Wizardry The Wizardry Series Thread

[Admiral Rimjob POOBUM]

I looked at the Wizardry 8 credits hoping to see Cleve, but he wasn't there. Wasn't he a programmer on it?

 

[Deleted member 7219]

I bought Wizardry 8 on Ebay after Jasede and some other Codexers recommended it in glowing terms. Tried it out, hated it. One of the worst games I have ever played.

That was the last time I read anything written by that furfag.

 

[Thrasher]

:fail:

How can you not love a game where all the bard instruments have such funny sounds?

 

[mondblut]

I looked at the Wizardry 8 credits hoping to see Cleve, but he wasn't there. Wasn't he a programmer on it?

Hearsay is he was a programmer on an earlier iteration that was being developed sometime shortly after Wizardry 7, like in 94-95. That version was scrapped along with the team and development restarted from scratch by the canadian team some years later.

 

[Xi]

Dungeon Crawlers were always about creating a powerful party to overcome the greatest of odds in the easiest and quickest fashion. At least, this was always my own goal. So if one does not like the power gaming aspect, and the fact that one must understand the synergies and mathematics of characters, then it would probably be tedious, but it's not tedious at all if you prepare ahead of time to deal with those type of issues. You'll utterly destroy them in no time flat. This is rather fun when under taking such games. IMHO, this game requires some effort, while modern gamers are used to watching the games play themselves and do everything for you.

 

[Andhaira]

cleve worked on wizzie 7. Tereafte he started work on grimoire. However during its development something happened to him or something, and he moved to australia. got a vault and started working on software for it.

 

[bgillisp]

I remember doing my homework during some of these wizardry combats. Seems I had enough time to play the game and get all my HW done that way.

Though, I did discover something when I replayed the game 2 years ago. If you get the Cane of Corpus (I think that's what its called) and have someone who can use it the game becomes ridiculous easy. Those Rapax fights were a joke the 2nd time around. Just to give you an idea how easy: I went there as low as level 13/14 (right after I got the cane) and managed to survive it due to the instant kill/paralyze power of the weapon.

 

[Shannow]

I had a fight that lasted 5 hours. After it started I simply put my hand on my dick and played with that instead of beginning the next round...

(That was actually a lie. No fight ever lasted more than 10 minutes, but of course you can make fights last as long as you wish in a TB game.)

 

[DraQ]

How does Wizardry 8 determine hits with ranged weapons? Also, how does it determine the result of a spell ricochet?

I've noticed that spell ricochets can take very long time, more so, they almost never hit the party in certain areas and hit geometry instead, I've also got impression that projectiles can be blocked by obstacles and they certainly hit when they hit the enemy model.

Does Wiz8 use collision detection for ranged weapons and spell ricochets?

 

[DraQ]

*Burp*

...
I mean
*Bump*

 

[coldcrow]

Wiz8 certainly uses collision detection. Easily seen in fights with lotsa friendly NPCs.
Trynnie Y throws Javelin at Sprite - Trynnie X is hit for 10 damage.

Spell ricochets when miscasting are probably entirely random with a certain/random percentage to hit your partymembers. They also use collision detection if applicable.

 

[DraQ]

Wiz8 certainly uses collision detection. Easily seen in fights with lotsa friendly NPCs.
Trynnie Y throws Javelin at Sprite - Trynnie X is hit for 10 damage.

Spell ricochets when miscasting are probably entirely random with a certain/random percentage to hit your partymembers. They also use collision detection if applicable.

It seems to be something more than some simple random algorithm:

1) It takes helluva lot of time, especially on larger levels.

2) In some places, spell ricochets will hit some pillar with good reliability, in others, they will rather reliably hit random party member.

Still, it makes for a good precedence to make all the "haalp, thur iz no roflset becuz i cnat se it i want my rulset plz halp?" people STFU and GTFO - a classical-style dungeon crawl, revered on the codex, with at least partially inherently implicit ruleset.

 

[Demnogonis Saastuttaja]

Still, it makes for a good precedence to make all the "haalp, thur iz no roflset becuz i cnat se it i want my rulset plz halp?" people STFU and GTFO - a classical-style dungeon crawl, revered on the codex, with at least partially inherently implicit ruleset.

How? It'd still be even better if that information was clearly available in the manual (maybe it is? I haven't read it) or some encyclopedia like what you can find in TOEE.

 

[DraQ]

Still, it makes for a good precedence to make all the "haalp, thur iz no roflset becuz i cnat se it i want my rulset plz halp?" people STFU and GTFO - a classical-style dungeon crawl, revered on the codex, with at least partially inherently implicit ruleset.

How? It'd still be even better if that information was clearly available in the manual

How would you describe to-hit algorithm using collision detection routines using simple, human readable formula?

I haven't read it

Your loss.

