Any redeeming qualities to this game?

damedog · Mon, 16th Jan '12, 2:18am

I bought POR a few days ago, and haven't had the chance to play it but i've read a couple reviews. It seems this game is universally hated. Before I waste precious time on a bore-fest, is there anything worthwhile here?

Rawgrim · Mon, 16th Jan '12, 2:41am

I can`t really think of any good qualities in this game.

dmc · Mon, 16th Jan '12, 2:56am

To quote myself:

Quote:

The game was unimaginative, riddled with bugs, featured a seriously castrated character development scheme, was unplayable without the mod to speed it up (and this from someone who cut his teeth on p-n-p and the gold box games, so let me tell you, I'm thoroughly comfortable with turn based combat), and did I mention the bugs? When a game with three patches still crashes to desktop on a regular basis, I don't care how great anything else about it is -- it sucks.

And last but not least, to expand on the lack of imagination, the majority of playing time was spent in a basically featureless, colorless dungeon fighting waves upon waves of boring monsters.

Splunge · Mon, 16th Jan '12, 8:13pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by dmc

To quote myself:

I love quoting myself, too. For example:

Quote:

Originally Posted by Splunge

I love quoting myself, too.

See?

Shoshino · Mon, 16th Jan '12, 10:17pm

looks like I dodged a bullet with this one, I bought it a couple of years ago, I wanted Icewind dale but the store didnt have it, when I got it home, there was nothing in the box, I took it back and was told they couldnt find it, so I walked out with Torment instead...

worked out well.

SlickRCBD · Thu, 19th Jan '12, 12:53am

I didn't think it was that bad. I grew up with The Bard's Tale and the Gold Box games, and I don't see the "featureless, colorless dungeon" as being all that different. Still, I'd have expected more variety in the graphics from a more modern game.

I loved "the Bard's Tale" and its' sequel "The Destiny Knight", and I'd say that those games were even more featureless than Por2.
The main issue is that the dungeons aren't much more detailed than the original Pool of Radiance game, although the graphics are still much improved.

I'm probably one of the rare few that actually liked it, but I'll admit that it wasn't as good as other games out at the same time. My main complaints were the lack of ability to choose your own skills and feats, and the lack of documentation on which feats/skills would be automatically selected. If they aren't going to let you choose, they should show you what would be picked as the feats become essentially no different than class features.
Oh, also the combat against the grunts did tend to drag on and on, and made you wish there was a way to speed up the enemies' turns while still giving you all the time you wanted to act.
The bugs didn't hit me that badly after I fully patched the game. Maybe it just works better under Windows 98SE than under an NT-based OS like XP, Vista, or 7.

Skellimancer · Wed, 25th Jan '12, 11:11pm

I am still miffed at the butchered Rogue class.

The type of game that would benefit from stealth and they don't even bother to add it.

damedog · Wed, 25th Jan '12, 11:30pm

What are The Bards Tale and Destiny Knight?

I've played this game once (with the speed mod, god they walk slow) and I had fun for an hour but wasn't entertained enough to try again.

Blades of Vanatar · Thu, 26th Jan '12, 6:44pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by damedog

What are The Bards Tale and Destiny Knight?

An old school RPG series. Good stuff back then, though lacking by today's standards.

SlickRCBD · Sat, 28th Jan '12, 1:55am

the full title was The Bard's Tale II: The Destiny Knight.
They were games released in the late 1980s for multiple platforms. I played the Apple IIGS version of them, a rerelease with improved graphics and sound, making it one of the best versions. The Apple IIe version had MUCH worse graphics and sound than the Apple IIGS version or even the MS-DOS version. I'd say the MS-DOS version is somewhere in between the IIe and the IIGS judging from the screenshots.

Those games are largely responsible for my lifelong addiction to RPGs. The Bard's Tale, Curse of the Azure Bonds, and Final Fantasy Legend II for the Game Boy. Funny thing, I played CotAB and FFLII before playing their respective original games (Pool of Radiance and Final Fantasy Legend I). Mostly because they were gifts. Of course, if you like Bard's Tale, you should try the original Wizardry games. Grandaddy of all such games of that type. Bard's Tale is very similar to Wizardry in gameplay. Although Wizardry is more primitive in every respect due to far more limited technology.

http://www.gamefaqs.com/appleii/5643...destiny-knight
http://www.mobygames.com/game/bards-...destiny-knight

http://www.mobygames.com/game/tales-...the-bards-tale
http://www.gamefaqs.com/appleii/564328-the-bards-tale

hrothmund · Mon, 13th Feb '12, 2:34am

I rather enjoyed it.

It did have its flaws -- even after being fully patched, it still tended to lock up and random spots, necessitating frequent saves. Then there's the dungeon crawls -- you start out in this nice outdoor area, and you can see a wider world but not get to it. Then you have to go through a dungeon, which has four huge levels and takes forever to clear, before you get outside again. You break out to a wider outside area which is nice, but then you have to go into *yet another dungeon* pretty soon. That sucked!

