slower even than a supermutant, so get back constantly, refuel your AP and use rockets if possible. Also use their hugh size to make them stuck.
Bring your remaining .50 DU to deal with the gauss miniguner.
You'll find some poison stuff here. Use it, or some explosives (can also be found) to kill the merchant and not loose karma.

The most annoying thing are the hoverbots which shoot rockets, from very far, and come in group. So you can't shoot them down, and it is enough if only 1 rocket hits you, and it is blowing up.
So I ate some drugs the last try, maybe they helped, maybe it was just RL-luck.

Consumed stuff:
- mentat: 1
- psycho: 2*1 (first dose ran out)
- buffout: 2*1 (first dose ran out)
- rocket launcher: shall be primary weapon. Bring ALL your ammo! Used ca. 250.
- browning: at tight spots, especially too-close appearing scurry bots, or robots on another level (your rocket can't pass the fence). Use DU against gauss rifle bot (1 burts = 15 ammo. Usually one other thing'll be in the way, make it 2 bursts = 30 ammo. I'm left at this point with 16 DU). Normal ammo used: 300-500.
- stimpack (a LOT. ca. 50)
- super stimpack (5-15)
- ultra stimpack (2-5)
- first aid
- doctor's bag (by me)
- lockpick
- poison: 1 (use explosive if merchant don't die)

As this was the last-but-one mission (no more returning to base), I present you the char-sheet of Stitch. Including kill-count (it is from defending the ghoul-town).

http://i.imgur.com/7YYked2.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/i2kBOt8.jpg


Calculator:

Phase #1:
- watch out the health of the vehicle because of mines (do not roam mindlessly)
- kill the two bots in the bunker with electric grenade (1 each)
- kill the pacification bot and the behemoth with rocket launcher. For the behemot climb the rocks first (it can't shoot upward)
- make the 3 hoverbot empty on the vehicle when otherwise safe (at the start of the bridge it'll do)
- progress VERY SLOWLY at the "stone fence" (you'll know). There is a multitude, you want to dispose the gauss-bot for the ammo, and you'll have to switch 33% agressive to dispose the bot launching grenades on the top of the cliff
- bring with you to the next phase: doctor's bags, electric grenades, plasma grenades, .50 ammo, rockets + rocket launcher, lockpick, gauss minigin + gauss ammo

Used stuff:
- electric grenade: 2
- rockets: ca. 30 (use up all non-explosive ammo first to shorten inventory)
- browning: ca. 1500
- first aid
- doctor's bag
- repair kit

Phase #2:
- buy electric grenades and gauss ammo from BoS
- when open door your active slot should be electric grenades. Throw 2, then switch to browning with .50 DU
- when opening doors your active slot has to be gauss minigun
- on the up-down corridor behind the armory is a tank bot. Dispose all robots on the siderooms, and escaping to those kill the tankbot with rockets (3 electric one is in a locked locker there too)
- the room after the armory (but before you can enter the armory is DEATHTRAP. First: load lifters try to die at the door which is #&@! Second, it is full of vindicatorbots, which if roll a negate-armor-critical are #&@. So use the gauss. No, you can't use anything else because of all the miniwalls (with enough enemy killed you can go around and use rockets even - if you get to that point that is).
- there is a locked room at the cryogenic part. DO NOT OPEN IT. It is heavily guarded, and has nothing inside aside a bunch of .50 ammo which you'll get anyway in the first room of the generator quarter!

Consumed stuff:
- food: all (to shorten inventory)
- stimpack
- super stimpack
- ultra stimpack
- rocket (all)
- browning
- gauss minigun
- lockpick
- electric grenade

Phase #3:
- bring 5+3*2 plastic to blow up the brains as minimum. Grenades work too if you have left any. Remote detonator traps do not work. No info on dinamite.

Consumed stuff:
- plastic (see above)
- gauss minigun (ammo left: ca. 300)
- super stimpack
- stimpack
- mutie: 1
- fuision coke: 1

[twillight]

Phase #1:

http://i.imgur.com/yQU0dKP.jpg


Phase #3:

proof, basic stats, and inventory:

http://i.imgur.com/YMPVdSx.jpg

character sheet and kill-count:

http://i.imgur.com/yZIjZDW.jpg

the decision is made:

http://i.imgur.com/GDU4Wk7.jpg

[twillight]

Obviously the melee build is not viable here - under normal conditions.
It lacks:
- damage
- resistance
- group-handling

But still, I couldn't resist theorycrafting.
Because there would be some advantages:
- no need to pick up almost anything
- the only things you'd need are: a) small energy cells b) healing stuff c) armor
so you could just breeze through the game.

Solo would be optimal, because of the weaknesses, especially those big gunned enemies, who'd just massacre your whole melee party if you'd make one. So that's just stupid.

Anyway, here are all the perks potentially useful for such build:
- action boy (2): 2 AP is 2 AP. Not that meaningful though with all the drugs, and the CTB conditions. Ye, the key for meleeing is abusing the knockdowns and delays, so definitely CTB.
- better criticals: seems essential
- bone head: to lessen the chance you'll have to reload
- bonus hth attack: essential, and makes the action boy unnecessary
- bonus hth damage (3): seems pretty useful / essential
- die hard: seems ok NOTE: this perk is actually bugged - for your favour! Once kicks in, the extra resistance never goes away!
- dodger: marginally useful, but we aim min-maxing
- drunken master: while not essential, can help NOTE: actually this perk does not work at all.
- ghost: while not essential, can help. You'll do missions at night anyway with this because every little bit helps. I mean this character intends to fight guys with rocket launchers and browning. NOTE: actually this perk does not work at all.
- hit the deck: seems essential because of rockets
- lifegiver (2): at least the first rank seems pretty good / essential. More HP means survival
- loner: with all the stats you'd need your skill rate will be low as heck, so it helps immensly
- more criticals (3): either this or slayer. Slayer comes too late, but get back to this in a moment.
- night vision: sounds ok
- quick recovery: sound good
- silent death: slayer makes this redundant. Getting back to this in a moment
- silent running: you'll pass with less stealth. Also will spend less time in the game. Awesome!
- slayer: this is our dream.Getting back in a second.
- stone wall: same as bonehead
- stunt man: like hit the deck, only weaker
- toughness (3): believe me, it is good to have, even if criticals canbypass armor


As only 8 perks would be available in a fair game, my picks would be:
1 - better criticals
2 - bonus hth attack
3-4 - bonus hth damage
5 - hit the deck
6 - lifegiver
7 - loner
8 - slayer

Far from optimal eh? Seems, we should spend ages in the desert, eh?
Well, that's why better pull out the editor and enhance your character.
Unfortunately that thing bugged still, so most perkss show no effect if applied through that, namely:

- action boy
- bonus hth damage
- dodger
- drunken master
- stunt man
- toughness
These have no effect when loading the game, so you'd need to hardcode the bonuses wher possible if you intend to use them. No idea how you could do that though with drunken master os stunt man though.

And here are which are proven working:
- bonus hth attack
- loner
- silent running
- slayer

For all the others I have no idea how to check them (or in the case of the nighttime perks I'm just too lazy to do that), so that's why they are on neither list.

Also, might worth trying to lover the perk rate to 1 to see if you can get perks every single level instead of every 3 levels.

My suggested stats are with gifted and small frame:
S 10
P 2*
E 9**
C 2
I 5
A 10
L 10*
*checking these. If Slayer works independently from luck, than perception shall be risen to 6 for Better Criticals, and another point goes to intelligence.
**will be bumped to 10 by Elixir of Life

Yes, this means pretty crappy skill rate, but you only need stealth and unarmed anyway.
Well, unarmed or melee weapons anyway.

Possible alternative traits:
- kamikaze: while it does SOME damage, when you're fighting the robots, I don't think that counts too much, especially if you wear power fist.
- chem reliant: the aftereffects would still last hours. So nah.
- skilled: naturally, but this even starts feeling cheating somehow. The rest of the modifications for me feel just fun.
- jinxed: I'm not sure of this.
- one hander: a meagre 10% unarmed boost (but no sideffect considering this character)

Unarmed has the advantage that your basic attacks improve by it, and the best weapon for it is power fist.
Melee weapons are somewhat more AP-costly, also no "better melee attack" perk. Also, the best weapon here either ripper which is ca. the same as power fist, or the cattle prod's overcharge which actually feeds on ammo, so would ruin the point of the melee character. Thus I vote unarmed.

the other races:
- deathclaw can't wear armor, period.
- robots don't gain perks, period
- ghouls have the problem of varying min-max of statistics, like 6 AG. Nah.
- supermutants are potentialy devastating (with spiked armor, thoughness*3, thugh hide they'll have 100% normal resistance), but they are slow what is not fun if the enemy like to run around, also don't fit to all places and danger toget stuck permanently.
This leaves humans as the ideal race for this character.

special encounters:
- get to the gas station for elixir of life
- get to the brahmin poker for money
- get to Trader for environmental armor
- get to coppertops for small energy cells
- get to Farmer and Hermit and Merchant for books

[twillight]

Brahmin Wood:
Collect the 2 punching daggers. One in each hand in case you suffer broken bones.

Freeport:
Before starting the mission go and buy the Enviromental Armor at the Trader special encounter. With its protection you won't need your stealth skill.

Rock Falls:
Before starting the mission buy 1-2 Impact Gloves. It has better damage, but maybe two is overdoing.
After the mission buy 1 Power Gloves. No need 2, the enemies are not that tough yet, later probably you'll find another, and small energy cells are not everywhere. Yes, you can go to the Coppertops-encounter, but why bother if it isn't a must?

Macomb:
While you don't really need the vehicle to carry stuff (still, for all the kits will come in handy, also for in-between bases), travelling faster in the wastes makes this quest more desirable.

Preoria:
Wearing enviromental armor negates the threat of poison.
For melee weapon specialists here you can find micro sledge and cattle prod.

Quincy:
has deathclaws. Singled out deathclaws can be delt with simply using Power Fist (bring 125+ ammo, 200+ can be bought at base).
To deal with the ghoul town eat drugs (buffout + 2 psycho + voodoo), and make themstuck behind the farm's fence.
Here stealth is a must at points, so bring in mark II leather armor.
Human/ghoul characters are much faster than supermutants, and that's an advantage. Managed to save everyone, 1 causality each location.

Mardin:
Rise your unarmed to 100% (not counting bonuses) to be able to dealwith wasps w/o problem.
Watch out for the occasional mines, because you use Healing Powder and that takes away your perception (harder to spot mines, if at all).
You find Razor Claws here, best no-ammo unarmed weapon.
Against the Emperor switch to Power Fist. Btw, there are ca. 50 small energy cells here on the enemy, so this should not be a problem. Managed to keep ALL small deathclaw in the final confrontation alive.
Bringing a super stimpack or two is an advantage.

NOTE 1: I'm storing my perks here. My initial perks were: bonus HtH attacks, loner, silent running and slayer. From lvl 2 I gain 1 perk each level, and those were until now, in order: die hard (for obvious reasons), stone wall (getting knocked down is annoying and waste of AP, could result in death, especially against deathclaws), hit the deck (protects against grenades, mines and rockets), bone head (because I don't like to reload I made myself resistant to becoming unconscious).
For the future it is only clear I want better criticals at lvl 9 and 1 rank in lifegiver at lvl 12. What causes me headache are the soon-coming supermutants. Probably I'll take stunt man and bonus HtH damage, while solving my resistances with psycho. Not sure.

NOTE 2: While searching for the special encounters previously, decided to check out the Pitch Black again. Turned ut Riddick cansafely alone walk to the exitgrid, and if you guide your team cautiously through the glowing spots, you can accomplish the same, don't even need stealthing. The last bunchare too close and will start to run towards you, but there you'll simply step n the exit grid.
You can only hire Riddick from the next bunker, and I think this time I will just to have a buddy (I also kept Stitch around on "just to be safe" base, but until now I could firstaid, doctor and lockpick myself through everything).

Springfield:
Now wer're talking. The additional speed compared to supermutants, and especially the armor makes this place very much doable. Still picked 1*toughness because of the top row of all-AK-enemies. For the final battle I even consumed a voodoo.
Also pretty much suggesting to look up the Coppertops encounter for small energy cells, because the amount spent here (25-50) I only have 75-100 left, and that's not much.
With supermutants coming the perk stunt man I see advisable along hit the deck.
Choosing any level of thoughness though resets the Die Hard's activated bonus. Do not afraid though, just make yourself beaten by you buddy, and the bonuses come back to you.

St. Louise:
Staying alive is good, so the next perks shallbe thoughness*2 (rising it 3*toughness).

And I did this (before picking toughnesses, and consuming 2*psycho + trauma pack. Man, that bandaged status rly gets in the way!):

http://i.imgur.com/VGuC1a7.jpg

Yep, I'm standing in the middle of the mutant HQ after it got cleaned by just me punching the life out of 'em.

Jefferson:

Some tips on fighting mutants:
- always attack the one in armor with power fist
- try changing target if your opponent gets unconscious (the game is slightly unresponsive unfortunately)
- always attack the one with the machinegun, especially if youknow it is a browning
- if you have to face multiple machinegun opponents at once, try standing between the two, so they'll hurt each other, shortening the time you have tospend with each enemy
- silent running is an absolute must, not because it shortens real life time spent on the game, but because of the delay on respons of actions. You have quite the time to reach the enemy after it detects you, but before it gets shooting
- of course there are always the drugs too, but why waste them?

Kansas City:
Wow, this was easier than I thought:
- at arrival sent Riddick with Cattle Prod, attack mode: overcharge, to the north gate, way out of the fance, to the wrecked car where the SAW-mutant comes in, and just set him agressive to deal with the melee mutants.
- me ate: 1 buffout (seems with drugs maxium stats are 12, this rises AG, EN and ST which are for me basic 10) + 2 psycho.
- because of the tumultuous start I've picked more HtH damage todispose the enemy faster.
- me ran immediatelly to dispose the few mutants at the billboard, then run down. Prime directive do not let any slip up, otherwise start on the left, finish on the right, do not mind the two sniper nest. Fortunately none on the map have brownings, that's what makes it doable.
- then just enter sneak mode, run to the next mutant and keep it on. Time is pressure because the drogs are what keep you alive, but shouldn't be a real problem, as you don't need to loot.
- before the mission you can also getyourself a nice enviromentalarmor mark II.

Osceola:
Added myself Dodger.
You can kill everything here if you concentrate on the occasional browning ones, only don't bother the pairs at the main gates. Only go back there when you cleaned everything but the boss' room - if you kill the boss the still-alive mutants disappear.
Still, be pretty-patched-up when dealing with the mutants on the little bridge before the little building (2 armored and an unarmored mutant there, can kill you w/o enough health).
If you wantto deal with the browning-guard-pairs before entering the boss' room take 2 voodoo which you'd need otherwise too because Gamorrin has some pretty awesome penetration, and do your stuff then.

Junction City:
There are a lot of enemy covering each other, and some (mainly the grenadiers I think) can hurt you. Play strike&retreat. Watch out for the traps.

Cold Water:
Added myself Bonus HtH damage (now have 2 ranks).
At the final level you can't kill the sharpshooters above (no way climbing there), so just suffer them.
For the final go I used a trauma pack for more resistances, and also to heal myself (got bandaged). First kill the rocketman, than the boss, than the ripper guy stalking you (he is actually dangerous, watch your HP).
After the mission you can get yourself a nice and cosy power armor.

Great Bend:
Added myself all Bonus HtH Damage, because of Load Lifters etc.
With this many resistance this really becomes almost pathetic.
Btw, seem the Die Hard's effect is cured by the doctor skill.

Newton:
You find your Advanced Power Armor here. You have to realise stealthing might prevent your encounters with scurry bots, which'll be a sidequest in the mission into the nuclear power plant.
Also, the lack of small energy cells start to be worrying. Ok, I still have 4-500, but for all sake, I'm using Slayer (and against single humanoid bots, or single unconscious-enemy-only I switch to that Wolverine-thingy)! So yep, a stealer mule seems to be a must if you'd try 100% legit. Good new is: you don't need drugs.

Canyon City:
Choosing this for the sole reason no behemot.
The mission was practicaly boring. The only thing noticable is, I'mstarting to run out of smallenergy cells.Sure, I have like 250 left on me, and another 500 appeared on the quartermaster, but that's not many considering a legit playthrough where Slayerdon't spare you a crapload of ammo.

If you'd make an unarmed go, I suggest making a team. The team would be entirely support. One stealer (to lessen the ammo sortage) and one medic (I had problem first aiding myself atthe start) seems advisable. Secondary skills to those two should be: for one big guns keeping in mind Gravestone, and for the other lockpick. Repair don't rly comes into play with this one, and the rest is either negligeable (like barter), or will be covered by books (like trap)

Buena Vista:
Woopsy, ran out of ammo. Seriously. Despite intensively using the Razor Claw on practically everything what was not towerr, or behemoth.
Speaking of behemoth: if it hits you, you're dead. I mean without drugs.
Also, beware for the lasers, they HURT you. Entering the complex is not lethal, but problematic.
At the Deep Pit the load lifters gathered atthe bottom, had to destroy them with electric grenade.
Also used plasma grenades to eliminate the bots behind the fence of the alarm consol. Maybe it'd've been better to let them be alarmed.
Note: after the mission the 500 small energy cells are still for sale at the quartermaster, but after that I can only steal some more from the random BoS NPCs. The shopalso offer Tesla Armor - not exactly practical, because the enemy always have some machingun amongst its ranks.

Scott City:
Ok, so it not impossible to do this, even w/o power fist.
Found out the loss of resistance bug is caused by saving and reloading, and it effects any and all amrors you might wear. So remove your armor before saving. might also be that I changed armor during battle.
Because the bug kicked in late on the map, I got fed up, and next time went straight for the merchan't head. this slightly lessened my ammo-problem, finished the mission with ca. 525 left. On the 3-robot patrol in the junkyard there are a minor amount (75-100, depends how much they can shoot) of small energy cells.
Oh, and there wasn't muchroom for stealthing.

Also, gave a thought how I'd pick the perks for a legit gaming when seeing all my results, and finding the tesla armor in the shop before this mission. That armor is potentially awesome IF you eat drugs. Eat a lot of drugs to give yourself resistances, because the power armor does not really protect you from energy blasts. This is also useful info for the finalmission.
Also because of behemots you'll need slayer, what means an unarmed build must play in though guy mode.

So the perks you should have for an unarmed build in fallout tactics are: #1 slayer, #2 better critical, #3 bonus HtH attack, #4 hit the deck, #5 silent running #6 toughness #7 thoughness #8 toughness #9 die hard #10 lifegiver #11 bonus HtH damage #12 bonus HtH damage #13 bonus HtH damage. Lifegiver can likely be put out, and something else must go too. Thoughness might be exchanged to drugs, and Silent Running might be circumwent.

Final Mission:
Phase #1: 100 small energy cells shorter. Some trouble, but nothing new. The turret at the start w/o robots around remains passive - good.
Phase#2: MUST have tesla armor from a point. Eat healing stuff like a lot. Die Hard HERE AND ONLY HERE is coded right (for f* sake!), and disappears when HP is higher than 20%. -250 small energy cells. Do not try to spare it, the fights are big and serious. Try to chip away the enemy from room to room, crouch behind walls to get time for uing doctor - they realy do cripling criticals here for reasons. Ye,a good doctor skill comes in handy.
Phase#3: wear tesla, and start on the right where some physical attacks come from. Retreat as needed.
But the last room are INSANE. Even with psycho + voodoo, and healing by trauma packs, even the first 2 rooms are siky, not to mention the last one, where you have to dispatch the minigunners ASAP, because they'll penetrate your armor like it isn't there, and eventhan the battle is not won. Oh,and for the last room I just ran out of small energy cells period.

I did it, but even with my extra perks it was more though than any other way.

[tienkhoanguyen]

For what it is worth twilight... looks like cool graphics for the most part! If you spent money to buy it it usually has all the bells and whistles. So you probably love the game.

[Mystvan]

This is a true Walkthrough with graphics. It reminds me of the GameBanshee and GamePressure.com sites (with well polished Polish team) specializing in Walkthroughs for RPG games. :OK:

twillight is very hung(a)ry for games, you know. :drool: :hungry:

[twillight]

Or likeRPGCodex.net.

For some reason I actually like the game, but I got it from GoG for free when they uploaded all three fallouts. I still bashing my head not picking fallout 2 too, or all three at once (all were free).

With all its faults (maybe even a bit FOR its faults) I like to return to it, although the replay value is diminishing visibly each time.
The only thing left is actually doing the thing with a legit melee build. I confess I even started it after my last post.

Here is my character after the first mission (though guy mode included):


http://i.imgur.com/bU0tE7a.jpg


Farsight was removed for next mission, PipBoy is recruited. I only need my party for non-combat purposes (lockpick, steal, medical stuff, mule).


Perks planned:
lvl 3: -
lvl 6: silent running + hit the deck
lvl 9: -
lvl 12: lifegiver + lifegiver
lvl 15: bonus HtH attacks
lvl 18: bonus HtH damage
lvl 21: better criticals
lvl24: slayer
Although maybe more HtH damage might be a better choice instead of silent running and better criticals.


Also, I accept advices on the use of drugs.


Intermission:
Went hunting special encounters. Got the four merchant-one, brahmin poker, and PipBoy. The FoT-worldmap out there gives the locations well at least for though guy mode, where only after 6 encounters they start to randomise.
I usually play solo with supermutant main, and the 6th special is therefor brahmin armor, not PipBoy. Unfortunately muties are slow and their armor-progress is bad, ghouls' stats are problematic, and deathclaw just lacks armor in general http://www.nma-fallout.com/xencustomimages/smilies/icon_sad.gif


Oh, I play in CTB, and Normal Difficulty.


http://i.imgur.com/3w2wbHY.jpg


Freeport:
I chose to skip Silent Running and Better Ciriticals this time (which of course makes my 6PE obsolate, but whatever, I might decide later picking that up). If I fail because of that (Silent Running can only be relevant during the supermutants) I'll use archive save. Oh, be sure to only save after removing all armor, because of the bug which can reset your AC and resistance to basic when save&reload.


Had to restart the misision once because one of the raiders ran away and alarmed the whole base, and it was uncomfortable.
Took an Afterburner Gum at the start to prevent that raider running away again.


Stitch patched me up once, and I used an AK47 improvised to blow up the still (because exp). Could have send in PipBoy, but nah.
I remember from my test-run (with a slayer-from-getgo character, check above) that at a point healing becomes scarce with this character, that's why I'm noting. Although there might have been the problem I did all my medicing (and with 60% or less first aid you keep failing and injuring yourself).


http://i.imgur.com/xgsuhtl.jpg


And for Bunker Alfa's last mission Rock falls:


http://i.imgur.com/Jz4K9Yp.jpg


For starter I consumed an Afterburner Gum and a Buffout, and after trimming the sides and storming the main gate (the AK-guys open it! They like to run around either way) took a voodoo too. This is an old combo of mine, and it works.


Ok, had to restart 2 times. For the first go I got unconscious on the top of the fence around the inner bunker, and right after that at the start of the next try got winded and I just couldn't bother.
For the 3rd go I used up like a whole first aid kit (got bandaged), and once even needed doctor.
To unlock the safe Stitch got 40% lockpick plus 2 set of tools.
Stole Tiduk's sister's voodoos by myself, and before moving I made Stitch steal from the elders and scribes all the super stimpacks and small energy cells with 80% steal.

[twillight]

Macomb:
This is semi-well designed map. You can clearly see planned passages barred etc., but there is a main concept: bunch of AK47 raiders groups. This way they are pretty dangerous head-on.
So the basic strategy is to make them (who are on the roof) waste their ammo standing out of effective range. And even without this method the mission takes like 1 hour 20 minutes, so don't try voodoo.
In the second horizontal lane the two group of AK47 (one right after the gate, one inside the building with the switch) are pretty annoying as you can not make them waste out, so just charge in (try to run in during their 2nd burst, so their AP will be low) and use Power Fist on the first 2 enemy.
There are 2 rocketeer on the map, the first one has 3 shells, the second has 2. Hit the Deck works wonders, but still.
"Disable" the minefield with the car (drive on the mines so they blow up), going back and repairing it as needed.
FEAR THE CIVILIANS on the roof. They have insane ability to cause criticals. I had 5 effects on me there, that's why my unarmed went up suddenly (I didn't even had 33% to hit unaimed without that).
When you pass the last gate, take a voodoo. That's much safer. For the first go I died here once for not drugging up. For a second time I died on this map this playthrough at the start for the annoying "you get hurt critical" bug (at times the engine just makes crippling effects on you so regular it's not funny). Fortunately it'll be pretty obvious, and you die anyway fast if you try.
Oh, and if you can't get on the roof with the chest, try the other ladder. This happened to me now first time of all my playthroughs.


Oh, and Macomb is important to take for enough afterburner gum hoarded.


http://i.imgur.com/hsx9ypx.jpg


Preoria:
In Enviromental Armor this mission is way more easy - no poison. Still, Roachor is a threat, so there take a dose of voodoo, and switch to Power Fist (switch back if it gets knocked out).
Oh, overdose-killing the outer turrets requires 3*4 Afterburner Gum - as with the latest patch these turrets like to kill people randomly, this is very much a priority. In case someone does not know this, the turrets can not be overdosed by buffout. Psycho works too, but that's a good drug. No clue on mentat.


http://i.imgur.com/X5kN205.jpg


Quincy:
This city is a hellhole, but actually not unpassable. But you need (at least better off) sneaking. In enviromental armor just in case. 40% sneak will do, maybe even less. Bring power fist with 150 ammo.
So, first get into the major and kill the boss, and only the boss. Deactivate the siren.
Second, get into the powerplant, switch off the lamp, wait until you see the boss walking, run in, kill her, kill the two nearest guy, kill the bottom two (you don't have to pass the sandbags for this) - use power fist to gain best exp, there will only be 1 causality (2 at worst). Disable the remote detonator traps - that worth an extra 200 quest exp.
Third kill all beastmen around the townhall.
Fourth storm the brothel. For this take 2 Afterburner Gum, and sneak to the left side's door, get to the crouching enemy, than finish the two melee ones, than the shooter inside, than the shooter outside. Preferably use power fist. If you're lucky 5 of 7 sexworkers will still be alive when all the beastmen inside die and you gain 400 exp. If you don't succeed here (I tried to kill the patrol outside, got noticed and had everyone killed), you still get 200 quest exp for the liberation.
Fifth sneak in the townhall, sneak-crawl to the alarm and break it. Keep crawling to the backroom, start the killing there with the nearer sleeper on the left. When finished pop a psycho and from the left side run in a moment than run out, so the deathclaw chase you. Use power fist on it.
Get to the prison. Climbing the ladder in sneak mode helps. You don't really have to mind the people on the ground floor, so just run up, start with the boss, than the two behind the sandbags (if they keep laying passive move further - rare situation), than the towers. Kill everything on the ground floor, use power fist on baby deathclaws.
Get to the lane of houses just above the ghoul town, the house you can see through the deatclaw standing there. Deal with the 3 beastlord and the claw. This is actually optional.
Now run towards ghoul city. Do NOT talk with Elliot, instead run to the farm's fence. Kill the dogs. Don't mind the beastmen (unless nothing happens otherwise, but in that case prepare to RUN), get along the fence on your side in front of the farm's main door. The pack of deathclaws are coming. They'll notice you and stuck behind the fence's other side. Use power fist on them, run back a few steps when you need healing. Too bad deathclaws have range of a spear naturally, so again melee weapons don't worth it. As they're behind a fence, grenades likely don't work here either. Prepare for broken limbs.
If you want, you can get back to where the major is/was kept hostage, go down the stairs and kill what's inside at the cost of more use of power fist on baby deathclaws.
Second optional area is the temple. You either try to hit the two deathclaws through the window, or run away luring them to the door of the prison compound where only 1 can face you at a time. Hope you brought super stimpacks (put yourself passive if you get seriously hurt to accumlate AP).
Lastly I strongly advise against trying your luck against the two sneaking deathclaws and their beastlord master. That just smell unnecessary trouble.


http://i.imgur.com/BeWhagg.jpg


Mardin:
The trick for the start is to not move. The enemy will come to you, what means lesser number, what means a chance to survive. Darn the caws-guy and the two grenadiers if you head-on!
Also, the baby deathclaw on the surface will NOT become friendly, so you might as well try to kill it. Beware, his group (it comes with a beastlord and a cockroach) is VERY dangerous.
There's a babyD also in the dungeon which you'll likely kill because it is near an netrance, and would not have much of a chance anyway. But do not mess with the two in the pit.
Use power fist against Darr, the beastman at the babyD's cell-switch, and maybe the baby deathclaws, but try to restrain yourself otherwise. Better die here than for the lack of ammo later.
Also, just because this playthrough is semi-solo (my team did not made a single shot yet) doesn't mean I have to do all by myself. So I let out the Mother, and take advantage of her cubs against Darr's room. My luck:


http://i.imgur.com/E61Ufsb.jpg


So I survived as you can see here (oh yeah, you find the Razor Claw in this one):


http://i.imgur.com/ufYO4s9.jpg


Springfield:
The bane of this character here were mostly enemy in pits. The total annoyance is trying to dispose the one in the sniper nest at the end - can only succeed if that one misses once (not much of a threat, just annoying).
The buggy could give some ideas, but better not use it. Instead after gaining it puff a voodoo or two, and storm the raiders/enforcers/kkk-members there. DO NOT LOOT THE BODIES! If you do you'll run out of the doses of these voodoo(s) when reacing the house with the sniper nest. Actually you could manouvere enough even to the 3rd gate with enough patience, but this way you can prevent some potential disasters - for some reason the program liked to make me unconscious here, and I had enough.
If you did not take any voodoo pop 2 at the last gate (which leads to the radioactive goo area with plenty of AK47 raiders). If you did swallow some, pop 1 more (3 being ideal). Go in through the metal gate here, avoid the hole in the fence on the far side - it is too far away, and mined with efficiency.
If you run out of time of the drugs like I did no fuss - pop a psycho to replace your resistances. At the town hall kill 1-2 AK47 (and maybe there is a melee, kill it so he won't bother you) while passing towards the boss who hits still very hard, than finish the fight (concentrate on the AK47 leftover if some is shooting at you, otherwise choose whoever is visible).


http://i.imgur.com/8BCEEGe.jpg


Next time: supermutants.

[twillight]

Nope, won't continue what started previously. Lost the cause, got the info from the data already available.

But I managed to pull through not just a human, but a ghoul protagonist on Brahmin Wood, and I'd be damned if I'm not following this dream of mine came true.
Insane is bloody hard by the way. My human is atJefferson, and have serious problems of his with the supermutants which this time really laugh off all the pain. From a SAW at least. They even need 2 rockets to be disposed per mutant, and I have no realidea where to get the ammo.

Even Brahmin Wood is tough nut,'specially under though guy, mainly because you have no HP, only a 3-member squad, and the computer cheats like no tomorrow (your effective PE is only 7, most of the times you must be happy even with 33% hit chance, and the enemy has absolute precision which onehitkills you if they can release a shot).
Here is my ghoul though who made it:

http://i.imgur.com/BnqT01L.jpg

Yep, on Insane the protagonist MUST tag Unarmed, and MUST have a good EN. Ghouls have alsothis problem can't wear leather (or metal) armor making their life even harder (their initial HP is also lower than others).

The mission goes as follows:

http://i.imgur.com/OY3sM97.jpg

Numbers mean the enemies. Way todealwith can be suimmed this way:
- gangbang: run to point blank range (usually whenthey're moving from one place to another- the AI is somewhat slow to react)
- sniping: good old fashioned onto the belly with hunting rifle
- shotgunning: sneaking there or waiting in ambush-position and use shotgun on 'em. Double barrel silverhawk from the point you get those.
- other

So you first shotgun #1 (dog) right after feeding the buffout you got for tagging unarmed by Farsight, than gangbang #2, than #3. Watch out for #4 because you'll snipe it or die. #5 is gangbanged, #6 is burst down by Farsight laying down at the leftside of the potsusing the MP5. Shotgun/MP5 #8, snipe #7 after that.
Shotgun 9-12, then switch to defensive mode make falanx before the tent with the hostages, put Farsight on ther right where she cansee one of the raidersand start shotgunning it switching offensive (he's a very lethal melee raider). Switch to single shot stuff, run in the tent and finishthe other raider.
Wait for #15 come close,and gangbang her, not letting her run into either tent (stand in those directions). Than shotgun #16 who's sneaking. Snipe #17after Farsight consumes the mentatyou found at#16's room.
Shotgun #18, snipe #19, than get around leaving the weakest character laying atthe lamp post. Shotgun #20-21 (runaway with whoever gets hurt and patch yourself by stimpack asap).
Make Farsight eat the voodooyou found before, sneak up the sniper nestand shotgun #22, snipe #24. If #23 runs out shotgun it, if not, shotgun it. Shotgun #25, snipe the gay dog from #26-27, deal with its owner the way you feel ok.

http://i.imgur.com/dabWYmd.jpg

Shotgun#28,and be afraid, be very afraid 'cause you'llhave to deal with#29 who has a shotgun, and likes to run close. Throwing the 2 incindenary greande at it might be a good idea. Also the molotov cocktails. Right at that snipe #30, and deal with #31 whohas a sniper rifle (I usually run in with Farsight and Stitch shotgunning it from behind, but that's just me).

To deal with the boss' house shotgun anyone very-very near to the cover of the entrance, also look for a bug-caused hole on named fence to snipe down the sniper (heal every time you get hit by her,she is most dnagerous!). Snipe down whoever remains and don't come close enough.
Don't forget to hurry, Voodoo has only 30 min. duration.

