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Old 04-13-2005, 09:22 AM   #1
SpitBall
The Magister
 

Join Date: March 17, 2005
Location: Minnesota
Posts: 110
I'm still on my first run through the game (standard, no modifications) and I can manage to play about 8-10 hrs per week. Reading through this board and some others (this is the only one my work-place allows full access) it seems that most folks are getting through much faster than I. This I can understand when one is playing for the second, third, or tenth time, as you already know the lay of the land and what "surprises" lay ahead, but it has me wondering about how long it took for your first time?

PS: I don't use the Spoiler Boards because, for me, it ruins the game to know what is waiting for me. (Just to be clear: I'm not making ANY moral judgements here) I have rarely ever played any of the earlier Wizardry games more than once, for just that reason. With Wiz8, though, the idea of a smaller party for the second time through seemed like a challenge - but from reading the boards, all the challenge seems to be in the very first part of the game, so I'm not so thrilled about that prospect any more.
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Old 04-13-2005, 10:13 AM   #2
Nightowl2
Galvatron
 

Join Date: December 11, 2001
Location: Plateau of Leng
Age: 46
Posts: 2,190
The first time was so long ago, I don't recall exactly now. But I think it was about two weeks, give or take a couple of days. Then again, I had more play time than you do.

Still, how long to completion doesn't really matter. Especially if you're not considering another game after this one. You'd want to make this one last and get the most out of it.

On the other hand, you may want to consider another one after this is done. Smaller teams are more of a challenge, even if the game looks easier from the messages here. And you can always ramp up the difficulty if it seems like a walk in the park.

Nightowl2
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Old 04-13-2005, 12:18 PM   #3
Wereboar
Baaz Draconian
 

Join Date: June 6, 2002
Location: Germany
Posts: 795
I think for a first game, you'll need between 80 and 100 hours, if you don't use a walkthrough.

But the numbers can be very different. In my first game, i didn't ready any board, just played by myself. For example, i needed a long time to find the entry to the mine tunnels (was there early, but forgot about it). And i did spent a long time searching for the rapax away camp (which didn't exist at that time). With a few questions here, i would have been much faster.
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Old 04-13-2005, 02:13 PM   #4
Marathon
Elminster
 

Join Date: December 10, 2003
Location: OP, KS
Age: 50
Posts: 489
It took me a year and a half, playing 4-10 hours a week (except when my daughter was first born - play time ground to a halt for a few months) and changing parties several times before coming up with a group I wanted to ascend with. My first party was stuck in the Rapax castle for a long time. My ascending party used a portal I set in AP. I never did get to the AP teleporter from Rapax Castle.

[ 04-13-2005, 04:49 PM: Message edited by: Marathon ]
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Old 04-13-2005, 04:35 PM   #5
SpitBall
The Magister
 

Join Date: March 17, 2005
Location: Minnesota
Posts: 110
I've been with this party - my fifth overall - for about 1 month. The first 4 parties crapped out on the way to Arnika - that's how I figured out the concept of "holding levels"! My party ranges from lvl 14 (RFS-81) to lvl 20 (the Fighter, Bard and Mage) and I switched over to Expert Mode when most characters were at lvl 15, or so.

Thus far, I have two of the special objects and I'm pretty sure where I will find the third, but Nessie was whooping me at lvl 16/17, as were the geomancers in the SE Wilds, which is why I went looking for experience elsewhere, and ended up on Ascension Peak.

As I am now significantly tougher - my next plan is to head back to the SE Wilds and kick some geomancer butt, then go through Nessie and (I think) find my way into the Sea Caves, which is where I deduce the third special object to be hidden. Near as I can figure, this "Rapax Castle/Rift" should be part of, or beyond, the SE Wilds, as it does not seem to be part of Marten's travels, and should be good for experience and better weapons/armor.


Note: If my logic is off, please just snicker quietly to yourselves.
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Old 04-13-2005, 04:56 PM   #6
xfactor
Dungeon Master
 

Join Date: June 15, 2004
Location: UK
Posts: 77
I took about 80 hours first time through, I think. I didn't do everything there and I spent a long time messing about in the wilderness areas feeling slightly lost.

Once you've completed it once it goes down to about 30-40 hours playing time depending on how powerful the party is and how much of all the extra bits you do.

My first solo character took a while, though. I had to go around looking for loads of easy fights before my poor Faerie ninja was good enough to hold his own without the CoC.

Still, the most important thing for me is to have fun. I've played some pretty short computer games that I really enjoyed and some longer ones that bored me to tears and forced me to stop playing.

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Old 04-13-2005, 06:25 PM   #7
bladedog
Dungeon Master
 

Join Date: July 3, 2004
Location: UK
Age: 53
Posts: 63
Spitball, the entrance to the Rapax Rift is at the point where the Mountain and SE Wilds meet. Its good fun but the rewards are not outstanding. Antone's brother makes some fairly decent pieces if you can find the bits.

You mention getting butt-kicked in the SEW. You don't mention if you made it as far as the temple. Thats a good fight with decent rewards. Also you make no mention of the Mountain Wilderness, which has lots of good fights with again good rewards + Bella.

I was thinking the other day about how much fun it was not knowing any of this stuff, wandering about getting experience and actually talking and listening to everyone you meet. Thats where the time goes I think, but I couldn't tell you how much in total.
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Old 04-13-2005, 07:16 PM   #8
Scatter
Symbol of Cyric
 

Join Date: August 17, 2003
Location: Portland
Age: 65
Posts: 1,336
My first party was an import. I played as far as the entry to AP twice before i had even got my first Internet connection and had no hints or walkthroughs. Then i found i needed to patch my game to stop the crashes at AP. So all told, my first Ascension took months--much longer than necessary, as i was running around trying to find out why i couldn't get to the Peak. (incidentally discovering the way into the Northern and Mountain Retros but not the Graveyard one).
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Old 04-14-2005, 11:14 AM   #9
SpitBall
The Magister
 

Join Date: March 17, 2005
Location: Minnesota
Posts: 110
Yeah, the talk of "retros" has me wondering - but I get the sense that these are not essential to Ascend, rather they give experience and, maybe, weapons.

Bladedog: SEW: I did "make it" to the Temple (at least I think it was the Temple), once - but I was on a recon. mission, as I had only 3 living characters remaining, and no ressurection powders left and all Portal casters were dead. I did manage to find an old Tincture of Shadows potion in my bag, though. Once the Death Lords (or something like that) appeared - I quit.

MW: I had to go through there to get to AP - but now I have a Portal on AP. Met Bela, but I don't trust him. Actually, I'd like to feed Crock to Bela.

Listening and thinking: To me, this is the essence of the Wizardry series - it is the puzzles and trickery that set it apart from the other adventure games. I must admit, though, so far Wiz 8 doesn't seem as tough as some of the others (Wiz 7, for example!). The most difficult puzzle thus far was the Mine Tunnels and the cart - had I not played other Wiz games, I doubt I would have solved that one so easily. By and large, Wiz8 has struck me for the new depth added to character development and combat strategy. Combat/Walk is wonderful.
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Old 04-15-2005, 11:47 PM   #10
the mighty stamar
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Join Date: February 12, 2003
Location: hades
Age: 53
Posts: 583
This is an extremely long game.

Without the help of a walkthrough particularly dealing with a few key things such as the helm of insanity and martins bluff etc i would say over 100 hours.
set at regular i mean.
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