tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32418168704779830242024-03-18T21:05:39.042-07:00Ultima JourneysTales of Travels Through the Ultima SeriesLinguistic Dragonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13246332346527264632noreply@blogger.comBlogger79125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3241816870477983024.post-2673565563127357742019-04-28T09:57:00.001-07:002019-04-28T09:57:51.831-07:00Martian Dreams: Growing Pains<div dir="ltr">
Irregular as my sessions have been lately, it seems like every one of them needs to begin with a few moments spent reorienting myself not just to the controls and what I was doing in my last play session, but just where the heck everything IS on the map.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Plenty of ice to be found up north.</td></tr>
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Of course, this particular session afforded me with a convenient means of doing so. A quick check of my inventory revealed I was low on both oxium and ammunition, and a brief search of my notes (man making my game notes an actual searchable document is very convenient for such things!) reminded me of the coordinates of both the oxium motherlode and Buffalo Bill and Calamity Jane's place. I'll admit my experience of the game is a lot more sporadic than previous entries in the series, but it's nice having a Google doc with my notes instead of trying to hunt down handwritten ones!</div>
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There was a good deal of note-scouring and map-examining as I made my rounds of the planet once more to gather my supplies, and I was reminded again of just how enjoyable meandering around in Martian Dreams is. It's a small game world by modern comparisons, to be sure, but I think less is more in some instances - I always had a goal to progress toward, whether that was Bill and Jane's or the power station, and it never felt too far away, like I'd be spending most of my time trying to just deal with everything the game might throw at me in-between points A and B. So too was I not horribly distracted by a dozen other points of interest along the way to either sidetrack me from my immediate goal or to get filed away against dozens of other things to explore later. It strikes a nice balance, enough nooks and crannies to poke into if one wants to, but not so much that it starts to overwhelm the rest of the experience. Fast travel does alleviate some of this potential tedium and/or pacing problems in modern games, but that presents other sorts of issues - there's something very satisfying about how<i> tight</i> the game world of Martian Dreams is.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Time to find out how green my thumb is.</td></tr>
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Once I was better equipped to deal with the harsh climate of Mars (along with its more aggressive denizens), my next task was to recreate the process of growing new Martian bodies, in order to give the residents of Elysium something to dwell in rather than my fellow Earthlings! To do that I would need water and fertilizer to nourish the growing plant. I had the chemicals necessary for the fertilizer from previous explorations, but I needed the water. So after snagging a bucket from Olympus, I headed north to follow up on a suggestion for doing so - chipping a piece of the ice caps and letting it melt. It took some finagling, but I got myself a hefty chunk, placed it in the bucket, and by the time I made my way back to Hellas, I had a full bucket of water. I planted the seed in the local greenhouse, watered it, fertilized it with the proper mix of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, and then I waited.</div>
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And waited.</div>
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And <i>waited.</i></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I'd be more inclined to put the "flesh" in quotes...</td></tr>
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This sequence was definitely the most tedious I'd experienced in the game thus far, and I think it's a mix of a pacing problem and trying to reflect realism via game mechanics a bit too strongly. It takes a minimum of nine in-game days in order for the seed to sprout and grow, more if the seed is not interacted with three times during the process. I can understand the need for some time to let a seed grow - nine days is awful fast for a plant, but even so, having it happen instantaneously is pretty nonsensical too, and with a day/night mechanic and a means of advancing time, it's a good use of the engine. The problem is that there is very little to <i>do</i> in-game at this point while you wait it out. Had I further things to follow up on, I could have explored those threads instead of just waiting in my tent for time after time after time, but the game was pretty clearly herding me toward the Earthlings of Elysium by this point. Every lead I had pointed me to one of them, and I needed to get the Martians of Elysium to release them in order to proceed on just about any plot thread I had. It might not have felt so tedious if I had at least the <i>option</i> of something meaningful to do (game-wise, at least, I could have putzed around for interesting places and monsters to slay, but I personally tend to find that a less compelling gameplay motive), but that desire for realism coupled with the particular game mechanics and the pacing of the story thus far compounded into something I was more trying to get through than particularly enjoying.</div>
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Once I had the body itself, though, I was off to the races again, and hoo boy was it hard to stop afterward. Having grown the body in Hellas, it was just a short jaunt to the Dream Machine to tell Prektesh the new body was ready for him. As the designated leader of the Hellas community, he took the responsibility of attempting the transfer himself. He would prepare himself to transfer his consciousness into the new body - all I need to was place the sapling into the machine and throw the switch. Back in the real world, I did exactly that, and after a few moments, our efforts were rewarded - Prektesh stirred in his new body, hale and hearty, and all seemed well for both him and the Martians as a whole.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsSRk08L0R-0RDuBZ31rCJi9FkHLIVSJFdmcz5mb6ixIM0rnW9xEIFCORtUHE61V03OwNWCT16MJEv9Np_2M4DgmRzoyaKPTGoASFdjAWjX_HMr6pNhgo_6JT1Y9nU2Tl1g1xmHElZ0hT1/s1600/martian_032.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="200" data-original-width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsSRk08L0R-0RDuBZ31rCJi9FkHLIVSJFdmcz5mb6ixIM0rnW9xEIFCORtUHE61V03OwNWCT16MJEv9Np_2M4DgmRzoyaKPTGoASFdjAWjX_HMr6pNhgo_6JT1Y9nU2Tl1g1xmHElZ0hT1/s1600/martian_032.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I do like the altered portrait for the ailing Prektesh.</td></tr>
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But alas, the solution would not prove so simple. Within moments, Prektesh began to cough and tremble. He felt like he was rotting from the inside, and concluded that the plague that had sent the Martians fleeing into the Dream World had settled into the soil itself - any solution that made use of the soil would remain tainted by the plague, and lead to failure. Even as he began to wither and die, he sought another solution, if not for himself, for the rest of his people. He mentioned Xakatesh's mate had been working on an alternative - we had already spoken of it, but it seemed a much more important lead to follow up on now. In the meantime, he stressed the need to gain Tekapesh's trust and cooperation, and that the failed body should be enough to do so.</div>
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So saying, Prektesh breathed (photosynthesized?) his last.</div>
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We spent a moment in mourning for his brave actions, and hoped what we had learned in the process would be enough to ensure they had not been in vain.</div>
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The trek to Elysium was swift thanks to the transport tubes, and Tekapesh finally relented upon seeing the fruition of our efforts to grow another Martian body. He conceded access to the Elysium Dream Machine, and agreed to give the Earthlings their bodies back - though with a warning not to make them wait too long for an alternative.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It's a nice touch that dream-me has the same inventory <br />as real-me here.</td></tr>
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Thus it was once more into the Dream World to rescue the minds of the rest of the previous expedition. First up was an obelisk marked with a badge and pistol. Clearly this was the dream of a cowboy. Except it was difficult to mark it as a dream at first - it began in the same chamber as the one I'd just left behind in the real world, only to find myself attacked by proto-Martians! The only thing I had to hand was some dreamstuff, so after imagining a saber, I fended them off, only to find they were truly my traveling companions!</div>
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Reminding myself this was indeed only a dream, hoping I wouldn't be proven wrong in mere moments, I looked them over, and found myself with a grand total of $60. (Only one thing to do if they're all dead, go through their pockets and look for loose change...)</div>
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Leaving the room led me to a horse auction, with three up for sale, one of which was a familiar (if equine) face, Smith the talking horse! Considering how unhelpful his clues had been in the past, however, I opted instead to bid on an ornery gray horse that seemed to have a bee in his bonnet about something. Winning the auction revealed why - he was no horse, but Wyatt Earp! So freed from his dream, I moved on to the next one.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I hope he doesn't ask me to whitewash a fence next.</td></tr>
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A steamboat could indicate none other than Mark Twain, and the obelisk bearing its mark proved the conclusion a correct one. I found myself on a riverboat in the stars with the famous author, who needed assistance in fetching the pages of his manuscript so he could mail it off. This sequence was a bit tedious but not terribly difficult - dreamstuff along the way provided berries that revealed obstacles, there were more pages than needed, the path was fairly easy to follow, and didn't feel like it stretched on for quite too long. His manuscript mailed via the postbox at the end of the universe (there's a story title in there somewhere), Twain thanked me and readied himself for his return to the waking world.</div>
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Melies was next, through an obelisk depicting one of his more famous pictures. He was trapped in a room with the walls closing in on him, and it took some clever maneuvering to make my way to a can of oil to de-rust the hinges on the door out - remembering I could move diagonally went a long way toward a successful excursion!</div>
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It was brief, though, so it wasn't long before I moved on to the last dream, that of Lowell. And oh, what a dream it was.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Even dreams may hold some truth to them...</td></tr>
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I found myself on a hot surface and imbued with the power of telekinesis - a pair of winged sandals were nearby, so I fetched those with my power while I still could, and began to explore. Cupid's bow, a mirror... it soon became clear I was in some sort of representation of the solar system, staring on the sun, obtaining objects associated with the deities the planets had been named for. "Earth" presented me with the office of who I presumed to be Lowell himself, with notes about his attempts to find a ninth planet out there somewhwere. It was Mars that held the real interest, though - dead Martians and a metal woman, who called the place one of hope and despair. Despair for the old that would fade away, and hope that there would be a new beginning. The known was ending - the unknown beginning. Would she be the new form we would find for the Martians?</div>
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I navigated past the asteroid belt to Jupiter, using the bow to keep the red spot from moving to where it would cause some serious trouble, past Saturn (littered in farming tools), and found Lowell on Uranus. He needed help in getting past the monster on Neptune and finding Pluto beyond, so off I went to shoot it down with my (or rather Cupid's) bow, then sought out a direction to go with a telescope. Southwest seemed promising from what I saw, and sure enough, there was an icy spot where Lowell presumed it might be. After using the mirror to signal him with my findings, he too was released from his dream.</div>
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Back in the real world, Tekapesh made good on his promise. There was much use of the Dream Machine as the proper minds made their way back to their proper bodies, but even though I had finally rescued all of the Elysian Earthlings, that still left the Martians. Perhaps these new rescuees would have some insight - but that would have to wait for the next time.</div>
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***</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh0V3oRfXhpI4VI4eG2vScRVK1h_MBz00wf87SPcNm_EnaC8XwZTqjIx928gt33l1IqqmqoITo1n8V5NwuSEWN0FrqdKnDgdriRl8WLxUJWgTVmFYNY6N1gaNorSIiFu-GTgkZsrmnDJN5/s1600/martian_145.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="200" data-original-width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh0V3oRfXhpI4VI4eG2vScRVK1h_MBz00wf87SPcNm_EnaC8XwZTqjIx928gt33l1IqqmqoITo1n8V5NwuSEWN0FrqdKnDgdriRl8WLxUJWgTVmFYNY6N1gaNorSIiFu-GTgkZsrmnDJN5/s1600/martian_145.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Earthlings saved... but still more to do.</td></tr>
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At the time it didn't feel like I was getting much done in this session - a lot of it was spent just running around for supplies and waiting around for a seed to sprout. But dang writing it all out like this make it feel like a lot happened regardless. I suppose it goes back to the matter of pacing I mentioned earlier - there's a lot of dead space while waiting for the seed, but once it's grown and you have something to do with it, the game starts rapid-firing things at you - go back to Prektesh and get him to inhabit the body, take the results to Tekapesh, get his permission to use the Dream Machine, go rescue another set of Earthlings from dream sequences, and even further on. I can't help but wonder if there's a way to even out that pacing somewhat, even if it's a bit of a moot point for the game itself. It certainly hasn't diminished my enjoyment of the game, and the fact the rest of it has felt pretty good in terms of pacing is probably what makes this one example of a snag that much more glaring.</div>
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We'll see how the rest of the game pans out!</div>
Lingusitic Dragonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01547685200823392797noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3241816870477983024.post-51217342658852777432018-08-19T11:05:00.000-07:002018-08-19T11:05:17.011-07:00Martian Dreams: Sweet Dreams Are Made of These<div dir="ltr">
When last I left off, I'd just been granted access to the remains of the destroyed Dream Machine in Olympus. But Legrande had demonstrated a certain degree of trepidation about the matter - it was off-limits by Segal's order, after all. I'd have to make sure I got the most out of whatever time I was able to get with the machine, and in order to ensure that, I thought it best to find out everything I could about the Machines before examining the destroyed one in Olympus. Knowledge was power, and it suited me to arm myself well before venturing too far forward.</div>
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To that end, I decided to head for Hellas. Word on the street (er, so to speak) was that a man there knew a good deal about the Machines. What sort of state this had <i>left </i>him in seemed to vary depending on who I talked to, but it seemed that the man was my best lead for getting a decent sense of what I might be getting into with the Machines. Fortunately it was a very quick trip to the settlement. With the power on the planet restored, the transport tubes just outside Olympus were active once more, and after some fiddling about figuring out which tube led where by means of coordinates I'd been previously given, I found myself standing on the outskirts of Hellas itself. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdcAiCXv3T_l-xUga6zNsvBeWCq20n6c1MXxmqK9FGzHPbKN0OyzsM8dDbGDZf_cv6V3fnanGBXpZAlXp24mTCn__lmI_02M5pYME4ZrvbYuuX-Gy8S2iCalEgHXHNf86HJMIhD-CnRZCD/s1600/martian_003.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="200" data-original-width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdcAiCXv3T_l-xUga6zNsvBeWCq20n6c1MXxmqK9FGzHPbKN0OyzsM8dDbGDZf_cv6V3fnanGBXpZAlXp24mTCn__lmI_02M5pYME4ZrvbYuuX-Gy8S2iCalEgHXHNf86HJMIhD-CnRZCD/s1600/martian_003.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I really want to know what a Martian orchestra sounded like.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Hellas stood in rather stark contrast to the bustling Olympus that I had just left. Whereas Olympus had been a Martian settlement now taken over and made suitable for a sizeable human population, Hellas - a hub of sorts for the canal system, it looked like - seemed to be mostly abanadoned and untouched by human hands. There were remnants of the Martian population everywhere. Musical instruments that still wheezed when anyone attempted to make use of them. Gardening tools were stored near a greenhouse. A room where the Martians could kick off their footbags (what I surmised passed for shoes among their kind) and soak their... roots? Feet? What *do* you call the extremities of sentient plants? Wherever I turned, there were new facets of Martian culture to take in. Jewelery, money, scrolls and writing implements - here was the best sense I could yet get of what Martian day to day life had been like. Yet it took brought up new questions. What had happened? Why had the settlement apparently been abandoned? It did not seem like answers were going to be swiftly forthcoming.</div>
<div dir="ltr">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr">
In my explorations of the city, I came across a Dream Machine, which I left alone until I had a chance to find and talk with Marcus. I eventually found him in the greenhouse, and he seemed very glad for the company. Indeed, he was the only resident of the empty colony, and he was evidently starved for human interaction. Emphasis on <i>human</i> - according to Marcus, there were berries in the gardens that allowed him to talk with some of the Martian machines, though he could not fetch them very easily due to the fact the gardens were overrun with jumping beans. He had much to tell us of the Machines - the long and short of it were that they pulled you into a dream world ruled by imagination. There was a substance there, dreamstuff Marcus called it, that could be shaped by force of will into whatever could be imagined. He claimed to have seen Lowell and others in the Dream World as well - he theorized that the Elysium crew had been trapped in nightmares while Martians already in the Dream World took over their bodies. A chilling prospect indeed, if true - but it made sense, based on what we had heard. According to Marcus, visiting the Dream World left your body vulnerable, and if someone made it back to it before you did... well, possession didn't seem like such a far-fetched idea in light of that.</div>
<div dir="ltr">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr">
He informed us that the machine there in Hellas wasn't working, but perhaps we could ask it what it needed, using the berries he'd mentioned earlier. So it was off to the gardens to do some weed-pulling (in the form of culling jumping beans) and berry collecting. Along the way, we passed a building we could not enter due to a rusted door. Upon using a flask of oil we had on hand, we managed to work our way inside and were rewarded with what appeared to be live Martian seeds, as opposed to the dead ones we'd seen in the power plant. This seemed like a valuable find indeed, and we took them with us.</div>
<div dir="ltr">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6rW5klabmAQF8EIOmkQ2W_785T22tj9aLCHcMh-gepPn4z-Thh63NEqA42zN4rkucs8XTLqPSQVy1m5-VjH_6FrFqyPxLMDbZ_ILiW3J1P6Fla3trSrivJzNZ_RL0xPCVCSszTbBry2Bc/s1600/martian_052.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="200" data-original-width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6rW5klabmAQF8EIOmkQ2W_785T22tj9aLCHcMh-gepPn4z-Thh63NEqA42zN4rkucs8XTLqPSQVy1m5-VjH_6FrFqyPxLMDbZ_ILiW3J1P6Fla3trSrivJzNZ_RL0xPCVCSszTbBry2Bc/s1600/martian_052.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I love how different the "machine" dialogue feels compared to the rest.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
It took some experimenting, but eventually we found the green berries allowed us a certain sensitivity to the Martian machinery. It wasn't communication, exactly, but even so, after partaking of the berry, Aric was able to read certain sensations that came from the Dream Machine. It felt... blocked, somehow, dead, even. A vision of a glowing rock came to mind, and we quickly installed the block of radium that we had found in the Olympus mines (using all due precautions, of course). This restored power, but the machine gave off a sense of a missing connection and a lack of direction. Direction was easy to provide, we simply installed the repaired control panel Edison had given us. A missing connection, however... that suggested further missing parts. Perhaps the remains of the machine in Olympus would prove useful after all.</div>
<div dir="ltr">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr">
With a machine in Hellas freely accessible, it felt less important to be cautious about spending our time with the machine in Olympus so judiciously. So we headed back to examine the wreckage, and sure enough, found a part that the Hellas machine appeared to be lacking, a headset of some sort. Maybe that would provide the connection the Hellas machine was missing. Yet there was one other thing we felt we had to do before returning to it. We had gone to Hellas in the first place in search of information, and we had found some. There were still questions, though, and suspicions that demanded investigation. There was one place we might be able to find some answers to them, a place we had been warned about several time already.</div>
<div dir="ltr">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr">
It was time to head to Elysium.<br />
<br />
***<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg48FXhQuoKt9YsyWBQOSSvmEsFYm4k9DRGz3wDmL9IAbxtffaF6Am99cV_nPzxKTZ1G8GRCgO9k0MIcF3Zrqz0F059yQltNt00D3ywTmUt-7L7uweOIqImWXjE3R5XSIMRgkWxzz2BXNpZ/s1600/martian_117.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="200" data-original-width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg48FXhQuoKt9YsyWBQOSSvmEsFYm4k9DRGz3wDmL9IAbxtffaF6Am99cV_nPzxKTZ1G8GRCgO9k0MIcF3Zrqz0F059yQltNt00D3ywTmUt-7L7uweOIqImWXjE3R5XSIMRgkWxzz2BXNpZ/s1600/martian_117.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">...talk about the fern calling the shrub green.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Hellas had stood in stark contrast to Olympus due to its emptiness, its sense of abandonment, its lack of residents. Upon reaching Elysium, it quickly became evident that it too stood in stark contrast to Olympus, not due to the quantity of its denizens, but the <i>quality.</i> The people we found in Elysium were ragged, rumpled, as if they weren't taking care of themselves properly. And it soon became clear as to the reasoning why - Marcus' suspicions about the Elysium expedition proved to be entirely on point. Speaking with them, they always gave two names upon introducing themselves - a Martian name first, the name of the body they inhabited second. They were, in fact, Martians that had taken advantage of the workings of the Dream World to inhabit the hapless crew that had scouted out the settlement in the first place.<br />
<br />
Though rattled by this discovery, we did learn a lot. The Martians of Elysium were often dismissive, elitist, and haughty, derisive even, of "worms," as they called us, but even so, we learned a fair amount of the workings of their society. Fazek and Chesef spoke at length on the process of growing a new Martian, though they didn't know the mixture of the fertilizer used. They did mention that their chemicals often came from Hellas' Gatherer Pukchep, and their Cultivator had a chemical lab. We'd already explored it, but it was heartening to know we likely already had what we might need on hand. Xichak told us of his search for water, and suspected that the icecaps may be the best solution.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQsxV5HbuEPsVniahXgBT8e_sMwFji3S3ChJ0R8vKxAWeiK5VIFM936LbS8MU0xLQQqJcg0uVDe97TbqaV0fSuqBMjyG3WTCjkok85bp0bMVcs12dJTmic71pIhlNh81C6vv04lXKv_WUt/s1600/martian_096.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="200" data-original-width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQsxV5HbuEPsVniahXgBT8e_sMwFji3S3ChJ0R8vKxAWeiK5VIFM936LbS8MU0xLQQqJcg0uVDe97TbqaV0fSuqBMjyG3WTCjkok85bp0bMVcs12dJTmic71pIhlNh81C6vv04lXKv_WUt/s1600/martian_096.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Well <i>fine</i> then!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
But it was Tekapesh, Bikchiz, and Chaktsaf that gave us the clearest picture of what exactly had happened here in Elysium, and indeed Mars as a whole. Each of the three of them gave us different pieces of the story, but the long and short of it was that Raxachk, leader of the settlement at Argyre, essentially wished to bring the entire planet under his control. When the other leaders failed to cooperate, he released a plague into the air which ravaged the population. The only survivors were those who had fled into the Dream World to escape it, and those in Elysium had taken the chance presented to them when Lowell and his entourage had arrived. They had stolen the bodies of our Earthling compatriots, using their plague-immune bodies to find a way to grow "proper" Martian bodies once again. Tekapesh refused to abandon the bodies to their proper owners until they had a way to get more "suitable" ones, as he put it.<br />
<br />
Though Pashesh, Bikchiz's assistant, claimed that Elysium was the most advanced of the groves, it seemed they had thus far been unable to recreate their growth process. I must admit I wondered at the accuracy of Pashesh's statement as a result.<br />
<br />
From what they told me, I had a general sense of what would be needed to grow a new Martian body, but I was still lacking the proper mixture for the fertilizer used. I resolved to follow up on this thread later, and returned to Hellas in order to venture into the Dream World for myself.<br />
<br />
***<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVb3x-Hf9Z7MmZX9Yu160jpHC2hc9WEZKYS_jJD4e15797Yg8gWtwgEiWasxbpnUOkw7RelDI8pReihyFbS1jQm6evTx9fg05h1MEVtmoE_-jJsuBXJT2EJ74Y5cE5JwAuW728tj_MQO_-/s1600/martian_123.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="200" data-original-width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVb3x-Hf9Z7MmZX9Yu160jpHC2hc9WEZKYS_jJD4e15797Yg8gWtwgEiWasxbpnUOkw7RelDI8pReihyFbS1jQm6evTx9fg05h1MEVtmoE_-jJsuBXJT2EJ74Y5cE5JwAuW728tj_MQO_-/s1600/martian_123.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I don't think we're in Kansas anymore.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
It was a fairly quick trip via pneumatic tube back to Hellas, and after several deep breaths and steeling himself for what was to come, Aric took a seat in the Dream Machine, Spector threw the switch, and slowly but surely his consciousness faded from the physical to the metaphysical. In the Dream World, five obelisks stood tall, each engraved with a different image - a sickle, a lamp, tracks, a Martian. Approaching the first of them led to an oddly lush landscape, in which the trees moved and often obstructed the way along a narrow path. Weaving through them led to none other than George Washington Carver, who wanted help with an experiment - he needed to ensure a plant grew to full maturity, and wanted assistance repelling the oncoming worms. It took some doing, but careful use of seeds which sprouted plants that kept the worms away long enough for me to kill them eventually allowed the pod to grow, and slicing it open revealed none other than Carver himself. Content that he had now experienced the full Martian life cycle, he was released from his nightmare.<br />
<br />
The second obelisk led to a long, twisting passageway, businessman enjoying themselves and laborers hard at work visible just off of it. This, then, was likely Lenin's dream, and sure enough, at the end of the passageway the man himself was present, along with money littering the floor. He demanded assistance in distributing the present wealth equally, so after gathering all the money and separating it out into 25 equal piles (and relinquishing the extra 3 rubles and an azurite stone "to the state" for "the benefit of the masses"), Lenin was satisfied and he too was released from his nightmare. Two obelisks explored, three more to go.<br />
<br />
