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KickStarter Knights of the Chalice 2 Thread - Augury of Chaos

Ryzer

Prophet
Vatnik
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Never trust reviews of people with fewer than 2000 games in their account.
Also on your review:

JarlFrank 26 Mar, 2022 @ 2:01pm

I stand by my statement. I played through the game several times in the pre-Steam backer version and it's the best tactical RPG ever made. I can see why some people might not like the encounter design, but systemically it's absolutely solid. And since the game has a level editor, that means we're likely to get some high quality fan-made content too

bonesrob13 27 May, 2022 @ 10:49pm

apparently this person hardly plays anything. I mean have you not heard of Divinity Original Sin 2 or KOTOR 2?
:flamesaw:
 

JarlFrank

I like Thief THIS much
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KA.DINGIR.RA.KI
Steve gets a Kidney but I don't even get a tag.
Yeah it's hilarious.

I have over 3000 games on my Steam account, you can see this by simply clicking on my profile.
In my review, I make comparisons to ToEE and the Gold Box games.

Yet retarded zoomers pop in, claim I "hardly play any games" and say D:OS2 is a better tactical RPG... or fucking KotoR2 which isn't even the same fucking subgenre. Even KotoR2's fans say the combat and encounter design is its worst part!
 

Desiderius

Found your egg, Robinett, you sneaky bastard
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Insert Title Here Pathfinder: Wrath
Honestly, on replaying it, I was hoping that my improved knowledge of the system and which classes are good and which are bad would make for a better experience, but I'm actually finding that the particularly bullshit elements are more apparent on Archmage. Darth Roxor's review summed up the issues well; the encounter design is just masochistic. It gives the impression that Piere is the kind of guy who treats encounters like a puzzle, where you try them over and over again until a combination of the stars aligning and the knowing the encounter inside and out leads you to victory.

If that's the aim, it succeeds admirably, but my preference is games where the expectation is that no one encounter is likely to be an insurmountable obstacle, but that a poor player will get crushed over time by the compounding weight of his own mistakes, whereas a good player can excel in parts and use the advantage gained there to help with rough parts later on. E.g. A long dive in one of the Wizardry games, or conserving your potions and scrolls in a roguelike.

Still, I'm interested to see what modules others may make for this; there's definitely room to produce some very good stuff if someone were to take a different approach to encounter design.
There are no bad classes, this is a different kind of game. If you play it from that perspective instead of trying to find the one weird uber trick that pwns everything it will feel a lot less masochistic.

For one thing, don't conserve your potions and scrolls. It's designed to punish that.
 

Jermu

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somewhat agree with there are no bad classes (especially now when some classes have been buffed) but there are classes that are better than some

can easily be tested do archmage run without psionicist and wizard and see if its more difficult (ironman run for extra points, with unlimited loading there are not too many comps which makes game impossible)
 
Last edited:

Mauman

Learned
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Messages
909
somewhat agree with there are no bad classes (especially now when some classes have been buffed) but there are classes that are better than some

can easily be tested do archmage run without psionicist and wizard and see if its more difficult (ironman run for extra points, with unlimited loading there are not too many comps which makes game impossible)
Hell, there are certain sub-classes that are simply better within classes themselves.

Compare, say, an Earth druid vs ANY other kind of Druid.
 

Covenant

Savant
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Messages
343
Yeah, I'd certainly be interested to see someone's playthrough where their Druid was as useful as their Fighter or their Wizard/Warlock.
 

Darth Roxor

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Druid is super-strong at the start, much more so than a wizard, due to powerful low-level spells like quicksand and summon croc. He starts dropping off around midgame where the wizard gains the advantage, but never really becomes bad either since he still has shit like earthquake and sirocco. And frankly speaking quicksand remains a ridiculously powerful spell all the way to the end.
 

