Betrayal At Krondor

[Wyrmlord]

Oh, and I am playing it again, and this time I headed straight to Dimwood. I started working on the moredhel chests, and with a little trial and error, I've ended up with alot of powerful items early in the game itself.

This game scales its difficulty very well. I had to scrounge for equipment when I played it the first time, and yet I find that with a little exploration and persistence, you can easily find the best items. Really cool.

 

[piydek]

it has fugly graphics. i can't play that shit.

 

[Mareus]

Wow! I tried this game and this is really great! Thank you Darth Roxor for giving me the link! I am really impressed that such an old game can offer such depth! I must admit I have just been playing it for couple of hours, but it really surprised me. Graphic is a bit bad, but when a game offers turn based combat, open huge world and interesting characters with very good writing you just can't complain on graphic. I am blown away. I haven't been so engaged into a game since I played PST 2 years ago. How could I have missed this game for so long?! I just hope it doesn't fall apart later.

PS. One question. I got a level and it said my skills have increased. I still haven't figured out how to distribute my XP points. When I clicked on those swords it said something but I didn't figure it out. Anyway, I recommend it to anyone who hasn't played it. A musthave!

 

[Zakhal]

PS. One question. I got a level and it said my skills have increased. I still haven't figured out how to distribute my XP points. When I clicked on those swords it said something but I didn't figure it out. Anyway, I recommend it to anyone who hasn't played it. A musthave!

I remember it to be a skill based game - skills raise automatically when you use them. You can choose few skills that raise fastest from the skill menu.

You can use sharpening tool to sharpen the sword (drag it over the sword). Other than that clicking a sword or any item gives description of it - pretty good one infact (I liked reading them).

 

[RK47]

focusing on skill (red tip) makes it gain quicker. In some cases, before reading a skill book or getting training it's best to focus on the skills that are expected to trained for higher gains.

Example: in LaMut, you can hire a tsurani swordsman to train you. Exit the town and un-focus all other skills except for melee. You will find that you gained more than when you focus on several skills.

 

[Binary]

No, he's right, Gorath isn't in the final battle. He comes in a cinematic where he is fighting with a sword against Delekhan who is fighting him with his gauntlets. Pug had told him to guard the dragon before he met up with Makala, because he feared that a non-magician would instantly die fighting a powerful magician.

OK thanks. Seems my memory isn't what it used to be.

Oh, and Binary, you sound alot like this guy: http://www.youtube.com/user/boilerplate?ob=1 :p Check his channel comments starting from the second one. "Goddamn these dumb teenagers and their Planescape: Torments!"

I can guarantee that isn't me, but he's quite right!

 

[Suchy]

Someone dumbfuck piydek please?

 

[piydek]

Someone dumbfuck piydek please?

somebody dumbfuck suchy for having major comprehension problems please?

 

[SpaceKungFuMan]

BaK is really as good as gaming gets. The game is the total package, with great gameplay, story, puzzles, graphics, sound, and characters. You really could not ask for more out of a game. I think it is arguably better than Torment, because Torment's combat is lousy.

 

[Camrin]

Someone dumbfuck piydek please?

somebody dumbfuck suchy for having major comprehension problems please?

Dear piydek, either you're a dumbfuck or you just can't tell a good game from a pekinese.

I don't know whats the matter with you my Croatian fellows whining about bad or "fugly" graphics in this fucking beautiful game. Personally I think BaK visuals are to this day more than able to do the trick. Oh, I know, Croatia is a young country... I guess you should be happy you were born AFTER Bard's Tales, Arkanias, most of Ultimas. Or a fuckin :twisted: BOOO!!! :twisted: Wizardry 1 :shock:. Now these beauties would scare the shit out of you.

This is the feistish story that makes BaK look sweeter than ANY early 90's pinup girl. Even topless Molly Ringwald.

