It's really fun game, But...

[Ann]

I got to know this game on the community bulletin board of the 'avernum series'. And after trying and frustrating several times, I've been having fun again recently.

I didn't understand TRPG players who were immersed in character building. However, it has recently become understandable. My Half Giant Barbarian character can use a grapple once a turn in free action with this level up!! What a great thing to do. Other characters are gradually moving toward the completion I thought of.

Actually, I didn't know much about D&D 3rd. It's just that I've played Never Winter Knights (which is also 1). I was in trouble because there were too many feet at that time. But this game has more races and Pete and jobs than that. I almost had to live in helplan, and that's why I've been frustrated with the game so many times.

But as time went by, I got used to the rules of this game little by little by little. It's fun to improve little by little. It's fun to play RPG.

However, the developer will have to admit that the hurdle of the game is high. In fact, I am still playing with maximum HP growth, 1 ability increase per level-up, and 2 feat per level-up. That level of difficulty is just right for me. (The funny thing is, I'm pretty good at GENERAL RPG, which can clear standard difficulty no problem.)

I think the developer is such a skilled D&D user (and that's also a combat-oriented campaign) that it's hard to guess how clumsy the average person can be. (Actually, ordinary people don't know D&D itself!) I would have died instantly if I hadn't played Never Winter Knights.

Level 1 wizards must live with sleep and grease. (In fact, grease is a useful order even at a high level. I love to knock the enemy's muscle down to grease and do nothing! But this is something that ordinary people don't know. They will learn the Magic Missile and Burning Hand, try it once, feel like it's freaking hard, and then click the refund button. The wizard's firepower is from the fireball, but how many people can play there? I'm a little sorry for this game because I hope it's going well.

One more regrettable thing is that the game is linear. I thought there would be at least a world map. No, there had to be a world map. I want to go around and get a quest and visit a store!

The funny thing is that in the previous one, there were few problems mentioned now. Yes, I played knight of chalice 1, too. (After 2) It's only three job, but because of that, 1 is simple fun, and I love 1's open-world feeling. (with worldmap)

So I want to world map campaign. I expect dev's 'Trillogy Campaign'. I want to know when that coming.


Sorry to my broken english. i'm not american.

[MaskedFelon]

Even if KotC2 uses OGL 3.5 it is not about being inexperience with this ruleset. The fact is that this game is OGL 3.5 on crack: you have multiple waves of high level enemies with perfect stats and with different classes which complement each other. The only possibility of success lies in good party building and finding optimal strategies which employ your resources efficiently.
In a pen and paper session, where usually you roll the stats of your characters via dice and each player is given a minimum of flexibility on their class, this would not be feasible (and fun) at all. Therefore, you would never face battles as hard as those in this game.

Personally this is one aspect which I actually like: it is an honest to good CRPG where you are given a ruleset, you are supposed to learn it and you will be mercilessly tested at each encounter. It is not something like Baldur Gate where you are filled with trash mobs whose only threat they pose is the one of wasting your time. In KotC 1 and 2 instead every battle is interesting due to their well thought encounter design.

I suggest you try the Harkenwold fan campaign made by Dorateen for KotC2: it is a much more classical experience, where the general level of difficulty is lower than the base game and you have much content distributed in non-linear order.

[Ann]

Originally posted by MaskedFelon:

Even if KotC2 uses OGL 3.5 it is not about being inexperience with this ruleset. The fact is that this game is OGL 3.5 on crack: you have multiple waves of high level enemies with perfect stats and with different classes which complement each other. The only possibility of success lies in good party building and finding optimal strategies which employ your resources efficiently.
In a pen and paper session, where usually you roll the stats of your characters via dice and each player is given a minimum of flexibility on their class, this would not be feasible (and fun) at all. Therefore, you would never face battles as hard as those in this game.

Personally this is one aspect which I actually like: it is an honest to good CRPG where you are given a ruleset, you are supposed to learn it and you will be mercilessly tested at each encounter. It is not something like Baldur Gate where you are filled with trash mobs whose only threat they pose is the one of wasting your time. In KotC 1 and 2 instead every battle is interesting due to their well thought encounter design.

I suggest you try the Harkenwold fan campaign made by Dorateen for KotC2: it is a much more classical experience, where the general level of difficulty is lower than the base game and you have much content distributed in non-linear order.

Yes, I really admire Dev that he designed game's battle. 'Every Encounter has Unique & Interesting'. It's awesome thing, many crpg cannnot reached. Of course it's Harsh too, But Spell-power healing Item makes me recover that.

