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Wizardry The Wizardry Series Thread

KoriTama

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Wizardry 7 Automap Mod WIP screenshot:
 

Gragt

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Noticed an annoying difference between Wiz 1-3 and Wiz 4. In 1-3 the text speed was just right, but in 4 the combat messages go by so fast that I can't read them. Decreasing CPU cycles does not work.
I'm using the Archives version. Any advice?

Funny, how many cycles are you using? 500 are enough for me and I do not miss any message. Have you tried the T)ime command?
 

Invictus

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Divinity: Original Sin 2
Fuhhhh
These threads are going to be the death of me...
After wrapping up Pools of Radiance I decided to roll up some characters and try the mad god's Wiz 7 mod and holy shit iis it fun; healing is much faster when resting and you actualy restore a bit from just walking arround; this little change speeds up the game considerably plus you get some new areas and some placed loot which makes getting your hands on good starting equipment much less painfull
I just stoped last nite after maybe 4 hours of gameplay (minus character generation) when I got my hands on the Legend map in New City and I am itching to go back but that way lies at least another playthrough...must resist for Grimoire...
 

octavius

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Noticed an annoying difference between Wiz 1-3 and Wiz 4. In 1-3 the text speed was just right, but in 4 the combat messages go by so fast that I can't read them. Decreasing CPU cycles does not work.
I'm using the Archives version. Any advice?

Funny, how many cycles are you using? 500 are enough for me and I do not miss any message. Have you tried the T)ime command?

Yes, I found it after posting.
Setting delay to about 9 works well.
 

octavius

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The members of the Greyhawk Ghostbusters party in Wiz 4 are totally immune to Silence and Sleep spells. I can only assume the player who sent in the disk with that party hex edited the characters, because surely the Founding Fathers of CRPGs would not cheat?
 

octavius

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Wiz 4 sure takes time when you map it all by hand. If I had used online maps maybe I've already finished by now (depending on just how brutal levels 7 to 1 are).

My party died a lot on lvl 9. They had about a 50% chance against the Officers' Mess (I explored all guard towers which took time) and less than 5% chance against Greyhawk's Ghostbusters. Weirdly enough Hellpuppy and Hellhound was very easy (Crooked Bee suggested fighting them much later in her LP), when you have Dilto spamming Priests and level draining Mummies. Unless the hounds have a breath attack and I got lucky that they used their regular attack, they can only kill one of my minions per round.

Lvl 8 has been much easier combatwise, now that I've got some real firepower. Between myself and 6 Sprites spamming Mahalito Do-Gooders don't last long. The mines were not nearly as lethal (not so far, at least) as I thought. I actually thought they would insta-kill the party and the game would involve lots of save scumming. Glad I was wrong on that account.

The game sure is not like other CRPGs. Grinding is virtually pointless, except for getting more gold. And of course you can't Iron Man it since one stray spell is enough to kill poor Werdna.
So my play style is different from other CRPGs. When I reload I use the map I've already made. In other CRPGs I would remap when reloading.
And once Trebor's Ghost gets near I Quit and Save. That seems to be the only safe measure against him.
 

iZerw

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When I reload I use the map I've already made. In other CRPGs I would remap when reloading.
Man, you're hardcore! I for one decided to skip Wiz4 entirely.
Is there any penalty for death? Or you just start from the bottom and all your levels remain?
 

octavius

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Is there any penalty for death? Or you just start from the bottom and all your levels remain?

You have two choices - start all over or load a save game. Unlike Wiz 1-3 you can save anywehere.
But when to save is also an important choice. When you save you quit the game, and when reloading the current level is reset (levels are also reset whenever you re-enter them). But resetting also means resetting Trebor's Ghost, so it is a life saver when he starts breathing down your neck.
 
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Wiz 4 sure takes time when you map it all by hand. If I had used online maps maybe I've already finished by now (depending on just how brutal levels 7 to 1 are).

Now imagine if you were playing the original version and the ghost moved in real time.
 

octavius

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Wiz 4 sure takes time when you map it all by hand. If I had used online maps maybe I've already finished by now (depending on just how brutal levels 7 to 1 are).

Now imagine if you were playing the original version and the ghost moved in real time.

I'm playing the Archives version, in which I believe the ghost does move in real time.
 

octavius

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Ah, a Black Box! Not quite as exciting as the Black Boxes in Might&Magic 1, but more useful. Being limited to only 8 item slots in Wiz 4 I was actually pleased to seee thieves run off with quest items*. I see from CRPG Addict's blog and various Let's Play's that I check after I clear a level, that most of them were paranoid about losing quest items and would immediately reload if it ocurred. But having played Wiz 3 it's quite obvious that the game just does a simple check to see if item is in inventory and only fire the event/encounter giving the item if you don't already have it. So my plan was to revisit earlier levels and collect the items when I figured I would need them. But with the Black Box I can collect them right away, and by equipping the Black Box it's safe from thieves. :smug:


*Unless thieving monsters existed in earlier games like Oubliette or various Roguelikes I guess the thieves in Wiz 4 were the inspiration for this rage inducing little nazi bastard:
fires_070.png
 

TigerKnee

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Probably too late to make a joke now that "Yes, it certainly is a very short experience from game start to a game over screen" since you're now playing Wiz 4.