Infinitron

I post news
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Codex Year of the Donut Serpent in the Staglands Dead State Divinity: Original Sin Project: Eternity Torment: Tides of Numenera Wasteland 2 Shadorwun: Hong Kong Divinity: Original Sin 2 A Beautifully Desolate Campaign Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfire Pathfinder: Kingmaker Pathfinder: Wrath I'm very into cock and ball torture I helped put crap in Monomyth
https://www.kickstarter.com/project...-revolutionise-old-school-crpgs/posts/3791055

Update #70: KotC 2 Version 1.60 Fixes Bugs + New Display System + New Inn & Arena Maps!​


Hello everyone! The latest version of KotC 2 is version 1.60. It can be downloaded here for both Windows and macOS. It can also be downloaded on Steam and GOG.

In the past month, I worked on three new maps: two isometric maps for the inn of Crossroad Castle, called The Riddle of Fire, and one isometric arena map, the Skull Arena. Please scroll down to see these images.

The new arena map will come in addition to the earlier arena map which was presented in a Kickstarter update. Another Kickstarter update presented the Gladiator Pens map, among other adventure maps. Another Kickstarter update featured a poison gas animation inside the arena.

a7d488a494cf0b3c88adb9dd66a0ca93_original.png
Level one of The Riddle of Fire. Any resemblance to a Burning Corpse Bar is purely coincidental. ^_^
Together with Juhani, we've done some brainstorming about the NPCs, maps and quests to be found in the upcoming module The Dark Arena. It's still very much a work in progress. I'll try to follow my own design advice about non-linear adventures and choice and consequences. A big Thank You to Juhani!!

Also, I completed work on the alternative display system for large maps presented in the previous update and I acquired the awesome epic music collection that was made available by composer Joel Steudler through Humble Bundle.

Within the music collection, I selected about 35 soundtracks that may be used in the upcoming KotC 2 modules. I'll have to convert them into ogg files. I'm also planning to edit some of these soundtracks.

Another thing I'm planning to do soon is to become a member of the PVGames Patreon again, as I'm missing the more recent assets, including a Gelatinous Cube sprite and a lot of other graphic assets.

Finally, the RPG Tools software from Martin Mais includes many sound effects created by Joel Steudler. I might add some of these sound effects to the game at some point.

AI image generation using Stable Horde​

I've had a chance to participate in the Stable Horde project, a network of volunteers who combine their computing power to generate AI images. There's an online interface at https://aqualxx.github.io/stable-ui. I was able to create some nice images, as well as a Stable Horde worker.

The interesting thing is that I could produce some images of size 1,920 x 1,920 pixels, which is really big for current AI image generation. It does cost some Kudos to do so. Kudos is the virtual currency you earn by running a Stable Horde worker on your computer, or by rating a bunch of AI-generated images through the online interface. Smaller images (e.g. 704 x 704 pixels) can be made for free.

Kudos can be transferred to other users from here or through the Discord channel. If you'd like to contribute some Kudos for me to use in adventure map creation, feel free to send them to my user ID: StableDragon#18923. Thank you!! Also a big Thank You to the members of the Discord channel who replied to questions or sent me Kudos, and in particular to Jug!!

6bfacf53b7d1993799dafd26f8597ffe_original.png
Level two of The Riddle of Fire.

How to use the new system for large adventure maps​

KotC 2 version 1.60 features the alternative system for displaying huge adventure maps. Here is how the new system works. Say you have a background image of size 13,000 x 10,000 pixels. First, you need to create a small-size preview version of that image for use in the minimap and local-map screen. The preview image may be of size 2,000 x 1,538 pixels.

It should be named like this: MapName_13000_10000_Preview.jpg. That means you have to append the width and height of the original map and the word 'Preview'. Place the preview image in the MapBackdrops folder of your module.

Next, within that same folder create a new folder called MapName_13000_10000. Inside that folder place the 512 x 512 images that constitute the original image. These images should be named like this: Base_y_x.jpg, x and y being the coordinates of each chunk inside the original image, starting from zero.

You can also have an overlay image. Simply place in the same folder the 512 x 512 images that constitute the overlay image. These images should be named like this: Overlay_y_x.png.

Finally, in the Map Data screen of the Module Editor, you can set the preview image as the map's background. The game will then see that it's an image made up of a number of tiles.