The third was full of dreamstuff, and was very disorienting to walk through - every so often my controls would flip around, so it was rather difficult to discern which way was up sometimes! Using the dreamstuff led to a large variety of materials - a broken robot, an adding machine, various weaponry. These proved to be useful once Aric finally found his way out of the passageways to a distraught H. G. Wells, surrounded by invisible creatures! Figuring out where they were was simply a matter of examining which directions the footprints in the dirt were heading, and after dispatching the invisible beasts, Wells too was freed from his nightmare.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWvXY1Hb-omPHHCFhircBd-kMCkrzcSpmruy2f5Y7FoFs0166NXBnpzV7UQT3RnfpKr1r5tQrOiwBva-9Xz3jIgq236CKtIXkG-MHh5Jg8RZVYoutPGDtcKQ_Z_DvGquzRm0idAtjOauSZ/s1600/martian_175.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="200" data-original-width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWvXY1Hb-omPHHCFhircBd-kMCkrzcSpmruy2f5Y7FoFs0166NXBnpzV7UQT3RnfpKr1r5tQrOiwBva-9Xz3jIgq236CKtIXkG-MHh5Jg8RZVYoutPGDtcKQ_Z_DvGquzRm0idAtjOauSZ/s1600/martian_175.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This seems like a bad idea.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Tiffany's dream was an odd beast, as Aric found himself attacked by his own mother, and in the process of fleeing for his safety ended up falling off a very large cliff! The fall apparently did no lasting damage, however, and exploring his new surroundings (interrupted every so often by crashing noises and shaking) revealed a book on bullfighting, of all things. I was rather amused by the fact bullfighting, according to the book, worked on three principles. The Courage to master your fear, The Love that was compassion for the bull and the audience, and the Truth that the bull was easily distracted and could be led by waving a red item. There was even opportunity to put these three principles into practice, as the crashing noises proved to be a literal bull in a china shop, complete with a very frazzled Tiffany. Luring the bull into a side passage by waving around a red throw rug proved enough to save the fragile merchandise, and thus saw Tiffany freed from his own nightmare as well.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkb2f9zS17dovdRrimURgmFzp_frTvux5CgWAdtmyrib6GGwiNnm_Dfd5V821aWXERRSYz339SsrjoaEqNK5yKfmWUhSfXr86M4PFuM7rkb1TB61td-JSXB5VuNHMEyR2xedvKDz56mQ76/s1600/martian_222.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="200" data-original-width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkb2f9zS17dovdRrimURgmFzp_frTvux5CgWAdtmyrib6GGwiNnm_Dfd5V821aWXERRSYz339SsrjoaEqNK5yKfmWUhSfXr86M4PFuM7rkb1TB61td-JSXB5VuNHMEyR2xedvKDz56mQ76/s1600/martian_222.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dream-Hellas seems like it's falling apart a little.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The fifth obelisk, however, was not the dream of an Earthling. Instead, it was the dream of the remnants of the Hellas grove. Hellas was not, it turned out, the empty and abandoned settlement it had appeared to be. They had only moved into the Dream World, a version of the grove that was hazy and fragmented as the realm it resided in. In fact, I found myself reminded of the Gargoyle Lands of Ultima VI, replete with various portions of it falling away into starry void. Conversing with the residents told much the same story as that I found in Elysium. The main difference was that the Martians of Hellas were much more congenial and friendly, and wished to work <i>alongside</i> the humans of Earth in finding a solution to the problem of the plague, instead of merely <i>using</i> them as the grove of Elysium did. Prektesh in particular, leader of the Elysium grove, condemned the "theft," as he called it, though there was little he could do about it from the Dream World. He did say that they would surely keep their word about exchanging the bodies of our compatriots for aid, though - it seemed growing a new Martian would prove necessary after all. Plashef helpfully expounded upon the missing pieces of that particular puzzle - how to tend the seed, and the proper blend of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium needed to nourish it. Xaktsesh also informed us of a second plan her podmate had formed. He had a laboratory in the polar regions, hoping that the cold would slow the progress of the plague while he worked toward finding a new type of body immune to the plague. Perhaps if a new Martian could not be grown, this would be worth investigating, but I needed to free the Earthlings in Elysium. I would need to follow Tekapesh's plan for now.<br />
<br />
It was time to grow a Martian.<br />
<br />
***<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvlnwEDaVqK2Bblq1K9C2AOrZNjF_vrSapzYbwsO8Hgf91nWEklPuZGk7uLec-PId80yIDtegPJ1bfWnwkC4ere4RKN2Ryu9mefMzNQXoM1-xNl5nho4mWqxds8I7LQ06XVOseZX-MLRqG/s1600/martian_216.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="200" data-original-width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvlnwEDaVqK2Bblq1K9C2AOrZNjF_vrSapzYbwsO8Hgf91nWEklPuZGk7uLec-PId80yIDtegPJ1bfWnwkC4ere4RKN2Ryu9mefMzNQXoM1-xNl5nho4mWqxds8I7LQ06XVOseZX-MLRqG/s1600/martian_216.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I didn't notice this until pulling this post together, <br />but even the interface changes in the dream realm: <br />note the grey rather than gold background.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
That was where I ended the session, and it struck me just how <i>varied</i> a session it was. I absolutely loved the dream sequences, all of them stretching the engine and mechanics to their limits to accomplish a large breadth of things. Equipping the throw rug to distract the bull, dealing with the mixed up controls, figuring out how to properly use the items I'd been given, there were so many different things going on in the dreams and each of them felt unique. It felt like it really stepped up the interactivity from Ultima VI, what with the large variety of things I could use and mess around with (some of the stuff I got from dreamstuff in Wells' dream was enjoyable to play with, even if it proved utterly useless), but did so in a more approachable manner than Savage Empire, which felt like it overcomplicated the process a bit, especially with the rifles and bombs one could make in that game.<br />
<br />
Then too do I find the aesthetic of this game much more appealing than Savage Empire, and not just because the genre as a whole clicks better with me. Though it's a very different take for the series, there's a lot of elements that put me in mind of the main series, much more so than Savage Empire did. I already mentioned the parellel between dream-Hellas and the Gargoyle lands as far as aesthetic went, but the story of Hellas also put me in mind of Magincia: a beautiful and renowned settlement fallen to decay and abandonment, chatting with the spectral remnants of its population to figure out what happened to it and why it fell. I could even make the argument that Martain Dreams' story is essentially just a steampunk reimagining of Ultima VI's story - but I think I'll save that for my closing post, that's where I generally do my dissecting of Overarching Story in the first place.<br />
<br />
So on that perhaps tantalizing note, back into the game I go to find out just how green my thumb is - I suppose it's a good thing my mom had me spend a lot of time helping out in the garden growing up, huh?<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiFIYQxBeyLVrSPUxVsCz78ATFyc0gd68W1OEAh_leLyZu-T_AgjJmgZI_qBKWmxTNvLpEzlALbJOnx5UgO2d_J7qHwwRmB0oG9QsdRDCe4jkyP1KEk4DDEWZYXcvtASlAotUycAIlMwal/s1600/martian_228.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="200" data-original-width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiFIYQxBeyLVrSPUxVsCz78ATFyc0gd68W1OEAh_leLyZu-T_AgjJmgZI_qBKWmxTNvLpEzlALbJOnx5UgO2d_J7qHwwRmB0oG9QsdRDCe4jkyP1KEk4DDEWZYXcvtASlAotUycAIlMwal/s1600/martian_228.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Don't mind me, just standing here thinking at the edge of the Dream World...</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /></div>
Linguistic Dragonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13246332346527264632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3241816870477983024.post-79179519937058105882018-05-26T21:54:00.000-07:002018-05-26T22:44:36.361-07:00Martian Dreams: Making a Power PlayForget all roads leading to Rome. Now that I had an affidavit certifying my mental stability - signed in triplicate - in hand, all my leads seemed to point me in the direction of Olympus. There were at least three threads I could recall to follow up on within the community's walls. Dibbs had suggested a man named Trippet there could assist with repairing the broken conveyor belt in the power station. Edison might be able to help figure out how to get said station providing power once more. I'd also been told Carnegie had been working on building another cannon to make the return trip to Earth. Though he had run out of iron for the necessary steel, seeking him out could still be beneficial, and he too was purportedly to be found in Olympus.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizN5QjUx28DMWi1QX8j967WP32FgROYPNZdvdwP0xw_D8b64MZ_J9KDof1PZ0f0nMpRQyaYShrwL68qqyBNnN5evej8jKfwsHC6kTYKQroNNcofap6_i_sqR9auHVkbhMODXvZK_VCpvjr/s1600/martian_082.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="200" data-original-width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizN5QjUx28DMWi1QX8j967WP32FgROYPNZdvdwP0xw_D8b64MZ_J9KDof1PZ0f0nMpRQyaYShrwL68qqyBNnN5evej8jKfwsHC6kTYKQroNNcofap6_i_sqR9auHVkbhMODXvZK_VCpvjr/s1600/martian_082.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Appreciating the bounty of Martian vegetation.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
And so, with my course decided, I set out once more to deliver my affidavit to Nathaniel and gain entrance to the gated community. Sticking near the canals had been both easy to navigate and relatively safe in the past, so I stuck to the pattern. It indeed proved to be an uneventful journey, and we spent some time marveling at the Martian vegetation - the forests, the wriggling worm grass, the berry bushes. The glut of levels I experienced in my last session seemed to be dwindling back to what felt like "normal" levels as well. No longer was I seeing at least half my party get stronger when I rested - granted, that was partly because the recent addition of Sherman to the group had increased its size, but I was, at least, beginning to catch up to all the experience I'd been gaining.<br />
<br />
Nathaniel was quick to open the gates and welcome us to Olympus once he had verified the three signatures. I suspect we were also helped in no small part by the fact that one of the signers was indeed now traveling as part of our number. Olympus proved to be a relatively bustling community, and we spent a good while exploring its nooks and crannies, and talking to its citizenry. We learned much from the many notable figures we found there. Marie Curie, for example, told us of her research into radium, how the Martians may have used it to power some of their machines, and the affinity the Martian worms seemed to have for the substance. Apparently the creatures grew quite rapidly when exposed to it, and so the physicist hypothesized we might be able to conclude the presence of radium wherever we found abnormally large worms. She invited us to take the lead box in her laboratory with us so we could collect our own samples should we find any.<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0t0HpDSqoMQ5iRpa3zgzhLss6VOPYwCEyqQ73CCqBBrgvNm9Ss4uUhamefAoTZqHQgXGxwXz9rmfKC7Z8Y2Uro5828AC-fwnQEFfmXLjYa4IbfKyXIsoP2EKiy0lsefXIhk35vGN3cPhh/s1600/martian_019.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="200" data-original-width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0t0HpDSqoMQ5iRpa3zgzhLss6VOPYwCEyqQ73CCqBBrgvNm9Ss4uUhamefAoTZqHQgXGxwXz9rmfKC7Z8Y2Uro5828AC-fwnQEFfmXLjYa4IbfKyXIsoP2EKiy0lsefXIhk35vGN3cPhh/s1600/martian_019.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Taking in the Olympian sights</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Several others in the community talked with us about potentially useful things - Teddy Roosevelt told us of the value of fingerprint evidence and how it led him to suspect Rasputin to be the culprit of the cannon's early fire. Sarah Bernhardt (fascinating woman, incidentally, I did some further reading about her out of curiosity, since I didn't know much about her, and man is she an interesting figure!) mused about her more artistic pursuits and how beautiful she found Martian culture, lamenting its loss and wishing there were a way to preserve their race. Trippet talked with us about the canals, positing that the Martians may have melted part of the ice caps for water - Peary seemed to agree, telling us how the ice there seemed irregularly formed when we chatted about his explorations of the planet.<br />
<br />
But more than anything else, talk in Olympus seemed to revolve around the Dream Machines. Segal, the leader of the colony, insisted on us avoiding the machines, talking about the madness that had afflicted those who had used it at Elysium, and a dangerous man in Hellas with a working Machine. He had ordered the one there in Olympus destroyed and guarded, and that seemed to be that. Edison, however, still seemed to be interested in its workings - he had had a chance to study its control panel before the Machine was destroyed, and thought he'd be able to rewire another control panel for its use. Perhaps there would be opportunity to take advantage of that fact, too. Legrande Couillard, the man guarding the ruined apparatus, suggested he'd be willing to let us see it if we could find his missing brother Jean, who had been sent to the Olympus mines and had not been heard of since.<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6TMqf601vYqx5XLDqX2gPz-RyA9bYIAuEoGUE8NXdmxwqyEZKP9OS5WtXyy2IgrRhyO1D9FRx2TVvhBEFBaq2-2r7NenampjKx-KQ-Xbs2t-dBIRPAT64RFaDfEd2SvscBuB-sUPIr11f/s1600/martian_080.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="200" data-original-width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6TMqf601vYqx5XLDqX2gPz-RyA9bYIAuEoGUE8NXdmxwqyEZKP9OS5WtXyy2IgrRhyO1D9FRx2TVvhBEFBaq2-2r7NenampjKx-KQ-Xbs2t-dBIRPAT64RFaDfEd2SvscBuB-sUPIr11f/s1600/martian_080.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">...yeah, I'd believe this guy reads Machiavelli.</td></tr>
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As an aside, I also liked the various touches each character we met had in their domiciles, especially the books. Personally, I think you can tell a lot about a person by what they've got on their bookshelves, and it seemed an applicable precept within Olympus. My two particular favorites - a copy of <i>The Three Musketeers</i> in the building where Peary and Roosevelt were rooming together, and Machiavelli's <i>The Prince</i> displayed proudly in Segal's quarters. Both seemed rather fitting choices for the personages who were apparently reading them, and it made for that nice little extra bit of characterization. Well done, Martian Dreams.<br />
<br />
There were a couple things I could follow up on after chatting up the residents of Olympus, and the first one I decided to pursue was getting the power going. It seemed like it would be an important part of my own explorations of the Red Planet, and besides, I'd already been to the power station, so I at least knew where I was going and at least some degree of what to expect. Unfortunately, I hadn't thought to take the damaged conveyor belt <i>with</i> me when I was there, so I had to go back and fetch it to bring <i>back</i> to Trippet so he could repair it. (Yes, there was a lot of back and forth in this session.) Along the way I had my first brush with the dreaded oxy leeches, who stole oxium from me whenever they managed to land a blow. That just reinforced my decision to get the power running again - I'd need to do so in order to track down Cooter's oxium motherlode, and with my supplies dwindling thanks to leeches, it seemed all the more urgent to find a way to replenish them!<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjflZdxWv2ymLvorcNt9eY2SYJDuLhMlOP90DxBgu0RIy50EdpEPh7JOLmIY0C0hT4yQq4EtaIECNc0LTnLUQUAEXfTmcAYvbz0pzGn-hHKB4UdQ_mOeMn_SSgWNmV_v00dics2ClMwMEx1/s1600/martian_094.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="200" data-original-width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjflZdxWv2ymLvorcNt9eY2SYJDuLhMlOP90DxBgu0RIy50EdpEPh7JOLmIY0C0hT4yQq4EtaIECNc0LTnLUQUAEXfTmcAYvbz0pzGn-hHKB4UdQ_mOeMn_SSgWNmV_v00dics2ClMwMEx1/s1600/martian_094.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Let there be light!</td></tr>
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After some running around, I managed to get the belt fixed and replaced, and once I had, Coker immediately got to work, mining a large chunk of coal and placing it on the newly repaired conveyor. But as the power wasn't running, it didn't go anywhere. There was plenty of smaller pieces of coal lying around, though, so I stoked the fires long enough to move one of the larger chunks far enough down the line for Stoker to take over. Once he'd done his job, the entire place sprang to life - the furnaces were hot and getting things moving. And with the power restored - at least for the facility, I still had to make sure the broadcast towers were active - I beelined for the doors I couldn't get past in my previous visit here. Sure enough, there were bins absolutely *full* of oxium, and I quickly replenished my nearly exhausted stash with as much as I could. And thus was the problem of oxium as both currency and means of keeping characters in fighting shape turned from a supply issue to a logistics one - these bins seemed inexhaustible, and so it became less a matter of finding enough and more a matter of making the trek back to gather some and ensuring I had the carrying capacity for it when I needed it. And I think this works well enough the way the game is set up, it still makes me work for my cash by making me return here, but alleviates not knowing where to find a supply when I actually <i>need</i> one.<br />
<br />
Next it was back to the surface through the other exit in the tunnels to check on the broadcast towers. Sure enough, they were in a state of disrepair, and making use of a spool of cable I'd found near the oxium bins, the pair of pliers in the toolkit we had brought with us, and Spector's pair of rubber gloves, Aric made short work of getting the entire planet crackling with power once more. That taken care of, I decided I'd need to make a pit stop at Calamity Jane's to restock on ammo, both Nellie and Spector were getting dangerously low. But I couldn't go back the way I'd come. Going back through the tunnels proved not to be an option, as steam vents were blocking the way. I'd have to take the overland route from where the towers were located.<br />
<br />
Navigating from there wasn't too much trouble, although it did lead to a bit of a crisis once Spector ran out of bullets completely. It was therefore very much a relief once I made it to Arsia, and could exchange a fair portion of my newly obtained oxium for some sorely-needed supplies. Once I was reorganized and restocked, I next made my way back to Olympus. It was high time to explore the tunnels there and seek out what happened to Legrande's brother in the mines. On the way, I stopped by a small room I hadn't been able to enter previously due to the power being out. Peary had pointed it out as some sort of transport system, and turning the power back on had seemed to activate the system once more. That would certainly come in handy when I wished to explore further, but for now, my steps led me to stick close.<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6uyp5XYQ1sFsZJvZkqvhEQ5AkjgBDMPSqV-diJbD_BU7L1rIksMQvVOaRBb4XQONoZ2TiHuAoTTC8lgvZ56yDGWXnOx6DS92MXroDimJ94LLKFRyjXsidxF7WDutdK5e0tDwiqb2X7BWX/s1600/martian_107.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="200" data-original-width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6uyp5XYQ1sFsZJvZkqvhEQ5AkjgBDMPSqV-diJbD_BU7L1rIksMQvVOaRBb4XQONoZ2TiHuAoTTC8lgvZ56yDGWXnOx6DS92MXroDimJ94LLKFRyjXsidxF7WDutdK5e0tDwiqb2X7BWX/s1600/martian_107.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You tell 'im, Nellie!</td></tr>
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On my way to the Olympus mines proper, I bumped into Hearst, who wasn't much of a fan of Nellie's on all, on account of her employer. After a slightly tense introductory conversation, he talked to us of his collection of Martian artifacts, including a stone known as "azurite" that was apparently yet another kind of power source. He said he would be willing to trade it for photographs of the cannon from the top of Mount Olympus - he'd already sent one man to get some, but he had yet to hear from him. It seemed I had somebody else to look out for in the vicinity, and exploration of the mountain quickly revealed his fate. Past a large number of proto-Martians we fended off, we found his body with his camera lying close by. After taking a moment to pay our respects, we fetched the camera and delivered it back to Hearst, who then told us Méliès at Elysium could probably retrieve the photograph itself from the camera plate. Of course, we remembered what we had been told about those in Elysium... doing so may not be as simple a task as it first appeared.<br />
<br />
That was for later, however. We still had Legrande's brother to find. In the mines, we found Carnegie himself, who told us once again of his need for iron, as the Olympus mines had run dry. Jean had ventured deeper in the hopes of finding more, but had never returned. Duprey had found another source where we'd rescued him at Syrtis, but there was no way to transport it to Olympus. Perhaps, the steel magnate suggested, refilling the canals might provide a solution to the problem. In the meantime, we continued our search for Jean, and found worms in the process. <i>Large</i> worms... but we could muse on what that meant later. Fighting our way past the beasts, we did indeed find Jean, but too late. He was clearly taking his last breaths, and his final thoughts were of his brother, insisting we take his Masonic symbol back to Legrande. The poor man died moments later.<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQj86g6XlziEMWnR1X-gpbET6Pw4PN72a_pGsyHV1Y9AAxiYAT5No7HnWcEkgBH1m6unAJiodBAyVNKOHlk3xTkC6Jp2P7LgFJMlvmY-NHJRP3LdG9UVQFDd3XRGVpdjhKrB4BV1oJaoAl/s1600/martian_140.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="200" data-original-width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQj86g6XlziEMWnR1X-gpbET6Pw4PN72a_pGsyHV1Y9AAxiYAT5No7HnWcEkgBH1m6unAJiodBAyVNKOHlk3xTkC6Jp2P7LgFJMlvmY-NHJRP3LdG9UVQFDd3XRGVpdjhKrB4BV1oJaoAl/s1600/martian_140.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yup, those are some big worms all right.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
We pressed onward, remembering what Curie had told us about the effect of radium on worms. Sure enough, their size was indeed indicative of the element's presence, and we gathered several chips and a large block of the substance before leaving the mines once more. We returned to Olympus, picking up a control panel from the tunnels leading toward the mountain proper in the process, and gave Legrande his brother's symbol. The news clearly hit him hard, and he asked for a moment to himself in order to properly grieve. He assured us he would hold to his promise when we returned. We understood completely, and let him alone.<br />
<br />
While Legrande attended to his sorrows, we brought the control panel to Edison, who made quick work of rewiring it for use in a Dream Machine. Which left us with a few options - clearly the Machine itself was our next object of investigation, but what was the ideal means of going about it? Hearsay around Olympus suggested Marcus in Hellas knew a thing or two about the Machines, and with the transport system up and running again, we'd have quick and easy access. Then there was Elysium. Was it possible we could learn something from those affected by the machine previously? Or should we just take our chance to examine the one here at Olympus while the opportunity presented itself?<br />
<br />
That was a decision I left for my next session, as I closed this one there.<br />
<br />
~~~<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUdss6alt1W9DvTwib0ZRJK4Hdcoo_bPo30yxIdegPCzNF5ttX5IvggX95c9jTHQszc5OK6ZAWvuENG9HX-k7je7Z2YDJLJV5B00FOea1spguUqpkPWfGGEplu5dfX7Am_LTetGycWY9A0/s1600/martian_099.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="200" data-original-width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUdss6alt1W9DvTwib0ZRJK4Hdcoo_bPo30yxIdegPCzNF5ttX5IvggX95c9jTHQszc5OK6ZAWvuENG9HX-k7je7Z2YDJLJV5B00FOea1spguUqpkPWfGGEplu5dfX7Am_LTetGycWY9A0/s1600/martian_099.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This was clearly necessary, but felt like it happened on my terms.</td></tr>
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I find myself musing on the differences in how Martian Dreams' plot is unfolding compared to the rest of the series. I think it's rather more linear than any of its predecessors, but it's doing so in a manner that still allows me to decide what's truly <i>important</i>. I always feel like I have several potential plot threads to follow up on, but several of them dovetail together in order to lead toward a particular point. Like how I started this post off - I didn't feel like I <i>had</i> to make my way to Olympus before at least attempting to follow up on, say, what I'd heard about Elysium, but I had multiple reasons for going there. Same could be said of restoring the power, many I talked to implied only after doing so could I fully explore what other potential threads they mentioned. And indeed, it's exactly the position I find myself in now - clearly the Dream Machines are involved in my next objective, but I have at least three ways to figure out just how. There's clearly an order of operations at play in the game, or at least a stronger one than in previous games, but I'm finding I quite like its means of doing so. Rather than giving me one clear path, it drops a lot of bread crumbs in several directions, and gives me indications several of them cross at certain points, thus increasing its importance. Why follow one thread at one location, when visiting another allows me to follow up on three or four? It feels like the choice is still <i>mine</i> as to where to go and when to do things, even if, in some sense, it's also clear the game wants me to follow a more strictly defined path than the rest of the series has done. I think it's proof that linearity isn't necessarily a bad thing in and of itself - it's how it's approached that makes a difference. I certainly wouldn't call Martian Dreams a less enjoyable game just because it's not quite as "open" as, say, Ultima VI was. It's just a matter of approach.<br />
<br />
Of course, I still need to decide which thread to pursue <i>now. </i>But that's a subject that can wait until I fire up the game again. 'Til then!Linguistic Dragonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13246332346527264632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3241816870477983024.post-3353482157558280722018-05-04T22:30:00.000-07:002018-05-04T22:30:08.687-07:00Martian Dreams: Prickly SituationsAfter a quick jaunt back to the 1895 landing site - I'd bumped into one too many sextellegers and was in dire need of Dr. Blood's services, not to mention I'd forgotten to take down the coordinates the last time I was there - I followed Buffalo Bill's directions toward Cooter's place. It was a slightly roundabout route to take an accessible bridge across the canal and then into the entrance of the labyrinthine canyons that Cooter called home, and I found myself swarmed by a good-sized... herd? pod? cluster? of creeping cacti. Poking around the canyons themselves was occasionally punctuated by the bounding of jumping beans, and between them and the cacti, it was a nice refresher on Ultima VI's combat engine and a very nice source of experience.<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVB7RetTmNiauFfe8WykvvzxawSZeCIFMIqIy9Jntd4L8JtSfA2ftCJD5kRAWFU2y26Efrib6jiJ3USDpmb3hwY2Y4LnJHsakCLyDC3MXiwbnRuz9puOCBHjOdoKzVzhMrIARgxcbU5Tf6/s1600/martian_013.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="200" data-original-width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVB7RetTmNiauFfe8WykvvzxawSZeCIFMIqIy9Jntd4L8JtSfA2ftCJD5kRAWFU2y26Efrib6jiJ3USDpmb3hwY2Y4LnJHsakCLyDC3MXiwbnRuz9puOCBHjOdoKzVzhMrIARgxcbU5Tf6/s1600/martian_013.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Interesting descriptor of telekinesis.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Buffalo Bill had stated a few of the Martian berries might prove necessary to get into Cooter's place before supplying us with some, and his statement proved true. Eating one of the berries bestowed temporary telekinetic powers, and this allowed us to move a board and cross a small chasm at the entrance of the McGee abode. Nobody was home, but some rummaging around provided swift answers - we found a note from an "R" demanding Cooter reveal his oxium sources and bring his map to Coprates Chasma, and another from Cooter himself (with rather poor spelling) saying that he hid his map from Rasputin. This was enough for us to piece together what had happened, but before we headed off to the Chasma itself, we poked around to see whether there was anything else of use in the caverns. We certainly did, too. There proved to be a hefty amount of oxium in the caverns, some of which was guarded by ammonoids, but when all was said and done, all four of my little band of adventurers had enough oxium to last them a good long while on the surface of the red planet.<br />
<br />
With our oxygen needs now seen to, at least for the foreseeable future, we wound our way through the canyons to what we surmised was the designated meeting place in the Chasma. And sure enough, we found Cooter himself, hidden behind a narrow passageway blocked off by a large trunk. He was quite relieved to be rescued, saying that he'd been captured by Rasputin and his "varmints" at Argyre, over his knowledge of the oxium stores on the planet. He mentioned one in particular, a motherlode of the stuff beneath the station at McLaughlin - the only problem was that it was behind an electric-powered door, which would not open unless power could be restored. Mr. McGee suggested that Edison, one of the expedition members holed up in Olympus, would probably be able to figure out what needed to happen there, and in the meantime, told use where he'd buried his map to the motherlode, just outside the entrance to the Chasma. It was an easy effort to find said map (and I was rather amused that I needed room to 'move' the dirt I was digging up in order to do so, a nice touch), and from the looks of it, the motherlode was east of the Xanthe Terra, nestled in a corner by some canals just to the northeast. I made a note to look into it when I passed by the area, but for now, it seemed clear Olympus was my next destination.<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT6g4dM8GQ2cOKh2Lg4JBv6YQWIX8b7ZlQ5Q-O23fvaXFMuRF3nufWi7NMrQi0dIkjNhfQudzB8ERK1wuYQ-6JGoRoOjEoY0C0qJl6EdA6aH5c5xgnhT3U2cYkQw47hdZmQI3vrUF_zFFc/s1600/martian_030.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="200" data-original-width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT6g4dM8GQ2cOKh2Lg4JBv6YQWIX8b7ZlQ5Q-O23fvaXFMuRF3nufWi7NMrQi0dIkjNhfQudzB8ERK1wuYQ-6JGoRoOjEoY0C0qJl6EdA6aH5c5xgnhT3U2cYkQw47hdZmQI3vrUF_zFFc/s1600/martian_030.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">So. Many. Cacti!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
