Category: video games

Let’s Play Quest for Glory II: Trial by Fire Part Two

Day 1: Exploring Exotic Shapier

First, first things let’s see if Ol’ Garcon made it to Shapier safe and sound?

*trinkering*

*hackering*

*some of that old time DOS magicking*

What was the very first thing I did after loading in Perseii? Why, delete those three pesky spaces at the end of his name! The very next thing? Well it is the most important thing you can do in QFG2:

I turned Silly Clowns to ‘On.’ Now we can get started! Jackson was in a new city and that meant all his money was no good here he needed to find a money changer (those people Jesus hated) He asked Abdulla about it

Next was finding out where the Guild hall was:

Danar doesn’t think Abdulla is going to be that helpful! Here is hoping Shameen can help!

When asked about the Money Changer:

the Guild Hall:

The Fountain Plaza:

Okay, so not so much help. That is okay though. ‘Cause in the promotional material Seepgood got from the Shapier Chamber of Commerce was a map. It wasn’t a very good one but it will have to do until he gets a better one. He knows that the Money changer is on Dinar Tarik which is right off of Naufara Darb which is right off the Fountain Plaza which is just north of here! Garcon pats himself down before heading out to make sure he hasn’t lost anything:

As soon as Perseii leaves the Katta’s Tail he’s assailed by street vendors:

Ali Chica seems especially keen to let the hero know about his wares. Annoying as he may be a map and compass would be helpful.

Maybe he won’t notice the funny money? Gold is gold, right?

Continue reading “Let’s Play Quest for Glory II: Trial by Fire Part Two”

Not a Review: Borderlands

Gearbox Software's Borderlands (2009)

I used to love first person shooters (FPSs). I think there was a stretch of a few years in my life where there were the only type of game I was playing: Qauke 2, Unreal, Half-life, Unreal Tournament , Quake 3. Even before FPSs went 3d I routinely played through DOOM,  DOOM 2, and Heretic. At some point though FPSs started changing, they started taking themselves too seriously, perhaps? This is probably Half-Life’s fault, with the the Call of Duty and Halo franchises being responsible for carrying it forward, poorly. Too much focus on (a crappy) story line and attempting to portray a real world-setting didn’t set well with me.  Neither did all the limitations designers started putting on the player: two weapons only, generic ammo, a non-numeric life-bar now accompanied by a non-numeric recharging energy or shield bar. The move towards recharging health and limits on weapons also meant that managing health and ammo was no longer part of the game. Ammo was picked up from fallen enemies and levels changed so that ammo dumps and arsenals were no longer part of the game, some how this also translated into the removal of secret areas on the map as well. Levels were no longer part of the puzzle to be solved merely the background canvas on which the player painted murder. As these changes were implemented and the focus moved increasingly from single player to on-line multi-player  I found myself wandering away from the genre… *rant off*

I don’t quite recall how Borderlands caught my attention in 2009. Perhaps, it was the touted ‘loot’ system so similar to how Diablo and Diablo 2 distributed weapons and armor? Or maybe I picked it up on the recommendation of friends over at Talking Time (I’m sure it was the latter.) I picked the game up hopeful that my fondness for the genre could be rekindled but prepared to be disappointed. As I had been with Call of Duty: Modern Warfare (a franchise that now embodies everything I’m not looking for in an FPS.) Borderlands is a delightfully dark and playful FPS, much as its early progenitors were, in which you explore an alien planet with a Western ethic. This world is large populated by monsters, thugs, bandits, frontiersmen and contains a surprising number of secrets. Tasked with finding and unlocking a legendary treasure trove, players will have at their disposal an near infinite variety of small and large arms. There are seven types of guns one can use but they all have modifiers of quality and elemental damage, as well as stat and to-hit bonuses. I’ve been playing for 20+ hours and I don’t think I’ve seen the same gun twice.

The game succeeds by successfully marrying fast-paced FPS game-play with an inventory/loot system that kept me opening every crate, chest, and locker in the game looking for the next amazing gun. The game does keep many of the now “standard” elements of FPSs, despite them I find myself smiling and looking forward to the sequel that is coming later this year.

 

Let’s Play Quest for Glory II: Trial by Fire Part One

Vital Statistics

Published by Sierra On-Line, Inc.
Developed by Sierra On-Line, Inc.
Released in 1990

Credits

Executive Producer: Ken Williams
Creative Director: William R. Davis Sr.
Producer: Guruka Singh Khalsa
Game Designers: Lori Ann Cole, Corey Cole
Art Designer: Kenn Nishiuye
Lead Programmer: Robert Fischbach
Composers: Mark Seibert, Chris Braymen

Trial by Fire is the sequel to Hero’s Quest: So You Want To Be A Hero. It takes place in the town Shapeir and the desert surrounding it, in a Middle East-like environment. It seems that the powerful elemental spirits have been troubling the Shapeir folk recently. Something, or someone, is behind those troubles. It is the hero’s task to find out what is going on, get acquainted with the many inhabitants of Shapeir, and prove once more that he is worthy of his heroic title.

Like its predecessor, Trial by Fire is a hybrid game that incorporates elements from adventure and role-playing genres. It has a text-based interface, puzzles to solve, inventory items, characters to talk to, as well as pure RPG elements such as character growth system and battles. Player character can be either a fighter, a thief, or a wizard, and can also become a paladin during the course of the game if he follows a strict moral code.

Real-time combat is presented on separate screens and offers more options than the previous title. There are several types of high, mid-level, and low attacks, as well as parrying and dodging. The hero raises his combat proficiency and other skills by fighting enemies, training, and performing various actions that influence the corresponding parameters.

While in interviews the Coles have long claimed that QFG4 is their favorite game in the series, I can understand it is one of my favorite games of all time, fans have always seemed to gravitate towards the this QFG game. Two seems to take the wonderful system found in the first game and make just enough correct tweaks to make the game really, really shine. The most noticeable tweak being a more easily understood and navigable combat system.

Sadly, this game is saddled with a terrible maze city and timed puzzles. Despite that we should be okay.

Many of you commented at the end of the QFG1 LP that I did not max out Garcon’s stats before completing the game. I, incorrectly, stated that was because the game would give us points to catch us up to be speed. I did recall the correct reason though after playing as Garcon for a bit and playing as an old saved perfected character. The reason I don’t do that is because a maxed out beginning character makes many of the skill challenges in this game , as well as the combat, trivial. I find its much more enjoyable to play the game without a maxed character.

Of course, if that is what the people want I know of some way to do just that. A rare drug that can be found by ingesting the venom of a small tropical blue frog…

EDIT: If you want to read the manual you can find it here!

Introductory Videos and Miscellany

Opening Cinematic:

Character Select:

Game Beginning:

Next time I actually play the game!

52 Sketches in 52 Weeks: Lurking Horror Map

Map from The Lurking Horror - Click to Embiggen

I was on an Infocom IF kick for awhile. Drawing maps is a must! This also originally appeared at Mapstalgia.

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