The Joy of Star Trail!

[Hazelnut]

I do when the situation calls for it, but if the elves and fighters are in control there's no point in loosing mage LP for no reason is there?

Munhkin? Moi? Could it be the fact that the game seems intent on bending me over and fucking me in the ass? Revenge via munkinism FTW!

 

[Claw]

Eh, Life Points? Whatever. All you have to do is make sure that your enemies try to parry an attack by one of your fighters, so your mages can hit them in the back. Also, what's so bad aboutt he occasional injury? As long as you don't let your mages soak up the damage you should be fine.

Also, mages can be great to distract an enemy with a high parry skill so your fighters' powerful attacks strike home. I usually try to attack an opponent with as many of my units as possible at the same time.



Eh, when I played Star Trail for the first time I didn't know what spells you had to have or that you ought to have 13+ stats or anything.

I also made a party with a jester and a rouge, both of whom were relatively useless in combat. Oh, the joy of watching them soak up damage like sponges fighting skeletons in a dark dungeon. The leather armour! It does nothing!

And still I completed Star Trail with that party, beating even the hardest encounters the game threw at me, including the orcs besieging Lowangen and the huge party of battlemages and stuff that wanted the Salamander Stone.

The only real problem anyone should run into is not having the right spell because you didn't know you absolutely needed it. I was a bit lucky in that regard.

 

[Hazelnut]

Okay then, here's team 'Munchkin' for your edification:

Is that really that overpowered?

 

[sheek]

You should probably focus on just one weapon type for each character (except warriors), a main and a backup, increase rolls are too precious to waste on stuff you're not going to use

I never needed the unarmed skill in my game

 

[Jasede]

It's not a waste, unarmed. You'll lose all your equipment sometimes if you aren't careful, and it's also great to have should your weabon and your backup weapon break.

 

[sheek]

Also it looks like you have nobody capable of gambling in your party

I would have swapped one Magician for a Rogue

 

[Jasede]

Well, yeah, gambling is useful, but then again, he'll be swimming in gold after Daspota anyway, so all it helps with is give the group a (great) boost at the beginning of RoA 1 and should you find your gold stolen. Collecting and selling herbs will cover him fine I think.

But, enough party optimizing! It isn't the point of RoA 1 to play with a perfect party, even though it makes the number-obsessed weirdo inside me very happy. Just let him play and have fun! Like Claw said, even a sub-optimal party can have fun in this game.

Also, Claw, if I remember correctly there is no spell you 100% need to finish any of these games. Some people claim you need Transversalis Teleport in some dungeons, but that isn't true. I always found a switch to bypass the need for it, even in the Orc Caves with the Plans.

 

[Hazelnut]

Hehe - I only posted my 'Team Munchkin' for shits and giggles, I really don't think I want to optimise anything.. and these were immediately after char creation, so I shall be concentrating on single weapons from now on.

As for cheat - can't be bothered - I already have over 400 D @ lvl 1

 

[Raapys]

Yeah, I found myself swimming in D's after a couple of dungeons. Think I've like 3k D now and everything buyable is already bought. Wouldn't mind a bit more content in the game. Think I'll just try to get a hold of the maps and finish it as soon as possible, so I can start on Star Trail.

 

[undead dolphin hacker]

I'm finding Blade of Destiny just way too user-unfriendly to play.

And it's not just age. BoD came out in 1993, the same year as Darkside of Xeen, Betrayal at Krondor and Lands of Lore. All were and are infinitely more accessible than BoD.

It's not the boots or food or disease aspects, it's the goddamn interface, towns that are impossible to navigate, and total lack of direction. No, I don't want hand holding. I do want a main quest that doesn't require sitting around in taverns for some time until a guy wanders in. Why wouldn't you just start the player in the goddamn tavern?

 

[Jasede]

Hey, at least give RoA 2 and 3 a shot; towns are a lot easier to navigate and the inventory gets easier to manage - a little easier in 2 and extremely comfortable in 3. That said, I think it's fine in 1 already; though I agree about the towns.