To create the tiles, you can use Image Magick. I've used the following Image Magick commands:

  • For the base image: magick convert base.png -crop 512x512 -set filename:tile "%[fx:page.y/512]_%[fx:page.x/512]" +repage +adjoin -quality 90 "Base_%[filename:tile].jpg"
  • For the overlay image: magick convert overlay.png -crop 512x512 -set filename:tile "%[fx:page.y/512]_%[fx:page.x/512]" +repage +adjoin "Overlay_%[filename:tile].png"
206f78725baf1c2ec136a0a1a20dcc02_original.png
The Skull Arena.

List of changes in KotC 2 Version 1.60​

  • In the macOS version only, fixed a source of crashes when selecting psionic powers. My sincere apologies for that bug!
  • Fixed several display problems in the Local-Map Screen.
  • Fixed a problem with special effects like Rain and Snow getting reset after talking with NPCs (at the end of a script's execution, actually).
  • Fixed an issue with double clicking during character creation. When double-clicking on a spell icon to select it, the double click for the last spell could result in the unwanted opening of help files.
  • Added a note in the help entries for Weapon Group Proficiency Reach Weapons and Natural Reach to clarify that the benefit of Reach does not apply to Touch Attacks. The Flux domain power and the specialisation feats of attuned Wizards and Sorcerers can transform certain touch spells into close-range spells. It may be a problem if you could get a better range for touch spells just by wielding a reach weapon. It would also be a problem for the AI.
  • In the Module Editor, pressing the Left-Alt key will now hide the backdrop image so that it's easier to see if there are any special tiles, or overlay graphics, at any particular place on the map.
  • In the Module Editor, fixed an issue with the display of long file paths in selection boxes.
  • In the Module Editor, fixed an issue with memory management when closing a map.
  • Added some code to clear previous images when loading a map image fails due to low memory.
  • Implemented the alternative system for displaying huge adventure maps.

Next Steps for Knights of the Chalice 2​

Unchanged from the previous update, the next development steps are the following:

  • Work on the three upcoming adventure modules. Create new adventure maps & regional maps.
  • Hire a graphic designer to create new sprites, new maps and other types of artwork.
  • Fix any remaining issues mentioned on the Steam Forum, GOG Forum, website Forums, and by email.
  • Implement new features such as new monster abilities, subraces, familiars, items and the fog effect.
As always, if you find bugs or if you have any feedback, thoughts and suggestions, please feel free to let me know here, or in the Forums, or by email at enquiries@heroicfantasygames.com.

Thank You For Your Awesome Support, Dear Knights and Fearsome Sorcerers! Take care :)
 

Jermu

Arbiter
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Aug 13, 2017
Messages
1,354
Knights of the Chalice 2 Version 1.61

The main changes are new background images during Character Creation, new goblin sprites that may also be used for player characters, new ooze sprites, new animated banners, some encounter tweaks, improvements in the Equipment Screen of the Module Editor, and bug fixes including three fixes for stuff that could cause a crash. See below for details.
 

Infinitron

I post news
Staff Member
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Jan 28, 2011
Messages
97,236
Codex Year of the Donut Serpent in the Staglands Dead State Divinity: Original Sin Project: Eternity Torment: Tides of Numenera Wasteland 2 Shadorwun: Hong Kong Divinity: Original Sin 2 A Beautifully Desolate Campaign Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfire Pathfinder: Kingmaker Pathfinder: Wrath I'm very into cock and ball torture I helped put crap in Monomyth
https://www.kickstarter.com/project...-revolutionise-old-school-crpgs/posts/3793827

Update #71: KotC 2 1.61 Adds Sprites, Improves Character Creation, Improves Editor!​


Hello everyone! The latest version of KotC 2 is version 1.61. It can be downloaded here for both Windows and macOS. It can also be downloaded on Steam and GOG.

In the past month, I spent quite a lot of time downloading and organising the most recent graphic assets from Pioneer Valley Games. Afterwards, I used some of these assets to create version 1.61. There are many other assets that I might use later on, including new sprites for NPCs and monsters and new artwork for dungeons, cities, indoor areas and outdoor areas.

