Game News Gothic 3 patched to 1.6

[Dhruin]

The engines are not related. I think you'll find it near unplayable.

 

[Morbus]

I see they've improved performance a bit. So I gotta ask:

How would an Athlon XP 2200 with 1GB of RAM and a Radeon X1550 handle this game?

If it's any help, NWN2 works fine on 1024x768 with medium details (except shadows). I heard G3 and NWN2 are engine mates... but I don't know if that's actually relevant.

It would run like a cheap hooker who got hit in the stomach by a fat bald guy with soars on his face...

But it'd run. The biggest problem is the stuttering, which have little to do with graphics...

 

[fastpunk]

So it would be wise to wait until I get a new rig? Got it. Thanks for the answers.

 

[Morbus]

So it would be wise to wait until I get a new rig? Got it. Thanks for the answers.

Definitely. Gothic 3 is too decent to be spoiled by low power hardware. I bought it when I had a rig pretty much like yours, I played it for about three hours maybe, then I quit. Now I have a new rig and already finished the game, and it was worth the wait. The game may not be a masterpiece, but has some nice things in it, and not only for Gothic fans. Of course, I played it in easy so combat wouldn't be a pain in the ass, maybe that's something that'll spoil the fun for other people, I don't know, it worked for me. Exploration, phat loot, powerplay, picking up flowers, choices and consequences (by the sword's law, ok, but C&C anyway) and a huge interesting enough world to explore? "Sign me in" I said, and I don't regret it.

 

[ghostdog]

Definitely. Gothic 3 is too decent to be spoiled by low power hardware.

It's rather that his harware is too decent to play this spoiled game that has a poorly tweaked engine.

 

[Hazelnut]

I played all the way through with an Athlon 2200, 1Gig, Gf 6600gt, and it was okay at low settings. Slow, but playable. But then I liked the game a lot. I really never found the combat that bad, except maybe for ice wolves - they were a PITA. Then I was dual wielding, but it's a while before you can get that. My second play though as mage on new rig was much less frustrating - and prettier too. :D Use magic if you hate the combat, after a while ice lance is just awesome. It's annoying that many of the higher level spells are so useless though. Without perfect timing mobs are either too far away or they rudely interrupt casting by hitting you.

 

[thesheeep]

Use magic if you hate the combat, after a while ice lance is just awesome.

Yes... that's true.. with magic, combat is a lot more bearable. Unfortunately, something inside me forces me to always go some way that is not the easiest... and magic IS the easiest, so I just refuse to do that

It's annoying that many of the higher level spells are so useless though. Without perfect timing mobs are either too far away or they rudely interrupt casting by hitting you.

Isn't there some kind of mod for that? I imagine reading something about that.. somewehere.

 

[Atrokkus]

Good, maybe it will be playable on medium for an 8600 GT now..

You must be having some driver or other problems, because this videocard is adequate for gothic3. maybe you're low on ram?
my friend played it pretty nicely on 7600GS, c2d 6300, 2 gb ram...

 

[Shannow]

Isn't there some kind of mod for that? I imagine reading something about that.. somewehere.

There is a mod that lets you target enemies with flame wave, etc. But really, how easy do you want the game to become? *g*

IIRC, elwro or claw mentioned that mod here first, but I may be wrong.

 

[Noceur]

Heh, well it seems I have to install Gothic 3 again. Thanks for the heads up.
If Gothic 3 doesn't utilize multiple cores, perhaps I get even worse performance this time around though.

EDIT: Not sure if it's the new patch or my new computer (I bought it from the same place Crytek got the computers they made Crysis for... a galaxy far, far away) but the game runs great. There are still some stutters, but the fps is way above just playable... and that's with everything except textures (the read me says there are more crashes on High res Textures than on medium) on max. So if you've got a high-end computer, the game actually seems playable now.

Heck, I might actually get to play the game I payed for now!

 

[Elhoim]

Yeah, in my PC it runs pretty good. I have a 4200X2 - 2GB RAM - 7600 GT, and I run it at 1024x768 with medium textures, medium object detail and not post-processing effects (all others at high).

