Game came yesterday and both Smylin Dragon and I have it loaded up and running!!

Made it to Arnika and reached levels 8 or so.

BANK -
Do you just drop your stuff in the BANK?? seems like such a strange thing to do but I couldn't figure out any other way the bank was supposed to work.

IDENTIFYING ITEMS -
what a pain. Have a priest that can ID but generally not the really good stuff that I want to ID.

This game favors long ranged weapons which is a big change from W&W where bows and arrows never seemed that useful.

I'm a tad disappointed with all the sci-fi/future elements in the game - I don't like my genre mixed but so far it hasn't been too bad.
I'll have to see as the game goes on.

Once again this game seems to have been developed more for the male audience than female. Can't say I should be surprised.

Wyv

LOL! You're in Arnika already? I guess I'm a tourist, Wyvern...I've been wandering around the Monastery, going up levels, taking screenshots of the scenery! I'm almost in Arnika myself now, but...well, come to think of it, working 10 hour days during the week doesn't give much gaming time. I'd say I've actually had maybe 6 hours gaming.

Bards are great for ID'ing; they gain Artifacts much more quickly than any of the other races. Plus, the Bard in Wizardry comes pre-equipped with a "Sleeping" Lute...very handy in the beginning.

And, yes, you want all of your characters to get some form of ranged weapon...either that or waste a round closing in on the monsters. ;)

The sci-fi elements are probably not going to be too overpowering. In Wizardry 7, your characters had to operate two computers to get two codes, but that was about it. I don't think there will be much more than that in this game. I did think blowing the microwave oven was rather hilarious, though! [img]graemlins/laugh2.gif[/img]

Cheers,

count me in to.. I'm about the same place as you.. I think I have a few Lvl 9 guys and a few lvl 8.

The Bank rocks man, but not for putting stuff into... [img]smile.gif[/img] spoiler below
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Each of the 3 merchants in the town have a keycard you can steal from their chests. Then use the card and run it through the reader on each vault downstairs and Voila, easy goodies. If you head down the other hallway downstairs, it takes you to general storage with 3 small rooms. You can pick the locks pretty easily..watch out for the one at the end of the hall though, there's a big nasty in it.

I, too, am playing and doing some experimenting. I have to dissagree with you Saz, I think there will be more sci-fi stuff in Wiz 8. Already in Arnika I have found a few things that made me wish I had a gadgeteer. The upper monastary had several consoles that made me think that they will be usefull later on. I assume, based on the info on the book near Burz, that I will need to come back to the monastary with the key from Lord Braffit.

After reaching Arnika and finding the broken ship with Vi, I went back to experiment with loading chars from Wiz 7. I will post more deatils later, but I found one thing very interesting. I assumed that my chars would show up in Arnika, but they showed up on the beach with Vi. Vi says she will meet us in Arnika. (I had to save and go to work at that point.)

I will post more details later (if I can pull myself away from the game) after I get off work (where I am posting when I should be working.)

This game is killing me. I missed my favorite show last night and am not upset by it at all!! I may actually loose some weight if I keep playing because I will forget to eat. Either that or I will bring junk food to the computer and eat while playing and gain weight.

Knarfling

LOL all of you diehards! Well, we working stiffs have to wait it out...but as of this weekend, I'll be playing a LOT of catch-up! ;) Thank the gaming gods that this is my LAST night class I have to teach for a while (tonight) and I go back to a normal "sane" schedule next week.

I would imagine with a Gadgeteer that there would be a lot of cool things you can do; however, I can't imagine that they would make that role paramount in the game to where you can't get through without one. I'll probably take my Bard to a Gadgeteer eventually, but I want him to get up in Lockpicking and Music. I rarely ever pickpocket, so I don't know if I'll develop out that skill. Maybe when Lenard (my ranger) becomes a Ninja. Nah, there's other skills I'd rather develop on him there.

One thing that galls me...why on earth did Bards lose their ability to cast spells???? That was one of the strongest part about Bards in Wiz 6 and 7. They've virtually castrated that role by taking out spellcasting. Grrrr! Still, having the musical instruments is EXTREMELY important...and the ability to ID items quickly without having to cast Identify multiple times or pay for the identification. I may have been better off with a Thief at the beginning, though, for the enhanced lockpick skill and the ability to backstab, rather than the now lamerized version of Bard that can't cast spells!

Truth to tell, I don't know if I'm going to stick with this group. They're sort of my "guinea pigs", so to speak. I definitely like my Valkyrie and my Priest (Rawulfs rock, in my book, and I LOVE the graphics they have for them). My lady elven mage is also superior on spellcasting, and is rarely targeted for some reason. So I may keep some guys, jettison some others, and start over. I'll probably blow through the Monastery on the second go-round now that I know it.