5838993c544e7855062c1fe72c2e5a4b_original.png

I've also been working on additional maps associated with Crossroad Castle - the underground level and tower interiors - but it's too early to present them. Finally, I've been working with Juhani on scenario and quest design. Thank you so much Juhani for the awesome advice and suggestions!

For this Kickstarter update, we'll focus on the new features in version 1.61.

b305349149e701ea950e7ce5f573c176_original.png
New sprites for Gelatinous Cubes in KotC 2.
The main changes are new background images during Character Creation, new modular goblin sprites that may also be used for player characters, new ooze sprites, new animated banners, some encounter tweaks, improvements in the Equipment Screen of the Module Editor, and bug fixes including three fixes for stuff that could cause a crash. Please see below for the details of each change.

A picture is worth a thousand words, so I'll just add some screenshots to this update.

3e36754f9994e3c6dc138d2706be827a_original.png

List of changes in Knights of the Chalice 2 Version 1.61​

  • Fixed a source of crashes when Pizarra joins your party after the battle in the High Sewers, when you've used the option providing a Giant Spider ally during the battle and you finish the battle with the Giant Spider as the acting combatant. Also, the spider's sprite will now face the party leader at the end of the fight.
  • Fixed a source of crashes in combat which was actually due to AI processing when a large creature is squeezing, or will be squeezing to avoid terrain magic effects like a Stinking Cloud.
  • Fixed a source of crashes in the Module Editor when opening a module.
  • Added a number of code and memory optimisations to improve speed.
  • In Augury of Chaos and the Tutorial Adventure, tweaked a bunch of encounters where mages should have auto-casting spells like Mirror Image on (but didn't have them on previously). Also gave the auto-casting Mirror Image to a bunch of Rogues and Assassins.
4161547da88c6dbac0400fd77ce3d795_original.png
New Animated Banners that can be added in the Module Editor.
  • Fixed missing weapon and armour proficiencies for about 40 creatures in Augury of Chaos and about 20 creatures in the Tutorial Adventure.
  • Using recent artwork from Pioneer Valley Games (PVGames), added a bunch of nice background images to the Character Creation and Change Token / Sprite interfaces. There are eight backgrounds and the game selects one based on your character's class.
  • Using recent artwork from PVGames, added modular goblin sprites, meaning goblin sprites that can have a specific body type, armour type, and weapon, including magic weapons. They're mostly intended to be used as monsters (particularly in the upcoming module The Dark Arena, as your characters will be low level for quite a while), but you can use them for your player characters too, by selecting 'Goblin 1-7' in the 'Body' drop-down box during Character Creation, or anytime using the Change Token / Sprite screen within the Character Sheet. You might like to use the new sprites for your Kobold characters.
a9c495eb080ef45704a389bf2a7d7f3d_original.png

  • Using recent artwork from PVGames, added new sprites for Gelatinous Cubes and Slimes.
  • Updated a number of oozes and goblins in Augury of Chaos and the Tutorial Adventure using the new sprites. Also tweaked some encounters with oozes in Augury of Chaos. Also tweaked some goblin and kobold encounters in Finchbury.
  • Fixed a bug with the penalties incurred for wearing armour for which you lack the appropriate proficiency. The penalty reduction of Masterwork Armour was applied two times.
  • Fixed the position of the magic animations that are displayed when drinking a potion or casting spells, when characters are displayed using sprites.
  • Fixed issues with the Prone sprite of the Hill Giants that you fight during the battle with Pizarra in the High Sewers.
  • Fixed a display issue with blood stains when rain is affecting map colours.
284629dda697be4f2bf994764e32ae00_original.png
New sprites for Slimes in KotC 2.
  • Created a swaying banner animation for the map of Crossroad Castle and other maps. Added a new menu option in the Map Editor, under 'Other Tools' (below 'Add Isometric Lights'), allowing you to place the new animated banners anywhere on a map easily. Also added one such banner to the map of Finchbury (atop the village's tower).
  • Improved the Equipment Screen of the Module Editor so that it now displays a red square underneath weapons and armour for which the creature lacks the appropriate proficiency.
  • Improved the Equipment Screen of the Module Editor so that the tooltip now displays the same information that you get from within the game, including Armour Class details for any armour item, or Attack Roll details for any weapon. You can also use the tooltip to compare weapons and armour for the current creature, as the tooltip will display information on both the worn item and the moused-over backpack item.
  • In the Creature Properties screen of the Module Editor, right clicking on the selected class will now open the help entry for that class.
b2041275116e9bd5e6615d82a43b4a89_original.png