We picked our way back out of the maze of canyons, aiming for the settlement - and once again found ourselves facing a veritable <i>wall</i> of creeping cacti standing in our way. Aric and Dibbs bravely flung themselves onto the front lines, with Nellie Bly and Spector taking potshots from the sidelines. All was a flurry of sap and sabers and shells and needles, but they just <i>kept coming!</i> I think when all was said and done we'd somehow managed to beat back upwards of thirty cacti, and the sap we'd spilled there on the edge of a canal might have gone a decent way toward <i>filling</i> it. We were mostly unscathed, save for a few scratches, but weary, and by the time we came to the gates of Olympus, we were aching for a safe refuge and a friendly community to catch our breath.<br />
<br />
Unfortunately, we would not find it at Olympus. Nathaniel Peters, the gatekeeper, expressed a good deal of skepticism, saying nobody could be let in unless they held proof of their soundness of mind. After an incident at Elysium that drove the denizens there mad, the occupants of Olympus were taking what they saw as all necessary precautions. It was just as Dibbs had suspected, and sure enough, he too had been away for long enough that his assurances were worth little to Mr. Peters. He informed us we'd need to seek out three men known to be of sound mind at Syrtis Major, giving us an affidavit for them to sign. If they could vouch for our character and our sanity, then we would be allowed in to Olympus.<br />
<br />
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So off we went to find a way to Syrtis Major. This took a fair amount of wandering, on account of the fact we had to find some way over the canals, and since the power was off, we could only make use of the bridges that had already been lowered. We also desperately needed to resupply, and so we made another trip to Calamity Jane's using a considerable portion of the oxium we'd found in Cooter's place to replenish ammunition. After this particular adventure, I find myself less worried about the economic balance, using oxium as both currency and means of keeping the party in tip-top fighting condition. What supplies I had depleted at what I felt was a very reasonable rate, meaning that by the time I needed to actually spend it, I had at least a decent sense of what a "reasonable" stock was, and thus how much I could afford to spend. I'm still a little concerned about how quickly I'm going through bullets, but that feels like a much more manageable situation in my mind now - now that I had a couple levels under the gang's collective belts (more on this later), I feel more confident sending them into melee range now that they don't seem quite so squishy.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh75uNyfXDu0OSdOVhTbi4qwjXYwin7LKh_Wqndtmz0OCSHwt5cjwxyhVWTiMvR93rW9J936Yq3H6Aen0jLegZPbeEcuyU2OB1dusGu6DnH6QhzI5CkThNBNSCO6naSB2cgTAAm_UtEp4f4/s1600/martian_056.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="200" data-original-width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh75uNyfXDu0OSdOVhTbi4qwjXYwin7LKh_Wqndtmz0OCSHwt5cjwxyhVWTiMvR93rW9J936Yq3H6Aen0jLegZPbeEcuyU2OB1dusGu6DnH6QhzI5CkThNBNSCO6naSB2cgTAAm_UtEp4f4/s1600/martian_056.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It's interesting to see snippets of Martian history.</td></tr>
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In my wanderings trying to find a way to Syrtis, I stumbled across the station I suspected Cooter's motherlode might lie beneath. It turned out there was a whole network of caves there, and some complicated-looking equipment connected to a conveyor belt and a large furnace. There were also two mechanical men present! Talking with Coker and Stoker, as they called themselves, we learned that this was the place that powered Mars. Coker dug out coal and placed it on the conveyor belt, and Stoker took the coal off the conveyor belt and moved it into the furnace. The power produced by burning the coal was sent to broadcast towers on the eastern end of the mine tunnels, and from there sent across the planet. The process had come to standstill because one of the conveyor belts was in need of repair - Dibbs chimed in to suggest that Trippet at Olympus might be able to do something about that. Further exploration of the caverns revealed some closed doors (Stoker had confirmed there were large stashes of oxium behind one), a scroll detailing the Martian Industrial Revolution, and a bag containing a seed and pod knife. That last one seemed somewhat important, so I took it with me.<br />
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Eventually I made my way back out and finally found a bridge to cross the canals, just behind Olympus itself. D'oh! Oh well, the exploration would surely come in handy in getting my bearings. After a long trek and a night's rest, we finally made it to Syrtis Major, where we found David Yellin, one of the three men Nathaniel had told us to find, in a panic. He and his two companions had been searching for more iron to use for Carnegie's cannon to return to Earth, and the others had been trapped within the mine they had found by a cave-in! He directed us to a repair drill, but it needed to be put together and placed on a cart to be used properly and dig Sherman and Duprey out. Mr. Yellin lacked the tools in order to do so.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGxAhEGQH5Wf7DyEEl9ANNqAvy3-7a2g1oNwtNgNrR283IG_7WUKGpuEUyN5I70dYB96a4_X_Y7jp2UhezNoi_Nb4p_G4Tti40GYtJrpoPt7Y1Eoe1BoCszzDO6tiCrwTJ6idWvPrvXAqp/s1600/martian_073.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="200" data-original-width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGxAhEGQH5Wf7DyEEl9ANNqAvy3-7a2g1oNwtNgNrR283IG_7WUKGpuEUyN5I70dYB96a4_X_Y7jp2UhezNoi_Nb4p_G4Tti40GYtJrpoPt7Y1Eoe1BoCszzDO6tiCrwTJ6idWvPrvXAqp/s1600/martian_073.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gee, I wonder why!</td></tr>
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However, we did not! Spector was carrying the tool kit we'd taken with us from Tesla's own cannon, and so he made quick work of putting the drill together. We pushed it into the mines, and after a fair amount of drilling past large rockfalls, we found two rather familiar-looking and very grateful men. Sherman in particular was thankful enough to join with us, citing his familiarity with several places on Mars. Another pair of hands was very welcome, so we were glad to have him with us. (Although I'll admit I'm a bit confused why he was carrying a copy of Dante's <i>Inferno - </i>and doubting how accurate the translation was, judging from the typo in the Italian title.) Anyway, the three of them took the incident as evidence of our sound minds, and were more than happy to sign Nathaniel's affidavit stating so. With the three of their signatures, we had everything we needed to enter the community of Olympus, and from what we had heard on our adventures thus far, we had plenty of business to see to there. It was time to get to work.<br />
<br />
~~~<br />
<br />
In my wrap-up for <i>Savage Empire, </i>I said that I never had a good sense of character progression, most of the choices for party members already being near max level already and any actual improvement coming sporadically and only for specific characters. I find that I'm having what's basically the <i>opposite</i> problem here in <i>Martian Dreams.</i> I'm absolutely drowning in experience, and that was even before the Shootout at the Cactus Canal! Every time I rested, I had at least three party members ready to level up. The Avatar's already hit level seven, and Nellie, who started at level one at the game's beginning, is ready to hit level six the next time I rest. The levels are coming very fast and furious, which means I expect it to taper off considerably, and probably in the not so distant future. Still, I think this feels like the better situation - I definitely feel like my characters are getting better this way! Even if I hit the level cap for these guys somewhat early on, at least I can say I've had some input as to how they develop, which is, I think, a preferable situation in what's at least ostensibly an RPG. I've even managed to avoid the die-hard need for strength I encountered in <i>Savage Empire, </i>and while most of the levels my group's achieved thus far have been spent improving strength, I've felt I have enough room to give Spector a bit of a boost to dexterity as well. All in all, I like how <i>Martian Dreams</i> is handling the experience a lot better than its predecessor.<br />
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Of course, all those levels need to be used on something - hopefully the denizens of Olympus will give me plenty of leads to do exactly that!<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCGHY1CpolY3e8AFwHiZrmNc8ByfwDaDhept-FxGZ7gpjyZ3ihWqZv0rZtNnOxORqHVIdVCMpf3MFcpVhzaPxnvbQm3BtjcCLYmOag6ujC2dfbap1OUDZQ6QjuYdRTqedrBLnjRaKSqUTz/s1600/martian_044.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="200" data-original-width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCGHY1CpolY3e8AFwHiZrmNc8ByfwDaDhept-FxGZ7gpjyZ3ihWqZv0rZtNnOxORqHVIdVCMpf3MFcpVhzaPxnvbQm3BtjcCLYmOag6ujC2dfbap1OUDZQ6QjuYdRTqedrBLnjRaKSqUTz/s1600/martian_044.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Found this outside Olympus... iiiinteresting.</td></tr>
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<br />Linguistic Dragonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13246332346527264632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3241816870477983024.post-76557542957848751702018-04-30T19:48:00.000-07:002018-04-30T19:48:09.716-07:00Martin Dreams: One Small Step<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhziEY3KtNjm5b03zaFVfhYhlWtsvj24xNVSG7qqmb27ceKRNMIDrrsPjxcPIlvFfMn2dAZLl1aPAuvC_NLvTcWsxnTG3XAPVR5-OXjLBC1EiC32Sr0rCo0iljOablTa1GAMmkzvFwhxoxW/s1600/martian_007.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="200" data-original-width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhziEY3KtNjm5b03zaFVfhYhlWtsvj24xNVSG7qqmb27ceKRNMIDrrsPjxcPIlvFfMn2dAZLl1aPAuvC_NLvTcWsxnTG3XAPVR5-OXjLBC1EiC32Sr0rCo0iljOablTa1GAMmkzvFwhxoxW/s1600/martian_007.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Weren't you like level 7 in <i>Savage Empire</i>?</td></tr>
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My adventure on Mars began the same way most of my travels through the Ultima series begin: wrapping my brain around the control scheme and figuring out what the heck I have to work with. That was a relatively simple affair as far as Martian Dreams was concerned. It didn't take very long at all to slip back into the groove of the Ultima VI engine (though it did take me a while to remember that it's B and not C that switches in and out of combat mode). There wasn't that much in my inventory to take stock of either, mainly clothing that was already equipped, a pocketwatch, and Nellie Bly's pistol. I also took a moment to take a peek at my little band's stats, and already found myself with one improvement over <i>Savage Empire</i>: Aric was my most highly experienced character, and even he had some room for growth. One of my complaints about <i>Savage Empire</i> was how little development it felt my characters were experiencing over the course of the game - here in <i>Martian Dreams</i>, there's lots of space for improvement. I'm still a little wary over carrying capacity and inventory concerns perhaps making the actual stat growth choices... less of one (does intelligence even have a use in this game, since there's no magic?) but that's a bridge I'll cross when I get to it. In any case, I suspect the possibility of more frequent levels, even if it just ends up being extra HP and a point of strength, will help alleviate the problems I had in the previous game of that nature.</div>
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Now that I had an idea of the characters I'd be bringing along with me on this excursion, it was time to... well, get an idea of the characters I'd be bringing along with me. (Ah, language. Gotta love the multiple ways certain turns of phrase can be interpreted.) I had a sense of what I might be able to expect from them gameplay-wise, so I next took a moment to get a sense of who they were. Spector assured me of his desire and ability to assist - and asserted it was his job to keep the Avatar out of trouble - before remarking once more upon the differences between what modern science said of Mars compared to their current experience of the Red Planet. Nellie Bly told me a little bit about herself, speaking of her experience as a journalist, her chosen pen name, and the notes she would take about the expedition. It seems she'll fulfill a similar role to Jimmy in <i>Savage Empire</i>, in effect functioning as a walking, talking quest log. This is something I do appreciate about the Worlds of Ultima games, in essence keeping track of at least the highlights of important plot points right there in game. Makes it easy for a quick reminder of what the player maybe should be doing right about now without drowning them in detail. I feel like with the sheer amount of content and sidequests and detail in modern games, it can be a bit difficult to parse a quest log for the immediately important bits, and the simple approach used here feels like a good way to go about it - keep track of the Big Relevant Plot Things, and leave whatever else the player chooses to pursue to their own recollections.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYG9DmTLvC1-kURtUUYuDEA3RteTR-fzDUtKsrH3toyJfdp2dpFeMoqWqAMX2xmimoa1DbgDI67l0akrdaRUGd9UwKihlN6-NGkOEw5sDx2q_UIFKtTfcy6x9APDMDpLz752uRkb1uhL3H/s1600/martian_025.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="200" data-original-width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYG9DmTLvC1-kURtUUYuDEA3RteTR-fzDUtKsrH3toyJfdp2dpFeMoqWqAMX2xmimoa1DbgDI67l0akrdaRUGd9UwKihlN6-NGkOEw5sDx2q_UIFKtTfcy6x9APDMDpLz752uRkb1uhL3H/s1600/martian_025.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">What's steampunk without Jules Verne?</td></tr>
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I also took some time to talk with the rest of the crew, such as it was. Freud discusses his research into dreams and his theories on the construction of personality, and also expressed his interest in how everyone was going to react to the situation on Mars - such would prove valuable data for his research, he suspected. Dr. Blood talked about his research into oxygenated air and his concerns about the lower oxygen content in the atmosphere on Mars. It was Tesla who perhaps has the most helpful direction. He gave us the coordinates for the 1893 landing site and pointed us in the right direction. He also noted the door had apparently jammed closed, and that Garrett was the man to see about that. Garrett did indeed have a prybar on hand, though he suggested we go through the cargo hold to gear up before heading out. Both Tesla and Garrett also stressed the importance of having a sextant on hand in order to navigate the surface of the planet. Seeing the wisdom in this course of action, we moved on to raid the capsule's stores of supplies. Apart from a few things like dinnerware and reading material (I love the fact someone brought a copy of <i>Journey to the Center of the Earth</i> along), Aric and his team found plenty of useful things. Tools, weapons, warm clothing, a tent, lanterns and oil - we took them all. After arming Spector with a rifle and Nellie with a pistol, Aric took a saber and machete for himself, then prepared to take one small step for an Avatar and a giant leap for Victorian science--</div>
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--only to be stopped by Tesla and the copy protection question.</div>
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The structure of this entire opening put me very much in mind of Ultima VI, in a good way - an enclosed space to take stock of the situation, prepare for the trip ahead, and get a sense of what direction to head first. It's all even locked off the rest of the game world until you obtain a certain item within the designated area and pass the copy protection. The main difference is that the space capsule here is a lot smaller than Lord British's castle!</div>
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One other detail I enjoyed about this first little area: the crew will readily give their opinions on everyone else, and they're varied. For instance, Tesla is eager to speak with Freud about his dreams, interested in what the psychologist has to say, whereas Garrett is skeptical of Freud and things he asks too many questions. Characterization is as much defined by relationships as it is to an individual's character traits, so it's nice to see the "crew" of the expedition taking the time to say what they think about each other. Really helps get a sense of what sort of team this is.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI8Yn4aPrTjCwTtM8Zdjg-sS6gogiCIYaywt7Oa4DVKo9w18mN1KncEC93bUbKy9cNOHQK0spU2sCQnlR2e_DAdWV6TbmVQ89w2rA9s96uggsBdOVWFY_dRWHUeGPNzxeVE8VN0kUQTptM/s1600/martian_037.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="200" data-original-width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI8Yn4aPrTjCwTtM8Zdjg-sS6gogiCIYaywt7Oa4DVKo9w18mN1KncEC93bUbKy9cNOHQK0spU2sCQnlR2e_DAdWV6TbmVQ89w2rA9s96uggsBdOVWFY_dRWHUeGPNzxeVE8VN0kUQTptM/s1600/martian_037.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gotta include the drama shot!</td></tr>
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Anyway, after another admonition from Blood to find some way to deal with the oxygen situation, we set forth to find the landing site from the mishap in 1893 that necessitated this whole rescue in the first place. It was a rather uneventful journey, being a fairly easy walk to the east. We only encountered a couple creepers along the way, which were swiftly dispatched without difficulty. Upon reaching the site, we met with one Lieutenant Dibbs, who had been working security for the capsule when it fired. He had been waiting for the rescue party, and had much to tell us of what had happened in the intervening time. It seemed that the previous group had been working on building a capsule to make the return trip, but needed to find more iron for the steel necessary to build it. They split into four groups, each seeming to take their own tack on the situation. Rasputin took a group to Argyre to research the Martian technology there, and they became secretive and reclusive. It was clear Dibbs did not trust them much. Lowell took a group north to Elysium, experimenting with the Dream Machine they found there. According to Dibbs, there were several around Mars, though only Elysium's seemed to work - and Lowell's group went mad as a result, now believing themselves Maritans. This led the group led by Jack Segal to become skeptical of those potentially "contaminated" by the machines. They remained at Olympus to work on the shuttle, and effectively closed themselves off from anyone who may have come into contact with the active Dream Machine. </div>
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Dibbs suggested we visit the fourth group, the traders Buffalo Bill and Calamity Jane, at Arsia Mons for further equipment and supplies, including, he mentioned, a potential source of an oxygen-rich rock that they had discovered on the planet. This sounded like a capital idea, so after rummaging through the supplies left in the capsule (including a copy of <i>Le Morte D'Arthur, </i>as if I needed another reminder of where the series could have gone!) we headed east once more, heading for the coordinates Dibbs had given us. Once again it was a fairly uneventful trip, only stumbling across a small band of bushrats (what <i>would</i> the proper collective term be for plantimals?) that were quickly dealt with. We were, however, beginning to see traces of civilization - the remnants of a road that we were indeed following toward Arsia Mons, at least in part. Buffalo Bill and Calamity Jane were willing to trade a wide variety of things for oxium. Though we didn't have much on us at the moment (Dibbs only had a little), it was good to know if we were ever short on supplies or ammunition, they'd set us up for the right price. They also mentioned various varieties of berries they'd trade for, with mysterious effects. Calamity Jane would even give us oxium, for enough of the right kind of berry.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbGEXFASJ0pwaJI1bbmGLIasxyQWWxOwC1-zrPie17fh-DZQb6KmqTxT07xP_W_j39fn1vBvEr61AdvRnuLY_QWhVMEACKlnTTxSKdCnZyyDPQ_IVnvIFbKk12rww5JxHbd8pIjSZmqfdy/s1600/martian_067.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="200" data-original-width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbGEXFASJ0pwaJI1bbmGLIasxyQWWxOwC1-zrPie17fh-DZQb6KmqTxT07xP_W_j39fn1vBvEr61AdvRnuLY_QWhVMEACKlnTTxSKdCnZyyDPQ_IVnvIFbKk12rww5JxHbd8pIjSZmqfdy/s1600/martian_067.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dagnabit, do you <i>have</i> to rub it in my face like that?</td></tr>
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Or would, at least, once her supply lines were back in order. It seemed her supplier, a man named Cooter McGee, had gone missing. Dibbs had mentioned this as well, it seemed he had fallen afoul of some raiders from Argyre. Yet another reason to be suspicious of the group that had holed up there. We promised we'd look into what happened to him, and at Jane's instruction, Bill gave us directions to Cooter's place and a stock of oxium to help us deal with the atmospheric conditions during the journey.</div>
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Rather, he did once I reloaded a save. I'd somehow managed to skirt past a pair of sextellegers just outside the outpost, and one had snuck through the open door and smacked Bill dead in one shot. Whoops! I made sure to get the drop on the sextellegers first the next time around, and for added safety I shut the door behind me once I was inside. C'mon Bill, you can't die yet, this is how universe-shattering paradoxes are made!</div>
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~~~</div>
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I called it a session there, as I'd spent a good deal of time in the game at this point. It may not reflect a whole lot of things actually happening, but I think this opening bit of <i>Martian Dreams</i> works really well, a nice and tight means of getting the player into the game. There's a good sense of what's happened in the game world and what I might be able to expect moving forward, several plot threads to follow up on - there are, after all, four groups from the previous expedition to chase after - and one prominent one that gives me a clear direction for at least my immediate steps. The game does a good job of streamlining the open world so it doesn't feel overwhelming in these initial stages, which I feel is necessary when you're still getting the hang of things. I feel like I have options, and even though it's clear to me where the game <i>wants</i> me to go, it manages to do so in a way where it feels like I, the player, am still the one calling the shots as to where to go and what to do next.</div>
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I do, however, find myself with a bit of trepidation over the oxium mechanics. On paper, I find the concept an interesting one. It's necessary to keep the party in tip-top fighting condition, but it also doubles as currency, which means as the game goes on and I accumulate a larger stash, I may have to make decisions about how much I can afford to use on buying supplies and how much I need to keep on hand. The fact my currency stash will dwindle as I travel as well means I can't just hoard and use it whenever. There's the possibility of needing to be a bit more judicious about when I take my shopping trips.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjALVa2JVaKgS3n8fYAP2OhpWVrsC5Qe9qJGiTBSfblCMqlJwk_mVrKklK5uA3KZtI3egPYAwtnxBMls0AjZfymchawB4x_x2FTkNNOwd50IdSjaRWkJ7HTpjFLKvtJOghhrZTC3fFFQ9QN/s1600/martian_070.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="200" data-original-width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjALVa2JVaKgS3n8fYAP2OhpWVrsC5Qe9qJGiTBSfblCMqlJwk_mVrKklK5uA3KZtI3egPYAwtnxBMls0AjZfymchawB4x_x2FTkNNOwd50IdSjaRWkJ7HTpjFLKvtJOghhrZTC3fFFQ9QN/s1600/martian_070.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I'm sure this is just flavor and won't be of any importance.</td></tr>
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In practice, though... I feel like this could be a tough thing to balance properly, economically. Considering a lack of oxium lowers my stats - and by proxy, carrying capacity, ouch! - it'll be important to keep it on hand, but since a lot of the weapons require ammunition, I'll constantly be in need of replenishing bullets, which means spending "money." I don't know how much oxium I'll be able to find (or berries to exchange for it in if I can't find enough), nor do I yet have a good sense of how quickly one goes through a stash of it in travels, and depending on both those factors, it could mean I'm constantly in want of more of it not just to buy things, but to maintain enough of a supply of it to <i>make</i> it to where I want to buy them. And that's assuming I don't care about keeping any on hand to keep my stats up. I suspect I'm just overthinking things and it'll turn out just fine, but I'm seeing some potential for the mechanic to end up a bit frustrating if it's not fine-tuned well. I suppose we'll see as the game goes on.</div>
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Finding out what happened to Cooter is my plan for the next session, maybe wandering over to Olympus once that's taken care of. An entire planet's worth of adventure awaits - time to get back to it!</div>
Linguistic Dragonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13246332346527264632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3241816870477983024.post-47283804162410005392018-04-23T18:22:00.000-07:002018-04-23T18:22:09.312-07:00Martian Dreams: Opening Thoughts<div dir="ltr">
I think the best way to encapsulate my initial thoughts on <i>Martian Dreams </i>is via a remark from a conversation I had during the UDIC 25th Anniversary Bash. Unfortuantely I don't remember who said it, so I'm unable to attribute it properly, but it went something along the lines of "Just describing the premise of that game makes me happy."</div>
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That's a pretty fair assessment for me as well, all things considered.</div>
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Released in 1991, <i>Martian Dreams</i> was the third game to make use of the <i>Ultima VI</i> engine and the second entry in the Worlds of Ultima spin-off series. Or at least it ostensibly was, as the series itself had been renamed to the "Ultima Worlds of Adventure" series, putting the prestigious name of Ultima first. Not that it mattered all that much in the end, on account of the fact it was also the last entry in the series, much to my personal dismay. See, the planned third entry in the series was intended to take an Arthurian bent - how awesome would colliding Britannias have been? Iolo and Merlin swapping stories, Dupre and the Knights of the Round Table questing together, King Arthur and Lord British... so many great opportunities there. But alas, it never came to be.</div>
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Ahem, right. I was talking about <i>Martian Dreams.</i></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I like the fact the Avatar has a poster of Ultima VI on the wall.</td></tr>
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Once again the game took the tack of throwing the Avatar into an adventure apart from Britannia, via the Orb of the Moons. While <i>Savage Empire</i> took him into a lost world, <i>Martian Dreams </i>sent him on a steampunk adventure on the Red Planet. Considering time travel is involved, it's a little difficult to properly decide where the story truly begins (or a least <i>when</i>), but perhaps the best way to approach it is the Avatar's own perspective - when Dr. Spector shows up on his doorstep one night, ostensibly at the Avatar's own bequest, the two are visited by a mysterious stranger with a package for them. This package contains a photograph of the two of them with several Victorian-era figures, a note signed by Nikola Tesla, and a book on time travel and the Orb of the Moons written by Dr. Spector himself - dated a century earlier. Following the instructions laid out in the book, the two venture to an abandoned laboratory in Colorado, use the Orb, and find themselves in the year 1895. They discover that two years prior, the astronomer Percival Lowell had developed a "space cannon" designed for a trip to Mars, unveiling the project at the Columbian Exposition of 1893. Unfortunately, the cannon discharged a day early - with several prominent figures of the era on board for a tour. And so the Avatar and Dr. Spector join Tesla's rescue mission, for whatever adventures might await them on the next planet over.</div>
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Much like <i>Savage Empire, </i>I don't have a lot of previous experience with <i>Martian Dreams</i>. This was largely in part due to the interface issues I had with Ultima VI, which I've previously stated that I had several problems adjusting to at first. However, the premise reminiscent of a Jules Verne novel (adaptations of which I read voraciously as a kid) intrigued me far more than <i>Savage Empire's</i>, and so I was a bit more willing to stick it out just to see what the game had to offer. I've never managed to get very far in the game, but I loved its aesthetic and the ideas behind it. It's one of those games that I quite readily praise even if I'm not entirely sure it's one that ends up clicking with me personally. Although considering how I've managed to get over my initial problems with the Ultima VI interface back during my playthrough of that game, I suspect I'm going to have a much better time of it this attempt around. I'm excited to experience the story firsthand in its entirety, because from what I've seen of it in Let's Plays, it's going to be an <i>excellent </i>adventure.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Well if we knew, we wouldn't have a game, now would we?</td></tr>
