Adventurer's Guild 𝙲𝙻𝙰𝚂𝚂𝙸𝙲 Issue #14 — Realms of Antiquity: The Shattered Crown

[J1M]

Are companions required?

Without recruiting additional party members your inventory space will be extremely restricted.
(If you're using magic each spellbook takes up an inventory slot)

Also, If you choose to find party members instead of creating them during the start:
There are a few interactions with extra text for each of the people that join you.

Is this like the Strahd game where you can let them join and keep using their inventory if they die?

[SpellSword]

Are companions required?

Without recruiting additional party members your inventory space will be extremely restricted.
(If you're using magic each spellbook takes up an inventory slot)

Also, If you choose to find party members instead of creating them during the start:
There are a few interactions with extra text for each of the people that join you.

Is this like the Strahd game where you can let them join and keep using their inventory if they die?

I just gave it a try and you can still swap items with characters that are at 0 HP.

[rusty_shackleford]

NOTE:
When considering whether and where to acquire the game, you should be aware that the developer probably hates you if you enjoy using this forum.

Does anyone happen to have a save where this is?

[Tangerine]

NOTE:
When considering whether and where to acquire the game, you should be aware that the developer probably hates you if you enjoy using this forum.

Does anyone happen to have a save where this is?

Went back to the Violet tower and saved right in front of the bookshelf.

[rusty_shackleford]

Immershun mod to remove real world reference: https://mods.rpghq.org/Realms Of Antiqu ... own/375828

Let me know if you have any issues

[rusty_shackleford]

If you wanted to know what it replaced / replaced with, I'll put it in spoilers

► Show Spoiler

→

I tried to copy the cadence of Beowulf but I had to stay at/under the prior character count.

[Acrux]

Truly an amazing change!

[rusty_shackleford]

Truly an amazing change!

Try now

[rusty_shackleford]

If, for whatever reason, someone wanted to mod this, know that it uses a custom compression format not based on anything like LZ, DELFATE, etc., The dictionary for the compression is in data/PRG. That is, unless you have a very good reason to, don't bother.

[Tangerine]

He creates a magic system based on the colors of the rainbow, but the most powerful wizard lives in the White pristine tower.

Curious.

[Tangerine]

I thought the Overlord was supposed to be a bad guy.

roa_02.PNG

[Tangerine]

Found in the big bad's library:

roa_03.PNG

[Tangerine]

Completed.

► Show Spoiler

My team at the big bad.

Tangerine - Hero
Ket - Rogue
Bahadur - Fighter
Layla - Warlock

roa_04.PNG

The Overlord jails adulterous women. Kinda based. I'll spare him.

roa_05.PNG

Ending abridged

roa_06.PNG

roa_07.PNG

Stats

roa_08.PNG

Thoughts:
For something intended to run on a calculator the first 16-bit home computer, this is an impressive game and I thought it was a decent game overall. It does not, however, deserve the amount of praise it gets from FANATICS.

Good:
- The game is rather open when it comes to what order you take on quests. Difficulty ramps up gradually across areas and only in some dungeons did I ever feel I was underpowered. It was nice to be able to pick a direction, go somewhere, and find stuff I could do.
- It took some getting used to at first, but I ended up liking how I'd get stuck on one quest and then move on to do others only to later find the solution. For example, you cannot clear the mines in Port Boniface until you find the Ivory Horn when you clear the volcano temple. This made problems feel like regional concerns while encouraging exploration across the rest of the world. The quests were also varied in set up, from the straightforward to getting ambushed in your sleep.
- It has some good dungeon design. I liked the crashed starship, the thieves' guild, and the undersea base the best.

Neutral:
- The magic system of spells being bound to equipable books is... ok. I didn't particularly care for it, but I didn't hate it either.
- The game has lots of references to pop culture in it. You can use Ash's Boomstick, fight Daleks, and find real world books. I didn't like it, but I'm leaving it as neutral since your tolerance may vary.

Bad:
- It has some awful dungeon design. There are several dungeons that are switch hunts in classic mazes. There are other dungeons where you just spam Magic Eye every 10 steps or so to find the real path you're supposed to take. They're not challenging or interesting, just time consuming. The last maze is the worst; your vision is limited to 1 tile around you and you have to feel your way through because there's no path for you to follow.
- The combat is simple and easy to cheese. Enemies will always attack the nearest character first before attempting to move, negating the disadvantage of having weaker classes with you if you play right.
- The classes are not remotely balanced in tradeoffs. The rogue ended up doing 2-3x times the amount of damage my hero with straight 16s did. Attack magic is incredibly underpowered for the cost in stamina and AP.
- While it's generally contained, you can see libtardary with cases such as the Art of the Deal, the Overlord's books, lots of female melee warriors, and a lack of bad/evil named female characters.
- The game really encourages save scumming. Dragons are one of the best sources of items in the game, but sometimes they'll drop potions with negative effects or stones that reduce your XP.

[Acrux]

For something intended to run on a calculator,

The TI-99/4a was not a calculator! It was the first16-bit home computer on the market. (And my family's first home computer!)

[Tangerine]

For something intended to run on a calculator,

The TI-99/4a was not a calculator! It was the first16-bit home computer on the market. (And my family's first home computer!)

Fixed just for you.

[rusty_shackleford]

Do we have a badge for this?

[SpellSword]

Do we have a badge for this?

