Helherron - a very addictive Nahlakh-like game

[mercy]

Solution - How to reach Tikku's cave in Helherron 2.04

Tikku's Cave is unreachable in Helherron 2.04 because of changed Line of Sight , right?

Okay guys, here is how you reach the cave:

Let's say you're in the middle of discovering Helherron and built a fairly strong party and you are happy about their spells and gear and character development. So the adventures of your current party is nicely saved in the Saved DIR.

Save a second copy of the whole Helherron game DIR into an another, safe location.

1. Exit your current game if you were playing just now.
2. Select Create another party Create some TEMP thing quickly. Save the game right after you see them in town.
3. Exit the game.
4. Start some File Manager in windows or linux
5. Go into the Levels folder.
6. Locate the file tikku.al2
7. Delete the file kobolds.al2
8. Make a copy of the file tikku.al2 under a new name, which is kobolds.al2
9. Basically you have the tikku.al2 level twice now just under 2 diff. names
10. Start the game with the new 'TEMP' party and exit the town where the game begins.
To the Kobolds Cave! Follow the road to south then over the bridge, then north, then follow the road to East, North, East until the road ends (these are short distances). Go a little further east. You will find the Kobolds cave.
Go inside!
Wow!
You have just found yourself at a completely different place.. there are no Kobolds... Go south few steps and read the inscription: Tikku lives here. Keep out! Now save this game! Exit the game.
11. Go to the Saved folder. Your party has an identifier G0 or G1 or G2, etc. If you were adventuring with your favorite party (and possibly killed off the Kobolds early!) then there are a lot of numbered files saved there with your party identifier as an extension. Let's say your party's files end with the G1 extension.
12. If you have adventured with your favorite party and killed off a few dungeons, don't forget to clear the Kobold caves first, before you continue to step #13.
13. If you have previously cleared and robbed the Kobolds then simply DELETE your party's file b]Saved27.g1[/b], that is the Kobold caves. You don't need to revisit a completely empty cave again, do you?
14. If your party is identified with G1 extension by the game then the new TEMP party's saves are.. let's say have G2 extension. Because with the TEMP party you have a saved game at the geographical coordinates of the Kobold caves but leading directly to Tikku's cave map:
15. Rename the Saved27.g2 (Tikku's Cave at geoloc. of Kobolds Cave) to Saved27.g1 overwriting your party's killed off/empty Kobolds cave with a fresh, unlooted Tikku's Cave level.
16. Start Helherron
17. Load your favorite party's savegame
18. Go back to the Kobold caves. Enter the Caves. OOopps.. You are in Tikku's place. You have lost nothing, since you already cleared the Kobold caves and have all XP and loot from there. And now you can explore Tikku's Cave in a game, where this was previously impossible before!!

Have fun!!!!!

Have a good adventuring, good monster-killing and good looting!! :DD

 

[mercy]

Linux version preferred, less buggy, no 'monster horde' crash to desktop bug there. To create linux guest under Windows XP use Vmware workstation+Suse Linux 10.1: where in Suse's setup select CUSTOM install--software--LibC++ development library and Old LibC++ compatibility libraries. Also Suse should install a Soundblaster Awe32 or so soundcard so you hear a nice welcome sound, when starting Suse linux. This means you will have sound in Helherron 2.04 under linux as well!! Install Suse Linux 10.1 with KDE 'windows'-like graphics interface!!! No CTD bugs there like in windows version and you can play FULLSCREEN by selecting:

1. EXCLUSIVE MODE after booting up Suse linux and by right clicking on Vmware's -top- task bar (which should hide automatically so you maybe only see a 1-2 pixel high grey line on the top of your linux window)

Now you have fullscreen in Vmware, but:
Since you maybe should start Helherron by pressing F4 (opening an X-console) and typeing ./Helhlinux possibly then Helherron says "cannot switch to fullscreen" in this emulated linux. No, sudo -s or su -s or logging in as root didn't help either. (there were such solutions offered on the net)

2. Solution is easy: if you followed above description you have a blue window border (of 'Konqueror'-browser/file manager in linux) around Helherron. Right click on the (top) window title bar, select Advanced----
select NO BORDER

WHAM!! You are playing Helherron 2.04 in FULLSCREEN under Linux with sound!!! :DDD

 

[DwarvenFood]

Welcome to the forum. I'm sure you will make a fine addition to the community.

It is unbelievable that this thread still lives, I think the Codex has become the semi-official Helherron site. I//.. have trouble resisting... aargh

 

[mercy]

Solution, how to get to the FINAL LEVEL

Update:

Solution, how to get to the FINAL LEVEL:
In Helherron 2.04 linux you cannot get to the last level, when you see the person the main quest is about and if you try to walk down the stairs the game crashes to the desktop with the error:
Allegro segmentation fault #11 etc..

