Crazy, but in a good way.
posted this one on the Stack, it has some thoughts on design
Okay, nerd rage time.
Abilities
High levels introduce new ways to instagib the PCs while not adding much to PC tactics. In fact, once Delayed Blast Fireball rolls around, it becomes the only spell you’re going to cast.
This is why: Part of the price factor of interesting spells (say, charm person) in tabletop is their interesting effects on the plot. Needless to say, these are nonexistent in the CRPG. Plus, enemies appear more often and in greater numbers: twenty deepfried evil fighters are better than one on your side. So damage-dealing area spells are better, and since disintegration can hit you when you’re busy casting Meteor Shower, the only spell you cast against dangerous opposition is the instant DBF. (And it doesn’t matter what you cast against weak opposition: the whole idea of colorful and useless spells to show off in a battle with a solitary wandering rabbit is retarded.)
Classes
In DQoK, MUs (DBF) and Solamnics (full THAC0, -31 AC, full cleric casting) pwn everything. Since the game assumes a 6-char party, a character of any other class is a liability.
In PoD, any difference that might have been between various full THAC0 classes evaporates. You still need a cleric for fixing, though.
In CotAB, clerics and thieves matter.
Races
High level is also the time when max level restrictions come into play, so everyone’s a human.
Interface
DQoK has improved character models, and some of them are even hot. On the other hand, keyboard arrows don’t work, have fun (re-)learning hotkeys.
Plot
DQoK takes place on another continent. I can’t stress enough how retarded that decision was. Plus, you never get to do anything interesting (baf, here would’ve been “spoilers” except there’s nothing to spoil):
the door at the top doesn’t open;
the traitorous rogue escapes (you can interrupt the plot by kicking him out);
you don’t save the princess;
the iconics you meet never fight alongside you;
the cleric you’ve been chasing in the two excellent missions escapes;
you never visit the elves;
someone else wins the game;
there is no cow level.
Good parts: underwater, fine long bow (item, makes archery good again), palace and temple, the portal battle.
This is in contrast to DKoK where you’re going around the map bringing peace and justice everywhere and feeling heroic. And you get to off two iconics. Isn’t it just marvelous? Also, there’s an excellent bonus mission after you win the game and the dust settles, with TONS of treasure and a unique monster.
DKoK wins.
PoD is linear. Everything has spell resistance so you’re going from location to location as defined by the local SR level (your three Magic-Users must be able to reliably hit with DBFs).
Elminster (Greenwood’s wet dream) has been heavily criticized and the defense that Greenwood used was “Elminster sits in place and dispenses good advice, he doesn’t go around bitchslapping the PCs”. Well, in PoD, Elminster wins the game. Congratulations.
Also, the evil wizard escapes.
Good part: Verdigris temple. Very nice, very oldschool.
Now, in CotAB, you don’t get to kill a certain character, but events do resolve favorably.
CotAB wins.
I don’t remember much about Treasures except the plain horrible timed missions and the finale which even Wikipedia acknowledges as irrelevant to the plot. Oh, and I loved being hailed as heroes, but much of it had to do with actually winning Gateway.
As for Gateway, it’s an open-exploration game without the gloom of DKoK. I placed it second because of the annoying Scrappy who hangs around for the whole game (my sister named him Plunger) and lack of a bonus mission.
Gateway wins.
P.S. To avoid the stupid, clone your characters.
Okay, nerd rage time.
Abilities
High levels introduce new ways to instagib the PCs while not adding much to PC tactics. In fact, once Delayed Blast Fireball rolls around, it becomes the only spell you’re going to cast.
This is why: Part of the price factor of interesting spells (say, charm person) in tabletop is their interesting effects on the plot. Needless to say, these are nonexistent in the CRPG. Plus, enemies appear more often and in greater numbers: twenty deepfried evil fighters are better than one on your side. So damage-dealing area spells are better, and since disintegration can hit you when you’re busy casting Meteor Shower, the only spell you cast against dangerous opposition is the instant DBF. (And it doesn’t matter what you cast against weak opposition: the whole idea of colorful and useless spells to show off in a battle with a solitary wandering rabbit is retarded.)
Classes
In DQoK, MUs (DBF) and Solamnics (full THAC0, -31 AC, full cleric casting) pwn everything. Since the game assumes a 6-char party, a character of any other class is a liability.
In PoD, any difference that might have been between various full THAC0 classes evaporates. You still need a cleric for fixing, though.
In CotAB, clerics and thieves matter.
Races
High level is also the time when max level restrictions come into play, so everyone’s a human.
Interface
DQoK has improved character models, and some of them are even hot. On the other hand, keyboard arrows don’t work, have fun (re-)learning hotkeys.
Plot
DQoK takes place on another continent. I can’t stress enough how retarded that decision was. Plus, you never get to do anything interesting (baf, here would’ve been “spoilers” except there’s nothing to spoil):
the door at the top doesn’t open;
the traitorous rogue escapes (you can interrupt the plot by kicking him out);
you don’t save the princess;
the iconics you meet never fight alongside you;
the cleric you’ve been chasing in the two excellent missions escapes;
you never visit the elves;
someone else wins the game;
there is no cow level.
Good parts: underwater, fine long bow (item, makes archery good again), palace and temple, the portal battle.
This is in contrast to DKoK where you’re going around the map bringing peace and justice everywhere and feeling heroic. And you get to off two iconics. Isn’t it just marvelous? Also, there’s an excellent bonus mission after you win the game and the dust settles, with TONS of treasure and a unique monster.
DKoK wins.
PoD is linear. Everything has spell resistance so you’re going from location to location as defined by the local SR level (your three Magic-Users must be able to reliably hit with DBFs).
Elminster (Greenwood’s wet dream) has been heavily criticized and the defense that Greenwood used was “Elminster sits in place and dispenses good advice, he doesn’t go around bitchslapping the PCs”. Well, in PoD, Elminster wins the game. Congratulations.
Also, the evil wizard escapes.
Good part: Verdigris temple. Very nice, very oldschool.
Now, in CotAB, you don’t get to kill a certain character, but events do resolve favorably.
CotAB wins.
I don’t remember much about Treasures except the plain horrible timed missions and the finale which even Wikipedia acknowledges as irrelevant to the plot. Oh, and I loved being hailed as heroes, but much of it had to do with actually winning Gateway.
As for Gateway, it’s an open-exploration game without the gloom of DKoK. I placed it second because of the annoying Scrappy who hangs around for the whole game (my sister named him Plunger) and lack of a bonus mission.
Gateway wins.
P.S. To avoid the stupid, clone your characters.