"I may not blame the graphics department for producing countless objects that are confusing tiresome and unnecessary because it is a GAME DESINE mistake."

So the only items you should be able to interact with are ones essential to the game? I would prefer more interaction and more uses for some items.


"1- In combat, the enemy characters drop weapons and money"

As a divine warrior, I had no ethical problems joining the thieves' guild (an optional quest), or collecting loot.


"2- The randomisation of the charm quality..."

Most people really like this, since it increases the replay value of the game. There should be some items with set values (or a narrower range) to ensure the items gotten from longish quests are not poor quality, so you are not forced to re-load to get a good item.


"3- It is quite illogical to build a character of a divine thief that seeks a holy grail and saves people from evil."

Stealing from somebody is one thing, leaving them transformed as a cow for the rest of their life is another. However, if you don't think any thief can have a sense of honour (or desire for rewards), this is not a required quest.


"4- There is no good reason for separating the mage from the warrior..."

There are differences between classes. I don't have a problem with the open skill system, though a few people have wished for either higher requirements or penalties for learning skills outside your class, or a strict class-only skill system.


"5- ...the main character begins with a specific weapon and armour set while seeking a specific better set to be able to advance to the higher stage while gaining experience."

That would be very, very linear as well as boring. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/down.gif" alt="" />


"6- Solving riddles should automatically increase intelligence not only experience points and eating food should increase strength. The mileage the character walks should increase stamina accordingly and proportionally while running and combat increases the value of agility."

Very good ideas. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/up.gif" alt="" /> However, I don't think food should raise strength. Fighting while running could increase your offense and decrease your defense. Maybe walking around encumbered could raise your strength.


"7- Smashing skeletons with a hammer is quite imaginable but killing a skeleton with a dagger is ridiculous."

True, unless you aim for the joints. Perhaps the Larians did not want (or did not have time) to implement that level of detail.


"8- Weapons could have been set up to be appropriate to each stage. In Aleroth dungeons a war hammer is most agreeable while an axe is perfect for killing Orcs."

You already have the option of switching weapons. I wouldn't want to be forced to use specific weapons in certain areas.


"9- Dragons and flying enemies are best hunted with a bow of special qualities.."

There are also few high quality consistently-in-the-game staves or maces.


"10- Imps are best hunted by a ranged weapon..."

I found them easy to take out with my sword. Flash attack could have eliminated the little bit of chasing I had to do.


"11- The magic spell of hell-spikes is a must use with some characters"

I got along fine without it, though it is one of the more effective skills (physical damage can not be resisted).


"12- Many quests are unfounded and corrupt the story line."

Those are called side quests, and more is better. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/winkwink.gif" alt="" /> A strict story line series of quests would be very linear.


"13- Levers and keys are quite randomly distributed and no clever hints"

They are usually close to what they open, and easy enough to find if you are looking.


"14- The Larian armour is a cute idea but very amateurish and spoils the quality of the game."

<img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/question.gif" alt="" /> I liked the easter egg area.


"15- The story should have been about the building of a character or developing a divine knight in shining armour."

Sounds very linear... this could work for the start of the game to setup the plot and act as a tutorial, but I wouldn't want to play the whole game like that.


"16- The armour of the dragon is the most fabulous idea in the game while the treasure hunt is quite unfounded."

So the armour should just be handed to you at some point? It should have more consistent stats, but I don't think it should be required. What about a mage without the strength requirements who is using mithril armour?


"17- The hero was forced to cheat his Elvin beloved..."

Yes, that sucked. I never actually looked at the necklace in my inventory.


"18- The transportation pyramids are some kind of cure to the very bad story line because the hero is forced to occupy a house by force"

There are many abandoned houses, assuming you do not want to take Joram up on his offer to stay as long as you like. You can also just leave you stuff on the ground, perhaps around a teleporter pad.


"19- The cumbersome and unfounded travelling between cities, forests and towns is not a fabulous feature at all."

You mean the non-linearity?


"20- The Stormfist castle episode is the most humiliating and ridiculous task that could fall on a hero forcedly. That particular part of the story is the worst part of all."

So insult Janus, et al whenever you get the chance. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/badsmile2.gif" alt="" /> It is unreasonable to expect him not to try something to curb your good deeds.


"21- A bad design point was forcing the hero to report back the completion of the quest to another character to append the diary!"

If you agree to do something for someone, shouldn't you tell them when you are done, even if you don't have to bring back an item or information?


"22- This is a “Dungeons And Dragons” strategy game that should be designed on riddles and combat and keeping it simple as a line that escalates in difficulty..."

That might have kept my interest for a weekend, possibly a week. Maybe, if I took enough breaks, I could have even finished the game if it was setup like that.


"the hero is supposed to find a cave after talking to a farmer and never before!"

True, the game should be much more flexible about doing quests out of order.


"The hero is forced to pick the lock of the quarantine backdoor even if the hero was not a thief!"

You can get the key from Lain (something like that) in the poor quarter.


"Finding the three empty flasks was insignificant in the story and finding two cures rather than one for all is rather silly."

The flasks were how the poison was delivered; they add atmosphere. The two cure potions was intended to demonstrate that sometimes tough choices have to be made and you can not always help everyone.


"The hero is forced to have a thousand coins to pay it to the engineer or face death!"

Or face a tough fight... though there could have been a note or something before meeting the engineer warning of his desire to be paid.


"As I said the game was devastated by Chaos by suggesting the visit to the Castle as early as looking for Zandalor the mage in the dwarves bread inn and succeeding in poisoning the Orcs well."

There were enough clues around about the old duke's murder, harsh punishment for petty crimes, Zandalor disappearing etc. that I knew Janus was evil and suspected some kind of difficulty once I entered the castle. Maybe there should have been a level requirement to enter the castle, or a more explicit warning.


"In fact the waste land episode was very good."

I found it a little long and boring, though I was in a hack-and-slash mood when I started off, so it was a nice change of pace for awhile.


"I apologise for my bitter praise but as a technology consultant and a fan of your game I could not but post it as bitter as it is for a better future game."

You do not have to apologize for your opinion; much of the criticism of Divinity went into improving Riftrunner. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/up.gif" alt="" />