Alpha version reccommendations

Fenrir-Lunaris · **WUT** Joined: 03 Feb 2003 Posts: 1747

Thanks to PHC and JSH's wonderful comments and feedback, I've a better idea of what to fix in the updated version of Vikings. Namely, the atrociously high encounter rate, and also some other bugs as well. Stop me if I'm forgetting anything.

No way to tell who can equip what!

No indication you should go out and gather more heroes before adventuring!

Various NPC fixes! Curse the ending scene!

Better balancing of EXP rewards

Lowering cash prizes O_O

Bossrush?

Sound effects!

I am also considering adding 5 new heroes, which may radically alter the gameplay. These are:

Pirate - A decent fighter, can heal, and cast elemental magic. Basically a rip of a Red Mage.
Necromancer - Healing reversed for her, casts spells that slay and raise the dead. Can summon a skeleton in battles to assist the player for a small length of time.
Ninja - The fastest hero ever! Am thinking of tinkering with the item consumption availible in the latest nightlies to test out throwing items, such as special ninja scrolls. of course, what a ninja is doing in a game with Vikings is beyond me.
Gunslinger - A traveller from another dimension who uses a "magical" weapon to dispatch creatures from afar.
Caveman - A secret character perhaps, you'd have no control over them, for a challenge?

...so now we have Pirates, Ninjas, Cowboys, Vikings, and MAYBE Cavemen too, making this game the pinnicle of OHR manliness. In addition, and just to be a jerk, I'm considering adding in a "Chicken Knife", because there has to be some super-secret weapon hidden in the game somewhere that the player actually has to take the time to train up with. And at least one sidequest for each hero.

Uncommon · Posted: Thu Mar 01, 2007 4:27 am Post subject:

I've only played the first section so far (take that as an honor, seeing how other than replaying WH for my review, this is the first game I've played in ages), and the first point was prolly the biggest thing with me.
Also, the town design was kind've unclear. By the time I'd realized there was an item shop behind the smithy shop, I'd already spent all my money. Twice.

Newbie_Power · Joined: 04 Sep 2006 Posts: 1762

Bob the Hamster · Posted: Thu Mar 01, 2007 7:57 am Post subject:

I think that at least the Caveman and Gunslinger should be secret characters.

I remember how much I enjoyed figuring out how to get the secret Characters Umaro and Gogo in FF6.

And another suggestion-- which might be unpopular, and would certainly affect game balance, would be to limit the availability of heroes.

Your original choice of a hero in the begi9nning has little consequence, because you can hire all heroes right away with no cost. So you can change your team around at will at any time.

What if you made some special item that you had to trade to the tavern-hero-shop in order to hire helpers? In the intro, you could be given 3 of these items (3 hero medallions, or 3 acorns of the world tree, whatever) and told to go and pick three helpers. Since you would be limited, you would have to choose carefully.

Then, as you go through the game you could be rewarded with more of the items, so you could gradually add more heroes to your party in ones and twoes as you returned to the town after each mission.

But like I say, that would represent a huge change in balance, so if you don't like it, I will not be offended :)

Newbie_Power · Joined: 04 Sep 2006 Posts: 1762

I doubt it would be unpopular. I played through most of Vikings (I still need to finish it) using Valkyrie, Ranger, Rogue, and Shaman without changing my party until I decided that my Ranger wasn't contributing enough for end-game use and began to level up a Fighter in his/her place. Being able to have many party members from the get-go already has a downside, and that is having to level them all up (which is probably why leveling isn't very hard Vikings of Midgard).

Fenrir-Lunaris · **WUT** Joined: 03 Feb 2003 Posts: 1747

Bob the Hamster · Posted: Thu Mar 01, 2007 10:00 am Post subject:

Fenrir-Lunaris · **WUT** Joined: 03 Feb 2003 Posts: 1747

Also, and this wasn't covered in the review, but a lot of people liked being able to return to Valhalla at any time. Perhaps each of the four Gemstones could return the heroes to a designated spot in the four main regions (Forest, Desert, Glacier, Mountain)? Or perhaps defeating the Airship2600 lets you board it, and go to any region you choose?

I'm also thinking of adding in 7-league boots that any hero can equip, which dramatically improve your running speed. Note that the Rogue already has this inherant ability (hold down X when walking).

And unless there was a plotscript to "alter weapon bonuses" or something, no Chicken knife. UNLESS it's a special cursed item that automatically equips itself to your leader if you run away. That might be pretty funny, actually.

The Wobbler · Joined: 06 Feb 2003 Posts: 2221

Fenrir-Lunaris · **WUT** Joined: 03 Feb 2003 Posts: 1747

Normal Walking speed is 4. Running (X) is 5. The Rogue's running is 10. The rogue's running with the Ninja's Gear equipped is 20. These vaulues, combined with the game's soon-to-be default encounter rate of (3) should make travelling around the various maps even less of a chore.

The 7-league boots would likely make everyone run as fast as the rogue, and for convenience's sake, I would rather place this item near the beginning of the game. Perhaps it should be aquired after beating someone in a race... the desert does have a lot of empty space that just begs for something... Then again, there's an entire "track" around the lake in the forest, which could serve equally well as a course to run around. Could it be circled around in under 3 minutes?

Jack · **the fool** Joined: 30 Jul 2004 Posts: 773

Fenrir-Lunaris · **WUT** Joined: 03 Feb 2003 Posts: 1747

Perhaps other benefits could be had? Clearly there's lots of space to fill up, each of which could sport mini-games themed to each area. It was something I felt was lacking, since the game was initially designed without plotscripting. Of course, since that's not an issue now, the world can be further fleshed out.

And also Teir One of the Bossrush at the endgame is near-complete. I still need someone to write music for the extra four teirs of the game's hidden boss rush. And of course, if James finds it spiffy enough, perhaps someone could write up some battle music based off Broaste's Theme, hmm?

Fenrir-Lunaris · **WUT** Joined: 03 Feb 2003 Posts: 1747

...character names? Did anyone actually bother to rename the characters? And with Freki going to be playable, should they have legitimate names (though still changable, if the player saw fit)? I already have a backup list if need be, but I would like to hear what other people think. Or what they named them.

Onlyoneinall · **Bug finder** Joined: 16 Jul 2005 Posts: 746

I named the Shaman - Sasha, Ranger - Link, Thief - Luke, and the healer/magic person - Mint
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The Wobbler · Joined: 06 Feb 2003 Posts: 2221