So, after rescuing the Baronet, we came to realize that we'd just left a potentially dangerous monster just a bit deeper in this cave.
Which, you know, we were fine with until we remembered that he probably has more treasure.
We give him a pretty rude awakening with our dagger.
He teleports around the room, occasionally getting a spell off, but we're getting more professional by the hour and eventually he dissipates in a cloud of smoke.
A quick examination of the cave reveals an invisible treasure chest! We pick the lock.
Oh shit. Oh shit.
If your Pick Locks skill is too low, the chest will blow up as you fail. Having a high enough Vitality lets you survive the explosion (though it hurts really bad) and you can collect the treasure off the ground.
Sweet! Money money moooneeeyyy
moneyyyy
Well played, Mr. Centaur. Well played.
We give the Fairy Dust to the Healer and she tells us it's going to take quite some time to make. We step outside and immediately knock on her door again.
Lying bitch.
We go ahead and stock up on all three potion types while we're here. Stamina potions are the most useful; they instantly return all of your stamina, letting you grind at whatever skill you need practiced without wasting daylight by resting.
Although, the mana potions are about to come in very handy as well.
Our Thief sense is tingling, and we feel like there will be a covert meeting between the conspirators in the prior bar note we picked up. Sure enough, upon arriving back at the bar, there's another note on the ground.
Intriguing. Well, we wouldn't want them to meet without us, would we?
The man in the black cape is Bruno. He hangs around the front gate to town around midday every day. He's a dick.
"What's the bee in her bonnet?"
"Seems the 'hero' wandering around here has her leery."
"She thinks he's going to go for the gold on her head. What's it ta do with us?"
"She's been asking too many questions 'bout us. And the laughing jackass's eyeing me. I had to sneak out."
"Then we got to avoid the ambush and use the back for a bit, 'til the heat is off."
"Maybe we should just make our move now."
"While she's busy with 'him', we take over. She'll take him out easy, then we take her out."
"Where's the back door, then?"
"Where the bouncer hops around. Ya got your key still? Don't lose it. I got the only other one. You'll haveta searh the rock for the keyhole. It's hidden good. And remember the 'word'."
"What word?"
"The 'word' what lets ya in so that Fred goes away."
"Oh, yeah, sure. What is it?"
"Hiden goseke. Don't forget it."
"You think I'm a dummy or somethin'?"
"Say the 'word' before ya go in the door or ya might make Fred mad. Ya don't want Fred to get mad."
"Hey, no problem. What's the 'word' again?"
"Hiden goseke. I gotta get back before the Chief misses me. Be back in a bit."
"Hiden goseke. See ya."
Heh
Heh heh heh
Hehehehehehe
YOU DEAD SUCKA
Let's go see if he's still got that key on him!
OH SHI-
Basically, you can't go to any of the forest screens south or east of the archery range for a good long while after this meeting, or Bruno kills you. You don't even get to run away.
So we wait a while.
Sweet, now we know about a rockin' awesome back way into the brigand fortress when we decide to go. Technically, we could go now, but I'd sure like to collect the reward for the Baronet rescue first, and there's still other things to do around here.
Also, it's only Day 4, and we should really practice our skills before moving on to the next game.
We've become good enough at combat to kill brigands, now.
And we've maxed out stealth, so it's time to stop slinking around everywhere we go. Now we should loosen up and welcome more random monster encounters, so our Strength, Weapon Use, Vitality, Agility, and Dodge go up some.
I'M NOT APPROACHING YOU, I DON'T WANT TO TALK TO YOU, WHAT IS THE MATTER WITH YOU
We pass by Bruno's usual hangout.
If you don't help the beggar, this is another way to find out that there are thieves in the alleyway who will give you the password. Just make the Sign to Bruno.
Before we head to the castle for our reward... we should definitely hit up Zauberberg and challenge Erasmus to a game for the final spell in our arsenal. We will also finally hear the damn prophecy.
When I played the game in elementary school, both me and my brothers never noticed the note crumpled on the floor of the bar. Maybe it was because we were playing in mind-blowing 4 color CGA, or maybe it was just because we didn't think that a scrap of paper on a dirty floor was any more interesting than the other junk lying around.
The entire sequence is optional though.
You can storm the brigand stronghold from the front if you're a fighter.
The open spell and calm work fine for going through the trap door.
The thief can pick the lock and sneak past the troll.
I remember that us figuring out there was a trap door on the antwerp screen by a total fluke. I think Bruno told us to fight the antwerp and we were just trying all sorts of crazy stuff on that screen.
the Thief can only sneak past the minotaur. The troll in the cavern will force you into a battle if you don't say the 'word'. So witnessing the meeting at the archery range is the "true" Thief path, since Thieves get points for saying the word and no other class does.
You didn't head to the castle immediately after freeing the baronet (sounds like a snack. Try our delicious new baronets! They're extra haughty!). Mind if I hit that part up?
the Thief can only sneak past the minotaur. The troll in the cavern will force you into a battle if you don't say the 'word'. So witnessing the meeting at the archery range is the "true" Thief path, since Thieves get points for saying the word and no other class does.
All classes get points for saying the word I believe. I'll confirm when my fighter gets to that point. They tried to force all classes to go that route. As far as going in the front gate, the EGA version is easier, but the VGA version is really tough if I remember from 3 years ago when I last played. I'll give it a shot though.