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But of course I can't get started without delving into the game manuals - yes that has to be plural, as <i>Martian Dreams</i> came with two! The first is Dr. Spector's treatise on time travel and the Orb of the Moons referenced in the game's intro. It does indeed explain how the Orb of the Moons can be used for such a thing, and they are indeed followed properly in the intro. It also features a few descriptions of the various people in the ill-fated 1893 journey, along with those taking part in the 1895 rescue expedition. The second manual describes more of the planet itself, from its geographical features to the wildlife encountered there to what they have managed to figure out of the Martian civilization. It's clear that the team put a fair amount of research into the historical figures they chose to include, there's even a "Further Reading" section for more material on these people. That sort of thing is something I highly appreciate in games that reference historical peoples and places - part of what I love about the <i>Civilization</i> series is trawling through the in-game Civilopedia to learn more about the people and nations I'm playing as. Being able to latch on to some little-known facet of history and having resources at hand to investigate further, provided to me by the game itself - that's the sort of infectious passion for a particular topic that I love to see infused into any form of media.</div>
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The manuals also help set the proper tone for the game to follow here. There's no such thing as a perfect reflection of reality when it comes to fiction - what matters is either being able to sufficiently distract the audience from those discrepancies, or putting them in a state of mind where those discrepancies and inaccuracies simply don't matter to them. <i>Martian Dreams</i> is of the latter type, I think. It definitely plays fast and loose with the science involved (when it doesn't outright defy it!), but the lighthearted tone of the manuals and intro sequence help put the player in the right mindset, that this isn't going to be a story about hard science and survival on Mars, but a jovial adventure that happens to be set there. Spector himself even points out some of the strange and extraordinary discrepancies between the modern understanding of Mars and the game's presentation of it! By presenting them in an almost jaunty sort of manner, it helps set the player's expectations of what's to come and make those nonsensical moments easier to accept and meet the game on its own terms.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Origin did "create worlds," after all.</td></tr>
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Even the detail work in the manual and opening sequence makes me grin. The illustrations that supplement the descriptions of Martian "plantimals" really help bring the idea of plant-based fauna to life, and the added detail that it's George Washington Carver who does the research into Martian society and its life cycle makes just drives it home all the more - of course he would, he's the botanist! All in all the manuals go a long way to getting the player in the right mood for the game to come, which is exactly what they should be doing. The fact the Origin FX sequence at the beginning uses an image of Mars made me smile, too.</div>
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Thus prepared, I popped into the game to create my character proper, chatting with Sigmund Freud in order to define the Avatar's presence on Mars. Even this is a nice touch - who else would be the one to determine how the Avatar would be fleshed out on this particular adventure? Freud began by asking whether the Avatar was closer to his mother or father - I didn't realize this was the 'art thou male or female' question of the game when I first gave <i>Martian Dreams</i> a whirl, which caught me off guard when I answered honestly and ended up female once I fired up the game proper. Freud then stated he did not think the Avatar belonged with them on the trip, and asked how that made him feel. From there came a few more questions: were the Avatar a child again, what would he do when his mother calls him away from playing with his friends? Should they send one out as a scout or stick together as a group when they land on Mars? Were he an animal, would he rather be a fish or a bird? Once again it was interesting to see the traditional "virtue test" framed in a completely different context, and as always, I answered based on the Avatar's previous experiences as best I could.</div>
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All that remains now is to dive into the game proper and get to exploring the Martian landscape. Tally ho!</div>
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Linguistic Dragonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13246332346527264632noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3241816870477983024.post-26743994723077408492018-04-20T17:29:00.003-07:002018-04-20T22:39:26.197-07:00Savage Empire: Closing Thoughts<div dir="ltr">
It's taken me some time to figure out how to pull all my thoughts on Savage Empire in something resemebling a cohesive manner. Some of that probably has to do with the fact my playthrough of the game has been rather... extended, compared to the rest of the series I've played thus far. The game isn't quite as fresh in my head as others when compiling these closing thoughts, especially the early parts of the game. But I think more of it stems from the fact I have very mixed feelings about Savage Empire in general, which is making it a little difficult to figure out how to approach a final post on the topic.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Figuring out where the heck I was - one of my favorite parts of the game</td></tr>
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Maybe the best place to start is to say that I did enjoy the game a lot - considerably more than I was expecting to going in. I mentioned in my opening post that "Lost World" type things generally aren't my cup of tea, but even in spite of my lukewarm feelings toward the genre as a whole, I had a wonderful time roaming the valley of Eodon. Especially when I wasn't entirely sure of where I was! The memory of exploring where the teleporters all took me and trying to match that to the features of the game map is still my starkest of Savage Empire, and I honestly don't think I'll be able to replicate that feeling in many other games. Sure, games still come with maps, but I feel like the game worlds they depict are, at least these days, too large to properly capture the level of detail that allows me to pinpoint exactly where I am on it. Savage Empire allowed me to figure out where I was on the map based on geographic features like a particular confluence of rivers or a series of cliffs - all of which were replicated on the map. There was something enriching to me about being able to have that experience with material that wasn't necessarily inside the game itself. I'm hoping I can find similar moments when it comes to Martian Dreams - I know the general layout of Britannia a bit too well to expect the same out of Ultima VII!</div>
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Design-wise, I think it's interesting to see how Savage Empire iterated on Ultima VI. As the first entry in the series to re-use the same engine as another, there's a lot to be said on how it took existing material and improved upon it. For example, I think moving the conversation text to where the "game" window is, rather than keeping it where the command input appeared, was a good call. There's no need to be staring at the game world during a conversation, and the larger window helped follow the lengthier conversations a bit better. It was nice to see how other things were improved upon as well - character portraits, for example. The background on each of them changed based on locale and time of day, and even in other circumstances (such as Tuomaxx throwing a skin over the Avatar's head). Talking with Jimmy outside at twilight showed him against a background of a starry sky, while conversing with him in a cave showed him in front of stone. It was a lovely touch that brought a lot of life to the world. So too was the fact each tribe felt distinct - the villages, the character design, every visual aspect of the tribes helped distinguish it from the other tribes in the valley, helping to nail down just how varied they were.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It was nice I could make and use these, but the process was complex.</td></tr>
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There was also an increased degree of interactivity with the world itself, it felt like, although part of me feels like it was perhaps too much in some circumstances. While it was nice to see more uses for objects, more ways of combining them, and multiple means of obtaining certain items, I think it might have been a little more than was strictly necessary in some cases. The makeshift rifles and bombs swiftly come to mind - there were so many steps in the process, made a bit more complicated by the limited amount of inventory space available to me, that it felt more like busy work than anything else. I ended up never making a homemade rifle simply on account of that fact. While nice in theory, I think making more complicated interactions between objects didn't work very well in practice.</div>
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Then, too, is the fact that the re-use of the engine made some problems even more stark in comparison. Ultima VI let me scroll through inventories, effectively letting me have infinite inventory slots on each individual character, so long as they had the strength to carry it all. Not so in Savage Empire, and I was sorely missing it. Bags and containers because all more precious not just because it helped keep everything organized, but because they effectively expanded the number of items I could carry. This was more a mild nuisance than a serious problem, but it was all the more noticeable because it was clear the engine was capable of handling it in Ultima VI.</div>
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One other thing stands out to me in terms of mechanics as well, and that's how the game handled character progression. I've seen a few comments elsewhere about how the game feels more like an adventure game with light RPG elements rather than a true RPG. I don't call this a "criticism" because it's not necessarily a bad thing in and of itself, but for me personally, it did somewhat hamper my enjoyment of the game. Out of all the characters I took with me on my journey, only Jimmy felt like he ever really got better in terms of leveling and the lack. Most of the other characters were already as far advanced were likely to get over the course of the game without large amounts of dedicated grinding - the Avatar himself included. It never felt like this was a detriment to actually getting anywhere in the game itself, but I found myself missing that sense of my characters improving in their capabilities as the game went on. Even on those occasions when I did get to level up a character (and the rarer occasion when that character was someone other than Jimmy), it felt somewhat lackluster, on account of the fact I never picked anything to improve except strength. I was almost always in need of an increased carrying capacity, and the only way for me to cope with that was with more strength. It all felt rather one-dimensional to me - not that this is unusual territory for Ultima, really, intelligence was useless for practically everybody but the Avatar in Ultima VI for instance, and Ultima II's stat increases were entirely random. I think what stands out to me about Savage Empire in this respect, though, is that it was a choice that didn't really feel like one - sure I could improve dexterity or intelligence, but what point was there to either? (That's another thing,</div>
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too - I kept forgetting I even had the option of magic, on account of only one character having the capability, and it wasn't the Avatar.) Strength felt like the absolute right choice every time, and thus I didn't see the need to actually choose one of the three at all. And if I have no reason to choose any option except one, then why give me a choice at all?<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In which Sahree sums up the plot.</td></tr>
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Since it's my own particular point of interest, and at least part of the point of this blog in the first place, I can't get away from Savage Empire without discussing its story, and I have mixed feelings on that particular subject too. Structurally speaking, it's pretty much the same as the rest of the series up to this: there are a set number of tasks you need to accomplish before you're allowed to enter the endgame, and so long as you accomplish them all, how you go about it doesn't matter. Ultima IV doesn't care if you gather the stones of virtue before achieving Partial Avatarhood in Humility, for instance, so long as it's all done before you dive into the Abyss. Ultima V didn't care when you got the Shard of Falsehood or the Crown of Lord British first, so long as it all happened before you went into Dungeon Doom. Similarly, Savage Empire doesn't care if you help the Disquiqui before the Sakkhra, or the Nahuatla before the Pindiro, so long as you've united all the tribes. And on paper, it's an interesting plot - finding ways to convince each individual tribe to join an alliance, each in their own way, finding a means to meet each tribe on its own terms.</div>
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In practice, however... well, it falls into the same problem I have with Mass Effect 2. By making "getting X character to join your team" into not just a significant part of the game's story arc, but the bulk of it, it feels too much like reducing the characters to plot coupons, and that doesn't sit well with me in terms of video games. It's the sort of story I feel works better in a book or movie, and I still can't quite put my finger on why. In whatever medium, it does make the characters in question into a plot device, but somehow that feels more... reductive to me when it happens in a video game. Maybe that's because since I'm actively a part of the story of a video game, it makes me more aware of mechanics and function, and thus easier for my brain to perceive characters used in such a manner as a "mechanic" themselves. Or maybe that's because it feels more like the game is telling me how I'm supposed to think about these people rather than letting me come to my own conclusions, made all the more stark on account of the fact I have a more direct role in the story and the main character as a player of a video game. I don't know - I've mused on it a lot and I still don't have a concrete conclusion.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTvQd6zLBJxCkjo6TJOwewrih8Zi5Owb0KIkpGp2_BliIEOfszqqVBllbYE1ZuRj_0zUGwKdhRUbWqidxJuHpW7SpOAd4Y6f5BIuWN2MhVk8k3Lj-4_693mA92lQbjCRAbY9K7iKbuAW3i/s1600/savage_050.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="200" data-original-width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTvQd6zLBJxCkjo6TJOwewrih8Zi5Owb0KIkpGp2_BliIEOfszqqVBllbYE1ZuRj_0zUGwKdhRUbWqidxJuHpW7SpOAd4Y6f5BIuWN2MhVk8k3Lj-4_693mA92lQbjCRAbY9K7iKbuAW3i/s1600/savage_050.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Even though this made some sense, it felt too easy.</td></tr>
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I would have also liked to see a bit more interaction between the tribes. There are some very clear rivalries in the valley, but all the resolution between them happens off screen. It would have been nice, for instance, to see members of other tribes appearing in the villages as you united more of them. Some of the tribal quests felt a bit phoned in, too - one just joins right off, without having to even do anything! I understood the sentiment behind it, as far as the chieftain's motivations went, but even so, it would have felt a bit more fulfilling if she had instead required me to, say, convince half the tribes in the valley to join, just as evidence of my ability or commitment to doing so. Everybody else needed some proof that their needs would be seen to, as is understandable from a leader of a tribe. Why not her, then? I could have done with a little more backstory in a few more places, too. The pacing of a story as open as this is a hard thing to balance when you can't be sure what a player is going to go after when, but having done the Nahuatla quest last, where the bulk of the history of the Valley can be found, a lot of that information was something I would have liked to see hinted at a bit more directly. There were touches of this with the Sakkhra tribe, but practically zilch elsewhere, and I definitely felt its lack when I finally made my way into the underground city of the Kotl and learned just how much went into the background of Eodon and the Myrmidex. Of course, some of these complaints are probably the result of a game world that does feel like it truly breathes, and thus makes minor things like this stand out a little more in contrast - it wasn't a bad story by any means, and those parts of it I enjoyed made me all the more starved for those extra bits of polish.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmeLH9-3u3X18uN8_8EIWxBPlLgOGMxzr_vS1dVVfbEJTZkhAG_1_Mjvkyc1KCLuExHIIDWcTsGwOThR12Hhcnerj9CAYAzdsNhxzwIrOTplbxz3ITjP8oGCrDjsqEWyN2GVYYyHgh-hhP/s1600/savage_020.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="200" data-original-width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmeLH9-3u3X18uN8_8EIWxBPlLgOGMxzr_vS1dVVfbEJTZkhAG_1_Mjvkyc1KCLuExHIIDWcTsGwOThR12Hhcnerj9CAYAzdsNhxzwIrOTplbxz3ITjP8oGCrDjsqEWyN2GVYYyHgh-hhP/s1600/savage_020.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It's good to see these lessons of virtue framed in a different context.</td></tr>
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As far as how the game fits into the story of Ultima as a whole, that's another complicated question. I've heard it said that the game might have received better - indeed, might have been a better game, period - if it didn't try to tie itself to the Ultima series. I can understand the reasoning behind such a statement, and in truth I'm not entirely sure whether I even disagree with it. But I'd like to turn that idea the other way around - would Ultima's story have been better without Savage Empire? I'm inclined to say no. Thematically, this is a chance to see how the Avatar has learned the lessons of virtue Britannia, how he applies them outside the purview of the land that taught these lessons to him. It has the potential to touch upon the idea that the quest of the Avatar really is forever, and the lightly mentioned theme at the end of Ultima V that it's not just Britannia that has a need for an example of virtue. Does Savage Empire accomplish such a thing? I think the case can be made for it, when viewed from the right angle. There aren't really dilemmas of virtue in the same way the Age of Enlightment trilogy presented, but there are moments - the questions during character creation, how the Avatar deals with figures like Darden and Spector, how the player feels in the aftermath, even if there's no direct choice involved. It's not something addressed clearly in the game itself, but I said back during my playthrough of Ultima IV that that particular game is as much the player's story as the Avatar's. In that sense, this is their first chance in the series to explore the lessons of virtue in a context that doesn't necessarily care about those lessons one way or another - is it something that they've taken to heart so well that they hold to them even when they don't see a concrete need to? Maybe it's just me, but I think that, at least from the story of the player, it's an interesting direction to take, and I'm glad the series has something like Savage Empire to do that.</div>
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All in all, I think I've come out of this game with a newfound appreciation for it. It's still not going to rank up there with my favorites in the series, I'm not going to be as eager for a reply of it as I am the Age of Enlightenment games. But I think there's something quintessentially Ultima about it. One of the hallmarks of the series, in my mind, is its willingness to experiment, to try new things and go in different directions. It doesn't just take what worked and make more of it - it tries to iterate, find new things that work, ways to improve on what's already working. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't, but it does, at the very least, end up interesting, and that's part of what's enjoyable about the series for me. And that's exactly what Savage Empire did - it took something that worked, it built on it, it went a different direction, and it tried new things. Some of it I enjoyed, some of it I didn't. And I'm expecting all of that will be improved and experimented on and taken in new directions come Martian Dreams. I have a feeling I'm going to end up seeing Savage Empire the same way I see Ultima II - a transitionary stage, between a spark that served as its source material and the eventual refinement of those ideas to a fine point. There's bound to be some awkward growing pains in the transition - Savage Empire certainly has them. But like Ultima II, despite its flaws, I have a great appreciation for its part in the development of the series as a whole, and an even greater one now that I've played it to completion. Whatever else, I think that's my biggest takeaway, and I'm all the more eager to see how Martian Dreams goes as a result.</div>
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Linguistic Dragonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13246332346527264632noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3241816870477983024.post-46171840991182314272018-03-19T19:41:00.001-07:002018-03-19T19:41:28.579-07:00Savage Empire: The Bugs in the SystemWhen last I left off, I'd just taken my first steps into the underground domain of the original inhabitants of Eodon Valley, the Kotl. And I'm beginning to sense something of a trend here. First it was Ambrosia in Ultima III, then retrieving the Codex from the Abyss in Ultima IV, which was followed by the Underworld of Ultima V, then the Gargoyle lands of Ultima VI, and now the Kotl city in Savage Empire. The Avatar seems to have a certain fondness for hurling himself headfirst to explore vast, dangerous underground territory in search of something necessary to save the world. At this rate, I wouldn't be surprised if there was another game down the line that ended up being <i>entirely</i> underground!<br />
<br />
...oh right. Ahem. Moving right along!<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLVpWN9XWOZBurmk7FKlYHYvrFk2LNHXS0K988kIBCrdSW-HhEDznZ7vvHnOVEWYXoygMOaQ7OejFffO767vK6k8UiF7g0EBuubUlgEHYO6GA_GbebDfxpcNoqHHOOB12u_KRZTnKoKuCJ/s1600/savage_000.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="200" data-original-width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLVpWN9XWOZBurmk7FKlYHYvrFk2LNHXS0K988kIBCrdSW-HhEDznZ7vvHnOVEWYXoygMOaQ7OejFffO767vK6k8UiF7g0EBuubUlgEHYO6GA_GbebDfxpcNoqHHOOB12u_KRZTnKoKuCJ/s1600/savage_000.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ever feel like you might be overlooking something important?</td></tr>
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Having descended into the depths of the ancient city proper, my first order of business was to track down Katalkotl. Knowledge is power, after all, and Yunapotli had told me that Katalkotl knew many things about the city I was about to explore. I thought it best to see what I could learn from him before pushing too deep into the city. Consequently, when I came across the teleporters just inside the entrance, I skirted past them, unwilling to fling myself even further into the unknown without arming myself properly. There was a ghostly-looking something near the teleporters, but I figured it for a statue or a weird lantern or something. But I would definitely be coming back to that later.<br />
<br />
In the meantime, though, I poked around what remained of the city nearby. And it wasn't long - barely a few steps past the teleporters! - before I was attacked by what residents were left, in the form of robotic dinosaurs. The fights I found myself having in the Kotl city were not particularly numerous, at least in most parts of the city, but the ones I did have were brutal. Spears and arrows and swords and a fire axe were more than able to take down the metallic creatures, but whenever any of them landed a blow, it <i>hurt</i>. So it was with caution that we made our way through the winding corridors of the city, trying to get a feel for its layout and what we might find in its depths.<br />
<br />
We did find a good deal of use, too. A lot of bones and corpses, which was... eerie, to say the least, but so too did we find shields, weaponry, and canisters that we quickly gathered and distributed amongst the group, sure they would be of great aid when we finally took the fight to the Myrmidex. And considering the design and nature of the technology of what we were finding, I found myself having vague thoughts of Ultimas I and II, what with all the blasters and light swords and the like. That particular blend of only-vaguely-defined high-tech weaponry coupled with the fact that I was wandering about with a shaman who could bring about a fair few magical effects - it was very reminiscent of those early wanderings of mine, if only in spirit.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiEaksh_DHkmpNVbfVveek3tsgo-vs6hL07iqszrXjdOGSSGIC8TpbXo09458N1rP9JuI24EUShFH0dV3fxQPZ71ZGKfPW40tBrmstZIpg_ej-Xko5zycJlHpgV-4B8yECSnRN_308v7ZB/s1600/savage_004.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="200" data-original-width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiEaksh_DHkmpNVbfVveek3tsgo-vs6hL07iqszrXjdOGSSGIC8TpbXo09458N1rP9JuI24EUShFH0dV3fxQPZ71ZGKfPW40tBrmstZIpg_ej-Xko5zycJlHpgV-4B8yECSnRN_308v7ZB/s1600/savage_004.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Clearly something unpleasant went down here...</td></tr>
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It wasn't just items that caught our interest, however. The city itself was full of peculiar sights - a room where the ground was simply dirt rather than the tiled flooring we'd been walking over in the rest of the city, gratings that revealed lava flows beneath it. And that whatcha-ma-call-it back near the entrance of the city, come to think of it. Katalkotl was supposed to be near the entrance, and I'd explored a fair distance in by this point. I headed back the way I'd come to see if I'd missed anything, and lo and behold, there he was - the very thingamabobber I'd dismissed as decor earlier. D'oh!<br />
<br />
Reflecting on my latest lesson in humility (it is one of the Virtues of the Avatar, after all, shouldn't look a gift horse in the mouth, unless it's Smith I suppose), we spent some time chatting with the last of the Kotl. Or, as he explained to us, the <i>memory</i> of him, for that was what he was. It was from this memory that we finally learned the history of the valley proper. The Kotl came from reptilian ancestors, and possessed a large black stone. Eventually their mystics learned how to draw power from the stone, and used it to build a thriving city and the advanced technology we were seeing the remnants of. They had also created the Myrmidex to act as servants for them, when they realized they could not power enough automatons to do what work they wanted them to do - this explained the dirt-filled room I'd come across before, it was likely the old "servant's quarters," so to speak. They had hoped that the industrious nature of the ants they were bred from would make them ideal for the task. Unfortunately for the Kotl, they also took on the warlike tendencies of the ants and rebelled, taking with them the black stone from which the city drew its power. So the Kotl went out to find new servants. These were the ancestors of the tribes that now dotted the Valley of Eodon - it seemed that they too had grown weary of their role as servants at some point, and headed to the surface.<br />
<br />
And then the Myrmidex returned. The city fell, and the Kotl were no more, save in what little the Sakkhra remembered of them.<br />
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It was a tragic tale, to be sure, though perhaps a situation the Kotl had brought upon themselves. There was little time to reflect upon this, however, for Katalkotl informed us of something else: Spector was currently in the city! After obtaining directions to the generator room (though the Myrmidex still possessed the black stone that served as their power source, the generators could still function off its power even from a distance), we set off in search of the crazed academic, marveling at the giant crystals and taking a moment to mourn at the evident battle sites we passed along the way. I even caught sight of a wisp at one point.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic0nRrqr469BHnaOx2EjGS-RPXRhXJtB0hDruFwWJwBw4Zo9IAG5LmF_ztGNkJSu-haSjYczKnvee9w8_cvff1lol66YoHLQtTEpulQpOBUIh2QeJvqiLNhqtItKanGButka99CK-K5aru/s1600/savage_039.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="200" data-original-width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic0nRrqr469BHnaOx2EjGS-RPXRhXJtB0hDruFwWJwBw4Zo9IAG5LmF_ztGNkJSu-haSjYczKnvee9w8_cvff1lol66YoHLQtTEpulQpOBUIh2QeJvqiLNhqtItKanGButka99CK-K5aru/s1600/savage_039.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">That's a dead robo-dino, by the way, he's not just dreaming of electric meat.</td></tr>
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Spector turned out to be holed up in the generator room itself, both himself and the generators protected by the same force field we'd witnessed about him earlier. It took a while to catch sight of him proper, considering that my sight was limited in the underground city and the narrow path over the lava to where he was standing was blocked by a robotic tyrannosaur that I'd just so happened to kill on that path. Once I'd managed to get a grasp on things, the mad doctor and I had ourselves a little chat. He theorized that the moonstones that had brought us all into the Valley in the first place were pieces of the black stone the Myrmidex now held, and that one of the side effects of drawing power from that stone were odd changes in the flow of time. We knew we had to throw a monkey wrench into his plans somehow, but what could we do when both he and the generators that would power his plot were protected by force fields?<br />