  • In the Module Editor, tiny status icons will now be displayed even for hidden creatures, if the option to display these icons out of combat is activated.
  • Fixed a bug in the Module Editor where a map would be saved with dark colours if the editor was displaying the rain effect at the moment you're saving the map.
  • In the Creature Template Editor, added to the tooltip a line saying that you can right click in order to select the moused-over creature in the Map Editor (as I keep forgetting about that feature).
  • In the macOS version only, fixed a bug in the tooltip display of Psionic Power Points when mousing over creatures that have Power Points.
  • In the macOS version only, added the missing 'Add Isometric Lights' option of the Map Editor, under 'Other Tools'.
  • In the macOS version only, fixed a bug with duplicate entries in the 'Body' drop-down box during Character Creation.
34c9e62dcc1fd608b0789241f644f8bb_original.png
Equipment Screen within the KotC 2 Module Editor.

Next Steps for Knights of the Chalice 2​

Unchanged from the previous update, the next development steps are the following:

  • Work on the three upcoming adventure modules. Create new adventure maps & regional maps.
  • Hire a graphic designer to create new sprites, new maps and other types of artwork. I'm looking forward to do this. Sadly, I still don't know whether I'll have to buy the family home; that's the only reason I've been delaying this step for so long. My apologies! Hopefully, it won't take much longer.
  • Implement new features such as new monster abilities, subraces, familiars, items and the fog effect.
  • Fix any remaining issues mentioned on the Steam Forum, GOG Forum, website Forums, and by email.
As always, if you find bugs or if you have any feedback, thoughts and suggestions, please feel free to let me know here, or in the Forums, or by email at enquiries@heroicfantasygames.com.

Thank You So Much For Your Support, Valiant Heroes of the Realm! Enjoy!! :)
 

Snufkin

Augur
Joined
Mar 11, 2012
Messages
461
This game is based on build porn and it is interesting that there are no powergaming guides around.
 

Infinitron

I post news
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Messages
97,236
Codex Year of the Donut Serpent in the Staglands Dead State Divinity: Original Sin Project: Eternity Torment: Tides of Numenera Wasteland 2 Shadorwun: Hong Kong Divinity: Original Sin 2 A Beautifully Desolate Campaign Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfire Pathfinder: Kingmaker Pathfinder: Wrath I'm very into cock and ball torture I helped put crap in Monomyth
https://www.kickstarter.com/project...-revolutionise-old-school-crpgs/posts/3820201

Update #72: New Catacombs and Swamp maps for KotC 2 The Dark Arena!​


Hi everyone! In the past month, I focused mainly on the creation of new isometric maps for the upcoming KotC 2 adventure module, The Dark Arena. In particular, I've created two new really big maps: one for the catacombs of Crossroad Castle, and one for a swamp area.

The swamp map will actually be divided into three maps in the game because it includes an outdoor area featuring a village on stilts and piers, and two dungeon levels inspired by the jungle temple in the first Indiana Jones film.

I haven't had the time to release a new version of KotC 2, but I'm planning to release a small update pretty soon. In coming weeks, I'm planning to work on a bunch of maps, including the cellar map of Crossroad Castle, a mountain path map, and a few other areas. Once that's finished, I should be able to focus on scenario implementation using the Module Editor.

I don't have more comments at this time, but I've got many screenshots for you! Please see below. I hope you'll like them!