 

[thesheeep]

Isn't there some kind of mod for that? I imagine reading something about that.. somewehere.

There is a mod that lets you target enemies with flame wave, etc. But really, how easy do you want the game to become? *g*

I don't want to use it at all
I don't use magic... it makes the game too easy.


Also.. I don't know if that has been pointed out often enough:

Not everything about the combat system is completely broken. Only two major groups in that are...

1) The behaviour of monster-mobs, with their random unbreakable spam-attacks. I think everyone knows what I mean. The solution would be so simple that it hurts me it hasn't been fixed yet. Simply add in a limit of how often a creature can attack during a certain period of time. That's it. Really.
In comparison, the behavior of human/orc enemies is quite okay. You fight them one by one, because they more or less wait until you are finished with your actual target. Of course, sometimes, an opponent breaks out of this "rule" and attacks you from the side pr behind. But that is quite good, as it makes melee combat vs more enemies slighty more realistic.

2) Other minor disturbances. Such as (sometimes) being unable to hit creatures below your character, while they can still hit you.


If those two groups would be fixed, we'd still have a combat system that is far from perfect, as it simply is weird and unbalanced (magic and ranged still rocks everything), but at least it would be bearable, fair and.. sometimes, maybe.. even fun.
We will never see a really good combat system in G3.. it would have to be redesigned from scratch.

Right now its just click-spamming and hoping that the vile creature doesn't break your "chain" with an unstoppable attack.

 

[Elwro]

In comparison, the behavior of human/orc enemies is quite okay. You fight them one by one, because they more or less wait until you are finished with your actual target. Of course, sometimes, an opponent breaks out of this "rule" and attacks you from the side pr behind. But that is quite good, as it makes melee combat vs more enemies slighty more realistic.

Actually, that's one of the things which suck about G3's combat imo. 20 opponents (yes, it regularly happens if you charge a group) patiently waiting in line for you to slaughter them? Not realistic in any way, but what's more important, it removes the challenge from any pure melee fights against humans/orcs. (Because the only risk is when someone's shooting at you, or when it's a SuperBoar with spam attack, or when it has longer range than you (e.g. a giant or ogre or how it was called); not counting magic of course.)
So just with repeated LMB pressing you're able to wipe out whole regiments of orcs and bandits, even if you're low level.

OK, I'm out to ski, see ya in a week :D

 

[thesheeep]

Actually, that's one of the things which suck about G3's combat imo. 20 opponents (yes, it regularly happens if you charge a group) patiently waiting in line for you to slaughter them? Not realistic in any way, but what's more important, it removes the challenge from any pure melee fights against humans/orcs. (Because the only risk is when someone's shooting at you, or when it's a SuperBoar with spam attack, or when it has longer range than you (e.g. a giant or ogre or how it was called); not counting magic of course.)
So just with repeated LMB pressing you're able to wipe out whole regiments of orcs and bandits, even if you're low level.

Not necessarily. As I said, sometimes (and if you fight like 10 or more people at once), someone in your back or side WILL attack and hit you, therefore disrupting your chain, which makes you vulnerable to additional attacks. Being hit in such a situation equals death almost all of the time. So just storming in large groups is quite risky, even in G3.

Also, you can't change this AI behaviour, as a more realistic approach would make melee combat almost impossible vs large groups. If you would change the behaviour, you would need to change the whole combat system. And we all know this will never happen.

 

[Elwro]

I'm aware of the scope of the changes this would require, but I could singlehandedly wipe out whole cities because of this. Makes one wonder how nobody spotted it during development. And if they just said "ah, no one will mind" then it was a stupid decision imo.

They had a game where combat with multiple opponents was very frequent, and yet they decided to leave this component completely broken.

 

[thesheeep]

They had a game where combat with multiple opponents was very frequent, and yet they decided to leave this component completely broken.

Well this is not the only component they left broken
Fortunately, most others have been fixed. By now. By another company and the community.

 

[Morbus]

Not necessarily. As I said, sometimes (and if you fight like 10 or more people at once), someone in your back or side WILL attack and hit you, therefore disrupting your chain, which makes you vulnerable to additional attacks. Being hit in such a situation equals death almost all of the time. So just storming in large groups is quite risky, even in G3.