So my play style is different from other CRPGs. When I reload I use the map I've already made. In other CRPGs I would remap when reloading.
Man, that's hardcore. Do you like rip up your maps or something if you die?

And if you die in the game, do you die in real life?
 

octavius

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Probably too late to make a joke now that "Yes, it certainly is a very short experience from game start to a game over screen" since you're now playing Wiz 4.

So my play style is different from other CRPGs. When I reload I use the map I've already made. In other CRPGs I would remap when reloading.
Man, that's hardcore. Do you like rip up your maps or something if you die?

And if you die in the game, do you die in real life?

Heh, that was a bit of bad wording on my part and it's not as hardcore as it sounds. I don't tear up the old map and make a new one; I just make sure my character/party revisits all the squares I mapped after I saved. I just don't like meta gaming much, so I kind of "LARP" it - using only knowledge that my party also has, although I usually look up what items do if there's no in-game way to do it.
Of course in Wiz 4 I just have to accept that meta gaming is part of the Wiz 4 experience, and there's really no point in revisiting areas either, since you don't get an XP or random loot.
 

Crooked Bee

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The members of the Greyhawk Ghostbusters party in Wiz 4 are totally immune to Silence and Sleep spells. I can only assume the player who sent in the disk with that party hex edited the characters, because surely the Founding Fathers of CRPGs would not cheat?

Not all parties were sent in by the players, afaik.

But with the Black Box I can collect them right away, and by equipping the Black Box it's safe from thieves.

Yeah, that was a pretty generous thing on the game's part. :P

Glad to see you didn't just give up on the game because of how unorthodox it is. It really defies a lot of CRPG conventions. I'd love to say it was "revolutionary," but given that no CRPG has ever followed any of its good/experimental ideas, that probably wouldn't be correct, historical importance-wise.

When you save you quit the game, and when reloading the current level is reset
:lol:

Good old games. Does the game format your hard drive on TPK ?

"Reset" just means that enemies respawn. Nothing too major.

Also, like octavius said, that also resets Trebor's Ghost so it's arguably more of a boon than a bane.
 

octavius

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Wizardry 4 has taught me something new - how to use the Run button. When I meet the three mages who all cast the MAKANITO spell killing all members in the party including Werdna, run I do.

Also, it seems there's a capital punishment for credit card fraud...
But who the hell is Karl Maudlin? Is it a play on Karl Malden? Anyway I don't get the reference.
 
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octavius

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I thought Wiz 4 would be even more of a mapping challenge than it is. For me the most challenging thing so far is enemy spell casters who kill you before you can even say "TILTO...no wait...I mean MADALTO".
It takes a while getting used to that often running may be the best option, at least from spell casters.

So far I'm slightly disappointed by the level design. It's more gimmicky and symmetric than clever so far, except for the Ziggurat. I much prefer the chaotic, assymetric level design of Chaos Strikes Back, for example.
In lvl 6 I immediately recognized the familiar sign of Spinners. I was fooled a bit by the spinner acting again after casting the DUMAPIC spell, and I breathed a sigh of relief when I found the first summoning portal. I had previosuly found two areas that were blocked by tough parties of Do-Gooders, and thought I would have to go through one of them to reach the portal.
I had no problems finding the stairway to lvl 5. All my experience with these kinds of games, and the map I've made, told me that there had to be a secret room into 13/2 and the first wall I bumped into turned out be an illusion. From Wiz 3 I knew that even LOMILWA will not reveal all secret doors.
I can imagine lvl 6 being a nightmare for someone new to these kinds of game, and who don't bother with drawing maps.

Wiz 4 is not the most enjoyable game I've played, often being more frustrating than fun, especially the mine field with the trial and error approach, and the ziggurat with encounters in nearly every room and Thorin with 300 HP constantly blocking your progress, and the ever present danger of enemy spell casters insta-killing you.
 

logrus

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Aug 13, 2012
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Project: Eternity
Bros, is there any method to run Wiz 8 in a windowed mode? Someone was successful using D3D Windower or similar tool?
 

TigerKnee

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Feb 24, 2012
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Wiz 8 has its own Windowed mode, no need for external tools. It's just tied to some strange hotkey combination like CTRL + F10 or something.
 

logrus

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Project: Eternity
It's CTRL+F12, awesome :)
 

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