Edit: Imageshack, what the hell use is a "remember me" button if you don't REMEMBER ME?!?!
Well the weapon master done did a number on me, and even that little Saurus took quite a bit out of me! I reckon I'm gonna have to train up my body a bit more to be the true hero that I want to be!
<Begin 80's Training Music>
That's quite unusual! Time to practice my throwing to see if that rock up there is anything!
Damn!
Got it! Nothin's happened...lets give it another good whack
Indeed!
Why it's 'enry the 'ermit. Dressed in...himself. I think that I need to train OUT of his cave.
That's what I said to your mom too! Die Goblin!
Ran into the Dryad, asked us for the seed. Can't climb, but can throw!
The seed is mine! Must take it back...must not eat the acorn she gives me...
I've run into a brigand! Now my true heroness will shine as I rid this valley of these evildoers...maybe...*stares at stamina and the brigand's health* Um...
He who runs away...lives to train another day
Sanctuary!!!! Sanctuary!!!!
<Music Continues>
Pumpin up...
<Music Continues>
Getting Stronger!
Taking a second out to talk about Stats.
joshofalltrades already explained most of them, but specifically I want to mention how health and stamina are calculated. Your maximum stamina is the average of your vitality and your agility. It's easy to deduce that both are equally important for the fighter. Your maximum health is 1/3 strength + 2/3 vitality. Vitality is contributes more to health, but obviously strength is important simply for bashing things. (As an aside, mana points = 1/3 intelligence + 2/3 magic, but who cares about magic.)
Eye of the Tiger!!!
This is NOT my trainer either...he's bad news. Really bad news. Better keep my eye on him.
Just about powerful enough to take on some large unidentified creatures!
Like this one! AHHH Wait, this one, what the hell is that?!
I REPEAT, what the hell is that!!!
Run away, run away!
The next day, I run into this chipper fellow...damn he smells.
No shit, sherlock.
I am going to TAKE him DOWN.
Freaking hell son of a biscuit with gravy.
I'll get you....and your little club too!
This training segment brought to you by the Healer's Stamina Potions. They're invigorating!
I want to address the battle with the Manta-ray and the ogre real quick.
I was playing both of them dumb at the moment for fun, but there is some strategy involved with both.
The ogre is actually pretty easy, but you need to time your hits with his animations so that he's leaning forward to you. Otherwise you just whiff most of your hits.
The manta ray is my least favorite enemy in this game. He has no loot. He floats around on the screen and can only be hit when near you, plus he doesn't have any loot. And he shoots some pretty hard hitting spark balls out of his tail at you which the combat system makes it annoying to dodge. He also has no loot.
Been a long time since I've played this (and I preferred the EGA version), but you can't break into the Sherrif's house if you don't do it in the same night as the old lady's, right? Because they bar the door the evening after the first robbery. Not that you really need the money.
But nah, once you get stamina up they're not too tough. You pretty much spend the whole time clicking the Dodge or Parry buttons until he's within melee range, and then you forcibly extract his shit through beatings.
When we last met our intrepid hero, he had decided that training up, and using his discretion a few times (it is the better part of valor) was the way to go. During his wandering however...
What in the...balls? You mean that thing in the guild hall was REAL? It's a blue bowling pin with a gastrointestinal tract and eyes!
But when you DO see them, you can't unsee them.
If I had a camera, I would so be using it right now. Lets move on to another unexplored area though!
This looks like a nice valley, rather scenic really. But my fighter sense is tingling...
Oh yeah. Tingling HARD. Between my shoulder blades to be exact.
I'm going to back out of here. Slowly. There's got to be a better way through this. That, or I need more muscles!
Gettin' more muscle!
I'd say it's time for the ogre to die
Have at thee!
Oh yeah, your fancy shrek dance moves don't stand a chance against my pointy sword that never actually connects with your body!
Victory!
Damn it feels good to be the hero.
No loot, but he has a treasure chest!
Like this is a problem for a man of my muscles, lets just break it open.
Awww you ain't so bad. Just like some of the critters back home.
Feed him and scratch behind his ear (warning, do not scratch behind his ear) and he's a tame fellow.
What in the world did I end up with when I left home? Ogres, Antwerps, Goons, flying hell monsters, and now a Kobold...good grief. I had no idea a hero was this...complex.
Poor guy, never seeing the sun on his face...though it would probably char him to a crisp.
My mom always told me, never eat anything that can grow between your toes.
Uh oh, I think I woke him up.
He's mad
But I'm good, especially at cutting calluses off even the most unsightly feet.
Oh I KNOW you didn't throw that magic bolt at ME
Victory! He left in a poof of smoke and dropped his key.
Consider it mine.
Oh ho ho, now what could this be?
Locked shmocked. Lets just force it open like I did the ogre's chest.
Ready....
Set...
ARGH, My eyebrows are on fire!
Damn good thing I've been training for the past several days, that might have hurt!
Subtracts a decent amount of health points. Have enough and you can survive the bashing.
All in a day for a hero!
That's cause I used my patented bear scritching techniques. Plus I fed it. Even I get angry when not fed.
The power of Christ compels thee!