Solution:
Go to the levels folder. Change the case of Finale9.al2 to
finale9.al2

Done. The game looks for the file with lower-case beginning letter.
Began an entire new game with newly installed linux, new Helherron package just to test what the heck was wrong and at the final moment I got the same error. But this morning had the above idea and it worked. AaAAAAAarrgh..!!!!

 

[Trash]

Tom never seems able to finish any game he works on. Heroes of Stalingrad has been dead in the water for years now. Before that he worked for years on a WW2 JA/CC type of game that never got anywhere. Shame, because the games usually look like they could be amazing.

 

[Haba]

Tom never seems able to finish any game he works on. Heroes of Stalingrad has been dead in the water for years now. Before that he worked for years on a WW2 JA/CC type of game that never got anywhere. Shame, because the games usually look like they could be amazing.

All fine and dandy, but Helherron was made by Antti Kuukka...

 

[mondblut]

Well, since it's a Proudfoot-clone game, I guess the curse persists

 

[ssSSss]

I was trying to move my saved games from Windows version to Linux to be able to play the less buggy version with my old characters.

When I moved them it seemed like the format of the linux version is not compatible with the windows version. Trying to load the game my character was in the middle of gray blocks and only the name of the first character in my party was right. Also many of the items were not loaded correctly.

Is there anything to do to be able to play my old characters in a stable version of Helherron? I wouldn't like to start from the beginning again...

 

[desocupado]

Where is the fourth brother? Thoi or something? And is there some secret door in the first dungeon, the goblin cave? I can't find the goblin king.

 

[Antti]

Hello everyone! I'm happy to see that some people still haven't forgotten Helherron.

I am actually planning a sequel to this game and some code has been written already. Tentatively, this game is called "Helherron : The Lord of Mushrooms". Some ideas:
- in battles, whenever you get turn, you only have 1 movement point - always. But each fighter has its own speed attribute and faster fighters have a chance to act more often than slow ones. Each fighter's time share will be proportional to his/her/its speed attribute. Believe me, this battle system rocks!
- dungeons will be mostly random, with many different dungeon generation algorithms.
- the game story happens in the same world system as Helherron. Not on the 3 isles we already know, but on the big continent you can see in the Helherron map. Same races and classes will be there, and new ones also.
- there will be a mouse interface, but if you like it old school, you don't have to use it

I got a degree in mathematics, and I'm hell of a lot better programmer now than I was back then when I created Helherron. And my head is full of ideas!

 

[Sputnik]

Well this is some unexpected but splendid news! Best of luck in the development process and be sure to keep us updated!

 

[SkeleTony]

Hello everyone! I'm happy to see that some people still haven't forgotten Helherron.

I am actually planning a sequel to this game and some code has been written already. Tentatively, this game is called "Helherron : The Lord of Mushrooms". Some ideas:
- in battles, whenever you get turn, you only have 1 movement point - always. But each fighter has its own speed attribute and faster fighters have a chance to act more often than slow ones. Each fighter's time share will be proportional to his/her/its speed attribute. Believe me, this battle system rocks!
- dungeons will be mostly random, with many different dungeon generation algorithms.
- the game story happens in the same world system as Helherron. Not on the 3 isles we already know, but on the big continent you can see in the Helherron map. Same races and classes will be there, and new ones also.
- there will be a mouse interface, but if you like it old school, you don't have to use it

I got a degree in mathematics, and I'm hell of a lot better programmer now than I was back then when I created Helherron. And my head is full of ideas!

Wow. Kick ass Antti! I had all but given up on anymore of these great party based and turn-based RPGs ever being made again. The random dungeon generation sounds awesome! Will add unlimited re-playability to the game.

 

[SkeleTony]

Where is the fourth brother? Thoi or something? And is there some secret door in the first dungeon, the goblin cave? I can't find the goblin king.

There is a staircase down at the end of each of the levels of this dungeon, save the last (I think there are three...possibly four levels). Thoi is on the last level. I do not think there are any secret doors in this dungeon.

 

[Antti]

Wow. Kick ass Antti! I had all but given up on anymore of these great party based and turn-based RPGs ever being made again. The random dungeon generation sounds awesome! Will add unlimited re-playability to the game.

Hi, Tony! If you feel like contributing any graphics again, just send email anytime (anttiku (at) gmx.co.uk).

This time I will use OpenGL for graphics and color palette is 24-bit. The old Helherron graphics will form the basis for the graphics (Heikki is unfortunately too busy to contribute much this time), but anything new will be highly appreciated.

 

[Haba]

what

WHAT?

HELVETTI!

ïä ïä, repent you fucking sinners, the end is god damn nigh!

Release date before dec. 21st 2012, right?

 

[Antti]

what

WHAT?

HELVETTI!

ïä ïä, repent you fucking sinners, the end is god damn nigh!