------------

After this let's abuse the special encounters: gone straight to the Brahmin Poker for money, added Stitch (I'll lldump him) Here&Now perk and spent all his skillpoint into barter. Visited the four trading encounter (farmer, hermit, trader, merchant) for books and armor (1 metal, 1 environmental) and 2 dose of mentat. It'll push my CH to 6, and thus can get all the better recruits when I return to the base.
Visited Uprising, and used a dose of Poison on one of the guards there to get a Vindicator minigun and 900 ammo. That crap just eats ammo, but at least it is something.

http://i.imgur.com/EnJ6oyo.jpg

Also went for PipBoy. Not because I'll use him this time, but because his FNFAL is bloody strong weapon. Do not forget Gas Station either for the Elixir of Life.

After returning the base bought 200 shotgun shells before finally getting rid of Stitch and recruiting, with the new team went for Brahmin Armor (which is better than Ghoul Armor Mark II, so I have 3 better-than-basic armor now). Also delt with the Canadian Invasion, because they have an outdoorsman book and Everybody Hates Raymond, I mean random encounters. Actually random encounters are not to be forfeit as they offer a chance for early big guns (SAW is what's important there, and with a couple of dose of drugs like psycho it is possible to be done) and laser rifles (if you can somehow deal with raiders, I think this better wait until have the first car).

http://i.imgur.com/2XQyvfT.jpg

[twillight]

So, Freeport:

http://i.imgur.com/EzDsXib.jpg

More enemies for sure. There is even one new tactics: sneak and shoot them. This means whatit seems: you sneak to sleepers and shoot them to death while they're sleeping.

There are some AK47-wielding enemies, they are bloody dangerous. As I ran low on RL-luck for a little, I developed a 3-person assault team from Mandy, Rage and Rebecca. Farsight's 4 LK on insane can get in the way you kow, so I used this extra member of my team because I could.

Let me tell you about my team, what jobs they're doing and such:

http://i.imgur.com/6NCYgRn.jpg

Lola (main character): will do Big Guns, but first will have to spend points to do Doctor, because getting crippled can get in the way. My human's Insane Team could tell stories:

http://i.imgur.com/jl96mPl.jpg

Strangely 2 broken legs doesn't mean you can't walk. Sounds painful. Mandy, why didn't you do your job already?

Back to my ghoul's team, where the doctor is me, so I didn't have to wait around a whole mission w/o doctor. Accidents could happen. They did not, but could. So I am The Doctor.

http://i.imgur.com/kVZxosa.jpg

Mandy now will be the reapi(wo)man, because she has many skillpoints, and you'll see that's the only role I don't have a member to do it.
But she can do the First Aid stuff.

Farsight is a bit lacking on the sniping for the moment (will be developed through books mostly on the small guns department unlike for my human's where she even has 2 in educated for more skillpoint so ther transition to energy weapons can be done easier), but does outdoorsman too. Given that with all the books from the special encounters, and her initial tag after Freeport (there is an outdoorsman-book at S1) she reaches 100%+ outdoorsman, she's pretty useful.

Jax has the simple role of Big Guns, and I decided to pull him through the necessary missions until we get the stuff. He's a lot behind initially given 5 IN and only 30% starting taggeds, also only clvl1, but if I can pull it through, she'll be better than PipBoy for the human's team.

Rage on the other hand does useful stuff along shooting: steal stuff. Ok, it is kinda risky, but who else would I use, especially early? Ok, there is ONE character that COULD be developed to perfect thief: Sharon. She has uniquly 8 CH, so give her Gain Charisma and Divine Favour, and pick Bluff Master too, and you have a 10 CH character, what means she'll have 100% success rate not getting caught stealing. but that justsound problematic, and she's not good as warrior if youask me, but hey, why not give her a chance.
Even with 40% chance you can steal minor things, like the small gunns book from Shauri (my theory is that she dies later because of this) right after doing Freeport.
With 60% you'll have a chance stealing Pancor Jackhammers from the Merchant encounter, but more importantly with 80% you cansteal the Avenger Minigun from your general. Also the ammo as you're at it. My theory is, he gets abducted later on for this.
And with like 120% you can steal everything (and without much reload).
Stealing can fasten your advancement by a lot.
He also has Awareness perk, which can help using the right tactics.

Rebecca as I said is an extra, she currently does the lockpicking. That only needs like 40% through hard points though, kits carry over the rest, so Farsight will do the job when Rebecca leaves later.

Where this puts us?
Lola: doctor, big guns
Mandy: first aid, repair
Farsight: outdoorsman, (lockpick)
Rage: steal (+ awareness)
Jax: big guns.
I like my team with 2 big gunner and 4 sniper (single shot ranged, laterstage they use energy weapons).

On Jax: he's certainly good at dealing damage - but nothing else. For Insane that still sounds a helluva good thing though. In contrast PipBoy, my usual choice can't change stance, is a little slower than anyone else when walking/running, and starts at clvl 8 which is a slight hinder when you think about it, but pipBoy can also do gambling. And he can win 100% from anyone. this time I'll justswap him in-and-out of the recruit pool.

Back to Freeport:
When you arrive try shooting down with hunting rifles P1 (patrol #1) which isa dog and a raider. They likely will run far away, but that's no problem. Hopefully thi'sll also lure/stuck near P2, which has 2 raider and a dog. Only the raider with the hunting rifle is dangerous as crap, so if you can deal with 'im right now - do so.
Switch to defensive and sneak-strike S0 (sleeper #0). Sneak-strikes can be done with 2 double barrel shotgun (silvehawk if you forgot), or even safer: 2 burst mode FNFal + 1 burst mode MP5. The MP5 spares some 7.74 ammo for you,but ensures the kill. The Madny/Rage/Rebecca combo can do this way 90% of the mission just doing this.
Now snipe down P3, and start clearing the front from right to left: set your people bursting and make someone (Farsight is a safe bet) shoting once at G1 (guard #1), who is a pair of dangerous melee raider. They'll run into their death. If P2 still exists, finish them off.
Sneak to S1 and shotgun it (remember, you don't actually use shotguns here maybe). Set people at burst, and lure to ambush #1 and #2.
Sneak to the alarm at the far side with Mandy/Rage/Rebecca and enough ammo (can be forgotten at this stage, were ammo is not that frequent). Brake the alarm, and wile P4 is farter away burst S8. He has an AK, so he better not shoots back (the 3-assault-team guarantees this). Now crouch at the corner and wait for P4.
Sneak back and send in Rage and Mandy to the other alarm at the prisoner. Break the alarm, and behind the further miniwall wait P3 to appear with offensive burst weapons. Immediatelly get sneaking again. Sneak out and switch to sniping down P4 who has a shotgun (silverhawk), so prepare to switch to bursting weapons when he runs close.
A somewhatproblematic sneak-kill comes: S2. They are very far from each other, so divide your forces appropriately. You don't want them run away causing mischief.
Sneak (use "formation" from the options menu) next to #8-9 who I almost forgot to mark. They have weak (non-instadeath) weapons, so it is ok. Burst them to death.

Now start the Cleansing: sneak-kill S3 (set your weapons single shot, or position very carefully because there's the Elder), sneak-kill S4, S5, S6 + the guy in front of the tent (he's melee, likes to get up and come in, shuldn't be much of a problem if you use bursting weapons instead of shotguns).
Make a big circle and cautiously go in to deal with S7. In the meantime you'll see near that tent a bunch from P5 walks around, so if you crouch/prone your strike team there, you can easily thin them out. This is a good idea, because at least one has hunting rifle, and they like to run away from you otherwise, which is just frustrating. bursting people is much faster anyway.
Get around the site and snipe down the rest of P5. If you're lucky part of #4-7 will run to you toomaking life easier, if not, try setting up an ambush, luring out them by shooting a snipe-shot on wh you can see. If that's done, pick a female (yes, a female), and send her around to the front walking around the whole camp. The female-part can be helpful because they're thin enough to use the rubbled house next to S6's house to her advantage. Your goal is to run to the opposite side where a small sandbag-wall is. From there babystep out so you can destroy the still (worth 400 exp,and at this point effects not your mission otherwise). Hopefully this'll damage one or both of the raider right next to the thing. Don't worry about the closer one, worry about the farter one who has AK47. If that one is alive, try blasting up the oil drums to damage it as much as possible. He's the last deadly obstacle for the mission.

Well, actually I think there'sthe local boss yet too,at least in my writing. He's #3. He's awake always, and pretty pathetic for any other difficulty. He is quit damaging on Insane though. So set your assault team bursting at his entrance, and with a 4th member snipe him. This'll lure him out and get him killed.

Don't forget to release Ripley the prisoner, and tell the Elder he's free to go now.

http://i.imgur.com/JRyZUPF.jpg

After this if you have to do anything on the wasteland as Farsight can have abpve 100% outdoorsman, you're free to do. Finding the Grimm Brothers can be a good thing, you might want to steal a repairbook from them (don't push your luck unless you play as a robot when stealing the repairkit might be attractive. the science-book is pretty useless though).
People hate the Wasteland because it can be pretty crowded:

http://i.imgur.com/Bqw17PJ.jpg

[tienkhoanguyen]

I'm sorry if I derailed your thread by comments. I just wanted to say I read the last post entirely. I know I would want my post not to go ignored. So just letting you know I read it. If you decide to continue posting that is up to you and the mods. However I always try to learn new things. Thank you for being friendly? hehe Seriously you don't have to be friends but being nice helps smooth everything. Thank you... Tank YOU! Sometimes you have exclusive access to something and it is nice that others like myself get to see from time to time. So it is like a share kind of way. Besides I don't play games really. So it is nice and relaxing to see someone get so far in a game!!! Thank you again for sharing your time and a few pictures to go along the way.

I notice your signature and please don't mind me. We might be on opposite states but it is interesting to me to see others that are that different. Otherwise we all be boring.

Thank you again.

[twillight]

I just wanted to say I read the last post entirely.

Thx for reading. Much appreciated.

If you have anything to ask related to the game, me playing, or justsomething of me, feel free to ask. That's why the topic exists.

Until than it comes to Rock Falls:

http://i.imgur.com/OQyRkOu.jpg

The main problem here are (again) AK47s. The enemy practically lacks hunting rifles fortunately at least.
The numbers mean GROUPS of enemies, and I gave a line of duty too.

First go to the right and eliminate a 3-men patrol at #1. Use hunting rifles. One has an AK47 which is potentialy lethal, so circle from far away until you spot a member.
#2 is a patrol who guards a siren. Breaking a siren never gives exp, so don't worry about this too much. If the patrol sounds the alarm 2 sleeper from nearby awakens and joins him - they aren't significant enough to get desperate if the wake up.
#3 are SNEAKING, and has AK47s. So keep your distance, crouch, and snipe them after they reveal themselves. #4 is right next to them, you'll likely fight her the same time. Yes, she has an AK too. Crouch/prone to lessen enemy's aim and rise yours. If you can't find a spot but you know some are still alive (always switch the minimap when in doubt - if you get exp, the enemy is dead) AND want to bother, then swap someone with high HP into the environmental suite, give it an FNFal burst mode, and send in. With witts. And stimpack. If it survives the revealing shot, the rest of the party will terminate the raiders while your grunt gets into cover.

While the map suggests to pass the minefield it is NOT the most efficient way. It is actually on easy-normal for inexperienced players of course, but I don't fall in those categories. So go back to #5 and start laying down and clearing from left to right the enemy at the gate. If you forgot until now, your best shooters (for me Mandy, Rage and Rebecca, Farsight not because I teach her through books, but that's just me this time, she should too) have 100-101% small guns. Due to design-flow you have to clear the gate anyway, else you fail the optional objective(s). After killing what runs to you AND the nearer AK47 (there is one right next to the main gate on both sides), keep babycrawling forward until you see another enemy on the left of your troops. After killing that crawl back, and run a bit circle. You'll meet during that with #6 arrived to the shooting - switch to bursting weapons with most of your troops. Oh, by the way, I used a 4-member strike team for most of the mission. Jax did squat, and Lola had a special purpose.
After #6 is dead keep circling and attack the sandbags and the other AK47 from the back. This way you can snipe them down.
Always watch your HP, and move back/heal the damaged member accordingly. Use the group formation option to have your weaker armored troops covered behind stronger armors.

When the Gate is clear, make a falanx and open it. This is the most safe way to infiltrate. Have everyone agressive burst mode (my 4-person teamhad 2 FNFal and 2 MP5) in case a patrol is just near the Gate. If not, switch to hunting rifles. If you see the enemy getting close, switch your armored FNFal people to burst mode FNFal. If MANY gets close switch weapon with the other two too. Heck, I even stood Jax as a 3rd line with hunting rifle, and he occasionaly released a shot!
Raiders from #7, 8 and even 9 will arrive. If none is in shooting range, babystep forward. Don't go too forward, because #14 has 1 AK47 in its lobby, and you want to snipe it down. To do this switch to defensive, move everyone to be able to see the bugger, and only then switch to offensive.
Next you'll aim to clear #9, #11 and #10. They aren't really separate. In the end maybe/probably even #12 can be involved. Be very cautious, #9 has a boss with a silverhawk double barrel shotgun, there is a sneaker, and a lot of 'em has AK47, especially #12.
#12 guards the engineer, you must even talk to him at least to get the primary objective halfway complete. If you talk to him again he'll walk through #9 and #5, so be sure there's no survivor before doing so.

#13 is a boss who has grenades. He likes to oppen his door, and on lower difficulties likes to blow himself up. Don't risk on Insane though, just make him into shooting range while defensive, make sure everyone will fire, then switch agressive. He will die at spot because the passfinder routine is crappy. Be glad for that this time.
Now open the door of the stables (this sends 2 cows to certain death), and from the side make an agressive falanx with sniper rifles ready to dispose a single patrol on the minefield. I bet he'd blast you to seventh heaven by shooting the mines if you'd try to come that way on Insane.

Now what I did is pull out the Avenger Minigun stolen from the General with the ammo stolen from the General and from the Merchant special encounter, gave Lola the environmental armor, take the voodoo found during this mission (it is in #9 building), use the exp I got until now (I was like lvl 5), rise Doctor to 90%, and the rest into Big Guns (also 90%).
Actually, last time I f*d up and rose Unarmed instead (not entirely a waste, will use it anyway later), so I had to step closer, but whatever. So I went in babystepping to #14 which has 3 AK47. Normally you'd have good (100-120%) small guns, and a bursting AK47, or FNFal if you went hunting special encounters, and you stick to the wall as far as possible from the enemy. I had a minigun though, so I kept close (especially with my lackluster skill, lol). Oh, to be able to use it I ate an Afterburner. A bit risky, given you have to store up 12 Afterburner, and I think only 13 you'll be given until Preoria, but I think I had one extra on top from the Uprising special encounter. Worst case scenario, I'll use some mentat along the afterburners on those towers or something.
You shouldn't use more than 3-4 bursts. 2 bursts should be preserved at bare minimum. If still need shooting give the armor to Mandy who has high EN and send her in with an FNFal. Keep stepping back ASAP when hurt and patch up. The boss (Daisy) usually runs behind the celldoor which she opens - beware to not shoot the prisoner if that happens.
Release the prisoner if safe (maybe worth some karma).
The boss has a key, but that only makes your life easier if you can't lockpick. Lockpicking doesn't give you exp either, so why not make your life easier? Through the minefield you go and open the inner gate.

It is a good idea to position your weakest (<- currently most useless) member at the place you shot down #15 from, because from there you can see the #16 patrol up on the wall. If it is on the farther side (where the gate-switch is), DO NOT GO IN because it'll kill you with AK47. #17 has AK too.
From here there are a couple of alternatives. The basic is to send in a sneaker with FNFal at defensive setting. Get around the building's back, climb the ladder, get as close as you can to #17, then try to kill it before it kills you. That's hard, so try packing any super stimpack you have atyour team on the person, who should be the same delt with Daisy&co, so is voodooed up (gives extra resistance). Me on the other hand trusted Environmental Armor, and my minigun. Fortunately their lack somewhat in the killing department while I was climbing up. When up there is another issue, but my 10 EN, armor and voodoo gave enough HP to get close enough to kill 'em with 1-1 brust, so I shredded #17. After that coruch and walk to the corner of the wall. Stop before getting out. If a bit lucky, #16 will come try to kill you, running in to a burst.
Now I ran out of ammo for the minigun here, and that type of ammo I don't think will arise soon either (of course at the new bunker the General gets a barel of it, but that'll be this gun's final I assume), so sent in someone with decent smallguns skill (actually both Mandy and Rage). From the top of the fence they delt with #18, and #20 who are 3 AK47 at the terrace of #20-22. I hate those.

#21 are some scorpio-wielding henchmen inside the final building, and they can almost do no harm.
#22 is the boss and his 2 personal henchmen. On Insane they get special by breaking you practically with every shot of theirs. The boss simply has an AK. So to make life easier first get around the door on the ground floor (a bit hard, but Rebecca with 2 kits has enough skill to unlock it, don't do that for the moment), and start stepping here-and-there until you stumble into a hole in the texture. Yes, it is a bug, but why not. You'll see the boss, and only the boss through it. If you get hurt just step away and patch up. Use bursting FNFal.

Finaly if you want to check the side door on the outer wall at #12. That is an excellent entry for experienced players on lower difficulties, but on Insane you'd just get yourself killed by running into a bunch of AK47s. Some survivor of #18 might be there, and you can get to the tent up north for some minor loot.

DO NOT BOTHER WITH THE TRENCH at #19!!!! It has 2 AK 47 SNEAKING. If youjustcan't live w/o thatminor exp find some random encounter and pulp some komodo dragon or giant rat or something to pulp with bare hands to not use up ammo or something, ok?

[twillight]

So, Macomb.

http://i.imgur.com/UXIEeWG.jpg

For this map I marked only the interesting (aka. most dangerous) spots. Otherwise it is safe to assume everywhere lurks some raider with AK47. Some has lesser weapon, but that's rare.

Before starting the mission I suggest to go to the Merchant special encounter and steal like 2 pancor jackhammer, and have at least 200 shotgun ammo (normal variant will do).
Also pack a repair kits, and have a member with 70%+ repair skill. The only book until now is at one of the Grim Brothers (special encounter), and he don't sell it, so you have to steal it if you want it.
Oh, and bring hunting rifle for all your snipers (I have 4). Them having 110%small guns is also advantegous because can shoot at enemy from further away, so they won't burst at you which means less danger to the car, and more ammo to loot.

In my case Lola packed the avenger minigun with its 1 barrel, and the vinidicator minigun too. Ate a buffout to use both. Only relied on 'em at special occasions, otherwise remained passive to spare on ammo.

For most of the mission the whole team remained inside the car set offensive, riding around cautiously.

So, at #1 there is a sneaking shotgunner. Worth driving very close to the building so it reveals and gets murdered.
#2 might or might not be seen from the start, or at all. There IS anenemy on the roof of the building. You can not climb there. I could never kill the bugger because at a point just lays down and never shows up again. Still.
#9 can practically never be killed from the street. You must climb up the roof. Has an AK, so means danger. It is actually at a position you can leave it alive without consequence. I sent in Lola.
#3 is VERY problematic. There's a rocketeer. 99% it misses, 99% only causes some damage but you can drive back (don't try to walk in on foot, only babystep in with the vehicle), the remaining time it kills the car in 1 shot from maximum HP. Can't be done anything against it. Do NOT try to drive in reckless as there is an AK (leastof your problems) and a grenadier too. Best case scenario is, set everyone burst mode (actually seteveryone hunting rifle and after 1st shot swap weapon by fast keys), babystep in, hope the rocket misses (if it hits drive back and repair), drive in fast don't move until everyone is dead.
Lola was active during this.
#10 is 3 AK very close to the road in a group. Try babystep forward with the car everyone set burst. Only move forward if currently all is silent. Repair as needed after driving back to safety.
#4 are some civilians. Normally they aren't a threat, but if you at a point try meleeing them prepare to be crippled. Like a lot.
Right before #6 isa minefield (drive on 1 mine, drive back a little, repair - no more minefield), a bunch of AK are across the street (most on the roof but not all), and at #6 itself thereare grenadiers. Shall I painta picture why they are that dangerous? Drive backward, potentially have people set burt mode.
#7 has another grenadier, can be sniped down from the car, just don't get too close. On foot it'll definitely hurt you (fortuinately it starts with weak acid grenades).
#8 is again a rocketeer. Unless you're sureit fired 2 rockets, just drive out without bothering with it.

For this mission I had Jax driving (he still lacks skills), 2 FNFal, 2 MP 5, and Lola.
Don't forget to loot all the civilians for afterburner gum, you'll need them in Preoria.

It is a good idea to steal green shotgun ammo from the hermit for Preoria and Quincy. For Quincy you'll only need like 4 barrel of jackhammers stored.

Thinking on Preoria pack all kind of weak ammo, like 9mm balls, all kinds of magnum ammo, and a lot of shotgun ammo. Also enoug radX to have 100% resistance, 1 pancor jackhammer, enough buffout so your main character who'll use the jackhammer have 9 EN, environmental armor from the Merchant special encounter (with 9 EN and the armor your main-for-the-mission will be immun to poison), and 1 dose of psycho.

[twillight]

Preoria is really just a one-person mission. Use single shots with a pancor jackhammer on things, or on those things you can't back away (some scorpion sneak, or otherwise corners you).
With a character of 7 EN swallowa Buffout and you're immun to poison. Still don't get melee as all crittercan cripple you.
There are 2 inconsequential traps, and the mega-cockrach (roachor) hits so hard you better take a psycho and wear the environmental armor.

Seems the patch fixed gaining the 4th battery so you don't have to put the three on the ground before talking with the elder, but the surface turrets randomly kill people even if you do everything right, so just overdose them before going down.

Btw, how did Vault 0 personel ended up here?

http://i.imgur.com/rCe9Tzk.jpg

Quincy is much more "exciting". Here is the map:

http://i.imgur.com/50XeWS4.jpg

Start with #1. Someone with a pancor jackhammer running in next to the alarm will 99% result in success (use the ladders I mean). The 1% is you fail to hit anything in burst mode continuously, thus everyone dies.
Talk with the major, geton the roof, disable the siren. This is crucial.

Go to #2. That involves some risks. You either need to drug up (use psycho), or have armors from the special encounters, and good health, and a bit of luck.
The trick is to send in 2 people with burting jackhammers. Still only use normal ammo. Use the hotkeys to choose members. The one with better armor and more HP shall be sent where the boss stops. The other to the sandbags down. Just set offensive,and it ends fast. I never hit the civilians, have more trouble staying alive, especially with the one I send against the upper enemy.
Also for 200 quest exp disable the REMOTE DET. TRAPS. No need to bother with the plastic. I never use mines anyway. Probably worth karma too.

Now go back to #1 and through the back-window (do not set agressive for this) position and hit agressive, killing the 3 baby deathclaw, and maybe the beatman inside.
Walk around and snipe down the front two with hunting rifles.
Kill the two patrol on the long unmarked street. Make a falanx from pancors (use all four, I also set up my big gunners, Jax had an avenger minigun with 1,000 ammo - sold by BoS, me the vindicator). Send in 1 person and release a single shot to lure the deathclaw (and the beastman). Very fast put this person to the other side of the road, so it won't be killed by the rest of the team (bursting weapons, u know).
From the side of the town hall pick down the patrols at the side of the town hall first, than prepare to attack the front. You must be fast, because I think the patrol inside is responsible to randomly go in and kill the girl. This is marked by #3.

Now comes another dangerous part, because you'll use heavy unfocused firepower. Use ONLY FOUR personel, in as heavy armor as possible, especially one who'll go in the farm.
Make a formation, and send the formation near the fence of the beastman farm. Everyone shall have pancor jackhammers with green ammo, or even big gun. When you won't make yourself dead, send in ONE person (the one in heavy armor, lots of HP) and position between the ghoul and the two beastman. They'll mostly focus on the ghoul who has no armor and pathetic HP, so you definitely don't want to add to his damage. Also might be thatyou might see through the walls where are more beastmen. If you don't run in ASAP the ghoul dies. If your formation sucked you'll die from friendly fire. If you sent your formation bad, you'll be shredded by the deathclaws. At least the fight itself is not long, neither requires much preparation.

If success, go back to the town hall and kill the sleepers (#5).
Pass the tunnel, climb up with ONE person SNEAKing passive, when the raider inside goes away break the alarm, waith offensive until it kills itself, hit sneak immediately again, hit passive, everyone climb up, get in the corner on the ground floor, none sneaking anymore. If yu have an unarmed person send it first place and run up the stairs. Run straight to the boss and the hostage with single shot weaponry. ONE person can have burst and run to the sandbags. This is actaully quit safe if you ask me, I meanI have very high, almost sure success rate.

Now go to #7 the chucrh. Get around, so you shot through the windows the 2 deathclaw. Get the armor (mark 2 metal) inside.

I did the #8, but I had 2 big guns personel (my ate a buffout, Jax an afterburner to be able). Strange thing is, seems in 1.27 no supermutant or reaver/robot encounter randomly (so can't have advanced weaponry right away :sick:). The 2 sneaking deathclaw are VERY DANGEROUS, in any normal circumstances I leave them alone.
Instead get back circling the prison again, and from the left side get behind the brothel. Really, it canbe done, not even need sneaking. Everyone be defensive. Now to go for the bestresult send in the whole team, while switching to one (preferably unarmed with power fist) to be sent next to the bottom windows, and another who's sent next to the counter. This way very likely you'll be targeted instead of the girls. Up tp 2 losses youget 400 exp,and even with all lost you get200 quest exp. If you hit any of the girls you get 0 exp, and I think Babs won't be available either asd recruit. Theory: she's an ex-*****.


http://i.imgur.com/zXOPpn4.jpg

[tienkhoanguyen]

Preoria is really just a one-person mission. Use single shots with a pancor jackhammer on things, or on those things you can't back away (some scorpion sneak, or otherwise corners you).
With a character of 7 EN swallowa Buffout and you're immun to poison. Still don't get melee as all crittercan cripple you.
There are 2 inconsequential traps, and the mega-cockrach (roachor) hits sohard you better take a buffout and wear the environmental armor.

Seems the patch fixed gaining the 4th battery so you don't have to put the three on the ground before talking with the elder, but the surface turrets randomly kill people even if you do everything right, so just overdose them before going down.

Btw, how did Vault 0 personel ended up here?

http://i.imgur.com/rCe9Tzk.jpg

Quincy is much more "exciting". Here is the map:

http://i.imgur.com/50XeWS4.jpg

Start with #1. Someone with a pancor jackhammer running in next to the alarm will 99% result in success (use the ladders I mean). The 1% is you fail to hit anything in burst mode continuously, thus everyone dies.
Talk with the major, geton the roof, disable the siren. This is crucial.

Go to #2. That involves some risks. You either need to drug up (use psycho), or have armors from the special encounters, and good health, and a bit of luck.
The trick is to send in 2 people with burting jackhammers. Still only use normal ammo. Use the hotkeys to choose members. The one with better armor and more HP shall be sent where the boss stops. The other to the sandbags down. Just set offensive,and it ends fast. I never hit the civilians, have more trouble staying alive, especially with the one I send against the upper enemy.
Also for 200 quest exp disable the REMOTE DET. TRAPS. No need to bother with the plastic. I never use mines anyway. Probably worth karma too.

Now go back to #1 and through the back-window (do not set agressive for this) position and hit agressive, killing the 3 baby deathclaw, and maybe the beatman inside.
Walk around and snipe down the front two with hunting rifles.
Kill the two patrol on the long unmarked street. Make a falanx from pancors (use all four, I also set up my big gunners, Jax had an avenger minigun with 1,000 ammo - sold by BoS, me the vindicator). Send in 1 person and release a single shot to lure the deathclaw (and the beastman). Very fast put this person to the other side of the road, so it won't be killed by the rest of the team (bursting weapons, u know).
From the side of the town hall pick down the patrols at the side of the town hall first, than prepare to attack the front. You must be fast, because I think the patrol inside is responsible to randomly go in and kill the girl. This is marked by #3.

Now comes another dangerous part, because you'll use heavy unfocused firepower. Use ONLY FOUR personel, in as heavy armor as possible, especially one who'll go in the farm.
Make a formation, and send the formation near the fence of the beastman farm. Everyone shall have pancor jackhammers with green ammo, or even big gun. When you won't make yourself dead, send in ONE person (the one in heavy armor, lots of HP) and position between the ghoul and the two beastman. They'll mostly focus on the ghoul who has no armor and pathetic HP, so you definitely don't want to add to his damage. Also might be thatyou might see through the walls where are more beastmen. If you don't run in ASAP the ghoul dies. If your formation sucked you'll die from friendly fire. If you sent your formation bad, you'll be shredded by the deathclaws. At least the fight itself is not long, neither requires much preparation.

If success, go back to the town hall and kill the sleepers (#5).
Pass the tunnel, climb up with ONE person SNEAKing passive, when the raider inside goes away break the alarm, waith offensive until it kills itself, hit sneak immediately again, hit passive, everyone climb up, get in the corner on the ground floor, none sneaking anymore. If yu have an unarmed person send it first place and run up the stairs. Run straight to the boss and the hostage with single shot weaponry. ONE person can have burst and run to the sandbags. This is actaully quit safe if you ask me, I meanI have very high, almost sure success rate.

Now go to #7 the chucrh. Get around, so you shot through the windows the 2 deathclaw. Get the armor (mark 2 metal) inside.

I did the #8, but I had 2 big guns personel (my ate a buffout, Jax an afterburner to be able). Strange thing is, seems in 1.27 no supermutant or reaver/robot encounter randomly (so can't have advanced weaponry right away :sick:). The 2 sneaking deathclaw are VERY DANGEROUS, in any normal circumstances I leave them alone.
Instead get back circling the prison again, and from the left side get behind the brothel. Really, it canbe done, not even need sneaking. Everyone be defensive. Now to go for the bestresult send in the whole team, while switching to one (preferably unarmed with power fist) to be sent next to the bottom windows, and another who's sent next to the counter. This way very likely you'll be targeted instead of the girls. Up tp 2 losses youget 400 exp,and even with all lost you get200 quest exp. If you hit any of the girls you get 0 exp, and I think Babs won't be available either asd recruit. Theory: she's an ex-*****.


http://i.imgur.com/zXOPpn4.jpg

This game reminds me of Guantlet and Bard's Tale I on The Commodore 64. In Guantlet you would get to a place by moving slowing from door to door. However on Bard's Tale I you can teleport with spells to another place. So that is the answer to how did Vault 0 Citizen get there. hehe

[twillight]

This game reminds me of Guantlet and Bard's Tale I on The Commodore 64. In Bard's Tale I you can teleport with spells to another place. So that is the answer to how did Vault 0 Citizen get there. hehe

Can be, can be.

Now in Mardin:

http://i.imgur.com/xyRM3KC.jpg

You start on the surface. Fast make a falanx, because soon the enemy will come there even if you don't attack them. The wasps are a definite problem, as well as the beastman with CAWS (initially he's nearest, and don't come closer, but has distance). The multitude arriving also has one or two grenadiers. I suggest 120%+ weapon skill. Vindicator minigun came in handy.

The next problem is, you can't just thin them out like on other difficulties, as a large battalion will come running if you attack practicaly anyone,and you must survive that. I suggest going in the middle, so the mob will arrive from mostly 1 side instead of from everywhere which just makes life hard. Then follow the route I marked.
At #0 is a baby deathclaw which even if you free the Mother stays hostile, so might as well kill it for the exp. Beware of mines.

Outranging the enemy during this mission is highly rewarding, as they can HURT you.

After a while you must attack the toxic cemetary. Doas you feel, but watch out. At this point along the buffout which made me able to use the vindicator also ate a psycho.
Fortunately in environmental armor Lola was immun to radiation (and also poison), so double teamed with Billy Bob who came in in place of Rebecca. I like him for he can shoot from insane distances. And whatever came close met with my machingun. Whatever aimed at us had to aim Lola who was in heavy armor (and drugged). This is a drug-positive game.
Before you leave to descend get to the fence and attack the wasp-horde from there. They can't fly over (they're technically walking on ground, can step on mines too!), so that's cool.

I suggest going down the bug-exist, the other entrances are way more problematic due to haevy firepower. Ye, you must deal with the deathclaw-pit (2 babies sneaking), but that's life.
When reaching #2 make sure they don't release the switch, although they don't seem to be up to that. Change passive,and avoid hitting the babies. Not sure if this counts for karma or sg, but hey.

At #3 is the Mother, clear the room around her, then open the cage. Not sure what's the factor that activates the deathclaws' mood for fighting, for me this time they practically stood around doing dying. Whatever,. Mother survived, and only that's important. the fight is in #4. Beware, some more beastman might arrive through the other entrance. Do NOt try to leave thatway though, it is mined.
Thought I did some picture, seems not. Too bad.

#5 is some prisoner. I accidentally left home my kits by kicking out Rebecca, but whatever, 40% was way enough to unlock them, and that's the number anyway. Watch out to not release them until the enemy is cleared to the way out.
Actually not sure what's the deal with 'em, maybe they worth karma, maybe not. They don't even make proper dialogue, neither mentioned in the debriefing. I suspect originally you either released them for karma, or let the deathclaw eat them for rank and deathclaw recruits.

Too bad Billy Bob is somewhat bugged. He don't gain perk at clvl 9 as he should for being Fear the Reaper, but gains perk after spending 3 clvls with your party, giving him first perk at clvl 11. Not THAT big of a problem, but really annoying.

Tried to steal from the Uprising special encounter the other guard's 900 ammo, because I've spent a LOT of ammo here, but seems not possible. Darn.

Next time we're going to Springfield. Until then:

http://i.imgur.com/DIFA9B8.jpg

Ye. Despite Billy being Glowing One, he's suffering from radiation. He only has 90% resistance. So 2 Glowing One ghouls would actually kill each other.
Fortunately for the first dose you only loose 1 ST, and Billy has 6 initialy.
Btw, anti-radiation stuff are bloody rare, and I'm not sure if radiation level can be lost or not naturaly like healing cripled limbs. Still, as there are 5 ghoul recruits in the game, someone should make an only-ghoul party, lol.

