Over Thanksgiving weekend, I was visitng relatives out of state, and during the visit I got into a conversation on CRPGs. One thing lead to another, and my cousin mentioned that he had a copy of PoR and he let me try it for a short time. I didn't get very far into that first dungeon, but I though the game was pretty good. I loved the origional Gold Box version as well as Curse of the Azure Bonds on my old Apple II, and I thought this was a decent sequal to the old Gold Box games. Then again, it might be nostalga since Curse was the second RPG I ever played (Bard's Tale is what got me hooked).

Browsing this forum, I see a lot of negative comments, especially about how slow it is. The only thing I thought that was bad was the movement speed of the party. Their walking speed should be the running speed, and the running speed should be at least twice as fast. Other than that, what is so bad about the game? I saw something about the uninstall bug, but that has a patch, so it shouldn't be an issue. Could somebody respond with a list of issues on why the game is so bad? I'm seriouly thinking of trying to get my own copy of it, but that's based on trying it for about half an hour, but if there are more issues, I'd like to know before I buy.

http://www.sorcerers.net/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=5;t=000136#000012

http://www.sorcerers.net/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=5;t=000140#000004

http://www.sorcerers.net/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=5;t=000142#000007


There are a plethora of bugs. The game will crash out to Windows even if fully patched on many computers at random intervals. You need the speed patch to make it vaguely playable. It is completely a dungeon crawl with only a slight (and I mean slight) trace of plot. There are stupid maneuvering issues, flawed implementation of the rules, forced feats and skills assigned to you as you level up, and even more things that I can't possibly remember.

Also, lest you think that I am horribly biased, I actually completed the game several times.

Oh, did I mention that the final battle was such a complete letdown that it tempted many users to turn the CD's into frisbees? Didn't think I had.

The party movement speed isn't the only slow thing.

Your combat opponents move even slower, and it's really painful if your enemies get a surprise round and you have to watch 15 zombies lurch very slowly over the whole screen or even further before you can do anything.

And if you are unlucky, your fight is lost before you can even do anything, you can reload after 30 minutes watching and repeat this.

After a few times my brain kicked in and I started to reload everytime this happened instead . It saved much time (10 reloads are faster than such a pre-combat round).

Annoying things experienced:

-slow
-It takes an eternity to level up after level2.
-many crashes
-you get less hp than you should when leveling up while wearing constitution increasing items (you get more while wearing con decreasing items)
-horrible dungeon design, everything looks the same and you can't even see where doors are and where not on the map, (You spend the first half of the game crawling in such dungeons.)

not annoying bugs:
-spells work different (confusion is actually hold monsters,...)
-turn undead works as hold or destroy undead (a high level pure cleric can save much time)

The game isn't so bad that I didn't finish it.
Check the available patches and mods on SP before playing.

Kmonster, I agree with everything you have said and I have only been playing the game for 2 hours. i like the game but here is a lits of what i hate about it.

1) once you strike an opponent you still have to wait until your time runs out for the next person to start their move.

2) When i look for a spell during combat, sometimes I want to sit and ponder on which spell i want to use. But before i can choose time has run out and my turn is over.

3) I'm already bored of fighter stupid zombies.

4) Dungeon is huge and empty, I would much rather have it small and have enemies at every corner (like temple of elemental evil)

5) My party walks around like they **** themselves. I installed the speed control but not sure where to adjust it.

I think thats it for now.

2) When i look for a spell during combat, sometimes I want to sit and ponder on which spell i want to use. But before i can choose time has run out and my turn is over.
You can change or even disable the time limit for your turns.

kmonster, how do you do that?

I disabled it in the options menu by choosing the slowest speed if I remember correctly. (long time ago ...)

matthew...

Regarding your first post...

The Right Shift Key or Alt button on your keyboard makes the characters run instead of walk- thats a big help. (the other one shows rolls ---VERY helpful--use it to start looking for Secret doors you hmay have missed)

And I really liked this game-- look for the post I made about gaining a few more HP "glitch" in the game.

Regarding your 2nd post...

1. Hitting the space bar moves the initiative along after you have done your action-this won't work when the enemy is done- but I hear there is a "cheat that actually makes them skip there turn- yoou could download and use that and see if you can space to skip to the end of their initiatves too.

2. Definitely go to the Game Options and set your initiative speed to the lowest- it is endless time to "ponder" and to place AOE spells safely- then just space to end the initiative- as previously explained.

3. Zombies are slow idiots and if you get the skip monster initiative going I would seriously consider using it!

4. I agree-- but there is more playtime and little quests (linear though they are) in this game- I am playing ToEE now, and they both have their plusses--I finished PoR RoMD about 4 times.

5. Wouldn't know, since-other than putting the game on run- I didn't use any Speed control

Have Fun!

maalri, thanks for the help

Anytime :)