Decline Kult: Heretic Kingdoms / Heretic Kingdoms: The Inquisition

[Cynic]

Oh shit the patches! Torrent came with them in a folder, how do I install those? Put them in some directory?

 

[Murk]

Err.. aren't they just .exe's you run?

http://www.fileplanet.com/152836/150000/fileinfo/Kult:-Heretic-Kingdoms-Patch-v1.5-[United-States]

also nude demo patch ahoo hooo hooo

 

[Cynic]

Oh right, yeah must be I didn't check inside the folders, just got home will do it now. Finger crossed.

 

[Cynic]

Hmm installed patches and it does say version 1.5 in the title screen. From the patch notes of 1.2 it says

gr_resolution= 1 for 1024x768 (default)
gr_resolution= 2 for 1280x960
gr_resolution= 3 for 1600x1200
gr_color can be 16,24 or 32

So 1280 x 960 is supported, and I changed this in the config.cfg which is all great. But the game still crashes when I try to play it windowed and keep my display resolution at 1920 x 1080.

edit: perhaps it has something to do with the fact that only the default resolution is offered by my video card. I can do 1280 x 1024 or 1280 x 768 but not 1280 x 960 or 1600 x 1200. Hmmm.

 

[abnaxus]

I had to do this to get the game running at all in Win 7: http://noabody.wordpress.com/2011/11/26/kult-heretic-kingdoms-crash-fix-with-ms-act/

 

[Humppaleka]

I loved this game when I played it, although I rushed through the end through endless combat. Well worth playing/paying. Has very good ideas, great art direction and an unique style, at least I like to think of it as unique. Better start on hardest as it gets really easy anyway after a while, a shame. I miss dodging those arrows and fireballs...

On the compatibility issues, I don't remember if I even did anything, it ran perfect on my system (Win 7 64x).

 

[Raghar]

Hmm installed patches and it does say version 1.5 in the title screen. From the patch notes of 1.2 it says

gr_resolution= 1 for 1024x768 (default)
gr_resolution= 2 for 1280x960
gr_resolution= 3 for 1600x1200
gr_color can be 16,24 or 32

So 1280 x 960 is supported, and I changed this in the config.cfg which is all great. But the game still crashes when I try to play it windowed and keep my display resolution at 1920 x 1080.

edit: perhaps it has something to do with the fact that only the default resolution is offered by my video card. I can do 1280 x 1024 or 1280 x 768 but not 1280 x 960 or 1600 x 1200. Hmmm.

I play it with this config without crashes:

gr_gamma= 0
gr_force16bit= 0
gr_displayshadows= 0
gr_lowparticles= 1
gr_disablelight= 0
gr_displayweather= 1
gr_showstats= 0
gr_runwindowed= 0
gr_enablewbuffer= 1
snd_musicvolume= 7
snd_soundvolume= 100
snd_swapchannels= 0
snd_muteall= 0
snd_eax= 1
language= eng
difficulty= 1
gr_font= 0
gr_resolution= 1
gr_color= 32

exe version 17.4.0.3

 

[Cynic]

Raghar you play windowed?

edit: looks like that bool is false in your config

 

[Cynic]

I had to do this to get the game running at all in Win 7: http://noabody.wordpress.com/2011/11/26/kult-heretic-kingdoms-crash-fix-with-ms-act/

I got this thing, can you let me know what you did? I can't be bothered spending time learning how to use that app.

 

[abnaxus]

I don't remember what I did, but I still have the .sdb file. Here it is: http://www.mediafire.com/?sqkpboa5u9x0pqq

Open it in the compatibility manager, and then run the .exe file from within the program. That's the only way the game runs for me.

 

[Cynic]

Thanks! On the DL. Can you play windowed?

 

[abnaxus]

When starting the .exe within the compatibility manager, it should start windowed.

 

[Raghar]

Raghar you play windowed?

edit: looks like that bool is false in your config

Fullscreen. Why would anyone want to play it windowed?

 

[Wolfus]

Why the fuck do I have to play Slovak game with English language?

 

[Great Deceiver]

I found out about this game the other day, it's pretty enjoyable even though I'm having a hard time playing a melee character (magic seems to be way more powerful). It's surprisingly atmospheric, the environments are quite well done, and the character models, even though a little primitive by today's standards, are perfectly serviceable. The skill system is fairly interesting (deriving permanent skills from weapons and equipment). Overall, a nice surprise.

It runs kind of badly under w7, especially if you hold alt to display item names (makes the framerate tank), but it's playable. Going to make an effort to finish it.

Does anyone know what happened to the planned sequel?

 

[Indranys]

I installed and played the game last night in Win 7 32 bit, on a laptop with ATI VGA.
Used 98/Me compatibility to run the game.
It ran just fine, but my character sprite was plagued by black polygon or something, especially in her hair and armor.
All the NPCs were normal.
Tried to disable shadows etc but the problem still persist.
Are you guys having similar problem??

 

[ohWOW]

It's boring and progression sucks ass. No reason to play it, no satisfaction after.

 

[Raapys]

I haven't played a magic character, but I think melee is far more powerful. At least the way I played it it got completely ridiculous. Light armor, no shield, heavy/medium/light weapon depending on what you find, and no 'enchantment' on the weapon. Max speed first, then combat. By the time you're done, you'll even be able to max magic.

Anyway, skills like quadruple crit chance + double crit multiplier + berserker( always crit after first crit) and a 15-20% crit chance weapon as well as 'blood steal'( i.e. the stuff that gets used when you heal ) makes combat absurdly easy, which in turn makes the game a short, decent romp.

 

[abnaxus]

I had to stop using a shield halfway through the game because Reflect Damage attunement auto-killed everything without even have to click on enemies.

