Does anyone remember WHERE you find the way out of the Verdistis sewers? I'm going bonkers. I've killed 3 millions lizards throwing radioactive silly putty at me with my morningstar and stepped in a lot of stuff that makes me glad there's no such thing as Smell-O-Vision in this game but I keep winding up at the ladder that takes me right back where I started in Verdistis.

Gil.

Traveler, there are maps and instructions on Kiya's Divine Divinty site and some clearer ones at Game Banshee. I bet you can find what you need there. I remember using both those sites when I was playing through it.

That site at Game Banshee is great, l4l! Thanks! I took a peek at the map but my patience has slowly returned (like my stamina bar filling up without help) so now that I'm assured that I can get out.... Would you believe that the first alternate exit I found I can't unlock? Lay you odds it's the doctor's.

I love this game. Just when you think it's all over, there's another huge area to conquer.

I especially enjoy turning the bad guys into little rabbits and frogs.

Uh, are we supposed to hide stuff like that here? Just say if we are and I'll run back and hide it.

Gil.

[spoiler][/spoiler]Hi ya Gil

If it's a story spoiler we hide it, but I don't think your remark is.

My favorite part was getting stronger and going back and swacking folks who I'd had to run from before.

The one big tip I remember from playing this is to leave the quest at the castle as long as possible.

Jeez, I'm at 80 strength and I'm still having to run from the bandit leader! Lol! That guy is tough! I cannot imagine playing this game as the mage, especially if he's snarky and has a bad rep. My brainless warrior has enough trouble, but he is noble!

I hear you on the castle.

Gil.
She of a million saves.

"The one big tip I remember from playing this is to leave the quest at the castle as long as possible"

Yep !! That's a definite definite !!!!

Lol, I did the same thing. I'd save before going in to stores and if they didn't have the spell book I wanted, I'd try again, and again, and again.

Oh, man, I love this game! My only regret at this point is that I didn't wait for the best charms on a couple of things and that I can't seem to kill that monstrosity in the doctor's basement. I'm blazing, I tell you, blazing! Funky lizards go down to my sword, poisonous zombies can't stop me, the World is Mine!! Ming, look to your laurels!

I just last night read nickie's review of the game and I wholeheartedly concur with that excellent forensic analysis. Her review (or his) deserves 5 stars itself.

So, in the far distant future, after I've finished it and assuming I don't go back and play it again on Normal or with a wimpy mage, does anyone have a recommendation for another RPG like this? I.e., with a great interface that is easy and intuitive for someone who hasn't played a real RPG until now? (Well, Neophyte. Does that count?)

Gil.
giddy with power

Diablo II Lord of Destruction is a great dungeon crawler type game RPG. And of course, if you can keep yourself from falling in love with Geralt, you can't beat the first Witcher game.

There was a Divine Divinity II game, but it didn't seem to draw as many fans as the first game. I have the game on my Windows 7 computer, but still have to play the first Divine Divinity.

Traveler, I'm so glad you are loving it. A lot of folks like Balder's Gate: Throne of Baal, but you would control a party in that game and the combat is turn based. It also has a great story.

Neverwinter's Night is another that many folks like but I never got far in it.

As Drac said, Witcher is lots of fun and has a good story. The combat is a little different, so I turned on the visual clue and that made a big difference for me.

I'll ask my RPG kids for some recommendations.

Edit: There is a List Here of some member favorites. Roll on past the Adventure Games to get to the Darkside.

Traveler:

You might like the Gothic games, or the Dragon Age games, starting with DA: Origins.

As for Baldur's Gate: Throne of Bhaal, please be carefull; this game is an expansion for Baldur's Gate: Shadows of Amn which in turn is a sequel to Baldur's Gate and BG: Tales of the Sword Coast.

You can buy the Baldur's Gate games at www.gog.com
and a lot of other interesting rpgs as well.

As for the combat in the Baldur Gate's games, it is sort of more round-based than turnbased. It it sometimes described as realtime combat with pause. You can pause the game at any time during combat, give orders and your 'figures/characters' will carry out these orders - in rounds.

"Diablo II Lord of Destruction is a great dungeon crawler type game RPG."

Hey, Draclvr,

I'll put that on my list but I am not terribly fond of ugly dungeons. The country in DD is lovely, especially the ponds in which you can see your wavering reflection.

"And of course, if you can keep yourself from falling in love with Geralt, you can't beat the first Witcher game."

For some reason, I like short men so I can probably resist. But I have The Witcher. I should try it. Later. After I run out of worlds to conquer in Divine Divinity. Woo hoo!

"I...still have to play the first Divine Divinity."

Oh, Drac!! Set aside...a month?...and go for it! You'll love this game!
.....................

And hey to you, l4l,

"A lot of folks like Balder's Gate: Throne of Baal, but you would control a party in that game and the combat is turn based. It also has a great story."

