- Joined
- May 29, 2010
- Messages
- 35,785
I tried to play the DOS version years ago but couldn't get past the blob-movement with the tiny window. Fortunately the NES port has a nice big window right in the center of the screen, which made it a bit more palatable.
Sure, it comes with its share of dumbing down/streamlining. I couldn't make my own characters; I had to choose from a lengthy list (you still roll stats though) and only up to five. I find the removal of ammo management and the integration of journal entries into the game itself a plus. I didn't get two attacks per round with bows like the rules say I should, but I can't remember if this was a feature in original Pool of Radiance or not, and I can't be bothered to reinstall, roll new characters, buy bows and arrows, and get into a fight to test it out.
Unfortunately the port did not improve the experience by including the Fix command. The interface is as clunky as ever when it comes to buying and selling equipment, training characters, memorizing spells, etc. I was also annoyed by how equipment stats aren't viewable in the game itself, but I managed with my metaknowledge of AD&D.
On the subject of metaknowledge, it would be obnoxious to go through this without looking at maps from a guide, particularly when it comes to quests where you have to clear out a map of all enemies. So much step by step walking, so much mandatory backtracking.
The incredibly miss-heavy combat at the beginning demands the constant use of sleep to Win just to make it tolerable. This results in a massively degenerate fight/rest cycle. Additionally, while "random encounters will disappear after you kill a fixed amount" sounds good on paper, this also encourages a degenerate playstyle of intentionally triggering them (I found out accidentally that leaving search mode on makes them far more likely because moving to a new square takes ten minutes instead of one) and then backing off to a safe area to rest.
It's utterly absurd how you can pay just 5 gold to fix yourself up to your heart's content at an inn (when you're not resting outside for free) but a single casting of cure light wounds at a temple costs 100 gold (!!!!!!!!). Phlan needs a Jesus figure to come down to the temple to take on the money-changers, these guys are ripping everyone off.
It's also lousy how being poisoned makes you incapacitated and the only thing you can do is drag the character to a temple and pay 1000 to cure it. Though of course I didn't do that, I just reloaded. It's also a drag how there's no way to buy any kind of potions or spells; furthermore, potions don't stack, and each character can only have 8 items in their inventory (including the stuff they're wearing) so an inventory can get filled up quickly.
As for combat content, let me put it this way: out of the 24 mandatory fights you have to go through to clear the slums, only two provided a challenge. That's a terrible ratio. The other areas I cleared had far fewer battles, but they also weren't providing enough of interest. There were just two more battles I liked in the rest of what I played (which was clearing Sokal Keep and the library, and eavesdropping on an auction which didn't involve combat at all but wasn't particularly interesting). The most I can say in its favor is that I like how enemies will surrender when it's clear the battle is lost (when can this feature come back?).
Typical PoR encounter design right here.
I don't see the point in playing any further, I imagine the combat and backtracking are only going to get more obnoxious. Perhaps there may be an area or areas later on that will lock you in to prevent degenerate resting, but who cares? Scorpia was correct to call this a boring meat grinder. The crpgers of the 80s and early 90s must have been hard up to play anything resembling a role playing game to tolerate all of this and all the other same-engine clones. The potential was there, but it appears as though no one actually did anything with it. "Strategic" indeed.
Sure, it comes with its share of dumbing down/streamlining. I couldn't make my own characters; I had to choose from a lengthy list (you still roll stats though) and only up to five. I find the removal of ammo management and the integration of journal entries into the game itself a plus. I didn't get two attacks per round with bows like the rules say I should, but I can't remember if this was a feature in original Pool of Radiance or not, and I can't be bothered to reinstall, roll new characters, buy bows and arrows, and get into a fight to test it out.
Unfortunately the port did not improve the experience by including the Fix command. The interface is as clunky as ever when it comes to buying and selling equipment, training characters, memorizing spells, etc. I was also annoyed by how equipment stats aren't viewable in the game itself, but I managed with my metaknowledge of AD&D.
On the subject of metaknowledge, it would be obnoxious to go through this without looking at maps from a guide, particularly when it comes to quests where you have to clear out a map of all enemies. So much step by step walking, so much mandatory backtracking.
The incredibly miss-heavy combat at the beginning demands the constant use of sleep to Win just to make it tolerable. This results in a massively degenerate fight/rest cycle. Additionally, while "random encounters will disappear after you kill a fixed amount" sounds good on paper, this also encourages a degenerate playstyle of intentionally triggering them (I found out accidentally that leaving search mode on makes them far more likely because moving to a new square takes ten minutes instead of one) and then backing off to a safe area to rest.
It's utterly absurd how you can pay just 5 gold to fix yourself up to your heart's content at an inn (when you're not resting outside for free) but a single casting of cure light wounds at a temple costs 100 gold (!!!!!!!!). Phlan needs a Jesus figure to come down to the temple to take on the money-changers, these guys are ripping everyone off.
It's also lousy how being poisoned makes you incapacitated and the only thing you can do is drag the character to a temple and pay 1000 to cure it. Though of course I didn't do that, I just reloaded. It's also a drag how there's no way to buy any kind of potions or spells; furthermore, potions don't stack, and each character can only have 8 items in their inventory (including the stuff they're wearing) so an inventory can get filled up quickly.
As for combat content, let me put it this way: out of the 24 mandatory fights you have to go through to clear the slums, only two provided a challenge. That's a terrible ratio. The other areas I cleared had far fewer battles, but they also weren't providing enough of interest. There were just two more battles I liked in the rest of what I played (which was clearing Sokal Keep and the library, and eavesdropping on an auction which didn't involve combat at all but wasn't particularly interesting). The most I can say in its favor is that I like how enemies will surrender when it's clear the battle is lost (when can this feature come back?).
Typical PoR encounter design right here.
I don't see the point in playing any further, I imagine the combat and backtracking are only going to get more obnoxious. Perhaps there may be an area or areas later on that will lock you in to prevent degenerate resting, but who cares? Scorpia was correct to call this a boring meat grinder. The crpgers of the 80s and early 90s must have been hard up to play anything resembling a role playing game to tolerate all of this and all the other same-engine clones. The potential was there, but it appears as though no one actually did anything with it. "Strategic" indeed.
