PST - Set in Sigil, but I'm in Hell...

[ED]

I just had every one in the group but fall-from-grace be a fighter and smish them.  Much easier than trying to figure out how to cast a spell, not like the combat's hard or anything.

Plus Nordom was a monster.  Geeze, he could probably solo anything in the game...

[jester]

You can solo anything in the game, but you'd miss out on a lot of stuff. 

A sidenote: Is anybody else reminded in parts of Angel Heart with Mickey Rourke (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0092563/) ?

PS: Due to this conversation I reinstalled the game again and I must say that other games (mods excluded!) cannot hold a candle in the romance department to the love story contained in PST. Just listening to Deionarra's theme makes me realize this now. Thanks for bringing this up again Xiao. 

[Cybersquirt]

A sidenote: Is anybody else reminded in parts of Angel Heart with Mickey Rourke?

It's been so long since I've seen that movie, I couldn't say.

[Xiao]

A sidenote: Is anybody else reminded in parts of Angel Heart with Mickey Rourke (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0092563/) ?

Like Cybersquirt, I'd need to see it again to be sure.  I saw the film back when it was released and my memory's a bit fuzzy on it.

PS: Due to this conversation I reinstalled the game again and I must say that other games (mods excluded!) cannot hold a candle in the romance department to the love story contained in PST. Just listening to Deionarra's theme makes me realize this now. Thanks for bringing this up again Xiao. 

Aw, shucks.     I haven't gotten back to the game - been playing some CoH, BG2, and Sanitarium - but I do intend to, soon.  Like I said, the sensorium experience of Deionarra is what got me thinking there was more to the game than lots of errand running and self-mutilation.

[belboz]

I really can't think of a better example of a roleplaying game.  After all, don't you take on a role and play it?  What else is there to do in the game?  Beating up creepy beetles and skeletons could be put as a "mediocre action game" at best.  PS:T definately isn't an action game.

OK, I'll rephrase. Maybe people will like this formulation better:

PS:T is not in the same genre as the vast majority of computer games that have been released under the description "role-playing game". It's much closer to being in the same genre as games that have been released under the description "adventure game".

That's really all I meant.

[Xiao]

Finally I got past the "load game, develop enough dislike/ennui in the amount of time that it takes for you to complete this process, shut down game immediately, wait a couple weeks" cycle, and finished the game last night.  I personally didn't find the same level of "oo, that's good" interest in the game again until near the very end - pretty much from the Tower of Skulls to the end.  At least the huge level of self-mutilation pretty much tapered off, barring one minor incident near the end.

I can see the appeal of the game, especially if there are a decent variety of endings depending on your actions during play.  It was interesting, and I'm glad I finished it, but I doubt I'll replay it.  That's a rather long journey for the comparatively low enjoyment I got overall, but there were moments of brilliance that make me glad I did see it through.

[jester]

That's a rather long journey for the comparatively low enjoyment I got overall, but there were moments of brilliance that make me glad I did see it through.

Could be a quote from my autobiography.

How did you deal with TTO? Did you redeem Trias? Who was in your party at that time?

Of course this game is even more prone to dejavu than many others, but I also read the Silmarillion x times not because I found new stuff, but I revisited old friends and foes. Same with BG, IWD and Fallout really. Shame on Blackisle for making this game so inaccesible to evolution. Perhaps they just didn't know better at that time.

[Xiao]

That's a rather long journey for the comparatively low enjoyment I got overall, but there were moments of brilliance that make me glad I did see it through.

Could be a quote from my autobiography. How did you deal with TTO? Did you redeem Trias? Who was in your party at that time?

Of course this game is even more prone to dejavu than many others, but I also read the Silmarillion x times not because I found new stuff, but I revisited old friends and foes. Same with BG, IWD and Fallout really. Shame on Blackisle for making this game so inaccesible to evolution. Perhaps they just didn't know better at that time.

