Any tips I should know about before I jump into Darklands?

[Stinger]

I just got Darklands on GoG, I pretty much have no idea how this game works so I was wondering if there was any particular tips or strategies I should know about before I play. Any particular stats that are important/useless or can I just jump with whatever build(s) I want?

 

[Bruma Hobo]

Read Enjoy the fucking manual.

 

[Skittles]

Yes, read the manual. But in addition to that...

Where to start? Enjoy party creation, but keep in mind that you'll want to try to cover every skill on that list. Exceptions are probably riding, streetwise and maybe woodwise, if you're tight on space. Put Reading and Writing and Speak Latin on the same character, someone with reasonable intelligence. You WILL want a talker with good Char and Speak Common (the persuasion skill in most of the game). You'll likely want at least one person with decent Agility and Perception--this guy's never going to wear plate mail well, by the way, so if you build an archer, it should be him. You're going to want someone with decent Religion, but it's not as important at the beginning of the game and can be raised slowly. Alchemy... It's really useful and a pain to train, so getting someone with a decent score (and intelligence), at least in the 30s, if you can, is very good from the start. Likewise, someone with a Heal stat of at least 30 is great--it will literally cut healing time in half. Choose the professions that give you starting recipes. Also, try to get high Virtue on at least one character--it's incredibly important and can be costly in terms of time and resources to raise in game. Generally, weapons skills and stealth are the only skills that are useful for all party members, and stealth will be less useful to you if you want to go clanking around in decent armour. So despite the number of skills that I claim you need to increase, it's doable.

You only need one melee weapon skill and one ranged weapon skill per character. Pick the ones that most appeal to you, though I think bows is the most useful ranged weapon skill, and good swords are easier to find than, say, polearms. Don't dump too much into melee weapons skills during character creation, because that's the easiest to raise and you'll be maxed out long before the game ends.

Attributes... Listen, you want everybody to have very good endurance and strength scores. Endurance and Strength combined determine what equipment you can use, Strength = HP, while Endurance is kind of like your subdual damage HP. That means it's generally a bad idea to raise anybody past age 30, because they'll start incurring age penalties. If you're more advanced and know how to use alchemy well, then maybe... But for now, avoid it! Your guys will live longer.

For the rest... It's a sandbox and you really should just dive in and enjoy. At the beginning, you really don't have a time limit, so feel free to explore. Take what quests you can from the Fugger, Medici and Hansa offices in each city--at low rep., you'll get a lot of rejections--and try visiting all the shops--sometimes those merchants will have quests for you. Otherwise, build some cash, experience and reputation through encounters in the cities (at night, in the poorer quarters) and the wilderness.

 

[SerratedBiz]

You might think the character creation aspect would be one of the most enjoyable aspects of Darklands, not one you should be afraid of.

 

[Stinger]

Thanks so much for the explanation Skittles. I'd brofist you if I could but for now will have to do.

Sounds like Darklands will be heaps fun.

 

[CrustyBot]

Read the manual and the cluebook, it's incredibly detailed and provides a lot of useful tips in how to play (without spoiling anything or getting metagamey). Plus, it's a joy to read, there's a large section on medieval history and mythology which acts to set out elements of the game's lore and world.

Also, Skittles lays out some really great advice (I'd but alas, I am a fag of the new variety).

But one thing that may not have been mentioned is try not to make any Jack-of-all-Trades type characters. Try and give them defined roles within the party that allows them to play to their strengths so that as a whole, it's well balanced. For example, my Alchemist is almost always the intelligent intellectual in the party. The skill distribution in character generation skews that way for the Alchemists I make so there's no sense in handing off the R&W or Latin specialization to another character.

Of course, character generation is so varied that it's possible to create different kinds of characters outside of strict archetypes and still be effective (character generation in Darklands is so fucking awesome), but the point is to give each character something that they excel at (so that they have a role) rather than trying to make characters who are mediocre at everything.

 

[Skittles]

Yeah, that's a really important point. ^

I have to admit that I've spent almost as much time in the character generator as playing the game (it feels like). Sometimes to create LARPy parties, like Robin Hood & Co. (Friar Tuck, Maid Marion and Little John--it works as a decent party, assuming you take some liberties in giving Tuck alchemy) or unlikely adventurer parties--a peasant, a tinker, an old begger and a con man, but mainly to just appreciate all the things you can do with it.

Take advantage of the fact that you can generate as many characters as you like before picking to just see what's possible. It's a refreshing role playing game in that respect.

