Lets Play The Temple Of Elemental Evil

[HoonDing]

Surely the avatars in this game must've been created by Larry Elmore.

[Tigranes]

Yeah, they're pretty horrible, I suppose it was part of the general look they were going for... uh...

[Gorgon]

I think I threw my copy out, I had left it by the window and the sun must have baked the disk good cause it couldn't get all the way through the installation. Steam is made for a slob like me.

[Nightshape]

Shall be updating everyone with the adventure, bare in mind its slower going than I would have hoped.

 

I just need to organise the pictures, and write the post. I expect that will be done tomorrow.

[WILL THE ALMIGHTY]

Needs more mushy romance subplots.

[Nightshape]

I was flicking through the manual and found that you can infact replace dead characters, so if and when an obsidianite dies, they will be replaced with the next person in the list.

 

Oh and Will, there is some mushy romance coming, I promise you.

[Gorth]

I tried to install the game on my PC. It adamantly refused to as much as start up

 

Guess I'll have to install it on my ancient mono-core PC

[Majek]

Hmm this thread made me crave for some good TB combat.

[Tale]

I was flicking through the manual and found that you can infact replace dead characters, so if and when an obsidianite dies, they will be replaced with the next person in the list.

 

Oh and Will, there is some mushy romance coming, I promise you.

Is it Tale on Krezack? That'd be hot.

[sorophx]

ugh, a quick question: so I took my party to the first area with enemies (that moat thing), and there's not a single enemy I could loot. I mean they all drop dead, I click on the body and nothing happens. is it supposed to be this way or is it a bug?

[Monte Carlo]

It's a bug, one of many. Patch it.

[sorophx]

it is patched, guess two patches weren't enough I spent two hours running around the starting location gathering quests and now I have to start all over again... I should just try Icewind Dale 2 instead.

[Monte Carlo]

^ Yes, you should. ToEE is one of those games I just weep about when I think of installing it and setting it up, but I guess Nightshape might be able to help. Did you use the circle of 8 patch? Am pretty sure that fixes it.

 

I am thinking of doing a BG2 ironman.

 

Edit: I don't have BG1 / TotSC installed, but if anybody is thinking of doing another IE game one a Durlag's Tower only mini-ironman would be awesome, would love to see it.

Edited August 26, 2010 by Monte Carlo

[Nightshape]

So here is the beginning of session 2, it was a long session... I've 350mb of screenshots, and there hasn't been a single fight yet, I'll try and keep it fairly concise and coherant but I am hoping that you'll bare with me as it may take some time until I manage to write up and post all the content. ToEE at the start is all pretty much about gathering information and exploration when you're level 1, because this is ironman, I need to take care of the Obsidianites.

 

I'll keep playing and capturing images, with a majority of the writing happening over this weekend I would imagine. Anyways....

 

 

We join the Obsidianites at the inn, the "Inn of the welcome wench" (I think that's what its called LOL)...

 

Gorth addresses his underlings in hushed tones, "If we're going to find rainbow rock, and the treasure", Tale grins greedily, "we're going to have to gather as much information as we can". Krezack responds suggestively waving his left hand infront of himself, "I can feel the power of a fellow Druid in the town, I think I spotted what looked like a Druidic home on the way into town, we should seek him out", Tale rolls his eyes lazily, "I say we go get the treasure, and bugger off, and the richer for it".

 

Gorth stares at the little halfling runt, standing merely 2'2'' in height. "We would be dead before we could find the treasure, there could be bandits or worse in this area", Tigranes cowardly expresses his disdain for this plan by shrieking slightly, panic striken he pleads with Gorth, "Lets go and seek out the Druid. Please! I don't want to fight any bandits".

 

So the Obsidianites set off to explore Hommlet and find the local Druid... Along the way they bump into Elmo.

