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Ultima Underworld 1 - The Stygian Abyss
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my disapointing review stands :(
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RPGDot Forums > Gothic - General

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Teh Engine doesn't suck!

You just cannot compare it to Engine, that are used by 3D-Shooters.

FOr an Example. In Q3 there are only a few thousand polygones displayed at a time, while in gothic there are many time sreally huge amounts of polys (I think maybe up to 50k)
Post Wed Dec 05, 2001 6:57 pm
 
awpti
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Joined: 05 Dec 2001
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Location: Phx, AZ
   

Funny. I'm running at 1600x1200x32bpp on a GF2MX/MX400 w/ 64M Video.. Smooth as can be. Just as smooth as Q3 is with everything cranked at 1600x1200.

Sucks to be you.

-Geoff W.
http://www.awpti.org
Post Wed Dec 05, 2001 7:24 pm
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JemyM
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Joined: 28 Nov 2001
Posts: 753
Location: Sweden
   

Played the game through in 1600x1200x32 max quality everything.
Smooth as butter, great graphics.

Loved the game, loved the controls.

I call this game one of a kind, and it defenitly end up on about 90, downgraded a bit becouse a few minor-minor bugs and that some of the skills are a bit pointless...


This game allowed me a freedom that few other RPG's do. Even if some parts might be considered linear, nothing stops you from exploring on your own, you can run EVERYWHERE you want to and do EVERYTHING you like... =)

In how many games are you able to cook you meal? Forge your weapons? Beat up rude people and get away with it? Play on a lute just for fun?

Everything is useable, even if it doesnt affect the game.

That gave me a feeling I never felt before in any game...

And I followed 'My Path' through the game. I did what I wanted to, and others might make things different... But I did what I felt right, and the game supported me.


I will not compare this game to any other game. It will end up next to my other classic RPG's such as my Black Isle games.

System:
Athlon 1200Mhz
512Mb pc133
GeForce Ti500
Detonator 23.11



Btw: P4 2Ghz with a TNT2 = A Ferrarri with two wheels.


Llama
-----
Baldurs Gate is roleplaying. I roleplayed in it. I did several things according to my character that where not considered to be the "best" of the game, but according to me I only acted as the character I played.

Best Regards
JemyM

Post Fri Dec 07, 2001 11:24 pm
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Llama
High Emperor
High Emperor




Joined: 11 Oct 2001
Posts: 509
Location: Earth
   

It's still rollplaying either way you look at it.

All the IE games were like that except Torment, that was ROLEplaying.
Post Sat Dec 08, 2001 12:18 am
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JemyM
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Joined: 28 Nov 2001
Posts: 753
Location: Sweden
   

Llama
------
Im not following the "just becouse there are lots of dicerolls there cannot be roleplaying" idea. =)

When I played BG2 I played the game as a fanatic cleric that made all the options according to the law. It happened several times that I killed people that I shouldnt kill, just to uphold the law, and I made a few options that was right to the law, but not the best alternative. I was not good. I was bitter and cold, and the rulebook ruled me.

Baldurs Gate allows you to play the character you would like to be. Its role-playing as long as you follow your characters ideals and dont do about everything you can to get more experience and gold.
If you know that an option is 'bad' but it fits your character, then you are roleplaying if you choose that option.

Fallout 2 is still one of a kind when it comes to roleplaying. Its the only game previous to Gothic in wich you have this much freedom, even more. Its a game filled with 'red herrings' (unuseable equipment), you have your free will to do evertyhing you like, go everywhere you want, become ecerything you like. I have played through the game both as a 19y old Ninja and a old scientist.

When comparing Planescape Torment to Fallout 2, they both have advantages. The "make choices, change alignment" thing is great in PT, but in fallout you have 110% freedom of creating the exact character you want to play.

Best Regards
JemyM
Post Sat Dec 08, 2001 1:52 pm
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Saint_Proverbius
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Joined: 08 Dec 2001
Posts: 61
Location: Shady Sands
   

I think he's saying BG is ROLLplaying because there's very little opportunity to carve out an actual role for yourself in the game. There may be side quests, but you're basically drug through the game. It's not very open ended like Fallout, Fallout 2, Arcanum, and Gothic seem to be.
Post Sat Dec 08, 2001 4:30 pm
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propellerhead
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Joined: 08 Dec 2001
Posts: 71
   

His problem is that he purchased a game that will not run a computer. Proof of his misery. The truth is that i build computers that revolve around games.

I dont buy games thinking and praying that it will run on a pc.