 

[Korgan]

So I just started Wizardry 8. ITZ HEAVAN. Fairly complex, many tactical and strategic choices, awesome huge dungeons, overall elegant design. Best dungeon crawlan ever. Figured I can't go wrong with the standart loadout, so Fighter, Lord, Rogue, Ranger, Wizard, Priest. Will this work alright at higher levels?

 

[Darth Roxor]

And I just finished it.

fuck you.


The party should work, I had something fairly similar - Lord, Ranjer, Bard, Gadgeteer, Priest, Wizard. Later got valkyrie and monk henchmen.

 

[Jasede]

Every party works.

 

[JarlFrank]

Every party works.

This.
You just have to know how to use your characters and you will have no problems.

 

[Raapys]

I'm still just a dozen hours in or so, but the fighters seem rather overpowered compared to the rest. I've two of them at the moment, and neither my two valkyries nor my Ninja get anywhere close to the amount of damage the fighters do. Especially the fighter with the berzerker sword who's doing like 2 attacks with three hits each round for 50*3*2 or 300'ish points of damage. Leads me to believe the best party might just be a mage and a priest, then the rest filled with fighters set to berzerk mode.

 

[GarfunkeL]

Probably changes during the game. Like in Pool of Radiance, at the start fighters and clerics are pretty similar in fighting prowess but when you get to later stages, fighters deal easily way more damage and hit more often than clerics, who on the other hand get more useful spells to balance it out.

 

[sqeecoo]

Fighters are just that good. However, that's about all they can do. And later on there are more ranged enemies, so a fighter-heavy party has to spend a bit of almost each round walking to the next target (hence the superiority or reach weapons). And fighters just get slaughtered by magic users unless you use spells to protect them. And the are kind of boring. But it raw damage they are unparalleled, and nobody really significantly out-does them in instant-kill strikes.

The two most efficient parties are either 4-5 fighters and 1-2 bishops, or 1 fighter and the rest magic users and ranged attackers. The former tends to struggle more late game, and vice versa. The former has to move every turn but obliterates everything in front of it, and the latter does not have to move but has much less damage output - on the other hand, the ranged/caster party usually kills groups faster but bosses slower.

Of course, you shouldn't necessarily aim for the most efficient party. A smaller party is also very interesting, since every character has to pull his weight. And that's where hybrids (monk, ninja, samurai, lord, valkyre) start to really shine since they get enough experience for their spells to become truly useful (well, not the samurai's). On the other hand, valkyres and lords can keep up with fighters somewhat and can take off some healing load from the casters. Just don't expect the to be better at fighting or non-crappy at casting.

 

[nomask7]

Which is more fun, normal or expert?

 

[sirfink]

By late game the instant kill classes can really outshine fighters. Samurai, Ninjas, Rangers and Monks all get instant kills. It doesn't happen often, but when it does it makes those classes seem worth it. 800 hit point monster? Ninja throws a dagger that does 1-4 damage and *BAM* it's dead in one hit.

 

[DraQ]

Also, the main strength of the fighters is their berserk skill. Other than that, they can be rivalled by hybrids. Sure they get stamina regeneration, and really nifty KO chance, but hybrids get their own boosts as well. And, as for berserk, there is this aforementioned "berserk sword" (bloodlust) which allows any class that can wield it to berzerk. Sure, it's damage seems measly later on, but it gets an extra swing and powerful bonuses. And unlike weapns you can get later on, you can get it very early. Give it to a lord, rogue, bard or samurai, and they'll really start to dish it out.
Especially samurai and rogue rock with it - rogue gets backstab that allows him to rival pure fighter in damage potential even without bloodlust, with bloodlust he will make your eyes water; samurai can crit and ocassionally lightning strikes - lightning strike + high crit chance + berserk = minced meat. And to top it - samurai can cast mage spells.

As for ninjas, they are not for dealing damage. Dealing damage looks like hard work for an average ninja. Ninjas are for killing stuff without having to work for these kills.

 

[sqeecoo]

Erm, I think most of the critical hit chance comes from weapons, up to 15-20%. Having the skill can only add 5%. Which is why I said hybrids didn't have much of an advantage there.
Beserk is nice, but tends to miss too much on expert. The real strength of fighters is not beserk but, well, strength - or rather the fact that they level up faster and get more points to spend at the start. They can max out 4 stats easily even in a 6 man party. Hybrids max out their first two very, very late.

Fighters also get extra stamina and a chance to KO targets. There is really no reason to pick a hybrid unless you specifically want their utility - and they simply don't offer too much of it.

It's true that rogues can do insane amounts of damage though, perhaps even more than fighters. But they run out of stamina and suck at soaking up damage. But if you are going for a melee heavy party, stick a rogue in there and she's pretty much guaranteed to get the most kills (if you give her a sword and dagger).