Despite its warts, though, I thoroughly enjoyed the game. It had good art in places, good music all around, and good ambiance. It was the first game I played that used surround sound for ambiance, and it was nice. The long stretches of boring monotony were occasionally broken by scenes that were actually rather beautiful -- and they seemed the more beautiful because of the prior monotony. I was sustained through the monotonous bits by my enjoyment of the tactical combat -- that's something you don't really get from other isometric RPGs. "Temple of Elemental Evil" had the same kind of dynamic, but it just didn't engage me the way POR:ROMD did.

IdaGno · Wed, 7th Mar '12, 6:17pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by Skellimancer

I am still miffed at the butchered Rogue class.

You're doing it wrong.

Man, I could write a small book about why this is my fav CRPG, but I will spare you that tedium. (Yup. Brown is my fav color!)

Current Wrecking Crew:

Cleric/Fighter (Human)
Ranger/Rogue (Halfling))
Rogue/Sorcerer (Halfling)
Monk/Rogue (Human)
Sorcerer/Rogue (Jarial)
Fighter/yet-to-be-determined (Emmeric)

the Rogue's back-stab feat makes even the seemingly weakest & lightly armored of characters stunningly efficient killing machines

first few times thru the game were extremely difficult due to poor character builds & equipping ineptitude, but once you get that down, it's Hello Kitty Island 101

SlickRCBD · Fri, 9th Mar '12, 1:42am

Why cleric/fighter instead of cleric/paladin?

IdaGno · Fri, 9th Mar '12, 6:48am

Quote:

Originally Posted by SlickRCBD

Why cleric/fighter instead of cleric/paladin?

cuz I aint that smart!

many character builds yet to try!

Mon, 16th Jan '12, 2:18am	#1
damedog Gems: 12/31 Latest gem: Moonstone Join Date: May 2011 Posts: 464 Like: 6 Liked 19 Times in 18 Posts vBActivity - Stats XP: 1,204 Level: 11 vBActivity - Bars Level Completion: 88.2% Daily Activity 2.21% Weekly Activity 0.95% Monthly Activity 7.28% Achievements	Any redeeming qualities to this game? I bought POR a few days ago, and haven't had the chance to play it but i've read a couple reviews. It seems this game is universally hated. Before I waste precious time on a bore-fest, is there anything worthwhile here?
	__________________ "Government by organized money is just as dangerous as Government by organized mob" -FDR

Wed, 25th Jan '12, 11:30pm	#8
damedog Gems: 12/31 Latest gem: Moonstone Join Date: May 2011 Posts: 464 Like: 6 Liked 19 Times in 18 Posts vBActivity - Stats XP: 1,204 Level: 11 vBActivity - Bars Level Completion: 88.2% Daily Activity 2.21% Weekly Activity 0.95% Monthly Activity 7.28% Achievements	What are The Bards Tale and Destiny Knight? I've played this game once (with the speed mod, god they walk slow) and I had fun for an hour but wasn't entertained enough to try again.
	__________________ "Government by organized money is just as dangerous as Government by organized mob" -FDR

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Mon, 16th Jan '12, 2:41am	#2
Rawgrim Gems: 21/31 Latest gem: Pearl Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Norway Posts: 1,351 Like: 0 Liked 7 Times in 7 Posts vBActivity - Stats XP: 3,340 Level: 18 vBActivity - Bars Level Completion: 58.84% Daily Activity 2.21% Weekly Activity 0.95% Monthly Activity 1.4% Achievements	I can`t really think of any good qualities in this game.

Mon, 16th Jan '12, 10:17pm	#5
Shoshino Irritant Alien Scum Slaughter Champion! Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: UK Posts: 2,003 Like: 7 Liked 14 Times in 13 Posts vBActivity - Stats XP: 5,553 Level: 23 vBActivity - Bars Level Completion: 18.51% Daily Activity 2.21% Weekly Activity 0.95% Monthly Activity 2.87% Achievements	looks like I dodged a bullet with this one, I bought it a couple of years ago, I wanted Icewind dale but the store didnt have it, when I got it home, there was nothing in the box, I took it back and was told they couldnt find it, so I walked out with Torment instead... worked out well.