 

[Mareus]

I don't mean to defend him, but I think he was just trying to be sarcastic. Anyway, I am not a graphic whore. I just commented that the graphics are a bit bad. I base it on my knowledge of RPG games that were done prior to BaK or the same year. For example Conan the Cimmerian 1991, or Lands of Lore 1993, or even EoB 1,2,3 1991-1993. I just find the 3D world of BaK a bit poor, but that does not mean the game is bad. Like I said, the game so far is apsolutely fantastic and easily competes with my all time favorites PST and BG trilogy. I just hope later it does not fall apart.

 

[Camrin]

I don't mean to defend him, but I think he was just trying to be sarcastic.

Was he? Seemed more like a BaK pusher to me

Anyway, I am not a graphic whore. I just commented that the graphics are a bit bad. I base it on my knowledge of RPG games that were done prior to BaK or the same year. For example Conan the Cimmerian 1991, or Lands of Lore 1993, or even EoB 1,2,3 1991-1993. I just find the 3D world of BaK a bit poor, but that does not mean the game is bad. Like I said, the game so far is absolutely fantastic and easily competes with my all time favorites PST and BG trilogy. I just hope later it does not fall apart.

I knew it! All the titles you've mentioned are pre-Croatianindependency :twisted:.
But seriously, I agree that EoB 2 and LoL are about as sexy as BaK (still, they're different, their design is much simpler and hey, no such 3D fights!). But at that time, and before, there were many more good games with graphics which today is REALLY simple. Aforementioned Ultimas, or SSI games, and most of their contemporaries llook almost abstract today.

It's so easy to disregard a game today just because of the graphics. I'm glad you have a good time with BaK.

...By Crom, that Conan game was surely nice. As a REH fan I had great time finishing it few years ago.

 

[Jasede]

As much as I like BaK's graphics, I need to add: comparing ANY 320x240 RPG with LoL is not fair.

Lands of Lore was... perfectly beautiful. The sprites, the art design, the colours... Everything was just an offering to the starved eyes to feast on. If you download it now, fire Dosbox up and play it, most will surely say "Wow! These graphics hold up really well... wow look at this guy, he's so well drawn! Man, these interiors! Woooow!".

 

[piydek]

camrin, you are a freaking retard. not that anybody gives or should give a fuck, but yes, that was a sarcastic remark that was funny to me not because it's a shining example of that kind of humour with its 3-word thought or because it's hitting nail on the head within context or even is within context, but because i find it funny that the game, simultaneously, does have ugly as fuck graphics and at the same time the thought i've written is a modern, next-gen, console-retard and game journalist punchline. i thought the nature of this comment was clear enough from the typical manner and retardedness in which it was made, but codex lately does have a dumbfuck or two too many.

also, for the record and quite surprisingly so, my personal existence didn't stop and then begin from scratch again when yugoslavia fell apart.



EDIT: i always found it funny when at that time developers were forcing these shitty perspectives that the hardware wasn't able to pull off properly instead of going for some charming, arty 2D graphics.

 

[Camrin]

In my opinion the real dumbfuckness is when somebody says something just for sake of saying. Which seems to be your character trait rather than mine.

I don't read much modern computer/console journalism, so that's probably why your splendid display of irony didn't reach me. To me it was more in style of young, dumb, typical forum retard. Your style of writing without capital letters certainly adds to this hypothesis.

And in case you didn't notice bitch, I've already made it clear that the aforementioned Croatian independecy stuff was a joke. Mareus got it, you didn't. And hey, I wasn't even try to mimick console journalism style.

Hell, I still gotta give this sexy LoL a second chance. I crawled past Beholders but somehow I dumped LoL being early in the game, don't even remember why.

 

[Darth Roxor]

Just finished the game, and I must say I wish I didn't, but not because the ending was bad (actually it was astonishingly awesome), but because... I finished it. Yes, Krondor has just been added to my list of games that I wish I could play all the time, without an ending, it's just... perfect.

Spoiler

I also felt kind of sorry for Gorath, and that also doesn't happen often that I feel sympathy towards the characters.

 

[Mareus]

Just finished the game, and I must say I wish I didn't, but not because the ending was bad (actually it was astonishingly awesome), but because... I finished it. Yes, Krondor has just been added to my list of games that I wish I could play all the time, without an ending, it's just... perfect.