I bet you anything he's the type buys packbell, compaq pc, those are junk. Boy I wish people stop complaining and fork out the cash to make there favorite game work properly.

my system.
quad boot pc running winblows xp, win98se, winME, Linux, Running gothic on WinME because it playes better their with no crashes.
All graphics on game are maxed including visibility at 300%

Running Tbird(I feel LIke a FORD MAN)1.2ghz
512ram pc133
7200ata100 hardrive
all drivers(very Important updated)

ohh man, I just realized that I need to update my drivers on xp.....Maybee that is why i get a wierd crash if I do a certain thing

Anyway, this game is super super great and Runs with no problems on Win98se or WINME>>>Runs smoother on those oses anyway cuz xp Winblows xp sucks

[ This Message was edited by: propellerhead on 2001-12-08 11:02 ]
Post Sat Dec 08, 2001 4:54 pm
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Radiance
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Joined: 08 Dec 2001
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I have not played very far into this game however i have played far enough to know that the controls do suck (they are difficult to customize

For instance, the use key cant be seperated from the movement keys leading to all sorts of mixups where you try to pick something up and endup walking over it or some such mess.
You cant use the mouse for anything other then looking around.

and the manual is one of the worst i have seen in years.

The entire manual is 18 pages long. And just about every section within is poorly written and only provides minimal instruction.

The menus also suck.

For instance if you switch from a monster corpse inventory to your inventory which happens to me all the time due to the fact that the controls are direction key driven rather then drag and drop, you cant switch back becuase everytime you try it simply switches to another section of inventory. Thats pretty sloppy.

Let this stand as an open question as well as a comment just in case anyone has figured out how to do it and it was simply one of those things that the manual left out.

For a game that prides itself on allowing you to play as any type of character as was stated on the back of the box, i was frankly amazed that it has NO CHARACTER CREATION SYSTEM WHATSOEVER. You want to play a female character or have brown hair, maybe be a little more thin or thick, or have a beard or a mustache, or a scar maybe? Screw you pal. Your stuck with the blond haired clean shaven lvl 0 "Convict" that they give you, and how exactly did he become a convict in the first place when he has no talent for anything at all? Does your character have any background whatsoever or did he simply materialize out of thin air and get thrown into the colony as a criminal for breaking the law against Strange and unexplainable appearance as well as the law against inappropriately low aptitude for his age.

You would think a 20-25 year old man (judging by his looks at least) growing up in a world racked by war with danger around every corner would have learned at least the rudiments of some kind of magic or weapon or thieving skill or something for survival.

The interface is sloppy. You cant set a defualt camera angle so your pretty much stuch with the behind that behind the back view which has to be the worst possible view for this sort of game that could possibly have been chosen. Becuase of this view, it is difficult to get a feel for the reach of your weapon and very hard to see what your enemy is doing when it is directly in front of you (since you cant see through your body)

There are NO alternate viewing modes. If this game could be played in First person it would be MUCH better.

I hope that i wont continue to find more flaws with this game as beyond that it seems to be a very good concept.

Post Sat Dec 08, 2001 6:19 pm
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Saint_Proverbius
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quote:
You want to play a female character


I don't think a female would have much freedom in the setting, do you? After all, it's a prison colony, and women are nothing more than tribute to the ore barons.

As far as generating a character, it doesn't really seem to matter much, since you start out a generic prisoner with generic stats you build on later. Maybe they could have offered a greater selection of head skins. That would have been nice.

That said, I have to agree with you on the controls. It's really easy to accidently run up to a monster in combat rather than swinging your weapon, which is what you wanted to do.
Post Sat Dec 08, 2001 7:53 pm
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JemyM
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Joined: 28 Nov 2001
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Just a small note:
If you own a P4 2Ghz and use a TNT2 card with it, your computer suck *BIGTIME*.
Its a Porche with two wheels. A really castrated machine...

Unlike popular belief more than 90% of your game-speed is set by your graphiccard, not the CPU. Your CPU is created to deal with mathematic calculations while the graphiccards is specifically created to take care of game-graphics!


TNT2
Arrived: Summer 1998
Separate Graphic Processor: No (Most 3d calculations is made by the CPU)
Speed: Depending on the CPU
Calculations per second: 250 Million, must be "met up" by the CPU
Data per second: 1.2 GigaByte

GeForce 3
Separate Graphic Processor: Yes (Most 3d calculations is not made by the CPU)
Arrived: Summer 2001
Speed: 350Mhz, only used for calculating 3d graphics
Calculations per second: 3,2 Billion
Data per second: 7,36 Gigabyte


Read more about it here:
http://www6.tomshardware.com/cpu/01q1/010130/index.html


Saint_Proverbius
----------------
Its a bit difficult to compare BG to the true artifacts out there, namely Fallout 2 and Planescape Torment... Im still consider BG2 to have more roleplaying options than most of the rest. BG1 not included, that was mostly hack & slash.