Thu, 19th Jan '12, 12:53am	#6
SlickRCBD Gems: 15/31 Latest gem: Waterstar Join Date: May 2005 Location: in front of a computer Posts: 751 Like: 17 Liked 18 Times in 18 Posts vBActivity - Stats XP: 2,595 Level: 16 vBActivity - Bars Level Completion: 64.76% Daily Activity 2.21% Weekly Activity 7.25% Monthly Activity 34.48% Achievements	I didn't think it was that bad. I grew up with The Bard's Tale and the Gold Box games, and I don't see the "featureless, colorless dungeon" as being all that different. Still, I'd have expected more variety in the graphics from a more modern game. I loved "the Bard's Tale" and its' sequel "The Destiny Knight", and I'd say that those games were even more featureless than Por2. The main issue is that the dungeons aren't much more detailed than the original Pool of Radiance game, although the graphics are still much improved. I'm probably one of the rare few that actually liked it, but I'll admit that it wasn't as good as other games out at the same time. My main complaints were the lack of ability to choose your own skills and feats, and the lack of documentation on which feats/skills would be automatically selected. If they aren't going to let you choose, they should show you what would be picked as the feats become essentially no different than class features. Oh, also the combat against the grunts did tend to drag on and on, and made you wish there was a way to speed up the enemies' turns while still giving you all the time you wanted to act. The bugs didn't hit me that badly after I fully patched the game. Maybe it just works better under Windows 98SE than under an NT-based OS like XP, Vista, or 7.

Wed, 25th Jan '12, 11:11pm	#7
Skellimancer Gems: 1/31 Latest gem: Turquoise Join Date: Jan 2012 Posts: 2 Like: 0 Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts vBActivity - Stats XP: 55 Level: 2 vBActivity - Bars Level Completion: 58.67% Daily Activity 2.21% Weekly Activity 0.95% Monthly Activity 1.4% Achievements	I am still miffed at the butchered Rogue class. The type of game that would benefit from stealth and they don't even bother to add it.

Sat, 28th Jan '12, 1:55am	#10
SlickRCBD Gems: 15/31 Latest gem: Waterstar Join Date: May 2005 Location: in front of a computer Posts: 751 Like: 17 Liked 18 Times in 18 Posts vBActivity - Stats XP: 2,595 Level: 16 vBActivity - Bars Level Completion: 64.76% Daily Activity 2.21% Weekly Activity 7.25% Monthly Activity 34.48% Achievements	the full title was The Bard's Tale II: The Destiny Knight. They were games released in the late 1980s for multiple platforms. I played the Apple IIGS version of them, a rerelease with improved graphics and sound, making it one of the best versions. The Apple IIe version had MUCH worse graphics and sound than the Apple IIGS version or even the MS-DOS version. I'd say the MS-DOS version is somewhere in between the IIe and the IIGS judging from the screenshots. Those games are largely responsible for my lifelong addiction to RPGs. The Bard's Tale, Curse of the Azure Bonds, and Final Fantasy Legend II for the Game Boy. Funny thing, I played CotAB and FFLII before playing their respective original games (Pool of Radiance and Final Fantasy Legend I). Mostly because they were gifts. Of course, if you like Bard's Tale, you should try the original Wizardry games. Grandaddy of all such games of that type. Bard's Tale is very similar to Wizardry in gameplay. Although Wizardry is more primitive in every respect due to far more limited technology. http://www.gamefaqs.com/appleii/5643...destiny-knight http://www.mobygames.com/game/bards-...destiny-knight http://www.mobygames.com/game/tales-...the-bards-tale http://www.gamefaqs.com/appleii/564328-the-bards-tale

Mon, 13th Feb '12, 2:34am	#11
hrothmund Gems: 1/31 Latest gem: Turquoise Join Date: Feb 2012 Posts: 1 Like: 0 Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts vBActivity - Stats XP: 51 Level: 2 vBActivity - Bars Level Completion: 52.17% Daily Activity 2.21% Weekly Activity 0.95% Monthly Activity 1.4% Achievements	I rather enjoyed it. It did have its flaws -- even after being fully patched, it still tended to lock up and random spots, necessitating frequent saves. Then there's the dungeon crawls -- you start out in this nice outdoor area, and you can see a wider world but not get to it. Then you have to go through a dungeon, which has four huge levels and takes forever to clear, before you get outside again. You break out to a wider outside area which is nice, but then you have to go into yet another dungeon pretty soon. That sucked! Despite its warts, though, I thoroughly enjoyed the game. It had good art in places, good music all around, and good ambiance. It was the first game I played that used surround sound for ambiance, and it was nice. The long stretches of boring monotony were occasionally broken by scenes that were actually rather beautiful -- and they seemed the more beautiful because of the prior monotony. I was sustained through the monotonous bits by my enjoyment of the tactical combat -- that's something you don't really get from other isometric RPGs. "Temple of Elemental Evil" had the same kind of dynamic, but it just didn't engage me the way POR:ROMD did.

Fri, 9th Mar '12, 1:42am	#13
SlickRCBD Gems: 15/31 Latest gem: Waterstar Join Date: May 2005 Location: in front of a computer Posts: 751 Like: 17 Liked 18 Times in 18 Posts vBActivity - Stats XP: 2,595 Level: 16 vBActivity - Bars Level Completion: 64.76% Daily Activity 2.21% Weekly Activity 7.25% Monthly Activity 34.48% Achievements	Why cleric/fighter instead of cleric/paladin?