Gold Box SSI's Gold Box Series Thread

[Null Null]

Double Edit: Servo, bro, it's also important to know that multiple attacks in the Gold Box games seem to be handled a bit strangely. Even if a character would be entitled to a second attack, they seemingly only receive the opportunity if their first attack actually lands. If they miss, the second/third attacks will not occur.

That's what I thought, too, but it actually says 'misses' if all your attacks miss; if one hits, it just says 'hits' once. (You never see enemies with multiple attacks missing more than once, do you?) Confused the heck out of me when first playing Goldbox games back in 1990.

There are guides to the character format for FRUA, but the further back in time you go the less the formats will have in common.

 

[mindx2]

How come my fighter can sometimes shoot his bow twice?

 

[Servo]

What... the...

fuck.

 

[Jaesun]

After you kill a number of them, they will more than likely fail their morale roll. So no big deal.

 

[Servo]

After you kill a number of them, they will more than likely fail their morale roll. So no big deal.

Yeah that's exactly what happen. But there's a wall at the end of the passage so they can't go anywhere :D

Anyways I'm not sure if I should try to kill them all or what. Their attacks of opportunity could kill my remaining party members.

Edit: barely made it. 2/6 standing, one with only 3 hp and the other out of ammo. Once they're fleeing, do I have to finish the battle or can I preemptively end it?

 

[octavius]

It's a fairly easy encounter. Have your best protected guy be the meat shield (the Hero NPC is perfect for this), then let the others rain missiles on the orcs. Only three or so orcs can attack each round anyway.
But often those orc squads have a couple of archers themselves, which are good targets for a Charm spell, or a priority target for your own archers.

 

[Null Null]

Ah, the ever-popular '30 orcs and they each get their turn' fight that so bedeviled POR.

OK, so here's my guide to 'beating Pool of Radiance with the least possible fuss'.

OK, so remember how POR scales the fights to your level? Kill the orcs with the cleric scroll and camp out in front of the room (not in the room, in front of the room), and fight the monsters as your rest is interrupted. You're low level, so it'll only send a few at you. Then make your way to Kuto's Well and do the same. You'll have a lot more freedom of motion now.

Go back into the Slums and go to the northwest corner--the treasure room will raise your XPs enough for at least your clerics to reach second level. Kill the goblins with the magic leather armor, the kobolds with the bracers, and the hobgoblins with the ring of protection +1 --these are the quick and easy fights. Go back and train--you should be able to get your mages to 2nd or 3rd level by now. You can now throw lots of Sleep and Hold Person spells at the bigger fights, and they will go a lot faster.

I am of the opinion Sokal Keep is not worth completing without a 5th level mage.

 

[dragonbait]

What... the...

fuck.

Well you've went and angered the hordes now didn't you? Damn, I love PoR!

 

[octavius]

What... the...

fuck.

Yrch!' said

, falling into his own tongue.

 

[Jaesun]

After you kill a number of them, they will more than likely fail their morale roll. So no big deal.

Yeah that's exactly what happen. But there's a wall at the end of the passage so they can't go anywhere :D

When enemies fail morale, you can just rain arrows of death upon then. They won't fight back.

 

[Servo]

*covers ears*

I didn't ask for a walkthrough man just if I could quit the fight while enemies were fleeing without losing experience or something.

When enemies fail morale, you can just rain arrows of death upon then. They won't fight back.

Well yeah but like I said I was out of arrows. I only have one archer, and I don't see how you could have two - one of the guys in the back must be the caster, and I thought I read in the manual that anyone in melee (the first four in order) can't use ranged weapons at all.

Also, do you get less XP when you kill monsters that are asleep? It seems like it but that would be...

 

[Jaesun]

Well yeah but like I said I was out of arrows. I only have one archer, and I don't see how you could have two - one of the guys in the back must be the caster, and I thought I read in the manual that anyone in melee (the first four in order) can't use ranged weapons at all.

This is why you have everyone have slings in their inventory. No ammo required. And if you pick up NPC's (that you can't control) let them run out of arrows and just give them a sling. The NPC AI is most of the time so fucking hair ripping (like wasting arrows on creatures that require magic only weapons to hit it).

 

[Servo]

Okay this game is seriously fun and combat is addicting as shit.

 

[Jaesun]

Yeah. The Gold Box Games (for me) are literately GAMING CRACK. heh

 

[Servo]

I should probably stop picking up every single item I find though. Managing inventory is pretty tedious.