 

Elmo is clearly drunk, a pleasant exchange happends until Kirottu asks him where is a good place to drink, Elmo's memory is jogged by this and he carry's on to the inn. Kirottu snarls, "Stupid 'uman". Eventually the Obsidianites happen upon the druids dwellings. "Here, yes I can feel him, let me do the talking", Krezack opens the door and enters the holding.

 

Krezack steps forwards and introduces himself to the druid. Quietly exchanging a few words. Krezack and Jaroo nod at each other.

 

"So?", Gorth enquires. "He's definately of the old faith, I think he'll heal us if we need it. Didn't seem to know anything about rainbow rock though". They leave the abode, and begin to wander, "We're just going to have to ask around", Gorth chunters. "Oh, wonderful, great" Tale complains, trailing off into a terrible sigh, "Kirottu will you carry me?", staring up puppy dog eye'd at Kirottu, the half-orc looks down in a menacing fashion baring his teeth. "If itz in mi belly", Kirottu responds licking his lips. "No Kirottu, back the hell off, else I swear I'll smash the vial containing your soul", "Pleaze no kill Kirottu", he begs, the tall powerful orcish brute seeming pathetic as he holds up his hands. "Then back off", Gorth retorts. Tigranes walks over to Gorth whispering in his ear, "If he ever finds out you don't have his soul, he'll kill us all Gorth". He nods knowling. "It will be fine".

 

And so it was that the Obsidianites begin exploring the small town of Hommlet, stopping by every dwelling, mansion, and temple in search of information... First they met the blacksmith, who Gorth asked to make the Obsidianites some masterwork weapons, the blacksmith laughs at them, not even believing them to be adventurers. He requests they bring him a giants head, and only then will he make the weapons.

 

The Obsidiainites come to a farmers home, a man of the name Laszio, they exhange some words of pleasantry before moving on...

 

Then to a leatherworker, a man of the name of Jakk Borton, Gorth again enquires about masterwork items...

 

Tale tries to woo a Farmers daughter, but upon finding that she has a love interest he encourages her to marry. Shortly afterwards, the farmer tells him that the Obsidianites are unwelcome.

 

Gorth introduces himself to a man called Percy, who tells of a disagreement with his brother.

 

Approaching his wife, Gorth digs for more information.

 

To be continued...

[Nightshape]

^ Yes, you should. ToEE is one of those games I just weep about when I think of installing it and setting it up, but I guess Nightshape might be able to help. Did you use the circle of 8 patch? Am pretty sure that fixes it.

 

I am thinking of doing a BG2 ironman.

 

Edit: I don't have BG1 / TotSC installed, but if anybody is thinking of doing another IE game one a Durlag's Tower only mini-ironman would be awesome, would love to see it.

 

Yeah, I set it up with the mod/patch etc... I'm also using the frontend. It really is the only way to play the game.

[sorophx]

oh my god, just googled "CO8 patch". I am overwhelmed. first of all I can't find a working link. second, it seems you can't just get the latest version and install it, you have to apply 'em all one by one. this is madness... Troika sure sucked at bug-fixing, if it took the community years to get the game working smoothly

[Monte Carlo]

^ Agreed, it's one of the reasons I can't be arsed to re-install it. Which is a shame because as a tactical, turn-based 3E D&D combat sim it's really very, very good.

 

It also looks prettier on the screen than on the pics posted here, it's not butt-ugly. Yeah, the GUI is horrible and the portraits are a disgrace but the actual avatars etc are nicely done, like a really polished infinity engine game.

[Nightshape]

The farmers wife, Gwynneth, offers some suggestions as to how the dispute could be ended, suggesting that Fillikan marry a local woman.

 

Thinking it best to ask the woman Gwynneth referred to, if she is willing to wed, the Obsidianites seek her out.

 

The rest of the day continued in a very similiar fashion the Obsidianites went from door to door, introducing themselves to many of the towns folk, the weaver, Ploceus who is working hard to meet the demands, from the likes of the local tailor and the Temple of St. Cuthbert for cloth within the growing town of Hommlet.

