Or, put 2 of them in the chest in the Rapax Away Camp, leave, come back, and find the chest gone. (I don't know if it's necessary to actually leave, or if saving and reloading would work.)

Note that doing this will softlock the game, as it's no longer possible to finish.

Also, if you set a portal in the lower Arnika Bank (so that you can safely store your items, then take the elevator up, and portal back, you will find that you are now trapped in the lower Bank area (why wasn't there a mechanism to operate the elevator from the bottom)? You are now soft-locked there. I know that I will never use that area to store my items.

The Rattkin, just like the Rynjin, have no redeeming qualities. Slaughter them all upon sight!

If you do let Rattus Rattus live (after he gives you a bank hold-up note), then, he disappears forever. You can then talk to Milano, and the Don, and let them occupy the Sixth Bough, until you finally buy the Astral Dominae from the Don. Fine.

Then, you have constant Rattkin Harassment squads threatening you for "protection money". So much for doing it honorably/peacefully. Might as well whack the Don at this point. The only good Rattkin is a dead Rattkin.

I actually think that they should have included some friendly Rattkin that *isn't* shady in any way, just so that the race, as a whole, wouldn't become a nasty stereotype. (After all, there's Rapax that aren't that way; just look at the Queen.)

A good or evil "race" only really makes sense if the race is incomparable to humans, or if the concepts re tangible things in the universe. Of course, post modern concepts of good and evil are nihilistic nonsense. The place for a "good" rattkin would have been Crusaders, in my opinion. I mean, skaven pin-ups exists, so, why not? In any case, rattkin patrols means more goons to slay. Squeak.

Wow, a power level seven fireball hurts! These random encounters are no joke. It took me a while to find the last rune. I also learned you can place the "key" before clicking all the runes, and the gate still appears. The clue being the resting picture is such... yeah. These dungeons are Easter eggs indeed. Did I need knock knocks? Well, I have picks, so probably not. I did "have" to cheese the boss of the dungeon though. Magical damage is so much more defensive than melee. And high health isn't tanking! Those trynnie ghosts hit hard. To say nothing of the statuses.

Even though I found the exit, I haven't fully mapped out the dungeon. But, so far, the ninja is now level eleven and has gained five points in L&T from the excursion. Also, the valk surpassed the sam in kills.

I've included the current map progress. Some say the automap being as it is in the retro dungeons is a flaw. I think it would be a brilliant solution if obfuscation was the intent. Sure, disabling the automap would have worked, too. But, it does give a frame of reference for teleporters. Also, x-ray aids in finding the secret rooms, shame I don't have it yet. And, yes, the light spell really makes the experience much better, but that seems like a reference too! I, for one, like the retro dungeons. Amazing that they also contain unique monsters.

You have 10 listed factions. Six start out as friendly to the party (and are overall good; There is no reason to make them angry):

Brotherhood of the Ascension
Higardi (I include the Arnika Bank faction here)
Trynnie
Mook
Umpani
T'Rang

The Rapax Common start out hostile, while the Rapax Templar start out neutral. Both of these can be made friendly by getting into a one-night stand with a Demoness, killing her to end your enthrallment, and then killing your illegitimate daughter (along with a bratty Rapax Prince). What great morals. As long as you kill Al-Sedexus quickly, before she can summon reinforcements (I believe she is vulnerable to the Water realm, and Paralysis), you can keep your friendly faction rating with the Rapax Common and Rapax Templar.

Note that the Rapax are diverse, and I don't have the same hate for them as I do for the Rattkin, because there are several Rapax that are friendly. Namely: Rafe, the 3 unnamed prisoners in the Rift, The Rapax Queen, Ferro, Al-Adryian, and Sexus, who is willing to join your party for a fee (not that you need a level 18 Mage at that point in the game).

The Rattkin Common remain the one listed faction that you can't make friends with. They start out neutral, and are made hostile by killing the Rattkin Breeders (which is what you're supposed to do). No argument there by most players, who would agree with me that slaughtering all hostile Rattkin Common is the right thing to do.

Where the rub comes in, is keeping Rattus Rattus, Milano, and the Don alive. They start out friendly, but due to their scummy "Mafia" attitude, the new me whacks Rattus Rattus, Milano, and the Don one at a time, on principle. There is no reason to let the Rattkin take over the Trynnie's Sixth Bough, morally speaking.