0fc8c1c602b294442b2ed0aab78cc445_original.png
Dungeon entrance in the swamp map.
cc6550bff037aad9e44473a4d4baeb98_original.png
A statue of Athianna in the catacombs map.
44fd1ef5203f0297fa66f3b9f0bc2070_original.png
Swamp map outdoor area.
e9914dabdb0d2fd9569a9dd22a27905c_original.png
Catacombs underneath Crossroad Castle.
ec1d50a45e92d0bae169bbb4e5a82e02_original.png
A spring within the swamp village.
1c558d222f8bffa6c38ed39ff173ebc4_original.png
A dungeon room within the catacombs map.
796e400c25ceec9c324540258f84f6b0_original.png
Swamp map dungeon room with acid pits and interior balcony.
c7d48f9f4e671548036de20ad962ead9_original.png
Catacombs dungeon room with open coffins.
a6d24080c35e777d3afc9cf1346bc2b1_original.png
A natural cave within the swamp map dungeon.
fd1b4ae1eb61e3845b4b5fbc9827ecc5_original.png
Catacombs underneath Crossroad Castle.
074d8bf0bd057b2417ced35c08e0d96e_original.png
A wooden tower within the swamp village.
4320a58f25782b6ad270e07fbce376b9_original.png
Dungeon room with sarcophaguses in the catacombs map.
ef9e710340234b810ac626ecbf9caa4d_original.png
Corridors with a deadly boulder within the swamp map dungeon.
f1784b93282355c4dfb6ff0c8d610a99_original.png
Natural cave with lava flows within the swamp map dungeon.

Next Steps for Knights of the Chalice 2​

Unchanged from the previous update, the next development steps are the following:

  • Continue working on the upcoming adventure modules. Create new adventure maps & regional maps.
  • Hire a graphic designer to create new sprites and other types of artwork.
  • Implement new features such as new monster abilities, subraces, familiars, items and the fog effect.
  • Fix any remaining issues mentioned on the Steam Forum, GOG Forum, website Forums, and by email.
As always, if you find bugs or if you have any feedback, thoughts and suggestions, please feel free to let me know here, or in the Forums, or by email at enquiries@heroicfantasygames.com.

Thank You For Your Steadfast Support, Fearless Knights of the Realm! Take care! :)
 

Dorateen

Arcane
Joined
Aug 30, 2012
Messages
4,332
Location
The Crystal Mist Mountains
Gandalf is working on a project.

That's a good update for the editor, with some much welcome changes. The Fog effect is something I've wanted to see for a while.

From what I've observed, one of the barriers to module building is that the editor doesn't come with an in-toolset map maker. Yes there are some art assets that can be placed, and of course you could load the maps used in the tutorial or Augury of Chaos. But otherwise requires a builder to find a map to work within the 64 x 64 tile dimension specs, or else create one from scratch. Also, the switch to isometric perspective midstream is perhaps a cause of disappointment in expectations. I think KotC2 is stronger as a simple 2D/top down game to create dungeons and combat scenarios. If the game was presented as an Isometric game from the start, I probably would not have looked into making a module.
 

Mortmal

Arcane
Joined
Jun 15, 2009
Messages
9,158
Gandalf is working on a project.

That's a good update for the editor, with some much welcome changes. The Fog effect is something I've wanted to see for a while.

From what I've observed, one of the barriers to module building is that the editor doesn't come with an in-toolset map maker. Yes there are some art assets that can be placed, and of course you could load the maps used in the tutorial or Augury of Chaos. But otherwise requires a builder to find a map to work within the 64 x 64 tile dimension specs, or else create one from scratch. Also, the switch to isometric perspective midstream is perhaps a cause of disappointment in expectations. I think KotC2 is stronger as a simple 2D/top down game to create dungeons and combat scenarios. If the game was presented as an Isometric game from the start, I probably would not have looked into making a module.
You shouldn't say that. If he reads this, he will start working on it and include it in the next updates, which will further delay the release of any new modules that I have already paid for. He will react the same way as before when he switched from 2D ugly tokens to 3D isometric ones instead of opting for decent and affordable 2D sets. By now, you should know that he doesn't appreciate simplicity, common sense, or making money. Anyone could already use Inkarnate or a similar tool to create these assets if they wanted to, but there simply isn't a desire to do so. The main issue is that it requires an excessive amount of work, comparable to writing a complete official D&D campaign, including drawing maps and scripting everything. It's an overwhelming amount of work to expect for free, especially considering the deal he offered doesn't justify it.

