Grimoire Thread

[Zep Zepo]

Do I find trash fights to be the most exciting things in the game? No, but with 180+ hours I still have not turned off random encounters.

Hi Cleve!

Zep--

 

[siroptimusprime]

Turning off random encounters unless I was a hair's breadth away from leveling up helped alleviate the problem of unrewarding combat. Not that it was "unbalanced" and I couldn't bear it any longer... but why should I endure these combats to get 200xp when I need 50k more to level up?

 

[Sacred82]

criticising the absense of voice acting in dialogues

I want Cleve to do the VO for all NPC's.

You know you can do it.

 

[Drog Black Tooth]

Make them 8 bit PCMs.

 

[Biggus]

Smart move on the $40 price tag tho. Otherwise a lot of people would've bought this game on cheap and left a myriad of "wtf is this shit kys" negative reviews. The Steam rating would've been sub 50% for all we know.

But, at this price, it's mostly only the devoted old school RPG fans and people who've done their research who are buying the game and thus leaving mostly positive reviews. Still, the game's only 1% away from falling into "mixed".

78 negative reviews. 41 with less than 2 hours played. 34 with less than 1 hour played. 21 with less than 30 minutes played. 9 with less than 12 minutes played.

A very large chunk of the negative reviews were by people who only bought the game with the sole purpose of writing a negative review and then refunding it.

Plus, the backer reviews do not get counted in the percentage, since they are "free" keys.

Remove the reviews of people who didn't actually play the game and add in the backer reviews and the percentage of positive reviews goes to 89%.

No doubt you are right with some of these, but I reckon a fair chunk just couldn't get past the disaster that the GUI is. I like to play games, not fight with GUIs. It probably isn't a coincidence that the GUI gets a bagging in most reviews that go into reasons.

 

[Turjan]

The Wikipedia article is a riot. .

They even missed the sentence "The UI originates directly from hell."

 

[Rick]

The main problem is that, in a game filled with combat, combat is simply boring. It's so binary, it's a waste of time. You'll either die and reload ( forcing save scumming ), either you'll roll over every encounter while holding enter. Yeah there are exceptions, but 90% of the fights are like that.

I do agree with that, though the combat interface itself, imo, is well done if not a tad tedious.

I recently defeated (easily; basically face-rolled through it) a fight with two or three "Rats" and got (I recall) around 30 xp. The next step I took I faced 4 "Chaps". I won, barely, with my two front-line Berserkers down to a couple HP each. And yes, I spammed Bard Sleep and other spells like Charm and Sleep until the mana ran out. I got around 32 xp for that one.

Now, I hear he's working on that, and I applaud it. It's the primary reason I've stopped playing until the next update (and the manual) comes out.

The one thing that really bugs me, and I realize it's common in games like this, is that you can't target individual critters. So if I Charm / Sleep one critter, my characters still seem to pick targets randomly and often strike them, thus waking them up or breaking the Charm (which someone said will rarely happen). Obviously if there's only one critter in that row, fine, but otherwise, it would be nice to be able to target specific critters in melee range ala MM-X which would add significantly to the tactical layer. Of course that would make combat easier, but that could be mitigated in other ways.

I would expect such a change would be a fairly major one and thus I hold little hope of seeing it implemented

 

[Biggus]

The main problem is that, in a game filled with combat, combat is simply boring. It's so binary, it's a waste of time. You'll either die and reload ( forcing save scumming ), either you'll roll over every encounter while holding enter. Yeah there are exceptions, but 90% of the fights are like that.

Honest question here: is there anybody here that played the game long enough ( > 30+ hours ) and finds combat ( I'm not talking about bosses, but trash mobs ) interesting and rewarding ? For me it's simply a waste of time, might as well give a bit of XP at randomy intervals, it would achieve the same thing.

Like I said earlier, I have a cleric that never heals, a ranger that doesn't have any arrows, a smith that can't smith, and magic guys that all feel the same, and rarely cast a spell. Combat is broken. If anyone answers in the affirmative, I'd love to hear why.

It is only the exploration and puzzles (and humour/quirkiness) that call me back.

 

[mondblut]

The one thing that really bugs me, and I realize it's common in games like this, is that you can't target individual critters. So if I Charm / Sleep one critter, my characters still seem to pick targets randomly and often strike them, thus waking them up or breaking the Charm (which someone said will rarely happen). Obviously if there's only one critter in that row, fine, but otherwise, it would be nice to be able to target specific critters in melee range ala MM-X which would add significantly to the tactical layer. Of course that would make combat easier, but that could be mitigated in other ways.

Or maybe you should develop your party around that traditional for blobbers gameplay element instead of crying that it should be remade in more casual fashion? Like, um, I don't know, making sure those who charm/sleep act after those who strike by virtue of having lower Speed?

 

[Baff]

I would expect such a change would be a fairly major one and thus I hold little hope of seeing it implemented

Combat works that way in Wiz1-8, Bard's Tale, etc. etc., so yeah, there is 0% chance that will be changed.