Good lord, this guy has been taking lessons from the weapons master in how to be a dick.
Time to head back to get my reward for freeing the baronet! Captain Pork says that the Baron is waiting for me.
Trumpet fanfare and all. Now THIS is what I signed onto being a hero for.
Monies! Hard earned well deserved Monies!
And food! And a big warm bed. Hot damn that's better than the stable!
I...yeah...I found it. Thanks for letting me know.
As much as I love crushing brigands, I'm not too keen on being a pincushion. This is worth investigating.
A prophecy...could I actually...possibly...be helping to fulfill it? I am from the east...and I did free the man from beast. But...the band having a child? I mean Justin Bieber IS young, but...oh the -brigand- band. But...a child? And who's this curser? I haven't even seen her yet...
This is a lot to take in. Lets just head to dinner and a good night's sleep.
This, my friends, is what being a hero is all about. Saving those in distress, and getting a good turducken meal afterwards.
Next set...the plot thickens.
Edit: Slightly longer update than normal, but I wanted to emphasize that Fighter pretty much bashes and slashes his way through everything. (so much for puzzle solving eh?) I also couldn't resist throwing up the antwerp.
Sometimes it's fun to kill the bear and ignore Baba Yaga.
Points aren't what's important man.
Did points ever hug you?
Do they tell you that they love you?
Do they look after you when you're sick?
I'm just saying, sometimes its fun to do the wrong thing.
Sadly you've found out my one weakness and downfall...completionism. Yes, I AM trying to go for max points in each game. Though at this point I realize what I should do is make separate saves so I can rampage in them.
Then again, you could explain it away by saying I plan on becoming a Paladin, and would I really act that way if I were?
If I may make a humble suggestion, it would be nice if you would save the game prior to entering the brigand fortress and show both routes in (secret door/ambush). My Thief isn't going the ambush route at all.
Sadly you've found out my one weakness and downfall...completionism. Yes, I AM trying to go for max points in each game. Though at this point I realize what I should do is make separate saves so I can rampage in them.
Then again, you could explain it away by saying I plan on becoming a Paladin, and would I really act that way if I were?
Well, even a Paladin can't tell a Bear from a Bearonet (sorry)
Yeah that's a good call. I planned to do it anyways but that re-enforces my desire to do that.
Edit: About storming the fortress I mean. Couple more posts while I was on the phone.
I have sets 5 and 6 uploaded, just need to make some posts on them when my head's not woozy.
EditEdit: Most of you have likely notices joshofalltrades and I are pretty much screaming through the game. Two reasons (at least for me) A) The first game can be beat in a few hours easily if you go at it steadily. It's really not that long, and we both REALLY wanna get into the vga remake of the 2nd game. So if we're missing anything you wanna see, sorry! Or at least make a note of what you'd like to see and I may have a save back where I can hit it up again.
Sadly you've found out my one weakness and downfall...completionism. Yes, I AM trying to go for max points in each game. Though at this point I realize what I should do is make separate saves so I can rampage in them.
Then again, you could explain it away by saying I plan on becoming a Paladin, and would I really act that way if I were?
Well, even a Paladin can't tell a Bear from a Bearonet (sorry)
When last we left Hamburglar, he was at the base of an extremely high mountain. Welp, nothing for it. Let's try and climb up.
A sign appears as soon as we take a step forward, followed by another.
Oh boy. You can just tell that whoever is at the top of this mountain really likes puns.
The camera pans up and allows us a glance at our destination.
Ugh, that's, like, work. Not doing that again.
The gargoyle is speaking to us, and...
...he's a Python fan.
Seriously, what is with 90's Sierra adventure games and their need to make sure you watched the same movies and TV shows they did?
I'm taking the high road here, answering the stupid questions and not making any more Holy Grail references to show how cool I am because I have the whole damn thing memorized.
hurf durf
Really? Are you sure? You don't want to quiz me on some Star Wars trivia while you've got me here?
When he says "DO NOT DALLY" he means it. Hang around eyeballing shit for no reason and you're forcibly ejected back to the foot of the mountain, and you get to answer more ridiculous questions when you climb back up.
Trying to steal anything from Erasmus has the exact same effect. Besides, stealing from arguably the most powerful and whimsical Wizard in the entire valley is probably a really terrible idea.
We head straight up.
The Erasmus painting snaps its fingers and disappears, followed by the rat up on the bookshelf.
"Fenrus, our guest has arrived."
Oh, hey man. Sorry the Botox didn't work out.
Fenrus is the rat familiar of Erasmus. The one thing that really bothers me about this series is that you never get a familiar (at least, not until Dragon Fire, but I never played through that one as a pure mage). He floats the cheese over to himself from the table; apparently he also knows the Fetch spell.
"Since you are a practitioner or the magical arts, you might be interested in a little game I have. Do you know the spell 'Open'?"
Erasmus goes down the list of spells it is possible to obtain in this game (with the exception of Erasmus' Razzle Dazzle) and we tell him that yes, we have every one of them. It's possible to lie to him about which spells you have; he simply believes you and allows you to play the Mages' Maze with him. It is, however, impossible to beat the Maze without certain spells.
"I'll teach you the Dazzle spell if you win."
