Archived from groups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.rpg (More info?)
For the longest time I was afraid to run this game on my 1 Gig Athlon
and Geoforce MX200. From all of the reviews and exclamations over how
great it looks I figured it'd never run near adequately.
I'm glad I took the plunge and decided to play it anyway because its
definately one of the better RPGs. It runs signifigantly better than
Morrowind at 800X600 32bpps. While the weather and day to night
effects seems slightly less detailed than those in Morrowind (I'm
still somewhat awed by Morrowind's night sky and sunsets) I can't
really complain with being able to walk in an actual nighttime forest
(No spriggly limbless posts as in Morrowind) with pretty convincing
nighttime sounds. (GAH! enough with the shooting stars though. That
was way overdone IMO)
Granted, it is *more* of a console RPG than Morrowind was/is (To spare
everyone I won't even go into the lack of proper mouse support
).
Its kinda ridiculous to walk everywhere carrying what has to amount to
5 tons of equipment *g*, but it does help to move things along. But
nearing the end of the game it has seemed that the designers were
prehaps a bit too generous with the amount of items they placed. I've
probably got over 300 potions, lots of high quality swords that I'm
too weak to use and spell after spell that I really don't need.
(Although it was fun summoning a Golem in the Orc Village just to see
if it could take on everyone. Yah..it creamed everyone.).
One thing which didn't impress me as much as I thought it would is in
the NPC interactions. From all the raving, I expected something more
than spoken dialogue and branching responses. Sure, its' funny as
hell when you're running away from a guard and he yells, "Come back
you pussy!", but that hardly equates the 'deep' and interactive NPC
interactions I'd expected. But if I ever want to experience being a
'drug dealer' I know which game to play. :-D
Combat seems even more of a twitch affair than Morrowind was. Even
now I still don't like it. But I suppose it is more realistic in a
way. You definately try to go one on one whenever you can. Its still
annoying to have to hack and hack at a creature and even when it seems
like your blows are connecting, nothing happens to the monsters, so
you don't know if your weapon isn't strong enough or whether they've
blocked it or not. At least the higher-level Orc characters block
your attacks so you know what's going on.
The creatures are sometimes interesting. The snappers brought back
all my worst nightmares from the Alien films.. Just when you
think you've outrunned them all, one of em pops from behind a tree a
half a mile away from where you first encountered it. YIKES! Nice
A.I. pathfinding. Although there are times when you're standing near
speaking distance and they won't recognize you. Most of the time
though I've found myself wishing the A.I. *wasn't* so sharp.
The enviroment is fairly interesting. if a bit static in terms of
roaming NPCs and encounters. It would have been nice if darkness
played a bigger part in determining what sorts of creatures were
about. Roaming pathways for the monssters would have kept things
fresh as well. And it definately needs more variety in terms of
music.
It doesn't really feel as though I'm playing a fantasy RPG. It feels
more like a wierd hybrid of some prison movie (Bad Boys with Sean
Penn) and some post-nuclear movie like Mad Max.. Even the magic
and fantasy creatures can't dispell this feeling for some reason. And
then when I'm in the Minecreeper nests I feel like I'm in an Alien
movie. :-D.
I played the game as a Swamp Camper. I wanted to join the Old Camp,
but followed the wrong quests. I'm guesing if you join the other
camps you get a somewhat different game? If there were more variety
in the encounters and the play area were bigger I would probably
consider playing through again as a New Camper, but as things stand, I
don't think I'll do this. Although I am interested in giving Gothic
2 with its larger area and improved gameplay a go sometime in the
future.
I'm currently in the Sleeper's Temple and it's pretty cool so far.
The puzzles and hidden areas are a real change of pace and welcome.
If things don't get better towards the end of the game I can say I
have no real complaints or issues with Gothic (Even the occasional
crashes aren't too horrible). Its definately one of the best RPGs out
there and should be recognized as a classic IMO. Granted, it is more
consolely and lacking with regards to its interface and character/play
stats, but it is still a fun and enjoyable game.
Next Up? Fallout 2 or IceWind Dale 2..
