View source for Some thoughts after starting the game over - ID: 1465

==== FORUM: [[Gossip - The rusty dagger tavern]] ====
'''This topic was started by Visstar on 17/02/2017, 20:18:06'''

<div class="postinfo">Post by Visstar on 17/02/2017, 20:18:06</div>

My iPad crashed and apparently my last backup was corrupted, so after I restored the iPad and re-installed Silversword (of course!) I had to start from scratch. What a blast! I had forgotten how good this game is!  :D <br/>
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As an example, I am seeing a lot of details I missed the first time through, or didn't understand, such as the note in the tower reading "T e  sa ctu  o  th  sca e" which made no sense the first time through, but having finished once before, makes perfect sense. I'm also taking things a lot slower, and building up my party's strength so I'm not always on the verge of disaster everywhere I go.<br/>
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I have noticed a couple of bugs, as you can see in the attached screen shots. In the first one, the game no longer seems to list the levels of the characters who managed the "Boss Kills." The first time through, we were all level 8 when we killed the orc chief. This time we were 10-11. Also, in both screen shots, what I think should be the game score is now listed as <B>'''(null)'''</B>.<br/>

<ATTACHMENT filename="IMG_0003.jpg" index="0">[attachment=0]IMG_0003.jpg[/attachment]</ATTACHMENT>

In the second one, as in the first one, the game score is (null). This should be the latest version of the game, 2.58.<br/>

<ATTACHMENT filename="IMG_0004.jpg" index="1">[attachment=1]IMG_0004.jpg[/attachment]</ATTACHMENT>

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<div class="postinfo">Post by icetear on 17/02/2017, 20:56:09</div>

oh no. Very sorry for these bugs. I have to fix them asap - thanks for pointing me to it!<br/>
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kind regards<br/>
Mario

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<div class="postinfo">Post by Visstar on 22/02/2017, 19:33:28</div>

Here's another one I noticed. Not a big deal, but if you're fixing things .... <br/>
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The trail south of Savage Crossing dead ends with the message "The futher passage is not possible." This should read <span style="color:#FFFF00">"Further passage is not possible."</span><br/>

<ATTACHMENT filename="IMG_0006.jpg" index="0">[attachment=0]IMG_0006.jpg[/attachment]</ATTACHMENT>

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<div class="postinfo">Post by Visstar on 22/02/2017, 20:02:03</div>

P.S. My characters are up to level 20 and we've made it to the Tarasz Passage and we've found exactly one ruby (in a chest in the swamp, I think). No random drops at all, even in the area around the castle where they are supposed to be more common. The game seems to be a lot more stingy with decent armor this time around, too. My main fighter still has plate armor! I have a number of runes but hate attaching them to junky old stuff. I was hoping to find some better stuff to enchant, but so far very little. Hopefully in the passage. I'd hate to go into Annsharbour without better protection.  :cry:

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<div class="postinfo">Post by icetear on 22/02/2017, 21:38:07</div>

Corrected the typo, thank you!<br/>
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As for drops... the rarity is intended. After playing through the game for 6-7 times without any cheating and without addition gold from IAPs, I can say that the rate with which you can improve your gear is exactly as I want it to.<br/>
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I don't want to improve the drop rate or chances, perhaps another approach to the item problem might solve this. But I don't have the breaking idea yet :-/<br/>
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kind regards<br/>
Mario

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<div class="postinfo">Post by Visstar on 23/02/2017, 16:21:13</div>

I'm not complaining, just observing that the game isn't the same from one play to another. That's as you'd expect and hope for. Another quirk is that two basically identical characters have developed differently -- last time, the barbarian warrior had significantly more HP than the paladin, and this time it's the reverse. Not a problem, just the way the dice fall.  ;) <br/>
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I am going to have real problems if I don't find more rubies, though. I think I had four at this point last time through, and this time only one. I still have the sewers, Paradosa, and the Dwarven Mines to visit, of course.<br/>
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BTW as I replayed, I was reminded of my difficulty in reading some of the maps. E.g. in the Grave Mound you can barely see the difference between where there is a wall and where there isn't. (Example below.) It's not worth redrawing a lot of old maps, but something to keep in mind if you create new ones.<br/>

<ATTACHMENT filename="IMG_0007.jpg" index="0">[attachment=0]IMG_0007.jpg[/attachment]</ATTACHMENT>

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<div class="postinfo">Post by icetear on 23/02/2017, 16:23:24</div>

the walls should be visible - sorry for the bug.<br/>
I will fix that in the next version!<br/>
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kind regards<br/>
Mario