But with two-handed katana you'll do minimum 2000 damage per hit at the end of the game.

 

[Raapys]

Oh, I went to that crypt or reliquary or whatever. There I found that old betrayer's assassin's weapon. Less base damage, but 15x multiplier and 2.5times as fast. Also, who needs armor with 91% dodge chance in addition to 40% block chance ^__^

 

[amar0k]

Just finished this some time ago, and its really fucking awful. The main reason for the awfulness of the experience of completing this game, though, is that it got some really nice things, that i instantly wished many superior games should have. The terrible manner this game is designed though overshadows the blink of innovation.
I´ll try to explain for you folks that never had the.. joy to experience this.

The scenario, though at the first look generic fantasy-stuff, is good. Its really refreshing. No elves, dwarves, no Wizards with pointed hats. The world feels believable, despite general emptiness. Graphical style very distinctive, nice atmosphere.
Weapon and armor really looks cool with a rather high diversity in style and, to a lesser extent, in use.
Because of gear-related special abilities and a high differences in speed fighting with some slow-swinging naginata which does high criticals feels much more different than attacking lighting fast with a short sword, compared to most other games. The really game affecting differences may not be that important, but just the look and feel of some higher diversity in the use of weapons is a joy i wish i had in my infinity engine games.
The same is true for protective gear, not only are there sperate slots for trousers, main armor, left shoulder protection and right shoulder protection, the stuff you put on has a very high effect on the before mentioned weapon speed. With full plate armor, heavy shoulder protection, a steel helmet and a big shield it is, even with the "speed"-stat maxed out, impossible to swing a sword with ninja speed. Also can you give your character some light leather jerkin and attach a spiked metal thing to your right shoulder, which looks badass.
The third and last nice thing about weapons and armor are the special abilities, called "attunements". While the explanation that you discover and use somehow magic abilities which lie in every generic rusty weapon is kind of dumb, the system on a technical aspect is very nice (and makes without magickal shit sense to me, because using a weapon for some time gives you expertise with it). For example the player had to use a piece of leather armor (=having it equipped while fighting) for some time to learn its special ability, which gave you a dodge bonus once discoverd - but only while wearing light armor, not heavy one. Because one discovers a lot of these abilities (critical bonus while wielding two handed weapons, additional armor bonus while wielding heavy armor, reduce of enemy block chance while wielding one handed swords etc) choosing equipment can get very interesting. Using that new and fancy heavy armor, a shield and sword gives me protection bonus I and reduce enemy block II, but with my somewhat outdated light armor and a two handed spear i could use dodge bonus III and critical bonus II.. you get it.

But sadly, the very nice equippement mechanics and the refreshing graphics, setting and atmosphere aside.. this game is just plain shit. Area after area hacking the same types of enemys, which have besides their looks, hit points and melee or ranged attack no differance at all. Damage and hit points are balanced so freakingly bad. It makes you furious to see your super cool mage character fighting 2 minutes to take out the most basic enemy, while you run around in circles because his 10 friends follow you. Taking them all out would take around.. you get it.. 20 minutes.
The farther the game gets, the more empty and brainless areas get, and the balancing just fucks up even more. Near the end of the game some king drops a weapon simply named "katana" which, for some reason, is ten times as powerful as any western style sword.

TL;DR: Game has very nice and innnovative mechanics regarding passive Weapon/Armor abilities, attack speed and equippement diversity but this is wasted on an unbalanced and besides endless clickfests empty piece of shit.

 

[Indranys]

TL;DR: Game has very nice and innnovative mechanics regarding passive Weapon/Armor abilities, attack speed and equippement diversity but this is wasted on an unbalanced and besides endless clickfests empty piece of shit.

Overall I agree wiith you.
The game had potentials I say.
Good atmoshpere, no ego stroking, cool protagonist and believable responses from NPCs, unique mechanics.
But the bad was too damn fatal.
Shitty, tricky, problematic engine. Need hours of tweaking to make the game playable.
Bad encounter design just like you described, ARPG combat which is shit (at least in this game the pace was slow), quests were a bit too generic.

Apart from the CTDs, the biggest flaw was that awful encounter design. But ARPG games/Diablo-clones never have a good encounter anyway.
For me, trash mobs and filler combats are among the greatest sins of RPG design IMO.

 

[abnaxus]

But sadly, the very nice equippement mechanics and the refreshing graphics, setting and atmosphere aside.. this game is just plain shit. Area after area hacking the same types of enemys, which have besides their looks, hit points and melee or ranged attack no differance at all. Damage and hit points are balanced so freakingly bad. It makes you furious to see your super cool mage character fighting 2 minutes to take out the most basic enemy, while you run around in circles because his 10 friends follow you. Taking them all out would take around.. you get it.. 20 minutes.

I figured. Playing as a warrior is okay, though.

 

[Commissar Draco]

Hey warriors getting some Luv? I did liked Divinity 1 and even first Diablos so Game being Hack and Slash is not great for me.

 

[abnaxus]

There seems to be some sequel for this in the works: http://www.shadows-game.com/en/

Shadows: Heretic Kingdoms is the next chapter of the Heretic Kingdoms saga. The Action-RPG is produced by Games Farm and published by bitComposer Games for release in Q4 2014. Set a few years after the events of Kult: Heretic Kingdoms, players are caught up in a terrible conspiracy and propelled upon an epic journey through a world of dark fantasy. Epic battles and unexpected plot twists await those brave enough to rise to the challenge! Take control of the Devourer, a demon that swallows the souls of the dead and brings them back into the mortal realm as puppets. But is the demon their master – or their servant?