Eeeeeee! I'm going to be just like Edward! Or... Jacob, I never actually watched Twilight. Eeeeee!
So. Pretty.
The Mages' Maze is a little minigame in which you use your spells to get your little blue flame guy down to the lower right part of the screen. Meanwhile, Erasmus' little purple flame guy is racing you there. Whoever gets to the finish first, wins.
The flask on the left is your mana indicator, and you click on it to drink a mana potion when you're out. The hand icon activates the Fetch spell, which lets you grab ladders or bridges to make a path for your flame. The door casts Open, which opens the boulders in the rock faces. The picture of your flame casts Trigger, which changes the size of the flame. Big flames can't climb ladders or go through doors, but if you're close to Erasmus' flame you'll eat him, forcing him to start over. Medium flames can climb ladders and smaller flames pass through doorways. The Flame Dart spell is useless, all it does is attract your flame to the location you cast it at. But your flame already moves quickly towards the exit if there's an open pathway leading there, so don't waste your mana on it.
We beat Erasmus easily by stealing ladders from him, slowing him down pretty substantially.
Haha! Some wizard you are! I suck at magic and I still beat you!
Erasmus teaches us his Razzle Dazzle spell. It has some limited utility, and in combat stuns monsters. Duration depends on how high your expertise is.
After the game... the jokes begin.
"Do you know what time it is when Otto walks through your door? Time to get a new door! Do you know what's big, purple, and eats ungefaehr-liche dinge? Big, purple ungefaehr-liche dinge eaters!"
"Large purple ungefaehr-liche dinge eaters are all too common in the forest these days."
OKAY stop telling jokes so I can ask you some questions
FFFFFUUUUUUUU-
"Is it true that a monster can't hurt you if you're carrying a torch? Actually it depends on how fast you carry it!"
OMIGOD just let me ask you about Baba Yaga!
"Baba Yaga is good at curses and shape-changing spells. She has a nasty temper, and doesn't believe in 'Safe Hex', so it's best to stay on her good side. You have to watch her. She cheats at cards."
"So do you!"
"She started it first. Besides, I wanted her to get a taste of her own medicine."
"Shame she still beats you."
Sooooo much banter I'm just clicking through it
"The curse Baba Yaga placed upon Baron von Spielburg was a good example of creative cursing.
Upon von Spielburg and all his clan,
This the curse I now demand:
What I will shall come full measure,
So shall ye lose all that ye treasure.
A countercurse is a cure for a curse. It usually works against the one who cast the curse in the first place. The countercurse for the curse of the Baron goes:
Come a hero from the East
Free the man from in the beast
Bring the child from out the band
Drive the curser from the land.
So, to break the curse, a hero must get rid of Baba Yaga, in addition to all the other things. It does not reflect well on Baba Yaga."
"Nothing reflects well on that Ogress. She has a face that would break anything but a Magic Mirror."
Huh? Hey, I almost fell asleep there, but that right there was pretty interesting. Tell me more.
"There are many types of magic mirrors. One of the more common types is the one that has a strange face popping up every so often."
"Reminds me of the one in the master bedroom."
Ugh more banter
"That's not magical."
"No, but it does have a strange face peering from it whenever you are in the room."
"At any rate, I used to have a nice magic hand mirror I misplaced around here somewhere. It could be used to reflect a spell back at the caster."
Now that's finally some useful information. Need to find that mirror...
"Do you know what you get when a Tyrannosaurus running 25 mph eastward meets another Tyrannosaurus running 15 mph westward? Tyrannosaurus wrecks! Did you hear the joke about the witches' broom?"
No, I did not hear that one, nor do I want--
"That's odd. It's sweeping the valley!"
"Let's just brush that one aside, shall we?"
Aaaaand on that note, we stand up to leave...
Eh? What are you...
Oh. Well at least we didn't have to walk all the way back. Our Stamina thanks you, Erasmus!
But not our Intelligence. I am pretty sure it has lowered considerably after that meeting.
Normally I cut out a lot of the dialog, especially because much of it is superfluous and not terribly relevant to anything. It's important I put the curse and counter-curse in there, though, or none of what we're doing makes much sense, and when you hear it at the end of the game it's like, "Wha?"
Even though most of Erasmus' dialog is just really terrible puns and banter between him and Fenrus, I included it as well, since he's a pretty major character in the series and I thought it was important to capture his whimsical nature for this LP.
EDIT: Also, damn you gjaustin. I was going to point that out. How about this instead: John Rhys-Davies (yes, that John Rhys-Davies) is the narrator for QFG4.
Why does it seem like most readers of this LP are across the Atlantic from me?
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MorninglordI'm tired of being Batman,so today I'll be Owl.Registered Userregular
edited March 2011
You left? But his jokes were simply fabulous. FABULOUS.
Morninglord on
(PSN: Morninglord) (Steam: Morninglord) (WiiU: Morninglord22) I like to record and toss up a lot of random gaming videos here.
When we left, Jethro had just rescued the baronet, and between the ogre, kobold, and the rescue reward, had just earned himself a pretty good sum of cash. What else to do now but spend it!
First on some undead unguent
Lets see what this shop has in it...perhaps some few things an adventurer could use?
Sounds thrilling, egghead.