 

[octavius]

I only have one archer, and I don't see how you could have two - one of the guys in the back must be the caster, and I thought I read in the manual that anyone in melee (the first four in order) can't use ranged weapons at all.

There's no fixed front and back ranks in the Gold Box games, although the first half will start in melee in an encounter starts at close range. As long as a character is not in melee (next to an enemy) they can use ranged weapons. Some weapons can be both melee and thrown (range 3) weapons, like Daggers, Clubs and small axes, but that varies from game to game. Sometimes a thrown dagger is just what is needed to interrupt an enemy spell caster.

 

[Servo]

There's no fixed front and back ranks in the Gold Box games, although the first half will start in melee in an encounter starts at close range. As long as a character is not in melee (next to an enemy) they can use ranged weapons.

Ah ok that must be what I read then. There is one thing however...

Sometimes a thrown dagger is just what is needed to interrupt an enemy spell caster.

needed to interrupt an enemy spell caster.

enemy spell caster

I just peed my pants a little upon reading that.

 

[Jaesun]

So far, Gateway to the Savage Frontier is quite enjoyable so far. The beginning (and premise) are quite MEH, but I'm now at the Hosttower and things are getting much more interesting. All those fucking Bugbears...

There is one thing that is making me RAGE (and I had forgotten this) but the Gold Box Games do NOT allow all classes to use slings (this was fixed in FRUA). Mainly because that was your ONLY defense against the FUCKING STUPID AI. Because as soon as your NPC Mage who now has joined the party temporarily runs out of darts, he will then immediately run up and engage the enemy in hand to hand.

I had hoped someone did a FRUA conversion of this, but no one ever did (they did do a PoR and Curse of the Azure Bonds FRUA conversion for those).

 

[ProphetSword]

They didn't do FRUA conversions of those games because they weren't necessary. The only reason Pool of Radiance and Curse of the Azure Bonds got the treatment they got is because they fit into the Realm series (as there were actual modules based upon them), and because the early games were missing some key features (some classes, a "fix" option, etc). So, no need for a remake when they can be played just fine in the same DOSBox environment that runs FRUA.

 

[Jaesun]

I do have to say, who ever the person was that did the Upper Hosttower design, they did a very good job on that. Because it is a giant maze, that is full of one way doors, and if you are not mapping it correctly, you will end up starting the level over again. Of which I did twice....

 

[Servo]

I think I'm starting to figure out what I like about this game. It scratches my Ultima itch, but it's better than Ultima. I loved the exploration in U4, which PoR has, but hated the excessive random encounters which PoR doesn't have. I thought the story in U4 was pretty stupid (I realize it was "different" and "important" and all that but save the zen crap plz), but PoR has a solid story with no frills. U4 was definitely lacking in the strategy dept. which PoR has in spades since it uses the AD&D rules.

Finally, I love the graphics and interface. One thing that always bugged me about MM1 was the lack of graphics and feedback, the completely text based combat interface, not being able to see my party ever, not being able to see NPCs or enemies, etc. I know that makes me look bad but I've always been a bit of a whore that way

 

[octavius]

Finally, I love the graphics and interface. One thing that always bugged me about MM1 was the lack of graphics and feedback, the completely text based combat interface, not being able to see my party ever, not being able to see NPCs or enemies, etc. I know that makes me look bad but I've always been a bit of a whore that way

Well, I'm of the opinion that if you can't do proper top down turn based combat like the Gold Box games did, but end up with something like Ultima IV's combat instead, you may just as well go for the much quicker and more tactical (albeit abstract) combat of blobbers like Wizardry, Bard's Tale and MM1-2. Too many CRPGs were ruined by slow, simplistic, not-tactical combat systems.

 

[Invictus]

Ahhh Pools of Radiance is damn sweet, even the annoying bits are sort of charming
So what is it with the Goldbox license? Is it stuck on some corporate hellhole like System Shock 2 was or simply collecting dust bunnies in some Activision desk drawer?

 

[Servo]

When it says I've alerted the guards and there's like 10 goblin leaders and 10 normal goblins, did I do something bad? Or do I have to kill these guys no matter what?

 

[octavius]

When it says I've alerted the guards and there's like 10 goblin leaders and 10 normal goblins, did I do something bad? Or do I have to kill these guys no matter what?

No way to avoid it AFAIK. Hope you have lots of Sleep spells, 'cause those Goblin Leader archers are deadly to a low level party.