[tienkhoanguyen]

Cool. Now I know to keep my distance when in another country. hehe

The game is cool to teach you real life possible scenarios. However don't take it too seriously. My religion teaches karma... "Live by the weapons and die by the weapons." So it is a payback type thing. So be at peace and just let the official officers handle the killing. They were trained for that.

Anyways for gaming purposes that is cool. It's up to you if you want to try and finish the game. Feel proud of yourself if you do. I remember finishing Bard's Tale I and I learned a lot from that. It took me a whole 3 months playing morning to night to finish and I had to map everything out by hand by 30 years ago!

By the way nothing in life worth while is easy.

[twillight]

My religion teaches karma... "Live by the weapons and die by the weapons."

So be at peace and just let the official officers handle the killing.

Two thing:
- first, that's not how Karma works. Especially not how it works within the game XD
- second: in the game you are the official officiers.

Now on Springfield:
while it does not provide rank, likely not even karma, it gives a crapload of exp, so it's good. The enemy is many, strong, and have skills,so outranging them is dubious at best, and otherwise you're toast.
So your probably-only chance is to fly on drugs. Get into that environmental armor, take a psycho and a voodoo, have plenty of ammo in your pancor (shotguns pretty much become useless after this mission with minor exception of purple shells on Insane). Preserve like 100 green ammo though for the final building. Because even though you mostly are invunlnerable against normal ammo (not against grenades though), you are not undefeatable:

http://i.imgur.com/CxBUe6K.jpg

Sure, you can walk on both legs broken (sounds painful), but youcan't fight with two broken arms! Neither by being uncoscious...

Springfield is though pretty generous to you, like it at multiple occasions give hugh chuncks of exp just for opening chests:

http://i.imgur.com/gyKASVh.jpg

I used to loot stuff Billy, because he don't carry much permanent stuff,so rarely needs to unload.
Because Voodoo has such a low duration, there's no time for looting during this mission. Yes, Mandy did the whole thing along.

Check out the map:

http://i.imgur.com/PnmGOIa.jpg

#1 has a trapped door. Very minor thing, but why not mention.
At the roof of the house has #2 on it switch defensive, lay down, and crawl at the edge just to see the gas tank. Pretty cruel, but blow it up to dispose some raiders.
To dealwith opening the first gate let them notice you a moment (maybe release 1 burst), then run to the side for cover. Some enemy will come, and a grenadier will be standing in the middle of the gate inside the park waiting to ambush you. Autoburst the incomings, and deal with the grenadier after that.
Inside the market on the tables there are some minor food, and a super stimpack. That almost worth it.
Nothing unsolvable until #5. That entrance is blocked by a hugh mine, so DON'T GO THERE, because you can't dealwith the mine and the AK47 people around who happily burst on the mine too to blow it up with you. Instead follow the arrow opening another gate. Beware, thatat #6 is an AK-guy sneaking. W/o serious resistance you hardcore have to keep distance and not reside around, or you're toast.
#7 has 3 enemy, they are bloody dangerous for easily doing criticals bypassing your armor. So instead running in close for the jackhammer swith to hunting rifle and snipe them down. Heck, the 3rd might not even climb to the sniper nest (that's bloody annying) if you just stick around the wooden personal-gate for sniping. Also, thatbuilding has a dead ghoul in a cell - it is trapped, and this time it is claymore, meaning semi-dangerous.
For #8 you better not rush in to deal with the boss. Better just advance from the edge. But be prepared to rush in in case the AI goes rogue, rushes in and tries to kill the major (happned with me a long time ago, and since then I'm pretty paranoid with this). Oh, don't forget to load in the green ammo for this. Watch out, 'cause if your char runs out of normal ammo and does a full reload, the specialammo will go in, and that's not always welcome. This behaviour also is present with pressing the hotkey R, and that doesn't even need full reload to switch type of ammo.

Ended up with a good 2,000 more 7.74 than I started with, and as the vindicator eats that pretty fast, that's much needed. The good news is, supermutants have zounds of this ammo. The bad news is, supermutants are pretty immun to this ammo. I hate supermutants.

Lastly, here is a "hidden" container, and some moral lesson :max::

http://i.imgur.com/SoTBWw7.jpg

[twillight]

Well, here in St. Louis comes the real problem ofInsane: enemy resistances combined with POWER. Really, how you apply the accustomed game-strategies when the whole of the game changes? Nohow, that's how.

The problem is, the usual build is about DPS, meaning Damage Per Second. You lower the cost of AP for every shot, send in a squadron, and while the enemy shoots X times you shoot X*Y times, the enemy is dead, you're still alive, you're very happy.
Now on Insane it is much like this: if the enemy shoots even once, you're toast. It is pretty realistic, given they carry around .50 cal weapons, and bloody rockets, and sutff that shoots 1000 bullet per minute, but for f* sake in a war you have more than 6- people, ok?

Well, at least in this mission you can doa Minimalist Approach, meaning focusing only on the mission objective, not massacring everyone, only who you unavoidably have to. Here is the passage to do it.
For #1 checkpoint the marked side is much safer, as a solid rock provides some cover rockets can get stuck into, otherwise it's worse mayhem.

http://i.imgur.com/TanIN1T.jpg

Now to solve the problems of the mission there is the Keep The Distance approach where you mostly reside in the APC, especialy against rocketeers, while if possible you charge in to use burst weapons (pancor jackhammer with purple ammo, miniguns - right after killing the first mutants you get 2 SAW, FNFal are probably the best), watch the HP of the APC, pull back when needed, hope you don't suffer immense criticals, get use of the minefields (the mutants like to blow themselves up - seems it's not their mines after all), and so on.

The other approach is the Drugged Up Version where you still play Coward Sniper against rocketmen, but against anyone else you send in someone with 2 psychoin his/her system, being mostly invulnerable to machineguns. Add a voodoo and the environmental armor (180% resistance is needed I think), and you can even stand .50 DU in the mutant HQ.

Both apprach has advantage/disadvantage. I played mostly for safety, only taking an Afterburner Gum with Lola to use the remaning ammo from the Avenger Minigun. Did not check, but might be totally useless by the way. Still, now or never it was.
Then went on and sniped the heck out of everyone, but did not actually descend to the trenches, and definitely not went to the mutant base. That I'll try coming back.

Now here are the danger spots:

http://i.imgur.com/2EwPJrH.jpg

#1 is a rocketsupermutant who'll climb down. If you follow the route on the first picture it'll either stuck in some rocks, or you might even catch it climbing down the ladder or eliminate even on open field by raw power.
DO NOT APPROACH #6. Thathas double rocketeers, and that's Bad News. None canstand 2 rockets at once. AVOID! It's no "danger", it's "death"!
#5 is where sme SAW-mutants patrol. I tend to underestimate them and charge in, resulting shredded APC which is Game Over, so I give my 2 cents mentioning them.
#2 likes to climb down from their place and charge you from the distance you just pass that bridge. They have numbers on their side, and a rocketeer even, so they are bad news. If you keep your distance they will be stuck on the other side of the river-or-what, and can be sniped at. If you have the skill I mean. It is VERY advnatageous to bring Billy Bob with 125% small guns here, that's where he'll be able jsut-a-bit outshoot the enemy who won't just not be able to hit you from the distance, but won't even waste their ammo, because ammo belongs to you, and they should die thinking otherwise.
Especially those with browning.
To dealwith the browning ones in the trenches equip a rocket launcher, get to the long side of their tranch, shoot, run away, repeat until dead. The one you unavoidaly have to deal with is at #3. In theory it might just lay down, but if it decides to stand up...
This is especialy worrying with #4 being there who has a rocket, and I ould not outshoot it. I decided to kill it anyway, so when it layed down went around within the APC, and from the back I hoped my squad1s constant firing won't let it shoot, or at least won't get the APC destroeyd by one shot. Hey, it worked.

Here is a picture Billy Bob sniping around (from within the APC):

http://i.imgur.com/MFqgTjq.jpg

Yep, here finaly mutated away his Glowing.
And for Jax I gave 2*Lifegiver after Hit the Deck because someone must be able to block rockets and other unavoidable heavy firepower.
Lola on theother hand is planned to deal immense amount of Damage Per Shot (strangely abreviates to DPS too).

[twillight]

I did something foolish: forgot to pick Weapon Handling, so I might need to redo the whole thing, but that'd be minor issue actualy.
Oh, I infiltrated the mutant HQ in St. Louis. These were my stats:

http://i.imgur.com/AU6u02t.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/bb2Oxo1.jpg

Drugs are the tool of wonder in the game.
But they never make you absolutely invincible, like example shows:

http://i.imgur.com/J2Yad84.jpg

I reloaded of course. AndI have archive save just before picking the perks too.

It worth doing though for some .50 cal and .50 cal DU ammo. the more the marrier.

[twillight]

Jefferson got managable with more Damage Per Shot, although I might have to replay it if I won't be able to manage Kansas City. Because I forgot I'd need Weapon Handling, and took 3*More Critical instead of 2 times.
Heavy Weapons skill went up to 150%.

For the mission I needed: 1 psycho for the heavy weapon expert in environmental armor, SAW as weapon, 1 sniper (Billy Bob, although he started to frustrate me,because I found a bug related to Reaper Man trait, which causes a crash, namely if you wear armor you candodge the damage, but that results in Unexpected Error, whichcauses crash), 1 medic. That's pretty much it.

Here is the map:

http://i.imgur.com/8HlzubV.jpg

#1 ground floor is heavly trapped. Check EVERYTHING before bothering.
#2-3: both location have one-one isolated mutant with SAW. Canuse the car to prevent damage, although the car can't suffer more than 1 burst, and can only have 2 members inside.
#4 has a flamethrower, the first of its kind. Absolutely useless thing for you, but if they hit you with it, that can easily finish you right there. Keep your distance.
#5 has a rocket launcher. Stand in the little bunker marked "A" and it can't hit you though.
#6 is a minefield, which you likely can't disarm (not w/o spending skillpoints anyway)
#7 is another minefield, but you can disarm the mines on the left creating a passage w/o spending skillpoints. Do it.
#8 has 2 browning-wielding nutthead inside. Fortunately they are more dumb than Max and Alice (twoBoS-recruits), so you can run in, pass their doorframe, than step back, release ONE shot (I mean burst of course), then step out of the frame. Wait 14 seconds and they'll return into position. Rinse&Repeat.
#9 has 2 turret (stationary) and a SAW-mutant, and 3 grenadier who'll charge you when you blow up the generator. That disables the turrets which you better leave alone, at least do not waste buletts on 'em. They have thick armor, barely worth exp, and have only like 100 7.74 ammo which at this point is obsolate.
I suggest you follow the route marked "B" with 2 members (and burst weaponry), destroy the generator, and kill what comes.
There'll still be #10 of the area who unfortunately keeps sneaking, and has dangerous grenades. I suggest ride in on the car, and drive out ASAP, killing the mutie from a distance.
#11 has a rocket launcher, but just like the browningers is stupid and falls for the setp in/step out trick. Put a characteron the side faraway to know where the mutie is.
#12 has a browning, but you can snipe it away from where #11 was. He's too farto cause havoc.
#13 has a browning, and I did not check how to kill it. He's too much on the open for my taste. This also means don't bother trying to use the radioactive tunnel from this side,. It is useless as an entry anyway (suspecting cancelled content).
#14 are a bunch of muties behind a fence. Do NOT attack them, they count as neutral, so you'd loose karma.

Oh, and don't try to drive through the ominuous underpass, it has too low ceiling.

Tip: Do not use rocket launcher here, you don't have ammo, and that might be useful in Kansas City.

Oh, and look where stupid mutant crawled in:
http://i.imgur.com/FyDV4ti.jpg

[twillight]

Kansas went down OK after I figured out the sequence.

Zero: gamble away all stuff from the BOS vendor and give everyone Environmental Armor. Had to give Lola a mark 2 variant.

First DO NOT MOVE. Seems until you don't move, nothing happens. Eat a psycho with everyone. Sent Farsight to The Weakest Gate, she had to eat a Voodoo too else got smoldered.
Everyone used jackhammers with special buletts (purpe/green, but also had like 100 normal shell too, and was used up). Lola had SAW + rocket launcher, Jax had Browning.

Second: sent Jax to the Farthes Gate. This is the only way he gets there before the melee mutants get close and start beating the ghouls.
Right there sent Farsight on her way (can't send to location straight. ASAP sent everyone else front of the Middle Gate where mutants already started swarming.
Switched on Farsight, sent her in position (up ahead, so deal with mutants before they even see the ghouls).

Third: after the initial gunning lowers, Jax needed to eat a super stimpack, because of some grenadier (or ultra stimpack, depending on HP).
Using the calmness sent Lola to the posterbehind the fence to dispose the two mutants there. When that's done, sent her back.

Four: Lola kept firing. DANGER: some grenadier arrives in the Middle Gate, and they throw far, and thus potentially dangerous. So Lola switched on rockets.
Also sent Jax a bit further to dispose any remaining opposition there, then sent back ASAP to swith place with Lola.

Five: in the middle the final wave arrives too. Onemutant has a rocket launcher, so sent everyone but Jax back behind the sandbags. Jax has Hit The Deck + 2*Lifegiver, so can stand rockets now.
When the dustsettled, sent Jack to dealwith the two snipers.

Finished the mission with Jax exclusively. Tried to team upwith Lola,but for some reason the program just liked murdering my poor ghoul lady, so dropped the idea.
Used SAW on unarmored mutants, and on armored ones after1 burst from the Browning :OK:

http://i.imgur.com/IpfLNG6.jpg

[tienkhoanguyen]

You mentioned step in step out trick. Don't get too carried away. You just might use that in person and provoke someone who will cause you damage. Playing games can make you more intelligent. However it also can make you end up causing shame by provoking someone to anger.

An example is I played Bard's Tale I all the way until the end. Thank you Jesus Christ that in games it has a save feature and hopefully in person too. Because it turns out that in the end the person who was trying to help you ended up hurting you! After using the save feature to bring myself back to life I won again the master.

You see the save feature in real life is like Jesus Christ! The Holy Bible says those who ask Jesus Christ into their lives are *already* saved# However there are those who ask then deny the Christ and it ends up being like you save your game to a certain point and when you needed the check point the most you erase the last saved point?

Oh one more thing many games are based in real life scenario so you cannot assume just because karma is different in this instance.....

[twillight]

Look u don't know the game, and that map rly demands that strickt pattern. It has nothing to do with personal taste.

I'd also argue that saves would be like that Jesus-character (which religion definitely has nothing to do with karma, 'cause karma is in hinduism/buddhism, and says what you do you get back, and thatreligion has no concept of good and evil), as what does Jesus saves you form? Himself. What does save feature saves you from? Something else.
Not to mention your Jesus went around waving a sword in that fairytale, so I wouldn't wave around this "live by the sword,die by the sword" nonsense.

Either way, I'm quitting playing further. There's no further advancment in power, no real advancment in equipment, and the whole thing is only about wether I'd get a critical which bypasses the armor, does insane damage, and kills my character. That's just stupid. Like Jesus.

[tienkhoanguyen]

Look u don't know the game, and that map rly demands that strickt pattern. It has nothing to do with personal taste.

I'd also argue that saves would be like that Jesus-character (which religion definitely has nothing to do with karma, 'cause karma is in hinduism/buddhism, and says what you do you get back, and thatreligion has no concept of good and evil), as what does Jesus saves you form? Himself. What does save feature saves you from? Something else.
Not to mention your Jesus went around waving a sword in that fairytale, so I wouldn't wave around this "live by the sword,die by the sword" nonsense.

Either way, I'm quitting playing further. There's no further advancment in power, no real advancment in equipment, and the whole thing is only about wether I'd get a critical which bypasses the armor, does insane damage, and kills my character. That's just stupid. Like Jesus.

Look..... don't quit. My grandpa Vu Van Thanh told me to persevere. If you quit you will never accomplish something. However there are exceptions. For instance look at short basketball players. They could not dunk a ball in the basket but they can shoot a 3 pointer from time to time half way across the court. So just because you think I'm saying this about Jesus Christ it is a misunderstanding. My dad Nguyen Binh Thuy says be careful of misunderstandings. I like your game playing and I was actually looking for to you finishing the game. My mom Huong Thi Vu says keep trying. You can look at it like this... that is one thing you are better than me at. I might be able to program somewhat however you could get further in the game that you are playing.

I'll give you one example that I quit and disappointed someones close to me! I didn't graduate from college. If it is the last thing I do in life I plan to get me 4-year degree officially from the college of my choice. Hopefully Lafayette College of Engineering will allow me to complete my degree even if it means I am 100 years old# See all through life I've always dropped out of college to do the easy things. I would program unofficially instead of completing my degree and programming officially for a job. I would compete in bodybuilding and win a title for my teen years yet I could not finish highschool! I would get an official copyright instead of selling my software and making a living and bringing a living home and making my family proud. So see..... I drop out of the hard things to do the easy thing and that disappoints my family. So I am always the one who is behind.

I'll tell you what. If you find something worthwhile to finish and be productive in your life like get a spouse and settle down and marry and have kids then I will try to finish my degree before I die! Deal?

[twillight]

If you quit you will never accomplish something.

I like your game playing and I was actually looking for to you finishing the game. My mom Huong Thi Vu says keep trying. You can look at it like this... that is one thing you are better than me at. I might be able to program somewhat however you could get further in the game that you are playing.

I'll give you one example that I quit and disappointed someones close to me!

The point is, I accomplished everything. Staying would be atrophy. I DID finish the game, nothing remains in this playthrough but mindless grinding without any gain in the end.

Lastly: I hardly know you one bit pal... And I don't have a patreon-account.

[tienkhoanguyen]

The point is, I accomplished everything. Staying would be atrophy. I DID finish the game, nothing remains in this playthrough but mindless grinding without any gain in the end.

Lastly: I hardly know you one bit pal... And I don't have a patreon-account.

No problem. I apologize. It's my fault. I'm from Vietnam and I don't conversation too well. It's hard for me to understand where a person is coming from since I don't know you that well and also you don't know me. So I'm sorry. All done. Thank you for letting me know you finished the games.

[Mystvan]

Cool. Now I know to keep my distance when in another country. hehe

The game is cool to teach you real life possible scenarios. However don't take it too seriously. My religion teaches karma... "Live by the weapons and die by the weapons." So it is a payback type thing. So be at peace and just let the official officers handle the killing. They were trained for that.

Anyways for gaming purposes that is cool. It's up to you if you want to try and finish the game. Feel proud of yourself if you do. I remember finishing Bard's Tale I and I learned a lot from that. It took me a whole 3 months playing morning to night to finish and I had to map everything out by hand by 30 years ago!

By the way nothing in life worth while is easy.

Dear Captien Bible... :hero: Be very careful with twilight otherwise he will starve as he is very hung(a)ry for games. twilight may even go into twilight... :doh:

I sincerely am very impressed with the screenshots and texts as a guide for the player during the game. :OK:

I can not even imagine the work, time and dedication that this demands to be done. :omg: :o

[tienkhoanguyen]

Dear Captien Bible... :hero: Be very careful with twilight otherwise he will starve as he is very hung(a)ry for games. twilight may even go into twilight... :doh:

I sincerely am very impressed with the screenshots and texts as a guide for the player during the game. :OK:

I can not even imagine the work, time and dedication that this demands to be done. :omg: :o

Ever so helpful Myst! You sure shine bright like the star you are. Thank you for helping me get out of a bunch of jams. I might be banned right now if it were not for you. I owe you and start repaying by saying you are significant; However my friend who is a girl might be competing and telling me that only she deserves that title# hehe So I can't call you significant and that is okay because you are also worthy of praise. The Holy Bible says so. One day I will find my wife and until then I will just live life and be happy.

By the way, I was reading 10 tips to be happy by Pope Francis. I see one of them is be humble like my dad says. He kisses everyone's feet! Just some trivia. Also another tip is to be nice like my mom says. So I guess listening to The Holy Bible and my parents actually works. A third tip is to spend time with family and friends like my two sisters. I will have to work on that one unless you consider www.Abandonia.com my friends.:OK:

[twillight]

Let's start with BG1. This is actually a backup I make, was not intended to pull this here, as I made another run up until Melissan, can be found HERE (http://www.abandonia.com/vbullet/showthread.php?t=28076&page=2).

So:

---------------

I've seen and even played myself a lot of solo BG "trilogy". Some classic transitions, some newer methods.
The strongest one there is the half-orc barbarian, but any build I tried could be made finishing the game, even as dual/multiclass to buff its weakness.
But bard can not be munchkined. And even has high natural charisma, which is a nuisance.
Still, I rolled pretty high, so at least I have a good start.

So Talulah came to be. Blade, neutral, evil. Shar protect her.

Leaving Candlekeep went smoothly. Thx to save&reload got Chainmail, Longbow, and even Dagger +1.
"Unfortunately" right after Gorion's death Imoen met her demise too by the hand of the belt-fetished ogre. She forgot to run, she forgot to equip melee weapon when the ogre got close...

But when met with a 3rd assassin at the Friendly Arm Inn, the darkness helped me:

https://i.imgur.com/eUrsDOA.jpg

Next reached the Friendly Arm Inn, where - to get a goal - "joined" up with the couple Jaheira and Khalid.
I wonder what their fate will be...

-----------------

Well, those two didn't last long. Just arrived in Beregost, entered the first inn suggested by the welcomer comitee, and there awaited me another assassin. Jaheira thought she can handle the situation, but she was sorly mistaken. Well, as the headhunter seemed to be interested in HER, I felt a bit frustrated until found the bounty notice. Well, maybe if I don't sell their equipment before...
At least those two provided times aganst the fighter for my kill even as a meatshield. Spared me some running up-and-down.

https://i.imgur.com/c4t13Jd.jpg

Got hired by some Silke. Her business looked a bit shady - and was carried out in the darkness -, but whoever whoever pays the money.
[NOTE: seems the quest is either bugged, or have a serious random included. First go when I did not know the strength of the opposition she offered 400 gold. Never at reloads. Then despite I disposed the three my rep did not go down the second time reloading from the quicksave immediate the fight, neither any other time reloading from that. Got the reputation-drop though when reloading from before talking to Garrick and stealing from both he and her.]

[Btw, noticed everyone tries to give you reputation for some reason? Gaining evil abilities are really a problem!]

Did some errands in the area (Miriann's letter, Z's boots, lots of stealing), and by thehelp of a Potion of Defense cleansed the Spider House. Made me clvl 4.

After that wondered around a bit, stumbled upon some hobgoblins with an obviously magical short sword [+2] of it. Required another of the three defense potions, but now that thing is mine. Both also served dealing with some local Cyric-priest. Well, he was instable enough to not even hold up his army of undead, so I don't think anyone lost much. And he attacked first. And he head a large bounty on his head. I just feel a bit lucky my arrows hit so hard preventing his maging. Not that I have anything against priestly magic *looking up-and-around*, only I tend to like survive. [clvl 5]
Also found some talking chicken. Says some kinda minor magling, and I <i class="Italic">know</i> it worth 50 $, only none wishes to buy it. Will have to deliver it later.

--------------------

Well, arriving to Nashkel went more lucky than anyone could hope for. The would-be assassin herdly surprised me, and went down by critical hits (thx Shar).
Slept well in the inn, had a pleasurous nightmare. Felt by thatdivine sign I have to found my presence, so donated at the local church (hey, if my reputation is independent from which church I donate to, it's not my fault).

[Strange fact: BG:EE's donation rate is always cheaper than BG2's, and in average cheaper even than BG1's rate. Weidu is the worst as it uses BG2 rate only, So I've settled for 15 rep, where BG1 and BG2 rate equals out. Not that I could not use the money elsewhere, but in the long term it shouldn't matter.]

[There also seems some bug with Oublek. He never identified my as Greywolf - no free reputation.]

As I felt estalished, before going to the mines tooka look around. Found a talking chicken, Perdue's Sword, Joya's Flamedance Ring, Drizzt's scimitar... I think it's time to visit the Carneval!

https://i.imgur.com/pS9ytxF.jpg

[Removed Nymph Cloack to show starting stats.]

---------------

Shar sent divine revelation: Oublek is sexist. The world in general is sexist, where a female has no equal opportunity. Like no sloppy drow sex for me. I'll look after some sweet revenge.

Well, I killed a god. That Ursa-bear. That's a start. But had to turn back for need of healing, and if I'd been there went to the Carnival to let out some steam (after a good sleep). But it was for naught. First they tried to thieve me out (my bladic reflexes outmatched that Vitiare), then thought some shopping would be nice, but some mongrel magling was up to something - no idea, said piss off, which for he just killed the shopkeeper, or performer, or whoever she was. Well, that was a shopping discount at least.

Went to the west, always to the west - why? Divine revelation obviously. Found a book of charisma which gave such discount could buy Dagger of Venom, and gloves of dexterity which gave me an idea. Oh, in the meanwhile also killed some random merchant. I found him suspicion approaching me in the middle of nowhere you know. I mean he had acursed scrolls amongst his merchandise. So trying to rob him was entirely self-defense in the grand picture.
These annoying people are everywhere by the way. Seriously, that Sendai-girl was standing around to ask if I hate Amn? Lay down and die they should these miserablke existences. And I can help with that, althugh it's a bit tyring on the long run. I charmed her and sent against her own troop, me poking from behind.

You know what I'm missing? Identification. Wish Firebead have not taken that scroll for himself...
Oh well, let's visit High Hedge for this. My legs ached after collecting all minor improvement (chainmail +1, bracers of archery, boots of the north, resist fire ring, also bought shield amulet). Has to sleep. With all the rumours about basilisks, sirens and mustard jellies going tothe Nashkel Mines feels more attractive.

https://i.imgur.com/fQexEof.jpg

--------------

Come to think of it, my self-imposed rules:
- Core Difficulty
- except for leveling up (gains maximum HP)
- no sell&buy recharge for wands
- no Fake Talk or similar abuse

The Mines were shorter than I expected. Not that it did not had its own challenge, but I just turned out ... making the good decisions.

[Unfortunate fact: Violet Potion overrides everything, can't pump back the dexterity :( ]

First, met some assassin - who wanned kill some sculpture. He was dying anyway, so no idea why the fuss. Got lucky hitting him with poison twice without any damage back, but than he hit me and that hurt, so went offensive spin just to be sure.

Down in the mines the arrows of the kobolds were annyoing, more so when realised there are traps, so going back the town for healing was not really an option. Still, I feel I avoided some unnoticed [at the exit of lvl 3 managed to find a passage where the 3 traps got avoided, lucky me],

The boss of the evildoers in the mine... presented some problem, although worse were its army arriving at the scene. Good thing was to memorise some Aganazar's Scrocher - they all fell victim to just one.

At the exit though awaited a 4-member assassin group - I went easy on them, and destroyed them with 1 charge of the Wand of Frost I just found. Good thing was to find an Identification Scroll too, because I'm not running around with that spell usualy.

Also good news that stumbled into an ankegh right around there, and finished it without much of a problem, so the way towards Baldur's Gate is now open. First have to deal with the bandits of course, but still.

But the highlight of this trip was to poison the poisoner:

https://i.imgur.com/uMNEwvJ.jpg

----------------

Went on basilisk-hunting. For it worth 1 casting. Met some sentient ghoul, was helpful against some mage, but more importantly some psycho-adventurers too, as they were 4 and I left my Wand of Frost at home to start with. Sent it (him?) in just to be sure, and when they <b class="Bold"><i class="Italic">did</i></b> attack the mage got paralyzed, then their cleric, then even the knight. Had to focus on the cleric though, she looked breaking free.
The mage as usual was punny, died by a single hit of poison. Against the rest still had a defensive spin to keep me going, still needed 1 healing potion.

At this point the money seems to become a nonissue IF i'm not a big spender. This meansI can get healing any time. But buying everything (like recharging wands) doesn't seem sustainable.

Encountered a drow. Killed it. Naturaly 'cause it attacked me. I'm the victim here ya see?

Visited the area W of High Hedge, but barely anything interesting was there (the free healing was nice though).

https://i.imgur.com/6JkXxDb.jpg

The Firewind Bridge came next. Both duels cost me one offensive spin, but the reward is awesome.
Also note that the ogre mage is a magic duel mostly, I needed all my aganzanar's, magic missles, and even my lightning bolt, as well as my ability or larloch's (clvl 9), AND finish with melee.

Laugh on me, but somewhere I put down (sold?) my chainmail +1. So went to Gullykin and fought for a +2 replacement. It was fun. It's a sad thing Gulleykeep has no shop. On the other hand if they'd have, they'd probably know the meaning of private property, lock away everything, and me would not have need of a shop to sell their stuff. Well, that's life.
Just like that zombie infestation up north.
Btw, the ogre mage here was pathetic in comparsion.

[Hate the ankeghs. Two out of three times they just get criticals. In a row. Each dealing 25+damage. Have. To. Reload.

Also, it's sure I'll never go to Werewolf Island. Have plenty of exp anyway, and it does not provide benefit of items. I mean sure, there's the Chainmail +3 at the end, but I doubt I could cut down all the greater-than-greater werewolves.
Likely won't visit the Mage Island either, as there are only a handful of wands, and I think I can live without them. The whole thing would be anyway using a Protection From Magic scroll and cut my way through.
Lastly the only l00t that worth the fuss in Durlag's aside the Tome is Kiel's Buckler. So eat your pants.]

------------

checked out "East of Larwood", released 2 fireball, collected the loot. Why everyone is attacking me? I'm the victim here.

The bandit camp was ok. Picked down the outer guards, and when spotted their leader released another fireball, then plummed by arrows. That guy was slow. Well, it's his fault wearing such heavy armor you know. Did not have yet enough lore to identify that wand [of fire], so removed my armor for more flexibility, used a charge from the Shield Amulet just in case. and went in the big tent. Started Aganzanar the mage, when those ran out offensive spinned the rest (they were Near Dead aside the archer, so it was ok). Funny thing was the mage managed to cast Horror, and it struck me - Shar was on my side that moment.
For the warning of the sacrifice-to-be changed my Boots of Avoidance to Grounding before opening the chest, also drinking 3 potion of healing.
[It is wise to charge ankeghs by the way with of Avoidance on. Until they change to melee they count as ranged attackers in melee, and gain -11 to hit.]

https://i.imgur.com/EpgOfNU.jpg

Went to Ulgoth's Beard for shopping - could have spend all my fortunes on things, but mainly bought Cloak of Displacement. There was a harp too for charming people - but who needs that when Algernon's Cloak does the same, and is renewing every day?
Shame for the price of that Ring of Invisibility though. Not buying it.

[where is Hulrik?]

Getting in to Durlag's Tower is one of the hardest part of it XD Those battle-horrors are somehow immun to arrows (used +2 ones, had 5 from somewhere), have plenty of HP, good AC, and easily hit a bard. So offensive spin it is, AND potion of defense, AND potion of speed. Of course they're immun to poison, and I didn't even try magic. To dispose the two on the bridge already cost me 4 potions, and I was pretty hurt still after.
The of Speed lasted till the complete annihilation of above level 2. Ah the ghasts! They aghast. But don't stop.
The Defense expired after dealing with the ghost on lvl 3. I almost thought I cornered meself with its supreme mirror image, but fortunately it was dumb. Even at the loss of 1 image it recasted right there wasting potential. Still, if it'd've managed to summon that Invisible Stalker, dunno what'd I do. Offensive spin fire arrows won the day, lucky me.
Btw, why is there no healer (no, I don't need stupid priests with their fake magick - let them all be banished form all fantasy for discriminating atheists -, I only need medics) at Durlag's Tower?

Meh, teh sexist world. No flirting by succubi. Oh, cruel fate!
Even worse, she forgot I am a female, thus promised me no pleasures! The nerve!

https://i.imgur.com/K5K4xsm.jpg

[where's the ghost of Ulcaster?]

The Cloakwood Forest's main interest was Forest Part 2 with all the spiders. [Incredible to see if you turn on the "see the rolls" option how much the engine cheats aganst you.] I went a bit on the easy side, and sent 2 fireball and 1 charge of Frost from my wands.
Still, Sword Spiders were nuisance, only in Defensive Spin and under the Ring of Free Action aquired by Five Finger Discount helped against them. Oh, I could have used the Spiders' Bane, especially that I hardly ever manage to poison anything anymore [for some "weird reason", aka. the engine cheats as heck], but I pulled my nose for not making me immun to poison.

[poison is a poorly implemented feature, as you can't spell away from yourself even with the ~instantenous Baalspawn ability.
disease is a poorly implemented feature as 99% I think does nothing, the remaining time it is the same as poison.
stealing is a poorly implemented feature as there is hardly anything to steal, it is instant Game Over when catched, 100% is not failsafe, can regularly steal questrewards and you still have to roll even if the target has no item.]

-------------

Hm, MAYBE charisma IS your firend. With enough reputation and charisma you can have a nice little bonus on prices, making wands from 5K to 2-3K, which <i class="Italic">lategame</i> MIGHT be sustainable. 'cause at this point money starts flowing in, AND had occasion to try out the blasters.

Cloakwood Mines is not my favourite place. Too many people. I tend to use Wand of Frost and Wand of Fireball to thin them put like Peter Pan. Especially as they mostly have nothing. Except one mage who has 1 scroll of haste (after the lightning trap corridor).
Potion of Absorption (1 dose) is a must. Wand of Sleep (from High Hedge) can also help, this later is especially useful on the 1st level where you risk rep-drop with badly aimed magic.

Don't fall for the false rumour though that the final mage can fall to Stinking Cloud - he won't fall asleep even with a roll of 8 (from 2 reload = 3 casting) he never rolled under.
But I could Magic Missle his arse despite his sanctuary, then Aganzanar which can be used too to eliminate Battle Horrors (turns out they're actually effected by magic).
[Note: seems the BHs pop into existence by some trap or something, also might be related to the mage seeing you. One time I killed the "original two" (sometimes only 1 appears), then decided to cast Improved Invisibilty (seemingly the only useful lvl 4 spell I have - I notoriously don't like to buy spells), Then no BH appeared (almost).]
Good news too you don't need the papers on the guy, it'd take a lot of space. Solo playthroughs' weakness. Especially w/o containers.

https://i.imgur.com/WtGhxOW.jpg

After all that went to the Lighthouse for the tome. The golems hit hard, but not that tough fortunately. Sirens are avoided by 2 potion of invisibility.
Now I call this a day.