<br />
Mess with the controls, of course! Those were still within reach, and we soon managed to shut down the power in the city. The glow faded from around Spector, and he found himself in his right mind once more. The automatons froze as they shut down (Yunapotli included, sadly), and the city went dark. There was no chance to reflect on what this meant for the legacy of the Kotl, however, as the shut-off instigated a collapse of the city, and we found ourselves fleeing for our lives as the ground shook (complete with shakes on-screen, a nice touch). We managed to escape just in the nick of time, and as we stopped to catch our collective breath, Spector told us what needed to be done to deal with the Myrmidex threat once and for all. He told us there were too many for a single band to deal with, but with the tribes of the valley united, they could be defeated. Their queen would need to be destroyed, lest she spawn another brood and trouble the Valley all over again. So too would the black stone need to be destroyed - Spector wondered whether it was what was keeping us trapped in the Valley, but regardless, he feared what the Myrmidex might do if they figured out how to tap its power the same way the Kotl had. It was what had driven him mad in the first place - what might it do to the Myrmidex? It was too dangerous to ignore.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3s-KP1cdw0fu4j-a1kNf-UqRjreQdF4YGUhM2pm4wGHtVLmj82qZ3aDMuIvxo8Fudvuk1qGrzS_v7MA8sryGXTVlvSx4o_xeLPWqa1JZEln8yfGx6jgGW5ISW4kwOY5nDp-B5n6BYC20M/s1600/savage_103.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="200" data-original-width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3s-KP1cdw0fu4j-a1kNf-UqRjreQdF4YGUhM2pm4wGHtVLmj82qZ3aDMuIvxo8Fudvuk1qGrzS_v7MA8sryGXTVlvSx4o_xeLPWqa1JZEln8yfGx6jgGW5ISW4kwOY5nDp-B5n6BYC20M/s1600/savage_103.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">But... don't I have an admirable face, too?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Our course clear, we made our way back to Tichticatl to ensure that Huitlipacti the Usurper was properly dealt with. We arrived to find Moctapotl restored to his rightful place as ruler of the Nahuatl, the people having killed Huitlipacti as soon as the glow that protected him had disappeared as a result of our actions in the ancient city. They readily agreed to a unification of the tribes, and were the final tribe in the Valley to do so. It was time to head to Drum Hill and summon them for the last stand against the Myrmidex. There we found a man named Tuomaxx, who made and played the drums there on Drum Hill. To summon all the tribes, he would need a large enough drum to be heard in all corners of the Valley. He would need a hide in order to craft such an instrument. So we headed back to the Kurak village to rest up for the battle ahead and picked one up while we were there, Intanya was more than willing to donate the one in his home for a good cause. Tuomaxx made short work of crafting the drum, and so were the tribes called together to bring the fight to the Myrmidex.<br />
<br />
Together, the peoples of Eodon charged the Myrmidex caverns. While the tribes drew the attention of the bulk of the swarms, I readied my own little band of warriors for the coming fight. It fell it us to track down the queen herself, and we armed ourselves with every trick in the book we could think of. The technology we had found in the old city would surely be of great use to us. Aric the Avatar, Aiela, and Dokray were all armed with the black staves we had uncovered there - as well as Jimmy, as I felt he deserved one after how much he'd developed as a warrior in the Valley. They proved extremely effective weapons - they were crushing the Myrmidex at a single blow, and from a distance even! We made short work of the stragglers we came across, traversing the caverns with a mixture of View spells (courtesy of Triolo) and a device picked up from the Kotl city. She chattered and clacked and called for our destruction, we braced ourselves for a fight, and... well, she died just about as quickly as the rest of them, really. Kind of a bit of an anticlimax, but at least it was an easy problem to solve once we'd found her.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJWuCsK1Foroe1SX1QVnjpNdZrkNKavFTHt8UY_9VMNRtKchSBAlDn8li1B5FzcLDSjiO3TO1JoSu4SaGRUS3fcgseLW2qJlvFHINjfdjv4LdJ2bAA5ka8qPyK0cx27HaYIEhjrDDT4pbG/s1600/savage_131.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="200" data-original-width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJWuCsK1Foroe1SX1QVnjpNdZrkNKavFTHt8UY_9VMNRtKchSBAlDn8li1B5FzcLDSjiO3TO1JoSu4SaGRUS3fcgseLW2qJlvFHINjfdjv4LdJ2bAA5ka8qPyK0cx27HaYIEhjrDDT4pbG/s1600/savage_131.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">For once, the Avatar's actually present for the victory party!</td></tr>
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The queen kept the corrupted stone in her own chamber, and after hitting it with everything we had, it shattered, its hold over the Valley broken. And not only had the Myrmidex been defeated, we had accomplished it by helping the tribes to overcome their squabbles with each other. The Valley was truly at peace once more - and so, as it always is for the Avatar once his task is accomplished, it was time to depart. Rafkin stayed behind for further research into the Valley and its peoples, while Fritz, Spector, and good ol' Jimmy joined in for the trip back home.<br />
<br />
And boy oh boy, would Jimmy have a story to tell.<br />
<br />
~~~<br />
<br />
So ended my own adventures in the world of Eodon. And even as I played through this last session, <br />
right up until the end of the game, I found myself smiling at all the detail work. During the conversation with Tuomaxx, for instance, he throws the hide over the Avatar's head in order to admire it - and the little window that normally shows the portrait of the character you're talking to goes black, since you presumably can't see anything with a hide over your head! The entire game is full of these little touches, and it adds so much to its charm.<br />
<br />
But I hesitate to say too much on that particular topic, as I still have one more post to lay out my final thoughts on the game. Stay tuned!<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgai6OlKYVjmlVVZsh9QvTMrSv8a-XFLcC1uJjCyHS7HvGP2Gk_5VY7TNNGZX_t9vaRKQagNR6VTClVJjZa05wXs4fX8y2H8f4QSktahqwMQyGsgz6mTbOvxkW4mPew5A5mv5gK32Ma2ihj/s1600/savage_140.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="200" data-original-width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgai6OlKYVjmlVVZsh9QvTMrSv8a-XFLcC1uJjCyHS7HvGP2Gk_5VY7TNNGZX_t9vaRKQagNR6VTClVJjZa05wXs4fX8y2H8f4QSktahqwMQyGsgz6mTbOvxkW4mPew5A5mv5gK32Ma2ihj/s1600/savage_140.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Farewell to Eodon</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br />Linguistic Dragonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13246332346527264632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3241816870477983024.post-41615448205272081592018-03-18T18:41:00.000-07:002018-03-18T18:42:10.773-07:00Linguistic Asides: Reflections on the UDIC 25th Anniversary BashIt's been a while since I last did anything over here - judging by the date of my last post, over a year at this point. I think it's high time that I did something about that. My last session of Savage Empire has already been played out, long enough ago that I'm glad I cut my teeth on games that <i>expected</i> me to take notes in order to get anything done in them. If it weren't for the notes I have from that session, I might be in a bit of a bind right now! I'm in the process of pulling together a post to wrap up the game proper, but in the meantime I thought maybe to help me get back into the groove, I'd do something else I've been meaning to do - scribble down some thoughts on something else Ultima-related that happened approximately a year ago.<br />
<br />
That's right, the UDIC's 25th Anniversary Bash in Disneyland.<br />
<br />
It's been on my mind a lot in recent days, in large part because I was actually in Disneyland again at the end of February, on vacation with my parents. I even made sure to bring along the anniversary T-shirt, and wore it on the anniversary of the first day of the bash. There's a lot of fun memories from that weekend, but I think the best place for me to start is before the bash itself.<br />
<br />
See, I wasn't entirely sure I was even going to be able to go in the first place. Gallara had done a <i>fantastic</i> job of getting the word out well in advance of the event, and I was very much hoping to go. The thing was, I'd wasn't sure whether I'd be in a position to do so. It was... June or July or something along those lines when Gallara reached out to see if I would be willing to give a lesson in Gargish at the bash, and so I had to make a decision. I'd been unemployed for a long while and thus didn't have much in the way of savings, and I was working a temp job at the time without anything concrete lined up afterward - I had opportunities, but nothing solid yet. I sat down, worked out how much I had, how much I was still <i>going</i> to make over the course of my temp job, and calculated how the trip would cost me. When all was said and done, my budget was going to be tight, but even if I didn't make <i>anything</i> beyond when my temp job was up in August, I'd just barely be able to make it to February and still have enough to afford attending.<br />
<br />
So I told Gallara that I'd be happy to give a lesson.<br />
<br />
I did end up landing another job on a more permanent basis, which removed that particular worry, but even if I hadn't, I still would have been there. I was excited about the prospect of meeting other Dragons, and even moreso when I found out Lord British and other Origin folk were planning on being there as well. At the same time, part of me was a little nervous. And not just about the lesson - I wondered if I'd get along half as well with Dragonly folk offline as I did online. I simply didn't have the same experience as I knew a lot of Dragons did when it came to the UDIC itself. I knew a lot of folks had been part of the Dragon community considerably longer than I had. I'd known about the Dragons well before I ever joined, and by the time the Bash rolled around, I'd been one myself for a little over three years. I still considered myself a hatchling by Dragon standards. I didn't grow up with the series like many of the Dragons had. I've said before that I'm as old as Ultima V, and by the time I actually discovered the series and played one of the games, Ultima VIII had already been out for a few years. I didn't even have the tech background a lot of Dragons seemed to have. As excited as I was, I wondered if I wouldn't feel a bit like a fish out of water.<br />
<br />
That notion was dispelled the moment I walked into the Fellowship Hall that first day.<br />
<br />
I'm still not entirely sure what it was that did it. Maybe it was the big hug Gallara gave me when we finally got to see each other in person. Maybe it was seeing Blu3vib3, aka Angelic-Demonic (or was it Demonic-Angelic?) Dragon, all decked out in Serpent attire and realizing that whatever else we might have been, just about everyone there loved the Ultima games just as much as I did. Maybe it was how jovial and personable Richard Garriott, Lord British himself, was when I finally worked up the courage to say hi. Maybe it was finding out just how far some Dragons had come to attend, or reading through the event book, hitting home that yes, we Dragons really did come from all sorts of walks of life.<br />
<br />
But whatever it was, I had a <i>grand</i> time - even despite the fact I was sick the whole time I was there and was popping coughdrops like they were going out of style. (If you were there and got sick afterward, I'm so sorry, it was probably my fault.) I got to meet Dragons I knew from online, but never yet met in person, Gallara and Sorceress and Goldenflame. I got to meet Dragons like Shadow of Light, who I knew by name and by their work (I have stark memories of <i>tearing</i> through Shadow of Light's Ultima-related writings when I was in college) but never had a chance to put face to name. I got to experience the reverse, too - I can't tell you how many times I had someone tell me "oh, so <i>you're </i>Linguistic Dragon!" and it still caught me by surprise every time. I got to sit back and indulge in one of my favorite pastimes - origami - with Doctor Cat. I was there when Dominus helped christen Lord British as Splut Dragon, I chatted with Dennis Loubet about the poster he designed for the event while he signed mine, I got to play a bit of Goldenflame's <i>The Dark Unknown</i> with him right there to chat about its development. My Gargish lesson was small but <i>glorious</i>, soon turning into a discussion on what Gargish oratory tradition might be like. I exchanged favorite (and frustrating!) moments while playing the games over lunch. I joked about how riding the California Screamin' roller coaster in the rain must certainly have earned me some valor points. There was laughter, there was joy, there was exuberance, and there was <i>Ultima</i>.<br />
<br />
As much as those particular memories make me smile, though, I think what stood out to me the most wasn't what I made of the event, but what my parents did.<br />
<br />
See, neither of my parents are Dragons, nor have they ever played an Ultima - they don't play video games much at all, except mobile versions of board or card games they're already familiar with and the occasional family Mario Kart session. When I told them I'd been asked to give a lesson in Gargish, they asked (once we'd taken a moment so I could explain what that was in the first place) if I'd mind if they came along so they could be there for it too. I was more than happy to have them along for the ride, though I wondered whether they'd feel out of place themselves, on account of they don't have the Ultima context the rest of us did.<br />
<br />
In the weeks leading up to our departure, I gave them a bit of an introduction to the series proper. I sat down and ran through Ultima IV's opening (and the virtue quiz!) with them, playing a bit of the early game, explaining what was going on and what I was doing and the basic run-down of the story of some of the other entries in the series - I remember my mom's looks of consternation as she deliberated over a few of the virtue questions and which way she'd answer, she really liked that aspect of the game. By the time we arrived, they had at least a vague idea of what Ultima was all about and why I liked it so much, why I wanted to hang out with this wacky group of people who called themselves Dragons for a few days.<br />
<br />
And the thing is, even though neither one of them knew and loved the games the same way I and my fellow Dragons did, at the end of the day, <i>that didn't matter.</i> I remember my dad chatting excitedly with Lord British about his time in space, my mom having a lively conversation with Auora about knitting, the two of them talking with Dennis Loubet and Gold Dragon over dinner as they were all sitting at the same table. They listened with rapt interest during the Origin developers' panel, and told me how impressed they were that they didn't hold themselves apart - they were friendly and personable and were right there enjoying everything with us. And when we left the Fellowship Hall that first day to head back to our hotel room, I remember my mom telling me, "I can see why you wanted to come. They're good people." Neither of them had the context or experience with the games the rest of us had, but they were still right there laughing and enjoying themselves. It's an event all three of us have good memories about. My dad still asks how Shroud of the Avatar's development is going, even though I doubt he'll ever play it himself, just because he was so interested in what Lord British had to say about it.<br />
<br />
One of the things the three of us talked about on our way home was just how impressive it was that the UDIC had been around for a solid 25 years, even though there hadn't even been a game released in the series it was formed around since 1999. I'd long thought that myself, but being there with my parents, I think it clicked exactly why.<br />
<br />
We may have come together over our mutual love of a video game series - but that isn't what defines the Dragons as a community. My parents are proof enough of that - they've never played an Ultima themselves, but it was pretty obvious to me that they felt welcomed and enjoyed themselves anyway. And that, I think, is what's ensured the Dragons have stuck around this long. Sometimes fan communities can be ostracizing in their love for what it is they're fans of - not so, with the Dragons. They may have needed me to explain some of the in-jokes, but for that weekend, my parents were just as much a part of the community as any Dragon was. And it drove home that while it's Ultima that brought us together in the first place, it's not the <i>only</i> thing that ties us together. Word nerd, knitter, ham radio operator - the three of us found ways to connect with Dragons over all those things while at the bash.<br />
<br />
Whoever you are, you're welcome among the UDIC. I saw that clear as day while I was at the bash, and I remember feeling, when it was all over, that I was proud to be among their number.<br />
<br />
Still am, really.<br />
<br />
Let's not wait another 25 years to do it all again, okay?<br />
<br />
<br />Linguistic Dragonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13246332346527264632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3241816870477983024.post-91690981942714047292017-01-14T14:44:00.000-08:002017-01-14T14:44:02.021-08:00Savage Empire: Courting TroubleWhen last I left our intrepid heroes (ages ago - I suppose this really is a valley stuck in time, isn't it?) I was preparing for a trip to Tichticatl, the grand capital city of the Nahuatla. There, I would find a way to restore a king to his rightful place, clinching the support of the most advanced tribe in the valley, and guaranteeing their aid in the efforts against the Myrmidex.<br />
<br />
But first, I stopped to talk to a lizard.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWyzpWHlLJQnritzb7FO6ou46oNavj_HsBhCxGVJgq7iGmj6OuT6IWMChzajauFVoHv3I-nLnLQxbYaN1fRCb_CM6tdHQ5GY5E-hbE1yESO115igJ6XLyQ44g5kXtbxjJWjbCDiiR6aJPU/s1600/savage_002.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWyzpWHlLJQnritzb7FO6ou46oNavj_HsBhCxGVJgq7iGmj6OuT6IWMChzajauFVoHv3I-nLnLQxbYaN1fRCb_CM6tdHQ5GY5E-hbE1yESO115igJ6XLyQ44g5kXtbxjJWjbCDiiR6aJPU/s1600/savage_002.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
See, I ended my last session in the Sakkhra caves, and on my way out, I bumped into one that I had somehow missed talking to in my previous visits to the lizardfolk. Ksssindra was once a warrior, but having aged past her golden years, she now served as a teacher in the tribe. And outside as well, as she eagerly told me of Sakkhra legends and of a city beneath the ground near the great mesa. According to legend, she said, the Sakkhra once lived there, though the city had been since lost. She seemed glad for a listening ear, and after a pleasant exchange, we said our goodbyes and my little band made their way toward the city of Tichticatl.<br />
<br />
One of my first tasks that I set myself upon arrival was to track down a few more obsidian swords. The Yolaru had asked me for ten of them to arm their warriors, after all, and I was only carrying a few. Scrounging around on the outskirts of town turned up another one or two, though the area seemed fairly deserted. Wondering where everyone might be, I strolled into the city proper to see what information I could get from the locals - or whether I could even <i>find</i> any locals. The situation in the city might have been more dire than I had first expected.<br />
<br />
Imagine my surprise, then, when the first person I spoke to turned out to be Atlipacta, the town weaponcrafter! She excitedly told me of her work and her craft, and was more than willing to show me her wares and offer them in trade for emeralds. She showed me the armor and shields she crafted, while Triolo examined the bows and arrows in her stock. It was her blades, however, that truly drew my eye, passing straight over her knives and instead negotiating for the purchase of her swords. I walked out of her shop a few emeralds lighter, but with four more obsidian swords weighing down our packs - enough to bring my total to eleven, ten for the Yolaru and one spare left over for Aiela to use.<br />
<br />
Naturally, I promptly abandoned the city in order to beeline it straight to the Yolaru and give the swords to their chieftain. Hey, those things were heavy and I was in sore need of space in my inventory!<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbtZXMztKR7TB-pv0OhQLHbSudEiOFt74SmcX69V4cBx7hdKlzmiShK_mAe3tKT7tDr65tAHlFeXKnSo06C2s-QGOP0WRUR37TWg2dhdBQuQmE_psEARiWRK343aWcAdJiNP5WMNb4mbr5/s1600/savage_007.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbtZXMztKR7TB-pv0OhQLHbSudEiOFt74SmcX69V4cBx7hdKlzmiShK_mAe3tKT7tDr65tAHlFeXKnSo06C2s-QGOP0WRUR37TWg2dhdBQuQmE_psEARiWRK343aWcAdJiNP5WMNb4mbr5/s1600/savage_007.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Well that's not suspicious at all.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Packs now significantly lighter, we made our way back to the city, only to stumble upon an allosaurus blocking the way. We made short work of him, Aiela acquitting herself well with her new weapon, then returned to our exploration of Tichticatl proper. We quickly came to realize that this was a city on edge - most of them men we came across decried us as intruders and made to attack. The women were considerably more open, but even they were uneasy. They were more than willing to point us to the weaver and the weaponmaker, should we have need of any of their services, but when it came to the state of things at court, they were decidedly unsettled. Many of them denied even knowing the name of Moctapotl, their proper king. Some further questioning uncovered the fact that Huitlapacti had claimed the throne for his own and decreed that nobody may utter the name of the previous one. The sense of fear in the city was palpable.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW3rDx2sfEziRWD6SceRPosziayK3kzdHVmnNz6n2zUDK7xxGr-GKzlj3SKlkl-ODGn29I_9ig8hj39bNDWnubWZrnDYvNnktzEMIzGSK8x246Z8IsattiqGmlzFxQ7devWszWJpuyTNhS/s1600/savage_023.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW3rDx2sfEziRWD6SceRPosziayK3kzdHVmnNz6n2zUDK7xxGr-GKzlj3SKlkl-ODGn29I_9ig8hj39bNDWnubWZrnDYvNnktzEMIzGSK8x246Z8IsattiqGmlzFxQ7devWszWJpuyTNhS/s1600/savage_023.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Methinks something's rotten, a lot closer than Denmark.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Of course, the best way to get a sense of the state of court was to visit, so after chatting with Paxaptamac for a bit (who told us of flax, and took some feathers off our hands in exchange for emeralds), it was off to the palace. Right away we could tell something was not right in Tichticatl - from a parrot, of all things. There was one flapping about the throne room, repeating things that didn't quite make sense to us out of context. The names Fritz and Spector came up on occasion, as well as mentions of the Kotl city, and plans to conquer the world! Affairs among the Nahuatla were indeed more dire than first glance suggested.<br />
<br />
Remembering how much the townsfolk seemed to fear Huitlipacti, I opted for avoiding the man himself and instead talking to his shaman, a man named Zipactriotl. Or more accurately, Johann Spector - he was known to Professor Rafkin, being an archaeologist himself. At one point, at least, as he had currently declared himself shaman, and, as he himself put it, the "savoir of Earth, the bringer of peace and paradise." He spoke of stones like the moonstone, and energy similar to that which came from them in the Myrmidex caves and the Kotl city, and of his grand plans to harness that energy reactivate the Kotl's automatons, use them to get the stone in the Myrmidex caves, and promptly use both to conquer the world itself! Yes, these were dire circumstances indeed. He openly bragged of deposing Moctapotl and disposing of the previous shaman, Oaxtepac, as both of them were in the way of putting his plans into motion. He seemed intent on doing the same to me, as further questions merely provoked him into calling the guards on us!<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZJmYLwuh1D4fV0dJRLj3uQE76R1MVvdRpu7vKXExufz0lqmB0vCShMrBzNx5aT-EY0U6zP0GfKfdoXfE03u7POjoWrELom05w1q8flW8xESZtmu-lVF9GneEXJCJyN5PE2Z98W-xQDGKz/s1600/savage_063.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZJmYLwuh1D4fV0dJRLj3uQE76R1MVvdRpu7vKXExufz0lqmB0vCShMrBzNx5aT-EY0U6zP0GfKfdoXfE03u7POjoWrELom05w1q8flW8xESZtmu-lVF9GneEXJCJyN5PE2Z98W-xQDGKz/s1600/savage_063.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yeah, that's sending up half a dozen warning signals.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
We scrambled through the palace halls, eventually finding refuge in a room that turned out to be the Queen's own chambers. Fortunately, she seemed to sympathize with us. Tlapatla was the wife of Huitlipacti and cousin to Moctapotl. She was a bit haughty, but told a bit of the strange blue glow that surrounded both the usurper and his mad shaman - Zipactriotl (or rather, Spector) had given him a belt which surrounded him with a glow that protected him with a glow no weapon could pierce, brought back from the hidden city.<br />
<br />
Needing allies, I sought out the prison, to see if I could find the previous shaman. Spector had implied that he was merely imprisoned, not dead, and after some effort I did manage to find Oaxtepac. He gave us clues to both the history and the location of the hidden city Tlapatla had mentioned - according to him, the ancestors of the tribes of Eodon were brought to the valley by the denizens of that city to be servants. Eventually, though, their ancestors rebelled, slaying their masters and abandoning the city. Who their captors were, legends could not agree. Some called them spirits, some likened them to the Sakkhra. Whatever the case, it was clear the key to bringing down Huitlipacti and Zipactriotl lay in the city. Supposedly the previous residents, when they abandoned the city, left a key in case they ever decided to come back. To find the city, one needed to find a device on the great mesa, and fit a large gem into it. At a certain hour, the light hitting the gem would reveal the location of the city. This gem had apparently been stolen by the Urali - but Aiela reminded me that Darden had given it to her as a present!<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt5MvVbHmJuuR-AnfL5aKDa_sTpA7dHFzR0yWEsAIcs-VKpz0qG4HKRIm2co1GLrK8T1ABqvvcyZTPkZRnLH5k_W0lhOu8a9KBb_oTSs9YmuqncAq4e3NqOdCHnJ62ug5mDolQuqKJ6SKT/s1600/savage_101.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt5MvVbHmJuuR-AnfL5aKDa_sTpA7dHFzR0yWEsAIcs-VKpz0qG4HKRIm2co1GLrK8T1ABqvvcyZTPkZRnLH5k_W0lhOu8a9KBb_oTSs9YmuqncAq4e3NqOdCHnJ62ug5mDolQuqKJ6SKT/s1600/savage_101.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Precisely what I was thinking, Jimmy m'boy.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Oaxtepac told us, however, that there was one more obstacle in our way - a man made of solid gold guarded the entrance to the city, and was currently missing its head. Oaxtepac had found it on a Barrab man, and after telling Spector's assistant Fritz, was now in the possession of the crazed shaman. Fritz himself was driven off by the madness of his former master, but I remembered hearing his name among the Pindiro. Thanking Oaxtepac, we went on our way, only to have another prisoner, bragging of the crimes he had committed, demand we break him out. When we refused, he called for the guards, and once again we were fighting and fleeing for our lives.<br />
<br />
A quick sneak back to the palace revealed the golden head in the palace treasury, but we still felt it best to track down Fritz for his side of the story before proceeding further. The Pindiro told us Fritz was currently residing in a cave west of the great lake, so after fending off a few deinonychuses (deinonychi?), we found the man in question. He told us it was his fault that Spector had gone mad, but had tried to make up for it by stealing the crystal brain Spector had taken from the Kotl city. Whatever he may have ended up doing while working for the madman, it was more than evident that that Fritz was doing his best to make amends. So when he offered us the crystal brain to aid us in our effort, we readily accepted.<br />
<br />
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From there it was off to the Great Mesa, where we placed the gem into its setting (after thanking my lucky stars that I'd thought to save just before I did - I tried to (M)ove it rather than (U)se it at first, which shattered the gem. Reload ahoy!!) At noon, the light refracting off the gem converged on the plain to the north, and heading over there revealed a hidden entrance, right near the teleporter plaza! Descending into the depths, we came across the headless golden statue we were told would likely be there. Reattaching the head, the statue sprang to life, welcoming us to the city of the Kotl, though apologizing for not remembering much. He did remember his name, Yunapotli, and said he would remember more with his brain. We handed over the crystal brain, and in return he told us of devices the Kotl developed to combat the Myrmidex - black staves, canisters full of a gas harmful to the Myrmidex, shields. We would have to keep an eye out for them as we explored the city. He also told us that Katalkotl would know many things about the Kotl and their city. We could find him in the center of the city, he was unable to move from his spot there. After some further discussion, Yunapotli agreed to join with us and opened the door to the city proper.<br />
<br />
And so that was where I called it a day - in the same place where I began it, in a sense. I'd started by talking to a Sakkhra about the lost city, and now I was standing in it. All that was left was to explore it - and find a way to deal with the glow about the Nahuatla usurper in the process.<br />
<br />
~~~<br />
<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I just can't resist wordplay.</td></tr>
