Legend of Grimrock (old school RPG)

[cicobuff]

The spellcasting mechanic is a huge ass. Aside from that I love it.

Did I mention spellcasting is a huge ass?

Ohhhh by spell casting should be real hard, like in real life. Compared to the amount of chanting, mumbling, gesturing, waving of ingredients and what not involved? Not to mention the drawing of that pentagram on the floor using fresh virgin blood, you have it real easy.

Ok jokes aside. As a trick we used to do in DM, we always prepare the spell glyphs first and cast it when we need to use it. Kinda like an ADND cleric memorizing a spell t cast later, except you have only 1 slot. I guess it can still work in grimrock?

[Pogo]

OK, level 3 is NOT fucking around.

[Sarkus]

I'm on level 3 now myself. I'll echo the previous notes that spellcasting is a bit annoying. At least compared to melee, where it's a simple right click, having to do multiple clicks to fire off a spell is annoying. Not to mention having to memorize the spell combos. I don't know what the thinking was there and cannot imagine trying to have more then one mage in a party (maybe that was the idea . . . ).

Otherwise I'm having fun. I was bummed when I finally got a bow for my rogue in the back row and then realized I had all of three arrows. Now she's back to using a spear.

What parties are people running? I'm all human - two warriors up front, a rogue and mage in the back.

[djotefsoup]

I went with all human too, Fighter/Rogue in front (evasion seems to work better than tanking it out so far?), 2 mages in back. One mage doing ice and fire and one doing earth and air. There is probably some optimum method of picking skill trees that gives you the deepest earliest access to spells/skills etc with the different races and perks, which I couldn't be bothered doing much beyond working out what fit nicely into the character generation screen.

[bakka bakka bakka]

I've got a minotaur fighter and human rogue in the front and two insect mages in the back. I'm not finding it difficult to cast spells in combat, it's only one or two runes. I usually do it while I'm strafing for position.

[Pogo]

Otherwise I'm having fun. I was bummed when I finally got a bow for my rogue in the back row and then realized I had all of three arrows. Now she's back to using a spear.

Damn, that's not comforting. Though I'm already throwing 3 throwing knifes and then reverting to rocks so... 3 bow shots with my 15 Missile Weapons skill would probably be primary and then switch to throwing knives would probably work better than what I got now.

[Destarius]

Ohhhh by spell casting should be real hard, like in real life. Compared to the amount of chanting, mumbling, gesturing, waving of ingredients and what not involved? Not to mention the drawing of that pentagram on the floor using fresh virgin blood, you have it real easy.

Ok jokes aside. As a trick we used to do in DM, we always prepare the spell glyphs first and cast it when we need to use it. Kinda like an ADND cleric memorizing a spell t cast later, except you have only 1 slot. I guess it can still work in grimrock?

You need to prepare the glyph each and every time. The only problem is that I'm not sure what the big positives are in using a mage... perhaps the later spells will be AoE.

I'm running two mages and two fighters, so it's double-sized helpings of ass for me.

[krayzkrok]

No. 1 top seller on Steam. Good work devs!

[cicobuff]

You need to prepare the glyph each and every time. The only problem is that I'm not sure what the big positives are in using a mage... perhaps the later spells will be AoE.

I'm running two mages and two fighters, so it's double-sized helpings of ass for me.

In old DM there are immaterial monsters that can only be hurt using spells. I have a feeling the devs will be keeping those. So yea a Mage seems necessary.

[cicobuff]

I kinda miss the leveling up mechanism in old DM. ZO mastery in ninja, fighter, priest and wizard. Ahhhhh. Yea it can be exploited but it's perfect for max-min plays.

[bakka bakka bakka]

The only problem is that I'm not sure what the big positives are in using a mage... perhaps the later spells will be AoE.

You'll start encoutering enemies that are two or three to a tile, most spells will hurt both where a strike will only hit one of them. My favorite spell so far, poison cloud, will sit on the tile doing 5 and 6 damage every few seconds, which is great if you're funneling monsters down a hallway. There are some great uses for spells it's too bad the game is so stingy with them.

[Rachel Brown]

Hmmm? What secret Humble bundle included something to do with this game?

[Pogo]

Using a potion will leave you with an empty flask so you can re-use them.

Level 3 is where the game starts getting kinda awesome. Now I'm actually dying to shit.

Falling down trapdoors... yeah you can find shit like that, and so far it seems you'll always have a teleport back up.

Mage is a good torch-bearer, since right-clicking a wand will open the runepage.

[bakka bakka bakka]

I don't think pitfalls will ever kill you. They're the only way to get to certain areas of the map, definitely jump in!