But... Remember, The average person feels that even the Balthus Gate is difficult. Ordinary people don't know D&D itself!

I also think that the people who buy the game are somewhat familiar with CRPG, but few will find the true fun of the game.

I admire Dev's ability. He is the Unique Game developer. I hope that he sits on a pile of money so makes a game for the rest of his life. Or someone would lock him up in a machine and make him a game forever.

But I suspect that he is also making mistakes that developers often make. Only 30% of the normal difficulty estimated by the developer is normal for ordinary players. Skilled gamers should think more about Newbie, who gets lost in the rule book.

+ If there's one more thing I'm sorry about, it was a one-chapter timer for me. For example, drunk dwarves disappear with a break. These timers put pressure on me.

p.s
Acctually I tryed Harkenwold(download in Nexus), But it's CTD in first town. I don't know why...

[Dorateen]

Originally posted by Ann:

p.s
Acctually I tryed Harkenwold(download in Nexus), But it's CTD in first town. I don't know why...

Hi Ann, I am sorry to hear about the CTD. Have you tried the module again since the latest 1.43 update?

I will be releasing a new version on the module by the end of August/early September, and if there are any issues, they should be fixed by then.

[Ann]

Originally posted by Dorateen:

Originally posted by Ann:

p.s
Acctually I tryed Harkenwold(download in Nexus), But it's CTD in first town. I don't know why...

Hi Ann, I am sorry to hear about the CTD. Have you tried the module again since the latest 1.43 update?

I will be releasing a new version on the module by the end of August/early September, and if there are any issues, they should be fixed by then.

Oh, Thanks!!

Yes, I download that mod some ago. (before May or June) and not update that. I re-download Harkenwold mod and try it after clear Chaos of augury! (I'm in 3 chapter now)

[Frostfeather]

The challenge is the main reason many people have enjoyed the game so much. If that's taken away, there's not enough left.

So, less experienced players should use the difficulty options to adjust the game instead of changing the game itself. Doing so would ruin the game for everyone who wants or needs the challenge.

[Ann]

Night4 // You should be aware of this. Ordinary people who play games do not use the difficulty option. More precisely, we don't even know that any difficulty options exist.

This game has many article. The article provide full explanation, but it took me a while to get used to them. Right now I didn't even know how to divide the arrows when I first played. (If you search my history, you'll see the question [How do I divide the arrows?])

People don't read the manual. People don't look at the rulebook. The game has a very friendly database, but there are great hurdles to get there.

It would not be possible for the players to regard this as insincere. We are the people of the age who are used to asking questions rather than Google themselves.

Apart from that, night4's point makes sense. Surely controlling the difficulty of the game as a whole is difficult and will ruin the game itself. Therefore, I propose to set the options I play (Max Level up HP, 1 Level per 1 usability points, 1 Level per 2 feat) to normal difficulty. Finding and using the difficulty option should be people who are already familiar with the game and who love it and want to take on a regular challenge.

[Frostfeather]

Originally posted by Ann:

Night4 // You should be aware of this. Ordinary people who play games do not use the difficulty option. More precisely, we don't even know that any difficulty options exist.

This game has many article. The article provide full explanation, but it took me a while to get used to them. Right now I didn't even know how to divide the arrows when I first played. (If you search my history, you'll see the question [How do I divide the arrows?])

People don't read the manual. People don't look at the rulebook. The game has a very friendly database, but there are great hurdles to get there.

It would not be possible for the players to regard this as insincere. We are the people of the age who are used to asking questions rather than Google themselves.

Apart from that, night4's point makes sense. Surely controlling the difficulty of the game as a whole is difficult and will ruin the game itself. Therefore, I propose to set the options I play (Max Level up HP, 1 Level per 1 usability points, 1 Level per 2 feat) to normal difficulty. Finding and using the difficulty option should be people who are already familiar with the game and who love it and want to take on a regular challenge.

Anyone who plays a CRPG and who doesn't know that difficulty options exist shouldn't be playing that game.

And you're making very broad assumptions that you can't prove... all you have is your own personal opinion to base this on. I'm not sure if this is a language barrier thing or a cultural thing or if you actually believe the assertions you're making, but I don't think they're generally true.