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<div class="postinfo">Post by icetear on 23/02/2017, 16:32:36</div>

ah sorry I think I've misunderstood you.<br/>
The walls are visible, but they are painted in red.<br/>
I could give them another colour if you think this is too difficult to see.<br/>
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kind regards<br/>
Mario

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<div class="postinfo">Post by Visstar on 23/02/2017, 20:20:17</div>

That's exactly what I meant -- sorry for being unclear. It's a combination of wall color and floor color: the red walls are OK in Inferno, because they are on a white background, and the black walls in most mazes, like the Tarasz Passage, are perfect. But red walls on a textured grey background are hard to see. Again, it's not critical, just something to keep in mind when designing new areas.

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<div class="postinfo">Post by Visstar on 24/02/2017, 17:35:04</div>

Here's another odd thing. I can't find a way into the blank area in the upper left of the Tarasz Passage (see attached). I know there's stuff there, since I can see it over the water and broken walls. Is this by design, or am I missing something?<br/>
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I highlighted in red the walls that I ran into with an <I>''Ouch!''</I> message and which got mapped. The unmapped walls at the top (#1) produce <I>''Ouch!''</I> messages with you try to move through them going southward from the far southern end of the maze. Down there <B>'''<U><u>the walls appear solid, but they never get mapped!</u></U>'''</B> I was able to try the wall in the water by walking across the water from #2, which appears to be the only place you can get into the water. (Strangely, from here you can walk anywhere on the water, even places where "the strong current makes it impossible," but you get an <I>''Ouch!''</I> message trying to get back onto solid ground anywhere except #2.)<br/>

<ATTACHMENT filename="Tarasz_Passage_2.jpg" index="0">[attachment=0]Tarasz_Passage_2.jpg[/attachment]</ATTACHMENT>

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<div class="postinfo">Post by Visstar on 17/03/2017, 18:23:50</div>

I have finished my replay, and enjoyed it just as much the second time through! I finished with 14 rubies, so I'll be able to go on to the expansion. One strange thing I noticed, though: last time I purchased the expansion long after defeating Maruziel, but this time, I restored the purchase before that and started finding strange things like apples and ginseng in treasure chests. I assume those are part of the expansion, like finding chanterelle mushrooms in mushroom rings where they did not exist before. I have a fair quantity of food in my bank vault now, so I'll have to start reading up on Alchemy.  :) <br/>
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Thanks for the great and wondrous adventure!

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<div class="postinfo">Post by Wascalwywabbit on 23/03/2017, 09:06:49</div>

Ginsng is for alchemy (I made a guide on here a while back on how to jump start your alchemy adventuring) and apples are a tempory dex boost, so faster attack priority and better ac while active I think.

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<div class="postinfo">Post by Visstar on 23/03/2017, 15:06:35</div>

<div class="quote"><b>Quote from Author: Wascalwywabbit</b><br>Ginsng is for alchemy (I made a guide on here a while back on how to jump start your alchemy adventuring) and apples are a tempory dex boost, so faster attack priority and better ac while active I think.</div>

Thanks, WW. The apples, fairy cakes, etc., are interesting, and I can see how they might be of some use when you know you'll be in many difficult fights, as is happening to me in Dunkelloch right now. But having to remember to equip and unequip them is a pain. <br/>
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I'm experimenting a little with alchemy, so I'll read your guide. At first, I thought it would be very useful to be able to cure poison, etc., but carrying around all those ingredients is a pain. In the case of curing poison, e.g., it's just as efficient carrying around one flask of antidote with five uses, rather than five cloves of garlic. But it may turn out to be more useful than it looks.

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<div class="postinfo">Post by Wascalwywabbit on 24/03/2017, 02:26:36</div>

<div class="quote"><b>Quote from Author: Visstar</b><br>I'm experimenting a little with alchemy, so I'll read your guide. At first, I thought it would be very useful to be able to cure poison, etc., but carrying around all those ingredients is a pain. In the case of curing poison, e.g., it's just as efficient carrying around one flask of antidote with five uses, rather than five cloves of garlic. But it may turn out to be more useful than it looks.</div>

Unless it has changed since I last played much, the garlic stacks so it only takes one inventory slot if you have 99, and it's definitely worth buying them in the shop as suggested in the guide since drops are way less frequent than is really needed for alchemy ingredients if used regularly...

