Wizardry Wizardry 8 - first time playing

[Ivan]

Not creating a new thread since there's already a lot of Wizardy 8 bloat on here, some thoughts after my first day playing:

I'm enjoying the exploration but the itemization and level scaling is really damping my fun. I thought/wished this would be like Gothic, but bumping into enemies doesn't feel organic, nor does it feel satisfying when I know my going out of the way of the main route to look for loot or fight tougher enemies doesn't really net me substantial goods. I've put in a few hours, have a full party of 6, and just reached the tribals. I'm not expecting this feeling toward the progression to change. Any suggestions to increase enjoyment? I mean, even level ups aren't too fun either, I'm basically pumping 3 measly points at a time to my main stats.

edit: Forgot to mention that I am using the FastWiz mod to help alleviate some of the tedium of the combat.

 

[JDR13]

Not creating a new thread since there's already a lot of Wizardy 8 bloat on here, some thoughts after my first day playing:

I'm enjoying the exploration but the itemization and level scaling is really damping my fun. I thought/wished this would be like Gothic, but bumping into enemies doesn't feel organic, nor does it feel satisfying when I know my going out of the way of the main route to look for loot or fight tougher enemies doesn't really net me substantial goods. I've put in a few hours, have a full party of 6, and just reached the tribals. I'm not expecting this feeling toward the progression to change. Any suggestions to increase enjoyment? I mean, even level ups aren't too fun either, I'm basically pumping 3 measly points at a time to my main stats.

edit: Forgot to mention that I am using the FastWiz mod to help alleviate some of the tedium of the combat.

Why would you think this might be anything like Gothic? It's a completely different type of RPG.

That said, Gothic happens to be one of my all-time favorites, but I'd probably put Wiz 8 in my top 20 as well. To this day, it remains my favorite turn-based blobber and the only Wizardry game I've played to completion. I love that you can position your characters within the blob and that their positions actually matter. I also really liked the setting. There was something about Dominus and its mix of fantasy and sci-fi that just seemed really cool to me.

We're talking about a 19 year-old game though, so playing it for the first time now might not leave the same impression as if you had played it back then.

 

[Zboj Lamignat]

Loot isn't level scaled. You can get end game items super early if you know how to, but it can spoil the game a lot.

As for you hoping wiz 8 would be like gothic - I have no idea why you would expect something like that. It's not, nor will it be later on.

 

[Parabalus]

Loot isn't level scaled. You can get end game items super early if you know how to, but it can spoil the game a lot.

As for you hoping wiz 8 would be like gothic - I have no idea why you would expect something like that. It's not, nor it will be later on.

There are a lot of drops with level sensors, it definitely counts as scaling loot.

 

[Ensi]

Just got to Marten's Bluff and did the Umpani flag/perfume assassination. Fun ass game. I'll probably head back to Arnika next and then idk.

 

[Zboj Lamignat]

Yeah, you're right. Chests are partially level scaled, although with their tables you won't be getting good stuff from them most of the time anyway.

 

[cvv]

You can get end game items super early if you know how to

With a fresh newbie party? Example?

 

[Black]

Yeah, you're right. Chests are partially level scaled, although with their tables you won't be getting good stuff from them most of the time anyway.

I got **********Light Sword))))))))))))) once from a chest in Bayijin, not even underwater.
Praise me.

 

[Zboj Lamignat]

You can get end game items super early if you know how to

With a fresh newbie party? Example?

Define "fresh", but staff of doom and fang are two main examples, although it obviously involves a lot of cheese (mainly the combat move trick).

 

[cvv]

You can get end game items super early if you know how to

With a fresh newbie party? Example?

Define "fresh", but staff of doom and fang are two main examples, although it obviously involves a lot of cheese (mainly the combat move trick).

I mean a new party, not imported.

Fang is in the Temple with the sorceress queen? How the hell do you get that early? IIRC you need to chop through a mountain of mean to get there.

 

[Zboj Lamignat]

Depending on your levels of autism you can do it on level 1. Combat move plus kiting. I definitely do not recommend it, but it's doable.

 

[Ivan]

Made it to the swamp and it's YUGE. Also, dumped Myles and recruited this cutie. Also, I've encountered some enemies that do not scale to my level (yay!) I wonder if they will maintain their level once I level up and even the playing field.

Need a tip for the following: I'm getting real fucking tired of picking up items and dragging them to my inv. I'm finding it's usually not worth it unless it's an armor/weapon with unidentified properties. Also, is there something, or are we expected to cast the common buffs ad nauseum (bless, armorplate, weapon enhancement)? Any way to auto-do this per encounter?