No magic +5 swords of ogre slaying? But...chainmail you say?
Expensive chainmail. A great upgrade to my leather armor though.
*sniffs* He's just gonna break it down into shoes isn't he.
Any other shops open? Doesn't seem like it. And I get a BS factor from that sign too...
Yeup
Heroes thrive on unfriendly places. Most of them.
I'm going to have to have a talk with this Erasmus character...
Ain't it shiny!?
She is a comely lass, even if she has the back of an...
Her father. Why am I not surprised?
Time to wait for nightfall and kill a few more brigands who just walk into my arms. Come on guys, I'm killing ogres now, you are small meat!
At least they provide the loots.
Spying? Not I sir, I just happened to walk into what must have been a private conversation, took a nap, and decided to ask you about it. Fighter doesn't throw daggers. Fighter just attacks.
Like so. Aww, he's just a plain ol brigand.
Now he's a dead brigand.
Not only is the game full of puns, it just LOVES to state the obvious.
I head through the goblin area...and they decide to attack ME! Well, we know what happens to them by now....but this is only a warmup...for as I continue walking through the woods...
Holy Erana mother of all that is peaceful and calm. I recognize that from my manuals! That's a Cheetaur!!! Time to buckle up hero.
Those claws are fierce, my shield defends against them, I shall prevail no matter what!
Direct hit! Side note...I love this screenshot.
It falls before me. Not even the cheetaur is able to withstand my sword, shield, and new shiny chainmail armor.
No loot, but if you've talked to the healer about ingredients, she mentions she needs claws. That's a good thing, you can sell them for a lot.
This means it's almost time for me to fulfill Baba's wish...still need to talk to this Erasmus fellow.
Coming up next: Fairy Twilight and Fighting at Night
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Which, you know, we were fine with until we remembered that he probably has more treasure.
We give him a pretty rude awakening with our dagger.
He teleports around the room, occasionally getting a spell off, but we're getting more professional by the hour and eventually he dissipates in a cloud of smoke.
A quick examination of the cave reveals an invisible treasure chest! We pick the lock.
Oh shit. Oh shit.
If your Pick Locks skill is too low, the chest will blow up as you fail. Having a high enough Vitality lets you survive the explosion (though it hurts really bad) and you can collect the treasure off the ground.
Sweet! Money money moooneeeyyy
moneyyyy
Well played, Mr. Centaur. Well played.
We give the Fairy Dust to the Healer and she tells us it's going to take quite some time to make. We step outside and immediately knock on her door again.
Lying bitch.
We go ahead and stock up on all three potion types while we're here. Stamina potions are the most useful; they instantly return all of your stamina, letting you grind at whatever skill you need practiced without wasting daylight by resting.
Although, the mana potions are about to come in very handy as well.
Our Thief sense is tingling, and we feel like there will be a covert meeting between the conspirators in the prior bar note we picked up. Sure enough, upon arriving back at the bar, there's another note on the ground.
Intriguing. Well, we wouldn't want them to meet without us, would we?
The man in the black cape is Bruno. He hangs around the front gate to town around midday every day. He's a dick.
"What's the bee in her bonnet?"
"Seems the 'hero' wandering around here has her leery."
"She thinks he's going to go for the gold on her head. What's it ta do with us?"
"She's been asking too many questions 'bout us. And the laughing jackass's eyeing me. I had to sneak out."
"Then we got to avoid the ambush and use the back for a bit, 'til the heat is off."
"Maybe we should just make our move now."
"While she's busy with 'him', we take over. She'll take him out easy, then we take her out."
"Where's the back door, then?"
"Where the bouncer hops around. Ya got your key still? Don't lose it. I got the only other one. You'll haveta searh the rock for the keyhole. It's hidden good. And remember the 'word'."
"What word?"
"The 'word' what lets ya in so that Fred goes away."
"Oh, yeah, sure. What is it?"
"Hiden goseke. Don't forget it."
"You think I'm a dummy or somethin'?"
"Say the 'word' before ya go in the door or ya might make Fred mad. Ya don't want Fred to get mad."
"Hey, no problem. What's the 'word' again?"
"Hiden goseke. I gotta get back before the Chief misses me. Be back in a bit."
"Hiden goseke. See ya."
Heh
Heh heh heh
Hehehehehehe
YOU DEAD SUCKA
Let's go see if he's still got that key on him!
OH SHI-
Basically, you can't go to any of the forest screens south or east of the archery range for a good long while after this meeting, or Bruno kills you. You don't even get to run away.
So we wait a while.
Sweet, now we know about a rockin' awesome back way into the brigand fortress when we decide to go. Technically, we could go now, but I'd sure like to collect the reward for the Baronet rescue first, and there's still other things to do around here.
Also, it's only Day 4, and we should really practice our skills before moving on to the next game.
We've become good enough at combat to kill brigands, now.
And we've maxed out stealth, so it's time to stop slinking around everywhere we go. Now we should loosen up and welcome more random monster encounters, so our Strength, Weapon Use, Vitality, Agility, and Dodge go up some.
I'M NOT APPROACHING YOU, I DON'T WANT TO TALK TO YOU, WHAT IS THE MATTER WITH YOU
We pass by Bruno's usual hangout.