 

[SCO]

There is a town that makes the best bows

good luck finding it HAHAHAHA

 

[SCO]

the one thing darklands (or any huge amount of settlements) needed - unlike a quest compass - is a searchable map

http://www.darklands.net/tools/dktools.zip

this should help with that

 

[Skittles]

It ruins the experience to have a searchable map. No, you need to hand check each of the what, 200-odd settlements in the game to see if they sell a bow/armour/weapons worth buying!

 

[Bruma Hobo]

Yes, read the manual. But in addition to that...

Where to start? Enjoy party creation, but keep in mind that you'll want to try to cover every skill on that list. Exceptions are probably riding, streetwise and maybe woodwise

I think woodwise and ride skills can be very useful when there is a frail party member, like an old alchemist with low str/end, at least in early game. Also, a character with good woodwise will help to raise the party stealth level, and can serve as an alternative to a rat diplomat xD

 

[Luzur]

also, robber barons are kinda hard but yield good loot.

 

[Skittles]

I think woodwise and ride skills can be very useful when there is a frail party member, like an old alchemist with low str/end, at least in early game. Also, a character with good woodwise will help to raise the party stealth level, and can serve as an alternative to a rat diplomat xD

As far as I've been able to gather, ride's only useful for evading encounter if you have a horse--and I'm not sure if everybody or just one person needs ride/a horse. Do you know? I generally prefer to spend coin on armour, weapons and alchemical components at that point of the game, rather than horses. I think high ride and polearms (?) is the key to beating the travelling knight, but I think you stand a fair chance of winning with a ride score as low as 20, and it's only a moderately good reward for beating him, IMO.

Woodwise isn't useless, you're right, but I hardly ever invest in it specifically and still manage to make most of the checks. I'm not sure what an optimal score is, but I usually have at least one rural peasant character in my party whose starting skill covers me all right.

 

[Ashery]

Due to the combat mechanics, I'd argue that a character designed around ranged combat won't be particularly effective. Which is not to say that ranged weapons are underpowered/useless, but instead it's generally about getting a volley or two off before the melee starts. I seem to recall that throwing is one of the better ranged skills to take simply because the weapons are substantially lighter, but it's been a while since I played last.

Really, though, the only skill that I'd say is vital at the start is healing and you should aim for 30 as that's when the heal rate jumps from 1hp to 2hp. Other than that, just create an imperfect party and enjoy the experience.

Oh, and keep a couple text files open to keep track of quests and item locations.

Damn it, now I feel like starting another run as well. One with a suboptimal setup like the ones Skittles mentioned.

 

[octavius]

Combat sucks in this game. You have no control of who your guys attack in melee, so ganging up on that dangerous robber captain is not possible. Despite being given direct orders to attack a specified enemy only one will attack that enemy while the rest instead attack someone else. Even using the flee movement to get in better position doesn't work.

This game has a great premise and an even greater setting, but the combat is a turn off, especially when you feel you have no control in hard combats.

 

[octavius]

So I found the Silver Mace and my Fame went straight from 10 to 30, but we are still "Unknown"?
And the Silver Mace, is it just a quest item? I can't equip it like a normal weapon and trying to use it as a relic produces no result.

 

[someone else]

Using berserk will force attack on a target.
Silver mace should be a quest item.

 

[octavius]

Using berserk will force attack on a target.

Doesn't seem to work. EDIT: or it seems to work to some degree.


Just defeated my first band of STEAM fan boys Satan worshippers and a demon. One of the dying cultists cursed us until 21 March when something will happen NW of Teschen. Teschen is in the extreme east and somewhat to the south. The date is currently 18 November and my party is located near Leer in the North-west.
I wonder if I have a chance of making it in time. I'll get 7 Florins in Hamburg and then probably have enough money to buy fast horses for all.

 

[octavius]

Mein Gott, I'm tired of meeting that Dominican Friar who threatens with curses and damnations if you don't give him money. He's fucking everywhere!

 

[Ashery]

Combat sucks in this game. You have no control of who your guys attack in melee, so ganging up on that dangerous robber captain is not possible. Despite being given direct orders to attack a specified enemy only one will attack that enemy while the rest instead attack someone else. Even using the flee movement to get in better position doesn't work.

This game has a great premise and an even greater setting, but the combat is a turn off, especially when you feel you have no control in hard combats.

The hell are you going on about?

Every time I've played, combat has worked in the following manner: If a character gets attacked by an enemy, they will stop what they were doing and enage that enemy unless they are already taking hits from another enemy.

Yes, this makes it difficult to gang up on individual enemies, but I always felt that it helped with the realism.

 

[Anthony Davis]

Get a boar tooth and place it after your equipment in the list. You can accidentally sell your equipped items in this game, but the boar tooth, which weighs nothing and is worth nothing, cannot be sold. This will protect you from selling your plate mail or something as you sell 32 suits of leather armor.

