Ok so Betrayal at Krondor is awesome

[Darth Roxor]

You are currently playing the best RPG to have ever graced our vile world. Savour the moments.


And yes, the plot is the best one ever done, and fuck your 'well, it's not best, but it's the best constructed!!!11111' semantics wankery. You won't find a single (*single*, even fucking Fallout) game, where each sidequest somehow connects to the main story, even if by a marginally noticeable little string. You won't find another game, where each friggin character has hidden agenda that he won't reveal at first. You won't find any other game, where you will learn not to trust anyone (except shopkeepers, maybe). There's also shitloads of plausible plot twists, behind the scenes political stuff, conspiracy, 'racing time', etc, etc.

The encounters are of little variety and there is little progression in terms of difficulty.

Person who never got past chapter 2 detected

 

[Konjad]

Hm... I guess I'll give it a try after Arx Fatalis

 

[Angrak]

I see surprisingly few mentions of the game even here on the codex. I've been playing it for for the past few weeks (it seems quite long) and I'm loving it. A great, well written story, a cool improve-by-use skill system, turn based battles, an (almost) open world with lots to do...

What I like most is how the story progression can be seen in the game world; the game is divided into chapters and all the quests for example open up at different times and are often somehow related to what ever is happening in the plot. Also people you've spoken to before have new things to say that reflect the things going on in the story and so on.

So many things in this game just make perfect sense. Some shops will only buy specific types of items, there's a day-night cycle that the taverns follow for example, the characters consume rations of food, weapons and armors wear down but can be repaired etc.

So what is the codex consensus on this?

Brother, Betrayal at Krondor is one of the universally loved games here. It is so good no one feels need to discuss what it did wrong. There is also no need to debate which game is better, it simply outclasses everything out there.

It is a pinacle of RPG design, living proof that great gameplay and story in an RPG may support each other creating something unique.

The character development system, the combat system, the spell system everything is near perfect. I want to see a game like that again...

+1

and surprisingly, it would be pretty easy to make a game just like it in style and it wouldn't even freak out the console kiddies with being too difficult to grasp but no one ever has.

 

[Ivar the Boner]

I'v tried BaK few times and never really get into it. I don't know, something is wrong either with me or this game. I remember it as a pretty medicore experience with interesting writing and "banal, shit, boring" combat but someday I will force myself to actually finish this game before I form any real opinion about it.

 

[Johannes]

While it's been ~10 years since I've played it, so memories might be a bit rose-tinted. But the combat was well made, while it wasn't hard by any means it still presented an interesting challenge, that you actually had to move your guys in a sensible way according to the situation instead of just straightforwardly hacking/fireballing everything to bits (unless you had grinded a lot). Ok some encounters mightve been like that anyway, but usually there was some mix of shooters, fighters, casters etc. to make it interesting.

 

[ghostdog]

and surprisingly, it would be pretty easy to make a game just like it in style and it wouldn't even freak out the console kiddies with being too difficult to grasp but no one ever has.

Hah, pretty easy ? What are you talking about ? I don't think it's pretty easy to find this quality of writing in another game, not easy to make you feel you're playing a non-linear game (even though the story is for the most part linear) , not easy to have TB combat in a next gen game, not easy to create such a wonderfully fleshed out world. Finally it's not easy at all for the money-lenders to leave the developers complete their vision as they want to. Nope, not easy at all.

Not unless you're talking indie, but even then it's extremely difficult to find developers that can produce such fine quality of writing, attention to detail and create a game with such big scope. Not to mention that BAK had a famous novelist write the story and visionaries behind its development.

It was another time then, a time of innocence and passion with video games. Back then developers made games for gaming enthusiasts. now they desperately try to sell to the masses, to the casual gamer, because in order to get profit with today's huge production values you must sell like crazy. Now it's all about "gaming journalists on the pay-roll" , "streamlining" , "playing it safe", "visceral combat" and "something wonderful happening each time you press a button".

 

[Angrak]

and surprisingly, it would be pretty easy to make a game just like it in style and it wouldn't even freak out the console kiddies with being too difficult to grasp but no one ever has.

Hah, pretty easy ? What are you talking about ? I don't think it's pretty easy to find this quality of writing in another game, not easy to make you feel you're playing a non-linear game (even though the story is for the most part linear) , not easy to have TB combat in a next gen game, not easy to create such a wonderfully fleshed out world. Finally it's not easy at all for the money-lenders to leave the developers complete their vision as they want to. Nope, not easy at all.

Not unless you're talking indie, but even then it's extremely difficult to find developers that can produce such fine quality of writing, attention to detail and create a game with such big scope. Not to mention that BAK had a famous novelist write the story and visionaries behind its development.

It was another time then, a time of innocence and passion with video games. Back then developers made games for gaming enthusiasts. now they desperately try to sell to the masses, to the casual gamer, because in order to get profit with today's huge production values you must sell like crazy. Now it's all about "gaming journalists on the pay-roll" , "streamlining" , "playing it safe", "visceral combat" and "something wonderful happening each time you press a button".

What about the word style do you not understand? And why would someone choose just now to emulate it? The game's been out for almost 20 fucking years.

That doesn't guarantee you will get the same quality, but the style is easy to emulate. Much of the quality comes from the great style.

There's nothing special done to make it seem nonlinear, it just comes from the aforementioned style. You can wander around a little. Amazing how much effect that has to make something seem like a real world, and not too hard to implement.

Combat is turn based but it is pretty simple and could be executed on a console very easy. Talk out your ass all you want about what "must" be but there's a million console games with turn based combat, many very similar to krondor's. You can't really translate combat like fallout or jagged alliance to a console very easily, so you probably won't ever see it again from mainstream developers.

 

[Archibald]

It`s so good that it even makes Return to Krondor playable and ejoyable just because it`s a seque to betrayal.

