HOW & rest to heal

[ister]

I finally bought and installed HOW a little while ago. Definitely a good purchase. I have TOLM installed, which I believe is the last HOW patch. However, I've noted a couple of annoyances.

The biggest is that I can't turn off the 'rest to heal' option. Well actually I can turn it off, but it doesn't make any difference. In the configure program I can select and 'unselect' the option (under the 'game' tab), and it does remember the last setting correctly (i.e., when I open it up again it remains clicked or unclicked whichever was the case). But, clicked or 'unclicked' I always rest until I full get all my hp. I never had this problem before I installed HOW.

I realize that this is purely an aesthetic thing that has no effect on gameplay, but it annoys me that it's been 200 days, I'm in DE, and the snow in the pass STILL hasn't melted. [img]smile.gif[/img] I also feel bad for the inkeeper who rents me a room for 1 gp and has me stay there for 5 weeks. Seems a bit unfair, and actually has real (if small) gameplay implications as it affects how much cash I have.

Second, even on heal to rest I don't get any credit for my lvl 6 rangers single cure light wounds. I end up resting the same number of days as hitpoints needed on my most hurt character. In and of itself this should save me a couple of days. Of course if I solve the first problem this one will go away.

Finally it looks to me like a lot of the spiders in HOW are getting stuck in narrow passageways something that I can't remember happening in plain IWD. Am I imagining things?

And I have to say that I'm unimpressed with the horn of valhalla. I hadn't bothered with bards before HOW, so I'd never tried it before. It is true that they chew through those spell casters in the TOFG without nay problem, but I'm an XP hog and can't stnad losing the piddling amount of experience I would get for those spell casters (600 per I think). Just whining.

Anyone have any ideas, particularly on the first issue? And unless I'm wrong about TOTLM please don't ask me about patches! [img]smile.gif[/img]

[ 09-19-2005, 10:38 AM: Message edited by: ister ]

[ZFR]

TotL is indeed the latest patch. However if you install it you should not install any other patches. Just IWD then HoW then TotL. I heard there could be some problems if TotL is installed atop other patches.

As for the rest and heal problem, I'm sure it is possible to rest without full heal because that's what I do (I too hate the resting for 20 days). Try using the sleep button not from the main screen and not from the innkeeper but from some other screen like Record, Invenory or Spells. That's what I always do (a relict from BG days).

[Azred]

Just get an 11th-level bard and all your problems are over. Regenerate 2hp/round = every fully healed in almost no time. [img]graemlins/petard.gif[/img] Also, you might spend a little more money and visit a cleric for healing, or get some more healing spells into the party somehow.

[ister]

My bard is only level 8, so no dice. And no healing until I dual my ranger to cleric (which I just did at level 7).

Anyway ZFR's approach works for resting as long as you aren't in a town. So in theory I can rest up before heading back to town (works at DE and TOTLG, and can work in the Vale). But checking the box in the configure screen still doesn't do anything, and I was sure this worked before I installed HOW. Is this a confirmed bug?

[NobleNick]

Ister,

Congrats on installing HoW. Starting clean, you should have installed IWD --> HoW --> TotLM and NO other patches of any kind.

Don't have any help for you on the "rest til you heal" problem, other than to say I always take advantage of the hotel keeper until the Bard hits CLVL 11; then I seldom see them again. I think it took me an IWD year to get to DE. Until your Bard hits CLVL 11, I suggest you use your extra healing (if any is available) to heal only the most wounded character.

I've played about 97% of my time using HoW, and haven't ever met any mobility-challenged spiders. They all get around MUCH too easily for me.

Horn of Valhalla: I don't understand what you are saying about lost expo. As far as the Berserkers are concerned; they are anywhere from useful to awesome, depending on your situation.