 

[Hazelnut]

I'm finding Blade of Destiny just way too user-unfriendly to play.

And it's not just age. BoD came out in 1993, the same year as Darkside of Xeen, Betrayal at Krondor and Lands of Lore. All were and are infinitely more accessible than BoD.

It's not the boots or food or disease aspects, it's the goddamn interface, towns that are impossible to navigate, and total lack of direction. No, I don't want hand holding. I do want a main quest that doesn't require sitting around in taverns for some time until a guy wanders in. Why wouldn't you just start the player in the goddamn tavern?

I found a few hours of perseverance paid off. It's still clunky as hell though, but combat using the keyboard is much better. Download the cluebook from replacement docs - it has maps of all towns & dungeons which should help. There's one for RoA2 as well if you wanted to go that way.

I still wonder why no one sells any leg armour though! I'm also looking forward to my dwarf leveling up since he can't hit the side of a barn door with all his armour on...

 

[Jasede]

Leg Armor... there's a smith in Thorwal who has the best selection; he should sell chain, plate and leather greaves. He's the one who stocks those expensive red robes and scale mail; just a few squares near where you start the game.

 

[Claw]

Okay then, here's team 'Munchkin' for your edification:

Is that really that overpowered?

Attack of the clones?

I think one or two of my characters comes close to your uberchars. Of course I bought those stats with extremely high negative attributes. And you know what's funny? I was confident I could reliably drop them by one point at every level-up, but I repeatedly failed at lowering an attribute.
Of course, at the end of the day your characters are just a few points better than mine.

I notice the spell lists are incomplete.. if you are going to the trouble of posting all your char sheets, you could at least do it right!

 

[Hazelnut]

Leg Armor... there's a smith in Thorwal who has the best selection; he should sell chain, plate and leather greaves. He's the one who stocks those expensive red robes and scale mail; just a few squares near where you start the game.

Well, he does sell armour that at first I thought went on the legs, but it seems to go on the arms according to the char sheet. The only thing I've found for the legs is the pants that everyone had when they started.

@Claw, I didn't notice the spells were incomplete. I can update tonight if you're interested. they're still not the all 13's Jasede was suggesting that I should have. LOL @ Attack of the clones. I'm happy though, although no one has enough AP to be useful yet.

 

[Jasede]

Just, uh, increase strength. Like I said - I'd get 15 STR on everyone just so they can carry stuff. And 20 STR on the melee guys, of course, eventually.

Oh yeah, there's "Greaves" that ought to go to the legs. Or is that RoA 2? Can you post a picture of your inventory screen please? I don't have RoA instealled ATM to check. I am sure RoA 1 has Greaves though, 1 slot for them. RoA 2 has two, one for greaves and one for bracers, so you get a better armored character.

 

[sheek]

I think there are both arm and leg greaves... not sure

Also, I believe "APs" are always the same, everybody has 8 default you just get penalties for being encumbered - your warriors/tanks might be able to get away with some encumbrance, down to 5 APs should be OK but your thieves, archers and spellcasters need to stay unemcumbered

 

[sheek]

Formations:

You didn't ask but this is essential to winning fights easily.

..............
......W.......
.....W.D......
....H...E.....
......M.......
..............


..............
.....W.W......
....H.D.E.....
..........M...
..............

These two formations basically won me the whole game. First it makes sure you're not surrounded, injured characters can escape and be replaced in the same turn and your wizard can cast offensive spells as the enemy approaches and then hide and cast defensive/other spells once combat is engaged. The 'H' is hunter, but can be replaced by Rogue or anybody else with "secondary combat" ability including elves, who'll take less of the brunt of the attack and can retreat or flank or cast spells when needed. The second formation also maximizes the amount of attacks you can focus on individual enemies each turn but has less 'surface area' if you're dealing with large numbers

Obviously you incorporate terrain into the wall formation when it's available.