 

[mondblut]

Like I said earlier, I have a cleric that never heals

Cleric is one of the most unnecessary classes to begin with. I, frankly, don't see any problem that some other classes have access to healing (sage about on same level to most spells, bard to entire clerical list 2 levels later), making them redundant. With 14 classes and only 8 slots, someone's got to go, why not a cleric?

a ranger that doesn't have any arrows

A ranger is conscriped in an RPG for being a full fledged fighter with some magic (thaumaturge in this case) backup, not for being a bow monkey. I tend to have rangers (and their analogues) in all the party-based games I play, and I never use ranged weapons unless they can be equipped to a specialized slot alongside a real weapon, and don't expend ammo that I would have to constantly restock. Not in Wizardry, not in goldbox games, not anywhere except the likes of M&M which don't pester me with weapon switching and ammo needs.

a smith that can't smith

Likewise, a smith is a (not quite) full fledged fighter with some sage thrown in. I, for one, wouldn't have even noticed it if the crafting button was removed from the UI. This button was not the reason I was taking him into my party.

, and magic guys that all feel the same,

Blame the unrestricted scribing, which wasn't the case until the release version. Maybe more people should file informed complaints that it's a bug or a poor last minute decision.

and rarely cast a spell.

Fighters with lethal blow are good at mowing things down, and a bard can help if they are not up to the challenge. Still, other people run magic-heavy parties and boast of nuking everything, so maybe spellcasting does come useful if you neglect the brawn.

 

[Baff]

I have a cleric that never heals
and magic guys that all feel the same, and rarely cast a spell.

I think a large part of the reason for that is because spell casting always comes last, no matter their speed or any other stat. If your party is going to be half dead before you get a chance to cast spells, then you are better off swinging your staff and hoping to penetrate for a few points. Certainly needs to be fixed. As is, casting safety spells before combat accounts for the majority of useful casting.

a ranger that doesn't have any arrows

Cleve is working on that, should be improved "soon".

a smith that can't smith

Probably not "soon".

 

[Rick]

The one thing that really bugs me, and I realize it's common in games like this, is that you can't target individual critters. So if I Charm / Sleep one critter, my characters still seem to pick targets randomly and often strike them, thus waking them up or breaking the Charm (which someone said will rarely happen). Obviously if there's only one critter in that row, fine, but otherwise, it would be nice to be able to target specific critters in melee range ala MM-X which would add significantly to the tactical layer. Of course that would make combat easier, but that could be mitigated in other ways.

Or maybe you should develop your party around that traditional for blobbers gameplay element instead of crying that it should be remade in more casual fashion? Like, um, I don't know, making sure those who charm/sleep act after those who strike by virtue of having lower Speed?

My post was a comment on the combat mechanics. And I wasn't "crying" though I realize to people like you anyone who makes a civil and non-antagonistic comment on the game that person must be "crying" for more "casualness". My "target individual enemies" suggestion was to ADD to the tactical layer, not detract from it, so your "remade in more casual fashion" response doesn't make sense in that context.

I apologize for offending your sensibilities and I withdraw my otherwise civil request to the DEVELOPER.

 

[Baff]

and I never use ranged weapons unless they can be equipped to a specialized slot alongside a real weapon, and don't expend ammo that I would have to constantly restock. Not in Wizardry, not in goldbox games, not anywhere except the likes of M&M which don't pester me with weapon switching and ammo needs.

Yeah, multiple kinds of arrows and alchemy reagents suck, they just add to tedious inventory management. I used a couple "potions" early on for curing disease, but otherwise all alchemy type items I get are thrown onto a pile in town on the off chance I decide to play around with alchemy at some later date.

Every time I roll into town, I spend a minute dropping weapons onto 1 stack, wands onto another, etc. When I leave town I mostly just have keys, quest items, bags and a few instruments, making inventory management while adventuring quite simple. I am almost never forced to return to town due to full inventory.

 

[mondblut]

The main problem is that, in a game filled with combat, combat is simply boring. It's so binary, it's a waste of time. You'll either die and reload ( forcing save scumming ), either you'll roll over every encounter while holding enter. Yeah there are exceptions, but 90% of the fights are like that.

Honest question here: is there anybody here that played the game long enough ( > 30+ hours ) and finds combat ( I'm not talking about bosses, but trash mobs ) interesting and rewarding ? For me it's simply a waste of time, might as well give a bit of XP at randomy intervals, it would achieve the same thing.

Welcome to the world of computer role-playing games. You'll find your Grimoire experience superior to others of its kin, for you can, in fact, hold enter while rolling over. The rest are much less considerate.

(not to mention, you can't turn random encounters off)

 

[Lord Andre]

All right, fuck it, I posted a review my damn self because no peace with the trannies etc etc

http://steamcommunity.com/profiles/76561198149497247/recommended/650670/

Uboat if you like/agree.

 

[Nixheb]

All right, fuck it, I posted a review my damn self because no peace with the trannies etc etc

http://steamcommunity.com/profiles/76561198149497247/recommended/650670/

Uboat if you like/agree.

