Larian Studios Forums General Chat RPG Chat Bought Temple of Elemental Evil

Most users online where? <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/think.gif" alt="" />

The unofficial patch comes with an uninstaller, so when the official one comes out, you'd have no worries.

EDIT: By the way, for those who wonder, I've got the full game, hence the mini-review. Plus, the unofficial patch seems to be working pretty well, though it doesn't fix the monster-stuck-in-the-wall thing. Alas.

thanks for sharing your thoughts onthe game, winterfox. so, i don't have to fear the greyhawk game, non-D&D geeks can still apply. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/biggrin.gif" alt="" />

a question: is it as 'hardcore' as NWN? i've finished that game but still not knowing at least half of the system. u can say i'm one lucky broasted 2 finish it without knowing the system fully. heck, i forgot what saving throw means already! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/ouch.gif" alt="" />

Well...

The combat, as I've said, is quite complex. You don't exactly need to calculate attack rolls and DC, but you have to know what does what. For instance, if you're playing "real" D&D, throwing a fireball will burn up your Web spell. This is the case in ToEE, unlike in NWN or other Infinity Engine games. Things like initiative count, especially since it's turn-based as opposed to the real-time combat encountered in IE games and NWN.

It's definitely more hardcore than NWN. If anything, NWN's implementation of 3E rules is pretty lenient, and not very faithful at that. If you ask most people, they'll tell you that NWN isn't "hardcore" at all. ToEE, on the other hand, is currently seen as the most "hardcore D&D" CRPG.

Plus, the game's based on a low-level module. You won't see all that many magical items (though my party still does end up pretty rich pretty early on), and the most advanced spells you are going to cast are of fifth level. Nope, no Timestop, no Shapechange, and no Dragon's Breath here. Forget about +5 Vorpal Holy Avenger, too. Mithral Field Plate +5? Zilch. (The best items I've seen so far are, well, masterwork items. But I haven't set foot in the temple yet.)

In spite of these, though, you might be surprised to see that ToEE has more skills and feats. Craft Wondrous Items, Craft Magic Arms and Armor, Brew Potion, Bless Water spell, Slippery Mind -- all of these, and more, are expected in any standard 3E D&D game. NWN doesn't have any of them. ToEE does. This ain't DD or Diablo or SPECIAL; it's more complicated, or, as some people might say, cumbersome. (I, of course, disagree. DD/Diablo systems are just too simple.)

I'll have to say, here, that I'm fairly familiar with D&D -- if not in pen&paper form -- thanks to having access to a lot of rulebooks and other material for research purposes, in addition to having played every IE game. So I delightedly jumped into ToEE and had little difficulty; I'm not a good example of how "hard" the learning curve is. Maybe someone else will have something to say? (Because most of the people I've seen reviewing ToEE are somewhat familiar with D&D already.)

Bottom line: just "a bit familiar with D&D" will get you by just fine.

wow, thanks for the prompt reply, winterfox. so who says a dudette can't teach a dude (especially a low level one like me) a thing or two?

another question: this time it's stupid.

what's IE? <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" />

Oh...

Sorry. Please let me slap myself. I thought everyone was as geeky as I am. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/winkwink.gif" alt="" />

IE = Infinity Engine = BG, IWD, PS:T, BG2, IWDII

i know snippets of the actual D&D rules...but i havn't exactly played the game at all! I simply must ask..it's killing me? How big is the ToEE manuel when you buy the game? Me likes the big ones!

--Danielle <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/winkwink.gif" alt="" />

The manual? As big and as thick as NWN's, or thereabouts.

Unique visitors or hits?

Unique hits!

I think...

Looked at your counter, it says something different so I was just wondering.

And I thought that "cough" would've made it clear enough <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/biggrin.gif" alt="" />

I was kidding, Myrthos <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/winkwink.gif" alt="" />

i'm looking at that manual right now..it's about an inch and a half thick...hmm..i think it could do better than that for a bit of light reading.
<img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/winkwink.gif" alt="" />

--Danielle

or Internet Explorer!

being in the engineering field, i always thought of it as Industrial Electronics.

I guess everyone has there own idea of what IE means <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/winkwink.gif" alt="" />

Eh, it's all about context.

In any case, regarding ToEE...

My party's now got the location of the temple. I haven't even done much in Nulb; this is a bad sign. I don't feel like touching the city and doing silly quests anymore; the dialogue, quests, and NPCs are that dull. Every single one of the quests involves a lot of running back and forth, back and forth, from one NPC to another. At some point, I think I'll just slaughter all the NPCs and be done with it.

ahh..but running back and forth is the best part! Wait, are you an evil character?

--Danielle (lawful mage) <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/mage.gif" alt="" />

My party's chaotic neutral. In the earth temple now. I'll soon go back to Hommlet and Nulb, slaughter everyone, leaving a select few to trade with.

what!? you mean you won't lose reputation points..or do you care <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cry.gif" alt="" />

--Danielle