Why do you like Wiz8?

[DraQ]

(Codexites who don't need not apply)

For me, it would probably be several factors (replayability, fairly good mechanics, good combat and furries too), but first would be it's unique atmosphere, that has several things going for it:
- self-conscious, crypto-ironic* use of cliches and other elemetns, including it's characteristic fantasy-space opera mish-mash
- lively party members with personalities who react to everything that happens
- 'everything that happens' actually means 'quite a lot' - even though gameplay is swamped by the incessant combat, the game is riddled with various scripted events
- interesting and diverse locations

If anyone feels it'd only be natural to say 'combat and stats', I want them to ask themselves two questions:

1. Have I ever wished that Wiz8 had less (without doubt, quite brilliantly executed and fun) combat?
2. If I answered 'Yes' to the previous question, does this game have a lot of non-combat skills and scenarios?

If you have answered 'Yes' and 'No' respectively, you might be liking this game for something else.
If you answered 'Yes' to the second one, I'd like you to elaborate.


*) as it isn't openly ironic, but neither is it ever straight faced.

 

[Luzur]

i like that the party members talk to eachother. that was a huge + for me.

the only - for me is that theres enemies everywhere, even in town.

EDIT: shitty spelling errors fixed.

 

[Demnogonis Saastuttaja]

Fun and challenging turn-based combat with some emphasis on maneuvering, charming graphics style and music, nice party creation and developement (the voicesets you assing to party members are also a lot better than those of any other game I have played), a good text parser, and so on. The whole package is of consistent high quality, and the planning, contemplating your options, that sort of thing is very fun and sorely lacking from modern games.

 

[ghostdog]

If they had managed to make more substantial use of the parser conversation system and added more non-combat skills and scenarios, Wiz8 would be perfect. It's still a great game though.

 

[Darth Roxor]

RFS-81 REPORTING, MASTER

DESTROY

EXTERMINATE

(RFS-81 kicks the living shit out of random_enemy x3
65 damage!
RFS-81 punches the living shit out of random_enemy x3
58 damage!
RFS-81 punches the living shit out of random_enemy x2
39 damage!)


/thread.


RFS-81 might even be more amusing than HK-47 (the TSL one, he's definitely more amusing than the one from kotor1), mainly because he's uberuseful in combat.

 

[DraQ]

RFS-81 REPORTING, MASTER

DESTROY

EXTERMINATE

(RFS-81 kicks the living shit out of random_enemy x3
65 damage!
RFS-81 punches the living shit out of random_enemy x3
58 damage!
RFS-81 punches the living shit out of random_enemy x2
39 damage!)

:]

*all warm and mushy on the inside*

 

[JarlFrank]

I really really loved the setting. There is nothing as fascinating to me as fantasy meeting sci-fi. Then there's the combat and the dungeon design, especially the Monastery. There have been many times where I started the game and stopped after that particular starting dungeon. But I always loved that particular dungeon, no matter how often I played it. Also, large selection of different characters helps a lot in replayability, too.

And the combat... well yes, sometimes I found the random encounters on the road to be a little annoying. But the combat itself is really good. It's just that on the road, sometimes it became a little *too* much. Dungeon exploration is awesome. A lot of details to find, challenging combat...

I like the game because it's a good dungeon crawler.

 

[Anthony Davis]

It was SirTech's Swan Song.

It was the last thing they made, which means despite the fact that Arnika Road is unbelievably overcrowded with monsters, I will always love it.

It is also a righteous RPG.

 

[Andhaira]

Oh come one now. Arnika road is NOT near as overcrowded as some make it. I take it none of you played old japenese rp's with random encounters, such as say Final Fantasy X even which had a ton of encounters.

 

[Hobo Elf]

The game was pretty cartoony, which was a nice change to all the grim and dark stuff that's been coming out lately. Combat was fun, classes were fun. Someone also mentioned your party members speaking, which was a really nice touch.
Oh, and the game had Nessie. Holy fuck I was paralyzed with fear the first time I saw Nessie. Giant underwater monsters terrify me.

 

[Hobo Elf]

Oh come one now. Arnika road is NOT near as overcrowded as some make it. I take it none of you played old japenese rp's with random encounters, such as say Final Fantasy X even which had a ton of encounters.