PS: wearing Claw of Kazgaroth as clvl 10 is reached (actually I'm clvl 11 at the end of this). I like that thing for this game,and there are no more spiders, so the minus on vs death shouldn't really be an issue at all (and the current cloak helps too).

---------------

As I'm already clvl 11 (that's +1 thac0 than I should) I decided to blaze through the rest.
First entered BG to buy knock, and if I buy stuff I might as well buy all spells on sale. And a couple of magic items.
Even managed to "steal" from Elmonster:

https://i.imgur.com/zmSqRTN.jpg

Packed my 2 resist Fire potions and the absortions potions and 15 healing potions, bracers of archery, Spiders' Bane and a couple of other stuff, and went back to Durlag. The ring of fire prot was also important. Quaffed resistances, and started to run around (boots of speed) to get the attention of monsters. Then do NOT fight, instead walk on traps! That kills 'em. Sooner or later. There's space to manouver, so rarity is harm. Although seems SOME damage is still dealt. Oh well. Quaff healing when needed.
They'll bee needed as I ran away from fights as much I could. So no fight with doppelgangers or mustard jellies. Still had to fight some Skeleton Warrior with Flesh Golems. Defensive Spin helped a lot (the skeleton lured out solo), still needed an offensive spin (and even a couple of reload). That thing was a monster.

There are overpacked heaps of potions - try to preserve them.

It was nice when potion of speed buffed boots of speed - too bad no longer applies (because game patched). And I wasn't that much into shooting arrows. So instead got the attention of all four dwarf guardian, and led them ~south. That doorway if PACKED with traps, and that is a big help, especially that THEY TOO activate them (other traps have some recharge-delay).

There's another fire resist potion on this level, take it, because the first dose you quaffed at arrival will expire before the levelboss fight.
There's also 2 Dispel Arrow, which are precious commodity.

For lvl 3: no walkthrough mentions this, but there's actually a Master Room to bypass the puzzles, and it's not even far:

https://i.imgur.com/vsaCJNc.jpg

Tips for fighting doppelgangers in the throne room and otherwise: When you pick up the helmet RUN OUT. Babystep back and if you see a dupie hit it with an arrow (prevents mirror image), then GET OUT of sight while it casts haste. Wait 30 seconds and you'll hear the spell fizzling away. That's the time you walk in and start killing it with arrows (retreat as needed, use the safe area to manouver).

When all doors are open go down on the right, if there's a doppelganger run past it, bash the locked door open (remove armor, save here), run in to the left side of the room where the exit is, down the corridor, cast Knock, pick up the buckler from the chest, run back without stop (funny how the "dwarves" run along you), get out of the complex. We're done here.

--------------

Stole a charming cloak from the magick shop dealer, and a lightning wand from Brevlik. Found a tome of dexterity at the thieves - at the cost of doing a job to them. For payment-before-action stole a wand of paralyzation from the questor. Good thing, because his-halruanship seemed very much powerless without it despite the praise from the leader thief.

Ran into two ... Bleak Cabal? Who knows. But no matter how sympathetic they were, I just stole a wand of fire from the quieter one and stepped down.

Broke into a house, but it was a gnome's (Nadine), so it was ok. Got a necklace of magic missile from the deal.
Also met an assassin. Not the type already familiar with, this one had some other grudge against me. Whatever, they die the same.
But be calm, met the "basic" type of assassins too. Got a book of wisdom out of the bargain.

Got involved in some ... peeping tom business? Thought I'll just rob blind everyone as this-said-that-that-said-this kinda game it was, but in the end hacked down one of the party. Something had to be done, and better fail than sorry. Got a wand of polymorph from it.

You know the joke where the bard goes into this inn, and finds Baldur's Helm? Well, it's funny because it is <i class="Italic">not a joke</i>, got it?

Delt with Scar's quests (Seven Suns and disappearing people), then slept a little, went back to the SS for that pretty chest (wand of magic missles), and knocked up that pretty tower too (tome of intelligence). No mage at the top, 'cause I did freed the nymph before netering the disttrict).

Sat on the Iron Throne, but felt cold, and soaky by blood. Well, not exactly soaky. You see thatblood fried over it by the fireballs. And that potion of firebreath. Magic Missles were just extra. Boots of Speed is awesome.

In Candlekeep Boots of Speed is still awesome. Bring minal equipment: some potion of absorbtion, ring of fire res., potion of fire res., probably 5 healing potions just to be on the safe side, and aring of free action (also can be found down here). 3 knock spell memorized is advisable for the 2 tomes and the scroll of prot. from magic. The basilisks are a nasty surprise (although getting that inv.10ft can help out, or that invisibility potion you find inthe catacombs if you have no other means).

------------

Freeing the guy from the grip of the Flaming Fist was solved by releasing a couple of fireballs (from wand). Remainig opposition calmed by sleep (from wand). The leader still stood, but alone not that big of a threat.
Doppelganger-medic delt with straight, although paralysing it was in the deck.

Destroying the assassin couple was more or less cake. Lure the male away and paralyze 'im. Draw Upon Holy Might gives enough thac0 to hit it in thatstate (using Spider's Bane). Switching the Short Sword of Backstabbing.
For the other went close after some healing potion (4), wiated to appear, then offensive spin it to oblivion. Easy. Or could have used Aganzanars' from wands, but that assumes she not invisible.

Ducal Palace preparation: bring wand of paralyze and wand of summoning (cast once in the middle of the group before starting). Drink potion of defense, cast a bunch of defensive spell, drink potion of speed. Use arrows of dispel to lessen the doppelgangers' abilities. Fortunately only 1 duke must stay alive.

Sharevok... seems problematic:

https://i.imgur.com/X5STkhj.jpg

[Capo]

Do Pillars of eternity solo :OK:

[twillight]

There isn't many games nowdays that worth to bother.
Everything is either some Quake-engine FPS, or console-only, or multiplayer crap overfested by microtransaction. Everything is infested with pre-order, dlcs, and whatnot anyway. There's no story, just transformers-explosions.

So when it got adiscount, I invested into this, which looked like a flash-game which you actually should find and play online...
And it mostly is that, except longer. To be honest, much longer, as each "quest" you take (the basic concept is to make a party in the town, go to dungeoncrawling quest, repeat) takes like 2 hours real time. Somewhatless when you get more familiar with things.
Because as all games nowdays this one lacks manual too, despite desperatly in demand of one.

-----------

There are various buildings in town, which all will be open on "week 5", aka. day 5, aka. after you are returning from the 5th mission. And they mostly don't worth bothering.

There's a building to recruit. Every recruit is free, comes with 4 random abilities from 8 of its class, and every hired goon canbe dismissed without fuss.
The thing you must know though that there are a pletora of classes, every "week" the pool to hire from refreshes entirely random, and you MUST HAVE 4 person to send on a mission no less. If you have less than 4 person available, that's game over, and the game does not tellyou this!
So expand the "weekly" pool to 4 asap, then mostly expand the storage-for-recruits. When you're kinda established, you'll also be able to improve the basic level of the recruits.
Which I have no idea what it does as the game does not tell it. It depends on some kinda XP, which seems to be related maybe the size of the dungeons, and maybe the type of quest you take, but otherwise I have no clue.

The buildings otherwise offer such things as:
- buy random artifact: they are overpriced, and you'll be likely swimming in artifacts either way
- the tavern and the abbey offers lessening stress. The totally do the same, even more all three type of actions inside give the exact same benefits. There's a small chance of something bad to happen when taking the actions, and that in a minor way tends you towards the abbey, but otherwise really not worth to bother.
- there're buildings to improve: weapon, armor, skills of course. They only provide minor adavantage, so don't bother for a looong time.
- there's a graveyard, which only has decorative function.

The basic gameplay is around these factors:
- kinda limited HP, so you need to kill fast, stun the last enemy, and heal back if available
- lots of stress: same as HP: you gain stress as fast as wounds,and your buffer is VERY limited. Given that the dungeons are friggin lasting forever, and most things do 30 stress per hit (your buffer is 100, so good luck), you won't just be able to rely on the town to heal it back. Killing things fast seem to make this factor way less of an annoyance though.
One of the problems with this though is the limited inventory-space. There are a great variety of supplies to bring with you, but the stress-factor and the Diablo-level small inventory makes most of the obsolate, and you'll have to rely on abilities instead. So bring 1 slot of torches, 1 slot of food, and 1 slot of shovels to every mission, and that's seems to be it. Oh, bring treasure chest keys too, and drop them when you run out of space.

Oh, how much is "1 slot"? That depends on what kinda items we're talkin' 'bout.
Torches: maximum 8 per slot
Food: 12
gold: 1750
statue: 6
painting: ?
deeds: ?
shield: ?
shovel: 4
treasure chest key: 4
there are other stuff which you'll likely NOT bring with you: bandage, antivenom, holy water, etc.
Whenfinding various gems consider their worth, and the fact they are way less common than pure gold.

Oh, shield, statue, painting and deeds are currencies in the game. You use them to improve your buildings.

Oh, good to know that any unused consumables are LOST AFTER EACH QUEST. I mean each try of a quest. And quests randomly refresh every "week", aka. returning to town (you can abandone mission any time, which means no reward, only carry back the stuff in your backpack, and you gain stress, because you constantly gain stress even randomly, because the designers thought that's funny or something).

Before I forget every action is set to either leftclick or rightclick, but the game doesn't really teach you what is set to where, and there's no manual to learn it.
The game also feasts on computer memory, so alt+tab will kill your fun.
Actually the game tends to stuck in the memory, so sooner-or-later it'll overflow anyway, demanding a reboot.
To add to this there's a plethora of interactive object, and w/o manual you'd constantly want to alt+tab. Especially as doing the wrong thing will add stress scores, becase the designers thought it's funny, even more they added random abilities to the characters at random to auto-interact with those objects, because if you callyour game"rogue-like" you don't have to worry about game-balance, right?

------------

Putting these aside, here're things on the classes:
- Vestal: heals things. It's nota good healer at all, but heared later each hit from the enemy will put you on "death's door" meaning 0 HP, whatmeans the next dmg will kill the character. So lategame this otherwise pretty useless looking crap will be most important, as it canheal the entire party, making them always 2 hit targets (every other healing is one-target ability). Bestposition: 4?
- Plague Doctor: deals out Blight DPS (heared later Blight will be countered with everything being immun though), and can remove DPS from partymembers. Bestposition: 3-4.
- Occultist: its bestability is an unreliable healing which has a pretty high maximum value, what can practically fullheal the target easily. Also can deal out some damage if not needed on healing,and third way can stun or move an enemy from the back to front (the back-enemies usually are ranged and have annoying and strong abilities). Best position: 3, but canwork in 4 and 2 too.
- Man-at-Arms: it candealout some buff and debuff too, but its main use is to take the damage on itself which'd hurt another character. Pretty dumb character if you ask me.
- Leper:
- Jester:
- Houndmaster:
- Highwayman:
- Hellion:
- Grave robber:
- Flagellant:
- Crusader: It is your average dumb paladin. Can't so shite at position 3-4 though. It has some raw physical damage output, and once per battle it cangive you 20 light. Best position: 1-2.
- Bounty Hunter:
- Arbalest:
- Antiquarian:
- Abomination:

[twillight]

Current day games are just wasting your time.
They literally exist just to pass time into nothingness. They give you nothing in return. No satisfaction, no story, no nothing.

And there isn't any variety anymore.
You either have some generic FPS with 1HKO rule on you (even the primitive oldschool games gave you 3 lives), or they are literally flash-games which can be found for entirely free only a bit/lot longer which is like expanding a 20 minutes South Park episode to 2.5 hours feature length. They just don't work.
Neither do the infinite-price minute-transaction-based MMOs.

Where is the next Monkey Island, Fallout, Total Annihilation/Kingdoms, or even Gorky 17, G.O.L.E.M., Time Machine, or Maniac Mansion, Worms, Heroes of Might and Magic 2/3, Might and Magic 6, Baldur's Gate, Warcraft, Resident Evil 2 - I don't know, ANYTHING good?

:(

[twillight]

At least, an attempt.

This is Hard diff, so I go the easy way. What's the easy way? Choose a character with useful skills. And go for an easy-to-handle build.
This means I won't bother with mages, and as"survivor" aka. rogue, aka. thief is a weakling (the female variant starts with good skills though), that leaves warrior. And the male one, because that's The Supposed Character. It starts with both the skills you get an extra point in for free just by saving and reloading. Yep.

Now on the skills: there are aplenty, but they fast can be thinned down.
Bolded skills are available from start, other have to be learnt later either bya teacher, ora skillbook, or by achieving proper character-level. There'sa button which shows all skills (except Divine tree) independently from clvl.

#1 Powers of Matter:
- all these skills cost mana, which is pretty bad. Most of them are attack-spells, but I can attack free of cost by weapons, so nah.
- telekinesis is a utility spell here, heard you'll need it on lvl 2, and that's it.
- do NOT use polymorph from these, 'cause instead of duration, the spell is permanent, whatmeans it is gamebreaking.
- Hell Spikes

#2 Powers of Body and Spirit:
- Wizard's Sight is useless
- Bless costs too much
- Restoration: THE healing spell
- Withering Curse: the enemy will resist this, don't even try. Most enemies will have a lot of Spiritual Resistance, soall skill related to that is bad by nature. How bad? Any enemy with less than 50% Spiritual Reistance can be killed on sight with a skill, that's how bad the situation is.
- Aura of Guarding: why not just use Restoration?
- Magical Might: meh
- Spellshield: again, use Restoration whichdoes the same
- Fade from Sight: just quaff a potion instead

#3 Elemental Powers:
- all these are attack-spels, thus useless to us.
- avoid Freeze, it isnot just too strong, can also crash the game if used on bosses. Also aviod the attribute on weapons for the same reason.
- Meteorstrike

#4 Power of Summoning
- these spells are either too weak, or too strong. Also demands specialisation.
- Summon Demonic Aid might kill an important NPC related to the main quest, so avoid
- Life Leech, the only non-summonic skill of the branch is Spiritual Resistence Related (SRR), thus avoid
- Summon Vermin is availble only at the start, and I man, it is infamously weak

#5 Path of the Specialist:
- all skills are ready from the start here, except Shield.
- man, the sword option is just overpowered
- Hammer is SRR
- bow/crossbow are pretty useless, given the screenis small, and the enemy is fast
- shield is ... ok I guess, but chance-related. It is at least not elemental damage

#6 Path of the Ranger:
- Elven Sight is the skill if you get annoyed by the Fog of War. Convenience-skill, but the best from this type.
- True Shot: bugged in all version, does nothing.
- the rest is various arrow-related skill, which is already bad. They are also not boosting your weapon, but replacing its damage. AND they cost mana. So nah.

#7 Path of Warrior's Lore:
- Augment Damage a damage-boost. Nothing fenomenal, but reliable, and very helpful at the start.
- Repair frees youfrom going to the shops and spending too much money. 1 point is enough.
- Stun: SRR, but still ok
- Augment Defense: a good skill to invest
- various (elemental) weapon damages: some extra damage, and even that only by chance. Dump here the remaining points I guess, otherwise not much.

#8 Path ofthe Warrior Gods:
- Enchant Weapon when it comes to play is ooooh-yeah!
- Feign Death: useless
- Boomerang: it is a bad skill. In theory you could make Diablo's throwing amazon with it, but too complicated.
- Shadow Warrior: a summon
- Spiritual Damage: some extra damage, but always works what is a plus.
- Reflect Missiles: bad
- Death Strike: SRR. Doesthe same thing as the Hammer Expertise, but for all weapon.
- Flash Attack: useless

#9: Path of theThief:
- Assassin's Kiss: this is the"Dagger Expertise" skill, but aside a chance to double damage - works on every hit - does not give further bonuses.
- Lockpick: requires consumable lockpick item above the skill level, and randomfactor, and all. And to get lockpicks when you need, is just not that simple. Ye, everyone wants this skill, but it is overly complicated.
- Pickpocket: yes, there are stuff to steal. No, this skill is not needed. It is a bit complicated to use anyway, and itis told you won't really have money-issue - unless you are a mage of course.
- Evade Trap: wouldn't have any use IF there wouldn't be some polymorph traps in the game, and they wouldn't turn you permanently to a rabbit or sg.
- Deadly Gift: you can lay traps with this. Two are garbage, the third is overpowered, and can evencrash the game at certain situations. Avoid.
- Elven Stamina: useless (unless you use the warrior's special skill a lot, which you shouldn't - getting sorrounded is BAD)
- Embrace Shadows: just quaff a potion.
- Poison Weapon: you need to craft potions for this, and recharge when depleted ... I just can't bother with crafting. Has the fame of being a strong skill though.

#10 Path of Lore:
- Identification: costs a lot of money and time, so invest here
- Alchemy: you can craft potions with it. You need 2 points in this to be able to pick up herbs/mushrooms. NEVER mix various size potions - they decreese in quality. Recipes:
health potion: potion + red mushrooms/herbs/cacti
mana potion: blue mushrooms/herbs/cacti
stamina potion: yellow mushrooms/herbs/cacti
poison potion (green): white mushrooms, rotten food, poison barrels, cacti
bright blue potion: temporary for +100 poison and -100 spiritual resistance, out of the Drudanae plant
Red + Blue = White:brings back mana and vitality points
Yellow + Blue = Black: invisbility
Yellow + Red = Orange: boosts strength
Yellow + White = Purple: boosts resistances
- Know Creature: only for casters. You spot the creature, pause the game, look at stats, choose spell... Inconvenient.
- True Sight: useless, especially if you are melee
- Blind: useless before applying 5 points, very-very good after that they say. Costs mana, and isa single-target spell, shich takes away from it in my eyes.
- Skin of Poison: same as Poison Weapon, but works if the hit you instead of you hit them.
- Curse: sounds ok.
- Necroshift: waaay to short duration.

#11 Path of the Talents:
- Traders' Tongue: effects prices. Should be useless.
- Ranger's Sight: use Elven Sight instead. Same, but bigger effect.
- Wisdom: absolutely garbage
- Charm: SRR
- Magic Barrier: c00l
- Aura of Command: way too powerful
- Heaven's Gift: free money, otherwise the skill tellsyou it gives garbage items
- Survivor Instinct: too slow. If you need healing, just teleport to a bed, and sleep.

#12 Path of the Divine:
- this whole tree is quest-related, so no starting skill option here
- translocate: comes too late to have any use
- Divine death: mostly useless
- Spirit Form: 1 point must have because the main quest demands it. Has no other use.
- Scorch: attack spell
- Heaven's Blessing: nice duration and effect
- Divine Eye: useless
- Temporal Storm: tooshort duration, andI heared it shakes the whole screen, making it inconvenient
- Lightning Cascade: attack spell

Crafting recipes of good use:
- beehive + honeyrack = drop of honey
- drop of honey + empty honey jar = statboosts, and 50 mana and HP heal
- two stacks of straw = Haybed. Combine two stacks of straw on the ground to make hay and then use as a bed. Hay can not be moved once it is made

-------------
-------------

Playing through:
#1 you wake in a room. Basic rule of rpgs: get verything that's not nailed down. Actually, just get anything what is food, or has stats. The rest are not even option for sale. Glasses/jars are also option to take, because of alchemy.
#2 you soon find your first NPC, and are in a village. Basic rule of rpgs: always be nice to everyone. Another basic rule of rpgs is: save before touching anything. This time if you don't get told you are a thief, you can take that item (NPC must not look at your direction and/or not be too close, hard because most NPC follow you, and stay atfixed location most of the times).
#3 do not click on beds unless you want a full heal, and time spent. The game is (99% I heared) not time based though.
#4 there'll be an event nearby: an elf gets frozen. Try the door of the mage's house and talk to the elf again. NOW go and visit each empty house in the village - including the elf's. Loot. All house have a key in the village. DO NOT leave the village. Enter well, free the elf
#5
#6 heal the two patient. Do NOT talk to either the dwarf or the lizard before both patient are healed. Do NOT talk with the lizard - he gives a freepoint in restore, but you can reach lvl 6 in the village (in theory, I'm trying right now, ok?), so you should be able to put a point in it yourself, then get the second point from the lizard - else you'd have to wait until clvl 13! But you MUST make the healings before finishing the local dungeon.
#7 if you are that kind of person, still NEVER ATTACK CATS. Cats are good.
#8 thereare 2 ZombieJake Events in the village. Both times the guy gives hugh chuncks of exp. Problem is, he's though in melee. If you have the Restore skill it is way more easy, because you can heal a ton. But at least on the surface he can be chased around by bow, because you can run but he can't. You can get a bow by a second event of the village which you get when going near another house. There a shopkeeper gets threatened, and when you enter you get invited to a room inside. This means the shopkeeper leaves all his stuff ungarded in the first room, so take everything (usualy an armor, shield, bow, and some more stuff).

-------------

Bow is required, at least for a while, that's obvious. Zombie Jake can be outrunned to start with. Also Skeletal Guardians who likes to oneshot you, and I see not the distance I'd've to walk to be able to stand against them.
Come to think of it, this "that's just too much requirement" is also true for all kinds of equipment. First, you need like 25 in agility to not miss too much. Second, you need like 25 STR to beat normal things w/o too much fuss. Then comes the problem: bows require 30 agility, hammers like 65 STR, axes 30 AGI + 60 STR... And there are zero maces to grab. Not to mention most equipment cmes with 1/1 durability and if they brake you can't fix 'em with slvl 1 repair...
Even a twohanded sword has ridiculous requirement of 40 AGI 65 STR. So don't be surprised if you have to fall back on fighting with brooms. Ye, those count as weapons. No, I did not have to use 'em... yet.

Either way, get 2 points in Identify for convenience sake. The Slasher will be ilvl 4, so that's how you know it you found it. It is a good axe, but not that impressive as you find 4 other axes nearby, and they aren't that much worse, and you CAN use the exp.

-----------------
-----------------

Character build:
- you want to use the equipment right where you find, put your first points to get 2 Identify. Will report later how common higher tier stuffes are.
- third and fourth point goes into repair (the maximum durability does NOT drop, so 1 is enough for the whole game) and Elven Sight because you use bow, and you need to see where the enemy is. More is not demanded, and probably more than 2 point here is overdoing.

--------------
--------------

Monster fighting:
- skeleton guardians are giant-size skeletons with axe. You can outrun them on a long corridor, or circle around in a room. They can onehit you, so use ranged attacks. Loose interest fast (low visual range), soyou need sight (1 point in Elven Sight = +2 sight does it)
- skeleton conjurer: summons skeletons and skeletal archers. Can onehit you. Use ranged attacks on miniboss versions. I think I founda "normal" quality of it on catacombs lvl 3 in the upper right corner (had low HP, died in melee).
- ghoul: again a walker, which likes to plant spider-traps around. Use ranged attacks. Its traps are annoying: you goclose, it activates and starts running after you, blow up on hit. You can only outrun it from one direction not both.
The ghoul usually loose interest at a point, face a walland stop moving. Abuse that. Usually will have a trap atits corpse, so save before looting.
- archer/caster skeleton boss: finda platform you can circle around. Its projectile will stuck in the platform (test to be sure), but your arrows do not.

[twillight]

I am different.

<img src="https://i.imgur.com/gpJJaYh.jpg" alt="" />

There was a ... actually I'm not sure who they were. I was pretty sure none down there should be there, so if they're there they have malevolent intentions, so I just started to bombard them with fireballs. And aganzanar's when it came to that (I found a wand of fire with 23 charges for both in my stash!). Roast in pieces.

Tamoko... Left. Hopefully no god will able to tell where she went.

And thus the story ends, and another starts, the same continues:

<img src="https://i.imgur.com/VsFYsei.jpg" alt="" />

The trick is to paralyze the archer on the left (finish with arrow because AC, thac0 and sharevok issue), then make the ogre thief backstab you so he's revealed. He's slow, so can be executed by arrows. Sharevok shall be lured to the bottom left corner and shall be left there. Somehow I put a mage robe where Ring of Invisibility was supposed to go, but a charge from wand of summoning did the trick. Cast prot. from magic scroll and deal with the mage (aganzanar scorcher mainly from wand). Finally pummel Sharevok with arrows. Just realised all the magic missile thingies were useless, what'd've been better some more piercing arrows. And probably potions. and wands of monster summoning. Whatever. Let's fall into the Abyss.

-----------

Awoke. Somewhere. Somehow. Imoen? Imoen is dead. Isn't she? How is she not dead? Why doesn't she go away? She asked shuld she go away, to which I said, "Alright, let's go", but she stayed. Why doesn't she let go? Just like her .. new belt? Doesn't let go either. Shoul <i class="Italic">I</i> let got? I am ... hurt. Why is <i class="Italic">she</i> not hurt? I'm the victim here.

-------------

There are others here. Minsc? Traveling with him? He says so. That's not happened! Must be an illusion. Must leave behind. He's caged fortunately, so he's weak... No, he's strong, but insane. Let him go. He doesn't quarel.

[Where is Jaheira? Well, I didn't want her Harper Pin anyway this time. Isn't romances strange? You can get a bastard baby from Aerie, and you can only marry Anomen. This of course suggests all partner are sterile. Given that the protagonist creates an offspring, that concludes its not his/her fault. Interesting factis, you CAN have same-sex relations in the original game - if you cheatin the Girdle of Opposite Sex that is. Another funny thing the back-to-nature relation provides you material product, while the one from industrialised background results in tree-hugging.
Wonder what happens in theEE-romances.]

Imoen meeting a bunch of <i class="Italic">goblins</i> ran away? Why? Why now? Where's the sense in that?
Out of sheer frustration destroyed a clay golem. That quaterstaff +1 proved useful against some othygh lazying around - could reach it from the balcony while it could not attack back. (drinking 4 healing potions, and keep drinking. At the durgars before looting only had 3 medium Hpotions left)

There was a cambion imprisoned. Free it? Why? Those are common knowledge always hostile. I don't want MDK, I want freedom!

Got through a portal. These have limited range - but what does this knowledge worth me? Getting from a place where I'm lost to another place where I'm lost - where's the difference?
I'm also running thin of life. When offensive spinning those mephit portals (what kinda id'ot puts those in their lair? Definitely a mad wizard were're dealing with 'ere) ran out of potions entirely, and only had half my strength!
To add to the situation: see, got this Sword of Chaos from that jinn. Says it belong to me. Says what?!? And despite its name it is the most straightforward thing here. This whole thing is <i class="Italic">madness</i>. But whose?
Speaking of madness: some mad escaped clone was here too. Costed me m last Hpotions...
Not to mention: there was this guy, don't remember his name, never told me - saved 'im from a mephit. Did I get any thanks? No, he attacked me. I said: madness this is!
To prevent further damage to me when stumbled into a large group of goblins (and a mephit) used the summoning scroll I found within the complex. Darn, I miss my equipment! Got 2 kobold and an ogre, and they lasted enough to disable a trap on some bridge (well, they're summoned to fight and die. Never gave a though where do they come from, never will), and even to deal with a durgar.
And this kept going on. Like with that <i class="Italic">thing</i> behind the glassed room. When it shaped form, I justwaved: I open the door. When it was open, I attacked it immediately.
Even stranger: I keep trying. Laconically offered to join the attackers near the ... entrance to them, exit to me. Of course they didn't know better and attacked.

<img src="https://i.imgur.com/8YNoJQc.jpg" alt="" />


And you think getting out ended the world going crazy? Imoen was out already, some immense mage-battling happened, and some fanatic mages ported in random dying one after another - then it all ended by Big Bad Boss getting <i class="Italic">BORED?</i>
Whatever. Fine for me. Get lost you all. Just leave me alone!

-----------------

Entered the circus tent. Heared something insane going on in there. That ogre-elf shapeshifter surprised me - well, don't mess with strangers, that's the leston. I don't believe a second it was an illusion by the way. I mean those orcs, those wear illusin. But that halfogre-halfelf? Nah. She and her gnome friend bites the dust.

But these volks have some good inventions too: containers for stuff. Useful gadgets.

-----------------

---------

I was minding my own business when some beggar force-begged me to some guy who really wnted to "help" me. Right. Nothing suspicious. Right, I have no choice. Ahha. Let me steal that funny-looking glasses you have, 'n onward to drinkin'!
At least I hoped so, but some pair of ruffians hit on me. Took two lotions to get rid of 'em.

Do I have "kick me" on my back? Stepping into the tavern just put me into another fight. The brag didn't live to regret it. His friends do. That guy "anomen" too. For the moment. Who is he to judge my way of life? The only court is Life, so you better take what Life gives you, and stop others taking it!
Got some quests I practically learnt nothing about, and to be honest of all this establishment the most exciting part was its serwers. Well, that's a +3 sword to me at least. And alevel.
Above went to free some slaves because I had nothing better to do, and doing <i class="Italic">them</i> favour it was <i class="Italic">them</i>who obviously ment money. Which I needed for a whole bunch of reasons. The beastmaster had a load of 'im, luckily 2 shot of frost from wand solved that problem.

Went for the 5-finger-discount market, and got some spells, and a staff +3. Nothing that'd help my low number of attacks or better my high AC. Didn't even see anything that could help the problem. Yeah, that sword could provide a free Haste spell per day, but how long that'd last? Maybe as long as it took to find the ghost's teddy. Maybe some much-neglected potions?

Stumbled into the ShadowThieves too, started to work for them half-harted. Jelous of the vampires killing those thieves who make you bleed through the nose. Bugging the Harpers sound more fun.

-------------

Walked around disinterested in any of the quests all the people tested on me. Well, some demanded immediate action, like that Uncle Lester, and making a paladin's life uneasy by forcing an orphan to him did worth the laugh, but in the end took a scroll of prot. form undead, destroyed the lich I found at the city gates (considered leaving the city, but nah,yet),and with the remaining time of the scroll looted some of the tombs in the graveyard. Aside a new level it gave me enough gold to stop worrying about the Cowled Wizards when I want to enter to houses. I mean why people have doors? If they don't want people entering, <i class="Italic">move to a dimension with not magic in it!</i>

--------------

Continued on working the thieves guilds. Was hard with my lvl 14 (15 after killed the mage).
The kill-the-mage part 1 is about to have enough HP, as most kills will be done by the Fire Mephits.
Part 2 has 2 golems (stone I had), and they are a nuisance. Cast Blur + Improved Invisibility. Start with 1 offensive spin, continue with defensive, hope you survive.
Have a summon ready for part 3, the mage himself. Go up, pause, cast Magic Missile to soften 'im up. Say you are just looking around, so you can cast a 2nd spell - the bigger the summon the better of course. Monster Summon 3 would work nice, or if you found a conjure lesser elemental that's good too. Whe the thing is summoned GO BACK one stairs and wait 30 ticks (watch the pendulum), THEN go back. Voila, his protection-globe disappeared, otherwise things are the same. Cast Aganzanar's Scorcher ASAP, use the summon as distraction. When the scorcher runs out switch to elementalarrows (fire/acid/whatever) to penetrate his stoneskin and prevent casting.
Though work, but after it the quest is a talk-walk. Aside the kill-MaeVar part of course. But as you don't actually have to eliminate the whole guild, I just drank some invisibility-potions to avoid most of the trouble.
The reward was... ironic. 10K gold and a Sword of Backstabbing.

With arrows - sword spiders are exception - hacked my way through spiders under the Graveyard, and a scorcher-from-wand destroyed the spawning-spiders at the entrance of the centre. Inside a single Sunfire delt most of the damage -beware as the priestess there has insane magic resistance and strong spells (but not many). Hacking or elemental arrows will do. Result: spider figurine AND Spell Immunity - can go for the berserker statue. Of course have a diamond (actually 2).
Hint: one bunchof spiders canactually be eliminated by leading them to the first chest and activating its trap - a cloudkill spell.

Remembered there are slaves to conquer ... I mean capture ... I mean liberate. Entering was solved by getting out of the boss' visuals and some Wand of Fear. Then charm the boss, and with him as distraction murder the rest of the slavers.

Remembered the Silver Pantaloons take away some reputation, so went there too. Act 3 starts.

<img src="https://i.imgur.com/WlPm2OQ.jpg" alt="" />

<img src="https://i.imgur.com/wOFxMy5.jpg" alt="" />

--------------

<b class="Bold">
QUESTION</b>: What'd happen if I'd spend my gold and thus not have the money when showing up for the randevou?

--------------

So many dead-yet-not-dead people. Xar. Edwin. Khalid. EVERYONE. Viconia*. Well, who cares for a drow to die? One less being threatening meself. Although I bet as they returned once, they'll return yet again. After all, if this is just a dream, and I dream it, as long as I'm not dead, they can eternal lie. Ye, death is a lie. Can death die? Can you murder murder?
I sure could murder that tinbox in the sewers. Nice armor he had. Shinier than 'is brain. The raksasha at least had enough mind to have some goons. Even I can have goons. I have a spider, a berserker warrior, this annoying sword, spell-creatures...

*: Actually, where's Viconia? She somehow did not appear this time.

Talking about spell-creatures: there was that imp... Which summoned an earth elemental... And some kobold tried to take advantage of the fight... I think I'd've lost w/o my beserker.
Patched up, and to calm down went to see how my report to the authorities payed out. Well, one hand the authority managed to kill himslef. At least his comrades coughed up some money.On the other there was absolutly no reward from reporting that unlicenced hag, his hired goons didn't even have anything iteresting on 'rm! Punny unenchanted stuuf was all! What did they think, those are outlawed too? Preparation Zero. And they call themselves adventurers.
Me? I'm prepared. Even wearing that funny-smelling armor found at the Tanner. Not that it has that much use, but looks cool, and does no restrict any of my abilities. That's a plus.