For the longest time I was afraid to run this game on my 1 Gig Athlon
and Geoforce MX200. From all of the reviews and exclamations over how
great it looks I figured it'd never run near adequately.
I'm glad I took the plunge and decided to play it anyway because its
definately one of the better RPGs. It runs signifigantly better than
Morrowind at 800X600 32bpps. While the weather and day to night
effects seems slightly less detailed than those in Morrowind (I'm
still somewhat awed by Morrowind's night sky and sunsets) I can't
really complain with being able to walk in an actual nighttime forest
(No spriggly limbless posts as in Morrowind) with pretty convincing
nighttime sounds. (GAH! enough with the shooting stars though. That
was way overdone IMO)
Granted, it is *more* of a console RPG than Morrowind was/is (To spare
everyone I won't even go into the lack of proper mouse support
).Its kinda ridiculous to walk everywhere carrying what has to amount to
5 tons of equipment *g*, but it does help to move things along. But
nearing the end of the game it has seemed that the designers were
prehaps a bit too generous with the amount of items they placed. I've
probably got over 300 potions, lots of high quality swords that I'm
too weak to use and spell after spell that I really don't need.
(Although it was fun summoning a Golem in the Orc Village just to see
if it could take on everyone. Yah..it creamed everyone.
).One thing which didn't impress me as much as I thought it would is in
the NPC interactions. From all the raving, I expected something more
than spoken dialogue and branching responses. Sure, its' funny as
hell when you're running away from a guard and he yells, "Come back
you pussy!", but that hardly equates the 'deep' and interactive NPC
interactions I'd expected. But if I ever want to experience being a
'drug dealer' I know which game to play. :-D
Combat seems even more of a twitch affair than Morrowind was. Even
now I still don't like it. But I suppose it is more realistic in a
way. You definately try to go one on one whenever you can. Its still
annoying to have to hack and hack at a creature and even when it seems
like your blows are connecting, nothing happens to the monsters, so
you don't know if your weapon isn't strong enough or whether they've
blocked it or not. At least the higher-level Orc characters block
your attacks so you know what's going on.
The creatures are sometimes interesting. The snappers brought back
all my worst nightmares from the Alien films.
. Just when youthink you've outrunned them all, one of em pops from behind a tree a
half a mile away from where you first encountered it. YIKES! Nice
A.I. pathfinding. Although there are times when you're standing near
speaking distance and they won't recognize you. Most of the time
though I've found myself wishing the A.I. *wasn't* so sharp.
The enviroment is fairly interesting. if a bit static in terms of
roaming NPCs and encounters. It would have been nice if darkness
played a bigger part in determining what sorts of creatures were
about. Roaming pathways for the monssters would have kept things
fresh as well. And it definately needs more variety in terms of
music.
It doesn't really feel as though I'm playing a fantasy RPG. It feels
more like a wierd hybrid of some prison movie (Bad Boys with Sean
Penn) and some post-nuclear movie like Mad Max.
. Even the magicand fantasy creatures can't dispell this feeling for some reason. And
then when I'm in the Minecreeper nests I feel like I'm in an Alien
movie. :-D.
I played the game as a Swamp Camper. I wanted to join the Old Camp,
but followed the wrong quests. I'm guesing if you join the other
camps you get a somewhat different game? If there were more variety
in the encounters and the play area were bigger I would probably
consider playing through again as a New Camper, but as things stand, I
don't think I'll do this. Although I am interested in giving Gothic
2 with its larger area and improved gameplay a go sometime in the
future.
I'm currently in the Sleeper's Temple and it's pretty cool so far.
The puzzles and hidden areas are a real change of pace and welcome.
If things don't get better towards the end of the game I can say I
have no real complaints or issues with Gothic (Even the occasional
crashes aren't too horrible). Its definately one of the best RPGs out
there and should be recognized as a classic IMO. Granted, it is more
consolely and lacking with regards to its interface and character/play
stats, but it is still a fun and enjoyable game.
Next Up? Fallout 2 or IceWind Dale 2..
But any game can be improved. I would say compared to most "RPG" 
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