[briankoontz]

I've got a minotaur fighter and human rogue in the front and two insect mages in the back. I'm not finding it difficult to cast spells in combat, it's only one or two runes. I usually do it while I'm strafing for position.

I have a similar set-up - just swapping out the human rogue for a lizardman rogue (for the extra dexterity) with the rogue heavy on daggers and evasion since he's in the front line.

Bear in mind that you can ready a spell before combat. Spellcasting isn't too big a deal and the rune system is more realistic than the blast and forget nonsense of Neverwinter Nights 2, for example.

[Pogo]

Evasion and Poison Resist don't seem to do jack shit... I have a +50 resist bracer and ridiculous evasion on my rogue, but he always seems to be the focus of attack by spiders and THEY DON'T MISS THEIR ATTACKS.

[Destarius]

Do wands have charges as in most games? So many questions... I love the skill point system though - it's good to have some discrete awards rather than just a linear stat progression.

[cicobuff]

I seem to be stuck on level 2. Its by the blue stone with a locked gate that takes two keys to open. I got the key from the path to the right, but the one to the left is confusing me.

Spoiler: spoiler

There are a series of rooms that only open when you press a button in another room. I'm guessing that some combination of the three rooms I've seen so far opens a fourth room with a bad guy to fight (I can hear him) and thats where the key is, but I can't figure it out. Any ideas?

I'm here as well. My guess is that the key lies with switch that turns off the field. But you'll probably need to be fast :)

[Telefrog]

Level 3. Patiently out-staring the demon.

[Jupiter Jones]

In old DM there are immaterial monsters that can only be hurt using spells. I have a feeling the devs will be keeping those. So yea a Mage seems necessary.

..or with a sweet Vorpal Blade.
As I play this game I feel some Dungeon Master muscle memory returning to me...

[cicobuff]

..or with a sweet Vorpal Blade.
As I play this game I feel some Dungeon Master muscle memory returning to me...

The staffs had dispels too :).

[cicobuff]

I love the fact that they made weapons for use in the second rank. And that thief can reach the front with melee. The old DM basically had the back rank heroes becoming useless after they threw their weapons and spells. Nice improvement.

[Pogo]

Do wands have charges as in most games?

Wand is strictly a way to give extra attributes to Mages, at least so far that I've found only one wand. It opens up the rune page, it doesn't fire anything.

I'm here as well. My guess is that the key lies with switch that turns off the field. But you'll probably need to be fast :)

If you spend time turning around after hitting that hidden switch, you'll never make it back through the field in time. Press S :)


So far I haven't found any weaknesses to certain magics. Fire and Air work equally well on spiders. I suppose Air might work better on the armored fellas but I haven't seen them again just yet.

[Jab]

Poison is definitely a pain in the ass. Does it eventually go away after enough rest, or is the only way to get rid of it the anti venom potion?

On floor 4 now,the puzzles are definitely getting trickier.

[Squee]

Poison does eventually go away through resting.

[cicobuff]

If you spend time turning around after hitting that hidden switch, you'll never make it back through the field in time. Press S :)

I had to strip down the armor and tons of torches because I was still too slow with the backward running trick. :)

Addictive. At work playing this.... Luckily, I'm the boss. :) they made an almost perfect remake of DM.

[Pogo]

Not sure what armor you had, I haven't had any carrying problems with my minotaur's maxed strength and my monk's very high strength.

Funny thing about ranged attack rogues though... doesn't seem like Accuracy affects their ability to hit? A thrown weapon doesn't show an accuracy number when equipped?

[Pogo]

Just figured out that rocks should be put in the offhand if you wish to use the Sling you find in level 1 or level 2, so that makes the fact that ALL of my points in my rogue went into Missile Weapons not so bad anymore (does more damage than shurikens and throwing knives with 0 thrown skill).

[cicobuff]

Not sure what armor you had, I haven't had any carrying problems with my minotaur's maxed strength and my monk's very high strength.

Funny thing about ranged attack rogues though... doesn't seem like Accuracy affects their ability to hit? A thrown weapon doesn't show an accuracy number when equipped?

Not sure how accuracy is done in the game. I went with assassin skillset instead but am finding the dagger severely underpowered now.

[Destarius]

Just figured out that rocks should be put in the offhand if you wish to use the Sling you find in level 1 or level 2, so that makes the fact that ALL of my points in my rogue went into Missile Weapons not so bad anymore (does more damage than shurikens and throwing knives with 0 thrown skill).

There's an offhand? Which one is that? Does it matter for the usual swords and axes?