Also, you can't change this AI behaviour, as a more realistic approach would make melee combat almost impossible vs large groups. If you would change the behaviour, you would need to change the whole combat system. And we all know this will never happen.

That's to be expected. When would a single guy take on like twenty elite orc warriors? It's unrealistic to begin with. G3 is hack and slash, it's dumbed down by nature, let it be easy to take on hordes of enemies! It would be nice to have a completely different combat system with completely different game design, but that would have to be worked on from the very beginning of the development process. And since that almost never happens...

 

[Gnidrologist]

They had a game where combat with multiple opponents was very frequent, and yet they decided to leave this component completely broken.

Well this is not the only component they left broken
Fortunately, most others have been fixed. By now. By another company and the community.

Except the game itsef. The game that is soulles singlepalyer mmorpg in the best traditions of Morrowind. It really broke my heart because of this.

 

[thesheeep]

Except the game itsef. The game that is soulles singlepalyer mmorpg in the best traditions of Morrowind. It really broke my heart because of this.

Well, if you don't like such sandbox games... shit happens.

But if you do, G3 could (in theory, without its errors) be your HEAVAN.
Also, G1 and 2 never were different. They were just.. smaller. And therefore, less sanbox-like.

 

[Noceur]

Other than the whole "Stun-lock or be stun-locked" combat with animals, I haven't experienced any problems with the game after patching. I played about six hours straight with no crashes, although the stutters got slightly more frequent and longer at the end.

I'm currently using bows against animals (unless absolutely cornered). Is it worth going with heavy weapons like halberds and stuff, or is Sword and shield the way to go for one brave/stupid enough to play a melee build?

 

[Shannow]

Since you really get lots of advancement points and all skills are cheap you can try both. My meleer used pole weapons against wild life and shield + sword against humanoids. Shields give quite a lot armor and since you can click most humanoids to death without doing lots of damage that seemed usefull. But my meleer only got to lvl 26-29 before I decided to start again with a mage.
If I were to play a meleer again he'd probably have enough in dexterity to get most hunting perks and some advanced bow skill. As soon, as I could make money by hunting I'd go for strength and one-handed weapons skill. Since I don't block, I'd leave out the advanced shield perks. But that is really the minmaxing powergamer speaking here. As mentioned, there are enough advancement points to try different stuff.

If you didn't know: bows (and magic) do double damage with headshots.

EDIT: Don't train alchemy. You'll get more skill points through books than you need for the alchemy skills.

 

[Gnidrologist]

Except the game itsef. The game that is soulles singlepalyer mmorpg in the best traditions of Morrowind. It really broke my heart because of this.

Well, if you don't like such sandbox games... shit happens.

But if you do, G3 could (in theory, without its errors) be your HEAVAN.
Also, G1 and 2 never were different. They were just.. smaller. And therefore, less sanbox-like.

You can't be serious, right? Try reinstalling one of the first two and play for a while. If you still remain thinking the only difference between them is size, you may actually find Morrowind or Oblivion mutch more enjoyable.

PS.
And what did they do to Xardas? He used to be cool.

 

[thesheeep]

You can't be serious, right? Try reinstalling one of the first two and play for a while. If you still remain thinking the only difference between them is size, you may actually find Morrowind or Oblivion mutch more enjoyable.

Well I AM serious. I played all of those games, from beginning to end.. some of them multiple times (the Gothic ones as they offer a better and deeper story, IMHO).
But they are basically the same genre, with the only real difference that the Gothic games have a bigger focus on story-telling (that also includes that you always play the same guy). And the Gothic games have some very, very light C&C.

Other than that, they both offer sandbox-typical (almost) complete freedom, exploring and do-whatever-you-like-atmosphere.

PS.
And what did they do to Xardas? He used to be cool.

True....

 

[Mayday]

I think Xardas in g3 is nothing more than a cruel joke about what happened to Mannimarco :D

 

[Morbus]

What exactly happened to him? You're talking about the kind of worms from daggerfall, right?