 

[Begriffenfeldt]

The best part of BaK is writing your own journal, since the game doesn't do it for you. I think it adds a lot to immersion. Especially enjoyable is writing short notes on each NPC, who he is, what he wants from you and whether or not you can trust him.

Also, barding.

 

[Mastermind]

immersion

die

 

[Monocause]

Actually it's funny because it was precisely BaK that led me to develop a Codexian attitude. After a playthrough I've been heavily looking for something more modern that would be just as awesome and raged hard when I failed. A year later I joined the Codex.

 

[Wulfstand]

I got the game from GoG, since I got win7 and i wouldn't bother reinstalling and configuring dosbox again, and now I can't seem to manage to change the window's resolution.
Basically anyone who got a dos game off GoG knows that their installer doesn't really install dosbox per se, at least not from what I've seen, so I can't for the love of god find a config.ini to their dosbox. Can anyone help me out?

 

[Grog]

If anyone wants to check out the story but doesn't have time for or access to the game, there's always the novel.

 

[Suchy]

To all you noobs who haven played it: DO IT FAGGOTS!

I uploaded the game here, works perfectly with DosBox: http://soundscapes.cozywebhost.com/stuff/bak/krondor.7z
And here: http://www.mediafire.com/?ggna7gsr9hcpmm9

As for the game - yes, it's the best RPG out there. No other game comes even close. I think it was my first "real" RPG, I played some dungeon crawlers before, like EoB, Lands of Lore, etc. But it was BaK that made me love RPGs, unfortunately that was a one time experience. There simply is no game that can match this atmosphere, world design, the writing and story.

I even started working on a remake as a NWN mod. I had most of the first chapter done, only lacked Krondor seweres. This included 1/3rd of the game world and stuff like wordlocks, barding, completely new skill/spell system. And then I got a job...

A few screenshots of that thing...

 

[Konjad]

Give up a job and continue working on this, Suchy

 

[Suchy]

Actually I may yet get tempted to restart it, if I find a game with more flexible engine/editor.

 

[Fowyr]

I liked this riddle

 

[ghostdog]

Actually I may yet get tempted to restart it, if I find a game with more flexible engine/editor.

Dammit Suchy it seems like you've done some excellent work so far. Keep working on it !

 

[Zdzisiu]

Ok guys, downloaded this baby and started to play it.

Any adviced of where to go from the start? Should I go straight to Krondor? (I did, got killed because I clicked one house and there was a mag and his goons inside).

Any reliable way to heal other than the green restoratives? Or resting?

So far this game plays nice, looks ok except the outside which looks like straight from MS Paint.

 

[Mrowak]

Ok guys, downloaded this baby and started to play it.

Any adviced of where to go from the start? Should I go straight to Krondor? (I did, got killed because I clicked one house and there was a mag and his goons inside).

Any reliable way to heal other than the green restoratives? Or resting?

So far this game plays nice, looks ok except the outside which looks like straight from MS Paint.

I don't want to spoil your fun but I will give you a few pieces of advice.

Do not use potions for healing. Resting in the wild let's you regain around 70% of your overall health. If you want to regain more rest in an inn or use herbal packs which heal your wounds over time.

Use restorative potions if you need to remove disease, poison and near-death statuses.

Oh, and explore the world around you. Read what people say, read notes, click on the houses, talk to people, go in the wilds and so on.

Also pay close attention to how your characters comment on this and that. Often their reasoning contains crucial pieces of info.

(I did, got killed because I clicked one house and there was a mag and his goons inside).

Great, challenging battle. There's a nice reward in the nearby temple if you win it. Also, if you had followed what you charactes had said and had talked to some NPCs you would have been better prepared for it... (as in 'you could see it coming'). The whole encounter is a fun plot point you might miss. A fine example how exploration helps you prepare for the worst and how everything in game is connected to each other,

 

[Gakkone]

I'd say take your time exploring the western parts of the game world before heading to Krondor. There are chapter-related encounters and side quests (all though not that many in the first chapter I believe) in those parts of the world and you'll also gain some experience and loot.

Also, what Mrowak said. Talk to everyone, knock on every door, search every corner. There are a lot of interesting tidbits you can gain.

 

[Begriffenfeldt]

immersion

die

Just because Todd Howard uses it as a buzzword doesn't mean it's not important. And I refuse to write it ironically as "IMMERSHUN lOL", which I guess would have been the codexian way.

 

[Johannes]

I wouldn't really recommend searching every corner, just investigate when you find something that grabs your attention more than the main quest and don't worry about being a completionist to find everything you can.

 

[Gakkone]

I wouldn't really recommend searching every corner, just investigate when you find something that grabs your attention more than the main quest and don't worry about being a completionist to find everything you can.

Maybe you're right. Personally I'm a completionist by nature and I feel that BaK is one the best games in terms of rewarding exploration, so for once I haven't felt it a waste to spend time searching every place.

 

[Suchy]

Actually I may yet get tempted to restart it, if I find a game with more flexible engine/editor.

Dammit Suchy it seems like you've done some excellent work so far. Keep working on it !

I had some fun doing it, but it was taking way too much of my time, which I don't have anymore. Work, a music project, some side coding (learning Android platform), socializing...

 

[Suchy]

I wouldn't really recommend searching every corner, just investigate when you find something that grabs your attention more than the main quest and don't worry about being a completionist to find everything you can.

Maybe you're right. Personally I'm a completionist by nature and I feel that BaK is one the best games in terms of rewarding exploration, so for once I haven't felt it a waste to spend time searching every place.

What I like about BaK exploration, is that everything in the game is hand placed. No randomized loot, nor enemies.

 

[SCO]

The only part where the story falls down a little is the "book of macros" thing. That was retarded.