If you don't help the beggar, this is another way to find out that there are thieves in the alleyway who will give you the password. Just make the Sign to Bruno.
Before we head to the castle for our reward... we should definitely hit up Zauberberg and challenge Erasmus to a game for the final spell in our arsenal. We will also finally hear the damn prophecy.
The entire sequence is optional though.
The open spell and calm work fine for going through the trap door.
The thief can pick the lock and sneak past the troll.
I remember that us figuring out there was a trap door on the antwerp screen by a total fluke. I think Bruno told us to fight the antwerp and we were just trying all sorts of crazy stuff on that screen.
All classes get points for saying the word I believe. I'll confirm when my fighter gets to that point. They tried to force all classes to go that route. As far as going in the front gate, the EGA version is easier, but the VGA version is really tough if I remember from 3 years ago when I last played. I'll give it a shot though.
Edit: Imageshack, what the hell use is a "remember me" button if you don't REMEMBER ME?!?!
<Begin 80's Training Music>
That's quite unusual! Time to practice my throwing to see if that rock up there is anything!
Damn!
Got it! Nothin's happened...lets give it another good whack
Indeed!
Why it's 'enry the 'ermit. Dressed in...himself. I think that I need to train OUT of his cave.
That's what I said to your mom too! Die Goblin!
Ran into the Dryad, asked us for the seed. Can't climb, but can throw!
The seed is mine! Must take it back...must not eat the acorn she gives me...
I've run into a brigand! Now my true heroness will shine as I rid this valley of these evildoers...maybe...*stares at stamina and the brigand's health* Um...
He who runs away...lives to train another day
Sanctuary!!!! Sanctuary!!!!
<Music Continues>
Pumpin up...
<Music Continues>
Getting Stronger!
Taking a second out to talk about Stats.
Eye of the Tiger!!!
This is NOT my trainer either...he's bad news. Really bad news. Better keep my eye on him.
Just about powerful enough to take on some large unidentified creatures!
Like this one! AHHH Wait, this one, what the hell is that?!
I REPEAT, what the hell is that!!!
Run away, run away!
The next day, I run into this chipper fellow...damn he smells.
No shit, sherlock.
I am going to TAKE him DOWN.
Freaking hell son of a biscuit with gravy.
I'll get you....and your little club too!
This training segment brought to you by the Healer's Stamina Potions. They're invigorating!
I want to address the battle with the Manta-ray and the ogre real quick.
The ogre is actually pretty easy, but you need to time your hits with his animations so that he's leaning forward to you. Otherwise you just whiff most of your hits.
The manta ray is my least favorite enemy in this game. He has no loot. He floats around on the screen and can only be hit when near you, plus he doesn't have any loot. And he shoots some pretty hard hitting spark balls out of his tail at you which the combat system makes it annoying to dodge. He also has no loot.
Insomia update. More tomorrow!
DAN...DAN DAN DAN....DAN DAN DAAAAAANNNNNNNN
*coughs*
*stops dancing*
I was listening to Paul Stanley's "Live To Win" while reading it which made it even more funny.
Personally, I was going with "Gonna Fly Now" while reading that.
Magic. Flame darts home in and wreck them.
I imagine throwing rocks or daggers at them from afar would work as well, but that's not the way I roll.
But nah, once you get stamina up they're not too tough. You pretty much spend the whole time clicking the Dodge or Parry buttons until he's within melee range, and then you forcibly extract his shit through beatings.
What in the...balls? You mean that thing in the guild hall was REAL? It's a blue bowling pin with a gastrointestinal tract and eyes!
But when you DO see them, you can't unsee them.
If I had a camera, I would so be using it right now. Lets move on to another unexplored area though!
This looks like a nice valley, rather scenic really. But my fighter sense is tingling...
Oh yeah. Tingling HARD. Between my shoulder blades to be exact.
I'm going to back out of here. Slowly. There's got to be a better way through this. That, or I need more muscles!
Gettin' more muscle!
I'd say it's time for the ogre to die
Have at thee!
Oh yeah, your fancy shrek dance moves don't stand a chance against my pointy sword that never actually connects with your body!
Victory!
Damn it feels good to be the hero.
No loot, but he has a treasure chest!
Like this is a problem for a man of my muscles, lets just break it open.
Awww you ain't so bad. Just like some of the critters back home.
Feed him and scratch behind his ear (warning, do not scratch behind his ear) and he's a tame fellow.
What in the world did I end up with when I left home? Ogres, Antwerps, Goons, flying hell monsters, and now a Kobold...good grief. I had no idea a hero was this...complex.
Poor guy, never seeing the sun on his face...though it would probably char him to a crisp.
My mom always told me, never eat anything that can grow between your toes.
Uh oh, I think I woke him up.
He's mad
But I'm good, especially at cutting calluses off even the most unsightly feet.
Oh I KNOW you didn't throw that magic bolt at ME
Victory! He left in a poof of smoke and dropped his key.
Consider it mine.
Oh ho ho, now what could this be?
Locked shmocked. Lets just force it open like I did the ogre's chest.
Ready....
Set...
ARGH, My eyebrows are on fire!
Damn good thing I've been training for the past several days, that might have hurt!
Subtracts a decent amount of health points. Have enough and you can survive the bashing.
All in a day for a hero!