I remember calling them down just inside the front door to DE1. With good luck (got 5 berserkers) and judicious tactics, they helped my party clear the entire level (except the spider alcove and the king's chamber) in what turned out to be one long melee-fest. For virtually the entire time, there was a critical hit on some baddie almost every round. The screen was shaking from the critical hits, and body parts were flying almost non-stop. That cast was --and still is-- the single most powerful, effective and memorable cast of my entire IWD career. In addition, Berserkers have saved my party's bacon many more times.

There are several major drawbacks to the spell: Berserkers do not follow your party; they disappear if no one in your party can see them (so stick with them!); and the spell is only good once per day. There is a reason you only get to use it once a day: With creative tactics to ensure the Berserkers and enemies meet, this spell ROCKS! I am saving up for the Horn for the new party I have just started. It will be my first major purchase. I can honestly and enthusiatically say that for my playing style this is easily the most powerful item in the game. Maybe not so for you; but I suggest you give it a few more tries before you turn in your final review.

--------------------
What's a party,
without a song?
Bards ROCK!
Party On!!


[ 09-21-2005, 07:20 PM: Message edited by: NobleNick ]

[ister]

I didn't say it wasn't powerful - it is. Like I said they cleaned up on both acolytes and verbeegs in TOTFG. And I've been using them extensively against trolls, wights, and other things that they can't kill. But I'm an experience hog, and I can't stand to lose the experience when these guys kill something. And because I can't control them I can't stop them from killing things so that I can kill them myself (except by setting them up against trolls and wights [img]smile.gif[/img] ). I resent the heck out of them getting MY experience. So I won't be using the horn next time I play, it's just too frustrating.

[NobleNick]

Originally posted by ister: ...I resent the heck out of them getting MY experience...

HO! Wait while I engage my main brain learning unit ... ~ker-clunk~ ... So if a berserker kills an enemy, you do not get the experience? I hadn't noticed. Probably because I do not call them continually, just when I anticipate problems (which is quite often enough). I am going to have to OBSERVE the next time I turn 'em loose.

Still... If used as your ace up the sleeve, instead of your first option (I call them maybe once every 20 fights), I would expect the loss of XP to be negligible. And if you are doing HoW, the lost XP has a negligible impact on your late game capabilities in any case.

If it still really bothers you, keep track of the lost XP and then camp until you get it back. I would certainly trade one or two camping encounters to have these guys help me out of a really tight jam. And in TotLM, there are places you can camp and recoup all lost XP for the entire game in 30 minutes or so.

--------------------
What's a party,
without a song?
Bards ROCK!
Party On!!

[ister]

Oh yeah, the lost xp is usually not too much. For instance the lizardmen at the start of chapter 3 are worth what, 5,000 xp total on core rules?

And that is exactly what I'm doing, I only call them when I'm having unanticipated problems with a fight (or against things they can't kill [img]smile.gif[/img] ).

[NobleNick]

Originally posted by ister: Oh yeah, the lost xp is usually not too much. For instance the lizardmen at the start of chapter 3 are worth what, 5,000 xp total on core rules?

Do I detect a note of sarcasm? **I** would be loathe to give up 5,000 lost XP, no matter where in the game I was! (Am I more Scotch than you?) Still, it can be made up by camping.

And that is exactly what I'm doing, I only call them when I'm having unanticipated problems with a fight (or against things they can't kill [img]smile.gif[/img] ).

I used to dislike the second situation; but, with the news you have provided, will look at it in a different light. Hmmm... Things they can't kill does not necessarily mean things they can't hurt. A certain area in DE2 comes to mind...

Another thing, that I will personally do (cause I will definitely get the Horn), is to pause combat continually (always do this, anyway) and have all my guys target the most wounded opponent (usually do this, anyway) to continually attempt to "steal" the kill away from the Berserker. (I know this will not be a very effective technique with 4 or 5 Berserkers running wild.)

--------------------
What's a party,
without a song?
Bards ROCK!
Party On!!

[ister]

Exactly, the berzerker's put out so much damage that you have to be very lucky to actually snag one of their kills. I suppose a falme arrow would do it, but using flame arrows to steal kills from the berzerkers is slight overkill! [img]smile.gif[/img]