Okay, finished our first retro. I think I mapped it all, but doesn't matter. Also, proves my point. Fresh maps is the way to go, for those who enjoy amateur cartography, at least. Furthermore, everyone has hit—or surpassed—forty-five in their respective magic schools. The ranger is even at forty-nine. The ninja gained some more L&T points, for a total of eight points gained via locks in the dungeon. The sam is—once again—top of the kill chart. The party still has issues with certain monsters, but the ever-growing magic and hit pools will help the party tank things. No power cast means it will have to eventually. But, for some foes, melee is very strong. Later on there are some that require physical damage. I wonder how forgoing ranged development in the beginning will play out. Could always use darts/stars if I must.

I don't like retro dungeons, because I started playing with W8. This reminds me of a time when pen-on-paper, no maps, memorization, and 18 being the highest stat was a thing. I can't go back. Note that I grew up in the 80s, 90s, and 2000s.

I know that hybrid parties work. I don't need to finish this to know it does work, but it's weaker too. And I just don't feel like it anymore. I remembered what first made me consider the party too. A polearm only party. In the strict sense of all damage has to be from polearms. That was on expert, and it lacked wizardry spells. That worked. Although, the fighter does make it easier in many parts of the game. Wiz8 is an annoying game far more than a fun one. Yes, that's subjective, but I don't care. (Friction creates fun.)

I am now playing a different party that is based on specific elements. Fast bishop, earliest alchemy, bardic armor, dual-throwing ninja, infinite methodical divinity, and berserking giant. Which, obviously, is really strong, and I just have to have a ninja. (Party's able to profit off of Burz!)

Well, I'm going to get back to gamedev at some point. I'll just make my own Crusaders. I could finish it in 2045, next Friday.

Just started my CRPG. Not much there (there's a title screen with a functional "Quit" button and some non-functional buttons0, but it exists in some form at this point. It's not going to be that similar to Wizardry 8, even if it will have a battle system similar to earlier Wizardries (no positioning) and allow stats (of some characters) to increase through usage.

I'm still in a dark place, so I've been messing around with fighter-heavy parties. The party above works well, but my bishop picks were flawed. Fighters do have issues, but a bishop and a second divinity caster—or a bard, perhaps—fixes most of them. Then, it's just a matter of dealing with long battles—install speed-hacks—and learning to deal with a turncoated fighter—many strats work. Of all the keyboard shortcuts, less clicking for spells sure would have been nice. The fan patch adds some keys for this, actually. The incessant clicking is especially egregious for hybrids.

I've been playing MMOs again, and I understand why tank is the least popular role. Have to go so slow when leveling solo. Or even being forced to gear as DD for leveling, sigh. Yes, that also applies to healing and support. And the shift of the player base doesn't help here. Let alone the fun state of being ever wanted for dungeons, but not enough space for raids and guilds. They have the one tank they need, and it's not you—that kind of stuff. (I guess the solution is to form one's own guild, making the role even more niche.) I also tried Dota 2, since native Linux client. Well, I had the same reaction as that time I played Fortnite. I understand the appeal, but it's not for me.

Anyway, I was thinking about all those single-player games for heal-mains. And that gave me a terribly horrible idea. And I guess I have to do it. A game the captures some of the appeal of Overwatch tanking. Sigh. I hate myself, so it's perfect. Which is funny, since I dislike holy trinity in my single-player games. It also seems more interesting in PvP games, but, no one cares. But that's why an OW-like experience, and not aggro management the computer game. In any case, it's a better idea then the boomer shobber. (I know it works, I figured out the things that would make Crime Crackers an id-style shooter. I'll prototype it, of course, but I'm—most likely—not going to flesh it out.)

I still need to work out what I'd like my cRPG to be. Since my muse lies in fantastic races—Stone Soup being a big influence ever since I first played it, and it still is—I think making a Proving Grounds would be the best first step, even if they are a dime a dozen. Well, more of a more general Wizlike, really. Then some sort of free-roam blobber. And finally some tactical game. Maybe something like a free-movement gold box—one where I can implement traps. Archaelund, basically. So, yeah, a series. That means the free-roam won't really be a Crusaders, but that's okay. And, that way, I can put off a lot of the worldbuilding for the second game. Not all of it, of course. My current terrible idea is only beast races. Also, I've seen what hand-crafted with rogue-like combat looks like. It's not for me.