----------------

Found a Find Familiar scroll. Learnt it, casted it. I learn every single spell I find. Because then they are MINE.
Also finished in a single night Bodhi's first two jobs - the third had no deadline, aside a dead line, so why rush. Didn't even seen the country I'm in. I like new things. And as the 3rd job turned out to bring me the same place as one option form the 2nd would've, I'm glad I chose murder.
Did I mention if it depends on me, that Jan Jansen will rot in prison for good? That murder in a way too.

The umber hulks in the serwer lookd though, thus I invested into bracers AC3. Soon a bit regreted, as gaining illithium and melting it with the mace of disruption did cost a hugh chunk of money. Doubly felt cheated as realised Umber Hulks just die from cloudkill, and that's it. Life is hard. #FirstWorldProblems

I give the Thief Guild they had some pretty decent mages. Or just I did not have good enough saves. I needed to use up some random scrolls (Minor Globe of Inv., Minor Spell Turning) to dealwith them. Healing Potions are ever a good thing too, and they had goons with 'em, so Offensive Spin 'em while they were wasting their time on spells of no effect. On the other hand I'll need to come up something against Hold Person - annoying.
Then I realised I forgot the key, so went to check out Gaelen. Well, better late then never,after all he DID invite me, although BEFORE accepting Bodhi's deal. What an unfair world, can't have everything. It wasa detraction anway, I was only thining them out, 'casue I still had useful spells&stuff at me after the fight with Neb which took more than I expected out of me.
Then I had a weaird dream, where first a demon killed me (huh, it was just a dream, it'd be really inconvinient to be undead), then ... I turned to be an even stronger demon and killed others? What? And smeone calls that power? Power is to have stuff, not ensuring none else has them either!

<img src="https://i.imgur.com/czA2WYf.jpg" alt="" />

But this is even more confusing: "Helm is practical" - he said - "Take this Helm of Glory to further yourself" - he said. To a bard. Right. Nextto do their job had to wait, so I decided to investigate a door I found earlier.
The pirate of the Sea Bounty were more than I expected. I meanmore difficult. Had normalpirate treasure,what at this point... Enough ro say, we're no longer in Baldur's Gate. But what's the worst that can happen? I have to sleep once more before going after Haer Dhalis to get payed?
Anyway, the thieves of Lathander turned out a true insult, so things balanced out, and I went into the conduit. Arrive -> SunFire -> no problem with the welcoming commitee.

I didn't know you can save vs Detect Evil...

<img src="https://i.imgur.com/amQ1c0K.jpg" alt="" />

[As all things in the city contained beholders at this point one way or another, went to out]

In the De'Arnise Keep (yes, it took "ages" to get there Nalia, sweat girl with a mom who almost made marriage proposal to me) trolls were a nuisance. [The place is bugged to the core, the monsters showing up randomly, getting into permanent not-making-attack-roll loop and so on.] Golems were mostly ok [except when they delt 50+ dmg andI had to reload). With Boots of Speed I simply ouran the hulks. The guard captain could not harm my Air Elemental (from that staff), so all went excelent. Entering the throne room at clvl 20. With invisibility potion, so can lure out bosstroll w/o problem. Needs a good amount of buffs (Mirror Image is much adivsed), but is managebale.

----------

Prevented a mugging at the city gate. The guards there are entirely usless 'cause corruption. But why, oh why these merchants never have anything useful? Only +1/+2 equipments. And a coupleof spells. Atleast now I can summon Lesser Fire Elementals too, and my words (can) have power too in a way. But please dearreader don't fall asleap!
Either way it never cease to amuse me, I can sell people their own stuff. Especially if they are some elite sect of Helm guarding the Imprisoned One - whatever that would be. And the profit can be spent on such things as that Potion Bag. Solves issues.
Sadly not all issues. Those things inside the Keep looked too strong, I barely could fetch a book under their nose.

[Where'sNeeber?]

Trademeet is tyring. You go Trademeet. You go Druidic Grove. The spirit trolls can easily suprise you at their mound, so cast offensive spin to deal with them. Stumble into trolls fighting shadow druids. Let the two group weaken [also bring acidic arrows 'cause bug can prevent kiling the trolls either by acid or fire, but not both according to my experience]. Stumble into more shadow druids - they take back from their faces after a cloudkill. Sadly their leader don't stay to die. Then a pair of spore colony can easily overwhelm you with myconids if you don't offensive spin them to blast. (Alternatively try chain lightnings or fireballs.) Fight even more shadow druids. The Flesh Golem holds the two warrior up until you deal with the caster (prevent casting by magic missiles). Go Trademeet. Go Druidic Grove. Buy potions (I think this must be, as when I went with the genie's quest they "smelled" djinns on me and attacked, leaving no chance to buy stuff). Go Trademeet. Go Druidic Grove. Cast Stone Skin + MMM + offensive spin to destroy the raksasha. Go Trademeet. I was no match for the ancients in the crypt, but 3 sunfire wasno match for them. Oh, there's the issue of the skindancers too (you can hold the +1 rep for later in case you need to turn to Slayer). Go Athkatla 'cause theatre. Cast Limited Wish. Go Druidic Grove...

In the meantime took a short visit in Umar Hills - did not like the place. Those shadows annoy me (Hold Person).
Aran Linvail <i class="Italic">also</i> had to have shadows. And somehow shadowfiends can negate sunfire in cases (bug)? Arrows still work. And demons too. That stupid thief brought in an actual demon. Took a look, closed the door. Wait until noises stop. Open door for situation.

There is a fun battle: Tarnor the hatchetman&Co. Bring 2 cloudkill or such, improved invisibility, MMM, stoneskin, some summon(s), wand(s) of lightning, and immunity to electricity. Do the preparation, then go in and cast a cloudkill/incindenary cloud. Back off (preferably wear boots of speed), and shoot lightning form wand to who follows. This is because these wands are bugged, and randomly release number of charges. That's a LOT of damage. If/when they get outof the cloud run through it and cast another. MMM any archer standing in the cloud. Use any summon as meatshield when needed.
It's spectacular!
Mencar Pebblecrusher wasn't that much, but there gained back the used wand of lightning and more, so it's fine, though preventing the thief from escape is always a hassle.
Valygar - what minions he had! Stronger then him! Still, divide and conquer worked, only had to support with defensive spin.

NOTE: my "do I even try to hit?" problemseems to be related wearing the Boots of Speed. With the bard's pathetic 1 attack per round it seems to add too small number of attacks resulting in the problem where sometimes you hit 3 times consequitive, other times not for thirty seconds. Suggestion: remove Boots of Speed when fighting in melee.

-----------

Planar Sphere:
With the body of Valygar I tookup from Valygar (at this point I justaccept things as they come) opened the Sphere he mentioned. It was obvious, as he insisted he can access it alive, the Cowled Wizards insisted they can when he's dead. And I don't need a phantasm who is me backstabbing me, so he was better to be dead.
Inside I shifted, but put together a golem (me?), met a part who was supposed to be long dead and insisted to kill the demon. At least "a" demon. Did so. MMM penetrates all. I must conquere elsewhere as I conquere/d the Sphere. A sphere is a world. I was at the center of this. But it is small, even if it has many wonders making it bigger on the inside. It almost mazes me. But I'm faster!

The journey was an experience though, widened my horizons. Went to the shops and brough marvelous items to wear. Vhailor's Helm, Shield of Valduran amongst others. Onto thee beholders! Those who only watch, reach nothing!

[Liches are dumbly implemented. They havea seqeuencs of spell, and they stick to it. This sequence usually includes Maze, an extremly short distance spell. So if you keep running around, you can arrow them down.
Also, it is urban legend that you can't use prot. form undead against Kangaxx. Sure, it won't start conversation - but is ready toreact you trying to talk with it.
Even if it would be true, bard has a familiar, and I bet it'd work with summons. Simply seeing the familiar/hostile being kicks in the conversation pattern. Figured out as I went to Shangalar under the spell, and it refused to come down the table. Afer weakening it with arrows called out my dust mephit, then immediately put it back. Instant win.
I won't go to the Guarded Compound as that offers nothing to my liking, and don't need the exp.]

Did I mention I destroyed a <i class="Italic">literal</i> god? Ye, Amanuator is no more.

[At this point there's no real reason to detail the Shadow Lord's tale. Greater Mummies were hard to hit and could hit me, cleared the place using mace of disrupt + shield. Only snared at the dragon 'cause boredom.]

---------------

An overlooked opportunity:

<img src="https://i.imgur.com/beoylvA.jpg" alt="" />

Greater Werewolves are serious problem. I could not actually find a solution aside HLA-traps. Maybe this is where 2-3 point in two-weapon-style + extra-attack-weapon + offensive spin would be the "normal" way to deal.

The ending of the story of Windspear Hills remembers me of a book I once read and said: "This is not a fairytale. The final battle is between the dragon and the evil witchqueen. The good knight died at the beginning in syphilis."
It was a wonder of wonders, just like that wand... Or the play we're making at the Playhouse. First, I rewrote the script (using the notes Zeran's notes), now I rewrote the music too. Ok, here the intent was to <i class="Italic">replicate</i> the notes, but perfect memory is only what youhave on Mechanus. And they said it got better maybe!Could have hire that famous musician, but he was already famous, right? Need to think on the future generation. And if Marcus' talent shows because I gave him a chance to use his already developed skills - canyou imagine how grateful he might be in the future?
#EvilIsGood

On the second level to note things are easier than they look, as the major threats are bound to their own realms. So arrows are foolproof. Hardest fight was maybe the desert trolls, as they came in group. I hate snakes, especially with ability to stun. Summons can help though.
(The chromatic demon costs 3 traps)

WK lvl 3:

<img src="https://i.imgur.com/dLKRUZn.png" alt="" />

room strategy:
- 3003 and 3011 are the starting area, no action here
- 3008: Do NOT make preparations, all buffs will be removed at arrival as with all Dead Magic Zone. Start hacking the weaker demons, so the big one has time to thin things out. If you are evil - and you should be -, you can't get the Purifier.
- 3004: wear Boots of Speed at arrival. Run back to the portal and hope only 1 dmeon follows. Try Ring of Ram(s) if two comes. Use defensive spin. If you come here early, you might wanna try using Staff of Strikings (only loose charges if hit). You also might consider using anti-acid equipment (Shadow Dragon Scale/Corthala Family Armor) for this fight. When the two closes demon is finished, lay down 1-2 traps, and lure the "slayer" on you. Don't forget to kill EVERYTHING in the room.
- 3012: this is a very good reason to be evil alignment. Make pact with them. They call themselves tanari (and by race they are), but they are actually baatezu (lawful evil) by behaviour. The other group in 3013 will fight you no matter what (as you'd expect from a chaotic evil group), and these are one of the hardest battles in the entire game!
- 3009: pretty impossible room with one "wild" solution. First, wear the Sensate Amulet for prot. from evil. Second, wear the Boots of Speed to give you ANYchance to hit something. Third, and this is important, wait for the "gate" wild surge to occure. The arriving demon will finally make sure work on the quazits (it sees the invisible).
- 3005: lay down traps in twos (maximum 7 traps) around the edge and lead them on 'em one-by-one. The highest priority target is the assassin (permanent invisibility, uses assassination HLA). Not getting hurt by whirlwind is actually easy, just run around a second in Boots of Speed. Leave the mage for final, and if you don't suffer held/stun by spell/wild surge, you'll be good. Special abilities work here uneffected.
- 3007: find them one by one. Use defensive spin.
- 3014: buff heavily. This time I used: blur, improved invisibility, draw upon holy might (specialability), resist fear (flute HLA - the flute is better then it looks, as if you use up any of the charges it does not disappear for running out of the charges of a certain type, unlike fire wands), stone skin, 4*mirror image (alternate casting this and offensive spinas they are running out), offensive spin until wraith is dead.
Also: tried using Daystar's ability, with pathetic result. Had to reload.
- 3010: more intelligent design than you'd expect. First: go to the bottom left portal. Be cautious, and "peak" out from them to see ONE of the two glaberzu here, so it starts casting. Both can try summoning either a fire elemental, or an ice salamander six times (not always succeed?). Lure those one-by-one to you. When the spells deplet draw the bosses one at a time. You'll need offensive spin OR improved haste (ring of gaxx(es)) to be able to hurt them more than they hurt you.
- 3013: with a strong(?) computer this shouldn't pose that hard of a problem. The basic idea would be stone skin + MMM + blur + mirror image, wear Amulet of Power + Robe of Vecna, cast 2-3+ death fog while running around, and everyone dies.
There are a fistful of problems though.
First, the demons respawn until you kill their "slayer" boss.
Second, the game just LOVES to crash. Too many death fog? (sometimes even 2 is too many at me) Crash. Enemy casts too many things the same time (they have lightning bolt, aganzanar's scorcher, and some arrows of erinyes)? Crash. You get HIT too often in a second? Crash.
Third: the boss can, and at times do go invisible.
So yeah.
My current solution was to cast wish for double time stop + improved alactricity option, offensive spin + improved haste, and throw all my MMM on the boss,recast MMM, throw it until time stop goes away. Boss is dead. Run arounda little until game-engine stabilises, finish the rest without problem (bone golems never appeared, only had 2 imps, 1 erinyes archer who obviously do not move around, and some cornugon who are slow thus vulnerable).

----------

lvl 4 is perfectly fine, things to watch out:
- anti-paladins hit hard. So focus on them, and don't let more then 1 at the same time. Use Defensive Spin to survive.
- if bunch of illithid + umber hulk gets to you, do offensive spin (or improved haste)
- against the orcs waste your mirror images
- traps against the dragon
- you only want to open the lower and upper left seals, 'cause they are the one giving you potentially useful items. This means you don't need to waste time with the pillars/orbs/monsters room. Use traps to kill the priority-targets. You likely don't want to finish all the monsters from the Great Seal, just survive long enough for pickups and leave through the gate, never come back.
NOTE: Nalmissra costs 1 trap, Ytossi 2, The Huntress 3. Also, this was when I reached clvl 40.

Ca. this was the time too shown the Sorceror's Bane.
<b class="Bold">QUESTION</b>: out of curiosity said we must cancel the premier. I got entered the theatre,at the entrance, then the game stopped rolling. What should happen?
Either way, sold the theatre. Took my money, and even though it was an experience, I no longer need experience. And I have Windspear Hills to retire into. And if all else fails, I still have the deed for the Playhouse... Still, can't help but feel sad for Jenna:

<img src="https://i.imgur.com/V6rxA12.jpg" alt="" />

-----------------

Act 4

Suggested equipment to bring with you: staff of air, staff of fire, balduran's shield. Also,have 2-3 free space inyour inventory for convenience.

With my contact dead, I looked for a way to get the informations. So asked around the local tainted workers, and found a guy to murder. He asked, but never knew why. That's what you get living in Pirate City.
Actually, I considered just to slaughter my way in,for the rejection of the courtesan, but devided she doesn't worth the effort. Still...

The easier solution seemed to work through the cowled wizard. Those annoyed me already.Turned out it'sa trap, so chose the alternative way. Wish I knew... Still, that book offers me True Seeing once per day, freeing up a spell memorisation.

[wish I started with 1 more wis, and 1 less int. That way I would loose another int, and have no problem wearing Valygar's armor] But this is a dream after all...
[Also: with the Gauntlets of Extraordinary Specialisation the Boots of Speed work correctly, thus no need to be removed during fight. It erven gives you another 0.5 attacks properly, giving the two items 2 attack per round.]

Left Imoen behind. Idon't know anymore whatshe is, if I ever knew her at all. Yes, I DO feel empty, but I'm still me. And I'm sure I should not be Imoen. Not even in my dreams. I must be MORE! For someone who destroyed no less than TWO gods, has to be more!
But what was that transformation took place when facing Bodhi? Was that me? My true self? THAT WEAKLING?
Or was the whole thing just a dream? A dream of a god... A dream of mine? In the world of the shaugains the strong rules. So mus so, only the strongest live, as right off their city-border it's everyone for their own. Well, I can do that. Play the two factions against each other, support the madder one, inducing their self-destruct, saving my land. [Besides, that Wave Halberd will come in handy.]

<b class="Bold">QUESTION</b>: why can the bard learn spells abouve lvl 6?

Act 5

The darkness of the Underworld was not enough to stop me. Maybe the fact how easily the Silver Dragon betrayed those dwarves inspired me through. Now it is dead, as well as some drow conspiratory. And the dwarves. And the kuo toa. And the illithid. And... This darkness is really a void.

[NOTE: the imprisoned mage is hard to kill. At a point it can simply decide he had enough and disappears. Prevent this by setting up traps tofinish the fight before it even starts.]

While I found the drow sity pretty multicultural, there's the question: what they have against healers? Ok, they don't like clerics. Who do. But why they do not have medics around?
Similar flaw was at the pirates: they had no merchants. I see the reason why (lacking private property toa degree), but c'mon!
They still had more in them then the stupid elves. I was NOT who merdered their trust!

[In Suldanesselar keeping alive the elf priest is a challenge. Cast improved haste, wait until you can cast another thing before enter, enter, get to the right raksasha - mage-, whack it to pieces before it cast any/more then one cloud kill. Reload if fail.]

Strange. In Suldanesselarr I got death AND victory. Just like that elf. What is if not proof this is just a dream? And I don't like dying. And I don't like getting pushed around. Why everyone assumed I was after either Imoen, or after Irenicus, or, if they dared to think, for by being a Child of Bhaal? Why can't it be about - me?
And now I'm in the Abyss. Amongst stupid little demons. Could be worse though. Could be better too. Could have looted Irenicus' body - if all this been real. Is it? Or this is all just my dying mind, all this illusion of grandeur?



[What IS interesting for the bard with the rewards of tears are to decide:
- Fear: good option sounds trivial. Aslyerferund Elven Chain is an option to consider thogh, but I'd go for better AC. Otherwise the weapon immunities practicaly have the same effect.
- Greed: factors to consider: Blackrazor is a nice thing if it works in your version, two weapon style. It likely does not effect those that'd really matter though (immunity to lvl-drain? magic resist?). Otherwise the good option is way more profitable.
- Pride: meh, anyone ever took the evil path? Sounds like playing a Fallen paladin/ranger...
- Wrath: in the original game the evil bonus is +2 STR and +1 DEX. Yes, it isn't CHA (prime stat of the class), neither STR (like at Deck of Many Things). The alternative could help you wear Valygar's and Keldorn's armor, but at this point you'll simply have better option than worry about them. Darn, I forgot to go and kill Anomen. I always do that!
- Selfishness: this is the hardest part. The bard's AC is total rubbish, so much so the bonus DO come in handy. The loss of DEX would hurt aplenty for the same reason, and even if negated by some exploit, there is the fact that bard can easily have a lot of magic resist where needed: can have 2 rings of Gaxx, can wear Carsomyr, and there is the Amulet of Seldarine, as well as a couple of other equipment (humanskin armor, Enkidu's plate etc.), so will go around with like 30% MR all the time, thus that extra 10% isn't THAT important, even if you dualwield, which I did not up to this point.

Come to that, here are some proficiency-tips for bard/kits:
- twohanded weapon style: the bard's thac0 is crap, and has low number of attacks, so better if every hit counts. Also helps with the bows (I think).
- quarterstaff: clay golems makes it a must, and there are plenty of good ones. There are ones with instantkill chances to golems and elementals too,and yes, if you are lucky, they work even on elemental princes.
- halberds: believe me, this class is a must have with the Wave Halberd. Efreets are already annoying with the constant respawn, but some salamanders later are really deadly otherwise. There are other good ones in the class too, like Dragon's Breath.
- longbow: these have more dmg/shot than the shortbows. But then it's mostly preference.
- short sword: throughout the whole series it is a solid option.
- twoweapon style: you'll likely put your points into this, on "why not" basis.
other choices are:
- dagger: starting in BG1 is hard, and that parthas very good knives in it.
- hammer: two option here: Crom Faeyr (25 STR, kills golems and trolls), Runehammer (immunity to leveldrain and fear)
- mace: not muchhere, primaly if you'll rely on Mace of Disruption for a period
- axe: axe of the unyielding is a solid choice (bonus AC, vorpal effect), also can free you from bows and their arrow-problem by throwing axes which include a nice one with fire damage (kills trolls)
- scimitars: I'm not familiar with these. I see an extra AC-one (Yamato), and the Scarlet Ninja To. Spectral Brand is a solid (although not great) choice too. I think I'll try this this time.]

----------------------

<img src="https://i.imgur.com/MCLSuXy.jpg" alt="" />

Now I understand this dream of mine. Irenicus is ME. I am the Exile. Or could be. That is what I fight, that is what I refuse.
But what is what I refuse? I become a god - or to not? Which is the monster choice?

[The fight with Irenicus I consider Strange Behaviour from the game. I put 3 traps on the other end of the room in front of the big door, 2 traps to kill one of the 4-armed demon which can stun, and 1 trap to put a red demon near-death. Wear the lowest AC armor. The battle starts, first killing the weakened red, then the other two, than the ... slayer remaining at the big door. This result in the victory-screen for some reason.
Laying down a 7th trap result in Irenicus still living after the four demons die, and the slayer,supposed project image does NOTdisappear when hit with Carsomyr. Also, seems Irenicus never actually go down from Near Death. So in theory you hold your 7th trap, put Irenicus Near Death using offensive spin - andpossible Improved Haste form Ring of Kangaxx -, then finish him with the 7th trap.
Also, I don't like this fight 'cause Irenicus can Maze you.
Other preparations: stone skin + mirror image, possibly Fire Shield Blue. Other than finishing Irenicus this fight is ok.]

...

[At the bhaalspawn-hunter you have time to put down 3-4 traps, so that's easy. The First Challenge is also very much doable, just watc out for the final wave's casters.]

I woke up ... Wherever. Sameplace ornot, there was a Solar. Said I have no choice. I want to strangle her.

--------------

[Thought having gold-problem. Cespenar works expensive,andI lost like 30K when playing with the Deck of Many Things. Not that it's anything that important, mostly Aslyferund. Well, I HAD problem until I sold all the soldier-weapons of the arrival.
Lastly, the tavern wrench left the inn and refused to talk to me - whatever, I think. Update: she went back after I visited the local mageand worked properly.
Hint: don't forget to aquire Scroll of Improved Haste to create Improved Cloak of Protection incase you need this.
The execution-quest canbe started and abandoned when stealing the shakti-figurine (not that it is any good) and the starfall ore.

Many enemies are weak, and if you got the ability, or whatever-armor you assemble, you canspare time if you do two weapon fighting.

As in the sewers you need to unlock a door requiring giant strength - you don't waste a spell justfor this,do you? - is a reason to carry over Crom Faeyr. I brought through 2 spellcontainer, 1 arrow bag, gem bag, bag of holding.

Gromnir is... Not much. The mage in the sewer has a darn Maze, so wear there resist magic. In the throne room suit for damage, get a stone skin, fire shield blue, and offensive spin. Aim for the mages and when theyare down you can cast mirror image along stone skin. Have your weapon do elementaldamage to bypass stone skin of tha mages.]

------------

Yaga Sura:

Master Wraith: try pulling out from the inside what you can. It is a good combination of casters and fighters. I used offensive spin in magic resistant gear, but that's just me.

Marching Mountains: easier than it looks. With a good AC armor you're mostly safe from normal giants (NOT if there are more than 2), so primaly concentrate on elite giants. Also wear Ring of Fire Control while here, and quaff a Potion of Fire Resistance.
You want to kill Imix, so I hope you brought the Wave halberd.

Siege Camp: Place 3-4 traps before the bridge, run in, hit Yaga, run ca. the middle of the bridge, whack yourself out of the spawning group, let's hope the casters with insect plague and such don't hit (that's mostly equals death. Might help to swap in Carsomyr), lure Yaga on the traps.

Challenge 2: make a symulacrum lay down the seven possible traps within. Can be done in 2 groups by distance - that equals 2 dead enemy instant. You can reach -23 AC here (I took the evil reward for Greed by the way), do so. You'll mostly be unhittable (only Tomoko has the thac0 for it, but she should die by the traps at spawning).

-------------

Abazigail:

- Mr. Son-at-the-arrival 's human form is a joke, his weapon is ineffective. So remove the stalkers, then hit 'im. I mean after you set a bunch of traps at the start. It is important to not destroy the human form by traps, else the game will linger forever.
The dragon form will wing you to your traps. Lure it on 'em and ta-duh.
- when enter the werewyvern is regenerating too fast, no matter whatyoudo. I hope you brought something with vorpal effect (ravager halberd/axe of the unyielding).
- swimming through the first tunnel brings you to some uber-salamander. You're in deep trouble if youdon't have the Wave halberd.
- avoid the eyes by drinking invisibility potion (or use ring of invisibiity, or similar)
- go and get the BMU when you can
- no reason not to let guard dragon live
- you must hit Abazigail's human form w/o traps (pretty straighforward, especially if you have the Scarlet Ninja To, just cast stoneskin, mirror image when needed along offensive spin, also use blur and fire shield blue as buff. Potion of heroism is also good). Then you'll need as many traps you can lay to get rid of the dragon form. Use scorcher ammo to get rid of the salamanders before the fight. Actually the dragon-form has 2 way to kill you: one is cast fear (you might try resis fear from bard flute, if it lasts through the human form), the second its breath which can oneshot even a total-HP bard (I have 167 HP).

Challenge 3:
swap into the BMU, wear negative plane protection from whatever source, and whack the slayer away as fastas possible (offensive spin + improved haste).
Come to think of it: so here I destroyed the Slayer inside me... Maybe this is related to giving a piece of bhaalpower to Sharevok? What "insignificant" part did I gave to him? Maybe - maybe the part that led to Bhaal's demise? That ultimate part of the power - which murders the last opposition: Me?

--------------

Sendai:

- just attack the huntsman, don't bother with the area.

This picture tells oh-so-more if you've seen some Bud Spencer movie:
<img src="https://i.imgur.com/uOxdQkJ.jpg" alt="" />

- I confess maybe never did the spider passage. Neither now. If I have immunity to weapons, I'll use it.
- Ogremich can't hit -25 AC. Just a hint.
- Sendai takes FOREVER to kill. First: wear the BMU when enter, 'cause you NEED the AC, else Sendai will constantly harass you with Harm (target's HP instantly drops to 1). I hope you have immunity from Tears of Bhaal too... 'cause she has infinite summons at her final stage. Concentrate on HER, but stay at the door, and kill any drow coming from there when you don't see Sendai - this way you can save after every stage.
I'm not sure what's the winning condition at her final stage. She sure teleports and selfheal a lot. Whenever you can, hit her with two weapons (the extra attack the Scarlet Ninja To gives IS really useful). Whenever you can't reach her but can go to her platform, switch to a twohanded weapon. If youcan't get to her (because of summons) you might try to use the BMR with scorcher ammo, or depending her running spells arrows.
It takes forever, but you can win.
Oh, in case you'd try traps, don't try to lay them on the platform south of the entrance - the last statue-form comes alive next to that (at least did to me), and use up the traps.

Challenge 4:
Wear Enkidu's Plate. Or if youdon't have that one, the upped Thieves Hood. Else you'll have a hard time...

-------------

Balthazar:

B. has a crapload of HP, and is annoying, so:
- SAVE BEFORE entering the building! This is crucial, asa bug can prevent B. to spawn, or something.
- at the entrance lay down SIX traps.
- when the confrontation starts, run back to the traps. IF other monk follows, dispose that before getting to the traps.
- profit.

<img src="https://i.imgur.com/Xe0wfU9.jpg" alt="" />

Challenge 5: killing Bhaal. That's what, the 3rd god I destroy? At the least.

Winning here is not easy, far from it. But I have a sure way to victory:
- memorise Wizard's Eye
- cast Stone Skin
- cast Melf's Minute's Meteor
- sleep
- cast simulacrum (preferably from Vhailor's Helm)
- case Wizard's Eye
- with the help of the Eye make the Simulacrum lay down traps where the Ravager will appear
- finish the deal. The last of the Child of Bhaal dies.

<img src="https://i.imgur.com/RtaBwaK.jpg" alt="" />

-----------------

Stats (w/o equipment):
<div class="Spoiler"><img src="https://i.imgur.com/Q6Hwpgm.jpg" alt="" /></div>

Equipment notes:
- boots: Boots of Speed
- gloves: Gloves of Extraordinary Specialisation
- helm: Helm of Balduran. Occasional use of Vhailor/Death helms for charges.
- rings: 2*Ring of Gaxx, one replaced by Ring of Fire Control in Yaga Sura's Lair
- cloak: Montolio's Cloak
- belt: either a STR belt, or the Belt of Inertial Barrier. Mostly depends on your initial STR-stat
- amulet: Amulet of the Master Harper, with occasional swap of Amulet of Seldarine for magic resist, or Amulet of Power for negative plain protection
- armor: Asyflerun is good when you plan on casting. BMU if not. Enkidu's plate where is chance of backstab, or you can't fit with the size of the BMU
- weapon: this time I used Storm Star + Scarlet Ninja To for the majority of time, Carsomyr as swap, Wave Halberd for instant kills, Ravager for vorpal effect against werewyvern, BMR. As main weapon you actually have a lotof flexibility, but you NEED the Wave and you NEED the vorpal effect to deal with the wyvern.
- shield: Shield of Balduran against that Hive Mother (save, because of imprisonment)
- arrows: scorcher ammunition
- quick items: Book of Many Spells, various healing potions, potion of fire resistance, potion of invisibility, potion of heroism
- spells: stone skin, mirror image, spike trap, resist fear, seath spell, Wizard's Eye, MMM

[twillight]

Catacombs lvl 4 was actually normal finaly. Some tips though:
- you can't pass through certain stuff. I mean containers. The monsters can though, so don't try to build a barricade.
- a lot of the game is randomized, even ALL the attributes on unique items (aside what comes from being that item type, like AC). For this you might want to save&reload at certain points. Until this the four tombs on catacombs lvl 3 provided a chance to this as they drop good quality but random item type. Also, on lvl 4 there is a "Shoes of the Scorpion" - most people go for 5 charm slots here and more, I got on 2nd try a +1 sight +1 traders tongue, poison resist (the level has some poison damage).
- look at EVERYTHING. Just because it is broken to dust, doesn't mean itdoes not contain items! (most fresh food, but whatever)

Catacombs lvl 5:
- kill all undead outside the inner complex, else you loose that exp
- here are some locked chests, and seems lockpick WILL fall. That signs you should probably put 1 into lockpick here
- the map is kinda ok, except the floor tiles. Inside them you can find free good l00t, except there are miniboss guardians, and no room to manouver, fo they are a big middlefinger. Still worth hope the boss won't be in the vicinity immediately, so save&reload here for something good. I got amace with 4 charm slot, and 3 in stun, also faster than the usual maces. The stun is actually annoying as dead enemies tend to linger, making you not switch enemy right there :( Well, at least I know how that skill works, and won't invest into it myself.
EDIT: the rooms are: top left: has an archer/caster miniboss aka. bad news but also has a green hammer aka. good quality to grab. Enemies do not follow you to other eras, so you might go for it. The bottom left has a spider of ginormous level and ranged attack but no good stuff. The cellars on the right have a guardian skeleton and a summoner which can summon other summoners too at random, but managable if you save regularly. They drop item too just in case.
EDIT2: the archer/caster can be disposed too, at the price of ca. 30 potions, which sounds a waste as the miniboss don't drop anything of quality. The spider deals oneshot damage for me at this state, so can't even try.
- sleep, pack 2 bread (that amount of food is allowed between resting or something), visit the shopkeer who had the shady visitor + produces drugs, and then hire the zombie npc on catacombs lvl 1 before entering the lvl 5 compex. Also bring all healing/mana potions you have as you won't be able to come up w/o loss of exp. When you leave the complex all remaining enemy inside will die, also the mentioned shopkeeper, and also the zombie hireling (it is an ok company, but has no chance against the archer/caster minibioss or the spider, and also gets instant death if he leaves the underground, not to mention any kill it does is lost exp to you, but there'll be MANY enemy for the final fight, so why not bring him).
EDIT: actualy, the zombie-guy is either useless, or mandatory at the final confrontation, which you'll NOT be able to empty, as it is like Uber Tristram. It isa limited area with all four miniboss in it, and zounds of minions of them. During the speech of cutsceen the zombie-guy got eaten - so either it was useless to bring it, or it got eaten instead of me (not tested)!
- The village has some chests locked, one that requires lvl 2 lockpick (or more. Turned out there isa randomfactor here too?). There are 2 locked chests too in this level. But do NOT have ANY points in lockpick, else you'll loose a free point!

Good to know: chests can not be broken. This means if they are locked, you must lockpick them to open. This is not true for potsand such though, so switch to weapon mode there and crush'em. Before you know the repair skill/have not-broken weapon, this should be done with a spare-weapon ("minion knife") preventing your stronger weapon from breaking.
Weapons loose durability by using them, not when you get hit. So bows must be repaired too, fairly regularly too.

In theory warriors invest in strength and use melee weapons, mages in intelligence and cast spells, while survivors rise their agility thus have a very good chance to hit, which means by intention they are bow-users. this doesn't function all-too-well in the game itself though.

Next thing is, to put the teleport stone to the head-mage as he heals free from now on, and thatdoes not take time. Why is that important? Because there comes a timed quest, that's why! (Timed quests are very rare, this being the only one aside another which must be done in1 day. This has a 10 ingame day limit.)
Leave the village and follow the road. Slowly. Have sound on and if you hear or see anything, wait/search&destroy.
Beware, as at a point, not even too far from the village is a MASS of orcs. Also, 1-2 orc is manageable, 3 already likely results in drinking potions. The warrior's special attack comes in VERY handy during this. After EVERY fight port back to the town and get healed! Mana is not recharged though, so watch out for that.

On the road to the barracks you'll find a mark-line on the road. Save here, then get closer to initiate a cutsceen. The result is, a high level enemy drops the bucket, and with a chance drops a random item. Or ca. 240 gold, or nothing. I said I do deserve an item here, especially as I had slots yet not filled with anything. The first semi-useful stuff was a +40 HP ring, settled for that. Hoped for a sword, but I won't reload just for that who-know-how-many-times.

