Wizardry The Wizardry Series Thread

[Malignant Manor]

Wizardry 7 can use RPGAssist for an automap. I think I might have used it for my last playthrough. I believe it only shows tiles you've stepped on (Isn't that how the in game map worked too).


KoriTama, thanks. Disabling the automap also disables tooltips. 6.conf.BAK is outdated. The first release should also have the source code available. I wonder how hard it would be to be able to change the automap window size using the mouse? Everything else seems great.


Edit. The video for RPGAssist is an outdated release and shows bumping into walls to map them. I'm not sure if that was fixed. The basic outline would help with backtracking at the very lease.

 

[A600]

Done! http://www.moddb.com/mods/wizardry-6-automap-mod/downloads/wizardry-6-automap-mod-11

Will the source code be available?

 

[Malignant Manor]

Will the source code be available?

You can get it here. You can look at the Wizardry 6 page to find it whenever there are more releases (assuming he also releases the code).

 

[Invictus]

Yep Octavious it is probably the longest RPG ever, on a beginner playthrough you can clock upwards of 300 hours, and even knowing where everything is (like the Legend map) you get upwards from 120 hours easiily.
The mad god mod that constantly restores health and mana greatly help reduce resting too.
It is definetly a long haul game; I spent almost 6 months on and off the first time I beat it.
I remeber beign stuck with my trusty 486 arround 1999 with only Darklands, Wiz 7 and the goldbox games for a whole summer since I broke my ankle...I am itching for another playthough but I will have to hold to scratch that wth Grimoire

 

[Zetor]

Isn't Fate: Gates of Dawn longer than W7? But yeah, I remember me and my classmates back in HS spending over a year playing and dissecting the game, including finding the best xp-grind spots to level our characters into demigods (godzylli and stuff on the two unnamed islands) and trying to kill all of the gorrors on expert difficulty.

 

[Malignant Manor]

I will be playing through Wizardry 6 in DOSBox partly because of the automap, and because the SNES translation was screwy for me (the controls are better for the SNES though, and it has a built in automap).

felpur F Valkyrie -> samurai
felpur F ninja -> Valkyrie
felpur F ninja -> Valkyrie
felpur F bard 1 -> ninja -> Valkyrie
fairy M mage 2 -> bard -> priest
fairy M mage -> priest

1 change class as soon as possible (at second level or wait until I get a back row weapon to use)
2 change around when bard does


I know that I need to make sure to have at least 16 vitality to have extra mana regen. I know that carrying capacity is calculated at first level so strength and vitality should be as close to max as reasonable. Having two fairies will hurt carrying capacity.

I think I will suck at tanking for awhile, but I will have a lute. I decided not to abuse hide, 1 level dips in ninja, and avoid a lot of class changes. Screw getting crap mana regen on my caster by starting as a bard but I am fine with it for my 4 fighter/casters.

I'm not set on a race for the first 4. Is the felpur, mook, or dwarf resistance better? Paralysis was pretty common in 7, but I don't think those enemies exist in 6. Will the Valkyrie have enough healing in the beginning? Resting is pretty fast at low levels. What do you guys think of the party?

 

[KoriTama]

Disabling the automap also disables tooltips. 6.conf.BAK is outdated.

Done.
http://www.moddb.com/mods/wizardry-6-automap-mod/downloads/wizardry-6-automap-mod-12

The first release should also have the source code available.

It just impossible. Source code has been overwritten.

I wonder how hard it would be to be able to change the automap window size using the mouse?

Maybe it will be released later, with Wizardry 7 Automap Mod!

 

[Malignant Manor]

If you are using the automap, when backing up saves, you need to save also these files, MAP.CAC, MAP.NTS, MAP.PAL, and MAP.VIS. If you notice text ghosting in the dithered background, it is a problem with the super2xsai scaler and not the mod.

final party

felpur F Valkyrie -> samurai
felpur F samurai -> Valkyrie
felpur F samura -> Valkyrie
felpur F bard -> ninja (or samurai and possible skip Valk)-> Valkyrie
fairy F priest (F for stam regen item) -> bard -> priest or mage
fairy M mage -> priest

Maybe it will be released later, with Wizardry 7 Automap Mod!

It could definitely use a better automap, but I have no idea when I would have the time or inclination to play it again.

 

[octavius]

So I gave up on Wizard's Crown and need something quick and simple.
Does Wizardry IV fit the bill?

 

[Crooked Bee]

You bet.

(On a more serious note, I'll just repeat my suggestion of playing The Dark Spire on Desmume if you're looking for something similar to Wiz1-3.)

 

[octavius]

You bet.

(On a more serious note, I'll just repeat my suggestion of playing The Dark Spire on Desmume if you're looking for something similar to Wiz1-3.)

Thanks for the tip. I forgot to check it out last time, but it sure looks very interesting, and with nice artwork.
I've added it to my play list, but being a 2008 game it will probably take me a while to get around to playing it. So many games, so little time...

 

[Crooked Bee]

You bet.

(On a more serious note, I'll just repeat my suggestion of playing The Dark Spire on Desmume if you're looking for something similar to Wiz1-3.)