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<div class="postinfo">Post by Visstar on 24/03/2017, 14:25:21</div>

<div class="quote"><b>Quote from Author: Wascalwywabbit</b><br>garlic stacks so it only takes one inventory slot if you have 99, and it's definitely worth buying them in the shop as suggested in the guide since drops are way less frequent than is really needed </div>

Garlic still stacks. I'm trying it out now. And you're right, I'll have to buy some next time I'm in the sewers or Savage Crossing. I only had five cloves in the bank.

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<div class="postinfo">Post by Visstar on 30/11/2017, 16:15:08</div>

So, I started the game over again, just for kicks. (Partly I wanted to try out a hunter, too.) I'm getting much better drops than the last time, I think. Better armor, more gems, etc. Interesting how the game changes and evolves differently each time.<br/>
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I'm level 7, revisiting the castle tower and tunnels, strengthening a newly added first level warrior so we can go to the Forgotten Crypt, so I'm a loooong way from the swamps, but I'm curious if anyone has solved the mystery of the unreachable area in the Tarasz Passage yet. (See map above.)

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<div class="postinfo">Post by Visstar on 11/12/2017, 16:49:21</div>

I'm on my third play of the game, and am in the swamps, wondering if there is any update on the inaccessible part of the Tarasz Passage described above. Is it just a tease, or is there some way of getting in there that I missed?<br/>
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Also, the (null) problem is still with us when looking at Kills and Game score/status. Not a big deal at this point, of course, nut icetear thought he had fixed it....<br/>
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And once again the game has evolved differently. The first time, I went into Annsharbour with OK equipment and several rubies and diamonds. The second play through, I was panicking because I was heading in with terrible armor and only a couple of rubies. This time I already have 14 rubies and 10 diamonds! My armor is OK and I already have a shield ring, two rings of power, and a sorcerer's hood! In other words, as stingy as the game was last play through, it's as generous this time.<br/>
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A few random thoughts:<br/>
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After graduating from the Road to Castle Cranbourgh, I immediately headed east, and went on until someone said "We can't leave now, the arms master needs us!" Huh? First I heard of it. There was simply no clue that I should go to the watch tower, find it locked, and then back to the arms master. Or did I miss something?<br/>
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Savage Crossing is still kind of confusing for a new adventurer. The only clue you get is to head east, where you meet Gwyddon, who tells you to retrieve the holy sickle and nags you until you do. But most people reaching Savage Crossing are not remotely strong enough to do so, and there's no real way to know what to do next. In fact, if you didn't think to ignore him and go further east, you wouldn't find Druid's Grove, possibly an essential step before attempting either the burial mound or the bandit's cave. And boy is it annoying to reach a crucial point in the mound only to learn that you have to leave and go past Gwyddon in seach of a clue in the deeper forest! But at least it's a clue....<br/>
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High Priest Jacob Sprenger was nasty, but aside from him killing one of my characters with a single blow, the encounter was a bit of a letdown. Also, I would have thought there would be something interesting in his lair, too, but there wasn't. It was completely empty! I did look him up on wikipedia, though, and he was of some importance in the religious history of Germany. I could see him personally burning some innocent people at the stake in the public killing area east of his lair.<br/>
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And upon entering the swamps, my bard told me that the swamps used to be suburbs until "evil forces unleashed the elements."  AHA!!  I completely missed that bit the first TWO TIMES I played. It's an essential bit of information later on. That'll teach us to pay attention as we're exploring.  :)

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<div class="postinfo">Post by Makarios on 12/12/2017, 00:17:56</div>

Greetings Visstar,<br/>
Nice to see another traveler through this realm (even if it is your third time) I am currently exploring the area around Savage Crossing at the moment and, while there doesn't seem to be a lot of guidance at this point, I think that I have found out where most everything is by diligently checking every spot and listening to any advice my bard or rogue might have for me.  This is how I found the secret path to the druids grove although I'm not sure there is much I can do there at this point - something about me being a heretic.  Right now, the bandit's cave seems to be a great place to strengthen my party and fill up my coffers.  I was planning on heading to the burial mound next but you suggested that I head to the druids grove first?  Clues in game are bit a cryptic (which I am okay with) but I hope I'm not missing out on something obvious either.  In the meantime, I keep exploring whatever areas my party is strong enough to traverse.  <br/>
Happy hunting!<br/>
<br/>
Makarios

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<div class="postinfo">Post by Visstar on 12/12/2017, 15:56:37</div>

Bandit's Cave is the best farming, but it's also pretty dangerous. Druid's Grove offers a middle ground: less points, but also less risk, and bonus points for finding creeper sap. Creeper sap got me enough points to finish the burial mound.  8-) <br/>
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You are locked out of the temple in Druid's Grove until Dwyddon chooses to let you in.<br/>

<div class="spoiler">When you get the Holy Sickle, he takes it from you in exchange for a Druid Stone which will get you in to the temple.</div>

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<div class="postinfo">Post by Visstar on 12/12/2017, 16:18:41</div>

P.S.  Druid's Grove has the nice benefit of giving you three spell points at a time in the sunlight instead of the usual one. Levitating over the water there is a great place to rest and recuperate.