To achieve a professional-quality result within a reasonable timeframe, it would take a small team working for a year. However, no one would undertake such an endeavor for the small number of copies sold.
 

Dorateen

Arcane
Joined
Aug 30, 2012
Messages
4,332
Location
The Crystal Mist Mountains

To achieve a professional-quality result within a reasonable timeframe, it would take a small team working for a year. However, no one would undertake such an endeavor for the small number of copies sold.
The key is, at least for me, it's a hobby project not a job. I enjoy what I'm doing. Using Inkarnate or any other tile map maker is valid, but it still involves a third party program. Neverwinter Nights, Solasta, even FRUA, aren't like this. An end-user can just load up those toolsets and start designing areas for their module. I've no problem with how KotC2 is set up, nor would I ask Pierre to include such a utility. Just pointing out a consideration for other people who might want to make a straight-forward dungeon crawl.
 

Mortmal

Arcane
Joined
Jun 15, 2009
Messages
9,158

To achieve a professional-quality result within a reasonable timeframe, it would take a small team working for a year. However, no one would undertake such an endeavor for the small number of copies sold.
The key is, at least for me, it's a hobby project not a job. I enjoy what I'm doing. Using Inkarnate or any other tile map maker is valid, but it still involves a third party program. Neverwinter Nights, Solasta, even FRUA, aren't like this. An end-user can just load up those toolsets and start designing areas for their module. I've no problem with how KotC2 is set up, nor would I ask Pierre to include such a utility. Just pointing out a consideration for other people who might want to make a straight-forward dungeon crawl.
The problem is, I think he considers KOTC2 as a hobby too. To achieve more popularity, it would require more serious modules. When it was released, it was only popular among a fraction of grognards, the masochistic ones. No one outside the codex play this while it could become the heir to the gold box SSI games with D20 OGL ruleset instead of AD&D.
 

_V_

Scholar
Joined
Jun 15, 2015
Messages
105
So, I'm not following this thread since I want to avoid (major) spoilers.
I finally got around to starting Augury of Chaos.
Now I'm at a point where I would like some meta knowledge to make a more informed decision.
My favourite character at the moment is my centaur samurai with reach weapons (glaive). Good single target dmg and fun whirlwind attacks.
I'm considering investing a lot of money, xp and enchantment diamonds in a crafted glaive for him. My main aim is something, that's not too situational and doesn't meet too many hard counters.
At the moment I'm considering
  • +1 Enhancement (neccessary for further enchantment)
  • +4 Brilliant Energy (since this comes without backdraws in KotC2 it might be great. But if there are few enemies with armor/shields in the later game it'd be wasted)
  • +4 Skewer might be great if combined with Billiant Energy. But perhaps if AC of most/many enemies is low enough that it'd be a better combination with Force (+4). (I can't combine all three.)
  • If enemy's AC is too high in the later stages and Skewer doesn't trigger reliably Destruction (+4) might be the better option. Especially since bosses are usually the high AC enemies...
  • The last entchantment (+1) would be used either for Shocking or one of the Banes (dragon or outsider is usually a good call?) Or perhaps Ghost Touch
Opinions? Any super great entchantments that you'd recommend over this selection? (Most of them are useful, obviously...)

Edit: So the first test was against an Iron Golem, and Brilliant certainly doesn't work against natural armor (as expected). So useless against many tough enemies...
 
Last edited:

Jermu

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been a while since last time I grinded KOTC2 but think my main go-to was skewer+destruction+barbed
 

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Update #73: KotC 2 1.62 Adds Fog Effect + New Cellar Map For The Dark Arena!​


Hello everyone! I hope you're well. In today's update, we'll do a recap of the changes in version 1.62 of Knights of the Chalice 2 and we'll have a look at a new isometric map I've created for the upcoming adventure module, The Dark Arena.

The new map is the first underground level below Crossroad Castle. It contains a bunch of interesting locations, including the cellar of the inn, the castle's jail cells, several caves, and a couple of temples. The second underground level is the Catacombs map that we reviewed in the previous update.