That's cause I used my patented bear scritching techniques. Plus I fed it. Even I get angry when not fed.
The power of Christ compels thee!
Good lord, this guy has been taking lessons from the weapons master in how to be a dick.
Time to head back to get my reward for freeing the baronet! Captain Pork says that the Baron is waiting for me.
Trumpet fanfare and all. Now THIS is what I signed onto being a hero for.
Monies! Hard earned well deserved Monies!
And food! And a big warm bed. Hot damn that's better than the stable!
I...yeah...I found it. Thanks for letting me know.
As much as I love crushing brigands, I'm not too keen on being a pincushion. This is worth investigating.
A prophecy...could I actually...possibly...be helping to fulfill it? I am from the east...and I did free the man from beast. But...the band having a child? I mean Justin Bieber IS young, but...oh the -brigand- band. But...a child? And who's this curser? I haven't even seen her yet...
This is a lot to take in. Lets just head to dinner and a good night's sleep.
This, my friends, is what being a hero is all about. Saving those in distress, and getting a good turducken meal afterwards.
Edit: Slightly longer update than normal, but I wanted to emphasize that Fighter pretty much bashes and slashes his way through everything. (so much for puzzle solving eh?) I also couldn't resist throwing up the antwerp.
Points aren't what's important man.
Did points ever hug you?
Do they tell you that they love you?
Do they look after you when you're sick?
I'm just saying, sometimes its fun to do the wrong thing.
Then again, you could explain it away by saying I plan on becoming a Paladin, and would I really act that way if I were?
Well, even a Paladin can't tell a Bear from a Bearonet (sorry)
I'm probably going to post another update or 2 here in a while
Edit: About storming the fortress I mean. Couple more posts while I was on the phone.
I have sets 5 and 6 uploaded, just need to make some posts on them when my head's not woozy.
EditEdit: Most of you have likely notices joshofalltrades and I are pretty much screaming through the game. Two reasons (at least for me) A) The first game can be beat in a few hours easily if you go at it steadily. It's really not that long, and we both REALLY wanna get into the vga remake of the 2nd game. So if we're missing anything you wanna see, sorry! Or at least make a note of what you'd like to see and I may have a save back where I can hit it up again.
Oops...
A sign appears as soon as we take a step forward, followed by another.
Oh boy. You can just tell that whoever is at the top of this mountain really likes puns.
The camera pans up and allows us a glance at our destination.
Ugh, that's, like, work. Not doing that again.
The gargoyle is speaking to us, and...
...he's a Python fan.
Seriously, what is with 90's Sierra adventure games and their need to make sure you watched the same movies and TV shows they did?
I'm taking the high road here, answering the stupid questions and not making any more Holy Grail references to show how cool I am because I have the whole damn thing memorized.
hurf durf
Really? Are you sure? You don't want to quiz me on some Star Wars trivia while you've got me here?
When he says "DO NOT DALLY" he means it. Hang around eyeballing shit for no reason and you're forcibly ejected back to the foot of the mountain, and you get to answer more ridiculous questions when you climb back up.
Trying to steal anything from Erasmus has the exact same effect. Besides, stealing from arguably the most powerful and whimsical Wizard in the entire valley is probably a really terrible idea.
We head straight up.
The Erasmus painting snaps its fingers and disappears, followed by the rat up on the bookshelf.
"Fenrus, our guest has arrived."
Oh, hey man. Sorry the Botox didn't work out.
Fenrus is the rat familiar of Erasmus. The one thing that really bothers me about this series is that you never get a familiar (at least, not until Dragon Fire, but I never played through that one as a pure mage). He floats the cheese over to himself from the table; apparently he also knows the Fetch spell.
"Since you are a practitioner or the magical arts, you might be interested in a little game I have. Do you know the spell 'Open'?"
Erasmus goes down the list of spells it is possible to obtain in this game (with the exception of Erasmus' Razzle Dazzle) and we tell him that yes, we have every one of them. It's possible to lie to him about which spells you have; he simply believes you and allows you to play the Mages' Maze with him. It is, however, impossible to beat the Maze without certain spells.
"I'll teach you the Dazzle spell if you win."
Eeeeeee! I'm going to be just like Edward! Or... Jacob, I never actually watched Twilight. Eeeeee!
So. Pretty.
The Mages' Maze is a little minigame in which you use your spells to get your little blue flame guy down to the lower right part of the screen. Meanwhile, Erasmus' little purple flame guy is racing you there. Whoever gets to the finish first, wins.
The flask on the left is your mana indicator, and you click on it to drink a mana potion when you're out. The hand icon activates the Fetch spell, which lets you grab ladders or bridges to make a path for your flame. The door casts Open, which opens the boulders in the rock faces. The picture of your flame casts Trigger, which changes the size of the flame. Big flames can't climb ladders or go through doors, but if you're close to Erasmus' flame you'll eat him, forcing him to start over. Medium flames can climb ladders and smaller flames pass through doorways. The Flame Dart spell is useless, all it does is attract your flame to the location you cast it at. But your flame already moves quickly towards the exit if there's an open pathway leading there, so don't waste your mana on it.
We beat Erasmus easily by stealing ladders from him, slowing him down pretty substantially.