Um, I'm not sure about controlling a party but I wasn't sure about this game either so I'll put that on my list. What is 'turn based'?

"As Drac said, Witcher is lots of fun and has a good story. The combat is a little different, so I turned on the visual clue and that made a big difference for me."

I hope it doesn't require much more dexterity.

"I'll ask my RPG kids for some recommendations."

Ask the four year old. That should be about right.

Has anyone got an opinion on the new game from the makers of Planescape Torment, Tides of Numenera? It looks great on Kickstarter but I have no clue how difficult it might be.

Thank you guys for the replies and the link to the list of faves, l4l.

Gil.

Hey, Karsten,

I have Gothic Gold some edition. I think GOG gave it away. Anyway, it's sitting on my shelf.

"As for the combat in the Baldur Gate's games, it is sort of more round-based than turnbased. It it sometimes described as realtime combat with pause. You can pause the game at any time during combat, give orders and your 'figures/characters' will carry out these orders - in rounds."

Well, the pause option sounds good but I'm at a loss again. Turn-based? Real-time? When you say the characters carry out orders in rounds...does that mean that first one does it, then another?

Gil.

Oh, Gil, you just triggered a hilarious flashback for me! You know how games always invoke these great memories that stay with you forever?

Well, I had just turned some enemy into a rabbit, and he hopped away through a secret door. Soon after, the game gave me a cut scene where the main villain was standing there doing the usual boss bragging thing. Then he says, "I want to introduce you to my little friends." In walks several of his bad guy team, including the one hopping in still as a bunny! It was so funny!

"Wow, what tough-looking henchmen you have! I'm trembling in my boots--with laughter"

EDIT:

Not exactly, it basically means that your team gets to carry out their moves, then the enemy gets a chance. This continues until the battle is done. In real time versions, you have immediate control over what moves your team makes. With pause, you can take time to rethink strategies and switch them around during battle, but all the action feels very real. Of course, you don't have to pause either. Just go for it!

RE: Hack and slash games: Have you tried Sacred Gold? If I remember correctly, it was a lot like DD. And nice graphics too.

"...I had just turned some enemy into a rabbit, and he hopped away through a secret door. Soon after, the game gave me a cut scene where the main villain was standing there doing the usual boss bragging thing. Then he says, "I want to introduce you to my little friends." In walks several of his bad guy team, including the one hopping in still as a bunny! It was so funny!"

"Wow, what tough-looking henchmen you have! I'm trembling in my boots--with laughter"

lanlnk,

That is hysterical! What game was it?

DD is hack and slash? Well, maybe so. I'll go look up Sacred Gold. Thanks!

Gil.

Oh, sorry. It was Divine Divinity.

RE: Hack and Slash. Refers more to the action type RPGs with emphasis on fighting. All these categories seem to overlap now days though.

Also, for another suggestion: the first Dungeon Siege games came out about the same time as Divine Divinity.

Dungeon Siege Complete at Steam

Sacred Gold at GOG

Sacred Gold II at Steam

EDIT: Just found this list. It lists 10 games with videos.
The 10 Best Action RPGs Between Diablo 2 and Diablo 3

So many games, so little time! Gil, I'd love to take a month to just play, play, play! Would you come here and take care of my 140 tomato plants and spread the 2 tons of mulch I have out by the barn on all the perennial beds? And while you're here you can shovel horse poo for me a couple of times a week down at Longmeadow Rescue Ranch? Oh, yeah... That works for me!

I thought the "King's Bounty" games were good fun and not too difficult - although not as "serious" as some

[There's a review of both HERE]

Most of the other RPGs I've played have required managing a party but with "turn based" combat and a "pause button" I can usually cope - even though I can be an absolute wimp at times where combat is concerned

Baldur's Gat, Neverwinter Nights and the two Knights of the Old Republic are just some of my favourites where managing a party is the thing. And that's because they are not all combat. They have good storylines

I have the King's Bounty, but I've only waded in a bit. It does look like fun though. I think it's the only time I've tried a basic turn-based game.

Right with you on the story focused games, rather than action: Baldur's Gate, NWN, KOTOR, Dragon Age. But I also liked Witcher and all the Elder Scrolls games even though they're more real-time and not party combat.

Realtime combat with pause is basically what lanlynk is saying that is. I can continue by saying this:

You give you guys orders, the enemy give his guys orders; and then you release the pause button. The actions for both you guys and the enemy's will be carried out at the same time. But at individual rounds/turns. It takes longer for a spellcaster to cast a spell than it does for a thief to throw a dagger and so on...

1 turn in Baldur's Gate is 6 seconds, while a round is 60 seconds.

My first RPG was Divine Divinity and I liked it so much I asked for further recommendations. My second was Morrowind which I loved even more. I'm just not sure where you can get it any more. But it's part of the Elder Scrolls series so any of those games are excellent.