Passing you'll reach a bridge. You should attack the trolls there (ye, those thingies attacking the soldiers are supposedly trolls) soyou get the exp for them. They are pushover anyway.

What are NOT pushover are the orcs in mobs (approach slowly), the orc drummers (area heal which applies to them too, has no attack if there is no other unit on screen - otherwise they can onehit you!), and Heavy Orcs which are orc minibosses (I seen only 1 but assume there can be more). Oh, the orcs hunt for boars, which hunt for you, so attack the pigs first for the exp, then port for healing as needed.

Anyway, right after the bridge. Go a bit north to bump into a traveling salesman. He isn't really special, but sells 100 AC armors if you need it, and maybe other things to fill upyour slots, so maybe save before and pack up some of your stuff stored in the village. I actually brought there containers from the catacombs to separate the various stuff. If you follow the vendor's instructions you should stumble into a farm. They'll entrust you to kill some trolls (always get the quest for clearing certain area before you comit the massacre else you may fail the quest-exp), also sending you to the barracks you're heading.
They also mention related to the troll-quest some Reginald (who they say in the end givesno reward at all) who is standing with Tom who'llsend you to find some thief, Dorian. He's actualy a good guy and siding him worth 3 reputation point which means cheaper shops when it'll come to that.

When you reach into a village-or-what you'll be approached by a drunk. BEFORE this cutsceen you should dropp all your gold except 10. The guy is a thief. When done go a bit further for the warning of a thief. Great. Now when you'll have levels, abilities, stats and decent equipment come back and be all bloody with the thief. He's high level and worth exp, and any other approach to this otherwise inconsequential ~quest result you keeping all your gold and that's it.

Oh, in the meantime when you teleport back to healing (btw, it is not a fullheal, just a healing spell, so repeat the ask of healing as many times you need that to fill maximum), go to the lizard-guy and ask for his teleportation-waypoint-activating-scroll.

Oh, and don't forget to enter the DrawvenInn - one character gives you 3 free reputation (refuse the gem), and the dwarven activation scroll. Even if you don't need the scroll, the reputation is precious (gives better prices at shops if you have a lot). I went there pretty late in the game, and never evenseen the dwarf!

When you reach the barracks the guy who the loveletter was sent sends you on a quest behind the Cursed Abbey. I cponfused some information, so this was the way I wanted to go, and I still had time. Time is of the essence now, don't forget that. Be cautious while hurrying as going along the Abbey's walls (do NOT enter, yet) the monesters are planted in the ground, and they WILL grow out of it. And yes, at places they could come in groups (do not try that, if you can't avoid use bow).
If you want the full experience do NOT enter the cursed church either (yet), but it worth to visit the farm nearby as it gives a green item with guaranteed charm slots. I got a bloody good one for the first try (5 charms, 20 HP, 10% poison resist).

I went to Verdistis, to the Thief Guild. Here you NEED 1 pickpocket and 1 lockpick to pass the initiation, and for that you get a free point in either evade traps, pickpocket or lockpick. Traps are really not frequent, and you only need 2 pickpocket which means barely any clvl requirement. The most influential skill is lockpick, and AFTER the initiation here you can get another point in it (for the price of 5,000 gold. If you don't want it, you can instead gain 5,000 gold and ca. 25,000 exp, IF your lockpick skill is already 5).
As I realised here I was only lvl 10, I went back to the barracks, to the general, whose behaviour started my whole sidetrack. You know if you enter her eoom w/o completing a work for her, she acts upset. This does not have consequences though.
Watch out, that before talking her first, and asking permission to grab stuff in the barracks, you should not pick up anything, or else.
When talking to her an orc attack will happen, but the attackers are highly overwhelmed. You might mother trying to steal kill-exps, or you can stay and put everything in your pockets. What you can do anyway as long as you have permission for equipment (but you'll get scolded every time you enter her room). The locked chest in her room is lvl 3, or was when I first tried,and I wanted to open it right away, but - oh whatever.

[twillight]

So, with all the shennaningans aside, let's mention there are random people giving cutscenes at times which are nowhere mentioned, neither will be here. This is because they have no effect on anything. One of these is the demon-thingy which appears if you wish to enter or leave Verdistis. Just go with the flow,and give the answers thatmake sense toyou personaly.

Oh, if you are interested: to get enough slvl in lockpick I went Random Monster Hunting. This goes pretty well around the cursed abbey, the planted undead worth ok exp. The wasps, wolves and snakes not so much, but still. Also, watch out what crawls from the gorund, there are proper "zombies", which are the local miniboss-version,aka. they can oneshot you and have zillion HP. So use a bow. Save right before they die, and reload until you find something useful. Know this though, they mostly drop only armor pieces, no jewelry, and they never drop maces or swords (only daggers, staves and axes).
Oh, and the stun skill (slvl 3) does squat in the area on anything, so this marks any skill related to Spirit Resistance aweful.
PS: I got lucky and got an item with +1 lockpick at lvl 12. Still had like 5-6 days left until the quest deadline (contacting the general).

Good news is, in the barracks were a crapload of not-too-stat heavy swords. Twohanded, but armor isn't as important as damage. Could dispose the drunk-thief,and also some ninja. From that later quest learnt all NPC are State Police, and if you grab an item even if they have no business with it they get pissed. So I reloaded and won't try again. Of course stashed the stuff as soon he went away the quest being done.

Here comes an important and pretty convoluted quest: the plague. To start it rolling, speak with Hugh. From him you must go the the Convenient Cave. Then report back to Hugh, and the first part is done. I say let's go and join the thieves guild for 20 extra agility of Infinite Lockpick!
And while there we start the chief police's quest, which will turn out to be the same quest as the starting village's merchant's murderer. The best thing is, these will give a point in the healing skill (not used much nowdays).

In addition: in one of the houses there is a weightless bed. Ye, instant magical sleeping place. But in a world where mages are a different race entirely despite looking human... Ye, that character option is actualy not just class-option but race!

Another feature: time to time sell out your eqipment. Every ingame day the shopkeepers refresh. Why you need to give away your accumlating crap part of equipment? Because you need cash! This world is similar to the Fallout universe: everyone only have minute amount of cash, but you desperatly need hugh heaps of the currency, because of coding-limitation. Couldn't those people just accept laser machineguns for those operations like a regular vendor, please?

Did I say we go vampire-hunting? Well, we don't, that bugger is strong, and can run. Let's see where we can level up. The important thing is, to not be trusted to gather some Coumcil.
Oh, and I was strong enough to dispose the archer/caster miniboss in catacombs lvl 5.

Went to kill the roll king and mostly clearthe area around the starter village. Heavy Orcs shall be shot, drummers avoided, but the troll king is pretty mediocre. The trick is, to concentrate first on the spawned minions (they are not summons, so don't get replaced), then port away, get healed/sleep, go back.

In the Blue Boar Inn got a free point in Traders' Tongue. Good to have, not good enough to invest. What I want is damage and defense, not utility skills.

Had some goals, but one way or another they got barred. The good news is, got to the Shrine of Good and Evil, which is told to work at randomly lowering or upping one of your stats. I reloaded for +5 STR, so now I can wear all the nifty equipment I know about. Actualy could maybe use a ton of constitution - or just a crpload of levels to not die from randomly placed minibosses who can run. Seriously, who designed this? Not that I'm complaining oh-so-much, this is a pretty good Diablo 1.5. A bit dated, but as the game is hugh, and I was always into decifering such games, I'm fine with it.

So, how about joining another guild? Merchants are best! So after seeing Elrath (Siege of Avalon reference?) leaving the poor qurater, I decided why not (because a part of a story is there, although inconsequential otherwise).
After getting the quest to kill maria covered for some cattle-thief, then spoke with maria and decided to switch side here too.
Tried to enter the quaranteen area, but Lain - despite a walkthroughsays so - did not give the key of it. So I had to lockpick. In theory most of the Poor Quater shuld be visited BEFORE joining the thief guild storywise (at least Lain), but I'm sure I'm not reloading just for this minute thing!
As it was nighttime when I came out, and because looking for the entrance spoke with Malachias, went looking for the "disappearing emerald". It is WEST from the old beggar, and nothing indicates it but its radioactive glow. If/Whenyou follow it will be zapped by a mage once, then have to fight 4 goons.

Went to the archer guild for a teleport scroll, and freed the hostages nearby. Clearing the house is an entirely different thing though, as the local miniboss is strong and can run.
My next move will be to try to free some kiddo from a vampire where 2 quests send me (no idea why twoquestor for 1 quest). There it'll be losing stats (1 each), but I gained one more level, so cancompensate.

Things to spend gold on it:
- 2,002 gold for the Silver Set quest
- 2,500 gold needed for Feing Death potion
- 3,000 gold needed for 1 point in Traders' Tongue
- 3,000 gold is Leptine's debt
- 5,000 gold needed for 1 point in Lockpick
- 10,000 gold needed for maximum benefit at Wishing Well
- 30,000 gold to buy a house

shapeshifting statues: no idea what they do, but there is a vendor in Vesteros, I mean Verdistis who sells cat-statues. In the firstarea found a spider statue as a random drop from an orc.

Found 2 graverobber (why you don't loose karma for this kind of activity like in Fallout?) who worked for the necromancer met in catacombs lvl 5. They fled when told their employer is dead, and I grabbed the loot.
Entered the Fort nearby, three Evil shown up, all Fort turned hostile, all Fort turned dead 'cause I killed all. Drank a minor healing potion 'cause I drived myself into situation carelessly. oOtherwise normal healing did the job good enough. I need to upp the healing spell, and I need a crapload more HP by the way.
Oh, reached the vampire, and saved the boy. Here to note,despite popular belief, you don't loose 1 point in STR/AGI/INT, but FIVE point in INT along the 1 point losses of the others. Constitution is not harmed. Of course the vampire is onehitting me (that means 200+ HP dmg from it). So will come back later. These bosses are stupid!
Oh well, let's gain that merchant-membership. And if I was already there, went to the thief guild and got that 5th point in lockpick.
NOTE: I'm either waaaay under/overleveled, or the exp-rewards in the walkthroughs are waaay inadequate.

[twillight]

Melissan:
Jumped into the BMU, casted sequencer, spell trigger, chain contignency. Because every little bit helps. Everything can be sold with traps, a scroll of simulacrum, a scroll of wish, and plenty of reloads, EXCEPT the first fight ya know.
Bard has trouble hitting anything, and has trouble having proper defenses, and lacks a good amount of firepower. Mirror image will be stripped like right there, but casted it anyway. Stone skin lasts, especialy if Melissan summons badly (beholders have their own difficulty which result in either potiondrinking or death, and one time she had an army of bone golems which could not move getting stucked in her and each other).
Still have the problem of Melissan's own stone skins, and AC, and constant summoning, and high HP.

I used upped Spectral Brand + Scarlet Ninja To for maximum attack = damage.

Before stepping through, drank a potion of invulnerability (her stun can still pass through), potion of 24 giant STR, potion of speed, potion of regeneration (because every bit helps, and it has some turns duration). No idea what got stripped when the battle started.

After one or two useless attempt called out a simulacrum (from Vhailor's helm) to cast Khelben's Wharding Whip. At arrival, meaning I casted it when spawning but Melissan not started to talk (there is a fragment of a second to pause for action). As much as I could added improved haste (kangaxx charges). Never got around checking what overrides what, or they work in comco despite descriptions.
And she went down finaly.

Seal 1 is easy, especialy could use the simulacrum to dispose the prince. After that sent the sim to lay traps while finishing the rest.

Seal 2's only problem is you can't go in in BMU, but any summon (khittix is the smallest of pawns) lures them out.

Seal 3's only solution as far as I can see is to lay down 2*2 traps afar, lure the mariliths on them to die, hope the nymph don't charm you or whatever conditions they can throw at you, then finish the solar. Who is actualy not that much of a problem at all. Especialy if you activate Spectral Brand's +10 thac0 ability while offensive spin is running (the solar is absolutely no threat with -25 AC the BMU provides, but takes forever to hit it too).
Funny thing though, turned out there was (is) a 2nd nypmh-or-what there, but I clicked on the pool before it could react,and the game said it's fine for it, don't worry. So I did not.

--------

And my character's final choice?

Melissan: "No! The bhaalspawn has NOT won! I would die first!"
Solar: "But you can not die. You are defeated, yet you can not die. You will do nothing, and that is your fate, Amelyssan."

Well, it's not much of a choice, is it? Eternal suffering and predestination, or freedom and a mortal life.

---------

Seems though there IS a ~neutral ending. What would fittingly deny from me another intercourse. Just why can't I get laid in this game?

<img src="https://i.imgur.com/55gBGhk.jpg" alt="" />


---------------
---------------

PS: I'm sad that Wizardslayer don't work as its description implies,namely it can use despite telling otherwise:
- helms
- boots
- belts
- gloves
- shields
- protection scrolls

I considered a wizardslayer/druid a remaining challenge,maybe, but without the proper limitations I see no point trying. But if someone would take it as a voluntary challenge, I'd gladly read about it.

[twillight]

A quick note: where you find the spot you were found at the neginning, the text claims how familiar it is. But there is no sword to pick up despite every suggestion.

A second quicky: if you bash a trapped container (barel) the trap goes away.

Found a piece of the Treasure Map (1/4). It was guarded by a LOT of spiders, so warrior special skill is awesome. The cave might have some highlevel head-spider, but that's just a regular spider not a miniboss, so don't worry.
Nearby gamebanshee's map/guide shows a troll king - it does not drop fenomenal, so don't reload (unless you need gold and can sell it).

Also, near the starting village is an orc ambush marked by a road made of pieces of gold. Seems the orc drummer is somewhat weaker there, could kill it after destroying its troops (everything else was oneshot). The way to kill it was to let it attack me (attack from the fron) so it won't drumheal.

So, back on track. Enter Riverdale, I mean Rivertown, and pick up the Black Market quest(s) from Liutenant Robin and Marcus (beware, finishing these quests mean the trap-seller merchant of the game will be gone for good). And get proof on Elrath, as well the healing potions. IMPORTANT to not give the evidence to the questor, else we fail solving the quest of the murder from the beginning of the game!
Oh, and in theory BEFORE you visit Elrath, change words with Commander Ralph who'll mention 3 things (but only 1 is marked as quest): the orc invasion, the plague, and the duke's death (which is suspiciously similar to the GoT event). Do NOT report to ANY success to him though before killing that darn murderous vampire in Versistis!

Now, working forMarcus the way you go to his cart you reach the Drawen Inn. Directly south of it you'll stumble into a one-time seer-merchant who can sell animal-transformation statues: spider, cat and frog I've seen. As this was the first time I saw a frog, I got it (each cost almost 4K gold, so save to ensure you get the statue youwant and pack up from your storage). If youreach that cart befoire gaining the quest from Marcus you loose exp.
Note: Earlier had a problem with some though near Stormfist Castle. With 240 HP instead of 60 they were pushover.
Now in Elarath's house there is a lever-clicking puzzle (annoying), and a "djinn". Seriously. But it's not THAT much of a threat with good equipment, but heal yourself when you get hit, 'cause it can do miniboss-quality hit (120-150 dmg I suspect).
Get the two Cure Plague potions and the letter to Elrath. There is not much in the house otherwise. When you try to leave you'll be kicked out and the house will be permanently locked. Big deal, it should be empty be now. The problem is, right you get out of the borders of the village/town you'll be attacked by 3 enemy - not, it is not at a fixed location, so you can't teleport for healing. Iate the roasted pork to heal back (it heals a ton). Although they should be pushover (at this point).

Minor event: in the Farm section on the northeastern field found an open grave with a corpse at it. When I went looting the obviously-unfinished dig, some snakes attacked me, and there was a key in thepit. No idea what it is good for, I always just pick up every key and if it'll be used up it'll be used up. If not, then not. Actualy, there isa locked chest right there with 100 gold (so no reload).
This was when I went reporting success to Hugh (actualy, you can babystep-report to him everything, like door open - report, talk with bartender - report etc., but I assume there's no reward atevery step, and actualy the final reward is 1,000 BUGGED gold,aka. not good for anything), and curing the plague victims. To heal all 3 victims, you need 2 points in Pickpocket (including items). Strange thing is, despite my weapon has points in extra damage skills AND they DO work, that's not showing up on my skill tab. Maybe thatmeans I can deal pretty extra damage if I invest in those, maybe hard point would override the item, or the higher point override the lesser one. Who knows.

As I currently have a crapload (9) skillpoint, put some in identify monster (later reload to not waste it) and checked that bloody vampire-murderer (and the other which stole stat). Those dang things are lvl 30, have 4,000 HP, and deal200-500 dmg! WTF! And they run, and there isn't any space to manouver anyway.
Btw, to avoid such problems, likely 2 points in Identify Monster would be convenient (shows damage of monster).
Ah, and finaly managed to kill the spider in Catacombs 5, if anyone remembers. Still was a close call, but duh.

Managed to kill 2 orc drummers. they were just past the bridge from the first area. Actualy befoire this was a third, but that barely had any HP. It wasnearthe dwarven village or something. So, one went up and started to fight a guard of the bridge, meaning it did not drum and the guard had infinite HP (also seemingly no dmg now), so I joined inand killed the bugger. The other (nearby) drummer I got behind and either got extremly lucky, or it was at least a bit lower level, so whacking it from behind worked.
Still can't defeat the drummer in the orc camp of the first area where you can go below to the catacombs. Feels stupid. Tried to move it to the bridge, but it always go north.
But another good news: managed to kill the hostages-situation band. There IS an advantage going from the north "suprising" them, as 2 henchmen from the outside do not come in, and the ones inside don't have much space, AND you start right with the head honcho what is a definite advantage.

-----------

Seems at this point there are 2 major point to screw up quests:
- the Corina's summoning is a particularly long chain of events
- the Solve the Murder quest/s which would be failed if got the Gather the Council of Seven.
So all else is free for the taking, of course some minor "get quest before doing quest" thingy.

There is an "ancient battlefield". You touch the stone, skeletons appear in great number. Hope you'rea warrior, 'cause the special skill will make your life infinitely easier. It's just normal catacomb-skeletons and a couple of summners, no real fuss if you have AOE-attack. The stone only activates once.

As the mercs in the cave (they appear inside and block your way out) were a bit though for now - could kill them by using potions though -, instead went todeliver that ancient letter to Mitox. He gave me some explosives, and THAT is told to carry where it supposed to ASAP, 'cause the quest can fail otherwise according to some sources. Better safe then sorry, I went.
Oh, Mitox said something about some "supply tent", but it is either the Fort I already cleared, or not in the game.
Btw, seems this is a good point to start clearing the maps from the orcs. They won't grow stronger, and the only"problematic" (aka. can't melee them) are the giant heavy orcs (giantsize blue beasts). As the game gives less and less exp for monsters every levelyou have, and more and more exp for quests at the same condition, however boring, this is advocated.

With some found gear (another +40 HP, slightly better AC) could finaly destroy the stupid orc drummer at the start. It involved luck, 'cause it could hit too big damage, but it is down, and that's what's most important. It got on my nerves to remember it.

There is a mineshaft in the south. It has some orc, the problematic is the giant one, but there's enough room to manouver around with the bow.

Encountered the "orc spy" - as there's no consequence otherwise killed it for the exp. Looks giant, but it's a simple orc, so less threat, can be done in melee.
Addition to it there's the "secret orc camp". It is not mentioned anywhere, maybe gamebanshee gave it a name because it is a pretty large location and that's it. oh, it is mentioned by some random orc dude also nearby.
Now one thing: do NOT clear the Main Orc Camp, where the well you have to poison is. No idea what it'd do, but better not accidently mess up the game, ok? They SAY you could massacre the camp right now, but that'd look dumb, and asI don't attack neutral thingies (like rats), consider this a bit of roleplay.

Used the wishing well. For +10 STR. Maybe AGI would be better considering all the highlevel enemy, but Istarted to feel STR neglected, so duh. In theory lategame you can get instead 1 clvl which'd mean 5 stat and 1 skillpoint in comparsion, but I don't really can spend all my skillpoints.
Oh, note relating to this: someone somewhere reported poison from two sources (poison weapon +poisonarrow) do not accumlate. No idea on what's if your weapon has elemental skill on it, and you have the same too.
With lvl 21, 75 STR, 70 AGI, and 277 max HP managed to dispose the two assassin in the cave of Marcus (u know what I'm talkin' 'bout) by casting restoration (it's seriously annoying the next point can only be gained free by killing thatvampire...!) and eating 2 dose of food. I thought I'll need minor restoration potions, but not.

With luck I hadthe potential to kill the vampire in the dark cave and get the Boots of the Vampire. Settled for a 270 AC, 15/20 resistances, 5 charmslots variant. I mean that's a crapton of resistance and maximum charm slot. The AC might be mostly irrelevant IF the game aims on bodyparts. So maybe I'll use the 70AC, 15/20 resist, 8 STR, 1 sight distance one. Will see tomorrow.
Oh, before I forget: in the chest with the poison cloud spellbook (the vampire was immun to it) got that unique staff. Not intostaff of course, but it got 2 in Freeze. Well, storing it just to be sure.

From the manual: "the armor values of different items do not add up". Still, if you DO get hit on your toes...
And that high-AC variant was my first. But that "sight really would come in handy. But that STR only means +3 dmg. But there's nothing much else that'd mean DMG.

[twillight]

Seems what I actually wished to play way Broken Sword 1, but this teached me nostalgia might overrate things.
I mean this game has a lot of offenses, like:
- the character says no longer available for talk. Leave and talk with it again to further in the game.
- "combine banana with toaster to summon aliens to desintegrate the locked door to pass"
- mazes
- pixelhunting
- unexplained controls
so I mean all thepossible offenses an adventure-game can dash on you.
And it doesn't help it is actualy a combination of Monkey Island, Prisoner of Ice, with the Big Bad being Skeletor.

-------------------

Back to the bigger project:
- reloaded a couple of times to solve my Vampire Boots dilemma, and realised resistance is not THAT important, given I yet to face elemental attack using foes, with Magic Barrier I can have 25 resist all, and with Heaven's Blessing 40% more, and that's already 65%. Add some charms to the equation and you're covered.
On the other hand charm slots are nice, but as you can't empty them they won't be filled soon. And you don't swap equipment that many times, the uniques are that though anyway. And I need right at the moment HP, and preferably mana too.
So in the end it is between 60 HP/mana + 1 sight + 6 STR vs 20/20/10 resistances 20 HP. I can cover the missing resists later. Actualy the deciding factor was included that +sight, cause how many times you have that, but it really helps when have to fall back to archery, and can relieve skillpoints that way.
Oh, for the record: the time I killed the vamp, it actualy got stuck in the wall(?) and could kill w/o fear of retribution. Good for me...
- went and solved Marcus' quest to be done with that. Also reported both questor the death of the vampire. Marcus'quest unlocks a new area proper, and finaly could learn how many telekinesis I'll need: 1. Oh, and don't forget to save&reload before identifying the sword Pedro drops. It can be incredibly good. Oh, and climb back where you came from do NOT try the other exists.
Lastly: in the sewers there is a Lizard Mage. In melee it hits hard, so bow it down. Will drop a strong (not very nifty, but strong) piece of stuff, might worth check it out.
A hint to make life easier: when entering the sewers babystep in and wait until a though comes out and attacks you. The noise will attrackt the rest of the goons EXCEPT Pedro. Life is good.

I think time for another skill-rating:
powers of matter: hellspike, deadly disc and hellspike are spells (so no idea), energy cage suffers SRR, limb of the dead is useless if you melee, telekinesis is a utility (will see how many points will needed), polymorph is broken (permanent instead of duration), skeletal wall is a summon.
powers of body: wizard's sight is useless, bless has low duration, withering curse has extremly short duration, restoration is the heal spell, aura of guarding and spellshield are useless (use restoration instead), magical might is mediocre, fade from sight is useless utility.
elemental powers: all things here are spells, except freeze which is broken
power of summoning: everything here is either a summon, or a buff for summons, except banish. I think with a strong enough character you cansimply whck things though.
path of the specialist: aside sword there aren't unique ( = guaranteed overpowered) variants, and sword even gives you a free extra point, so duh. Hammers seem especialy suck, and spear/staff although is there are totaly weak. Crossbow is slow, and might still not add the damage frm the skill which'd make them suck, and they are hard to find. Bows, especialy if you find a big one with extra speed and dmg are solid, but the skill only incrises speed and not chance to hit or something so duh. Shield don't play in the game when you have good enough stats for twohanded weapons and their damage.
path of the ranger: elven sight for 1 point helps a ton at the start or if your equipment lacks +sight attrib later too. Depending on your findings and patience you might need another point, or settle for one. The rest of the skills relate to bow specialist, and they suck.
path of the warrior lore: augment damage is weak - I mean considering the stats of the enemy being 4K HP and 500 dmg per hit, there +10 dmg don't do much. Repair is useful, but as maximum duration do not change 1 point is enough. Stun is broken. Augment Defense is actualy helpful. Repel damage is aweful, the elemental damage skills are tecnicaly ok, but the payoff realy comes with alot of point in each given they gain only mediocre damage, and that has activation percentage.
path of the warrior gods: enchant weapon is a good idea. Feign Death, Reflect Missiles and Flash Attack are useless. Boomerang is a joke. Shadow Warrior is actually a spell. Spiritual Damage in theory is ok given it always adds, but no idea how many things become immun to it. Death Strike is definitely SRR.
path of the thief: assassin's kiss is dagger-related and only adds damage. lockpick is a good idea, and I don't think you really want to bother with items if can be avoided, so put hard points (including the free teachings) and have 5 in it. Pickpocket is a utility-skill, and you don't actualy need items but GOLD as that has no weight. Evade trap is useless, just pay attention to have 15+spirit resistance toprevent being polymorphed. Deadly gift is broken (the scorpions have tentimes strength then they are supposed to) and item-dependent. Elven Stamina and Embrace Shadows iare useless. Poison Weapon is item-dependent and there is no source that'd tell you what source gives what strength of poison, sorry.
path of lore: it is a VERY good idea given how rare actual money is in the game (unless you can pay in items).
Alchemy is ... typisch crafting skill, meaning you want to avoid it. Ye, potions are cool, but easier to just buy high quality potions. If you like crafting add 4 points, if you don't you can pass with the 1 point from free teaching soyou combine mana + health potions into restorations (minor restoration heals 50% HP and mana, any bigger gives full heal on both).
Know Creature can be comfortable, and for mages unavoidable. 2 (gives HP and DMG) or 5 point (gives resistances) seems reasonable.
True Sight is useless. Blind is either useless or exploitable (with 5 points you can range-attack anything). Skin of poison is item-dependent and might not work with other source of poison. Curse is way too short. Necroshift is actualy a "hide" skill, and thus useless.
path of the talents: Traders' Tongue and Wisdom are useless (but ok to have on items). Ranger Sight is just a crappy version of Elven Sight. Charm has SRR. Magic Barrier is good.Aura of Command is exploitable, and is not passive. Heaven's Gift is at best questionable. Survivor Instinct is simply useless.
path of the divine: Translocate and Divine Eye are useless. Divine Death has SRR. Spirit Form is utility (1 point will be enough, might come for free). Scorch, Temporal Storm and Lightning Cascade are spells, and TS is even problematic. Heaven's Blessing is good.

Back on track:
- there is a Zombie Jake event in that cemetary. There is actualy no "final fight", you can kill most the undead around. "dark corpse" are one and only, it spits some weak poison, despite its high HP. Around Jake are some more zombies planted - if you care pull them out before turning on J. The major feature here is, after you clear the cemetary aboce you must go below through a grave, then you can not save until Jake is dead. Don't worry, this is normal.
- at this point it became a problem that I ran out of places to kill. Oh well, might as well start doing quests proper I think. Ok, there still are. I could go to the Cursed Abbey, which sounds scary as if I wanna fight the Engineer (Hellraiser reference!) it'd give me 150,000 exp. That's a LOT. The monstahs there aren't that bad on this level, but that giant skeletons are darn though. I pumped my CON to ca. 35 here. In theory if you use the charm-system well you can just buy some high-AC stuff withcharm slots, put there a crapload of HP-charms until you can get the best charms to buff your final equipment, but that's not how players work, lol.
Clearing the upper level started the second to-unlock area. But first went and tried to enter the Stormfist Castle to make things proper. It might not net me anything, but it gave a quest-log,and mentioned the (already done,just not finished) army-quests (fighting the orcs). But there is a way tostill withold the quest-exps, and that's reporting Elrath (almost forgot) to the authority (Commander Ralph). That doesn't give exp, only the invitation what is the key to the key from that dwarf shopkeeper.
The garden is actualy pretty peaceful. And then got 3 minions whenanswered to the statue(s). I said what? But then when killed the local frogs they stopped following me. Dunno if be happy -could sacrifise them to thatvampire as meatshield...

The Crused Abbey's bottom lvl wasn't that hard actualy. First you clean what you already encountered, then enter and roam most of the room. Here found my first entirely random spellbook (wizards' sight), and a chest contained a highlevel axe (maybe item type could differ if not bring cursor over chest while locked? I'm not entirely sure how these things work).
The Engineer canbe sent away by just 1K gold (he's an old ghost, ok?), or you may want to fight it for major exp. LEAVE THE ROOM if you decide so ASAP when the battle ensues. RUN AWAY until nothing follows. Lure them on you slowly (meaning wait themsee you and come, they won't reach you en masse).The Engineer itself have pretty low visuals. The problem is his spell which it cast melee. Fortunately it does not have infinte mana, so save, hit it a couple of times then RUN AWAY, so the spell won't blast you for good. This must be done 2-3 times, then it'll change to life leech. I'm not sure what happens if you have higher resists then me (I had 10-15, you might try add elemental barrier or something), but this way it was manageable. It does not drop good, although possibly can drop strong. Not worth reloading. What DOES worth is the amulet on a shelf. It is pretty random, but something of an upgrade can be pulled out of it.

And yesss! Finished the murderous vampire quest! It took a swap of high AC chest armor (130 AC, 6 AGI), and a certain amount of luck, as it can deal hugh damage at times (like above 500, or two connected 400 dmg hits). If that is avoided soon it'll resort to lifeleech, which can be prevented with high enough spirit resistence (I had 30).

Better safe than sorry, decided to finishall quest which gives invitation to the Castle.
Commander Ralph do NOT give invitation for destroying the orcs (or maybe he only gives 1 invitations, not 3), and the Duke's Death is supposedly solved when you come OUT OF the Castle, so who cares. Still, the army do gives a second invitation when reporting the poisoning the well of the orcs.

Now on the Summoning of Corina:
- first go to Corina and save her, get her quest
- next got to Pierce, who sends you to Antrabert, who sends you to burn Mpenzak's cart. It gives more exp if you don't do it. If you accept the quest though be sure to do it the same day. I say refuse, and wait a day (I was in late afternoon, slept, and the next morning it had happened). Go to Mpenzak, his cart will be on fire, report to the officier there. Go to A's room and get the wine.
- in the meanwhile go to the thieves guild and free Penumbra, then give her her dagger.
- what remain is going to the Dark Forest, but wait with that.

Seems what I was looking for is the OTHER major quest in the city. Some feuding nobles.
It is not that bad: steal the gizmo from Sir Patrick for SirDante, then visit Yarun in the Merchant Guild and chase him through the Assassin Guild (terminate the guild in the meantime I assume). He'll send you to Cyrba whoyou should kill for better exp, then report the circumstances of the duke's death to Commander Ralph to getanother invitation.

[twillight]

So.

Went and cleaned the Verdistis Sewers. To prevent confusion do NOT go to Rivertown, neither the Assassin Guild this time.
One thing to keep in mind such places if you weapon has manadrain ability. It does not suffer SRR unlike spells, and can drain a hefty sum of mana to you, what you can use for healing, making you able to not just fight longer, but pass harder battles.
In the V-Sewer are a lot of fire-casting mages but they have weak attack so special preparation is not needed. Although they can come in hordes, so watch your HP.
The place also has some polymorph trap, so a healthy amount of spirit resistence is a must.
The lizard mages are still a thing (although half of them lack to be miniboss quality), and there are lightning lizards too but aside their horrendous HP they don't really doanything. Oh, and around the assassin guild entrence there are some "rogue" which is the miniboss equialent of the assassins and they shoot fire. I'll come back later for them.

Tip: don't forget to regularly sell your constantly accumlating stuff. You don't need the items what you're not wearing (aside from such exceptions like a +alchemy item, which can entirely remove your need of hard point in that skill, as you can always wait to get back to camp to make your potions if you're like me and don't stop at every step for picking up every stupid herb), gold has no weight, 1 gold always worth 1 gold, and the merchants have limites supply of gold. Rivertown is actualy a good place as its marketplace is close to a porter, and there are many mercs at the same place, one even having like 15K gold per restock what is a LOT.
Uhm, talking about business: it'd have come in handy right when joining the merchants to read their books in the Archive for 1 in traders' tongue. Not that it'd be overly determining, but hey!

Sir Patricks chest only contain gold, and to be honest at this point the random items lost their charms, and I go only for the uniques.
The drop-frequency is actualy ok, the problem is the start is too though. There are no starter quests, both the catacombs and the orcs are waaay problematic to fight them with some wrecked broom. I'm not sure how much it'd help if you'd start killing the households though, and maybe even people (with the poison cloud spell you can).
My other problem is, I'm both too strong and too weak. The "miniboss" things are simply too hard to stand against, but the normal thingies are start-to-be-boring-pushovers. It's ok for the moment I think, but still. Also, I could go and get like THREE more twohanded unique swords. There is no way all would be a stepup, and as each can be gained "free", they are definitely not necessary. Well, I'll get them with good stats for good selling price I think.
NOTE: Ralph do NOT gives a second invitation, so you better not loose the first you aquire.

Went through unconcerned houses, and have to mention Geoff. I have no idea at whatcondition he returns to hisplace, I could teleport up&down nicely. As he had 30K gold on 'im at my first visit now, that was needed.

Didn't mention, but the game around clvl20 stopped giving exp for mundane animals like spiders, rats and so on.

