Completely Disapointed

I *really* wanted to like this game. I've been a big fan of DWBradley games in the past and was hoping that by having full control over the design of this game, it would be one of the best RPGs in a long time.

Unfortunately, this might end up being the first game I've returned in a *long* time. It's the small details that make a great game. And I'm afraid this one is even missing the big details. Here are some of the things that have especially annoyed me during my 15 hours of playing:

1) Leveling, instead of being something to look forward to, is something to dread. How many times do I need to reload my game after getting only 1hp and 1skill for going up a level. And this is with Int12 and 15Fortitude. With 15 Fortitude, I've seen hp scores from 1 to 16. But it seems that 90% of the time you get the dreaded 1hp 1skill increase. Now, I'm normally not a "maxer", but I just can't live with a 1hp increase for my front-line fighter. I literally spent 30 minutes reloading my game over and over just to get something higher than 1hp. This is a *basic* part of classic RPGs that has sadly been totally messed up.

2) I've seen several other posts on quest bugs, and I'll add my own. In the first wizard quest, you are told to go find Scabban. Well, I had already returned from the Crypt and had already talked to him. But the Wizard Guild did not recognize this. So, I trudged back into the Crypt, and talked with him again. Then back to town. Still says I haven't talked to him. So I go back to the Crypt and kill Scabban, then go back to town. Still nothing. So, now my Wizard cannot advance at all since it does not flag the quest as completed. This is a *basic* quest flaw that should have been caught in any reasonable beta testing. Obviously, little testing was done.

3) And how about the user interface? Trying to move containers around is a pain. Sometimes you click on an item and the character says "On my way" and you are treated to the whirling dervish dance as the party tries to get close to the item. When you try jumping on items, half the time you just end up pushing the crate aside. When you identify items, all items of the same type are also identified (a handy gold saver, but still reeks as a bug), except for the same items on another player, which are still unidentified. If a rogue steals an item (like a potion), then you kill the rogue and pick up your item, it is unidentified again. And don't even think of trying to Alt-Tab out of W&W to get to Windows. W&W will crash/hang in the background. And enough has probably been said about the problems with the D3D support. Any way you look at it, a patch is desperately needed. DWB should have spent more time testing this instead of releasing it at the same time as BG2. I'm afraid sales will be so low that Activision won't approve doing a patch (and of course, the patch probably will require me to start over again to reset the Wizard quest anyway, which would just be too frustrating to even think about).

4) And did someone actually say they thought the voice acting was good? The voice acting is terrible. And it repeats the same clips over and over again. In one case, you get the highlighted words "Gypsy" and "Gypsies", with the exact same results. Or, "Stout Mine" and "Stout Mines". Same problem. In fact, it seems that about half the "keywords" that you get are just repeats of existing text. And since there is no way to skip over text you have already heard, you end up having to suffer through the same "Yes Yes Yes" over and over again. This is the most tedious NPC interaction I have seen in a long, long time.

I'm afraid I was duped by a lot of reviewers who were either looking at a preview copy (back in March, mostly), or reviewers who didn't actually play the game and were just reviewing DWB's reputation. Next time, I'm going to try harder to avoid the hype and wait until enough people have actually played the game to have a real opinion. Everyone will probably flame me for being so negative about this game. But the fact is, I've played most every RPG ever written. I normally *like* the traditional RPG (Wiz, M&M, Dungeon Master, EoB, etc.) I'm no kid and I am in the software development business myself. I know a rushed and unfinished product when I see one.

[Skar]

additional points:

- automap / journal uncomfortable (sucks)

- no ingame spelldiscription

- non-sense spells (qantiy over quality?) (i.e. gold for blood)

i want to mention that i like the game (its the first crpg since a looooooong time (ad&d sucks))and i hope they ll fix the quest bugs and mess ups...

cu
Skar

I really liked this game when it was released earlier as Wizardry 7- Crusaders of the Dark Savant.

Joking aside, it's not THAT bad. If the bugs above could be fixed, it would be that much better. The interface gets tedious at times- I mean, why does it take 4 screens to save/load a game; or to cast a spell (sometime the previous spell is selected, sometime you are thrown into the spell menu)? Why can't I stay in auto map mode if I click on any other character?

In regards to my first comment above- I REALLY liked the style and play of W:CDS. I really like what I have here now because it is the same. Lets just hope for a speedy patch to fix some of the above. Hopefulyl a trainer will come along soon and I can get back all those HP/stats I have lost due to the 1HP/1Stat bug.

-Scrib

I love this game. And this is from a guy who returns 1 out of every 3 I buy because of bugs, etc. Yup, there are some bugs which I'm sure will be patched. But I'm having so much fun that they're irrelevant. BTW, I had no problem with the Scabben quest.

V.