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I have some thoughts about the plot of the game as a result of this update, but I think I'll reserve those for the game's culmination proper. For now I'll just say that an open world can lead to some pacing issues when it comes to game story, and I think that came into play a bit during this session. It's nice to finally get some backstory and a sense of the larger scheme of things, but the fact I waited this long to get to the Nahuatla city meant that I didn't get that particular piece of the plot until much later, and I think it would have helped having it earlier.<br />
<br />
That's not to say that I think it's necessarily <i>bad</i>, but-- well. Again, I think that's something to be saved for my eventual wrap-up post.<br />
<br />
I did have one other thought while putting this together, though, and that's an inexplicable aversion to calling my merry band of adventurers a "party." I've consciously avoided using the word while composing the narrative of my travels through Britannia and beyond, and I still can't figure out exactly <i>why</i>. At first I thought it was simply a term that sounded too "game-ish" to my ear, and I've made an effort to make these posts, at least the bits describing my gameplay, to feel a bit more story-like. But then I remembered that I've had no hesitation about including things like leveling up, which is very much a game mechanic aspect that I haven't had any compunction about throwing about willy-nilly.<br />
<br />
So why this aversion to calling them my party a "party?"<br />
<br />
Maybe it's because I feel there's a bit of a disconnect in the term. When used in a game context, it feels somewhat... well, "impersonal" is the word I'm looking for, I think. To me, it describes a group chosen solely for function and capability rather than a proper gang of characters that's developing together. And as I've tried to do the latter more than the former in this series, "party" doesn't feel much like an appropriate word to use. I mean, bare bones as it is at times, I like to think of these guys as proper <i>characters</i>, rather than just what use I can get out of them in a combat situation. And the connotations my brain gives "party" just doesn't fit the image I have of them.<br />
<br />
Of course, there's another explanation, and that's simply, "language be weird, yo."<br />
<br />
...and I think the fact I just typed that sentence is an indication that it's time to draw this post to a close. If you'll excuse me, I've got an ancient city to explore!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Right under my nose, this whole time!</td></tr>
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Linguistic Dragonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13246332346527264632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3241816870477983024.post-68229654145655912062016-10-24T15:58:00.001-07:002016-10-24T15:58:38.043-07:00A Brief Update<p dir="ltr">Hoo boy, it's been a while. As those of you who listen to Spam Spam Spam Humbug may be aware, a few months ago I landed a new job. While it's been great in a lot of respects, it often takes me a long time to adjust to big changes in my life (even good ones!) and as a result some other things tend to slide in the shuffle.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Like this blog, for instance.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Rest assured, however, that I'm still kickin' and I'm still plugging away at Ultima. I've got another session of Savage Empire all played out, just need to find the time to write the update - which hopefully will be soon. Stay tuned!</p>
Linguistic Dragonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13246332346527264632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3241816870477983024.post-32564231470331702322016-05-28T23:14:00.001-07:002016-05-28T23:14:32.799-07:00Savage Empire: Forging AlliancesAs if to prove my newfound zeal for the game like I mentioned last post, I spent most of a Saturday evening tearing through the Valley of Eodon - buckle up, don the pith helmets and break out the machetes, we've got a lot of ground to cover this time!<br />
<br />
I began the day's adventures just outside the cave Aiela had been held captive in. Though I had fulfilled both her father's request and the demands of my own sense of honor (it is a virtue, after all), I still had business in this part of the valley. Darden had not just disrupted the Kurak way of life, but his own tribe's as well, and the brute's demise brought the Urali no closer to having their idol Fabozz back. I would need all the help I could get to push back against the Myrmidex - I would get a proper sense of that before too much longer - and misfits that the Urali were, antagonistic as they had been under Darden, theirs was still aid I was certain I could use.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj9U_qPmGlqc7MCGrKdjI5Vnus9oU24_DjADsN1ua1LI_pM8GuxL4NGgM8JZVM2zgUFzrdnZHulo3fe_QNSr-T2IRU1N9f-8ds88zP9u6y0blT-Cvk0COHYRxQWP3JkC3Mo29MZnojUArt/s1600/savage_011.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj9U_qPmGlqc7MCGrKdjI5Vnus9oU24_DjADsN1ua1LI_pM8GuxL4NGgM8JZVM2zgUFzrdnZHulo3fe_QNSr-T2IRU1N9f-8ds88zP9u6y0blT-Cvk0COHYRxQWP3JkC3Mo29MZnojUArt/s1600/savage_011.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At least Fabozz has some nice crystal gardens to tend here.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Wamap had told me Darden had hidden Fabozz away in a cave to the north, so I turned my sights in that direction, Aiela in tow, more than willing to lend a hand in our further exploits. The Urali tribesmen continued to attack us on sight as we pushed back through the village and onward to find Fabozz - I suspect they were either unaware of Darden's demise or else just upset that he perished before he could be convinced (or forced) to bring Fabozz back. Whatever it was they blamed me for, I yet had a duty to do, and while discretion may have been the better part of valor, I did what had to be done, hoping all the while that I wasn't slashing the tribe's numbers down too horrifically. Eventually I made my way to the cavern in the north, which was small but well guarded by Darden's lackeys, who had lost none of their zeal for having lost their leader (if they were even aware of that fact). We fought hard - or rather, Triolo, Jimmy and I did, the other three got stuck around a corner - and found Fabozz stowed away in the rear of the cavern. There was, of course, the question of how to <i>move </i>the statue, but Fabozz provided a clue, uttering only a single word - "Light." Jimmy's camera provided a quick burst of such, and however it happened, it did the trick. Fabozz vanished, and his voice declared us friends of the Urali, allowing us safe passage through their lands. We confirmed his presence back in the village, exchanged a few words with Wamap to solidify the alliance, and went on our way.<br />
<br />
We shuffled some weaponry around to account for our new party member, then decided to make a pit stop at the Kurak village, both to take some much needed rest at Intanya's hut and to give Aiela a chance to assure the tribe of her safety. Along the way, she had a chance to reunite with her friend Sahree, and to pass the time, she told us of the gem she carried with her. Apparently Darden had stolen it from the Nahuatla and presented it to her as some sort of token of his love, thinking he could get in her good graces that way. It hadn't worked, of course, but she <i>had</i> kept the gem anyway.<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgck12ikmBKVs9wrUgs3jpWO1I4oL2g3FYKUREDQ4nm2-tzXi4FaQoT5S5UoQBUcmOuE_HXBd2ON3ZOITKyXmgvbaBrGPkjhew34sEan_kVryyn-qsEwc2g_FJTxFQ_8YjtEenw_O6b8z69/s1600/savage_030.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgck12ikmBKVs9wrUgs3jpWO1I4oL2g3FYKUREDQ4nm2-tzXi4FaQoT5S5UoQBUcmOuE_HXBd2ON3ZOITKyXmgvbaBrGPkjhew34sEan_kVryyn-qsEwc2g_FJTxFQ_8YjtEenw_O6b8z69/s1600/savage_030.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Oh, now you've just piqued my curiosity.</td></tr>
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Rested, renewed, and ready for further travels, we navigated the teleportation pads once more to arrive in the southeast of the valley, where the Jukari and Haakur tribes lived. They were the only two tribes I had yet to meet, and so I figured it was high time I did so. The Jukari were closest to the teleporter, so I began with them. It seemed we had come in the middle of something of a shift in leadership - the tribesmen told us their chieftain had recently died as the result of a lava flow. His son Jumu was now acting chief, and speaking with him revealed that the lava flow had caused more trouble than just the death of his father. It had also killed their shaman, and blocked off access to their sacred cave to the east. Inside the cave was a hide that detailed their tribe's history, and retrieving said hide was Jumu's request from us before he would agree to joining an alliance of tribes. To sweeten the deal, he told us of the diamonds and emeralds within the cave, and told us we were welcome to help ourselves to them as reward, if only we would bring the hide back to him. A difficult position for a young man to be in, but Jumu seemed to be handling it as best he could. After assuring Jumu we would do our best to make sure the record of his tribe's history made it back to them - Rafkin seemed to have an idea how to find our way over the lava flow - we departed.<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJqXNOhXEITcKTvnSWM1TkwX9LlzLpXkeHoWleil-boAm64WjfgyYitPCznz8pp08ClTWP7Csjm8Kqe9vgc-QLUju5E9fHDsQ8ZeJjynBMA5uWYMQkg3FGh3TyCUTPz3U9m_wh2p3mncNF/s1600/savage_065.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJqXNOhXEITcKTvnSWM1TkwX9LlzLpXkeHoWleil-boAm64WjfgyYitPCznz8pp08ClTWP7Csjm8Kqe9vgc-QLUju5E9fHDsQ8ZeJjynBMA5uWYMQkg3FGh3TyCUTPz3U9m_wh2p3mncNF/s1600/savage_065.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Easy there, Dokray...</td></tr>
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We found the Haakur a little further on, and they had little to tell us, on account of most of them barely even being capable of proper speech. They were the most primitive of the tribes we had met in the valley, "Neanderthal" being a rather unflattering but apparently accurate descriptor for them. A few of the tribe were able to hold a decent enough conversation with us, however, most notably their chief Grugorr. In contrast to Jumu, Grugorr was a father who had recently lost his son Krukk, who had gone spider-slaying in a nearby cavern to the south and never came back. If we could do what he could not, kill the spiders and burn their webs, and return with Krukk's shield, Haakur agreed to join the alliance against the Myrmidex. On our way out, Dokray bumped into an old rival of his named Ugyuk, and neither of the two had any love for each other. It nearly broke out into a fight right then and there, but Dokray refrained after I told him this was not the time for it. The two glared daggers at each other as we departed, though.<br />
<br />
Having spoken to all of the tribes now, Jimmy and I bent our heads over his notebook and refreshed our memories as to what they all required of us, so we could best form our plan of action. Four of the tribes had already thrown their lot in with the forming alliance - the Kurak for rescuing Aiela, the Urali for defeating Darden and retrieving Fabozz, the Disquiqui for belling the cat-I-mean-T-Rex, and the Pindiro simply because it was the wise thing to do. That left seven still to sway, and two of them could be convinced via feats in the caves in this part of the valley. So after gathering some branches, dunking some cloth strips in tar, and making some makeshift torches, we ventured into the spider caves to find the shield of Grugorr's son Krukk.<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEwWRziGHZjpl6jflYZElOg2tMQ9Dy2c36z93198hKtwuXDNXABEVij8iwuwkOMogTD4P5SEpvE8g9ymiBmoKX1wvGhc3E9oRn-arUtS0PzVLIuChRWccRrVSDsw_ZF1avtHMiInlOrrE_/s1600/savage_068.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEwWRziGHZjpl6jflYZElOg2tMQ9Dy2c36z93198hKtwuXDNXABEVij8iwuwkOMogTD4P5SEpvE8g9ymiBmoKX1wvGhc3E9oRn-arUtS0PzVLIuChRWccRrVSDsw_ZF1avtHMiInlOrrE_/s1600/savage_068.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Well that looked like it was messy...</td></tr>
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The cave was expansive and difficult to traverse due to the webs spun over nearly everything. Both spiders and Myrmidex assaulted us from nearly every turn, and I left most of the fighting to my companions as I occupied myself with burning the webs in the cave, both to make exploration easier and to do a bit of damage to the spiders that way. Beneath them were all sorts of things - we found many, many corpses of villagers, several dead Myrmidex, and even what seemed to be a more modern man, judging from the camera and rifle we found on his body. We found Krukk's shield in a corner, but even more interesting was a hole that we found in another part of the cave, surrounded by dead Myrmidex and dead tribesmen. It seemed a rather good-sized battle had been fought here, which suggested it would be wise to avoid the hole itself. The warriors had all been wielding obsidian swords, so we collected them for later delivery to the Yolaru and returned to the Haakur to give him his son's shield. Satisfied, he thanked us and agreed to the alliance.<br />
<br />
Our next task was to find a way over the lava to get to the sacred cave of the Jukari, and at Rafkin's suggestion I made use of the fire extinguisher from the remains of his lab to do so. For some reason or another it worked, and from there it was a fairly simple matter to navigate our way to the cave and find the hide. It was a much smaller cavern and considerably less... occupied... so it wasn't long before we were presenting Jumu with the recorded history of his people, and received in exchange his promise to join the alliance of tribes. (As an aside, yes, it's incredibly silly that the fire extinguisher works to cool lava, but at least despite its nonsensicality the game provides ways of pointing you toward it, whether it's the letter to the editor in the manual or Rafkin in the game itself. Considerably less adventure-game-logic that way, which is always a good thing.)<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLDS2v7jCvFNgoWojAX3zgjNtTVGqoTYMiX_KqovOutQvOHlUsbKSh4n6JFHsZzHnqKTZEbv1kuIRbRGD3yCqrXHh2OnIZUcjGKi496q6hBClk2pWeNm11AGDLeGGn6QrErifXyQp8RVXR/s1600/savage_074.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLDS2v7jCvFNgoWojAX3zgjNtTVGqoTYMiX_KqovOutQvOHlUsbKSh4n6JFHsZzHnqKTZEbv1kuIRbRGD3yCqrXHh2OnIZUcjGKi496q6hBClk2pWeNm11AGDLeGGn6QrErifXyQp8RVXR/s1600/savage_074.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Obligatory "I can't believe that actually worked" goes here.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
With the tribes in the southeast of the valley firmly on the side of a valley-wide alliance, I turned my attentions in the complete opposite direction and turned my sights to the northwest and the Barako. The trek there introduced us to a few new enemies, including a serpent woman and a tiger, but we defended ourselves with alacrity, and before long we'd returned to the ledge where we'd seen the silver backed gorilla that we suspected kidnapped the chieftain's daughter. The question was how to get up there. Some exploration revealed a cave behind a waterfall, but the falls itself was too forceful to allow us to get by it easily. The solution - a makeshift grenade, made by stuffing a few handfuls of gunpowder in a clay pot and sealing it with a tar-soaked strip of cloth. Lighting the fuse and lobbing it at a large boulder atop the cliff shifted the boulder and blocked off the waterfall, making passage easy. A quick jaunt through the cavern brought us to the very ledge the gorilla called home, and a brief fight later, we stepped past the beast and found a girl who introduced herself as Halisa. Grateful for rescue and relieved that the gorilla had been taken care of, she thanked us heartily and gave us a head start for a race back to the village - which she still managed to win, somehow. We had a victory nonetheless, though, as her safe return ensured her mother's support in the forming alliance.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My kingdom for some pruning shears!</td></tr>
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After a quick pit stop to heal up once more - and another skirmish with Myrmidex on the teleport hub, which brought about both more complaints about public transit security and a level for Aric (his first since the beginning of the game!) - we directed our attentions toward the plights of the tribes in the southwest. Atop the Great Mesa was supposed to be the plant that the Barrab chieftain wanted in order to heal his son, but here too there was a navigational problem. There was a gap atop the mesa that we had no way of crossing. No way, at least, until we took note of a large tree, and a solid smack with a fire axe soon gave us a way over. Some more wandering later (and even more Myrmidex!), we came across the plant in question. What we hadn't realized was that the gigantic orchid was, in fact, <i>carnivorous.</i> A fierce battle ensued, in which many vines were chopped and many wishes for some weed killer were made, but we eventually came out victorious, and after scooping up the now motionless remains of the Little Shop of Horrors reject, we took it back to Balakai and his son Nakai, who perked up immediately. We rested for a while (Jimmy had gained enough experience for another level), chatting with the pair, and discovered that Topuru wasn't the first Balakai had pulled the mind-in-a-stone trick with. Apparently the Disquiqui Tuomaxx on Drum Hill had been a victim of the stunt as well - although in stark contrast, he'd actually thanked Balakai for doing so! It seemed the whole family had ways of getting the better of others - Nakai told me his sister had done so with Nawl, who'd I'd bumped into just outside the village, and when I asked <i>him </i>about it, he just got scared and scurried off.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1Ypz0yksA_82UbLViUji9q5coE8qYVyMckkdfgQzvxrxJkuYqJxWnuPFNZUVi5S8fNKJtL2bIepCxbhYPBokFTard2yVpcvkyjYuVHJTw4xOTFQcEJ3W0fmVIvb3etAwwGVbBh52FF7Vt/s1600/savage_111.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1Ypz0yksA_82UbLViUji9q5coE8qYVyMckkdfgQzvxrxJkuYqJxWnuPFNZUVi5S8fNKJtL2bIepCxbhYPBokFTard2yVpcvkyjYuVHJTw4xOTFQcEJ3W0fmVIvb3etAwwGVbBh52FF7Vt/s1600/savage_111.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Now begone, before someone drops a house - I mean boulder -<br />on you, too!"</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Then it was back into the area surrounding the Great Mesa to find Thunderer and the fruit trees he was stalking about, and taking care of him was a rather simple matter. We found him prowling about a cliffside with another boulder tilting precariously just on the edge of it. Another makeshift grenade, and *blam* - down it came right on Thunderer's head, and that was another problem solved. Truth be told, the Myrmidex swarm that assaulted us on the way back to the Sakkhra was more of a problem than Thunderer had proved to be. (I ran into a LOT of Myrmidex during this particular session - my notes mark my encounters with increasingly numerous intesifiers, culminating in all caps by about this point - although this last one got Aiela a level, too!) After informing the lizardfolk of the liberation of their little grove from its reptilian tyrant, I called it a good day's work. A full nine of the tribes had pledged their allegiance to an alliance of tribes, leaving just the Yolaru and the Nahuatla. The former wanted swords, the latter wanted their city back, and the one would lead to the other. But it could wait until next time.<br />
<br />
~~~<br />
<br />
Details are what make or break immersion. I can write a scene about a man's last moments, but it's a lot more difficult to connect with it if I don't take the time to show you his feeble, fumbling attempts to get the picture of his family out of his wallet so he can ensure it's the last thing he sees despite through increasingly unfocused eyes. I can write a proposal, but if you don't see the bride-to-be's quivering lip as she makes several attempts to speak before all the breath rushes out of her in one exultant affirmation, something's going to be lost. It's the old show-don't-tell adage - the tiny, concrete details are what make the illusion of story that much more tangible, more real.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8EsJRBoHaXgAr_p0bLNUsJubFFNzJ2Usw4blMcrmIaxU9aE6WrmqzNDAyUMWNluULSdpP1gNhdMk2gpY_Dza9XuSWd5vdrVSGTAr2KPMjhsQHPcuzBzXOultDKKyYAhj141JX8GURA024/s1600/savage_069.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8EsJRBoHaXgAr_p0bLNUsJubFFNzJ2Usw4blMcrmIaxU9aE6WrmqzNDAyUMWNluULSdpP1gNhdMk2gpY_Dza9XuSWd5vdrVSGTAr2KPMjhsQHPcuzBzXOultDKKyYAhj141JX8GURA024/s1600/savage_069.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">How'd you get here?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
That's as true for any form of storytelling, games included, and it was a subject I found on my mind a good deal during this particular foray into Savage Empire, because the game's full of examples of both how effective details can be and how a lack of them can make things fall flat. The bodies strewn about the spider caves added a lot to my perception of the caves themselves - they weren't solely of tribesmen, there were several Myrmidex and even a modern man among them, suggesting that these spiders were, indeed, a serious threat if even the better equipped and stronger foes found themselves entangled within the webs. The sacred cave of the Jukari felt all the more important when I found the totems used in shamanic magic on a table near the hide I'd been sent to retrieve, a reminder that this was a place the shaman came to often, a place that meant something. I even noticed for the first time that the background in the conversation portraits change depending on where (and in some cases when!) the conversation occurs, be it cave or village, day or night or sunset.<br />
<br />
Perhaps most stark were the details when it came to the tribes themselves, though. All of them have their own unique aesthetic, and while granted, some of the portraits do feel a bit caricatured at times, the tribes all feel like distinct entities. The Sakkhra caves are full of crystal gardens in contrast to the sparse Haakur caves, which again stand distinct from the stepped mesa the Barrab call home, which feels different from the Jukari by the lava, and so on and so forth. The way the villages are laid out, the fact that each tribe seems to have their preferred weaponry based on what can be found in their huts, even the manner of speech of some tribes (I particularly enjoyed seeing the importance placed on names when it came to the Haakur and Urali, the former only being bestowed upon those who've earned recognition and the latter guarding theirs to avoid another having power over them, which is why it's a big deal when Wamap gives the player his) - there's some real steps taken through the detail work to make each tribe feel like they stand out just a little from the rest, and serves to emphasize the running theme of bringing together a bunch of different tribes together to form a single alliance.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhydAZF8Mt78x5VqDaX4PU-zmzo7Z7ixd5DYN5Dg2-ZzajT6AkIdgkESCCBlMhWHhZy21XnWHwkFAJQoi51uPwobfjSrEvjsx72VRmKwh7Yi0PBMIjwZFA1XeuAKfvlZi36DpyfNq3HPutt/s1600/savage_076.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhydAZF8Mt78x5VqDaX4PU-zmzo7Z7ixd5DYN5Dg2-ZzajT6AkIdgkESCCBlMhWHhZy21XnWHwkFAJQoi51uPwobfjSrEvjsx72VRmKwh7Yi0PBMIjwZFA1XeuAKfvlZi36DpyfNq3HPutt/s1600/savage_076.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Those totems in the corner there were a nice touch.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Which, on the flip side, only makes the moments where the game falls short in terms of details all the more glaring. While each tribe has a distinct aesthetic, the unique-ness of each falls a bit flat once you realize that most of the tribesmen all have the same dialogue tree. There's a very small handful that actually have anything unique to tell you, and beyond that there isn't much. There's a lot spoken of the inter-tribe rivalries among the valley, but there's little evidence of them beyond words. I've seen complaints of that when it comes to Ultima VI and the threat of the Gargoyles, but at least there, you saw (and potentially fought) them at the shrines and could see the aftermath of one such skirmish via the recovering soldiers in Cove. Here in Savage Empire, there's... not really anything, besides Dokray and Ugyuk's spat, and even that's more of a personal thing than any representation of tension between entire tribes. Consequently, it feels a bit closer to checking things off a list than the game's overarching goal of attempting to unite eleven very disparate tribes who can't stand each other at first.<br />
<br />
Not to mention Aiela's father, as far as I could tell, didn't have much to say about the rescue of his daughter, despite the fact Sahree did have some different dialogue with Aiela in the party.<br />
<br />
Which hasn't made the game any less enjoyable to <i>play</i>, when it comes down to it, it's just something my sense of narrative has picked up on. And to be fair, I'd probably be paying less attention to the lack of detail in some places if it didn't stand in such contrast to the parts of the game where it <i>is</i> rather effective. That's the give and take you deal with, I suppose.<br />
<br />
In any case, time to head into Tichticatl proper, finally! Been looking forward to this.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnL5fyJMLWpXaZQT43XnqSAoaJ07-dKWOhjOfMPG-urx-ZIaOaB136QIcTg7RuTbVyKZD2Zw_fi6Lq4DZGFYC-EmwW27Ny6vHc2Q3zjsVwltLFF7CdCw7Bn8YUQAQT9FBZFvyqMHIlmO6L/s1600/savage_105.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnL5fyJMLWpXaZQT43XnqSAoaJ07-dKWOhjOfMPG-urx-ZIaOaB136QIcTg7RuTbVyKZD2Zw_fi6Lq4DZGFYC-EmwW27Ny6vHc2Q3zjsVwltLFF7CdCw7Bn8YUQAQT9FBZFvyqMHIlmO6L/s1600/savage_105.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">There are some days where I might feel the same.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />Linguistic Dragonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13246332346527264632noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3241816870477983024.post-73587268614224813572016-04-30T09:55:00.000-07:002016-04-30T09:55:24.165-07:00Savage Empire: All Over the MapY'know, it's been an interesting venture attempting to balance actual play sessions with finding the time to scribble my musings about them. I've had a lot of days lately where I've found myself wanting to have myself a good long session of Savage Empire while simultaneously feeling hesitant to do so because I haven't written up the last one. In fact, this particular post technically covers two sessions, partly because I didn't get much done in the first one and partly because of the aforementioned "but I want to plaaaaay" urge winning out over self-imposed blogging obligations.<br />
<br />
Which probably says something about how much I'm enjoying myself when it comes to Savage Empire, but I'll get to that later.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBLxUyl5h1fZb8lbijeqSytiJpGE4WtgRHgorbpiU0WGJp1U7001nfxgQj3E73nsLiY93qgrrrQjzi7rtNZiqlCpqhQDQab4bk1yBRj_FBVx0lWyTc0b1fBCqUowFMfhy2pBjm4mk8QlLO/s1600/savage_001.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBLxUyl5h1fZb8lbijeqSytiJpGE4WtgRHgorbpiU0WGJp1U7001nfxgQj3E73nsLiY93qgrrrQjzi7rtNZiqlCpqhQDQab4bk1yBRj_FBVx0lWyTc0b1fBCqUowFMfhy2pBjm4mk8QlLO/s1600/savage_001.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I'll just take a bit of that...</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
When last I left off, I'd come one step closer to finding out where the Urali tribe made their home, so I could finally rescue Aiela. And by "one step closer," I mean "getting the whole story about how Topuru lost his mind but not really and how I could potentially convince him he got it back so he'll tell me what I need to know." It amuses me how particularly convoluted getting one simple task done can be in RPGs sometimes.<br />
<br />
At least this particular step in the venture didn't necessitate gallivanting all over the valley, as the Barrab chieftain had told me I just needed any old blue stone, which I could procure by chipping off a piece of the stones near the Sakkhra caves. Said caves were just a quick jaunt away (relatively speaking), and it wasn't long before I caught sight of one of the big blue rocks atop a cliff. Of course, finding my way <i>up</i> the cliff was another matter entirely, but after some walking about to find a decent ascent, I pulled out a hammer that I'd brought with me from Rafkin's lab and chipped off a piece. I'd bring it to Topuru the next time I was in the neighborhood, but I figured since I was already here, I might as well chat up the tribe and see what they had to say, and what their particular thoughts on an alliance of tribes might be.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGa6NDRx9s0riHu86DvyDglxYWnWyBsutBw1UXH5lFF9bPfmmqrZYABUaJxvgNacIdo0cgokk83gSs7A5CSprZxzcM5Wkfrwyz2WqFeDVn83uzVhg6T7wGEkcmxg8bXwGSZ5BGtppihGZc/s1600/savage_021.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGa6NDRx9s0riHu86DvyDglxYWnWyBsutBw1UXH5lFF9bPfmmqrZYABUaJxvgNacIdo0cgokk83gSs7A5CSprZxzcM5Wkfrwyz2WqFeDVn83uzVhg6T7wGEkcmxg8bXwGSZ5BGtppihGZc/s1600/savage_021.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Succinctly put.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The Sakkhra turned out to be a tribe of lizardfolk (wasn't that the name of the lizard race in Master of Orion, too? I never actually played it, more of a Civilization guy, so I'm not 100% sure on that), and I managed to get some interesting information about the valley's history from their chief Sysskarr. According to him, the Sakkhra were descendants of the Kotl, the original occupants of the valley who lived in an underground city. They ruled over humans and kept them as pets, and protected themselves with a powerful glow - the same that now protected Zipactriotl, I was told. I imagined I'd find out more about them later. The tribesfolk had made mention of Thunderer, a large lizard that prowled about near a grove of trees that bore medicinal fruit, and Sysskarr confirmed what I suspected - that I would have to do something about him before the Sakkhra would agree to an alliance. Sysskarr also informed me I would need to construct a drum to call the tribes together. That's something I'll have to investigate further the next time I'm in the vicinity of Drum Hill, near the Nahuatla city.<br />