Rowan, thanks! Morrowind is on the Wishlist at GOG so I just went and voted for it. It's # 3 on the list now!

Grim is #1 and surprisingly, the game that isn't even out yet, Tides of Numenera, is #2.

I have a feeling we'll see 2 or 3 long before 1 shows up. But ya never know!

Gil.

Ahhhhh !! Morrowind !! One of the best RPGs ever made

Morrowind GOTY is available right now for $19.99 on Steam.

This was my first rpg too, and I still love it. I must have played it at least a dozen times. Recently I played it again just to seen how much stuff I could steal.

You stole the thrones

I did indeed! Naughty me!

That never occurred to me. I love it!

Heads-Up: I just posted a new topic under The Darkside. Morrowind GOTY is on sale at Gamersgate for $9.95 this weekend. It still requires a Steam acct to activate.

Other Bethesda games are on sale too.

I'll wait, it will come to GOG.

Gil.

Thanks Lan

I have just finished Divine Divinity. What a fantastic game! I just wish I knew what happened after Heyt (my hero) made it out alive. Have any of you played the sequels? What did you think of them if you did? After beating the Lord of Lies (who wasn't nearly as hard to take as Josephina!), I am so ready for more and I did love this game so much I'd like to continue it if it's worth going on.

Gil.
who never wants to see another imp

Traveler, I'm with you. It was a great game, and Josephina is hard, hard, hard.

Beyond Divinity does not continue the story, and though some folks loved it, many did not.

I have not played Divinity II, but there have been several threads in this forum about it. There is one here and Another Here.

Oddly enough, L4L, between leeching Josephina's life and whacking her over and over with an axe that had five charms and a +1 in freeze, I took her out after only six or seven tries! (I ran all over the place searching for those charms and upping my experience.)

Thanks for those links! I went to Larian and I'm downloading the demo for Ego Draconis.

I take it that you were one of those who did not love Beyond Divinity.

I see that GOG has "Divinity II: Developer’s Cut (which) includes fully updated Divinity II: Ego Draconis and the expansion, Divinity II: Flames of Vengeance." If I like the demo, I'll see about buying it when my small change jar fills up again. Actually, $19.99 isn't bad for two games. It's just more than a sprinkling of pennies will cover right now.

Gil.

Traveler, I think I used tons of scorpion cages, but it's been a bit and I don't remember.

That is a good price. Fingers crossed that the pennies show up.

Well, I'm not worrying about the pennies. I can't even figure out the controls for the demo. It uses the mouse to move right and left and just about everything else is keyboard. Uh huh. I got locked on something that looked like a little disc spinning and couldn't move. Something tells me this was adapted for the PC from a console game.

Anyhoo. I'm thinking more of The Bard's Tale, now. It looks like great fun and it's all mouse driven and it's half the price. What's not to love?

Gil.

I've heard good things about The Bard's Tale.

It's always so sad when controls for a game keep you from enjoying it. Could the controls be remapped?

Traveler: I just played DDII a couple of months ago, and I very slowly fell in love with it. However, it is nothing at all like the original DD. Think of it as an entirely unrelated story (aside from a few humorous references to the original). You will love the Bard. Good story and wonderful humor.

Annie

I bought Divine Divinity 2 when it was first released and thought the first half was absolutely great

However, in the second half during the parts I found controlling my character to be so ludicrously difficult that I couldn't cope at all and ended up uninstalling the game

So I went and played the first game again, instead !!

That's been a common complaint, Mad

I never finished DD2 either - same reasons. It's just not fun when too many obstacles hinder any advancement. I loved DD1.

Me again. Playing it again (still on easy since I want to enjoy it and do the quests I totally missed the first time around) and having a blast.
I just noticed something though, not being very observant: the cursor is a fine pen nib! Is this a sneaky way of saying that the pen is mightier than the sword? <g>


Gil.

"I just noticed something though, not being very observant: the cursor is a fine pen nib! Is this a sneaky way of saying that the pen is mightier than the sword?"

That's a much "deeper" observation than I'd have ever made, traveler !!

Great observation!

And for some reason, the Assassin Lizards all say "taco" when they're whacked.

This game is such fun.

Gil.

I loved the arguing skeletons in the dungeon.

Ha! Freeze is one of my main weapons, though the Scorpions are really useful. But I froze two of the bad guys so hard during my Quests that I laughed myself silly!

This is so much better than Memorial Day traffic.

Gil.

Traveler, to quote Crocodile Dundee, now "THAT'S a knife." Too funny!

Traveler, that is great

Lan

I know you'll all think I'm crazy if you don't already, but I'm really addicted to this game.
I can't leave it alone!
So, anyway, I did it to poor old Moriendor again, but this time


Seriously, I haven't had this much fun with a game in ages!

Gil.

Divine Divinity excelled at popping in those unexpected touch of humor