I agree with all the problems Marko mentioned, but this is still the game I have been waiting for. If you like this style of CRPG (and I do) then I think you will like this game, despite its flaws. Most of the "problems" mentioned are minor irritations (like the save/load dance). As for quest bugs, welllll, are you sure it was your wizard that talked with Scabban? I failed the paladin entry quest the first time because it wasn't my paladin that talked to Serran. Anyway, even though I sometimes curse it, I still love this game.

"I know a rushed and unfinished product when I see one."

Unfinished? Definitely!

Rushed? I think not, its been in development for four long years and boy is that apparent from the game engine!

It looks to have all the potential of a great game, especially for those of us still lamenting the lack of Wizardries, Ultimas, proper sequels to Lands of Lore, Might and Magic etc. Its a good old fashioned RPG and three cheers for that.

I just wish it had been externally tested. As so often these days, the paying customers have picked up in one weekend what the paid playtesters failed to spot in what was presumably a considerably longer exposure to the game.

Come on David Bradley, start listening and responding to what we are saying or there'll be a lot of returns within the week. Excuse me while I switch to BG2 until the patch comes out.

Loremaster

Now you probably won't even read this but oh well...
1)Leveling, I see no problem with level I hear everyone complaining about it and yet I've only had to reroll 3 times the whole game and my characters are around lvl 12 on there elite class. and don't forget when you go to elite class and you lvl you WILL not get good rolls until you pass up the level you were previously at.
2)quest bugs... I have done every guild quest in the first town and most of them in ishad'na, NEVER had a problem you have to have the character who recieved the quest selected and you have to WAIT a couple second for the person who gave you the quest to realize that you have the object. The only bug I have noticed is that if you switch characters while the person is congratulating you you can select back and recomplete the quest and get the xp and lvl increase again. (I don't cheat so I reloaded that game =P).
3)User Interface...I never read the manual and I have yet to have a problem moving or doing anything which in my book is a good interface. I do agree with you though on the crate/barrel moving is extremely tedious and could be improved, as far as indentifying goes once i got my warlock artifact skill it was not a problem and at least when you identify something the price double so you don't lose money if you sell it.
4)voice...I personally like almost all the voice acting but that is a personal opinion, and about the repeat text I agree that is annoying as well but you waste what 10sec relistening to the text..OH MY GOD not 10sec...
5)Your experience...One thing I absolutely hate is to hear a guy say that he is no novice that he has played these games all his life....blah blah... So have I, so have MOST the people who bought this game, this was not a big market game no matter what anyone says. So adding up the negatives we have some minor annoyances that a patch would easily fix.
Didn't mean to flame too much =)

I just want to compliment the voiceovers. Not because they are of the greatest quality in the world, (I do think they are pretty good tho), but because EVERY character I have met so far has had a voice. Not one RPG I have played has had voices for many characters, usually they really skimp on these. This was the main annoyance of games like BG and Planescape Torment (especially). Nothing I hate more than reading 8 pages of little text with complete silence. In this game, I just sit back and listen. Even if they repeat themselves a bit, thats common in RPGs where you communicate. If this game really boasts 200 hours like they say, I'll be one impressed sumbitch if they keep up the voices.

Happy adventuring!

Jared


P.S. - Narrator is a pimp!

All I can say to that is: You have been lucky. Just wait...all of these quest bugs will bite you too. Sure, if you do the quests in the right order, they work fine. But who would have known that you have to get the Scabban quest *before* talking to him. I just went ahead and completed the Crypt since I was there, and then got the quest bug. Now my wizard is stuck and cannot advance. Now, I went ahead and travelled to the Toad Village for my Warriors, and have found that you can't even move around in the place. The corridors are too narrow and the toads block the passage. Killing the innocent toads is not my idea of a good role playing experience. It's yet another example of the lack of testing that this buggy game has gotten. It doesn't take years of gaming experience to see that this game was released *far* sooner than it should have. And with Activision not announcing any patch plans, I think this game is unfortunately destined for the recycle bin.

i dont mind the game all that much the lvls arnt a biggy the big thing is that i spent a long long time jest lookign for tiny details for keys and crap and i am still not that far. I even went ahead and got the quest then talked to the guy lto of good that did me the guy still dosnt reconise me as completing the quest. buch of other quest havent worked either the only one i got to work was the first priest quest hahahah. i cant find the frog guy to move on looked all over. So i am stuck or what ever i am ranger quest is messed he dosnt take the spider egg not to mention the fact taht the graphics isnt all that great i still play it and i still want to beat it. I dont mind bugs all that much as long as i can continue on with the game. all in all i havnt noticed all that many bugs comparing the things i hated form other rpg's liek balders gate which was the spell system and everquests usless spells nto to mention all the other things rpg's seem to allways be lacking. allways soetmhign either no story line, bad spell system/spells in general, classes you can be, gamplay options, or interface things. bugs arnt a big deal they jest iratat me sometimes. One thign i dont want to sound like is i am complaigning i really would apprecate a patch and maby some sort of a walkthrough since i suck at figuering out puzzels.

GotAnger