 

[Zboj Lamignat]

Many buffs can be cast out of combat and last very long on high dice. If you have magic screen on all the time (as you should) then casting soul/elemental shield is only needed for extra rapey encounters.

 

[Strange Fellow]

I'm getting real fucking tired of picking up items and dragging them to my inv. I'm finding it's usually not worth it unless it's an armor/weapon with unidentified properties.

I'm pretty sure that if you right-click on items you find it'll display the description and you can see if it's worth picking up. Also, while you're "holding" an item with your cursor you can send it straight to the party inventory by right-clicking on on one of your characters.

Also, is there something, or are we expected to cast the common buffs ad nauseum (bless, armorplate, weapon enhancement)? Any way to auto-do this per encounter?

Some buffs are effectively per-encounter, others last much longer and are effectively per-rest. Check the descriptions. For the per-encounter stuff you do need to cast manually, but like Zboj says it's often more worthwhile to do other things.

 

[cvv]

A great party composition, p. much my favourite. I usually take a Ranger instead of a Ninja, since a Ranger with high crits is a fucking godsend from mid-game on plus you can get a great ninja NPC, but this is about the most fun you can have with a party in my book.

 

[Ivan]

lol that's a stock image from google. I didn't research as I wanted to in blind, I'm pretty happy with the following: Figher+Rogue>Valk+Valk+Ran>Mage+Priest+Gadgeteer. My toughest encounter thus far were the Rat Breeders. I think I got a lucky crit with my 100 strength Fighter and one of them was wiped out in the blink of an eye. I was so shocked I missed what happened. lol

edit: I'm throwing in the towel on this one. Made it past the swamps, not before venturing off the beaten bath and encountered some Sorceress who wasn't level scaled and she steamrolled my party. Made it to the Sea Cliffs but I couldn't make it past the 5 Rynjis (reptile dudes). At this point, I'm too keenly aware of my boredom caused by the traversal & stamina drain/level scaling/fiddling with menus and character inventories/and random combat encounter spam.

Some other random thoughts, the main reason why I jumped to 8 was b/c of the open 3d world. Exploration IS fun, and the world itself was unique and interesting, featuring some refreshingly impressive voice acting to boot.

I'm going to be giving Might and Magic 6 a try and see if that registers more to my taste.

 

[xuerebx]

lol that's a stock image from google. I didn't research as I wanted to in blind, I'm pretty happy with the following: Figher+Rogue>Valk+Valk+Ran>Mage+Priest+Gadgeteer. My toughest encounter thus far were the Rat Breeders. I think I got a lucky crit with my 100 strength Fighter and one of them was wiped out in the blink of an eye. I was so shocked I missed what happened. lol

edit: I'm throwing in the towel on this one. Made it past the swamps, not before venturing off the beaten bath and encountered some Sorceress who wasn't level scaled and she steamrolled my party. Made it to the Sea Cliffs but I couldn't make it past the 5 Rynjis (reptile dudes). At this point, I'm too keenly aware of my boredom caused by the traversal & stamina drain/level scaling/fiddling with menus and character inventories/and random combat encounter spam.

Some other random thoughts, the main reason why I jumped to 8 was b/c of the open 3d world. Exploration IS fun, and the world itself was unique and interesting, featuring some refreshingly impressive voice acting to boot.

I'm going to be giving Might and Magic 6 a try and see if that registers more to my taste.

Aww, that's too bad! My experience in W8 was totally different - first game for me of its kind and I was enthralled. The combat system, the party banter and voice acting (can't believe I'm actually giving this weight, but damn it really does add so much to the game whilst exploring) and the strange world and its inhabitants was what made it so special, so i guess we agree on the last two points.

I did not engage in random encounters when I could, and I fought the Ryjin and explored the Sea Cliffs very late into the game when I was better equipped to do so. Still had some small issues but then I found a winning tactic and stuck to it. There were some combat encounters in the game which dragged on, mainly in Trynton when you get so many creatures which have spawned on different levels coming towards you.

I also chose W8 because it was a 3D open world, but now when I finished it I had moved on to MMIII:Isles of Terra, which wasn't a particularly long game but introduced me to the older style of blobbers. The idea is to play World of Xeen (after I finish Grimoire) and then move on to MMVI. I'm trying to start with the older games so that the newer games in the series feel like an improvement, at least up to a certain point in the series. It would be more difficult to start with MMVI and then move backwards.

