Helherron - a very addictive Nahlakh-like game

[evil rasta]

Damn I love this game! I had never heard about it before but I just happened to find from this site's rpg database. It's shareware and can be downloaded from http://personal.inet.fi/private/helherron/index.htm

I really suggest you try it if you liked Nahlakh. It really sucks that Nahlakh cannot be played with modern computers. So thank God we got this game - it's like Nahlakh 2004!

 

[Durwyn]

Okay I'll use my uber necromancy powahz to make this thread arise!

Anybody knows what happened to Helherron ? It's simply magnificient party based Roguelike with tactical combat. Last release is from 2006, official forum is full of shit and bots. Does anybody know anything about possible future releases or has it became abandoned?

 

[Kortalh]

Um...

The official Helherron web site has moved to: http://www2.lut.fi/~akuukka/helherron/

I think that's what happened to it. :wink:

 

[Durwyn]

Unfortunately no... just look on the forums... same shit...

But i think the problems solved.. Guy who made helherron decided to make a new game becouse he was tired of rubbish code. Too bad that there isn't anything known about his progress or actuall state of project..

 

[Andhaira]

I downloaded this game ages ago. However, does anyone know if it has an 'official' ending? That is, is it a complete game?

 

[Durwyn]

Yes, It's a fully fledged game. Just download newest version to avoid bugs. Fuck, after playing all the night I tell you.. it's marvelous but very challenging

 

[Texas Red]

The forums are hilarious and sad.

 

[Section8]

Impressive. I was thinking furries or something, but that's a mighty collection of spam. My favourite would have to be the Viagra one where some idiot (it couldn't have been a bot) posted the same spam post 30 times in the same thread.

 

[Durwyn]

This is really sad when you find out how great the game is... Still searching for any trace of Helherron succesor

 

[Shagnak]

SkeleTony appears to have been a moderator over there. He posts here as well, so you may be able to ask him about the status.

 

[SkeleTony]

A new sequel was planned by Annti but I have not heard from him in ages and the last time i did talk to him he was saying how hard it was for him to get motivated to program such games when not many people play them and also since he programs all day long for school/work, the last thing he wants to do in his free time is code.

This does not mean that he is NOT working on the new game. Just that I know nothing about it if he is.

There are two versions of Helherron that are readily available BTW. The 2.03 version available from the Underdogs site has WAY fewer bugs but lacks some of the new features & graphics.
The 2.04 version available from the main site has new features/quests/graphics but is full of some very annoying bugs(in the Windows version. You Linux guys are safe I think).

If you use the newest version(2.04) then you can also download my latetest 'helgraph.dat' file that adds more new graphics(replacing some older ones) HERE.
Or if you just want to download the new graphics and manually select which graphics to replace or not then go HERE

Those CAN be used in the 2.03 version but you will have to do so manually by opening up your helgraph.dat file in a paint program and copy/pasting the icons over other icons as you see fit(use a 32x32 grid to correctly place them).

Josh's hint site seems to have been taken down but People like Peacedog, Mr. Fed(or even ME!) can answer some questions if need be.

 

[Durwyn]

Hey! Thanks for fast responce ! I hope that he will find motivation for making a new game. After playing helherron i'm fully behind him. We need games made with passion, not only for making bucks. Too bad there won't be any new releases... Theres so much that could be added... new classes, races, skills... what a shame

 

[Andhaira]

I wish the game had more pure martially oriented classes; as it is nearly every class can cast spells. Which is annoying.

So maybe make the ranger and monk into non-spellcasters. Add in other non spellcasters such as bodyguard, roadwarden, etc etc. Second, the game needs a summoner and a necromancer class. (yes I know they are spellcasters..just more specialized variety.)

 

[SkeleTony]

I wish the game had more pure martially oriented classes; as it is nearly every class can cast spells. Which is annoying.

So maybe make the ranger and monk into non-spellcasters. Add in other non spellcasters such as bodyguard, roadwarden, etc etc. Second, the game needs a summoner and a necromancer class. (yes I know they are spellcasters..just more specialized variety.)

I am all for new classes, races etc. in any RPG because it adds to the tactical options and replay value but I don't think things are as bad as they might seem as far as non-spellcasting classes go. There is the warrior, the Thief, the Merchant and the Barbarian(4 classes that are pure melee/non-magical), a handful of hybrids(Ranger, Monk, Bard) and a handful of pure casters(Mage, Priest, Shaman) which seems to be a pretty good balance.

There IS a sort of Summoner class already. The Shaman has a bonus when casting any summoning spells(in addition to being able to cast both mage and priest spells). Necromancer would be cool though.