I've been playing Albion Online, and I really enjoy the slow progression and gathering. I've noticed that I like slow progression in single-player games too. I love how much time one spends at each level in Swordflight, makes building come alive. And that the last chapter is going to have hours of content at max levels is exciting. But it makes sense I'm currently enjoying Albion, the MMO that first attracted me is Ragnarok Online. It's like battle mode all over again. Well, not really, but I prefer mouse movement in these games. I'll have to put in a lot of time to see if I still enjoy it after having to gather in the danger zone. But I never really internalized the slow progression thing until I watched a video comparison of "hardcore" and "casual" MMORPGs. Th gathering makes more sense, since I used to play Pocket Camp, and the way i'd play iRO. But I'm not a huge fan of crafting—heh. I really need to play survival games. Well, once I finish Doom Eternal, maybe I can download Outward, since I have it on GOG. And, someday, get that Obsidian survival game. Oh, and I need to pick up Kenshi too. You know, my gamer motivations profile is starting to make a whole lot more sense.

The problem I have with tanking is that, if it's too good, it's too easy for the player/party to get control over the battle. I like it when there's some unpredictability, and when I have to deal with contingencies. In particular, unlike many players, I actually *like* the healer role. Hence, in the CRPG I'm making, tanking is going to be less powerful, but any character built to tank will be able to do other things. (For example, an ability that would reliably intercept attacks would only target one party member and would have a moderate cost attached. Then again, my CRPG will have a cost to every action, so you can't just dodge resource management by, say, using physical attacks.)

I've been playing Saviors of Sapphire Wings and Stranger of Sword City Revisited without a tank, and am actually enjoying it more. Granted, SoSCR does have that Puppeteer class that makes it easy to get control over the fight, but that lasts only temporarily, and you still need to do enough damage, not to mention that it's only single target.

I'd rather manage health than aggro. Perhaps it's because I really like numbers; perhaps it's because being able to manage aggro can make things too predictable. (See Crystal Project for a single player game with aggro management; while I do like that game, most combats become too predictable once you figure out a working strategy.)

I'm currently looking at a Phantasie-like overworld (think zelda-like, but no scrolling when you switch screens), with a Wizardry style battle system, and a growth system that somewhat resembles SaGa 2. Small-ish open world with a variety of biomes. Aiming for a length similar to SaGa 1.


I don't mind slow progression if it's reasonably steady progression, and if I'm not stuck at the same exact power level for too long. Like, I'd prefer to have more levels with each level mattering less. Or, better, a system that doesn't use levels at all. I also like it when it's easy to get a new character caught up with the rest of the party, and when it's not hard to teach an old character new tricks.

I like Wizardry 8's system where skills improve through use. On the other hand, I'm not a fan of skill point systems (and other systems where you can permanently cripple a build with permanent decisions). When I tried playing Lords of Xulima, the level up screen filled me with dread rather than joy.

The protector/medic combo in Etrain Odyssey is just bad. Too much defense is just bad, and that works both ways. That's what hurts Quake II, both the the player and the monsters take too many hits to down. Now, I do enjoy Wolfenstein 3-D, but I don't think every game has to be a battle of glass cannons. Although, blazing through opposition tends to make better single-player games. I prefer Doom, there is some tankiness on both sides, but the tension can get rather high, and the cyberdemon is a great equalizer. I am a natural turtler though. (Although, actually, the part of RTSes I like is resource gathering.) Also, tanks are far less popular than healers. I also wouldn't be surprised if support was less popular than healer, but that role mainly got subsumed into tank and healer thanks to Blizzard, so there's less data there. I actually wanted to be support before I tried being the healer. I didn't enjoy being the healer. Although, a disclaimer is needed: I've never played end-game content in any MMORPG.

Part of why I think PvP is better is that most PvE multiplayer games are, arguably, too easy. I think PvE roles could be interesting if the game was something else. But the trinity really is highly specialized, and that's why most cRPGs don't work that way. And aggro is part of the system. Although, most MMORPGs make aggro management everyone's job. Quester gets this right, in that healing generates huge amounts of hate. The tank's job is, actually, to control the pace of the fights. Like how an OW tank's main job is actually making space, not mitigating damage. (And, in doing so, they set the pace of team fights.) I happen to enjoy that.

I've always been more attracted to the abstract thought in Mathematics than just pure figures or arithmetic. The theory of arithmetic is much more interesting than mere raw computations, for me. Makes sense that Real Analysis was my best subject. I did, however, really enjoy my studies on Topology and Differential Geometry as well. And that's the thing about the trinity. The damage dealer gets huge numbers. The healer tops off bars. The tank doesn't get as obvious a picture that they're doing well, but they feel it. Of course, that lowers the appeal of the role. And in PvP, they often tilt both teams' healers. Sorry about that.

I'm not a creative, so my ideas are wholly derivative. But, I'm hesitant to call attention to my inspirations for a finished product, because I don't want to give people the wrong idea. They do make great elevator pitches though. This discussion has helped me to see some things.