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Cellar below the inn of Crossroad Castle, the Riddle of Fire.
On the personal side of things, I'm finally reaching the end of a protracted and painful inheritance process. As a result, I should be having my own place before the end of the year. However, in the meantime, it's a huge source of stress and distraction for me. It's a difficult time but it should be over soon. I really hope so!

In coming weeks, I expect to be working on a few additional adventure maps for The Dark Arena, as well as the 1.63 update for KotC 2.

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Statue of an Angel Paladin.

List of changes in Knights of the Chalice 2 Version 1.62​

  • Added the new animated Fog Effect in the Module Editor. You can change the parameters of a map's fog, including speed, angle, opacity, and frequency, in the Edit Map Data screen of the Module Editor.
  • In the module Augury of Chaos, added the new Fog Effect to the maps of Finchbury and Ruined Village.
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Semi-transparent fog displayed over the characters in the map of Crossroad Castle.
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You can set the parameters of a map's fog in the Edit Map Data screen.
  • Fixed some issues with the text size for the information displayed when mousing over a creature in combat.
  • Added new script commands to set a creature's sprite, or record a creature's token, sprite, or square size. Also fixed some issues with the script command that sets a creature's token. Dorateen is planning to use the new commands to display a boat when the party is travelling along rivers in the updated version of his KotC 2 adventure module, Hearkenwold. Thank you so much for all the hard work, Dorateen!! Kudos!
  • Added a new script command allowing the module creator to override the player's display mode selection - tokens or animated sprites - for a while.
  • Added new script commands to record or set a creature's immunities. For any of the immunities and damage types, you can choose between normal, immunity, resistance 25%, resistance 50%, resistance 75%, reverse effect, vulnerability 25%, vulnerability 50%, vulnerability 75%, or vulnerability 100%. For instance, when a creature with 100% vulnerability to Fire receives Fire damage, the damage is doubled. Reverse effect means that a creature will recover Hit Points instead of getting hurt.
  • Fixed an issue in the Script Editor with the << Auto-add 'Add Answer' and 'Display Dialog' >> feature associated with the Set Dialog command. The editor wasn't displaying the automatically-added lines. You had to click on 'Refresh' to display them and if you didn't, the Script Editor could crash afterwards. Also, that feature will now work even when the 'Auto-add' checkbox is not currently being displayed (depending on the editor's currently displayed screen, the 'Auto-add' checkbox could be hidden when you click on 'Okay' to add the Set Dialog command to your script).
  • Fixed an issue with the Shift + WIN shortcut keys that can be used to end combat. Sometimes, when pressing these keys, the game would skip all of the monsters, including those that are supposed to join the fight in later rounds. Now it will only skip the current monsters and you'll have to press the keys again if there are additional monsters coming in subsequent rounds.

More Preview Screenshots from the New Cellar Map​

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A mysterious cave made more dangerous by the presence of sharp spikes.
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Spiral staircase leading to the second underground level below Crossroad Castle.
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A mysterious Fire Temple underneath Crossroad Castle.
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Armoury room underneath Crossroad Castle.
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A mysterious cave with scattered magic books and a pentagram.
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A strange pool. Do you dare drink from it?
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One of the jail cells of Crossroad Castle.
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A cellar of the inn, the Riddle of Fire.

Next Steps for Knights of the Chalice 2​

Nearly unchanged from the previous update, the next development steps are the following:

  • Continue working on the upcoming adventure modules. Create new adventure maps & regional maps.
  • Hire a graphic designer to create new sprites and other types of artwork.
  • Implement new features such as new monster abilities, subraces, familiars, and items.
  • Fix any remaining issues mentioned on the Steam Forum, GOG Forum, website Forums, and by email.
As always, if you find bugs or if you have any feedback, thoughts and suggestions, please feel free to let me know here, or in the Forums, or by email at enquiries@heroicfantasygames.com.

Thank You So Much For Your Support, Valiant Heroes! A Bold Warrior Fears Nothing! Enjoy! :)
 

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