Release date before dec. 21st 2012, right?

Level editor should be finished by then.

 

[Durwyn]

Great news man! Helherron is an extremely addictive gem that I replay every year or so. Please keep us updated on your progress.

 

[Scroo]

Holy Fuck, this is some great news! And thanks for letting us know

 

[Arpad]

A sequel? This year's full of surprises.

 

[Antti]

Solution, how to get to the FINAL LEVEL
Done. The game looks for the file with lower-case beginning letter.

Yes, unfortunately. When I started programming Helherron, it was a DOS game and back then upper/lower case was not an issue.

 

[Haba]

This is front page material, where are all of our degenerate editorial staff when you need them?

Crooked Bee
VentilatorOfDoom

 

[Antti]

Some news:
- When you create a party in the new game, skills will be drawn according to the Gaussian distribution. In the old Helherron there were strict upper and lower bounds for each skill (given race and character class). This time the skills will be within those bounds with probability of around 90%-95%, but with some luck you may see extraordinarily good (or bad) skills even in the beginning. But the random number generator will be seeded so that after 10 re-randoms you will see the same numbers appearing again and again. So you can't just keep hitting space until you get a superhero.
- In battle, diagonal movement takes more time than moving left, right, up or down (movement time is multiplied by sqrt(2)). Changing a character's facing also takes time, and it will be possible to order the character to move without changing direction (this kind of movement is of course slower than running straight ahead, but it is sometimes what you need to avoid getting back stabbed).
- I am not 100% sure about this yet, but I think both magic and prayer spells will be divided into several subclasses, with separate skill for each subclass. This could give rise to new character classes such as Healer, who could be great at casting Healing type prayer spells, but not so good at casting spells such as 'Cause wound'.

 

[SkeleTony]

Some news:
- When you create a party in the new game, skills will be drawn according to the Gaussian distribution. In the old Helherron there were strict upper and lower bounds for each skill (given race and character class). This time the skills will be within those bounds with probability of around 90%-95%, but with some luck you may see extraordinarily good (or bad) skills even in the beginning. But the random number generator will be seeded so that after 10 re-randoms you will see the same numbers appearing again and again. So you can't just keep hitting space until you get a superhero.

If worried about balance then I would recommend just using a creation point system. Limiting randomized re-rolls will only ensure that people repeatedly quit/ctrl+alt+delete and start over until they get sick of doing that and give up on the game entirely.

- In battle, diagonal movement takes more time than moving left, right, up or down (movement time is multiplied by sqrt(2)). Changing a character's facing also takes time, and it will be possible to order the character to move without changing direction (this kind of movement is of course slower than running straight ahead, but it is sometimes what you need to avoid getting back stabbed).

Very nice!

- I am not 100% sure about this yet, but I think both magic and prayer spells will be divided into several subclasses, with separate skill for each subclass. This could give rise to new character classes such as Healer, who could be great at casting Healing type prayer spells, but not so good at casting spells such as 'Cause wound'.

Very awesome! If it was one issue I had with Nahlakh/Natuk and Helherron it was the simplistic Prayer vs. Magic classifications.

 

[Galdred]

Hello everyone! I'm happy to see that some people still haven't forgotten Helherron.

I am actually planning a sequel to this game and some code has been written already. Tentatively, this game is called "Helherron : The Lord of Mushrooms". Some ideas:
- in battles, whenever you get turn, you only have 1 movement point - always. But each fighter has its own speed attribute and faster fighters have a chance to act more often than slow ones. Each fighter's time share will be proportional to his/her/its speed attribute. Believe me, this battle system rocks!
- dungeons will be mostly random, with many different dungeon generation algorithms.
- the game story happens in the same world system as Helherron. Not on the 3 isles we already know, but on the big continent you can see in the Helherron map. Same races and classes will be there, and new ones also.
- there will be a mouse interface, but if you like it old school, you don't have to use it

I got a degree in mathematics, and I'm hell of a lot better programmer now than I was back then when I created Helherron. And my head is full of ideas!

Great to have you back! I had an awesome time with Helherron.

I like the randomly created dungeons. But I don't like the 1MP idea (or 1 move = 1 attack idea). I think it creates less balance issues (it usually makes armor useless if they reduce movements, and make every build aim for a high speed stat) to have the speed rate and action rate be separate (rate of attack almost always ends up being the most important stat, and tying it to move would make it even stronger).
Why not keep a Move value, but have another characteristic (reaction or whatever) allowing someone to act more often.
Another option is to keep the 1 Move/action, but have separate characteristics determining the time units to wait before next action (for instance, a character with a speed of 5, and an attack speed of 2 would wait 20/5 = 4 time units before acting again after a move, and 20/2 = 10 time units before acting again after an attack).

 

[Severian Silk]

Is there a homepage for this game?

Also, Helherron is a type of roguelike, right?