Anyway, maybe if you'll someday give W8 another chance you'll have a different experience with it

 

[Gnidrologist]

Are there any mods for this that has stood test of time and isn't just some autistic rebalance shit? I have urge to play, but i've pretty much exhausted all possible party combos, including small ones and solo, that it'd be nice to have some new content now. Think i only used one small mod that was mostly cosmetic (new pics for items and such) and maybe some small changes. Alternatively, suggest some unconventional party composition that might be interesting to play.

 

[cvv]

Alternatively, suggest some unconventional party composition that might be interesting to play.

Have you done an all-mage party? I wonder if it's even possible, what with nuke spells being a complete waste of time.

 

[Gnidrologist]

Don't remember, think i could have, but with smaller party to gain levels faster thus offsetting the difficulty. And maybe the usual stealth grind in monastery.
Definitely did solo bishop with a bit of the stealth grind at the start.

Btw, nuke spells are not waste of a time once you have sufficient power level in them. My mages have usually the highest body count in the party and they obviously didn't achieve that by trouncing ruffians with a cane. Just as obvious that they are waste of time when used without bunch of debuffs.

 

[cvv]

Btw, nuke spells are not waste of a time once you have sufficient power level in them. My mages have usually the highest body count in the party and they obviously didn't achieve that by trouncing ruffians with a cane. Just as obvious that they are waste of time when used without bunch of debuffs.

I'm not a W8 expert, W7 is my forte, but I did run through the game 3 times and it always felt that my mages needed 2 more notches of power level to be useful with their nuke spells regardless of where I was in the game. The monsters were always a bit too tough for my mages to reliably nuke them (power level in the green) and I never found casting orange power level spells is worth the risk.

 

[Darth Canoli]

Mages can do a lot of damage and their body count is usually higher because not only they have aoe but they have a better range.
Of course, you can ditch way more damage with the fighter types but when your damage output is too high, you waste half or more of your attacks and swings, doesn't happen much with a mage.

Ultimately, a mixed party makes the fighter types shine, like when your mage freezes everyone on sight and your fighters do double damage.

Gnidrologist
Dodd the Slayer is extremely autistic, quite interesting but it throws new overpowered monsters at you: new breeders types on the roads, treasure hunters (overpowered monks) blocking some areas as a part of the new main quest.
You have to use and abuse the new crafting and enchanting system to beat the crap out of the treasure hunters and their new thieves buddies (the story ones don't scale so that's something but the roaming ones do and when you get the "new ones" it's always brutal)

Lunastralis is interesting, focused on modern weapons, also throwing some overpowered monsters at you every now and then but most of them can be avoided.

Reforged/Enhanced, i don't remember much about it, i'm not sure which version i played either but it's safe to say it's less autistic than the two previous ones (which are good nonetheless)

 

[Reality]

Avoid any Mod that puts removed Wiz 7 spells in Wiz 8 - The Alchemist's poison type spells especially scale absurdly high in Wiz 8.

 

[coldcrow]

The absolut best party in wiz8 is either a critical strike mixed party or a caster party optimized for mid-endgame melee (pure casters developing int/str). Everything else will either waste turns or lack instakill/AoE.

 

[Zboj Lamignat]

The problem with nuking casters is that enemies have absurd resistances on high difficulty (they're already rather absurd on normal tbf). When you combine that with big dmg ranges for many spells and the fact that they are unreliable to be cast on a high dice for a looong time then it becomes very meh. Pure casters still have high kill counts, because they are good at clearing chaff and glass cannons, which is of course useful in itself. I would still look mostly on buffs/debuffs when thinking about adding a pure caster, particularly ones that are not easily available via gadgets/instruments. Any added convenience is nice, but for pure casters it mostly concerns only priest (decent melee) and alchemist (potion mixing and throwing specialist, which perfectly synergizes with alchemy).

The absolut best party in wiz8 is either a critical strike mixed party or a caster party optimized for mid-endgame melee (pure casters developing int/str). Everything else will either waste turns or lack instakill/AoE.

A party that's good for a part of the game if you meta is nowhere near being the best party in the game. Also, such setups have plenty of problems and inconvenience of their own. Best party would be something that has stealth, high (and consistent!) damage from start to finish (being good early game is more important for most people, anyway), is easy and quick to develop, does not largely rely on lucky rolls and is not marred by mundane shite like encumbrance or lack of spell points. From the top of my head, something like 3-4 rogues with bard+gadgie for buffs, cc, nuking, healing and all added ease of use (lockpicking, quick camping, identifying). You can probably add a staff monk to the mix, as I think it's the best mix of pure damage, disables and instakills in the game, has stealth and is easy to "complete" as a build (just beeline for SoD and voila).