Spoilery stuff, for those who still haven't played the game...


I had all the characters in my party at one time or another.  I took Ignus in after releasing him, but mostly only to unlock the mage stuff - I semi-heeded the "just use a walkthrough instead!" advice by using it somewhat to help guide me through the game, and I think it helped lower my frustration level.  I had Nordom from the time of completing the maze until finding Vhailor.

I had Morte, FFG, Annah, Vhailor, and Dak'kon in my group.  I did redeem Trias - and then Vhailor immediately nixed that idea and creamed Trias.  I opted to not assist, so technically I didn't break my vow to not kill him.  From the gamer viewpoint, this was a good thing, since I got EXP for redeeming him, EXP for killing him, and his weapon.  (Score!)

For TTO, I talked him down, basically - followed a conversational line that picked apart his argument about being powerful, saying that he'd admitted he couldn't go far from the fortress, that he was trapped with nothing but shadows for company, and that every time TNO died and lost memories, surely TTO was losing substance.  Then I forced a merging of the two.

[jester]

Actually my advice was more like instead of actually playing the game to just read the walkthrough, but you get some very nifty hints from them from time to time. Glad you tried it at least once. Now you can join in on the praising/bashing of PST.

@Trias/Vhailor trick: You are one sneaky bastard. Kudos!

[Xiao]

Actually my advice was more like instead of actually playing the game to just read the walkthrough, but you get some very nifty hints from them from time to time. Glad you tried it at least once. Now you can join in on the praising/bashing of PST.

@Trias/Vhailor trick: You are one sneaky bastard. Kudos!

I also think that seeing the good moments in context of having played the game makes them more powerful.  I could summarize the whole plotline on up to the sensorium experience with seeing Deionarra, and then describe the scene, but I doubt it'd have the same impact.  Same thing with the end.

Regarding Trias and Vhailor - actually, I have to admit that was unexpected.   I wasn't thinking that much about Vhailor at that point, just hoping I'd done enough good to weaken Trias for the fight.  After the fight and discussion, I was shocked to see Vhailor disagree, and I had no options to intervene, just to let him do it on his own, or else "break your vow and attack Trias."  I was pleased at the result, though.

One thing I noticed during the end conversations with the group members was that even though I'd done the "romance" (such as it is) with Annah, FFG was also very emotional at the end, to the point of asking TNO to not forget her, and insisting she would come find him, wherever he ended up.   I don't think this was a failure of the romance, as Annah was cited by TTO as being very insistent and passionate about trying to help, and was broken up at the end.

[jester]

I think FFG actually has a decent chance of finding you on the battleground being a succubus and all. I only 'romanced' Annah once and never FFG, since I felt I would betray my one true love by doing so. Thus my memories of their responses are dim at best.

One reason the replayability of PST is so poor is perhaps that there is no reason to be anything but a mage, a wise mage that is. I have not given up all hope that I will see a cameo of my fav NPC, Dakkon, in BG2 one day.

[Veloxyll]

I played fighter all the way thorough. I wanted to play cleric but unbeknownst to me that wasn't an option. So I had a really high Wis score.

[jester]

Slight spoiler:



But mages get the most XPs. Having high strength or Dex doesn't yield a lot of quests ofr anything. :/ I also tried everything to become a fighter, but FFG did not take me as a student despite my efforts in the brothel.

[Aristothenes]

Maybe you weren't man enough

[jester]

Maybe or I could not find the hammer graphics enticing enough to forego all the glitz of spellcasting. (Most of them give you enough time to prepare a coffee )

[Veloxyll]

Oy, the spellcasting anims rocked.

[jester]

True, but 'Mechanus' cannon' and the celestial spell (which I forgot the name of obviously) gave you time to relax in between fights.

[Xiao]

Celestial Host, or something.  I was getting serious Final Fantasy VII flashbacks. 

[Caedwyr]

Knights of the Round, Mk II?