 

They come across the Tailor who dreams of fighting with the militia, but he's considered to be too small to join.

 

The obsidianites help out where they can within Hommlet, eventually after much painful romping, journey's to castles...

 

And the temples of st. cuthbert, arguements with holy men about religious conversions,

 

The troop eventually happen upon a small house. Where a spinster called Fruella, and Kirottu fall in love... Awwww, they agree to marry...

 

And with Fru in tow the team rest up, and we head off on a quest to kill some spiders out in some forest some place, Gorth gets knocked unconcious, and Fru proves a useful addition...

 

Having rested up back in Hommlet, the team also get some help from Zert and Furnock head off to face some bandits they've heard are lerking out at the moathouse.... They make short work of the Giant Frogs lurking outside...

 

We take the back door into the moathouse, Tale's keen eyes find this for us... The rooms full of Bandits, and somewhat small...!

 

Having defeated the bandits in battle, the main group of obsidianites level up... And find a secret door...

[HoonDing]

The graphics in this game are really good. Is there a mod that replaces the avatars with more normal ones, though?

[Nightshape]

Moving further in the team is all high on leveling up we begin fighting dire rats and a huge snake...

 

The team clear out some stirge that were dwelling in a small room...

 

Clearing the area is turning out to be easy for the obsidianites + NPC, a large tick is maimed...

 

An extremely large lizard takes out Fru, sending Kirottu into pwnage mode...

 

The team take a step outside and take on another group of bandits! They make short work of them...

 

They creep downstairs, where the run into some undead, it's only a couple seems harmless, except we're ambushed from the ceiling by some green slimes...

 

Dispatching of the slimes is easy enough, but as we approach the zombies they start to come out of the floor, things look desperate but Kirottu ends up laying the smack down on pretty much all the zombies while the rest of the team are either knocked unconcious, doing 0 HP, or hanging back bricking it...

 

By this point, the Obsidianites are tired, overloaded, and thinking about heading back to Hommlet for a well deserved rest, best head out the back way, just incase...

 

But Tale takes the wrong door... (well actually I did because I'm a moron)... And the worst of it... Well, you can't return to where you came from when you're in combat, the exausted troop is faced by a huge ogre...

 

Being unable to run away, the Obsidianites throw everything they can at the ogre...

[Nightshape]

The graphics in this game are really good. Is there a mod that replaces the avatars with more normal ones, though?

 

The avatars to my knowledge are just based on what the characters are wearing, they're not bad... I'm using non-stock portraits though.

 

I don't know about the Graphics being really good, I think its on par with IE, and better in other places...

[Nightshape]

Sadly it isn't enough Tig's is left fending for himself before the inevitable death...

 

And so it was the the first group of Obsidianites met their doom... Because TALE(read as idiot moron writer) took the wrong exit... So all that is left is to set Team B to the task.

 

I'll also be alot more brief with the screenshots, as I think I covered the fact that the first oh... I'd say 2-3 hours of the game are dull as they come! So... Please welcome to the grinder....

 

TEAM B

 

The B-Team

 

Pidesco Human, Fighter

 

Kaftan Barlast Human, Wizard

 

Visceris Half-Orc, Paladin

 

Magical Volo Dwarf, Cleric (This is exactly how I imagine Volo looks, all crazy and wild eye'd!)

 

Monte Carlo Human, Fighter

[Pidesco]

I will conquer all.

[Tigranes]

I take solace in the fact that despite being a level 1 wizard, I lasted until the end.

 

Good stuff Nightshape, TOEE actually looks pretty good past the ghastly starting fight, which is where I gave up. (though I think I skipped the tutorial, so it was outside the catehdral I think.)

[Gorth]

And so it was the the first group of Obsidianites met their doom...

As a berk once said, never trust doors...

 

In the unlikely event that some future adventurer summons my spirit from the afterlife, I know one not so fluffy eared rabbit that will get turned into a lucky foot talisman