[MaskedFelon]

Honestly, if a player does not bother with looking at the difficulty options or the mechanics I do not think KotC 1 and 2 would be suited for him.
I would not excuse the game if it did not explained how it works in details, but this is not the case. KotC 1 and 2 have a very comprehensive help guide with each core concept covered by a hyperlink: it is not immediate to learn the rules and their intricacies, but it is absolutely not difficult.

How the developer explained in his webpage, these games follow classic turn-based CRPG with emphasis on tactical battles like Temple of Elemental Evil and Dark Sun: Shattered Lands. They are not games for everyone, I agree, but for the people interested in this kind of games they provide a decent modern attempt.

[Ann]

I'm sorry, obviously my argument is too broad. And I have no choice but to admit that the points of my writing were dispersed. After reading my article again, I found that I was speaking in a lump of 'difficulties', 'unfamiliarities', 'huge' and 'complexities'.

The following is a more precise result of what I want to argue.

"Difficult."
: All right, unique battles that stimulate the spirit of challenge. This is definitely the flower of this game. But I think there are hurdles in the process of people coming into contact with this flower.

"Unfamiliarity."
: Let's take a look at the game's UI first.

Items that can be adjusted when you enter the option are divided into tabs. You need to click your character and press c to use magic when you are not in a combat situation. To divide the arrows, drag the arrows and put them in the Divide icon.

It took me a long time to get used to the manipulation of this game. And I don't think this is a problem that I'm the only one experiencing.

I don't think that's because the UI of this game is particularly bad. Perhaps it would not have been a problem at all if it were a CRPG using its own, simple rules.

But the game is moving the dnd 3rd perfectly, close to madness. It's a beautiful thing. But that's why I had to have trouble on the other hand, struggling with the UI.

"Huge."
: TRPG is not an easy hobby. (At least in my area.) So is the most widely distributed dnd. When I first encountered dnd 3rd on Neverwinter Nights, I felt this when I saw the vast pit while making the character.

What's a saving draw? What's the difference between SR and Saving Draw? Lightning reflex and Combat reflex have similar names, but why are the effects completely different? Why are there so many magic tricks? I can't believe there are so many levels of magic. Why can't you use a magic missile only three times? Why is the physical attack so off? Oh, it's annoying. All right, can't my sorcerer just wipe it all out with his awesome attack magic? It's like that in other games Diablo 2 or something.'>

People who are new to this game have a lot of items to read anyway read. There are too many. Even if you go into battle, Feint, Charge, Grapple, Trip, Slide, Bullrush... Even when casting magic, Counterspell, Still magic, Silent magic, Maximumize... Actually, I'm still learning them.

Learning. Yes. I am actively studying games while playing this game, using Help Database. But it took time before I felt like studying like that.

The two things, unfamiliarity and huge, combine to create the following problems.

"Complexity."
: You want to say this game is not complicated. Yes, the game has a Help database, and the magic spells specify the information below. Even the hint function on Riddle!

["Oh, my. How can this game be so complicated?"] It doesn't make sense!]

That's right. It's like a well-organized treasure box if you can read, understand, and even actively combine the information you know.

But during the two hours of encountering this game, my mind was very complicated. This is because there was so much information to know and process. Even the date timer is running in the game. Damn it, I gave a sword to a boy earlier. If I take another night's rest, won't the boy turn into a corpse?'

The following is said.

"This game is so hard!"

'Hard?'
: I know that there are many people who say this game is difficult. But I think that 'Hard' is a word that has been spilled over and over.

It's a word that expresses a kind of stress state.

And until those who felt that way caught the game again, I thought there was a bigger hurdle than a completely new person buying the game. For example, if I had cleared the Avernum series and had another game to play while waiting for the next update of Iron Oath, I would never have caught this game again. And I would never have known this game was fun.

Maybe such people are not targeted. Like a membership club. But is it fair that this game, this great game, has about 50 reviews? Can't there be 500 reviews and all of them are positively filled? (I've put up a positive review too). But it's still 50!

'Why I'm writting this?'
: I'm gonna have to let my evil desires out here.

My wish is for this developer to receive reasonable compensation. My desire is for this developer to continue making games so that I can purchase additional DLCs for KOTC 2.

I want to play Trilogy Campain that the developer is preparing.

Furthermore, I want to play KOTC 3. I want to play KOTC 15, like KOTC 4, KOTC 5, and some JRPG series.

Also, I want to play the modules of KOTC 2 made by others! Harkenwold, wait there!

And I believe that both are accomplished by buying and enjoying this game for more users. That's why I'm writing this as soon as I get off work on Friday afternoon.