 

[Hazelnut]

Been very busy IRL last couple of days completing the loft conversion we had done before christmas (may post some piccies when it's done, because I'm pretty damn pleased with my work) - trying to get moved into it so my son can have his bedroom to himself and I can build his furniture before next monday. Then he can sort it out over half term. Also it was my youngest's fourth birthday today. :D Party tomorrow with 24 four year olds and a bouncy castle... :shock:

Anyway, done the whole five levels of the Thorwal dungeon and headed off to Daspota. Merrily killing and schlepping loot when a heal wounds causes Astrid tetanus. Headed north to next town, attacked by lions, no one could move and elves ran out of bolts. Got to town and even 10 tries the healer failed. so headed out to next town, rested at disused inn. Strange noises, decided not to investigate given that everyone was carrying tonnes of shit. Zombies attack, nearly get us, but we got out. Next town, healer is similarly useless - probably spent around 150 D and no heal. Sailed to town on island and healer worked third go. Fuck me, it got pretty annoying all that for some stupid tetanus. She was down to 5 ST from 14 by the time she got healed. Got back to daspota and Gulak leveled to 3 tonight, eveyone else is still level 2. Starting to find out which spells are useful and which aren't. Still have yet to successfully cast any demonology spell with Milam!

Having some fun, but I think I need to blast through this game, otherwise I'm gonna get bored or too pissed off to get to Star Trail.

 

[Andhaira]

Don't try to min-max;the game is playable aqnd beatable without headaces as long as you have a core of 2 warrior types and 2 mages. Rest can be any (but hopefully someone good in hunting)

Don't rush the game. Just take it slow and enjoy it. It grows on you befliev me. Also, Star Trail is MUCH better (music is fantastic too, as are the cutscenes)

The reason for so many domination type spells is that while they have a similar effect in the crpg; in the pnp game they are all varied. (Sleep makes a guard fall asleep at his post, but great need sends him over to the toilet to releive himeself. Both have their own uses!)

Some spells are so fucking powerful when used correctly its ridiculous. The is one spell in the combat school called iron rust (or something like that). It destroy's your opponents armor and weapon! Thats increadibly powerful; most oponents become a joke after that.It is a touch spell though, so useful if someone atttempts to melee your mage.

Mages can make good meleeists actually; increase their attack and staff skill; increase the above mentioned rust spelll AND another combat spell that animates their shadow. They do KICKASS damage with this comboi.

ALso make sure to increase protection spells (like guardian). They can be very powerful in desperate situations.

Lastly,most of the spells of the transmutaion school are helpful only while adventuring, not while in combat. In Star Trail there is a certain NPC you can only get if you can cast a certain transmutation spell. (NPC is not essential to finishing the game, but still great fun to have.)

 

[Hazelnut]

Okay, still not successfully cast any demonology spells with my demonology mage. Please can someone help? He now has Blood & Furor at level 7 - it fails every time I cast outside combat, and in combat (where I thought it would be cast since the manual says it lasts until end of combat) it says it's not a combat spell. Note this is in RoA1.

Frustrating.

 

[Jaime Lannister]

Wow. As undead dolphin hacker said, BoD is VERY user-unfriendly. Does Star Trail have more easily identifiable buildings and a better map? Because I'm sick of entering every building only to find out it's not the magistrate's office.

 

[Hazelnut]

Seriously, download the cluebook - it has maps of all towns! I don't have the spare time for that shit these days.

http://www.replacementdocs.com/download.php?view.5462

Erm, where do you need to find a magistrates office? I've not come across one yet.

 

[Zomg]

Okay, still not successfully cast any demonology spells with my demonology mage. Please can someone help? He now has Blood & Furor at level 7 - it fails every time I cast outside combat, and in combat (where I thought it would be cast since the manual says it lasts until end of combat) it says it's not a combat spell. Note this is in RoA1.

Frustrating.

As far as I could tell, the summoning spells don't do shit in the first game, aside from Skeletarius (probably because they already had a sprite for that one).

 

[Jasede]

Strange; never noticed that. Then again, I don't use Demonology until RoA 2 anyway as a rule because with spell skills < ~9-12 in the Demonology spells there's a good chance those monsters turn against you.

And woe to you if that happens and you don't have magic or magic weapons.