So, went to the Random Lich Cave. Liches are pushover in this game, should visit earlier if you play. It has a unique sword and hammer in it, as well a polymorph spellbook, and some minor treasure, all permanent (I mean appear in all game). While you can not expect much from the loot at this point, still worth paying attention, because Random Stat Incrise CAN happen, and you might get something good along it inattribute. For example I got 86-115 DMG (ca.double the normal amount), some agi+offense (aka. chance to hit) and 5 in lifedrain. While it only has 2 charms, until I'll be able to fill the slots up, this can be an improvement - depending how good the lifedrainworks in comparsion to the manadrain. Of course HP is only good when fighting and mana is a general resource (like to pick locks).

Now see, just in its disttance is ANOTHER unique sword, the Sword of Chaos. And you get nothing bad for using it, despite in theory it is some legendary artifact which has a portion of the Game Boss, and made oncea guy immortal...
Aaand that thing just got better damage (it has very good base damage), 5 charms, and 4 lifedrain. This be funny.

In the Vesteris Inn there is an elf resident. If you pester it enough attacks you. There's no negative consequences. Not even the like of entering Lar's room (dog in the 3 free rep dwarf's roomafter it left) which not just makes that dog angry with you (instant attacking I mean), but all other dogs inthe world. This is similar to whathappens if you attack the cat in the starter village (which you definitly should not, that being saving you, and also an archmage polymorphed or somesuch).
either way, the guy is a pushover once puts himself in a corner thus can't back away anymore.

In Dragrin's house (has a unique gloves) found a lightning spellbook. Just telling. The gloves tend to be pretty "meh" quality considering uniques, so use themas mid-game equipment. If you'll need upgrade, there will be 2 alternatives: the Dragon Set Gloves, and the Snakeskin Gloves in the Graham/Cirgon quest (although that'd better be avoided, given the Dragon Gloves are likely better chance for being good, and as you don't need the item you might as well gain more exp. Althougha couple tenthousand exp won't make a world difference I assume).

I'mn ot sure, but like a while ago won the barfight. I needed the Wishing Well bonus, the Altair of Good and Evil bonus, and be lvl 25, and spend all statpoints. Ok, we're done here, move into the future.

You know, strange thing occured to me. There is a unique polearm, axe, staff, dagger, ton of unique swords, maybe no unique mace? There is unique armors, amulets, rings, boots - but really, only 1 belt? And maybe 1 legplate? There's also only 1 shield, but you mainly don't use them anyway.
Come to think of it, the resistance-skills are really item and pateience dependent. I meanye, I could probably just skill upand beatsense in those rogues in the sewer, but likely the unique stuff will have resistances.
Hey, there are only2, very low quality unique rings? Fortunately I made them spawn with 5 charms...
Heck, jewelry isn't falling like almost never. And when they do, they don1t have quality, some are even cursed!

Onto the castle then!

Inside the teleport píramids are taken,and you're not allowed toleave the place. Wonderful.
From the throneroom to the kitchen: youhave to pick up all stuff spawning WHILE you're making the dirty plates disappear. Some are plates (not highlighted when press Alt), some are pots (can be used as armor and helmet. Really a shame you can't have 5 charmed ones. Would fight theBig Bad in them with a rok. Come to think of it, shame no two weapon fightning).
Gamebanshee don't know about it, but there's Ben on the wall. You must climb up there to see him. He wants a bottle of beer, obtainable inside the castle (of course you did not bring any from outside).
Oh, and there's a 0 weight container within. That sounds useful. Put in stuff, throw the container out of the castle, and voila, loot! (there's also a barrel, as this part will be a bit long even afterleaving the castle you'll be cut form the "open" world).
As you are w/o a healer for a time (aside sleeping, I assume), it might be an idea if you have to bring an itemwith Survivor Instinct, just in case.
The Dragon Shieldseems medium unique, its most advantage being a chance to have up to 4 skills bonus. Not exactly what I'm looking for, but whatever.

The friggin Castle Adventure by the way had no real meaning. They gave me a position I did not want, then stripped of it, AND I still had positive reaction reputation. Seems dumb.
Bythe way, the "ruby amulet" unique is a lame thingy, don't bother reloading.
Don't get excited though, you take a few steps, and you're ported to Iona's dungeon. One of the orcs survive the cat, but even barehanded it is nothing. Yes, all your equipment will be stashed. No, they aren't faraway. Yes, you have to redress and all that. Yes, all the bonus HP/mana will be gone. Onward, for pony!

Well, first find the exit. Place your container there, and clean the place, store all stuff in your chest. Actualy you don't even need that,and canleave any time. Beware of the giant skeletons, although with the shrines they are acceptable.
The other levels have stronger enemies they say, and regularly less shrines.
The leaving to the graveyard was... less then spectacular. There were no en mass charging undeads on me, just the deads got up in their graves and if I went near they attacked. Meh.

Unfortunately the personal telepods are still nowhere (it'd take storming the castle for them), and the only other option is to kill stuff for more power. Meaning in Iona's Dungeon, and the remaining part of the V Sewers.
Actualy, here is an idea: a new base can be settled inside Iola's Dungeon with two shrines nearby for instant healing!
I have no idea what advantage buying a house would mean...

Wait, there's the church too!

Before entering the treasury, visit the prison. This area gamebanshee forgot. It has The Executioner in it who droppeda high quality axe for me, and practicaly nothing else.
Before entering the treasury heal up, because you won't be able to cast any spells inside.
When entering the treasury there'll be a cutsceen, and when you try to leave the first ~room another.
Right in the next room is the Royal Chain which at this point probably too weak to getyour attention.
If the constant amount of traps start to drain you, better drink a minor restoration potion. helath potions at this point would be a waste.
For the Council Chamber: not just there will be a mana and HP shirne, but an armor and helm unique. The enemies are puny ghosts and liches. Parodn, mumies. And the shrines do not work (yet?), but Zandalor can heal you. And while it is hard to pull out good from the items, they still can be a step up, considering there are still (strongerbase) uniques in the game, so the charm slots are not thatrelevant. So if you get something useful-at-the-moment, go with it. Btw, after this I feel is time to switch my boring +1 wisdom puny AC armor to something greater. I mean after I'll finish of with the hanging quests. This armor I have a looong time.
The succubus is best fought in melee. Watch out though, as when she summons a summon you automaticaly switch target to that. More of an annoyance this is than real problem.
Oh,and after dealing with the demon, a unique staff will be available.

Aleroth (the starting village) is "overrun" by orcs now. This means 2 group. 1 near the head-healer's house, 1 on the mainsquare. The boss appear when going near the dwarf's house.
As this "invasion"-thingy seems pretty regular, I probably lost some exp from the disappearance of the random monsters there. Or not.
Btw, found Iona's dungeon too dark, so moved instead to the council hall. The inner chamber's shrines did work. The outers might have beenblocked by the succubus? Have to check when needed.

For the dwarf member first visit the dwarvenhalls, soyou get the beer for that free. Ye, I'm cheap.

Prime directive now the orc member, as that orc campseems pretty behind me.
Man, I'm glad I did not do this earlier! There are MANY orcs, and pulling them out would probably have been a total nuisance.

Ok, so after finishing the quests on the first map (so not in Verdistis, or the Dark forest) time to change that armor and stash away the +wisdom. No, I did not start the Afrasam's borthel chain of events. That's pure exp w/o fight, so can wait.
One of the reasons for this is (aside the strange calculation of exp in the game) are the prices. As discovered Geoff canhave 30-40K gold at once, and it is told a largest charm can cost 100K gold, I think I'llneed the gold. Although it depends on the drop of monsters. Since clvl25 they started todrop with low freqency large charms, but I want largeST. Naturaly.

Strange Storytelling: you only get the Dragon Set Quest AFTER you start gathering the Council, but you can't start gathering the Council until youget the Shield piece of the set...

The Verdistis Sewers' remaining part became acceptable. Not super easy, but manageable.
Let's see now Iona's Dungeon.

[twillight]

Iona's lvl 2 is actualy easier, as it is not just skelies, so the manasteal works (hope you have too), so no worry about shrines. Mostof the times,as there are certain minibosses, and one type (steel lord) can HURT. So save before unlocking doors with levers.
Ok, Steel Guardians hurt too, but there justdon't melee them. But Steel Lords are friggin' summoners. I usualy have to drink a minor restoration per encounter.
Lvl 3 is actualy the very same as above.
lvl 4 has only the boss, but it fights well. Needed 2 minor restoration to win. the unique here has way less AC then the dwarf unique armor, but gains resistances and charm slots much more easily.

So, the Dark Forest, eh?
It might be mostly separated by quests to its own, but that doesn't mean life here would be easy.
First, I'd stick to my rule: if they didn't send you there, don't go there is they'll send you there.
Second: whatever you do, do NOT go near the Sword in the Stone unless you will get rid of it immediately (put it back I mean). It will kill everything in the forest otherwise. So leave this last.
Oh, and it is good I've waited coming here. there is some big spider here (mutated forest spider) whichhas ranged attack and hits hard. The whole thing is very similar to the Catacom's spider miniboss (if you remember).

Activate the teleporter near the Sword in Stone location, then look after the merchants who'll entrust you to enter the Burial Chambers. THIS HAVE NOTHING TO DO with the burialGrounds the elves and dwarves argue upon, so clear it. You'll get the 3rd holy item here too.
Funny thing is, 2 of the holy items are a certain weapon class. Given that swords are commonplace you likely don't want that, and the dagger specialists... Are not too common. This leaves the amulet the keeper. The place by the way is lackluster: small, barely any enemy, all the loot inaccessible.

You'll meet a talking boar. This quest is longer then you'd anticipate. First you need to get to the evil mage's house, then enter the dwarven capital to consult the local priest, who sends you gain a container (the Holy Grail no less!) for its holy water,which you should bring back to the other animals in the evilmage's house, then visit the boar, then get the finalreward (a unique bow) in the elven village.
By the way, as you are there already, get the brooch for Sir Dante's assistant,and get the quest to visit the dwarf relative in the dwarven village.

Nearthe boar is the Alchemist who wants something at the Talking Tree, where Corina sent us too. Pick this quest up. Near that is the Warrior Guild's portal, activate it. Close the Talking Tree from thenorth to find an elven scouting party for fun (has no actual consequence). Enter the Guild and do whatever they offer, and finaly get the Heart of the Dragon quest. Take a note on it and stash it for the moment.
There is an old hermit nearby, who is actualy a friggin' demon. Talk to him so it goes to its cave. I think that's a fight we only want to do later.

Oh, before completly forget: like 2/3rd of the forest is not filled with giant bugs and mutated toads. Oh no. It's filled with improved versions of lizardmen from Verdistis Sewer. And that's the good news. They are walking in HORDES. That's the bad news.
Oh,and avoid the Special Insane Skeleton(s) to melee. They can hit my 600 HP in one hit.

At the Warrior Guild's Instructor I'm not sure based on what you get the bonus. Others say you get Augment Damage, yet others say you get either. I got onlyAugment Defense, which I suspect happens no matter the conversation that it was my higher ability.
The fight is though, and for his defense level at least a bit random based, so heal your mana too before the fight, and save.
Fighting for the cylops eye involves insane skeletons, some summoners,and the boss is a summoner too. So head-first into battle against it, and use the warrior's special attack as long as it takes. Beware, the lastroom is practicaly empty, so don't try to goaround the walls. Just let your stamina fill up.

NOTE: if it wasn't obvious if you have a companion only that is under threat during a cutsceen, you never. This isa memory from that zombie-guy form the very beginning if you ask.

For the Talking Tree: ONLY go there if you have both quest telling you to. You can speak with it for lesser exp, or make it attack you for a bunch of new zombie-type appearing in the ground (must make them plant them out) and shoot slow projectiles at you, which blast up at arrival and damage indiscriminatly (thus can kill the zombies). Either way you can then use the tea barrel on it to destroy it.
Oh, and the stuff which the tree drops are NOT random. It'llalways be: 1 very large spirit resistance charm, 1 large strength charm, 1 beetle statue, 1 spider statue.

Now, I hoped to get the bloody dwarven counciler, but seems he'll only be in his place when 4 other member are found.
So for me that's #1 Zandalor (mage), #2 orc, #3 human (the Black Ring woman was punny after all, even punier than the whole Holy Grail chamber, where you can btw single out the opponents), #4 lizard. Because that leads to buying house in Verdistis, and it made sense in the roleplaying aspect, that's why. Oh,and it turns out we got false information, there be 5 recruits,and the dwarf will only be the 6th.
And if I went Verdistis, thought time to give up some quest items before I'd accidently sell them, so delivered the brooch and stuff for Corina.
So, if we're finishing quests, let's finish the morphed animals too. All things lead to the elven village it seems.

Clearing the forest... Then went in the elven village to get the unique bow. It is awesomly coded. It can only have a setof attributes (agility, charms, offensive, sight, speed, and its damage can go up to 48-139, although 38-129 is only realistic, and can be much lower too).
Now to Verdistis again for a reputation point. I know, I know, but hey, I'mreally preparing to leave,and thatmeans selling stuff,and that means gaining reputation, ok? And those trolls look big on the road.
Ye, doing the stupid romance too.
So, Leptin&Hugh's business is done.
Going to the ElvenBurial Groundsand taking the gloves, blaming whoever is responsible.
Well, some Black Ringer was, and she's though! Firsthace to destroy herdwarves, then she canstun-pushyou, and summon dreadknights, and xast those strong spikes. So basical she's like The Engineer, but with unlimited mana. Did cost me potions (maybe 3 minor restoration and 1 normal restoration -atapoint the game simply refused todrink more minor potion???)

[twillight]

Onto dwarves!
But before that, some minutes on unique items: seems each has a list of attributes to gain from, a general final quality, and a basic-item quality. The basic-item quality is what it says: if the thing is a leather armor, chain armor or plate armor, its AC will be similar to that (or damage. And each can get a bonus to it). The attributes it can have are taken from a set list, aka. not all item can get all attributes. Attribute-quality is either based on the item, or the character's level (I meanI don't know what determines if an itemcanhave +80 in vitality, or only +40 invitality or less). And it also seems to be fact that the overal quality of the item is limited by the sum of allor certain attributes, like if it'll have 300 AC instead of 20 then can't have much other attributes.
This out of the way, and talking your way through the dwarven village, let's hop to the king after the mayor. Here is a neat little trick, which is just coded into here: standing at the throneroom's door throw in the tp-pyramid on you, then use the fixed tp there to get to the other pyramid, and teleport in via your thrown-in pyramid. This way you can avoid your equipment getting jumbled. And don't forget: to get out use your tp-pyramid and get back through the waypoint!
Oh, and as 50K exp is not-much at this point, I went and checked out the Snakeskin Gloves in Verdistis (the Graham/Cirgon quest). Well, that thing is very low in quality.
Oh, as we're in Verdistis, let's get that dragon belt in our disappointment.
Ye, half of the things from now on will be alternating between gaining a unique and doing something else for the change. So into the mines now. We'll still have to do the sacrifice of the holy items (unique), get the dragon helm and armor (both unique), and the armor of lahrian (through the silver armor, which is a unique but as we'll change it aka. re-randomise it we won't care its stats).
Now the Sentry was put there by the bad guys or sg, and relates to a quest(!). But thatquest gives no exp. But there's no loss killing the Sentry. But you can attack the Sentry anyway. So I say give it the password and just whack it after that, attacking the otherwise neutral thingy this time :lame:
Have to mention: sometimes random enemies span inside walls. Don't fuss about it.
But I start to fuss about Big Bads always escaping the final blow!
Either way, this was the strongest member now (glad I came in the right order). He has 2 goons who shall be disposed ASAP, at least with a warrior. Then the guy will cast a crapload of what The Engineer cast (or that other Black Ringer). Hell Spikes they say, but the frig it cast 1 piece, it cast entire crapets of it! Anyway, just keep healing yourself. A lot. As your HP can drain fast, alternate between minor and stronger restoration potions as the situation demands. Do not hesitate to drink a minor if both your stats are around halfway! The battle is lasting for a bit! Better a potion to waste thanthe whole progress of the battle! It is alsofast-paced, so no save during the battle. Eventualy by the way the guy runs out of mana and turns healing himself. Bah, loser.
Don't forget to re-visit the dwarf king. Now you're officialy gathering the Dragon Set, not just as a hobby.
And right after gaining the dwarven counciler hop to the elven lover to finish that gullible romance. Almost. You need a couple of ingame days to pass, that's what we initiate with this by making a forgery at the dwarven jeweler.
Now, hop to Sir Patrick to get the (proto-version) of the dragon breastplate.
Oh, at a time you're at the dwarves report down to Strobur. Although I'm not sure if you gain either exp or gold as it is implicated in the conversation.
Now I went for my holy amulet. Inside if youtouch the tombs each summons up a lich, and breaks the quest, so don't. Also, doing the sacrifice seal the tombs. The amuletis friggin awesome. Properties are highchance for a lot of skills, hugh boosts in stats, and plethora of resistances.
Now get that Heart of the Dragon (and thus the breastplate). Inside the first "miniboss" (it has a name...) is a regular monster, although lightning resistance (50%+) helps. But the fight is entirely avoidable as it has almost no sight, so you can reach the lever it guards. But the Local Boss... It uses Freeze. Ye.You can see why this skill is marked "gamebreaking". Fortunately for the player, the AI don't often use it, so unless it does,you should be safe (with enough fire resistance)
Bringing the armor to the smith does not give instant result, but again have to spend ~an ingame day away. Darn. Ok, only HALF of a day is required! Cool! Oh, NONONONO! Reload, reload, reload! I forgot that blasted Warrior's Guild!

You know what? Let's talk about stats:
Strength: around 110 I could be in the heaviest stuff, AND carry around enugh loot to not get bored
Agility: 85+ and 5 point in weapon expertise makes me hit 90%+. Will tellif later need more.
Intelligence: who needs intelligence? Maybe mages, but mages are stupid.
Constitution: I have like 35 hard points in it, and I don't care to invest. An equipment with 40+ HP is waaay better.

Ok, so here is a tip: during the Imp Counciler you'll do the Bees vs Wasps thing. The difference is, the Bees offer a skillpoint in Aura of Command, while the Wasps offer an armor. Want to bet it is weaker then the one includs beating the strongest monster in the before-wasteland area (all the currently visited/visitable areas), an all-world looting quest, which can only be solved by likely Official Hintbook Information?
So, I say, make the Dragon Armor, but NEVER IDENTIFY it. Instead go and grab the Armor of Lahrian too, and identify them the same time. Whichever turns to be good sooner, is the keeper.

On identifying loot:
- if it is a random loot, it is determined when it falls from the monster
- if it is in a not-locked chest, it is determined when you bring the cursor over the container, or press Alt (so be caustious with Alt+Tab)
- if it is a unique drop, it is determined when you bring the cursor over it (or press Alt)
- if it is in a locked chest, it is determined when you bring the cursor over the item after opening the chest (dunno what pressing Alt would do here)
- if the item spawns inyour inventory, it is determined when you bring the cursor over it
- any identification only gets fixed, if you do something efter the identification. This can be picking up the item, wearing the item, or maybe even simply moving away a bit. don't forget this!

NOTE: never seen an enemy go invisible.

What remains is the Brothel-related quests, pulling out the sword from the stone (death to marriage, or something), and the imp council member. Inthis order I assume.
Would also be fun tosave and check whathappens if you get the loan from Sir P.

I'm clvl 39 melee warrior now.

Went to Leptine's Brothel. You know, thatguy does something wrong. He not only has a general store, which admittedly can be though to lead, but also a brothel to cover the wages? And he still has financial troubles?
Also, interesting side-story happened. I mean from reallife perspective. Firstand foremost, big cudos for Larian-studios for not walking the Baldur's Gate Way for the question of sex. This turned out the way I went down the place for the exp, naturaly. Remember, my characteris a male warrior because a) for Hard it has the most advantage at the start b) by the ingame cinematics, he is the definite protagonist. Despite the manual and such claiming profession/class being Survivor. Either way, as soon as I got down clicked. Ye, right on the male company. And you know this was in the Top 10 male homosexual encounter in videogames for me. And the female hostess is so professionaly presented (makes you buy drinks to spend more money because that's her job etc.), that I didn't even reload to avoid the gay sex!
Back on track: handed down the info to some visitors-in-town.
Then I was looking for the "special treatment"easter egg. They SAY you need to get lay down with someone else first, but that's actualy not true. To get the option first talk with Jacob twice (the conversation interests me if you play with a female prot), then Kherondar. This was also the point I realised there are more comfort-persons tochoose from, not just the twowhose name gets you in the place. Aside that, the Special Treatment does not provide you exp for the action, so lay down with someone else too. Oh,and ST results in you loosing 90% of HP (who cares), and your stamina starts running down (toaround 50%, then it comes back).
So, as it has no consequences, it is one of the few eastereggs of the game, like the Kaa Gent Scroll (it is in the bottom of the Warrior Guild, western side, only visitable once through the tomb there). Aside some manuscripts-of-cameos these are the two major easter eggs,aside that you canse with Wizards' Sight a skateboard-place on the roof of Stromfist Castle.

I have no idea what actualy happens if you take a loan from Sir Patrick. He promises soldiers and evenbounty hunters showing up. Problem is, I slept like 10 times, but only 1 ingame day passed. That's stupid,

The other thing is the Sword in the Stone. It canbe a pretty thingy, if it comes with acceptable damage too. Like, it can have allkinds of drain, deathblow, whatnot. +10 in offense and holymoly. But it is still a twohanded sword, and isn't THAT much improvement if you got a decent Singing Sword/Sword of Chaos.

And a way to kill butterflies: in the Dark Forest,westernsiide along the cliffs, at an entrance of a cave, I think the Stalker's Cave are a bunch of butterflies. They seem to be immun on ElementalHailand Poison Cloud (area damage spells), or I'm just bad at aiming, but there's another chance. The butterflies sense your reputation, so if you grind it low enough (by stealing, killing soldiers appearing to arrest you and similar actions) they should reach "initial reaction: hostile". That's when you should be able to hit them with a weapon.

Lacking anything to do, will numbing my fingers for shopkeepers to reset their shop to be able to sell my stuff.

[twillight]

Mostly sold stuff, then went tospend time to finish the imp quest.
The Thunderplate is really there if you helped the wasps (don't kill any wasp, only kill bees, kill all bees - leave the bee questor the last to kill, only use direct single target attacks - no missiles or area damage!)
But turned out first I need to fixa bug myself via hex-editor. No, I was not who came up with the solution. Search for "Evil Imps Bug" to find what code you have to hack.

Anyway. Inside as I told first come the Bees&Wasps,and you'll also find a lot of Golden Urns. Aside that I like these containers as you can't break them by accident making them good addition to your base wherever you make that, these have special thingies in them. I don't mean items. Here is what you find:
1 - rain? (and in theory hits you with a lightning. Once.)
2 - nothing
3 - teleports you a bit north. Not that you could not go there on foot in 2 seconds.
4 - nothing
5 - you get to the next level (do not open this untilyou just reached a new level)
6 - nothing
7 - can not be opened (yes, you find the key, and still. Probably bug. Probably nothing happens anyway.)
8 - angel of revenge attacks you. Letme mark here, that certain killed things are not listed in the "trophy" section - this is one of them. And Ibet most of the lightning-lizards are not counted either. And a lot of things. Sowhile the intention there was good,and it is nevertheless fun, but not a rleiable source unfortunately.
The items in the jugs seem to be fixed and minor, so don't bother reloading.

Here comes a "slight" "problem". By hitting the gong the exact thing happens like opening the exp-jar. This means I needed exp from somewhere, and fast. From places where no consequence will come from. Thus I just massacred the bees (who I sided with for the quest). But this was not enough. Went and killed the alchemist in the Dark Forest. Then the Archer Guild's leader. Killed the locer's father in the elf village. Then the elves around the firecamp talking. Then the elf bow-vendor. The dwaren halls: the priest, someone called myrthos, siomeone called Ansekhor. Otto in the Necros Garden (first hit him with a poison gas spell, otherwise he's not interactable).
I realy start to run out og NPCs who don't take my karma - pardon, reputation, and the same time also give expm but I stillneed like 100K exp...
Verdistis: Nimras, the wine-merchant, Leptin, Sehrissa, Diennoe, Mpenzak. I've ran out of things to kill with these. Summons don't give exp if you kill them (not targetable, but poisonous cloud can kill them). Oh, and you can't dupe the exp-urn :(
Have to resort to poison cloud. That works like overdosing people with superstimpack in Fallout. So Commander Kratus had to go. The thieves from their guild got eliminated. Hopped back to the warves. Random named dwarfs worthed almost 10K, so the train was on track finaly. When done with this nonsense opened the jar, sold the remaining stuff, packed up,and hit the gond. Ta-dah! I'm a complete psychopath.

NOTE: on the Wasteland at the start the two frinedly orc bugged out like the imps. But as they go their talk done (which is either way inconsequential) I did not go for the fix (also via hexing).

Ok, turned out need to fix the dragon NPC too, so fixed the orcs too.

There is a final orc vendor, whosells stuff considering your reputation, meaning it sellf Very Large charms for 50K gold. Problem is, it never has gold on it. Fortunately things here drop loot,and attimespretty pricey. Still, you better brought money. I have more then 1M. Actualy, given how many charms you'll want, and the stupid vendor rarely has any of the useful ones, I say just dupe your items (put down -1 of the item -> you have a second one).
Resistence is probably useful, I'm not sure. What I'msure though is, the game cancrash if too many things are attacking you, so save regularly and chip them away.
Oh, and if you brought a chest as container (the one opened weight 0) better pick out everything fast and put them in a localbarel or sg, 'cause that thing will glitch out from the game when you open/close it. Darn.

-------------

Double darn, 'cause I have like 40 charm slots to fill up, but money is an issue for that. As well as reloading like no tomorrow before checking the shop toensure it has vitality charms.
Actualy I got 1 from every charm to duplicate if needed too.
Finding random charms are not really significant.
The Wasteland is big and dumb. First: watch out for 2 units: sand evils (you're pretty safe with 1,200+ HP) and imp chieftain who are #&@! as they hit that hard. Oh, and none heals you, so your only source of healing is restoration spell and sleep - I hope your weapon drains mana from the enemy to sustain yourself. 3-5 should work at that department.

The swamp around the Big Bad Fortress hurts you, the faster you go deeper. I feel here the Survival Instinct should be negating the effect to the point where the swamp is simply instant death. Yes, it is.
Passing it inghostform is cool, they even made you passive ghost form (will-o-whisp) when you hit pause. Reaching the other shore be prepared you'll be swarmed by spectre lords (more a nuisance than a threat) and multiply sand devils at once. Deal with it.

Inside the Evil Place is ... boring. I assume those things deal elemental damage - if they notice you at all.

Demona... I don't think she even hit me. A melee enemy of no significance. But at least I've learned destroying a boss don't make its maze empty, what's good.
Iona... at least she could hit me.
Cornelis... is dumb. He don't even try to freeze like he did before, and despite a source telling should use blind/hellspikes he is straight melee.
Moriendor: by the talking this is the 2nd strongest, so let's see what it can do.
Better, but hardly a challenge. I mean Ihave 2474 atthis point, so hellspikes I canstand if I must. The Blind he casts totally makes everything "invisible" (technicaly a difference, so seeing the invisible doesn1thelp here). He only has 2 gargoyle with it though. When all three was at the same spot, I whirlwinded there, lol. He doesn1t have that many HP either.
Josephina: now this is better. I can see for some build she'd pose a problem though. 'Cause she is constantly invisible because you're blind. So it is area-attack time, which warrior has (bring stamina potions!), and mage has (hellspikes and similar spells), but survivor has not! Oh, and her fortress is not gargoyle-packed. Not thatdeathknight would be a threat at this point, but Death Lords are hugh. Watch your HP. With 2500+ HP of course you should have no real problem.

Lord of Chaos: looks good. I mean the spectacle is good. But I only had to click on it, and got whacked to death. Didn't even need a potion.

[twillight]

Just another flashgame. As armorgames suck nowdays (I suspect the connection speed from their side is low as crap) went to kongragate for this.

A nice little "push the line" game withwitty dialogues at the start of levels.
I wouldn't call these/this strategy, as you just need to find the right unit to anti the enemy forces. But this concept is made well here. The enemy don't get all previously unlocked units, but you do. There always come some special obstacle against you. But these should be hints to you what you should produce over the level.
As I said mostly a single unit type is needed, but at occasion the enemy gets a good combination, so you need to bump out 2 type. Not really a fuss, or changing the basics, as you can relatively mass-produce them on the conveyor belt as 1-3-1-3 (or 1-2-1-2).

Resource management is simple: start to fill your quota of harvesters ASAP. I nvent the units you'll need tostart, but do not produce them yet. For the first levels the enemy won't come until you have maximum miners, then you can A-bomb the early enemy units, THEN you'llhave big units to push back the initial forces.

There is an upgrade-tree, but it should be pretty obvious. Don't neglect the golden upgrades either. Ye, they support the enemy the same time, but it fastens the gameplay, and with you having human mind should give a better advantage then for the AI.

Unless later levels screw up, this is a fine, polished casual game,

[twillight]

I mean vanilla game.

barbarian: strongest kit/class in the game, thank you

bard: did a bard. The kits don't differ too much, mostly the bard song which is not determining (I mostly consider solo play. With 6 characters you can have a bard doing nothing but singing and still be perfectly fine), and some minor bonuses to thac0, which you'll only use occasionly, mostly convenience at the start, and can be replaced by just casting Improved Haste or something.
It's bad, but passable. I did, so you can do too.

cleric: Viconia proved it is a heck strong class giving the character gear. All the kits further improves the class, so moving on.

druid: a though crack, but again with enough creativity passable. The kits mostly differ in shapeshifting, which none uses with their witts intact anyway, so Totemic Druid is the friggin strongest, especialy lowlevel.
Shapeshifter is unfortunately bugged, but so is half of the game, so I bet they do can use some armor. And as druids mostly live from their summons, in the end who cares.
Avengers get some pretty bad minus stats, but they were designed for BG2 without ToB, and again druids live through summons so STR and CON minus doesn't have THAT much effect. And they get some useful new abilities.

mage, mage/cleric/thief, sorcerer, wild mage: won't go there. Sure, especialy triple-class they have some sluggish thing running, but definitely not weakest.

monk: sure, it'll have a though start in BG 1. Get over it.

paladin: paladins are like fighters with an attitude. They are good. The kits don't loose anything considerable, but gain a lot. And the strongest kit is actualy Cavalier, because immunity to fear is almost nonexistent in the game from items. Inquisitor is also good, but NOT for its dispel (that's at best a party spell, like bard's song) but for the immunity to charm and hold (two instadeath condition since BG2). Undead Slayer which usualy refered as strongest is actualy WEAKEST of these kit, all undead being puny, negative plane protection being common.

ranger: again a fighter with an attitude.
archer: ranged weapons are fun (especialy in BG 1), and metal armors are not the best. Get yourself a dragon armor (and the BMU) and you'll be fine.
beastmaster: sure, lack of metal weapons is a disadvantage, but then again Quarterstaves are one of the strongest weapon class and they're made of wood.
stalker: sure, this is not Icewind Dale to bother with backstabbing, and armor limitation is though. But not that big of a deal. At least this is somewhat a real negative.

thief: the layer of traps. What's not to like? The kits further flavours this.

-------------

So until now we only have real disadvantages at:
- beastmaster: no metal weapons
- stalker: maximum studded leather (and whatever fits on you due to malprogramming)
- shapeshifters: due to bad programming its shapeshifting is nonexistent, and cann ot wear armor at all (except when it can)
- avenger: - 4 stat

-------------

fighter:
- plain fighter is plain, but strong
- kensai: no ranged weapons, no armor, no gauntlets/bracers. We start talking.
- berserker: if it uses its ability it becomes "winded". This means you have to sleep after 1 casting. Stupid ability. But if you don't use it you're still a fighter, got it?
- wizardslayer: "can not use magic equipment, only weapon and armor". For misprograming this actualy only means no rings, belts, gloves and necklace -actualy you can wear one necklace even (amulet of Seldarine).
They can wear above armor and weapon: shield, helm, boots. Can't use any potion except healing pootions and antidote.

-----------

As any class/kit combination further strengthens the character (ye, not the worse negative counts), we must check pure classes/kits:
- druid is pretty ugh
- jester/bard also
- I actualy don't remember how a thief/mage deals with 1st form os Melissan, but if my blade could melee it, it can't be impossible and the rest of the game those classes are good
-shapeshifter can't wear armor
- kensai can't wear gloves and armor
- wizardslayer can't wear gloves and rings and necklace and belt. It neither supposed to be able to wear boots, helms, shields.

So in the end the Weakest Class title goes to either kensai, or wizardslayer, the difference being:
armor vs gloves, rings, belt, ~necklace, (potions). And boots, helms, shields.

If we take what the game allows this is:
-12-20 AC (12 is full plates, usualy with ability, -10 AC the BMU has) vs STR/50%magic dmg red (belts), 3 AC, 10% magic resist, 3 saves (from ring of Gaxx + ring of earth control). And situational drawback from the necklace if the amulet of seldarine do work.
This I feels somewhat balanced. Maybe even kensai has a slight drawback.

Now take into consideration all the other stuff. What if Wizardslayer would work as its description says?
Then it goes:
- shield: doesn't take account, because the second hand canstill be used (twohanded weapons, two weapon style)
- gloves: neither can wear
- armor: 12-20 AC from kensai
- belt: 12-20 AC from kensai vs 50% magic dmg red from wizardslayer
- rings: 9-17 AC from kensai vs 50% magic dmg red, 10% magic res, 3 saves from wizardslayer
- boots: no boots of speed, thus half your strategies go from wizardslayer, also 0.5 attack per round
- helmet: the sole winner is of Balduran here.
8-16 AC from kensai (compared to wizardslayer) vs 50% magic dmg red, 10% magic res, 3 saves, 0.5 attack, 1 thac0 from wizardslayer
- cloak: there aren't many cloak in the games,and aside the obvious Cloak of Balduran for BG 1 they don't worth much. So it is either 1 AC, or 2 saves, or immunity to magic missile from wizardslayer.
- necklace: again not much useful diversity, although at a point thatpoison immunity amulet can help. It'll likely be Amulet of Seldarine,whichmeans 1 save, 10 magic res from wizardslayer

So atthis point is is 10 AC vs 20 magic resistance, 4 saves, 0.5 attack, movement speed, 1 thac0, 50%magic dmg red. Feels we have a winner - or should say looser.