Encounters took far longer in Wiz8. You actually had to use your skills and some strategy. jRPGs just make you go CLICK CLICK CLICK on the Attack button and then you just watch your guys demolish the monsters in 1-3 rounds.

 

[Darth Roxor]

But Arnika road REALLY isn't that overcrowded.

 

[DraQ]

But Arnika road REALLY isn't that overcrowded.

It lacks, however, good hiding spots and you just don't have the juice to pass it all at once, so you spent most of the time huddling in tight rock crevices trying to get some sleep and praying to not get spotted. Running away works too - if there are no enemies between you and your destination.

 

[Darth Roxor]

I passed it all at once.

 

[Crawfish]

1. It had a challenging and diverse combat system that required players to actually think and use a wide array of their abilities to survive, unlike many RPGs that can be beaten just using auto-attack.
2. It offered a built-in "Ironman" mode.
3. The UI was highly polished and robust. It was one of the best I've ever used.
4. It offered a large world that was fantastic for players who enjoy exploration.
5. Factions.
6. The character development system offered enough variety to tempt players to replay the game and made the min-maxing/party optimization interesting.

I very much liked the game. I would have loved it if enemy groups didn't respawn, so you could actually "clear out" an area. It always creates a sense of accomplishment to come back to an area previously overrun with baddies that is now clear and safe for the little townspeople. It also makes it a lot more pleasant when you have to travel back through the area. Backtracking is something that people want to be able to knock off as quickly as possible so that they can get back to fresh content and storyline. It's bad design to punish players by making backtracking just as slow and tedious as it was when you first consumed the content.

 

[Luzur]

I very much liked the game. I would have loved it if enemy groups didn't respawn, so you could actually "clear out" an area.

Might and Magic III and forward had a nice system for this, with huts to be destryoed to clear out enemies respawns in areas.

 

[theverybigslayer]

I very much liked the game. I would have loved it if enemy groups didn't respawn, so you could actually "clear out" an area.

Might and Magic III and forward had a nice system for this, with huts to be destryoed to clear out enemies respawns in areas.

Might and Magic VI: around New Sorpigal the goblins respawn after a year. But why is that a problem?
IT IS METEOR SHOWER TIME!!!

 

[sqeecoo]

While I think Wiz8 has absolutely the best and deepest stats/combat system, I must say there were far too many random encounters. I don't mind the heavy focus on combat at all, I mind the infinite easy-but-lengthy random fights. It could easily take me 3-4 hours just to backtrack to a town along a road I had already explored.

If the quantity of these random encounters could be dropped by about 50-70% in already explored areas, the game would be much more enjoyable.

The other problem are the dodging animations for the monsters (the movement animations can be sped up). Once you get several fighters with several attacks per round each, you spend a very long time just watching your enemies dodge or take hits. Very boring. That's why I only ever took one fighter with a spear, the rest of my party being casters.

 

[DraQ]

That's why I only ever took one fighter with a spear, the rest of my party being casters.

Spell animations take even longer even if caster doesn't screw up. If he does, you have to wait as spell ricochets.


By the way, does anyone know how the game determines hits with ranged attacks and effects of spell ricochets?

 

[sqeecoo]

Yep, but at least there is only one spell per round per caster

 

[Jasede]

Combat, Party; also: only played it once in my life and still remember (almost) everything; only good games do this to me.

"Crypto-ironic".

 

[Thrasher]

The character / party development system plus turned-based combat

honorable mention to the funny sound effects (bard instruments, spells, character voices, ....)

 

[Azrael the cat]

(1st) the depth of party design and character/party strategic progression, then (2nd) strategic combat.

As for the amount of combat - I love red wine, but I can still puke from having too much of it...

 

[Luzur]

I very much liked the game. I would have loved it if enemy groups didn't respawn, so you could actually "clear out" an area.

Might and Magic III and forward had a nice system for this, with huts to be destryoed to clear out enemies respawns in areas.

Might and Magic VI: around New Sorpigal the goblins respawn after a year. But why is that a problem?
IT IS METEOR SHOWER TIME!!!

hmmm, should have typed it as "Might and Magic III to V had a nice system for this."

 

[sportforredneck]

Wizardry 6 captured my imagination as a child, and that continued up to Wizardry 8.