<br />
A warrior named Kysstaa (good grief, the names in this game are a bear to keep straight) offered his services to our little group, but we politely turned him down and went on our way. I was in a bit of a hurry to investigate the oddly colored platform near the entrance to the caves, and wound up spending a fair amount of time figuring out the teleportation system I'd stumbled across.<br />
<br />
It was, quite frankly, the most fun I'd had in the game yet.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhumT9JGjBJvSlUfF7aa4ify5B0sliWYqT8DXtIj3YXpifHahU4gqliGAY9WU8bYpiyQ4zfdGRETbu-LNLRp4e1-NzMOqxD7WnfgjhWQp-y17ijfzwc-ylaJVKYMVYghlIgDwB36h63O1L/s1600/savage_028.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhumT9JGjBJvSlUfF7aa4ify5B0sliWYqT8DXtIj3YXpifHahU4gqliGAY9WU8bYpiyQ4zfdGRETbu-LNLRp4e1-NzMOqxD7WnfgjhWQp-y17ijfzwc-ylaJVKYMVYghlIgDwB36h63O1L/s1600/savage_028.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Transit Central needs better exterminators.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I found a certain thrill from plunging into the unknown via a teleporter, having Triolo use a view spell to get an idea of my surroundings, and then comparing that tiny glimpse of nearby geographical features to the official map to pinpoint where I was likely to be. I'm considerably less familiar with Eodon than I am Britannia, which means that I've been consulting the map fairly regularly, but being able to use it in a manner like this was a real treat for a map nerd like me (seriously, I've got a pretty sizable collection of globes, both old and new). And it also had the side-effect of highlighting just how excellently done the Savage Empire map <i>is. </i>The cliffs, rivers, forests and such are all mirrored on the map just as I'd expect them to be, and the location of each teleporter is surrounded by a distinct enough set of features that careful scrutiny of the map is all you need to figure out where you are - stumbling into a patch of lava near a teleporter was enough to tell me I was in the southeast of the valley, near the Jukari, even though I'd never visited them before, because it's the only place on the map where lava shows up. A bend in the river here, a particular series of cliffs there - it's a fabulous "puzzle" of sorts that isn't strictly necessary, but immensely enjoyable all the same, and brought up fond memories of sitting in the backseat with the map during family road trips, serving as my dad's navigator. I felt like an honest-to-goodness <i>adventurer</i>, armed with little more than my wits and a map, trying to get my bearings based on nothing more than what I could see. It was gloriously exhilarating, and I wish it was a moment I was better able to replicate in more modern games.<br />
<br />
Jimmy also managed to gain another level during these particular explorations, thanks to another ambush from the Myrmidex (<i>right on the main teleporter hub</i>, no less, Eodon really needs to increase its transit security), and I of course gave him another point in strength. I need all the carrying capacity I can get in this game.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNJ-viRM1aqImF9MXOWZcFgBPUIX-wDHMBSoR64jgQ7ZvL72yOjvXmkNqyTSLPk2ynoenRwL5f3dEkyntqBq69JihwZ3Stf9zlUl11Wocbg3HDq64o2xI0RDzpPxGjTLPjRQb21XhWSHSX/s1600/savage_031.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNJ-viRM1aqImF9MXOWZcFgBPUIX-wDHMBSoR64jgQ7ZvL72yOjvXmkNqyTSLPk2ynoenRwL5f3dEkyntqBq69JihwZ3Stf9zlUl11Wocbg3HDq64o2xI0RDzpPxGjTLPjRQb21XhWSHSX/s1600/savage_031.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yeah, that's about what I thought.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
One of the teleporters led to a spot near the Barako tribe, which meant an immensely useful shortcut when it came to getting back to Topuru. I hurried back to the island where the mindless man wandered, and upon telling him we'd brought his mind back to him, he practically mauled poor Professor Rafkin to extract the blue stone from the good doctor's pack (which Topuru then proceeded to swallow whole). Convinced that his mind had returned - we were considerably less convinced, but that didn't particularly matter much - Topuru offered some turtle food in gratitude. This was not quite what I was hoping for, though after some prompting Topuru also offered the directions we were looking for. He told us to go northeast of the Nahuatla city where there were caves in the cliffs, and we could find the Urali through the second cave from the north.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCqxx-BV5p0RDOWtDwKlO7zAV3SwnQThuI7NNBcMI2n14_0Jzdnlq5p7vVIYS_Z1BhUmYE30xUPP9SwI70KtO0mujTTlRa3o-AIDbdmM28Lh1eedLlSFyJvy88L20Ob5jBlA7VlJKKYRro/s1600/savage_039.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCqxx-BV5p0RDOWtDwKlO7zAV3SwnQThuI7NNBcMI2n14_0Jzdnlq5p7vVIYS_Z1BhUmYE30xUPP9SwI70KtO0mujTTlRa3o-AIDbdmM28Lh1eedLlSFyJvy88L20Ob5jBlA7VlJKKYRro/s1600/savage_039.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">That's a lot of dead dinosaurs.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
So it was off for some more exploration, meandering along the eastern side of the valley to count the caves and discern which one was the cave we were looking for. We stumbled across a number of dead dinosaurs in a large field of tar pits in the process, which I made a mental note of in case the tar that Jimmy was still carrying proved not to be enough. Boldly we strode into the depths of the caverns that lined the cliffs of Eodon, and promptly blundered into several bears. They proved to be formidable foes as we battled our way through the cavern, and I was rather relieved to step out again on the other side, blinking in the sunlight again. I followed the path laid out, hoping that it would take me to where the Urali called home, only to discover the road blocked by a Tyrannosaurus. Not especially wanting to take one of those head-on, I sought an alternate route.<br />
<br />
In doing so, I stumbled across a wisp, which, in its odd manner, explained a bit more about the situation in the valley, or more accurately, the reason why it remained hidden - a strong power source distorting space-time around the valley, a modified moonstone, if I managed to understand the wisp correctly (which is always a task). Further, I was warned that if left unchecked this source could cause permanent distortion and even destruction in the valley. Something for me to be mindful of moving forward.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2XgYEEe6Vw-ueho5XRWGlsZOT6M3Sdxe4eDHO21Z-Q6Z7taSm4Gm-kj-54anWmLiHAlgY7W1KhtHqbSFN9GrsRwkTs4W1HeAHrNEGp3RsARN6FySWYsy87T-TRYrPp_B9fKtM06CfTcSZ/s1600/savage_050.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2XgYEEe6Vw-ueho5XRWGlsZOT6M3Sdxe4eDHO21Z-Q6Z7taSm4Gm-kj-54anWmLiHAlgY7W1KhtHqbSFN9GrsRwkTs4W1HeAHrNEGp3RsARN6FySWYsy87T-TRYrPp_B9fKtM06CfTcSZ/s1600/savage_050.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Flashbacks to my physics classes...</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The turtle bait Topuru had given me was bringing a bunch of giant turtles onto the riverbanks, and it occurred to me that perhaps I could use them to get around the dangerous dino blocking my path. Sure enough, the waterways proved fruitful, and we soon found ourselves at the entrance to the Urali village. Their shaman Wamap was there to greet us, telling us of Darden and how he had taken over the tribe by holding Fabozz, the tribe's deity of sorts, captive. He told me that if I killed Darden and rescued Fabozz, he would see to it that the Urali joined the alliance of tribes when the time came.<br />
<br />
Fabozz was being held in a cave to the north, but I was here for another purpose as well, and wanted to see that through first. According to the tribesmen (or more accurately, tribeswomen, as they were the only ones to actually talk to me and not attack on sight), she was being held in Darden's stronghold to the south, and apparently disliked him enough to direct me toward a less guarded path to his cave by following the waterfront. The poisoned darts the Urali I fought led me to believe this alternate route might be the wiser choice, so I took the women's advice and soon found myself at Darden's cave.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrhyphenhyphenbGuvvVMwUIBiBoFkP5nAlCI45jac4HDokpW1WZSVrXNgxW3jxM5-M8sNMU9XDbuGkapVrHUwIJdNQ1u59PSVpJmdi-yAT739jyB03A8HODFuuDRHNnUpxuHHGFGW1DuRIKoo6fI6Ee/s1600/savage_099.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrhyphenhyphenbGuvvVMwUIBiBoFkP5nAlCI45jac4HDokpW1WZSVrXNgxW3jxM5-M8sNMU9XDbuGkapVrHUwIJdNQ1u59PSVpJmdi-yAT739jyB03A8HODFuuDRHNnUpxuHHGFGW1DuRIKoo6fI6Ee/s1600/savage_099.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I love how much the game wants to emphasize how much of<br />a galoot Darden is. Even the GAME calls him a neanderthal.</td></tr>
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There I found a makeshift cage, and Aiela herself within - but it was not left unguarded. With a shout, we pressed forward into the fray, and found her guard... well... wanting. The most difficult part about the fight, frankly, was not accidentally hitting Dokray instead, as his sprite was the same used for the guards! With them taken care of, we broke Aiela out of her prison (and boy did she take that well, considering how long it took me to get here - come to think of it, she's presented as quite the capable warrior in her own right, I'm frankly surprised she didn't just break <i>herself</i> out by this point), only to come face-to-face once more with Darden himself. We were prepared this time, though, and after trading both words and blows, he realized just how unwise it was to face the Avatar head-on. (Okay, so maybe I'm letting humility slide a bit there. Quest of the Avatar is forever and all that.)<br />
<br />
With Darden defeated and Aiela now a part of our little band, we stepped out once more, feeling much accomplished in finally achieving a long anticipated task.<br />
<br />
~~~<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwJhRPEqihwSArHnczOQol8lma7m1eXC5e1jszdo8iYgvmU8xr-Ic9bQth1ooq7aU47YrDk5gdEz29WwXxP3aqacCpfoMNCMTv6zTu8-_KJHsPxDl3zQ5SFLK5nwr_EV7fT7kDy3uMPrrm/s1600/savage_055.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwJhRPEqihwSArHnczOQol8lma7m1eXC5e1jszdo8iYgvmU8xr-Ic9bQth1ooq7aU47YrDk5gdEz29WwXxP3aqacCpfoMNCMTv6zTu8-_KJHsPxDl3zQ5SFLK5nwr_EV7fT7kDy3uMPrrm/s1600/savage_055.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nyah nyah, can't catch meeeeee!!</td></tr>
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I made the assertion way back in Ultima II that every Ultima, and indeed every RPG, has a moment where the game truly opens up and engages, a turning point where what was once a struggle now becomes less of the hassle it once was. I declared the turning point of Ultima II to be the moment where one obtains a ship, but the more complex a game gets, the more difficult it becomes to point to a single, definitive moment where this particular shift happens.<br />
<br />
I'm still not entirely sure what caused it, but I felt that shift during this particular session of Savage Empire. Something about the game finally clicked for me, and I'm not certain why. My best guess is that I'm making it past the more talky portions of the game, which is less engaging than other Ultimas out of the fact that most of the tribe NPCs are just cookie-cutter versions of each other without much to add past a general brief 'state of the tribe' speech. Or maybe it was the aforementioned teleporter exploration that did it. Whatever it was, though, I was bound and determined to see Aiela's rescue through to the end before I called this particular session, and not just out of a sense of narrative. I truly <i>enjoyed</i> this bit, and spent far longer on it than I expected to simply because I was having too much fun. The wisp, the turtles, trying to skirt the T-Rex that guarded the village... my inner explorer was on cloud nine. Had a rip-roaring good time and I'm eager to get back into the game to see what more Eodon holds for me.Linguistic Dragonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13246332346527264632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3241816870477983024.post-76839779405525007472016-03-16T18:37:00.001-07:002016-03-16T18:37:30.657-07:00Savage Empire: Shufflin' AroundI don't feel like I really accomplished much in this particular session (corroborated by the fact there's fewer screenshots from this session than normal), but hey, it's been a while since I last posted anything and I'm still finding myself with Things to Say, so hey, why not. Further up and further in!<br />
<br />
My first order of business was, once again, to remind myself what the heck I was doing in the game - I really need to stop going so long between sessions. Thankfully, the notes I keep are sufficiently detailed enough to make for a decent refresher course, so between them and Jimmy's records in his notebook, I was able to make something of a coherent plan for my next few steps. I'd been meaning to find what remained of Rafkin's lab for what felt like forever, so that would be my first step. The good doctor had been waiting so patiently for me to meander my way over there, and I figured that he deserved some satisfaction. Not to mention that I was fairly sure there would be some useful equipment waiting for me there as well, best to get my hands on it as soon as possible. I'd need to be well prepared if I was to rescue Aiela, after all. That was my first priority, and making sure I had everything I might need for the attempt was just a stepping stone toward that goal.<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNtlXc8MCCk6HDf_yeO8AmCwTqk3BlsKVxDUu_hOSsTdZS9WY5QW1Z78H1nlmNuDA6AuwN4zY3jpv86GQI0l3n4oWzZbwiiSjCmv_3W8L-Tdf7s6WzNRObS3ZS5gxDixy7Tjz4_FtauM22/s1600/savage_006.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNtlXc8MCCk6HDf_yeO8AmCwTqk3BlsKVxDUu_hOSsTdZS9WY5QW1Z78H1nlmNuDA6AuwN4zY3jpv86GQI0l3n4oWzZbwiiSjCmv_3W8L-Tdf7s6WzNRObS3ZS5gxDixy7Tjz4_FtauM22/s1600/savage_006.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Done in by a professor's boomerang.</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNtlXc8MCCk6HDf_yeO8AmCwTqk3BlsKVxDUu_hOSsTdZS9WY5QW1Z78H1nlmNuDA6AuwN4zY3jpv86GQI0l3n4oWzZbwiiSjCmv_3W8L-Tdf7s6WzNRObS3ZS5gxDixy7Tjz4_FtauM22/s1600/savage_006.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a>Of course, it took me some wandering about to get my bearings properly. I don't know Eodon anywhere near as well as I do Britannia, so it was very easy to get myself lost while trying to figure out what part of the valley I was in, and more to the point, how to get where I needed to go. I did, however, stumble across some interesting sights in the process, including a fight with a gorilla (surprisingly easier than I expected it to be), a rather elaborate fountain tucked away in a secluded part of the jungles, a placid triceratops plodding by, and yet another Myrmidex ambush. After dealing with that last, in which Jimmy proved his mettle rather well, I finally stumbled my way back to the Kurak village and familiar territory. Intanya did his shamanistic healer thing, and the five of us geared up to do some bushwhacking in search of Rafkin's lab - it was supposed to be somewhere to the southeast of the village.<br />
<br />
I was a little nervous as to my prospects for getting lost yet again, but then I remembered that I had plenty of "reagents" for Savage Empire's equivalent of a View spell. I - or rather, Triolo - made use of it every now and again to help get my bearings, and though it wasn't quite as much of a help as I'd hoped it would be, it did at least serve to make sure I at least had a more solid idea of where on the map I was. I was somewhat surprised that it took me this long to remember that I had that option, when I used magic so profusely in Ultima VI, but then again, it's less prevalent to begin with here in Savage Empire. I had a whole spellbook's worth of possibilities in Ultima VI, and the fact I kept making use of certain spells meant that I was constantly reminded of the presence and possible use of the others as well. Here in Savage Empire, there's only nine, and their use is limited to one character and one character only - which isn't even the main character. Consequently, I find myself not even remembering its presence, more often than not. I suppose that's not really a problem, as it's not meant to be as large a part of the setting as it is in Ultima VI, but still, I think I'd like to see it used just a little bit more.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh11st2h_jtYxIdpgivK-UC-u0N2A76c4tjFAtgkFdFFNISWUp5mr8TOS_6BLtZxAOybI9A_NrFFEbCkQbeZu6Z1Kk4B92SlKwt9G5BlodDaOo9tlyP5_7VPmiMzjWuydl3WjrVKycsEmQ/s1600/savage_006.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIHYSUqJbSbdhq18EXXliE75rjCHsxOuahn_7IbHzSKt0cNL-GCTWSOISD5eYoJJXqnb8D9j6NYT1rUzCzBIYDH_3fpP1IhRvDoyv_HCsaqn6aeRmlcRsvIZ0MFBl6kMLEd6WvEFlXDABW/s1600/savage_009.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIHYSUqJbSbdhq18EXXliE75rjCHsxOuahn_7IbHzSKt0cNL-GCTWSOISD5eYoJJXqnb8D9j6NYT1rUzCzBIYDH_3fpP1IhRvDoyv_HCsaqn6aeRmlcRsvIZ0MFBl6kMLEd6WvEFlXDABW/s1600/savage_009.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Seems logical to me.</td></tr>
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Anyway, we blundered around in the wilderness for a while, leaving the placid wildlife alone and fighting for our survival against the less placid sorts - the strangest encounter being a particularly vicious allosaurus that RAFKIN of all people managed to fell, which I found both shocking and utterly hilarious all at the same time - until I caught sight of something unusual via Triolo's View spells and headed toward it. Said something was the floor of the lab contrasting starkly with the grass around it, and I proceeded to rummage around the place, while Rafkin and I chatted about some of his ideas and what might prove useful. He talked about making makeshift grenades and rifles out of clay pots and bamboo, and the components of gunpowder and where I might be able to find them. All three components were right there in the lab, so I took advantage of what was close at hand and mixed myself up some gunpowder, sure to be useful later. Modern conveniences in general were sure to be a boon in the valley, so I took everything that might possibly prove handy - an axe, a fire extinguisher, a pair of scissors, a rifle and ammunition. I also picked up a screen that Rafkin said would be useful when it came to finding more sulfur for gunpowder, and a bucket to collect the tar I would need to make a 'fuse' for my makeshift grenades from the tar pits I remembered passing on the way to the lab.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipuWPITWBB95pdZjQs3ICDbp3Cioi_Z-M7f9DT6rgWTKFzCZptHNAlVnJqtzY3RANY-3T1YlqV6TtDxEmxrRmTcMbmhLpE2Owz62ku4gbjYIr3FFoS9VOMVt5fExa00LWLWYcpbOWhXZdJ/s1600/savage_004.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipuWPITWBB95pdZjQs3ICDbp3Cioi_Z-M7f9DT6rgWTKFzCZptHNAlVnJqtzY3RANY-3T1YlqV6TtDxEmxrRmTcMbmhLpE2Owz62ku4gbjYIr3FFoS9VOMVt5fExa00LWLWYcpbOWhXZdJ/s1600/savage_004.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The bear, of course. Kinda NEED strength.</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipuWPITWBB95pdZjQs3ICDbp3Cioi_Z-M7f9DT6rgWTKFzCZptHNAlVnJqtzY3RANY-3T1YlqV6TtDxEmxrRmTcMbmhLpE2Owz62ku4gbjYIr3FFoS9VOMVt5fExa00LWLWYcpbOWhXZdJ/s1600/savage_004.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSUn8Sd6j-y1nrp-Ydwo4lrfJpgkjt5gAZ4H0cL7VGrr_3EMVaHJf7ODwA2W9JOMG_z8Dt9d3lhrjUEtphMSsgY4f6eavf3gF1ThlALE4uH_IbzSao6R5ZveLV_VZ_RbLP1Y8tq6IDp99Q/s1600/savage_004.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a>And it was here that I did most of the 'shuffling' of the session - shuffling things around in my inventory. Weight issues were rearing their heads something awful this time around, and I think they're contributing to why I don't find myself enjoying the game quite as much as Ultima VI. While certainly a factor I had to keep in mind in the latter, it felt balanced enough that it wasn't an annoyance. Sure, I had to shuffle things around every now and again, but between my entire party I had a decent enough carrying capacity, and the cumulative weight of everything I figured I might need (not necessarily DID need, mind) felt manageable as a result. Here in Savage Empire, my party size is considerably more limited, not many party members have the sizeable strength to serve as decent 'pack mules,' and it's nowhere near as simple a matter to boost strength - Jimmy was the first of my party to gain a level, and it took until this session for it to happen. And even then, I was only able to boost his strength by one point, which didn't increase his carrying capacity very much. All those factors combine to mean that I have considerably less wiggle room when it comes to carting things around, and things in Savage Empire can get very heavy very quickly (although that may just be a perception thing). The atl-atl doesn't feel like a very viable weapon for my ranged characters, because spears, their necessary ammunition, get very bulky very quickly, and that's weight I need for other things. I remember the immense relief I felt when I found a boomerang for Rafkin to use, because I could barely keep two or three throwing axes on him and I certainly wasn't going to send him onto the FRONT lines to fight. It's crossing the line a bit from annoyance to frustration, and I suspect my next session is going to involve a re-evaluation of what all in my inventory that I strictly need. (I'm going to have to get over inventory problems eventually, after all. They're present in some form or another from here on out in the series.)<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLVTKa9DWjy-gZvnSgydCcDAd9Io9d0JfNI7Xj6PyrplEY3fVs2uLrS7eYrOuRCxyR-C-iiwCRUmh4lvVzj7-KtnzP0XjxBMEHuFCX_v8SyX3CajdP9RzgQ3jU8sYaq-2kwY4jdLlI2pfL/s1600/savage_020.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLVTKa9DWjy-gZvnSgydCcDAd9Io9d0JfNI7Xj6PyrplEY3fVs2uLrS7eYrOuRCxyR-C-iiwCRUmh4lvVzj7-KtnzP0XjxBMEHuFCX_v8SyX3CajdP9RzgQ3jU8sYaq-2kwY4jdLlI2pfL/s1600/savage_020.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Suuuure you don't...</td></tr>
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That minor ordeal settled, I headed back to the Kurak village, stopping by the tar pits on the way, to get back to the main roads and from there head toward the Barrab tribe, so I could take steps toward reuniting Topuru's mind with Topuru himself and hopefully convince him to tell me where I could find the Urali that had taken Aiela captive. It was a rather uneventful trip to the southwest portion of the valley, where the Barrab called home, and upon arrival I started chatting with the locals to see what I could find out. I learned that this tribe, too, had a long-standing rivalry with one of the other tribes in the valley, this time with the Sakkhra, a lizardlike race that lived in the caves to the west of the Barrab village. I met a man named Nawl, who was not allowed within the village himself, likely due to his full-of-himself attitude getting him into trouble. (I was not particularly sorry to say goodbye to him.) It was Chief Balakai who gave me the most relevant information, though, telling me that his trick with Topuru was just that - a trick. The long and short of it was that with some help, he had simply convinced Topuru that his mind was in a blue stone, and that giving him any old blue stone he would likewise be convinced his mind had been returned. He suggested taking a hammer to a large blue stone within the Sakkhra caves, and I made a note of it. The chief also talked of his sick son, Nakai, and that he would join the forming alliance of tribes if a cure could be found. He suspected a giant flower with pale petals would cure Nakai, last seen on a great mesa to the northwest of the village. The only problem would be getting there - there used to be a natural span to the south of the mesa, but it had crumbled. I made a note of this, too.<br />
<br />
And there was where I called it for the day, with yet another task for the tribes of Eodon and one step closer to finding out where Aiela might be. I think it's time to make nice with the lizard people and see what they have to say, now.Linguistic Dragonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13246332346527264632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3241816870477983024.post-13614086965895015742016-01-04T15:55:00.002-08:002016-01-04T15:55:55.250-08:00Savage Empire: Team EffortsWelcome to 2016, folks! Let's kick things off with a little Savage Empire, shall we?<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicy1W36aj_AtbJ11AL3ZYc_Kk2ESAMYOPM-TdgoO-cJz6rLRQqt1uRYUv0OW5mjxPdvvFSKSbHj2WEeTNb1sIBJ0qTh-wjZrK_4W_o9x5BzW-25Iw6L9f-d_ah3wNn4ZgLwB7_vsEOFhrD/s1600/savage_002.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicy1W36aj_AtbJ11AL3ZYc_Kk2ESAMYOPM-TdgoO-cJz6rLRQqt1uRYUv0OW5mjxPdvvFSKSbHj2WEeTNb1sIBJ0qTh-wjZrK_4W_o9x5BzW-25Iw6L9f-d_ah3wNn4ZgLwB7_vsEOFhrD/s1600/savage_002.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Neither, actually...</td></tr>
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Last time, I'd reunited our little ragtag group from Earth after finding Jimmy Rafkin among the Disquiqui. But it occurred to me that I hadn't quite managed to bring the <i>entire</i> <i></i>troop back together just yet. Triolo's presence was a reminder of that. Though he claimed not to know the name of Iolo, he did admit that it struck a chord somewhere within him nonetheless, and he bore more than a striking resemblance to the bowyer from Britannia. Shamino's name seemed vaguely familiar to him as well, though he insisted it was instead Shamuru, the name of a warrior with the Barako tribe, to the north of the Kurak village. I had seen to the safety of the two I had inadvertently brought with me from Earth, but if Iolo had a counterpart of sorts here in Eodon, it only seemed fitting to see if other friends of mine in Britannia did as well.<br />
<br />
So it was off to the northern reaches of the valley that I set my sights, intending to stop by the Yolaru tribe on the way in order to figure out what their chieftain might require of me in order to join the alliance of tribes against the Myrmidex. Along the way, I took some time to play around with the system a little more. I remembered being able to get meat from killed animals with my knife, and further experimentation along the road revealed that I was able to get feathers from parrots in much the same way. I'm pretty sure I've mentioned this before, but I'm liking the ways that Savage Empire has ramped up the interactivity and its uses within the Ultima VI engine. Being able to actually find what you would expect off the remains of the fauna of Eodon is a nice touch.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2oIPwJfZqwAbMByC3KUNKs-o7bWlNtRZj6veREmrgdQp5ZmNk3LMocRfYv1MPptXQ5FxHT_vwcnkjMBihyhby61oZf71icrDNujxFJ5c2oNQhuX9PNWyR4OC6cw-6cKHwGEt-6Go_6M4r/s1600/savage_006.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2oIPwJfZqwAbMByC3KUNKs-o7bWlNtRZj6veREmrgdQp5ZmNk3LMocRfYv1MPptXQ5FxHT_vwcnkjMBihyhby61oZf71icrDNujxFJ5c2oNQhuX9PNWyR4OC6cw-6cKHwGEt-6Go_6M4r/s1600/savage_006.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I should probably stop trying to explore at night.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2oIPwJfZqwAbMByC3KUNKs-o7bWlNtRZj6veREmrgdQp5ZmNk3LMocRfYv1MPptXQ5FxHT_vwcnkjMBihyhby61oZf71icrDNujxFJ5c2oNQhuX9PNWyR4OC6cw-6cKHwGEt-6Go_6M4r/s1600/savage_006.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a>...and speaking of the fauna, I had a brush on the way back from the Disquiqui village that could have ended rather better. While chasing after parrots, I bumped into a serpent woman, who promptly attacked. It wasn't long before I realized I was in a bit over my head, but by that point I wasn't in much of a position to beat a hasty retreat, and once again Eodon's creatures got the better of me. Once again I found myself coming to in Intanya's hut, and that... well, turned out to be something of a mixed blessing. Sure, it was a blow to the pride (and a few other things), but at least it meant I was closer to the Yolaru, saving me the walk. Which brings up something I don't think I got around to mentioning when it came to Ultima VI - death penalties. I'll admit it's a bit more frustrating to experience a 'party wipe' when the Avatar is struck down in combat, regardless of how many of his companions are still up and kicking when it happens, than it was in Ultimas IV and V. But then again, the punishment isn't particularly debilitating, either. It's a quick transition to revival, the penalties aren't excessively dire past some experience points (at least as far as I've noticed), and then off you go once more. It's nice that the game doesn't <i>necessitate</i> <i></i>a reload when such a circumstance arises. Granted, I often do anyway, but in this case, it presented what I considered a reasonable tradeoff - it wasn't the ideal way for me to get back to this part of the valley, but it happened, albeit at a bit of a cost, and so I took it for what it was. It's less of an interruption to the flow of gameplay, and makes for a couple interesting choices here and there.<br />
<br />
Anyway, I thanked Intanya once more for his aid, and went on my way, following the trails in the valley back to the Yolaru tribe. It didn't take long for me to track down Apaton once more to discuss the idea of uniting the tribes, and he told me that what he sought in exchange for an alliance was weaponry. More specifically, ten of the swords that the Nahuatla made - their last weaponsmith perished in a Myrmidex attack, and the Nahuatla were known as makers of fine swords. Bringing him ten of their finest craftsmanship would both demonstrate a service to the Yolaru and better arm them for when the time came to march against the Myrmidex. I was already a tenth of the way there, too. I figured that when I made my attempts to oust the usurper in the Nahuatla city, I was likely to pick up a fair few weapons in the process, so I agreed, bid Apaton farewell, and turned my attentions to the north.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDUSYf0_iMjkcAPHdink0yHFAPDZE_eE2m2sZwSgmdcY4N3X16Wqe_P-n72Qff8WT1yRseLWSRWlk19kUIi7SD40JEc8EVNcKc5Se2xfAvBLtJ_C7iAvb6mAYALBxSxDEqYxSJaa7NBomo/s1600/savage_020.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDUSYf0_iMjkcAPHdink0yHFAPDZE_eE2m2sZwSgmdcY4N3X16Wqe_P-n72Qff8WT1yRseLWSRWlk19kUIi7SD40JEc8EVNcKc5Se2xfAvBLtJ_C7iAvb6mAYALBxSxDEqYxSJaa7NBomo/s1600/savage_020.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Like a certain other companion of mine...</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The trek to the Barako tribe was a long one, across high and unstable bridges and past the territory of a particularly grumpy sabertooth. We managed to strike it down, but I was beginning to feel the very strong need for some proper team-building exercises. Neither Rafkin nor Jimmy seemed much suited for the heat of battle, though Jimmy probably could be with time and experience, and Triolo was more inclined toward the bow than any other sort of weaponry. This meant Aric was the only one on the front lines, and with only a shield for protection, fights could take turns for the dire pretty quickly. I was glad I'd made tracking down Shamuru a priority - we needed all the help that we could get.<br />