@rusty_shackleford

[Tangerine]

Do we have a badge for this?

@rusty_shackleford

@Oyster Sauce

[Oyster Sauce]

Do we have a badge for this?

@rusty_shackleford

@Oyster Sauce

@rusty_shackleford

[rusty_shackleford]

@Oyster Sauce

@rusty_shackleford

@Oyster Sauce

[Tweed]

- The game has lots of references to pop culture in it. You can use Ash's Boomstick, fight Daleks, and find real world books. I didn't like it, but I'm leaving it as neutral since your tolerance may vary.

That was p.typical for games of the era so I don't mind the pop culture references. And yeah, the TI-99 is a real computer, the Spectrum was the calculator.

[SpellSword]

► The Journey So Far

► There's still hope!

318 There's still hope!.webp

► Who am I? And 'who' are you sir!?

319 Who am I--- And 'who' are you sir!.webp

► Thing are heating up, or rather cooling down.

320 Thing are heating up, or rather cooling down.webp

► Yeah, I saw it. But best to sweep the place.

321 Yeah, I saw it, but best to sweep the place.webp

► Great, that sounds like a long, dark, cold, dungeon... on my way.

322 Great, that sounds like a long, dark, cold, dungeon --- on my way.webp

► More frozen paladins. But there should be a few more so maybe someone made it, keep searching!

323 more frozen paladins, but there should be a few more so maybe someone made it, keep searching!.webp

► It's nice to be wanted, but I live because you are unable to kill me.

324 It's nice to be wanted, but I live because you are unable to kill me.webp

► Not looking good for team paladin

325 Not looking good for team paladin.webp

► So if I kill you, who gets the loot?

326 So if I kill you, who gets the loot.webp

► Another grim discovery.

327 Another grim discovery.webp

► Ever deeper into the cold earth...

328 Ever deeper into the cold earth.webp

► All I hear is 'Shoot the core!'

329 All I hear is 'Shoot the core!'.webp

► That's cool.

330 That's cool.webp

► Another one bites the dust.

331 Another one bites the dust.webp

► Pity no option to take said armor.

332 Pity no option to take said armor.webp

► Someone's going to pay for this senseless death.

333 Someone's going to pay for this senseless death.webp

► If it's an ice melting relic, I'd be happy to take it.

334 If it's an ice melting relic, I'd be happy to take it.webp

► Now we get to the heart of the matter.

335 Now we get to the heart of the matter.webp

► I go where I want you cowardly voice.

336 I go where I want you cowardly voice.webp

► Time to evac!

337 Time to evac!.webp

► Sounds kind of dangerous to leave this thing alone...

338 Sounds kind of dangerous to leave this thing alone.webp

► I guess it isn't double crossing me, I'll leave it alone for now.

339 I guess it isn't double crossing me, I'll leave it alone for now.webp

► Ack! I left some items down there. I have a feeling this was a one time trip.

340 Ack! I left some items down there, I have a feeling this was a one time trip.webp

► Yeah, they're all on ice...

341 Yeah, they're all on ice.webp

► Rock on! It's the Aegis Dawn!

342 Rock on! It's the Aegis Dawn.webp

► Wow, better than I thought it would be.

343 Wow, better than I thought it would be.webp

► Looks like another dragon wants to take a bite.

344 Looks like another dragon wants to take a bite.webp

► Giant problems, require giant solutions.

345 Giant problems, require giant solutions.webp

► Was her plan to kill both her siblings?

346 Was her plan to kill both her siblings.webp

► It was her plan!

347 It was her plan!.webp

► Indeed we are, fairwell!

348 Indeed we are, fairwell!.webp

► Ships were sighted around this cave, but what was that huge creature in the water...

349 Ships were sighted around this cave, but what was that huge creature in the water.webp

► Feels like an ambush

350 Feels like an ambush.webp

► If it's death they want, I'll be happy to make the introduction.

351 If it's death they want, I'll be happy to make the introduction.webp

► Smugglers then...

352 Smugglers then.webp

► Haven't seen that guy with the staff before, so focus fire him down!

353 Haven't seen that guy with the staff before, so focus fire him down!.webp

► The smugglers won't be moving any more freight.

354 Smugglers won't be moving any more freight.webp

► The blight the afflicted Cragburn came from up river, I'll follow it south.

355 The blight the afflicted Cragburn came from up river, I'll follow it south.webp

► Ah HA! What do we have here.

356 Ah HA! What do we have here.webp

► DRAGON!

357 DRAGON!.webp

► This must be the source of the problem, in we go!

358 This must be the source of the problem, in we go!.webp

► Darkest Darkness! Blackest Night!

359 Darkest Darkness! Blackest Night!.webp

► Search every crack!

360 Search every crack!.webp

► Not the best of loot.

361 Not the best of loot.webp

► Whatever is in here, the magic eye can't see it...

362 Whatever is in here, the magic eye can't see it.webp

► Another hole, the trouble lies deeper still.

363 Another hole, the trouble lies deeper still.webp

► Sweep every inch.

364 Sweep every inch.webp

► Finding a lot of these, making me worried about how light is going to work in here...

365 Finding a lot of these, making me worried about how light is going to work in here.webp

► Yet another grim discovery.

366 Another grim discovery.webp

► My torches are going to be worthless aren't they.

367 My torches are going to be worthless arent they.webp

I wonder if I missed a chance to grab that lion's head armor in the ice cave...