You need two guys at least with 40 str and 40 endurance.

 

[Anthony Davis]

Robber Knights don't just rob and terrorize one town. Frequently once you locate on Robber Knight, the surrounding towns will also offer missions to kill the same knight (not a bug!). Maximize your payout for your work.

 

[octavius]

Combat sucks in this game. You have no control of who your guys attack in melee, so ganging up on that dangerous robber captain is not possible. Despite being given direct orders to attack a specified enemy only one will attack that enemy while the rest instead attack someone else. Even using the flee movement to get in better position doesn't work.

This game has a great premise and an even greater setting, but the combat is a turn off, especially when you feel you have no control in hard combats.

The hell are you going on about?

Every time I've played, combat has worked in the following manner: If a character gets attacked by an enemy, they will stop what they were doing and enage that enemy unless they are already taking hits from another enemy.

Yes, this makes it difficult to gang up on individual enemies, but I always felt that it helped with the realism.

True. But gameplay is more important than realism.
Still, once I know the "rules" and that they also apply to the enemy it's less frustrating. Too bad I'm always outnumbered and my melee fighters can't tie up enough of the enemy.

Get a boar tooth and place it after your equipment in the list. You can accidentally sell your equipped items in this game, but the boar tooth, which weighs nothing and is worth nothing, cannot be sold. This will protect you from selling your plate mail or something as you sell 32 suits of leather armor.

Never seen a boar tooth. But then I haven't been attacked by boars yet. I guess you need to get off the roads to meet them.
Anyway, wouldn't Clothes do the same trick, since they are worth 0?

You need two guys at least with 40 str and 40 endurance.

I'm using the default party which seems to have been a mistake, since only Gunter is strong enough to wear plate (once I have enough money to buy it). And Hans and Eberhardt take too much damage, even against cultists and bandits, when wearing ChainV + CouirbouiliL (boiled leather?) or LeatherL.

Low Latin skill (23) also hurts when dealing with universities, and it takes a long time to study it.

But I've come too far to start over and the game is not that good, that I want to replay it right away.

 

[Anthony Davis]

Combat sucks in this game. You have no control of who your guys attack in melee, so ganging up on that dangerous robber captain is not possible. Despite being given direct orders to attack a specified enemy only one will attack that enemy while the rest instead attack someone else. Even using the flee movement to get in better position doesn't work.

This game has a great premise and an even greater setting, but the combat is a turn off, especially when you feel you have no control in hard combats.

The hell are you going on about?

Every time I've played, combat has worked in the following manner: If a character gets attacked by an enemy, they will stop what they were doing and enage that enemy unless they are already taking hits from another enemy.

Yes, this makes it difficult to gang up on individual enemies, but I always felt that it helped with the realism.

True. But gameplay is more important than realism.
Still, once I know the "rules" and that they also apply to the enemy it's less frustrating. Too bad I'm always outnumbered and my melee fighters can't tie up enough of the enemy.

Get a boar tooth and place it after your equipment in the list. You can accidentally sell your equipped items in this game, but the boar tooth, which weighs nothing and is worth nothing, cannot be sold. This will protect you from selling your plate mail or something as you sell 32 suits of leather armor.

Never seen a boar tooth. But then I haven't been attacked by boars yet. I guess you need to get off the roads to meet them.
Anyway, wouldn't Clothes do the same trick, since they are worth 0?

You need two guys at least with 40 str and 40 endurance.

I'm using the default party which seems to have been a mistake, since only Gunter is strong enough to wear plate (once I have enough money to buy it). And Hans and Eberhardt take too much damage, even against cultists and bandits, when wearing ChainV + CouirbouiliL (boiled leather?) or LeatherL.

Low Latin skill (23) also hurts when dealing with universities, and it takes a long time to study it.

But I've come too far to start over and the game is not that good, that I want to replay it right away.

The game is a lot better once you understand how things work and more importantly, maybe MOST importantly, why things are what they are.

You are not the chosen one or even that special in Darklands. The government and the Church reign supreme and you are not going to change it at all. The best you can do is sort of use the rules to your favor, if that makes sense.

I think clothes work, but they have weight I'm pretty sure.

Now that you understand how to play start over and make a better party.

 

[octavius]

Now that you understand how to play start over and make a better party.

I just got beaten up by the witches at the Black Sabbath near Teschen, and I didn't really stand a chance. So it's tempting to start over with a better party, and make more of an effort to get plate and lots of potions for all.

Questions:

Are talking with the Fugger, Medici and Hansa League representatives one time deals, or can I return when my rep and fame gets higher?
Same with monasteries and universities. If you are rejcted the first time, can you return at a later stage to learn about saints?