Poll: What is irritating you most on W&W.

[Radek]

Note: This topic should not be only destructive or a vent for frustrated minds. If anybody knows a workaround or if anybody thinks that any post is incorrect, please comment.

1. Non-offensive magic is highly unreliable.
Here is an ordinary picture: a paladin at level 15 - with all stats 24, with 12 for all magic schools and with more than 11 for sorcery - is hopelesly trying to cast Armorplate (level 1 spell) in the wilderness. Even the 6th attempt failed. Let us note that the paladin is experienced, he knows that some places are "cursed" as far as casting spells is concerned, so that he tries, goes away, tries again... No. The numbers here aren't a hysteric exaggerating, they are reality.

2. Long casting times + no "failure" message = RRRRAUUGHH!
This is related to the problem above. It can take a while between casting a spell and getting the spell effect. No objection, why not. But you should get a "spell failed" message in this case so that you know that you need not wait for the spell effect any more. Only a few spells have this message in W&W (Teleport, for example). Casting Armorplate under these conditions can be a real pain.

3. Full 3D movement - how nice!
In W&W, you are trying to move in the same 3D direction in which you are looking. Good? Well, try to pick an item from the ground. Either you will dig the ground with your nose or you will jump with your ass into the sky. Worse, you can be prevented from leaving a water pool if you are looking a bit down (you will go underwater instead of out of water - this can happen if you have just killed your 4786th barracuda, for example). We can only ask: why do all other games split movement into 2D horizontal and 1D vertical? Because they are too obsolete?

4. Look out! Crushing damage!!
Elevators are really dangerous things in W&W. Everybody in your party can lose more than 50 lives in a moment (the elevator to Xydussa). Why are elevators implemented this way? Was it an intent?

[Wyvern]

1) hmmm I never had this problem ever not that I was often casting ArmorPlate which may account for my lack of failure! Did you try casting it on different characters as well as in different places? Were you using control left click?
2) Well again this is not my experience when casting defensive spells. I generally, and only rarely, would cast things like Merlin's Shield. I could control left click my first character and work on down the line one right after the other. I never bothered to wait for the spell to take affect before moving on to the next character. Sometimes I would have to go back and do one over again but that wasn't often.
3) The famous item dance! When I first started playing I experienced this as well but rarely after I had gotten as far as Ishad N'ha. Can't tell you what the secret of my success is, because I really don't know. Might have something to do with the 3D environment and my getting very used to adjusting my horizonal and vertical views. (love that number pad) Are you using the number pad for control or the arrows on the main screen? I removed those right away and stick just to the number pad.
4) I don't think it was intended that the elevators should be so very bad. This is another one of those things I chalk up to the rushed production. Like going down ladders, it just seems unfinished to me.

Wyv

[axel]

Inability to play due to desktop crash when exiting town. Cause unknown but DirectX 8.0 suspected.

Ritesh

[mammawlin]

Hmmmm, The MOST irritating thing. . .Man, that's a toughie. I must admit you make some good points, especially the crushing damage thingy - and then there are the ladder climbing problems - "Help, we have fallen and we can't get up!"

Probably the most frustrating thing to me is that once I installed the patch, there is no going back - so I lost all the cool "cheat" abilities: multiple assassins, gold galore, experience by entering certain guilds, etc. But, the game was crashing all the time - which must be the MOST irritating thing ever about the game and it doesn't do that any more - hasn't since I installed the patch.


Barbarian (cousin to Mammawlin)



[This message has been edited by mammawlin (edited 05-02-2001).]

[Black Knight]

Just a newbie here, but I've found so far it is the treasure box dance and going down ladders. How are we SUPPOSE to be doing it? I generally just fall and take my lumps. Not the best way, I'm sure (I hope?) but something I was going to ask but forgot. So Question Number 18; How do you go down ladders successfully?

Oh, and Mammawlin, where about in Columbus? Northside of Campus, here.

BK

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The Black Storm Cloud of the Night
Consort to a Queen
Champion of Truth, Justice and Cloudy's Way
Captain of the Knights of the Golden Dragons
Heart, Mind, and Soul
Offical Wizard and Warrior Questioner

[Deco]

1&2) I never had trouble casting any spell. Only when I was a Boogre.
3) This is boring and happens a lot. Just make sure you are very close to the item to get it.
4) Agree. And it is very irratating when a elevator crushs a roach and goes back the other way and you can't leave it.

Stairs are a pain. I give up trying do climb down, just fall. Climbing up just take a few minutes. You should have been able to "board" the stairs.

The cheats are no more in the patch because they were in fact bugs, not cheats.

[This message has been edited by Deco (edited 05-02-2001).]

[Wyvern]

Black Knight -

Fall and SPLAT is the traditional W&W down the ladder method! Some clever folks have managed to figure out systems that work pretty well (Saz and Adam to name 2). You might want to search (now that Ziroc has fixed the search YAY!!!!!) to locate their advice on the subject. If you're really coordinated with using your computer controls you might join the few who can manage it! For most of us it seems to take more time than it is worth just to save a few hit points that will regenerate quickly.

I use the SPLAT method! I've even grown rather fond of it since none of my characters are in danger of any real harm. Has become sort of an inside joke that only the initiated can share!

Wyv

[Sazerac]

Okay, to go down a ladder:

1) If the ladder is facing you, just plunge in while looking down slightly. Your characters should "grab" hold of the ladder and be able to shinny down it.

2) If the ladder is not facing you (like in the Toad Village), turn around and back up to the hole so the ladder will be facing you. Look down as you do. As you start to fall, look up slightly. You should grab hold of the ladder and be able to shinny down it.

It really doesn't matter whether or not you master it, because you never have to deal with ladders again outside of Toad Village, Kerielle's Windmill, or the Gypsy House. Ever. Period.

Isn't this in the "Best Tips" thread, Wyvern? If not, it needs to be.

-Sazerac

[Ryanamur]

Another way to go down ladders when you're not facing it (like toad village) is to:
1- approach the ladder backward (like Saz pointed out) but to look slightly up. When your guys start falling, you start "walking" forward, catch the ladder, look down and go down the ladder.

or

2- approach the ladder from the side, jump off, turn to face the ladder facing a bit downwards, start "walking", catch the ladder and go down.

They both take a bit of practice but you'll get use to it.

Saz: What about the ladder in the Dragon Spire or the one in Skull Castle?

[Sazerac]

Ryanamur: You are right. I never deal with those ladders as I have my own little "shortcuts" through those dungeons. However...I think you only have to go "up" those ladders, not down, so they shouldn't pose much of a problem.

-Saz