Downfalls?

[allstargoaly]

What would you say is the biggest dissapointment in wiz8? What seemed to really be missing or was there something that just pissed you off about the game? What do you think needs to be added or taken away and how can this help for future wiz games?

To answer my own question... I didn't like the massive amounts of fighting. IMO games that have a strong plot/story are great games. If it is just FIGHT FIGHT FIGHT, then it tends to wear you out. I didn't care for the continous fighting in wiz8. Right after you fought a great battle, another group of monsters show up. Don't get me wrong, wiz8 had a good story but it had to much fighting. It's like a movie based around awesome graphics. It looks cool but usually doesn't have a good plot or story (that makes sense), like the Core. But movies like LOTR and Matrix have excellent plots and somehow are able to bring stunning graphic and make-up without hindering the movie (actually making it 6x better). Maybe it is just me but I don't like to fight for 90% of the game.

Games like final fantasy catch me. There is a lot of fighting and they are long games but you get a break every once in a while. The stories are remarkable and the sort of catch you. Those type of games hold on to you and make you play to end.

As you can tell I play RPG's mostly for their story or some interesting features (wiz8: customizing characters, many different races and professions, etc.). I don't really play games for massive amounts of fighting (war games, DOOM, Nukem, etc.). To me, it just seems like no matter where you go in wiz8, there is going to be fights. Even in Arnika, you can rest in the Inn but you still have to go outside and do missions (like saving Vi, Spaceport, Mook HQ, and Lord Braffit). It just seems pointless (IMO) to always fight.

What do you guys think...?

[Nightowl2]

The Wizardry games have always been noted for their heavy combat, so the large amount of fighting in Wiz 8 was no surprise. For all that, I wouldn't have minded a little less of it myself.

What really irked me most about the game, though, is that it was too short. There were too many little side quests and subplots that never made it into the game.

Nightowl2

[petertmorgan]

I agree that occasionally in Wiz8 I suffer from the "not another encounter, just give me a break" feeling that comes up when you've just spent all your mana and good artifacts in a tough fight then you almost immediately meet another group of monsters that you really won't have too much trouble with but it will take several rounds and really you ought to put a couple of guardian angels but maybe it won't matter so you lazily don't. You also figure you won't need spells so you let your mage toss a few bullet stones. You figure let's just get it over with so you meless from where you are instead of repositioning for a better facing/protection. Then two of your characters get paralyzed and half your party almost dies in what should have been an easy battle but you didn't make the effort to do it right.

That being said, I think it is fantastic that Wiz8 (for the first time in a Wizardry game) actually has somewhat realistic tactical combat where an immense amount of factors make a real difference in combat. Where there are many possibilities for formation, where terrain and line of sight are important, where running/moving in combat is tactical and not just for escape, where there is a wide range of effective ways to kill the enemy and no one way that must be used (in general anyway). So, with such a flexible combat system, and with character development being 90% about combat, that's where the money is in this game.

I agree that the storyline could be more fleshed out, but it's enough to stave away boredom for at least a couple of playthoughs (if not more for most people), but I actually like that it's not too involved - sometimes I don't play for a week or more at a time, and I like that it won't take me a year to finish a go through and that I won't forget several important things (or have to read a bunch of notes) just because I haven't played in a while.

Anyway, that's what I like

[allstargoaly]

I agree petertmorgan. Well said.

I like the "turn" based style. It allows you to plan your moves accordingly. I have no objections to the style of fighting in wiz8, I just didn't like the many random encounters. Wiz8's story is good. It has a strong plot but on the "teeter totter of game perfection", the "tons" of fighting clearly out-weighs the story line.

[Starfire]

I agree with everyone else there could have been a bit less of the combat and some of the monsters that are really tough to beat, should have yielded a decent number of XP's (juggernauts come to mind here)but on the whole wiz 8 is my favorite RPG to date.

The only thing that really disappointed me was the fact that some of the side quests were never completed and implemented into the game. I just hate lose ends lol

[Loudhy]

Hi,

I have more problems with those little logical mistakes :

1: If you blind someone he runs away ( don't know how those guys find their way without problem
2: Why does an enemy who retreats at the beginning of a combat silly enters the next combat after the first ends ?
3: Umpani and T'rang are mentioned to have strong galactic empires with spaceships and computers and teleportes. Why do the fight with Walriblades, Rods
or Muskets? On the other side the player can find Vaporizer, Frontier Phaser, Lightsword and Gadgets with enormous power ?

Please don't misunderstand me. I played the Wizardry series from W6 to W8 and I like the combinatiom of Magic , Hightec and Swords. But sometimes it could have been more balanced.

Greetings

[Ziggurat]

Although everyone's gripes are valid, I have none with this game overall. That is why I have played this sucker (saying this affectionately) almost two years. Yeh, the details can get to you, but I haven't found a better RPG. A bigger world or less battles wouldn't solve most peoples desires here, IMHO. I have a feeling if a Wiz 9 arises, they will come up with something new. They did a good job on this one.

[Halsey]

I've been playing this game for two years...and if there was anything better out right now, I'd be playing it. Am pleased to note a flurry of activity on Wiz8 sites from the designers et. al. Maybe Wiz9 is in the works?

[Killer_Rogues]

I agree with others that there is a tad too much fighting, but most of the fights are good and there is definately a variety of creatures to fight, which helps. My gripe is the lack of riddles/thought-provoking aspects that i usually think of when i think of the fantasy/D&D/RPG genre. yes, there are a few things, such as the fountain in trynton and some easy questions in becoming a templar, but some more riddles to figure out would have made the game more enjoyable from my point of view. And for those who don't like that aspect, there are spoiler boards that can get them through it quickly so they can get on to fighting and storylines.

[Wild Rose]

First off I would like to say that I am NOT dissapointed in this game. I've been playing for 9 months now and feel as if there is still a lot to learn about the play - which is what makes a great game. It is true though that in some ways I agree about how frustrating it can be to turn around and face ANOTHER group of WEEDS! Also I agree with Starfire about the side quests. They are optional so you don't have to if you just want to get through the game, but seem to add depth and interrest to the game beyond the exp pts.

What I would like is more shopping Ok, I'm a female - but I played Might and Magic 6 & 7 and it was fun to sometimes just walk around and talk to the NPC's as a break from fighting. I especially liked the JOKER with the joke of the day - admittedly it was like something out of 6th grade, but still fun. And I always end up with a ton of money and nothing much to do with it. Just wish it was real!

I also liked having to get to different people to train up in skills in M&M. But Wiz 8 has features that are far more interresting than the M&M such as the spell level casting, set up of parties, other things that are so much dicussed on this board. It is so much richer.

It seems to me that the percentages of what you have to do is someting like
Fight 70%
Walk 20%
Talk/shop 5%
Open Locks 5%

Changing the talk/shop to say 10% and Fight to 65% would seem a little more balanced.