Radiance
--------
Once learning how to use the controls you use them as the backside of your hand. Today, I do feel that combat are far more interactive than other games. It does involve skill. Learn how to strafe, when to move back, how to spin around 35%, hit a monster, and then move back again... That is against multiple monsters, with a singled monster, learn how to progress forward after giving a hit, push up monsters against walls and do understand that that extra level in swordfighting do increases your chances in combat.

It took me only a few hours before I could use the use key without problem. Now it feels good. Like learning how to smoke, or drink beer/wine... Its tastes bad first, but then you learn to love it. (even if I dont smoke).

I barely read the manual. According to me, this game doesnt need a manual. The game should be experienced in colour 3d, not black & white pages.

The inventory is also a thing that you learn how to use very quickly. I had little problem with it.

Use + Left/right turn = move 1 object
Use + Left/right strafe = move 10 objects
Use + Shift + Left/Right strafe = move 100 objects.


I havnt seen a game up to date in wich you can choose your facehair. You can change the hair color in BG, but thats the only game I know in wich you can change haircolor. You dont play female since this prison isnt for females. (This is medieval times you know, females doesnt work in mines).
There are several people within the colony that are there becouse of slight mistakes. The smith at the ricefield for example, didnt knew how to hold back his strength and accidently killed a man. He is a blacksmith, not a warrior. This place is for criminals, and you can be a criminal in lots of ways. I would guess that Raven became a criminal for cheating with other peoples money or something like that

With little background (wich you should have in a RPG) its up to you to play the character the way you like it. You could have been a normal peasent you know... Cought when stealing rice from the guards just to survive... Since he didnt have stealing skills, he was quickly cought... Thin and useless for the world you just needed that small amount of food, and now they throw him into prison for it, thoose cruel bastards.

The Camera works wonderfully. Never had ANY problem with it, wich is remarkable, becouse I defenitly seen worser camerapannings. If a enemy is in front of you, he is armed. Good rule. Now you know.

By using the mousewheel you can zoom the camera in and out. I rarely had any use for that option thou since the game fixed that by himself.


Now... it seems like all things you have to say is nothing but a newbies rant. I am convinced, that when you have reached the depth of this game, talked to everyone around the camps and experienced the world, you wont even care about theese things anymore, you will enjoy the game like the rest of us. I also had a bit difficulties with the interface at first, but I have learned how to do it, and In my opionion, I ended the game as the character I wanted to be.


The -ONLY- thing i defenitly miss in this game... And that is something I have difficulties with, is to have quickbuttons for drinking a manapotion/vegetable... =(
Its really difficult to play mage when you have to run away several times during a combat.

Best Regards
JemyM
Post Sat Dec 08, 2001 10:17 pm
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hce_nl
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Joined: 09 Dec 2001
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quote:

On 2001-12-04 15:20, Anonymous wrote:
Game Console games get beta tested properly before they are released because they know there is no way to patch a game after it's released.
As for computer games it seems more and more every day that companies release buggy games for the PC because they think they got a bunch of idiots to pay $50 to beta test their software for them. In return we complain to them about how screwed up the game is and 12 patches later the game works like it should have in the first place.



Consoles have fixed hardware, the developers know exactly if it will work or not.

PC's come in different flavours, not only hardware but also different drivers.

Therefor it's much more difficult to develop something for the PC.

I do agree that some games have lots of problems and are bad, but most games run perfect even if you have to install 1 or 2 patches.
Post Sun Dec 09, 2001 12:33 pm
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Radiance
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Joined: 08 Dec 2001
Posts: 8
   

Uuuughhh.....im sorry....but my annoyance has now progressed to outright burning hatred.

I hate the way all you get when you level up is a few hp and some "skill points" which you can pay a tutor (if you can find one in the thing you want to learn) to upgrade a skill. To bad all the skills cost around 100 ore to learn. I have just over 10. So im lvl 4 and i havent learned a damn thing. (let alone what i actually *want* to learn)

There is no automap (wait there are maps supposedly but they all cost 100s of ore) so im constantly running around trying to find my way to and fro.

There is a guy named Mud that follows me around pestering me. (God i hate that guy). The only way to make him go away is to hit him.