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<div class="postinfo">Post by Makarios on 12/12/2017, 19:38:16</div>

Thanks Visstar,<br/>
Some great information!

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<div class="postinfo">Post by Visstar on 12/12/2017, 20:03:42</div>

Enjoy the adventure!  :)

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<div class="postinfo">Post by icetear on 14/12/2017, 11:15:52</div>

Playing it again myself.<br/>
The monk definitely needs an adjustment now. He is just too powerful with the chain attack skill.<br/>
I think I will reduce the chance to about 50% of the actual value.<br/>
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The Hesitation spell should also get an adjustment finally. Due to technical reasons I had to design it to last an entire second combat round - but this gives you too much power in combat. It should really only last the rest of the actual combat round, making it important to have your casters fire it sooner (high dex required).<br/>
This would make the stat food (apples) more important, in addition.<br/>
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kind regards<br/>
Mario

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<div class="postinfo">Post by Visstar on 14/12/2017, 22:14:59</div>

Good thoughts, Mario. I like my super monk, but taking out 20 demon lords at a go does seem a bit much. Don't tweak him too much, though!<br/>
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Same with Hesitation. It's extraordinarily powerful, but don't dilute it too much. Maybe give monsters a saving throw at the start of the second round, rather than have it wear off for everyone at the end of each round?<br/>
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BTW, if you are tweaking, how about fixing your beloved lava so it only gives off damage once per square? As it is now, you can step into a square of lava, take damage, cast Restoration, and immediately take more damage.

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<div class="postinfo">Post by Makarios on 15/12/2017, 19:17:08</div>

After swapping out my melee characters a few times early game I finally settled on the Monk versus the Warrior because of those awesome chain attacks.  Nothing like taking out hordes of enemies to make the fighting go a bit quicker.  I do see how the monk could use a tweak, but I've been having fun with mine.  I love seeing the dedication to this game, thanks!<br/>
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Makarios

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<div class="postinfo">Post by Visstar on 18/12/2017, 17:11:35</div>

Mario, I had a couple of thought about the monk's chained attacks that might be of interest.<br/>
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1. Keep the odds of attacking another opponent the same as it is now, but decrease the <B>'''number of attacks'''</B> available by one or two each time. This way, the monk would have a decreasing chance of killing an opponent each attack.<br/>
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or….<br/>
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2. Change the odds of attacking the next opponent so it is based on how overmatched the opponent is. E.g. if the monster has 100 HP and the monk attacks for 101, there's a kill but it took everything the monk had to do it, so she can't attack another opponent. But if the monk hit for 130, it was an easy kill and she goes on to another opponent.

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<div class="postinfo">Post by Visstar on 11/01/2018, 18:27:05</div>

<div class="quote"><b>Quote from Author: Makarios</b><br>Is there any gear that protects against STUN, or any spell that can "unstun" a party member?  Often my paladin or bard gets stunned at the beginning of the fight and remains so the entire time.  Thanks!</div>

No cure for being stunned that I know of except time. Even splashing healing potion in their faces doesn't bring them around!  :) <br/>
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Do be careful. Stunned characters have less defenses, so although there is no change visible on screen, their AC is much worse. You'll want to finish off an opponent ASAP or cast some sort of magical protection on the stunned party members to prevent further damage.

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<div class="postinfo">Post by Makarios on 10/01/2018, 23:19:03</div>

I've haven't played much since the busy-ness of the holidays but came back just in time to see the latest update.  I just got to Paradosa and I must say that now with the adjustment to the monk, every battle seems a bit more epic.  Still having fun, just can't rely on quickly dispatching 12 curs in one turn.  I do like the change and added challenge though, the monk was quick a bit more powerful than everyone else in that regard.  While I'm here, I do have another question. Is there any gear that protects against STUN, or any spell that can "unstun" a party member?  Often my paladin or bard gets stunned at the beginning of the fight and remains so the entire time.  Thanks!<br/>
<br/>
Makarios

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