I've heard Rogue Trader spreads out typically level bonuses across many levels, so that the player levels more, but it takes more levels to get the same power progression. I'm the person who uses spreadsheets to theory craft, I like strict classes in party-based games, but I enjoy more free-form building too. And I love learn-by-doing systems. But Stone Soup's system is great too. The short version is that it's setting up what XP will be distributed towards before it's earned, and, as someone who likes to plan ahead, I really enjoy that. And that's why I like tanking. Also, I love crowd control. The best tank in Guild wars 2 is the mesmer, after all. Well, I also enjoy being a wall of meat.

I've been overwhelmed with some systems, typically party-based classless systems. I really need to give Troubleshooter a spin, but that it's a poster boy for "Korean build porn" is slightly terrifying.

Worth noting that, in my most recent EO1 playthrough (a long time ago):
* I did not have a medic; healing was handled by a protector (early) and a troubadour (after learning that healing song, which is one of my favorite EO1 skills, but unfortunately absent in EO2 (my least favorite of that trilogy))
* I did have a protector (though I don't remember if I kept them the entire game), but didn't actually use the defensive skills IIRC. (Or, at least, I *think* I did.) I think I had a Dark Hunter, who can self heal with drain attacks (but otherwise wasn't that useful IIRC).
* One thing is that I also avoided relying on items for healing.
* There were some times when I'd intentionally prolong a battle in order to heal. (Worth noting that I actually *like* this style of gameplay sometimes.)

On the other hand, too much offense is also bad, particularly since you don't even get to see what the bosses are capable of. Like, in EO2, a full offensive strategy, perhaps using that one Hexer skill that does huge damage at low HP, can kill bosses before they have a chance to do much. What really hurts, however, is how the game actively punishes defensive strategies (which is one thing that frustrated me in this game, though postgame wasn's as bad about this).

(Worth noting that, while I like EO1's gameplay, there is one plot element tat bothers me, and I consider it to be in poor taste. In fact, it's bad enough that the game needs a content warning, as it could very well be triggering to anyone from an indigenous population.)

My favorite part of topology was the counter-examples. You think you have a mental model of how things work, but then there's some bizarre counter-example that proves it wrong, and two definitions you *thought* were equivalent actually are not. My project was in chaotic dynamics, but it just so happens that number theory is still one of my favorite subjects. (I recently worked out how you can divide by 3 using only additions, subtractions, bit shifting and operations, and constant multiplication (which is just a fixed length bunch of the other operations).

I happen to really like the dynamics of healing. This can, for example, be working out which healing abilities are more efficient (important in high attrition games, but not in low attrition), and when that situation might vary (single versus multi target healing). There are other variables, like the stat that's used (see White Wind in Final Fantasy 5-7 for an example of unusual stat dependence for a healing ability), and the speed with which the action is performed.

For example, for my CRPG I've thought of a couple healing abilities:
* One is a medium strength healing ability. This can get quite good if you raise the stat high enough, but it's not the most powerful, and it's only single target. However, this particular ability is fast; it always goes first in the round. This is useful if you need to heal a character who's severely injured during combat before the enemy can finish them off.
* Another is a weak party-wide heal. It's cheap to use, but in addition to being weak, it is slow, always being used at the end of the round. This is the sort of healing ability that might be used as a preventative measure, perhaps used every round of a boss fight. To make things more interesting, I'm thinking that this healing ability may use a different stat than the one above, so you have different characters likely taking on different healing roles.

Sometimes, the best way to work out some thoughts is to have a discussion about them.

Just like one of the best way to really learn and internalize a concept is to attempt to teach it to someone else.

(There's also "rubber duck debugging", which is, surprisingly, sometimes useful.)

In my many years of playing this game (and on Earth, I'm 42), I have matured to the point where flashy isn't always good. In other words, I won't have characters in melee, run up to enemies anymore (unless they're bosses).

Instead, I take a more balanced approach. For melee combat, I have my Fighter and Rogue up front, dual-wielding (with the Valkyrie and Ranger on the flanks, ready to attack from extended range). The two Bishops, protected in the center, can attack with their Quarterstaves (though this is little help early, it does train skills, for the eventual Staff of Doom).

For ranged combat, I again take a balanced approach. Why would you want to drain one ammo type all at once? I have my Fighter and Rogue with Heavy Crossbows and Quarrels, my Valkyrie and Ranger with Long Bows and Arrows, and my Bishops with Slings and Bullet Stones, so that ammo is used (somewhat) evenly.

For magic combat, I try to even out the skill training, unless I am facing a threatening enemy (which I, of course, kill quickly.) You want your realm skills to max, eventually, along with your primary Spellbook skill(s).