Well I really do need to do a blog post on this game. Yes, I've been playing it in spits and spats. Just not entranced and compelled the way I've been in the older Spiderweb games.
So I have some thoughts on the differences between this game and the older Spiderweb games.
First, I'm sure that part of my problem is that I'm jumping around too much. This is a fault in me, not in the game. I find that when I can't do something, I'll just jump into another area and continue with that place. However, by that time I've forgotten the gist of the plot in that area.
Second, I really really really really really miss picking up random loot. It does give me a little charge when I find stuff (Looky! I found a wand!) Jeff explained that he knows players get little shots of dopamine when they find loot, but he wanted to focus on other things. That's fine for hardcore players who know how to manipulate the stats (I don't even understand the stats and am not remotely interested in that stuff). But I like that little dopamine shot. It's a big reason I play.
I also really really miss finding secret places. There aren't any magic buttons to push in this game (shoot, I used to love wall bumping in the original Avernum/Nethergate engine).
Third, and this is the real biggie: you have to finish the dungeons in one try or come back and start over. Again, this is for hardcore players. I am not one. And I'm finding that this change from the earlier games above all is the one that's killing the game for me.
Because: we only have so much magical energy. There aren't even any potions we can get to replenish it. The only way we replenish magical energy is by sleeping, entering one of our own forts, or killing enemies. But the charge you get back from killing the enemies isn't nearly enough.
And that means that you can't use your energy, if you have any left, until you know for certain that you're facing the boss. So, I have to save nearly all of my energy for buffing and especially for healing, because that's the only way I can get through these places. There just isn't enough juice to use on hostile spells unless you want to risk facing the boss when you're bone dry.
If you can't use your energy because you don't know what's coming, that means your only option for combat is hack and slash. In my case it means that nearly all I do is shoot arrows.
And that gets old. It is not interesting. It is not fun.
And plus, after I gained a few more levels I went back to the scorpion pit to kill the boss scorpion. The boss scorpion was gone. Apparently I'd cleared the place already. So I can't even do that.
Will I finish the game? I hope so. I do like the blocky art. Also, the writing in this game is the best Jeff's done in ages. It's funny and nuanced and adds an enormous amount to the game.
But there are many other games on my computer that are more fun than this. Right now I'm playing out of loyalty to Spiderweb. I'm glad Jeff tried something new, really I am. It's going to be a great fit for serious players. But I'm a casual player, and it just isn't hitting enough of the cylinders for me. I know I could switch to casual difficulty from normal where I am now, but I've never done that with a Spiderweb game and I really don't want to do it.
Perhaps I should. I dunno. Also I should try staying in one area until I really can't go on there. That would put a lot more sense into the game I think.
We'll see.
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