January: Tunnels & Trolls: Crusaders of Khazan

[rusty_shackleford]

It's that time again! Another edition of Adventure's Guild has released!
The game released in western countries on IBM PC for DOS, but in Japan on a few other devices. I believe @WhiteShark is being a weeb and playing one of the Jap versions. The normal people amongst us will be playing the DOS version.
I will be providing a copy of this game that comes with a Windows version of DOSBOX. You should be able to launch the game by using the "launch.bat" script in the game folder. If you have any issues, let me know and I'll fix it. I don't use Windows so I can't test it there.
Download: https://f.rpghq.org/1QwCOi2bIn1E.zip?n= ... Trolls.zip

By default, it launches the cracked version which should skip all of the copy protection.

You can find the manual HERE: https://www.mocagh.org/nwc/tunnelstrolls-manual.pdf
You can find the cluebook & reference card HERE: https://archive.org/details/extras_msdo ... azan_1990/


This is probably one of the more story-filled games I can think of to this date

More like crusaders for khazar milkers, amirite?

[SpellSword]

I wonder what the 'Switchable combat mode' mentioned on the back of the box is.

As with all great RPGs, first it is time to read the manual.

[rusty_shackleford]

need to figure out how to trip the windows defender next month

[SpellSword]

need to figure out how to trip the windows defender next month

@rusty_shackleford what do you mean?

[rusty_shackleford]

need to figure out how to trip the windows defender next month

@rusty_shackleford what do you mean?

► Show Spoiler

[SpellSword]

Tunnels & Trolls: Crusaders of Khazan doesn't mess around.

I think this is going to be a fun one.

[Watser]

I've rolled a party.
Human warrior
Dwarf warrior
Hobb rogue
Elf wizard

Human feel a bit like a trap choice being a jack-of-all-stats whereas the other races can easily gain stats in excess of 30+ to their racially favoured attributes.

[Dorateen]

Been looking forward to watching this one! It was a favorite of mine, back in 1990. At the time, I was excited for this New World Computing crpg after playing Might & Magic one year earlier. Love the presentation of the manual. It was written by Neal Hallford (Betrayal at Krondor).

And how epic is the game's introduction, something like twenty minutes of background, worldbuilding text and images.

[Watser]

Some events it seems you can only interact with once or am I missing something? E.g. the billboard at the adventurer's guild or the trapdoor to the sewers.

And how epic is the game's introduction, something like twenty minutes of background, worldbuilding text and images.

Agree the manual is lovely, but for introduction I just get the image of the tavern with the bard and the text with his performance. Was there supposed to be more?

[Dorateen]

Some events it seems you can only interact with once or am I missing something? E.g. the billboard at the adventurer's guild or the trapdoor to the sewers.

And how epic is the game's introduction, something like twenty minutes of background, worldbuilding text and images.

Agree the manual is lovely, but for introduction I just get the image of the tavern with the bard and the text with his performance. Was there supposed to be more?

Oh, that's what I meant. Just the static image of the tavern, but during the whole sequence I really enjoy the style of imaginative storytelling. Personally, I thought it was a great way to draw the player into the history of the conflict, and present situation.

I rolled the same party, I think it will be fine even with the human warrior.

[Humbaba]

And how epic is the game's introduction, something like twenty minutes of background, worldbuilding text and images.

So excessively long lore dumps are alright when old games do it, got it.



-Humbaba

[Dorateen]

And how epic is the game's introduction, something like twenty minutes of background, worldbuilding text and images.

So excessively long lore dumps are alright when old games do it, got it.



-Humbaba

Because it was not cinematic, but text-based, which is appropriate for the Tunnels & Trolls pen and paper inspiration. Modern gamers would lack attention span to get through it.

[Humbaba]

Because it was not cinematic, but text-based, which is appropriate for the Tunnels & Trolls pen and paper inspiration. Modern gamers would lack attention span to get through it.

Pillars 1's lore dump was text based too, do we like that one now?



-Humbaba

[Dorateen]

Because it was not cinematic, but text-based, which is appropriate for the Tunnels & Trolls pen and paper inspiration. Modern gamers would lack attention span to get through it.

Pillars 1's lore dump was text based too, do we like that one now?



-Humbaba

No, because the introduction we are talking about takes place before the game proper begins, so it is not intrusive. It exists solely to provide atmosphere and set the tone of the adventure. It's also well written.

[Humbaba]

No, because the introduction we are talking about takes place before the game proper begins, so it is not intrusive. It exists solely to provide atmosphere and set the tone of the adventure. It's also well written.

Same could be said about Pillars 1's introductory lore dump. Alright then, this settles it, I suppose lore dumps ARE ok after all.



-Humbaba

[Watser]

I'm getting CYOA vibes.
Do you help this creature in need?
Y: It kills you.
N: It still kills you.

[rusty_shackleford]

The difference is pillows loredumps about things that happen before/off-screen, not about things that are happening.

[Acrux]

Also, Pillar lore dumps are extremely overwrought and boring.

[maidenhaver]

Put all your game's lore dumps into books you can choose not to read. That's the best way.

[rusty_shackleford]

Because it was not cinematic, but text-based, which is appropriate for the Tunnels & Trolls pen and paper inspiration. Modern gamers would lack attention span to get through it.

Pillars 1's lore dump was text based too, do we like that one now?



-Humbaba

[Kalarion]

Tunnels & Trolls: Crusaders of Khazan doesn't mess around.

I think this is going to be a fun one.

By contrast

[Tweed]

I don't suppose the FM-TOWNS version has an english option?

[rusty_shackleford]

I don't suppose the FM-TOWNS version has an english option?

Probably have to ask @WhiteShark, he's playing one of the weeb versions.

[WhiteShark]

The JP manual I downloaded makes no mention of a language option and I didn't see one in the PC-98 nor Sharp versions.

[Tweed]

How do you say "oof" in japanese?

[Kalarion]

I fired it up last night, got into a fight and Spellsworded. Very embarrassing. I'm not really sure what I'm supposed to be doing right now, my best guess is that Gull is sort of like the starting town in, for instance, M&M 3, where you kinda avoid it until you've built up a couple levels and gotten some decent gear.

Also I rolled a Hobb Rogue with absolute dogshit STR, I didn't realize how badly it would cripple me. I think I may need to start over, or at least get rid of my Hobb. Another Hobb rogue offers to join after the Orc Mansion fights, maybe I can take him instead once I've legit beaten those.

[Dorateen]

One of the things I recall doing, was bringing in some of the NPCs from the adventurer's guild, and taking their equipment. Either to use or to sell off to raise the funds to buy better gear.

[Tweed]

This game is fugly.

[WhiteShark]

How do you say "oof" in japanese?

うっ (brief u sound similar to the u in 'due', cut off abruptly)

[Watser]

The orc mansion encounter is fairly easy.

► Show Spoiler

You can choose to run from the split party battles if your squishy mage is having a hard time and still get 1k exp and 1k gold to buy everything you want.