Thanks for the tip. I forgot to check it out last time, but it sure looks very interesting, and with nice artwork.
I've added it to my play list, but being a 2008 game it will probably take me a while to get around to playing it. So many games, so little time...

Well, TDS is a fairly quick game, and you said you were looking for quick games specifically.

Also check out Silvern Castle for another good early Wizardry-like game. This one is more grindy and slower due to the way it does character progression, though.

 

[octavius]

[
Also check out Silvern Castle for another good early Wizardry-like game. This one is more grindy and slower due to the way it does character progression, though.

This one looks interesting too. I've added it to my play list and will check it out more fully later. Being from 1988 it could be my next game after Wiz 4. Incidentally my first game of Wiz 4 ended after testing the On/Off window and being attack before I even had a chance to turn around and admire the decoration of Werdna's cell.

 

[Crooked Bee]

I wouldn't have recommended an uninteresting game

Not too many good Wizardry-likes there, unfortunately, though.

 

[octavius]

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?

And what's up with the 999999 Keys that keep decreasing in number if I try to Equip item?

 

[Crooked Bee]

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?

And what's up with the 999999 Keys that keep decreasing in number if I try to Equip item?

Play the Apple II version. That's what I did. It's also the original version anyway + it asks you to confirm all messages by pressing ENTER iirc, so you can't miss those.

The keys are the time limit, basically. It's extremely generous though.

Once you inevitably give up on the game, do read my LP instead

 

[octavius]

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?

And what's up with the 999999 Keys that keep decreasing in number if I try to Equip item?

Play the Apple II version. That's what I did. It's also the original version anyway + it asks you to confirm all messages by pressing ENTER iirc, so you can't miss those.

What?!? Start over now that I have almost won? Or at least completed half the first level.

Cool thing: met a fearsome band of adventurers called Rendor's Ravagers or something like that. Two of the party started out dead, and I recognized the names of characters I've killed earlier. Nice!

Also, what monsters do people usually use?
Two me the Zombies are essential due to their Paralyze attacks, Priests due to the Light spell, and for the last group I chose Creeping Coins, since they are so many and they breath.

Things seem to happen in real time and the encounter frequency is much higher than in Wiz 1-3. I started thinking that this must be the inspiration for Bard's Tale, but then recalled that even though Wiz 4 looks five years older, it was released 1-2 years after BT.

 

[Crooked Bee]

I hope you're mapping out the game by hand. The first floor is easy, but after that it gets crazy - with some of the best dungeon design to ever grace the genre. Certainly not something to miss out on by using ready-made maps.

As for the monsters, I don't really remember anymore. Again, you can just check out my LP (http://lparchive.org/Wizardry-IV/) to see what monsters I went with.

Early on, though, the Creeping Coins are definitely good because they can call for reinforcement, which is invaluable at that point. Your other selections look good to me too. You might just have the chance to beat the game if you continue to use the summoned monsters' strengths like that.

 

[octavius]

I hope you're mapping out the game by hand. The first floor is easy, but after that it gets crazy - with some of the best dungeon design to ever grace the genre. Certainly not something to miss out on by using ready-made maps.

Why, of course. The mapping challenge is half the fun of ancient blobbers.

As for the monsters, I don't really remember anymore. Again, you can just check out my LP (http://lparchive.org/Wizardry-IV/) to see what monsters I went with.

I did and in it you wrote:
"The walkthrough I checked when preparing this update to make sure I don't miss out on anything assured me the best combination of monsters to summon would be Zombies, Creeping Coins and Lvl 1 Priests."
Heh, I'm pleased I picked excactly the same minions. Although you made a good case for why Gas Clouds would be better than Zombies.

Early on, though, the Creeping Coins are definitely good because they can call for reinforcement, which is invaluable at that point. Your other selections look good to me too. You might just have the chance to beat the game if you continue to use the summoned monsters' strengths like that.

In Wiz 3 I started writing down the abilities of the monsters I faced. Should become useful.

 

[octavius]

So how do you avoid Trebor's ghost? Pure luck? If so, that sux.

EDIT: Never mind, I see it's covered in the LP.

 

[Crooked Bee]

Don't spend too much time on a single level. He resets when you switch levels.

I actually thought it was kinda cool.

 

[Grauken]

Anyone ever played those old Wiz mods?

http://www.zimlab.com/wizardry/weeping_snows.htm
http://www.zimlab.com/wizardry/blackstone.htm

 

[octavius]

Anyone ever played those old Wiz mods?

http://www.zimlab.com/wizardry/weeping_snows.htm
http://www.zimlab.com/wizardry/blackstone.htm

Didn't even know mods were possible for the Wizardries.

 

[treborSux]

Anyone ever played those old Wiz mods?

http://www.zimlab.com/wizardry/weeping_snows.htm
http://www.zimlab.com/wizardry/blackstone.htm

Didn't even know mods were possible for the Wizardries.

I don't imagine it was too difficult. You could just create a custom scenario disk with Wizardry editors etc.

 

[octavius]

It's funny how much more resistant those adventurer parties in Wiz 4 are to Sleep spells and monsters' special attacks than my own adventurer parties in Wiz 1-3 were.