"Here's what you shouldn't do. Don't buy the game, poke around for 10 minutes, leave a bad review and refund it. Don't be that person."

Alas, people that do that don't read / understand your review and this kind of wise advice.

It's like those signs on higway "stop throwing your garbage out of your car while driving". People that do that cannot read. Or can read, but are too stupid to understand / follow the advice anyway.

I left one too, for God's sake :

http://steamcommunity.com/profiles/76561198046092811/recommended/650670

 

[Lord Andre]

All right, fuck it, I posted a review my damn self because no peace with the trannies etc etc

http://steamcommunity.com/profiles/76561198149497247/recommended/650670/

Uboat if you like/agree.

"Here's what you shouldn't do. Don't buy the game, poke around for 10 minutes, leave a bad review and refund it. Don't be that person."

Alas, people that do that don't read / understand your review and this kind of wise advice.

It's like those signs on higway "stop throwing your garbage out of your car while driving". People that do that cannot read. Or can read, but are too stupid to understand / follow the advice anyway.

I left one too, for God's sake :

http://steamcommunity.com/profiles/76561198046092811/recommended/650670

Had already read your review. 100% agree. Sadly there is a cloud of butthurt losers ready to push down honest reviews. They'll move on in time, they're attention spans rival those of a mollusc.

 

[Eyestabber]

Fought the infamous instakill spear trogs today for the first time and... what's the big deal? Cast armorplate and not only did I hit first due to speed, but they failed to penetrate a majority of the time.

Really had expected some nightmarish encounter wherein my party would be devastated by constant spears from every direction, what I got was their failure to penetrate a necromancer's robe and some pretty easy encounters even with basic autoattacking.

felipepepe, take notes. If you don't cast a protective spell, that's not broken combat and insta-kills are common in blobbers anyway.

Lady Error, take notes. If you find something factually incorrect in the text, that's not shit review and sucking balls at vidya games is common in gaming journalism anyway.

Spoiler

 

[Zorba the Hutt]

If only Grimoire had come out a decade ago...

 

[Mark Richard]

Yooka-Laylee reviews were split between two camps - those who wanted a faithful recreation of 90s platformers (warts and all), and those who wanted an updated modernised adaption. Judging it by either criteria made sense to me, but Grimoire isn't merely modelled after a 90s game. It IS a 90s game. How do you review an artefact? It's like what if a previously undiscovered 1920s movie was tidied up and released in cinemas today, only for the movie reviewers to snipe it with disparaging remarks about outdated cinematography and sound design? My initial reaction is that those reviewers would look like goddamn fools.

 

[Viata]

Before one would review Grimoire, one should first play those rpgs from 90s. But I don't mean 'I played and finished them decades ago", I mean play them right now. Must first clean your mind of modern rpg, then you should review Grimoire.

 

[Baff]

I don't have a problem with a variety of reviews, as long as such things are stated up front. Such as: "I've never played Wizardry or a similar game and this is how Grimoire struck me." I don't think most such reviews would be worth much if all they do is trash every aspect of Grimoire without understanding it. On the other hand a positive review from a blobber newb could be very helpful to some: "I've never played a blobber, but I like rpgs and puzzle games, and this game kicked my ass, in the best possible way!"

It is good to have reviews by people who have played Wiz etc to help rpg newbs decide whether they should start with Wiz1, Wiz6, M&M, Grimoire, etc.

Reviews aren't much needed for anyone who has already played most of those older games. "Liked Wiz6&7? Want more? Buy Grimoire. The End." Blobber vets only need to know if Grimoire is a faithful blobber and should they buy it now or wait a week or month.

 

[Drog Black Tooth]

Yooka-Laylee reviews were split between two camps - those who wanted a faithful recreation of 90s platformers (warts and all), and those who wanted an updated modernised adaption. Judging it by either criteria made sense to me, but Grimoire isn't merely modelled after a 90s game. It IS a 90s game. How do you review an artefact? It's like what if a previously undiscovered 1920s movie was tidied up and released in cinemas today, only for the movie reviewers to snipe it with disparaging remarks about outdated cinematography and sound design? My initial reaction is that those reviewers would look like goddamn fools.

We're experiencing a p big retro craze wave at the moment, not in small part due to many indie developers using low-res/low-poly graphics to save money. How is Cleve's game any different from that?

Take a look at Sonic Mania, for example. They even made all the assets with Sega Saturn's hardware limitations in my mind, while the actual gameplay mechanics are based on the Megadrive games. So, the whole thing is early to mid 90's. Old af. Yet it's getting rave reviews now that it's out.

Ultimately, a game is just a game. I could take my cock out, use a sharpie to draw a face on it, put some funny hat on, and it will be a game. Even an RPG if I so desire. And somebody could even write a review of my penis's performance. Everything could and should be judged, maybe it's time to stop handling Grimoire with kids gloves.

 

[Wehraboo]

Remember IT has a mother and SHE thinks that is adorable. Remember that.

I rather assume the coathanger missed.