Can we compensate for it?
- Yes, we can, just pick a "shorty" class for resistance bonuses.
Here the kensai will be half-orc, because it gets useful bumps (higher max STR, CON), negligable loss (lower max INT), 0 in sum.
- Wizardslayers have to compromise from what they can get. They need the bump from the constitution shorty bonuses, so they have to choose from either gnome, halfling, or dwarf.
a) gnome is an obvious choicewith negligable changes (INT vs WIS), 0 sum. There is a trick though: they don't get bonuses to death saves.
b) halflings are good. They get all three saves, and even get a bonus on slings. Their problem is a loss of max STR, but that is highly compensated by an extra DEX. Yes, they loose a WIS too, annoying, but that's at least a dumpstat.
c) dwarf: they look ABYSMAL with -2 sum, loss of DEX, loss of TWO CHA which means no best rewards (like +1 dagger to start with) in BG 1. There is a trick though: they can have 19 CON at the start. Why is that important? Because without items providing regeneration you'll either have to sleep a LOT, AND spend a ton on healing (which is less ofa fuss when you realise you won't need many things 'cause you can't use them) if you have a healer nearby at all, or have 20 CON.

Remember, the statbonuses in the trilogy are: stat tomes, machine of lum, deck of many things, final dream (loss), tears of baal (wrath)
STR: 1 + 1 + 1 + 3 = +6
CON: 1 + 1 = +2
DEX: 1 + 1 = +2
INT: 1 + 1 = +2
WIS: 3 + 1 - 1 = +3
CHA: 1 + 1 = +2

When rolling stats, also remember these two items:
In Baldur's Gate 2, you can equip the NPC Keldorn's armor if you have at least 15 strength, 17 constitution, 12 intelligence and 18 charisma.
Valygar's armor in BG2 is usable by with 6 strength, 18 dexterity and 11 wisdom.

With a fighter class we don't have to consider thief bonuses.

EDIT: there's a mayor drawback relating to the issue: wizard slayer's lack of ability to use consumables.
This means no potions of giant STR, no potion of mirror gaze, no potion of heroism/power, no potion of haste, no wand of summoning...

Why those are important? Well, they seriously boost the fighting abilities to start with. And there's - I dunno - the part where you have to save Baldur's Gate's princes (at least one of them), or beat Sharevok.
And given that the major way Sharevok is faced is to summon a thick meatshield from Wand of Summoning, we have a serious problem.

[twillight]

Surprisingly good at the start. If the miscast saves you from another Magic Missle or sg, that's very noticable, thank you.

Being fighter has an adequate go before Cloakwood, just for its HP. And has plenty of money to throw atchurches for healing, lacking the options to fill slots. Even without playing as the description says.
Me playing as the descrptionsays, aka. literaly no magic items aside weapon and armor (non-magical helmsare good though, as well as non-magical shields, especialy in the Bandit Camp). This mostly prevent me from running away form melee in Boot of Speed anyway.

Potions the WS can use:
- healing potion
- elixir of health
- antidote

Before going to Cloackwood not visited:
- Durlag's Tower
- south of Larswood (4 mages!)
- east of temple (basilisks!)
Areas not finished yet:
- Naskel Mine Exit: a cave has 3 ghasts in it. Even reloading could not avoid being held.
- the archeological dig

Given the many hinderance of WS, I won't rush in the game, and will do every quest, kill every non-random monster I can find. If I can. (the exp cap is removed)

The troubles start at the Bandit Camp, where AoE ability missing shows definite lacking. I had to heal up 3 times at the Friendly Arms Inn to succeed, what is actualy not that bad.

Trouble 2 was in Cloakwood Forest 2, in the cave. Took me 10 healing potions just inside the thing. And crowling back with the body in no armor is no fun either.

I wonder what can be done to save the dukes, or fight Sharevok. No speed potion. No wands. This looks trouble.

------------------

Progress:
- ice island (TotSC): the first gorup is hard, but manageable if you hit the leader a couple of times to block his casting for start. The ankegh-guy is hard for the ankhegs - lure away the beasts. Had to rely on slep and baalspawn ability to regenerate HP. A lot.
- the 4 mage is even easier. They don't throw fireballs around, and with the miscast you can disable a lot. I dunno the duration of the miscast, but seems long enough (30 seconds at least?)
- for Cloakwood 3 did not mess with the wyverns. Those things hit hard, and poisonous. The babies in CW2 were enough for the moment.
- welcoming comitee at the mine was no problem, as could separate the fighters from the mages.
- mine lvl 2 used the back-passages to not step on the lightning traps.
- wyvern cave empty (these location I long used, they are surprisingly underwhelming)
- the tomb with the 3 ghasts cleared with the help of scroll of prot from undead
- the DoomSayer is dead. It required luck with the throws, clvl 10, and 1 cast of DUHM (and 5 healing potions). Used Longtooth in main hand, dagger of venom in offhand.
- basilisk area cleared. Used Korax to not turn to stone. Killed that neofeminist recruit, 'cause she annoyed me.

Stuff you should not be able to use, but can:
- Claw of Kazgaroth
- Horn of Kazgaroth
- magical helmets
- magical shields
- magical boots

Stuff you should be able to use but can't:
- Marek's antidote

Stuff you can not use (because the game does not let you, not because I say so):
- rings
- amulets
- belts
- gloves/bracers
- wands
- arcane scrolls
- cloaks

Quests you fail because of class*:
- 'cause you can't drink potions and not a thief, Joseph's Greenstone Ring**
- Algernon's Cloak for not being able to steal**
- Brevlik's telescope: the darn containers are locked. Could not bash 'em. ***
- anything to do involving Arkion (his door is locked, could not bash it) ***
(best course of actions: get bodyfor Arkion -> kill Arkion -> bring bloodstone amulet to Nemphre -> kill Nemphre -> bring bloodstone amulet + onyx ring to Ordulinian)
- Niklos and robbery of the OberanEstate: the target house was locked, could not bash it ***
- Larriaz the Sirine (door locked, could not bash) ***
- ogre mage assassination attemt (door locked, could not bash) ***
- anything to do with Ragefast's nymph (Ragefast's door is door locked) <b class="Bold">can't get INT tome</b> ***
(best option: kill Ragefast, bring nymph to rival wizard, free nymph, climb tower and kill rival wizard)
- Jardak's house is locked, couldn't bash ***
- Degrodel's house is also locked (Helm/Cloak of Balduran quest) ***
- Nadin's door is locked, and could not bash open ***
- in the SW district s the house robbed by thieves is locked too ***
- failed to bash open the lock for the evidence in the Merchant League ***
note: at this point no reward from Aldeth, even more if you talk with 'im 'e'll made you arrest. Communicate with the head guard only. When all done, kill Aldeth, then go and kill his borther too.
<b class="Bold">- can't get STR tome in Candlekeep**
- can't get WIS tome in Candlekeep**</b>

* I used a halfling Wizard Slayer with17 STR. Updating the list with 19 STR. Dwarven and gnome wizard slayers can gain 1 more STR.
*** can be done casting Draw Upon Holy Might baalspawn ability
* * no Wizard Slayer can get these


Notable amount of healing potions consumed:
- 10 dose in the Spider's Bane's Cavern (plus antidotes/elixir of healths along the road)
- 10+ dose stopping the coronation/saving the duke
- 12 dose in Iron Throne top level
- 12 dose when reporting finding Helm of Balduran (kill the sorcerer first, then run behind the bed. Also, only has 1 stalker this time)
- 15+ in Degrodel's house. Other conditions: no more than 4 enemy attack you the same time. Attack the helm-guard (invisible skeleton) first, then the doom guard, then deal with the 3 invisible stalker. During the last phase you better off pulling out your second DUHM (yes, despite the casting length). I was clvl 10 this point.

https://i.imgur.com/t2cac5z.jpg

[twillight]

There are 3 things left in BG1-part:
- the main quest, obviously (saving the duke/s, fighting sharevok are the main plotlines)
- durlag's tower (the tome is obvious, and there's the plate mail +3, remember: every bit helps with this massive solo failure called Wizard Slayer)
- werewolf island

I actualy checked werewolf island, and given a single wolf costs half my HP, I decided to skip it. There's not a single shop on the island, but there's thatGreater Wolfvere and hordes of werewolves in the shipwreck... I don't think Wizard Slayer can do it. Ya tink wizzySs are best, yall go and do it, me not.

Durlag's Tower:
- above levels are ok, but remember, there are plenty of ghasts, so bring Spider's Bane
- I could only find 2 prot. from petrification scroll in the game, andI used them up,so no scimitar +2 for me. I'm into dagger anyway
- the plate +3 is on the 4 dwarf guardian level fortunately. It is an improvement from the Ankegh Plate (finaly), but it is trouble to get it: you practicaly cast a DUHM to fight a single monster, then another to go to sleep to heal back the HP. Remember: healing potions are LIMITED supply, no shop has it in infinite number, so there.
Oh, there's a skeletal warrior where you find the key. That is somehow stronger than the rest, cost me 5 healing potions. The tower by the way is pretty generous with those - I'd put away the big stashes for the final fight or something.
- either way, if you do want to fight the guardians have on you a crapton of potions, be fully healed, and "run" south ASAP and run FAR, so you separate that hasted guy first. The other on the south side is Love, a cleric-or-what, still isn't big of a fuss. My second DUHM still lasted when it died, and managed to sleep (these DUMH-sleeps heal like 50% of my max HP). The cloudkill-guy on the left is weak, only annoying. Fear on the other hand has a crapload of AC, so it's basicaly a "who gets more critical" crap. DUMH is a deciding factor here, heavily weighting for your favour.

This is how I (try to) enter Bhaal's Temple:

<img src="https://i.imgur.com/77U9y7R.jpg" alt="" />

This should be way enough, as I'mway over the exp-limit of BG1.
If still proves impossible, there's still the chance to further abuse the 8million exp limit and moving further in Durlagh's Tower reach clvl 11 (+1 thac0), and gain large shield +2. But as I'm already 2 clvl over where I'm supposed to be, this is very not attractive option.

--------------

UPDATE:
Ok, so I odn't actualy need to suffer for exp, as after dealing with the goonies, I already reached clvl 11, and I doubt there's enough to get clvl 12.
First pulled out the archer (left side). Annoying. A prot. from fire scroll would have been advisable.
Second heal up, cast DUHM, and pull out Tazok. He hits hard, don't forget to drink potions even during the battle.
Third go along the tombs and cross fingers to not wake any undead. This way I could pull out the mage. Unfortunately you have to suffer 2 of his casting, one of it being turn to stone, so prot. from magic is advisable.
All the goons cost me 25 dose of healing potions.

Let's see if can deal with sharevok...

Btw, you know, I don't get the hate Beastmaster gets as "worst class". That's practicaly a ranger, with extra early summons, restricted to use quarterstaves. And quarterstaves are a good weapon class: in BG1 you can hop and just buy yourself a +3 variant, in BG2 you just buy a +4 variant, get the Instant Invisibility variant, finaly get that of Ram +6 stuff. Sure, won't dualwield (although making one of such runswhere you only wield clubs would be awesome), but hey.
Similar bad reputation lingers (unfixed) Shapeshifter. So, its Greater W form don't get all the benefits. So what. I've yet to see druids to shapeshift anyway (outside pen&paper), so it is just like any other druid. Maybe they are actualy better than pure druid as they can shapeshift right from the start, their "weapon" can't break...
Time to time comes up bard, but even in its worst shape is only a thief without thief abilities...
Druids are also slow (until they get the serious stuff, and finaly Harm).
Now on the other hand WizardSlayer... Sure, is a fighter kit, but taking away the wands realy hurt. And they suffer from taking away equipment too. Ok, maybe not fall on the level in termsof thac0, but still. And they still can't use wands.

The ONLY way I could winagainst Sharevok was to put Prot From Magic on me. A good period remained from the wizard on me, so I tried to abuse the lightning traps. It is very unreliable, but could chunk away a slight portion from Sharevok (they hit 2-3 HP per hit). As he does not regenerate, this worth it, especialy you actualy desperatly need these hits on him.
The protection will run out, and you'll likely be hit by some lightning. Heal it backwith potions, unless you have superhuman sense of time to know when to stop.
The final step (as you can see I had 4 scrolls, only used 2 this time, you might want to use up all four, or more if the game has somewhere) is to walk into the middle of the room, on the big sigil. Lure Sharevok to the middle of the two eyes and the nose (I think those have traps). When going in you might be hit with arrow-traps the scroll does not protect you. Heal that backwith potions. Have 100% HP, this is important!
Now the plan is to run up-and-down the three Skull Trap traps and make those kill the Big Bad. Don't forget to consume even more healing potions (during this "fight" I took another 5, in the end I was left with 5 slot worth potions - did not touch the 10-packs). Don't bother with S, just run and run and run and hope the best.
It CAN be done.
Now when S falls, SAVE. Why? Because you must get out of the sigil, and those physical-damage traps are still there, that's why. Drink some more potions, and try to hurry through the thieves' maze using the protection to negate the magical traps (or just save even more).

https://i.imgur.com/1ThtZnQ.jpg

[twillight]

Seems I'mgetting tired to not remember DUHM.

Otherwise:
- I just play as the game is supposed to be played. I'm simply not abusing bugs.
- even aside that, I DO USE shields and helmets. Only justthe non-magical ones.
- EVEN aside that, I neither loose too much. Boots of speed is good for 2 things: abusing ranged attack, and uhm-see-ya strategy which is again a kind of exploit, although a minor one. And to be honest, I did try to gimp my overlevelled character. I did put on it the Helm of Balduran, the large shield +1, AND EVEN the Claw of Kazgaroth which is a bloody ring for all sake thus shouldn't be available in the first place. And Sarevok washed the floor with me.

The main lack of WS in BG1 is the lack of wands. It is not terrible without them, even at times does nice things, and face it, none does certain quests aside a onetime completion event (werewolf island, durlagh's tower - seriously).
But face it: the sole working strategy against Sharevok himself is to bury 'im under meatshield and shoot the crap out of 'im. And Wizard Slayer LACKS this one-and-only solution (aside mobbing him with a party, where half your team end up dead of course).

Btw, not using shields aren't that much of a drawback. Sure, I'll miss on the beholder-quests (unless MR works there), but otherwise shield is not in hugh demand.
Helmets aren't a big deal either. Probably. The +1 AC/saves form Balduran is nice, but not the end of the world. Charm protection can come from everywhere. And elemental resist - how about I'll just buy all the protection scrolls this time? Sure, it's not a passive bonus, but oh well!
Lastly the boots: I'm sofed up with Boots of Speed, ok? I'm bored dead with that. And as that only gives walking speed (ok, 0.5 attack as well... Because of bug, I assume - is that fixed in EE?), it doesn't exactly breaking my combat potential. I think.

So the extra lacks are not even that big of a factor. Heck, when I started I thought it'll be balanced against a Kensai. Didn't notice how dependent you are from wands in BG1. And potions. Actualy, the fight against the doppelgangers in the palace was even easier than with a bard (probably thx for the massive amount of HP and fighter thac0,despite a bard drinking like 5 potions there to buff up).

---------

In case I made a miscalculation, pardon me a rant on weapon classes:
- won't mention some, no twohanded for starter, as want two weapon style as trademark (more hit -> more miscast magic stack).Also, something which can give occasional ability offhand like negative plane prot is not woirth point.
- bastard swords:the only interesting one is what makes you immun to poison, so not a long term stuff. EDIT: this sword is unavailable for Wizard Slayer.
- scimitar/wakizashi/ninja to: there's belm/scarlet ninja to for APR, and spectral brand for thac0. But maybe as a fighter I won't need thac0? Simple APR might be fine, but not indisposable, also not that "real" extra ability? Or I just don't hype this weapon class. I hope I won't regret it.Hey,with Greater Whirlwind this should be obsolate anyway.
- short sword: these look more interesting than thought. There is a +APR (kundane), an immunity to hold person (arbane), and avoreen (immun to stun and slow - this is halfling only!). But these are pretty conditional, and piercing dmg, which I already have. Would worth picking this weapon class at the start instead of daggers.
- axes: there is one which adds +1 to wisdom, in case you fancy enough Keldorn's armor. Axe of Unyielding is here too, gives AC and regeneration and vorpal effect - but I used this once with some character, and wasn't that satisfied.
- flails: of earthaven, although that's more barbarian stuff thananyone else's. of ages for slowing.
- long swords: there's an immunity to charm (adjatha), an immunity to fear (dragonslayer), a 10% magic resist (of Balduran), and The Answerer.

Maybe I'll regret this, but I'll go long sword main hand, flails offhand.

[twillight]

Quests you fail because of class*:
- Limited Wish Adventure
- The Imprisoned Mage
- not a quest, but worth mention: glasses of identification of course does not function, neither the summoning quick items (berserker warrior of the horn of valhalla, efreeti bottle, spider figurine, golem manual and obviously any other), book of infinite spells
**lich in the Gate District
**Kangaxx
**Rogue Stone Doorway
***the Unseeing Eye can only be done BEFORE leaving Athkatla, and ONLY IF the character has Heal Light Wound baalspawn ability.

*Most of these shouldn't matter, as the 8 million exp limit is not diminished if ToB is installed.
**quests behind locks of high STR to bash. These can only be done during the last act, where you can transform to the Slayer, or with high enough level Draw Upon Holy Might casting (baalspawn ability) and enough base strength. DUHM only gives maximum +6 to your stats, which means you need 18+ basic STR on your character. Halflings start with 17 STR, and can't acess the STR Tome, so their only chance is to pass the Chromatic Demon and get the bonus from the Machine of Lum or Deck of Many Things. But if the class description is followed hardcore, then you don't use helms, and you'd need access to Vhailor's Helm's simulacrum to have a chance. Crom Faeyr also works.

After doing fast quests, decided to start Nalia's Keep - but there's the problem of trolls. Ok, the captain there gives somefire arrows, and with fighter thac0 you have no problem using any bow for mercykilling, I'd still feel more comfortable with a melee fire/acid weapon. While the De'Arnise Keep provide one (that flail), didnot felt satisfying enough, so went to Trademeet instead.
Could outsmart Wilfred there with my 10 WIS, but first at arrival got Mrs Cragmore's goons. Thought somehow the random encounter followed me :D They massacred the guards, but who cares.

For the De'Arnise Hold: don't forget that whatever is not on you when you take over the keep (by talking to Nalia) is LOST FOR GOOD wether on the ground or in containers. The best stuff should be enough though. Still, do NOT PICK UP anything you don't take as essential I assume to circumgo this.

For Planar Sphere: I suggest bringing a scrll of fire prot, and if you didn't already, buy Sling ofEverard. Ranged attack is a must at a point, and this damages adamantite golems from safe distance.

For Umar Hills Temple Ruins: kill Mazzy and take her sword. As I found Stun being the bane of the place, it makes a good offhand weapon against liches and the shadow lord.
Also, don't forget you'll (likely) encounter greater mumies, which require +3 weapons to hit,while at this point your main weapon is likely the +2 Adjatha.
Note on Adjatha the drkiner: seems your own magic resist gets in its healing's way.
Note on Flame Tongue: depsite everything telling otherwise it does NOT deal (additional) fire damage.
Note on Dragonsalyer (as I list weapons here): it only regenerates you real time, not in-game time. So don't expect being regenerate by sleeping or traveling.

For the Unseeing Eye:
at clvl 26 managed to pass the beholders here. Adjata sword + of Balduran sword. Cast mirror image from sword. Cast DUHM. Cast speed from sword. Wait 3 tick so when reaching there immediately can cast GWW. Use 5 GWW, aim first the beholders, next the gauth, then anything else. Do NOT try to do anything else but whck until all "beholders" are down!
Also, do not forget this place is full of leveldrain traps and monsters, so stick to Mace of Disruption in the offhand.
Oh, and the lich here is pretty nasty. Seems it has 3 contignency on it, all casting prot from magic weapons. This is annoying. I suggest first running away to avoid its timestop, and not going back until its flame aura dissipates too.

For Shadow Dragon:
- precast DUHM, hardiness, protection from acid, speed. Run to the beast and start whacking. Wear Mace of Disruption + Dragonslayer Sword.
- it should wingflap, and cast protection from magic weapons. You can't do anything with this, and it'll even blind you, thus can't hit it. This time just drink potions (ca. 2 rounds).
- start whacking it with whirlwind. It'll probably wiingflap you again, exausting its wingflap memorizations. Continue with greater whirlwind.
- hope you won't be hit by chaos.
- profit.

Dealing with Firkraag: surprisingly easier. Get Dragonslayer in main hand, whatever offhand. Precast prot from fire, mirror image, haste, hardiness, DUHM, and it's done. Keep the papers and roleplay that you say the dragon killed the landlord, you killed the dragon, so you claim the land.

Some math for helaing:
- selling healing potion does not worth it
- basic healing potions don't heal you enough in battle. Use them in long quests instead.
- healing spells get more costly per HP healed, so stick to the smallest of the spell while at the beginning of the game where you want to buy stuff from shops. Get Heal (the palm icon it has) when you miss 120+ HP though, at that point thatgets cheapest per HP regained.
- as you'll get healed by spells, use DUHM whenever you feel like it, don't wait until sleep unless far from healers.

On Keldorn/Valygararmor: Wizard Slayer can't use them, even if meets the stat requirements.

On the Stronghold: as it has 8 bloody event, each happening ca. 1 per week, you have to spend bloody lot of time somehow. So don't hold back, and hop away selling your stuff, leaving the Shadow Dragon for later and so on.

[twillight]

See, you can write whatever you want. But people do factcheck on your claims at times, and then you get into trouble.

I found this link (http://blackstrider.net/Archive_Forum_Bioware/bg1-full/baldurs-gate-1-no-reload-challenge_page-1/forum.bioware.com/topic/124374-baldurs-gate-1-no-reload-challenge/page-409.html) (oh howI have the beamdogs forum being filled witharrogant trolls, bulklies and cheaters!).
Let's go through the claims,shall we?

- The posts are NOT useful. Saying something like "Progress has been mainly standard - Shoal to get level 3, Beregost tasks level 4, basilisks level 5 & 6." is anything but informative.
And I doubt that amount of exp can come at that point, though basilisks do give hugh exp...Still would welcome DETAILS to measure.
- "He's [the character] just finished in the lighthouse area."- Ye? You weren't even in theNashkel Mines, and already doing the Syrens? Huh!
- And don1t forget this: "basilisks level 5 & 6. To get an extra scroll of magic protection compared to my last wizard slayer attempt Augur also killed Bentan" - the post is obviously entirely fictional,as Protection From Magic scrolls do NOT save you from basilisk gaze. Only Protection From Petrification does.
- "He's just finished in the lighthouse area. Once again there the first group managed to confuse him" - see, syrens don't confuse you. They CHARM you. And if that hits you, that's instant game over. And as this supposed to be a no-reload playthrough... I caught you pants down.
- "Before going to the Nashkel mine Augur bought some full plate." - why? Why not use the Ankegh Plate whatyou find in Nashkel? That's better in every aspect you know (AC of a full plate, weight is almost nothing). I tell you why: the guy never played the game, gathers his information from walkthroughs and wikis!
- Oh, and supposedly this character never drank asingle healing potion. My ass. That's pure and simple: impossible.
- "both of them managed to cast disabling spells despite being hit and Augur had to run off the map to avoid having to save" - that'snot how the game works. For starter, wizard slayer in the UNMODDED game can't cause its classspecific miscast magic with ranged weapons.
- "Augur was successful in pulling the guards away without alerting Hareishan and moved down to Daveorn. He stranded the battle horrors upstairs" - that's not how the game works. Also, doing so is unnecessary, those things can be delt with in melee one-by-one.
- "For once I didn't bother with wisdom. but wanted intelligence as something that could be given up in the dream sequence." - that's again stupid. Even if you have 3 WIS you should sacrifice THAT instead of anything, because WIS is only good if you're have divine magic, while intelligence is precious because of illithids.
- "After picking up the Helm of Balduran Augur attacked the Iron Throne." - I bet he used Claw/Horn of Kazgaroth too.
- " Inside, he triggered the lightning traps and then rested." - problem is, those traps remain there infinite despite being triggered. So what was the point?
- "He took just a couple of shots to dispel Sarevok". While this works, is definitely Abusing Lazy Programing. Sarevok's speed is implemented as infinite length haste is cast upon him, but is definitely intended as being feature, as the haste effect is never shown activated, thus dispeling it is abusing the engine.
-Also, please note we have no idea about the character's level, or equipment at this point.

So the story not just seems fictional, doesn't even give ideas aside how to abuse the engine to beat Sarevok.

BG2 part (http://blackstrider.net/Archive_Forum_Bioware/bg2-full/baldurs-gate-2-no-reload-challenge/forum.bioware.com/topic/124277-baldurs-gate-2-no-reload-challenge/page-355.html):
- "A couple of arrows of explosion found in a random drop" - but exploding arrows are not present as random loot!
- "Augur returned to Athkatla to sell some things a couple of times during that (I'm not allowing him the use of a bag of holding)" - pal, when yoou wrote this you didn't go to Spellhold!
- "Torgal's giant troll companions were also pulled away separately for easy disposal before Ras occupied Torgal" - sorry, but Torgal (De'arnise Keep boss)is further ahead of his troops, thus HE is the one who canbe pulled away!
- "There was another potentially fatal moment when Augur went through the FoD trap (I decided it was better to risk the 5% failure on this than use one of the 2 scrolls of magic protection)." - but the guy ALREADY USED UP against the Trademeet genies!:
"decided to go after the genies at Trademeet. However, despite his green scroll protection, Taquee proved a handful on his own (hitting with every attack) and Augur was forced to make a run for the edge of the map - Taquee's haste allowed him to get one more hit on the way to almost finish Augur off before he could exit. Back in Athkatla he bought the Fortress Shield (offering 2 better AC than the Reflection Shield he already had) and returned to Trademeet. With DUHM he got his AC down to -9 and this time Taquee luck was reversed - failing to hit at all. After another green scroll Augur went inside the tent"
- "he's just been stripped of his Bhaal powers and lost a point of intelligence" - this is just a dumb moment. No melee character chooses to loose intelligence. We loose wisdom.
- " However, although he couldn't get some tokens, he still had enough for the boots protecting against cold and lightning (which was all he wanted anyway)." - but why bother with the tokens? You can friggin buy Boots of Grounding (in theory not allowed, but this character did not bother tostick to the rules) from the Temple District (or Fighter Stronghold!).
- "Lonk died before he could buff " - but why attacked the character at all? Ina no-reload game you wouldn't take any risk. That's why the guy played total boring: cast simulacrum from Vhailor's Helm -> sleep -> repeat. So?
- " Augur moved on to confront Irenicus. An opening GWW with the throwing hammer effectively killed him, but his script kept him going until after Wanev's time stop" - you can't kill the Endboss in the middle of the game, moron! Everyone knows you just step back (after killing your clown) there and don't waste resources! (potentialy heal up by potions)
- "After giving the king the false heart he GWW'd him and his guards before the prince could arrive (level 33 - GWW). It was then the prince's turn before Augur took the rope and descended to the Underdark." - again, why do this in a no-reload game? Why take extra risks? As you have to clear the Prince's cohorts anyway nice and clean, why not just kill the prince?
- "After resting, Augur + simmy used GWWs on the balor threatening the svirfneblin village." - why bother with the balor, again? Just kill the dwarves. They are much easier opponents.
- "He then invaded the beholder nest just far enough to get an elder orb eyestalk." - now this is just moronic. Those things can imprison you. Go against the kuo-toas.
- "He reported to Adalon and she helped clear a path out of the Underdark. That was actually another error as I had intended to kill her and thought she would reappear in her cave. It seems that getting the Human Flesh Armour is no longer possible" - this is just dumbfuck on the square. He's doinga good-alignment character, thus can't use Human Flesh at all. Also plays Wizard Slayer (reportedly clvl 35 at this point), which has NO USE of this piece of equipment! In a no-reload game, wanting to fight a most dengerous enemy. Forno gain. Stupid, stupid, walkthrough-based fanfiction writer, not actual player!
- "Azuredge got another good workout at the vampire guild, although Augur did get drained once and had to use a scroll of restoration." - whathappened with Mace of Disruption +2, one must wonder.
- "With relatively poor AC and very limited regeneration Augur found Suldanesselar rather heavier going than most of my characters. " - strange, but I had no problem at all. Any human-size golems die from Crom Faeyr, raaksashas are mostly casters, you can climb stairs to avoid adamantite/iron golems... AC is not an issue there.
- "Augur got his 40th (and last) level there. Taking GWW gave him a total of 3 hardinesses" - sounds problematic. You're waaay better off with 5 hardiness: 1 for each phase of Melissan, and 1 extra against the Final Seal.
- "At the temple I couldn't resist fighting rather than just putting things on the altar. " - that's a VERY risky move right there. Even with bow specialisation and Boots of Speed (abusing content of course thatis), that place is crowded with enemies.
- "+10 MR (required to get 100% MR now that Human Flesh Armour has gone" - no its not, and would you please stop crying for that overrated armor?
- "+15 HPs (a close decision there, but I decided that having Blackrazor was more important than improved saving throws" - so he used a version where that sword worked. Strange, I thought "
Grond0, good luck with your Wizard Slayer, so far you've been doing fine http://blackstrider.net/Archive_Forum_Bioware/bg1-full/baldurs-gate-1-no-reload-challenge_page-1/lvlt.forum.bioware.com/public/style_emoticons/default/smile.png Are you using the vanilla version?

Essentially yes, though I've got the Fixpack tweak that allows ranged as well as melee weapons to trigger spell failure." But in the vanilla game Blackrazor's abilities simply don't work!

- "+2 strength" - you mean +3 STR? Or you're that dumb for real?
- "Arriving in ToB Augur immediately found a big bonus in that he could equip the Amulet of Seldarine. I'm not sure if that was intended by developers or not, but will wear it anyway - that now gets MR above 100% without the need for equipping a weapon." - agan, is there a realdifference between 99% and 100%? Also, as he was into shields, why not just use the +5% MR shield when fighting spellcasters?
- "In Saradush, Augur didn't bother with any of the side quests, but just arranged a date in the prison with a bunch of vampires (as you do). " - why mess with those?
- "Using Blackrazor on some orcs and orogs got Augur a strength bonus - which allowed him to open the chest with F'lar's scabbard. In the palace, the first group of enemies were easily meleed; a first use of Crom Faeyr" - this guy was realy that forgetful? Or just wrote to get attention? Sure, STR-boost sounds cool from Blackrazor - BUT WHY BOTHER?
- "Augur improved Foebane and rested before coming back for Gromnir." - seriously, what are this guy's proficiencies? I think he had 5 points in bows, axes, hammers, and even a point in twohanded swords? But then later claimed he had no point there... Oh, what do we expect at this point?
- "Improved Foebane got a first workout against some soldiers on the way to Yaga-Shura's home - Augur getting up to 375 HPs there" - WTF? FOUR HUNDRED HPS? Look, I rolled maximum HP at levels, have 1 less CON, but am nowhere to this! This is 100-150 point more than possible (I have 225 max HP at top level)!
- "Moving on to the Fire Giant temple,... Augur just continued on his own - crushing and fire resistance over 100%" - HOW THE NINE HECK? Ok, I assume Fire Dragon Armor 50% + scroll 50%, 50% Roranach's Horn, 50% hardiness... Wait! I remember! I tried this with my barbarian! Turned out BECAUSE OF BAD CODING the giants actualy do piercing damage or shit, so you get hurt big time if you try this! This is what you get when someone writes fanfiction out of a walkthrough instead playing the game!
- "Augur hadn't brought along a normal weapon, so just pummeled the magic golem unconscious with his fists and left it." - yeah, sure.
- " Augur dug the Wave out of his backpack for the first time to use on Imix." - why bother with the fight? Nothing to gain from it!
- "switching to Blackrazor (for the level drain) made a nasty mess of Yaga-Shura" - not to mess with people, but the bosses in ToB, or otherwise are not coming with hardcoded stats/immun to leveldrain?
- "Having had a pretty easy time of it to here I underestimated Ogremoch and approached with no buffs or summons" - says the guy who sends simulacrum aganst goblins. Sure.
- "However, Augur managed to slam a door on him and waited for Blackrazor to regenerate his HPs." - look pal, your HP is regenerate even by CON. And wouldn't a sane person just hop to Pocket Plane for a sleep?
- "Then, with Roranach's Horn, hardiness, stoneskins, Defender of Easthaven and GWWs he" why not add Mirror Image to the equation? Even more safe.
- "After another rest, it was time to confront Sendai. His simmy helped kill the first 3 statues, but then died (largely as a result of banging against fire shields as I foolishly hadn't given him a ranged weapon option)." - who cares? Hop to the Ppocket Plane for a good sleep!
- "Balthazar once more failed to slow an opponent and he recovered from near death by stunning Augur and then healing himself." - and then the player died, because Stun-druration is 60 seconds or something, any attack during it is automatic success, and we're talking about Blathazar "trying" to hit you.
- " However, he was now down to 9 GWWs - and as I was checking that I mis-clicked and he was down to 8!" - oh, the tension! How the fuck did this actualy happen? Misclick my arse.
- "For the final combat with Mel he had earth elementals on his side (having used all the fire ones)" - the sheer impossibility here. You get 1 earth elemental per sleep in case you didn't know.


"and realising that perhaps he could have done with the Girdle of Frost Giant strength in order to make Crom Faeyr"