Then again, I may just stick with this group. Ah heck, I guess it depends on how the mood takes me. In Wizards and Warriors, I tried 5 different groups until I got the hang of it...but once I did, I tore through the game. ;)

Cheers,
-Sazerac

Hi Wyv,

Glad you got the game! It is a blast, but like Saz, I'm still working on developing my party. Haven't formed one I like yet, so I'll have to sit out and write out my plans.

Actually, the party I had in Wiz 7 was made in Wiz 6, then transferred over to 7, since when my characters went from 6 to 7 it was the same problem I'm facing now...they just weren't the same. So I redid most of them, or maybe all I can't remember.

So, honestly I think it may be best to let go of the older parties...they had their fun in Wiz 7! But I also could just keep one of them, then ditch the others and keep some of those nifty items. [img]smile.gif[/img]

The Elven Bow is really great, and in the hands of a Ranger its one helluva formidable weapon!!!

Glad to see the old WW gang here! And I was a sad to see that "Saffy" was replaced with a giant roach that would have made the writer of the Hellstrom Chronicles wet his jeans! :0

I never had any problems with Saffy, just beat on her and she died without even opening her big gaping maw!

Woo hoo! Take that Saffy! [img]smile.gif[/img]

Best

Scronan

BEWARE the grave yard - somewhere in the lands outside of Arnika. Very hard!!

SHOPS: tip - maybe

Save before you shop - if you don't like what the shopkeeper has at the moment, reload. While there are not significant differences, there are differences and sometime one of those really nice items that you've been looking for comes up!

Have just about finished up what I seem to be able to do in Arnika at this point. Will be taking a trip back to the Monestary having now found a key I couldn't find there (was that a spoiler?? sorry!!)

I did change my fighter to a lord but I'm almost afraid to change anyone else to something new. Have two tag alongs with me which is nice since they can do distance shots.

This world is beginning to look TOO big! and there is more evidence of more high tech stuff. So far I am enjoying it but I really could do without all the female nude crown molding on walls. ;)

So far my party is a Lord, a Rogue, a Ranger, a Priest, and 2 Mages.

Haven't found an elven bow yet - will hope for one! ;)

Wyv

You know, it's almost physically painful to read this thread, to hear you talk about how great this game is, knowing that I won't get a chance to play it for weeks...... *Collapses from the pain*

<agrees with Neb>

hrmm.
maybe i'll cancel my order and pick it up tomorrow night locally. :)

<blockquote>quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by Wyvern:
BEWARE the grave yard - somewhere in the lands outside of Arnika. Very hard!!

SHOPS: tip - maybe

Save before you shop - if you don't like what the shopkeeper has at the moment, reload. While there are not significant differences, there are differences and sometime one of those really nice items that you've been looking for comes up!

Have just about finished up what I seem to be able to do in Arnika at this point. Will be taking a trip back to the Monestary having now found a key I couldn't find there (was that a spoiler?? sorry!!)

I did change my fighter to a lord but I'm almost afraid to change anyone else to something new. Have two tag alongs with me which is nice since they can do distance shots.

This world is beginning to look TOO big! and there is more evidence of more high tech stuff. So far I am enjoying it but I really could do without all the female nude crown molding on walls. ;)

So far my party is a Lord, a Rogue, a Ranger, a Priest, and 2 Mages.

Haven't found an elven bow yet - will hope for one! ;)

Wyv<hr></blockquote>

I've seen that the shops do offer random items as well, so great tip. It reminds me of QueeQueg back in Wizardry 6 where if you didn't like his stock, exit his store and re-enter. I must have run in and out of QQ's shop 50 times in a row once getting my characters all sussed up for adventuring! [img]graemlins/hehe.gif[/img]

Graveyard noted, and I will be wary!

I think I finally understand what you mean about the "High Tech" stuff, Wyv. Having never played Wiz 7, you would never have encountered the "Savant Troopers" and guards there. Actually, they're wussed down in this game a bit...in Wiz 7, the Troopers had Stun Rods that could paralyze your characters and they always struck at multiple ++ to hit. Seeing them here, though, is sort of a "blast from the past" for us Wiz 7 fans. Arnika reminds me a lot of New City in Wiz 7, with the Phoonzang statue, the shops around a central square, roving monsters, the temple, abandoned homes...it's sort of a nostalgic look back at the old game.

I haven't really noticed too much gratuitous "boobage", but then, I really don't notice stuff like that at first...I'm so busy on the lookout for monsters.

Your thread here has given me an idea...one that I will borrow from you for W&W, though. We need a "Best Tips" thread here at Wiz 8. [img]smile.gif[/img]

Cheers,