Haha! Some wizard you are! I suck at magic and I still beat you!
Erasmus teaches us his Razzle Dazzle spell. It has some limited utility, and in combat stuns monsters. Duration depends on how high your expertise is.
After the game... the jokes begin.
"Do you know what time it is when Otto walks through your door? Time to get a new door! Do you know what's big, purple, and eats ungefaehr-liche dinge? Big, purple ungefaehr-liche dinge eaters!"
"Large purple ungefaehr-liche dinge eaters are all too common in the forest these days."
OKAY stop telling jokes so I can ask you some questions
FFFFFUUUUUUUU-
"Is it true that a monster can't hurt you if you're carrying a torch? Actually it depends on how fast you carry it!"
OMIGOD just let me ask you about Baba Yaga!
"Baba Yaga is good at curses and shape-changing spells. She has a nasty temper, and doesn't believe in 'Safe Hex', so it's best to stay on her good side. You have to watch her. She cheats at cards."
"So do you!"
"She started it first. Besides, I wanted her to get a taste of her own medicine."
"Shame she still beats you."
Sooooo much banter I'm just clicking through it
"The curse Baba Yaga placed upon Baron von Spielburg was a good example of creative cursing.
Upon von Spielburg and all his clan,
This the curse I now demand:
What I will shall come full measure,
So shall ye lose all that ye treasure.
A countercurse is a cure for a curse. It usually works against the one who cast the curse in the first place. The countercurse for the curse of the Baron goes:
Come a hero from the East
Free the man from in the beast
Bring the child from out the band
Drive the curser from the land.
So, to break the curse, a hero must get rid of Baba Yaga, in addition to all the other things. It does not reflect well on Baba Yaga."
"Nothing reflects well on that Ogress. She has a face that would break anything but a Magic Mirror."
Huh? Hey, I almost fell asleep there, but that right there was pretty interesting. Tell me more.
"There are many types of magic mirrors. One of the more common types is the one that has a strange face popping up every so often."
"Reminds me of the one in the master bedroom."
Ugh more banter
"That's not magical."
"No, but it does have a strange face peering from it whenever you are in the room."
"At any rate, I used to have a nice magic hand mirror I misplaced around here somewhere. It could be used to reflect a spell back at the caster."
Now that's finally some useful information. Need to find that mirror...
"Do you know what you get when a Tyrannosaurus running 25 mph eastward meets another Tyrannosaurus running 15 mph westward? Tyrannosaurus wrecks! Did you hear the joke about the witches' broom?"
No, I did not hear that one, nor do I want--
"That's odd. It's sweeping the valley!"
"Let's just brush that one aside, shall we?"
Aaaaand on that note, we stand up to leave...
Eh? What are you...
Oh. Well at least we didn't have to walk all the way back. Our Stamina thanks you, Erasmus!
But not our Intelligence. I am pretty sure it has lowered considerably after that meeting.
Even though most of Erasmus' dialog is just really terrible puns and banter between him and Fenrus, I included it as well, since he's a pretty major character in the series and I thought it was important to capture his whimsical nature for this LP.
EDIT: Also, damn you gjaustin. I was going to point that out. How about this instead: John Rhys-Davies (yes, that John Rhys-Davies) is the narrator for QFG4.
Why does it seem like most readers of this LP are across the Atlantic from me?
See if you can spot it.
Zeboyd Games Development Blog
Steam ID : rwb36, Twitter : Werezompire, Facebook : Zeboyd Games
First on some undead unguent
Lets see what this shop has in it...perhaps some few things an adventurer could use?
Sounds thrilling, egghead.
No magic +5 swords of ogre slaying? But...chainmail you say?
Expensive chainmail. A great upgrade to my leather armor though.
*sniffs* He's just gonna break it down into shoes isn't he.
Any other shops open? Doesn't seem like it. And I get a BS factor from that sign too...
Yeup
Heroes thrive on unfriendly places. Most of them.
I'm going to have to have a talk with this Erasmus character...
Ain't it shiny!?
She is a comely lass, even if she has the back of an...
Her father. Why am I not surprised?
Time to wait for nightfall and kill a few more brigands who just walk into my arms. Come on guys, I'm killing ogres now, you are small meat!
At least they provide the loots.
Spying? Not I sir, I just happened to walk into what must have been a private conversation, took a nap, and decided to ask you about it.
Fighter doesn't throw daggers. Fighter just attacks.
Like so. Aww, he's just a plain ol brigand.
Now he's a dead brigand.
Not only is the game full of puns, it just LOVES to state the obvious.
I head through the goblin area...and they decide to attack ME! Well, we know what happens to them by now....but this is only a warmup...for as I continue walking through the woods...
Holy Erana mother of all that is peaceful and calm. I recognize that from my manuals! That's a Cheetaur!!! Time to buckle up hero.
Those claws are fierce, my shield defends against them, I shall prevail no matter what!
Direct hit!
Side note...I love this screenshot.
It falls before me. Not even the cheetaur is able to withstand my sword, shield, and new shiny chainmail armor.
No loot, but if you've talked to the healer about ingredients, she mentions she needs claws. That's a good thing, you can sell them for a lot.
This means it's almost time for me to fulfill Baba's wish...still need to talk to this Erasmus fellow.