The lowliest armor costs 100s of ore and without armor i get killed in 1-2 hits by the crappiest of enemies (well, i can take out small molerats and scavengers on my own)
Who knows what would happen if i had armor. Knowing this game, likely the exact same thing. I found a dead guard but couldnt take his armor (much to my dismay)

You have to find a bed to rest. The only way i can get back to daytime when its night is to run into somebodies house and hop in their bed. I loiter option would have been nice.

Everything is a puzzle. I feel like im playing some sick cross between Myst and Soul Calibre.

The combat is like an unresponsive sick redition of Soul Calibre (a 3d fighting game for dreamcast with combat 10000% better then the combat in this game). Above all else i hate that. I swing at Horuk and hit nothing but air. He takes a step back and swings at me and takes half my hp. (if i had hit him i would have taken about a 10th of his hp) Or i swing at him but he moves back and my "focus" switches to his little weed bubbler (why you can focus on ambient objects like weed bubblers is as yet unknown)
so my axe passes right through him. (in fact my whole arm passes through him) Whoever created this combat system needs to stick to
Nightmare Creatures (a playstation action game with a combat system reminiscent of the one in this game except a bit more streamlined)

Last (well at least for the present) but certaintly not least, i hate the way no mention of this game was made on gamespot so that when it suddenly appeared in stores all i had to go on was the back of the box (which was quite misleading) and thus was easily duped into spending money on it.

I hate wasting money.




Post Sun Dec 09, 2001 7:42 pm
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Smitiz
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Joined: 04 Dec 2001
Posts: 12
Location: Hungary
   

I think this game is GREAT! I didnt red the manual ( shame on me, but I'm using a ripped version), and I started on my own. I think the combat is great, the story is facinating ( I whould have never guessed, that the sleeper is an Arch-demon ) I have never seen a game with such Immense explorable area and in such beauty! I was just crazy when I saw the first sunrise ))
If anyone says anything bad about this game, its just cuz hes an idiot, who bought this game accidently instead of Lion King.

BTW... I think Baldurs Gate is really a great program But u just cant compare it with Gothic, cuz its not the same category. I think Gothic is a brand new category

So, this is my opinion.

Post Mon Dec 10, 2001 12:24 am
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Llama
High Emperor
High Emperor




Joined: 11 Oct 2001
Posts: 509
Location: Earth
   

quote:
The lowliest armor costs 100s of ore and without armor i get killed in 1-2 hits by the crappiest of enemies (well, i can take out small molerats and scavengers on my own)
Who knows what would happen if i had armor. Knowing this game, likely the exact same thing. I found a dead guard but couldnt take his armor (much to my dismay)


Do you realize you can make swords for ore? Scrape together 40 ore, buy a piece of raw steel, make a sword sell it for 50, buy another piece of steel and pocket the 10 extra ore, make another sword, rinse, repeat. Before you know it you've taken all the ore from the merchants until they restock in a few days. Now you can buy the diggers armor for 500, make more swords, get the 500 ore back and continue onwards.

You have to play the game ya know, it's just not going to give you everything on a silver platter.
Post Mon Dec 10, 2001 12:53 am
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JemyM
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Joined: 28 Nov 2001
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Radiance
--------
Money independency pt:1 - AKA "Too much!"
Get picklock, picklock all chests in old camp

Money independency pt:2 - AKA "Ridicilous!"
Get the hunting skills so you can skin animals etc. The pile of ore will rise quicker than the sun!

Money independency pt:3 - AKA "What the **** do I carry all theese Ore for?"
Beat up people, steal their stuff. They wont hate you for it as long as you dont kill them.

* Buy a map from Graham

* Kill Mud

* Buy Heavy Peasent trousers for the Ore you got for picklocking the chests. (from fisk, he is down by the campfire).

* Things are not easy in the beginning. Later on you will run past thoose animals, since you dont want to waste time with them (You roast a lizard in one hit)

* Dont sleep, eat instead. You find lots of plants around there, get them all.

* This is a RPG. It contains puzzles.

* Dont try to hurt people while you are Level 4. Gather more XP, then return. Makes things more easy. Try again when you are Level 10. You get used to the combat system. Once used to it, youll love it. It really takes skill to be effective, but you also need thoose extra points in strength...

* You have bought one of the best RPG's in existence. Either you talk to everyone in the camps, and reach level 10, then make up your mind, or else, RPG's is not for you...


Smitiz
------
People will kill for spoilers like that. Dont EVER do that again. =(

Best Regards
JemyM
Post Mon Dec 10, 2001 2:11 am
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