Bodyguards, Roadwardens etc. seem redundant and kind of ill-fitting as fantasy RPG classes though IMO(Then again so is the merchant but oh well...). Ranger should ideally cover the bases for the latter(though rangers need some real tweaking as they are currently fairly underpowered).

Gladiators and/or Duelists might be good additions if the game were on day updated and needed to add more melee classes.

 

[SkeleTony]

Damn I love this game! I had never heard about it before but I just happened to find from this site's rpg database. It's shareware and can be downloaded from http://personal.inet.fi/private/helherron/index.htm

I really suggest you try it if you liked Nahlakh. It really sucks that Nahlakh cannot be played with modern computers. So thank God we got this game - it's like Nahlakh 2004!

BTW, Nahlakh runs now in the latest DOSBox with the D.O.G. frontend. I have been playing that one on and off for months now. Also you can go to The NEW FORUM for Nahlakh/Natuk and download the hint guide w/spell lists, maps etc. in PDF format.

Also I think Tom is looking into updating/fixing stuff in Natuk and maybe P.O.W.S. as well if he can get the code working with the Open Watcom compiler so keep an eye on that.

 

[Andhaira]

yeah, pows was fantastic. To bad Tom didn't have time or the financial incentive to see it through.

Ahh, imagine a helherron type game made onthe Eschalon engine.

 

[Binary]

There are two versions of Helherron that are readily available BTW. The 2.03 version available from the Underdogs site has WAY fewer bugs but lacks some of the new features & graphics.
The 2.04 version available from the main site has new features/quests/graphics but is full of some very annoying bugs(in the Windows version. You Linux guys are safe I think).

Cool, just downloaded the Linux version and will give it a go

 

[DaViLLaN]

Im playing POWS right now. Love it. Great game with HUGE potential.

Right now I am a little lost questwise and am just wondering around. I dont mean to sound MMO, but the lack of late game content/purpose/direction is the only thing this game lacks (outside of the occasional bug fix).
Of course I know that it is due to the fact that game is not complete yet.

I hope he continues work on it.


Anyone else playing?

 

[Durwyn]

Any links for Naklah/natuk/pows related sites (other than the forum SkeleTony posted)? I can't find any info nor download links for them even googling.

And Ranger in Helherron truely sucks donkey cock. Can't stay alive with him no matter how hard i try. And I't feels somehow wacky that he is a spellcaster.

 

[Jason]

Any links for Naklah/natuk/pows related sites (other than the forum SkeleTony posted)? I can't find any info nor download links for them even googling.

Tom Proudfoot's Games

Anyone else playing?

Never bothered with POWS since there's something offputting about playing an incomplete game that most likely won't ever be finished.

Side note: Proudfoot is currently working on that Mark Walker PC game to be released by Matrix. Good news for tactical junkies.

 

[SkeleTony]

POWS LINK( be sure to get the patch there too!)

Tower of Darkness graphical, party-based roguelike.

Nahlakh which you will need the latest DosBox for.

Natuk which is shareware and this demo is 1/3rd of the game or so.

 

[undead dolphin hacker]

Helherron hint site:

http://www.dahlby.net/games/helherron/

 

[SkeleTony]

Helherron hint site:

http://www.dahlby.net/games/helherron/

As I said before it no longer exists. The web addy is there but there is no longer any content. It is a blank page now.

 

[mondblut]

Never bothered with POWS since there's something offputting about playing an incomplete game that most likely won't ever be finished.

Well, the game is fully playable, that is, it has a finishable plot, and a lot of Elite/M&B type sandbox exploring/fighting/trading gameplay in between. I played it through, and enjoyed it a lot.

It might be an "alpha", but after a shrine patch, it isn't much less of a game than Natuk is. (It's always hard to decide with indie games, whether some faulty aspect is just unfinished or amateur by design, hehe).

2 bards + 800% difficulty = munch, munch, munch...

 

[SkeleTony]

Never bothered with POWS since there's something offputting about playing an incomplete game that most likely won't ever be finished.

Well, the game is fully playable, that is, it has a finishable plot, and a lot of Elite/M&B type sandbox exploring/fighting/trading gameplay in between. I played it through, and enjoyed it a lot.

It might be an "alpha", but after a shrine patch, it isn't much less of a game than Natuk is. (It's always hard to decide with indie games, whether some faulty aspect is just unfinished or amateur by design, hehe).

2 bards + 800% difficulty = munch, munch, munch...

There are still some major bugs though. Ship-to-ship combat does not work(the artillery/cannons that is), Haggling is broken(raise your skill high enough and you can buy from a merchant then sell the same product back to him at a profit). The little green 'alien' RPC's "Mind Blast" does not work. Also occasional weirdness like ships teleporting across the world.