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RPGDot Feature: Ultima 5 Lazarus - A Review
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Dhruin
Stranger In A Strange Land
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RPGDot Feature: Ultima 5 Lazarus - A Review
   

Grab your Ankh, gather your reagents and unsheath your sword. We're heading back to Britannia once again to defeat the Shadowlords and rescue the King. Corwin reviews the ambitious and comprehensive U5 Lazarus project that seeks to bring Ultima 5 to life with a modern engine. Here's a snip:<em><blockquote>Now, for those who have never adventured in the land of Britannia, prepare for something different. This is no Diablo clone. While there's plenty of fast, strategic combat which will certainly challenge you and your party, it is not the raison d'etre for the game. You are the Avatar, summoned from Earth to help the people of Britannia when their King, Lord British, disappears during a visit to the Underworld. You can choose to adventure alone, or gather up to five more companions along the way as you follow either the path of virtue or the path of evil. Your choices will affect the world, your companions and the ending of the game. Be warned, stealing a loaf of bread can have potentially dire consequences. Anyway, why steal a loaf when you can bake your own.</em></blockquote>Head <a href="http://www.rpgdot.com/index.php?hsaction=10053&ID=1224">here</a> to read it all.
Post Thu May 25, 2006 11:52 am
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dagonslair
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french beta test starting soon...
   

Great review...

french beta test will start soon.

if you are speaking french, and want to help betatest the french translation, head over the Dagon's Lair http://www.dagonslair.com
Post Thu May 25, 2006 11:55 am
 
dagoo77
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Read the review, but was wondering exactly how is character development/advancement handled in this game.

I'm old enough to have played the original U5 and have fond memories, but I've heretofore not looked into this game as I just assumed that it was necessarily limited to the dumbed down advancement system of original DS (e.g. only four skills, little differentiation between charactersm etc.) which I absolutely hated.
Post Thu May 25, 2006 1:08 pm
 
txa1265
Magister of the Light
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Joined: 13 Apr 2004
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Location: Marlborough, MA USA
   

I completely missed all of these games originally, and have only played a bit of Lazarus so far, but I love the review!

Mike
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Post Thu May 25, 2006 3:08 pm
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ToddMcF2002
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Joined: 10 Jan 2005
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I missed the whole thing too. I downloaded and ran L5 a few months back but didnt really get started.

I think I need a newbie guide. Something to get me started, like a description of the magic system, leveling etc etc. Has that been done?
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Post Thu May 25, 2006 4:35 pm
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TheMadGamer
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Joined: 03 May 2002
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One of the big turn-offs for me with Dungeon Siege was that you pretty much followed a path - there was no feel that there was a huge open world to explore. For example, if you're on a path and venture off that path you can go a little ways into the trees but very quickly you'd hit a barrier of some kind. After a while, you realized that DS didn't have anything really in terms of exploration and discovery - it was pretty much follow this one single path and kill monsters.

Is this changed with Lazerus? Is the mod like the original game where you explore a world? Or does a path lead directly from point A to point B?
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Post Thu May 25, 2006 6:35 pm
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The_Watcher
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Why don't you all try playing it instead of asking stupid questions?

TheMadGamer: Lazarus features a world, like in the original U5.

ToddMcF2002: At most I can suggest reading the manual [PDF], but if you're looking to be spoonfed about the game you're really going to miss out on a lot of fun. Play the game and find out for yourself how it works.
Post Thu May 25, 2006 7:57 pm
 
TheMadGamer
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Joined: 03 May 2002
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quote:
Originally posted by The_Watcher
Why don't you all try playing it instead of asking stupid questions?


What ever happend to, 'the only stupid question is the one you don't ask?'

As for me, with a wife, two very small kids, two dogs, a 60+ hour a week job, and a sick mom that needs continuous care, it's worth it for me to ask a lot of stupid questions and do as much research into a game before I waste even an hour on it just to find out it plays in a way I don't like.

I don't have a whole lot of free hours to play games. So I'd rather just ask anyone who has played a game specific questions so that depending on the answers I can make better choices how I spend my little, but valuable game time and which games I play.

Just downloading and installing a mod as huge as Lazerus would probably eat up an entire play session for me so I definatley don't want to spend time doing that if Lazerus were just another linear path like DS.

Thanks for your answer.
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Post Thu May 25, 2006 9:36 pm
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roqua1
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Good comprehensive review. It almost makes me want to go out and buy DS again.
Post Fri May 26, 2006 1:57 am
 
Melvil
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quote:
Originally posted by TheMadGamer
quote:
Originally posted by The_Watcher
Why don't you all try playing it instead of asking stupid questions?


What ever happend to, 'the only stupid question is the one you don't ask?'

As for me, with a wife, two very small kids, two dogs, a 60+ hour a week job, and a sick mom that needs continuous care, it's worth it for me to ask a lot of stupid questions and do as much research into a game before I waste even an hour on it just to find out it plays in a way I don't like.




Sounds like you should probably give up games altogether bud
Post Fri May 26, 2006 5:57 am
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corwin
On the Razorblade of Life
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To answer the general tone of the questions. The game is as close to the original U5 as the Dungeon Siege engine allows. It is definitely NOT a linear path. You can explore almost anywhere and everywhere. You will have to return to most places many times, unlike DS and everything you remember from DS has been changed; even magic works very differently.

Characters develop through 8 levels. Your Avatar gets his original stats during the Gypsy questioning session at the beginning and after that, only HP's change each level, though new spell levels open and there are trainers to improve your skills. For the NPC's in your party, they too have differing stats and skills. It's basically identical to the original U5. Check out the Lazarus forums, check out the custom mods that have been created for it, and most of all, simply check out the game.
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Post Fri May 26, 2006 6:56 am
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TheMadGamer
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quote:
Originally posted by Melvil
Sounds like you should probably give up games altogether bud


Blasphemy! How can you even call yourself a gamer?
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Post Fri May 26, 2006 3:51 pm
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ghola
City Guard
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Joined: 08 Oct 2002
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quote:
Originally posted by Melvil
Sounds like you should probably give up games altogether bud
Or the wife. Worked for me!
Post Fri May 26, 2006 4:09 pm
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dteowner
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Focus, people, focus...

Sounds like part of the appeal is supposed to be "dropping you in the middle of the ocean and telling you land is somewhere nearby". Increases the sense of freedom and accomplishment. Would that be a fair statement, Corwin?
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Post Fri May 26, 2006 11:34 pm
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corwin
On the Razorblade of Life
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Very much so, my friend!! There is NO handholding in this game, you have to talk to everyone and figure things out for yourself, just like in the real world. You have been transported to the world of Britannia and you have no idea what is going on. YOU have to discover that for yourself and decide what you are going to do about it, if anything. Part of the confusion you personally feel at the start of the game should reflect the same confusion your character is feeling. True Roleplaying in a sense!!
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Post Sat May 27, 2006 5:28 am
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