How long did you play it?

 

[Darth Roxor]

Well, let's see, started 12 days ago, the four first days were pretty much on a "non-stop" basis.

 

[Zakhal]

I finished it. Yes, Krondor has just been added to my list of games that I wish I could play all the time, without an ending, it's just... perfect.

Theres still the sequel return to krondor. Its a good rpg (allthough there are som changes from BaK) and it has more modern graphics:

Also there is betrayal at antara. It has better resolution and som other improvements:

 

[Darth Roxor]

Yeah, I'm aware of these two sequels, but I remember hearing somewhere that they suffer a lot in terms of quality when compared to BaK, and to be honest, I'd prefer no sequel to a weak(er) sequel. Never played the two games though, so I don't know if the opinions I heard should be trusted

 

[Zakhal]

I have played both of them and they are good rpgs but just not perfect like BaK.

Btw. Theres an cdrom version available of BaK that has som small extras like cd music and other stuff. The original disk version didnt sell that well but the cd version was a success.

Betrayal in Antara

Betrayal in Antara is a great RPG-style game that lives up to its predecessor. It does not break much new ground, but the additions to the interface used in Betrayal at Krondor are well-thought-out and add to the playablility. The background story and plot are well-written and will provide many hours of gameplay. Better graphics would have made this a great game, but it is still a good choice for adventure gamers. Fans of Feist's Riftwar saga looking for a true sequel to Krondor may want to wait for Return to Krondor, however, due out later this year from 7th Level.

Biggest complain about antara was the graphics (only minor improvements from BaK) which were getting pretty dated by the time of its release (BaK -93 Antara -97).

Return to Krondor

To say what is good about the game is a tough one, because everything in the game is a perfect blend of a superb RPG. The graphics are excellent, with a touch of a Quest for Glory game play. The music is definitely original (and you can save it for your personal use) and you gotta love battle mode.

It was kinda disappointing that the game play was different from Betrayal at Krondor, where you were expecting the "Doom" type view (what do you call that..?) but the battle mode didn't change that much so it really doesn't matter.

Some have said that RtK has too much Quest for Glory in it to be called a real RPG. For diehard AD&D gamers that may be true because this game has a distinctively different flavor to it.

I heartily recommend Return to Krondor as a good RPG and worth playing - mostly because the ending is one of the best I've ever experienced.

My biggest beef with RtK was that while it was good it was different than BaK.

If you like BaK I would recommend atleast giving both games a try. Theres a demo available for antara.

 

[Mareus]

I actually have Betrayal of Antara. I have it somewhere I am sure. Didn't like it, but I dont remember why.

 

[Camrin]

I have RtK. Compared to BaK the story sucked a lot. And it was incredibly linear, hand-leading and fighting. I don't recall any pros except 3D graphics which was decent at the time. After playing it once (for a few hours) I had no desire to go back. RtK seems to be castrated when compared to BaK. I'd bet Feist had nothing to do with it's script.

I remember BiA got a positive review in one of Polish magazines. I'd like to give it a try.

 

[Wyrmlord]

Hey guys, I am playing it the second time, and I just want to ask. I am currently in Chapter 1. What if I took Locklear, Owyn, and Gorath right now into the Nighthawks fortress, and killed all the Black Slayers and Nighthawks right now itself?

Jimmy the Hand is completely inferior to Locklear when it comes to swordfighting, so I am thinking of softening the resistance for him. Locklear and Gorath both have Greatswords and Grey Tower Plate Armour, with several buffing potions. But my worry is that maybe all the enemies will be respawned anyway, if I go there, since combat encounters are reset after each Chapter. I don't want it to be a wasted effort. So will it cause problems to go there in advance?

 

[Darth Roxor]

I have no idea what will happen, but probably either you won't be able to enter the fortress or they'll just respawn in the next chapters.

And as much as I agree that James < Locklear in terms of swordfighting, James is a lot better with the crossbow.