<br />
He wasn't too difficult to find, either, hanging out just outside the Barako village. He told me a similar story to Triolo's, waking up in the valley without memories of his life before it, and taken in by one of the native tribes of Eodon. He quite eagerly joined our little troop of adventurers, and after taking note of the bow he carried, meaning yet another member who'd keep his distance in a fight, he was more than willing to pass his leather armor, a rarity as far as my adventures thus far had turned up, to the sole front line fighter of the group.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWo8i6MsG6R5u-S0AwpLuLt7w9TrbNJrp2fuARs5ptuyrhhcVbnmRsxVR3FGgP-gCi1n2B6z6wWhb5FVKtERJVWHjTBNTt9aalwvm7fN-EG0xbOF0VX2fY6AP025yI62wZqd6xCsymjq5L/s1600/savage_037.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWo8i6MsG6R5u-S0AwpLuLt7w9TrbNJrp2fuARs5ptuyrhhcVbnmRsxVR3FGgP-gCi1n2B6z6wWhb5FVKtERJVWHjTBNTt9aalwvm7fN-EG0xbOF0VX2fY6AP025yI62wZqd6xCsymjq5L/s1600/savage_037.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I see you up there.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
We then spent some time chatting with the rest of the tribe. They spoke of other strangers in the vicinity, an older man named Topuru who always spoke of rocks and kept himself in seclusion on an island to the west, and a young man in the northeast of the valley who they said called himself 'Frit-azz.' They also remarked he was dressed in attire suggesting that he too was from outside the valley. We also learned of their rivalry with the Pindiro tribe to the east, and suggested that there were problems concerning Halisa, the daughter of Halawa, their chieftain, though nobody was willing to expound further on the matter, instead directing me to speak with the chieftain herself. Halawa was indeed distracted, and revealed that her daughter, future chieftain of their tribe, had been captured by a large ape, who carried her off to a high ledge near the river to the north of the village. As imagined, rescuing her was the deed she wanted done before she would consent to an alliance with the other tribes of the valley, though it was a deed that would need doing regardless of what reward came from it. I spent some time seeking out the ape in question and did indeed find him on a high ledge to the west of the source of the river near the tribe, but there was no visible way to reach him from where I was standing. I would need to consider my approach and hope that Halisa would be able to manage in the meantime - Halawa was worried that the ape would dash her daughter to pieces on the rocks below, and I saw no evidence of such yet, so that was, at least, promising.<br />
<br />
While I was in the area, I paid a visit to the Barako's rivals, the Pindiro. And there I saw yet another rather familiar face, in the form of the warrior Dokray, more than a little reminiscent of the paladin Dupre back in Britannia. He too wanted to see the tribes of Eodon united against the Myrmidex, and here I had a decision to make - whether to bring him along or not.<br />
<br />
You see, I'd run into the party limit.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3YiO50XPYxhHVuB39xJ_LqeNq6-gSL297fTrXo-bDwNFAPkv4nueo7ULZ5FvrKG7TCy0bkRGkNL47RCHlZXmS4_xMT007HIHBA753zxUuP551poc7z0h3qSZHrTbYGQ7kMNuhgKyu7gyA/s1600/savage_038.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3YiO50XPYxhHVuB39xJ_LqeNq6-gSL297fTrXo-bDwNFAPkv4nueo7ULZ5FvrKG7TCy0bkRGkNL47RCHlZXmS4_xMT007HIHBA753zxUuP551poc7z0h3qSZHrTbYGQ7kMNuhgKyu7gyA/s1600/savage_038.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I should hope so, all things considered.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
This was the first time I'd run up against the party limit that I hadn't already planned around a bit during my playthrough of the series - I did some party juggling in Ultima V, but that was something I was already prepared for. I'd thought the party limit in Savage Empire was six, not including those who automatically joined, and Dokray's refusal to join my group on account of already having enough came as a surprise. And also left me with a bit of a dilemma - who to leave behind? I've chosen my party members (at least since the first game that allowed me to do so, Ultima V) based more on story and thematic reasons than solely for function in the party, and the fact that I <i>can</i> <i></i>without seriously crippling myself is one of the things I like about the series - even Katrina in Ultima IV can turn out to be quite the powerhouse, she just takes a while and a bit more work to get there. I've made mention of the fact I don't feel right not taking along Iolo, Shamino, and Dupre if I can help it, and the same goes for their analogues in Savage Empire, but it didn't feel right leaving either Rafkin or Jimmy behind either - I <i>had</i> brought them with me, after all. Ultimately, it was with reluctance that I told Shamuru to catch up with us later so we could bring Dokray along. I couldn't leave behind my companions from Earth, we were a team, we'd come here together and we'd stick together until we found a way back home. Triolo was the only shaman among us and thereby the only practitioner of the valley's form of magic, and all three of them were more well suited to fighting from a distance than flinging themselves into a melee. Dokray was a heavy hitter, though, at least moreso than Shamuru the hunter, so I decided to give Aric some support on the front lines and take Dupre's doppelganger along with us.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBI-rUtPF-DsN_6SR533eD0QzqjsIcGsWg7y-ZDkev2Zp6GWfdkrx3XWwjUHYQArv9Aouxf29FuhkMvTm6NlarJohiAdhMCfyXEpMKjuWxC0HNmlUNGetb1droMknTIQ0O2rjOmwxsG2yG/s1600/savage_051.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBI-rUtPF-DsN_6SR533eD0QzqjsIcGsWg7y-ZDkev2Zp6GWfdkrx3XWwjUHYQArv9Aouxf29FuhkMvTm6NlarJohiAdhMCfyXEpMKjuWxC0HNmlUNGetb1droMknTIQ0O2rjOmwxsG2yG/s1600/savage_051.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My thoughts exactly, Jimmy-ol'-pal.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
There wasn't a whole lot to learn from the other Pindiro. They mentioned getting the paddles for their rafts from the Disquiqui, and that we should make sure to have at least four steering when making use of one. Kunawo, the tribe shaman, took a moment to heal us up, then offered to exchange one of each of the offerings necessary for Triolo's shamanic magic for five flax fibers, which we hadn't yet obtained any of, but it was something worth noting if Triolo ever started running low. The Pindiro chieftain Inara talked of a stranger in a cave to the west along the cliff face, who fought only with his fists. More to the point, she saw the wisdom of uniting the tribes and appeared tired of the squabbles between tribes, agreeing to an alliance immediately upon bringing the possibility up. Encouraged by her willingness, we bid her farewell and went on our way - back to the Barako tribe, because I suddenly remembered something about what we'd been told there.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5sfVCKZ7lIYm5uP4EBMcY7IYxuxiW-R8cFD7gR2ytv-9U_qbTvg6COvv22IME95qJaZ_AlxvzBTAslViCUEPysFPrt4jEMlisseZWaUVHEycuzbd840a0e3cj6nq-a1b93JXp9GAV1d4-/s1600/savage_063.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5sfVCKZ7lIYm5uP4EBMcY7IYxuxiW-R8cFD7gR2ytv-9U_qbTvg6COvv22IME95qJaZ_AlxvzBTAslViCUEPysFPrt4jEMlisseZWaUVHEycuzbd840a0e3cj6nq-a1b93JXp9GAV1d4-/s1600/savage_063.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Because I kind of <i>need</i> it.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I'd been so focused on getting my bearings in the valley, getting a solid group together and finding supplies, that I'd nearly forgotten that I still had to figure out exactly where the Urali tribe were located, and by extension, Aiela. What use was preparing myself to rescue her if I had no idea where to find her, after all? And her tribemates had made mention of one who might know where to find them, none other than this Topuru that the Barako had mentioned. They'd said he had sequestered himself on an island to the west, and so after finding a raft and four paddles on the lake's shores, we paddled over the water, passing by a rather large (and thankfully friendly) plant-eating dinosaur, and found Topuru himself, who was... a little odd in the head, to put it mildly. We caught him just as he drifting off for a nap, and so had to wait for him to wake up before we could talk to him. And when we did, it was... confusing, to say the least. We did, however, manage to get his story out of him after a little conversation. He was the Urali's former shaman, banished from the tribe when he lost his mind - literally, apparently. He told us the tale of how it happened, his hunger for knowledge and the challenges he issued to other shamans to gain it. During a challenge with Balakai, shaman of the Barrab, Topuru apparently had his mind magically removed and placed into a stone, which was still in Balakai's possession. If I could reclaim Topuru's mind, he would tell me where the Urali was.<br />
<br />
An odd tale, to be sure, but the only lead I had. I resolved to pay a visit to the Barrab - and perhaps hunt for the remains of Rafkin's lab, as I'd likely have to pass by the area to find them.<br />
<br />
~~~<br />
<br />
I don't have a whole lot more to say beyond my further progress, save that I'm appreciating the differences in the design for the various tribes. Not so much as far as locale goes, and not quite to the extent of the cities of Britannia, but each tribe does have a unique sort of aesthetic to their character portraits, from the abundance of flowers and feathers the Disquiqui display to the clothing of the Barako (if memory serves, they're also the only tribe where the men have beards that I've met thus far). It does a lot toward ensuring that each tribe does feel distinct, and thus making the potential hardships in uniting them all against a common foe that much more believable. There's some nice touches there.<br />
<br />
I've poked around the north and the central area of the valley - now it's time to head south and see what I can find there, before following up on all the loose threads I'm gathering. Onward!<span id="goog_1816026396"></span><span id="goog_1816026397"></span>Linguistic Dragonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13246332346527264632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3241816870477983024.post-2084540280289214432015-12-15T22:54:00.002-08:002015-12-15T22:54:57.011-08:00Savage Empire: Reporting for DutyFrom mild computer issues compounded by a bad cold at the start of the month, to getting my wisdom teeth extracted at the end of it, with Thanksgiving somewhere in the middle, all against the backdrop of the madness that is NaNoWriMo, it was a very full November. Of course, that just meant that come the end of it, I was rather Ultima-starved, and therefore that much more eager to dive into Savage Empire again. Everybody was exactly as I left them when I fired up the game, and after reacquainting myself with the system and refreshing myself on my notes from last time, I was ready to venture further into Eodon.<br />
<br />
Almost.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqRpCBNUcvW8nAz9ztlwfckD6xssTgSz27B4Ff6Q4cqWHMecIrvN1uJbxyepEWU14LstPWis2uj7qQgY3QRVJszd-NEBeYzqgOmOjvpn7OzvLOBiM0ru1Un0MnTz2p4OjN-G_pO53del0e/s1600/savage_002.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqRpCBNUcvW8nAz9ztlwfckD6xssTgSz27B4Ff6Q4cqWHMecIrvN1uJbxyepEWU14LstPWis2uj7qQgY3QRVJszd-NEBeYzqgOmOjvpn7OzvLOBiM0ru1Un0MnTz2p4OjN-G_pO53del0e/s1600/savage_002.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">First blood goes to me, I guess.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I still had to decide which direction to head, after all. Rafkin wanted to track down the remains of his lab, thinking there might be useful supplies among them, and I had to agree that he had a point there. Then there was still the matter of Aiela - I couldn't very well just leave her to Darden's whims forever. Ultimately, though, I decided the third course of action available to me was the wisest for the moment, that of tracking down Jimmy Malone. He was a companion of sorts, after all, unintended as it may have been, and it was hardly an Avatarly thing to do to leave him behind. I had a certain duty to those who adventured with me. Besides, I would need all the help I could get to rescue Aiela, if the first (and failed) attempt was anything to go by. And on top of that, another strong back to help carry whatever we ended up finding at Rafkin's lab wouldn't be unwelcome, either. Abiding by my duty to my companions would have its perks.<br />
<br />
Intanya had suggested that Jimmy was currently with the Disquiqui, and after consulting my map of the valley, I saw that I had quite the trek to the southwest ahead of me. Fortunately, it seemed it would mostly be well-marked trails there, so we set out to collect our lost, wayward reporter.<br />
<br />
In hindsight, it may have been wiser to wait until morning. Not long after we started our trek, we heard a sound out there in the inky black of a night in the jungle, and mere moments after, we were set upon by a jaguar, my first bout in Eodon after waking up in the Kurak village. Spears were flung, arrows were fired, professors flailed around trying to stay out of the way of everything else, and soon the jaguar decided that he'd had enough. He turned tail and fled, out of the reach of our weapons, to our dismay - a wounded creature that got away might turn up again for his retribution, after all. But though he got away from us, when we encountered a friend of his just down the road, we were ready this time, knowing what we could expect, and that second one did not escape us.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKqp_XA1bAYRbsRrFKhV_-rpqtEE8dErzMPsSRKensJBMJfmKQhWbS92AmwCxlGnDM4bYp1oV-F2HXW-FicQNStektzosY_ZrD6XlHimFKtnKrP1mno3UvOvd1ql8vRzdmirWntnX7O6ng/s1600/savage_006.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKqp_XA1bAYRbsRrFKhV_-rpqtEE8dErzMPsSRKensJBMJfmKQhWbS92AmwCxlGnDM4bYp1oV-F2HXW-FicQNStektzosY_ZrD6XlHimFKtnKrP1mno3UvOvd1ql8vRzdmirWntnX7O6ng/s1600/savage_006.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yay, new toys!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Combat is little changed from U6, which is nice, as it means I have to spend less effort getting used to new mechanics - just new weaponry, and the manual is kind enough to give at least a general impression as to which weapons might be more effective than others in what circumstances. The fact you're automatically switched into combat mode when one of your party is struck now (as I discovered during a brush with a few snakes) is going to take a little getting used to, though. It's a useful feature, no argument there, but seeing as how I trained myself to hit the <B>egin Combat button every time I started taking hits in Ultima VI, I've got to unlearn that habit now that it'll end up <B>reaking off combat instead. It's already got me in a slightly sticky situation once or twice, though nothing that's really been that troubling in the end.<br />
<br />
In any case, we continued on our way past the jaguar assaults as the sun rose, and after taking note of a few river crossings just off the pathway south beyond the Yolaru village, we spend some time around the outskirts of a rather more advanced, but apparently mostly abandoned, city. This was the city of Tichticatl, and while we didn't spend much time there, wanting to track down Jimmy as soon as possible, we did poke around an empty dwelling or two on the edge of the city, as they were right by the path we were traveling. One or two of them even had a nice new weapon for Aric, swords made out of obsidian. But once again the already strained inventory space reared its head again, and after a bit of shuffling I decided that this too was a place better explored when I had a bit more wiggle room as far as weight issues went. Besides, I hadn't spotted any locals, so I moved on.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_lCdWfwk0Qnd-ChnC9LUmWxo8NIeWiptqefvPlR8Ylr6YXT7dAUhm8B7erxOjN9MDPH0E5ba_zutmHEM_GSEu6Jl6QFNfJqPTQD27amQ6w8V2R_Kr187-Ah23oSP93dvEqz7Q4pWDLu9e/s1600/savage_009.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_lCdWfwk0Qnd-ChnC9LUmWxo8NIeWiptqefvPlR8Ylr6YXT7dAUhm8B7erxOjN9MDPH0E5ba_zutmHEM_GSEu6Jl6QFNfJqPTQD27amQ6w8V2R_Kr187-Ah23oSP93dvEqz7Q4pWDLu9e/s1600/savage_009.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Well, this is an auspicious start.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The sun was just beginning to dip below the horizon as we clambered our way over the river and up a cliff face to the Disquiqui village. It seemed like the entire village was gathered around the bonfire in its center, for what appeared to be a celebration of some sort. I quickly found out why after exchanging a few words with Chafblum, their chieftan - they were, in fact, celebrating the impending marriage of his daughter Guoblum to none other than Jimmy Malone! Against his will, too, from the sound of it - I wouldn't expect an excited groom to need to be thrown into the prison hut. At least I knew he was still in the general vicinity, unless he had managed to finagle his own escape somehow. While wandering the village in the hopes of finding exactly where Jimmy was being held, I exchanged a few words with more of the locals, including the rather large pulque-drinking Guoblum herself, Larrifin the shaman, and Lerei the prison guard (who apparently wasn't doing that great a job, as she too was right there by the bonfire instead of standing guard). The overall impression of them as a tribe were... well, frankly, bumblers, what with Chafblum swatting everybody with a wooden spoon for one reason or another, Larrifin finding every excuse he could to keep from providing healing (and acting very relieved when we told him we didn't need it in the first place), and Lerei telling me herself that she normally has quite the easy job as the Disquiqui warriors weren't typically good enough to capture a prisoner in the first place - which only drove home the fact that Jimmy would have a long way to go himself, if he managed to get himself caught and held by them.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0YfegnyznPQWBiDstgnlVZ0YIxSnGLAeL9is0VjCENXJuzcXAyMotYezB5TZ6cqRYpOaKf7ib6TGJ2lX71ZQL2-KJyGav8nzjjm597p5v8l2g9n-rPemRNG1iqJvIaNkJ_Wt4x1_rIh_r/s1600/savage_040.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0YfegnyznPQWBiDstgnlVZ0YIxSnGLAeL9is0VjCENXJuzcXAyMotYezB5TZ6cqRYpOaKf7ib6TGJ2lX71ZQL2-KJyGav8nzjjm597p5v8l2g9n-rPemRNG1iqJvIaNkJ_Wt4x1_rIh_r/s1600/savage_040.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Further trouble in the valley...</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I did manage to find one in the village who had more of a level head and would speak with me on more serious matters, however. Several of the locals had mentioned a man named Moctapotl, a Nahuatla in exile that was currently residing in the village. I bumped into him while trying to figure out which hut was the prison hut, and he told me of his plight. It seemed that he was the rightful chief of the Nahuatla, but had been deposed of command by one called Huitlapacti, Moctapotl's cousin by marriage, who had been protected by a magical glow bestowed upon him by Zipactriotl. While bathed in this glow, Huitlapacti was unable to be harmed, capturing Oaxtepac the shaman and nearly doing the same to Moctapotl himself while in his invulnerable state. He suggested that rescuing Oaxtepac might be beneficial in finding out how to get around this power of the despots, and that they were likely to be found somewhere in Tichticatl.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisg1GE0DiYKJCnQBL6batzsXleCjIBCLDFGDLXG4eqws4CEASXHBv_KClZBWNCAcK7iat9VQ6b293wLgIUQyEb801VY88TeU6uugoVQ1OjqA8138YHbP9hFdx4iPvsM2PrQ3xSroMR1DfO/s1600/savage_058.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisg1GE0DiYKJCnQBL6batzsXleCjIBCLDFGDLXG4eqws4CEASXHBv_KClZBWNCAcK7iat9VQ6b293wLgIUQyEb801VY88TeU6uugoVQ1OjqA8138YHbP9hFdx4iPvsM2PrQ3xSroMR1DfO/s1600/savage_058.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yeah, yeah, whatever.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I promised I would do what I could for Moctapotl and the Nahuatla, and after parting ways with him, I finally managed to find Jimmy, who was very much relieved to see me - despite the fact the door to the hut wasn't even locked. I suspect he hung around mostly because sticking it out alone had got him into this mess in the first place - who knew what would have happened if he'd made a run for it on his own? Nobody really seemed to mind much that we were depriving Guoblum of her groom, however, so it seemed to be something of a moot point in the end. We took a few moments to catch up with each other, and it was Jimmy's enthusiastic scribbling in his notebook when we told him about Sahree's desire to unite the tribes against the Myrmidex (Moctapotl had expressed the same desire as well, even directing us to the locations of most of the other tribes in the valley to further that particular purpose) that convinced me that there was merit to striving to do so myself. Rescuing Aiela would be enough to bring the Kuraks into the alliance, I was sure, and Moctapotl had already laid out what would be necessary to include the Nahuatla as well. I hadn't asked the Yolaru about the prospect yet, but since I was here in the Disquiqui village, I figured I might as well see what they had to say on the matter.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirXOy5z8LNnIQBI6p_1TMpdenzYmCi0RXZdw0GQGDT3qlUJlXYHjI7RfUPRxeKeRKProiuecoBoYhZJ_weqTBBYVkwq6l1FkWfdalp18SPxh8xo8S07KdxFh9KbRxCpPPrSB9dBZj9KWSt/s1600/savage_065.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirXOy5z8LNnIQBI6p_1TMpdenzYmCi0RXZdw0GQGDT3qlUJlXYHjI7RfUPRxeKeRKProiuecoBoYhZJ_weqTBBYVkwq6l1FkWfdalp18SPxh8xo8S07KdxFh9KbRxCpPPrSB9dBZj9KWSt/s1600/savage_065.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I'd proclaim my feats there, but... well, humility is a virtue.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
There was much clamor among the higher-ups of the Disquiqui after asking about the matter, involving the tests one should undergo in order to join the tribe to the forming alliance, whether Aric would be able to pass the test of virtue or not, and the downing of a vile substance called platcha to prove fortitude, they settled on sending me out to put a bell on Sharptooth, the dinosaur that terrorized the village every now and again, so that the Disquiqui would be forewarned of its approach. To do so, I was given a few jugs of platcha in order to make the Spear of Shamap, a weapon that would immobilize the Sharptooth long enough to bell him. Upon returning at the completion of this task, Chafblum told me his tribe would join the alliance against the Myrmidex.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM4Jjup7DEw2jN0fQhyphenhyphenELT2Jy3s2vnKbRoXlQzFYfHCTOh9Qb-ar2lwaVBuWNTRm5QNlp-sKLGv6XIWZEGoVFcD1TzSrjdKSSOTpheMaxaWkpSkpMSRfT9x372BCvj_SMhgqX555eb0LPY/s1600/savage_081.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM4Jjup7DEw2jN0fQhyphenhyphenELT2Jy3s2vnKbRoXlQzFYfHCTOh9Qb-ar2lwaVBuWNTRm5QNlp-sKLGv6XIWZEGoVFcD1TzSrjdKSSOTpheMaxaWkpSkpMSRfT9x372BCvj_SMhgqX555eb0LPY/s1600/savage_081.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Man, these guys are tough.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
So I set out to the southeast of the village to find the beast. I overshot at first, but in doing so, I ended up landing smack-dab in the middle of a different beast - my first brush with the Myrmidex themselves. They hit hard and fast, and even three or four were a large hassle for our merry little band. The fighting was rough and fierce (poor Jimmy took a beating but gave just as good as he got - his experience total nearly doubled when all was said and done!), and I gained a better understanding of just how dangerous these insectoids were. Suddenly finding a way to squash them all felt like that much more of a priority.<br />
<br />
Not long afterward, I managed to find the Tyrannosaurus the Disquiqui wished belled, and after judicious application of platcha and a well aimed spear toss, the beast was down and the bell tied around his neck. We got the heck out of Dodge as soon as the deed was done, racing back to the village to tell Chafblum the news, and he readily agreed to join in the fight against the Myrmidex when the time was ripe.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9xr7WDJcvRMqlXGy6V9SFRTY-WxK7XlxaFyV1CAsxdBK_cGOVFbPc7tpbGfP9PZQrq_Qdnoxd37PawrOA_pU_xAffl0WuryNnSlSo-qVJ32Yy_oMcB5jdVvn4EKYX71dPziwJR2DDrNPT/s1600/savage_085.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9xr7WDJcvRMqlXGy6V9SFRTY-WxK7XlxaFyV1CAsxdBK_cGOVFbPc7tpbGfP9PZQrq_Qdnoxd37PawrOA_pU_xAffl0WuryNnSlSo-qVJ32Yy_oMcB5jdVvn4EKYX71dPziwJR2DDrNPT/s1600/savage_085.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">There's a 'dead ringer' joke in here somewhere...</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
~~~<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5O_EUfATLICIMR-FP9tEz6jXrf-Qg9XK_UqQTNGBTTP2QDfyOEo1-eb-iPdo_dGqaLPnIhTFxwVy7PaqeeM_S6NC9n767AtznjkJInSs3gUedm64IANIyp7AzqDiqqpl6pdQpU6vlk6Ic/s1600/savage_070.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5O_EUfATLICIMR-FP9tEz6jXrf-Qg9XK_UqQTNGBTTP2QDfyOEo1-eb-iPdo_dGqaLPnIhTFxwVy7PaqeeM_S6NC9n767AtznjkJInSs3gUedm64IANIyp7AzqDiqqpl6pdQpU6vlk6Ic/s1600/savage_070.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Does it make a train whistle noise, too?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I called it there for a session - once again it didn't feel like I got particularly far in the game, but there were enough interesting corners for me to poke my head into on the way that I still found myself spending a good deal of time in the game and thoroughly enjoying myself. The whole Three Stooges vibe of the Disquiqui (two of them are even right there in the village, in the guise of the tribe's chief and shaman) is equal parts baffling, jarring, and weirdly amusing - somehow it feels both completely out of place and strangely fitting to find this particular sort of slapstick humor dropped right into the middle of an Ultima spinoff, and I can't for the life of me explain <i>why</i>. The very physical reactions to the Avatar's tastes of pulque and platcha wouldn't be out of place in a Tom and Jerry sketch, and they manage to capture that very cartoony effect even though the only means by which they are conveyed to the player is via text, lacking the visual effects so intimately tied to slapstick. It's odd to see this particular brand of humor dropped in for comic relief and played straight <i>simultaneously</i> in such a fashion, but it fits, somehow. I'm not entirely certain whether this particular context was the best one for it, but either way, it's kind of nice to see a game like this not take itself too seriously - I have a great appreciation for people who can take a wacky idea and <i>run</i> with it, after all, and that's pretty much what we have here. It's difficult to narrow down my favorite bits to toss out as screenshots here!<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVOg3nGa4B-2Ao3e-oSyDUpHEmnAWAnJmSw9X2MtxFeuqrpgHRYtT6pFgzNG0jgWq36xNmOBYOGec1fC0HIm44eWoj48BaY6t9NR0Cxmj0294eLt1VmWq2rLxkP3exIqIW-gl1HsoqAXUk/s1600/savage_087.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVOg3nGa4B-2Ao3e-oSyDUpHEmnAWAnJmSw9X2MtxFeuqrpgHRYtT6pFgzNG0jgWq36xNmOBYOGec1fC0HIm44eWoj48BaY6t9NR0Cxmj0294eLt1VmWq2rLxkP3exIqIW-gl1HsoqAXUk/s1600/savage_087.png" /></a>I also need to take a moment to talk about Jimmy, now that I've finally met him in-game. I've gone on record amongst some of my friends as considering the phrase 'charming rogue' to be an outright oxymoron. It's a character archetype I don't have much love for, but Jimmy's one of the exceptions that proves the rule, so to speak. I like him a lot, from his somewhat anachronistic romanticizing of the press to his wit to his bumbling. I think part of what separates him from most of the other rogue-types I've seen in fiction is that he doesn't necessarily get off scot-free based solely on his wit and charm - in fact, that's part of what <i>gets</i> him into trouble, I think it could be argued, as it's the fact he's somehow endeared himself to Guoblum that necessitates his 'rescue.' There's still consequences to his own efforts that need to be dealt with, and though nobody really seems to care much when you take Jimmy away from the Disquiqui, Jimmy as a character doesn't just skirt by on his own sheer awesome - he needs the rest of the gang to bail him out, acknowledges it, and is clearly wrestling with some of the consequences, if only internally, when asked about it. Really, game-wise, he functions as little more than extra inventory space, another weapon in a fight, and the quest log personified, but he's given his own personality and I'm glad he's a part of the cast.<br />
<br />
Now, time to figure out where to head next, now that I <i>do</i> have him back in the group...Linguistic Dragonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13246332346527264632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3241816870477983024.post-67685764126833373942015-11-04T09:22:00.000-08:002015-11-04T09:22:35.388-08:00Technical DifficultiesI suppose it's a good thing I'm not particularly far in Savage Empire yet, as my computer decided to fail to boot on me this morning. So we'll see how long it takes to get everything straightened out.Linguistic Dragonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13246332346527264632noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3241816870477983024.post-18337806271105274932015-10-31T22:41:00.002-07:002015-10-31T22:41:53.628-07:00Savage Empire: Into the WoodsI haven't gone particularly far in Savage Empire yet, but I'm finding myself with a decent amount to say already, so I'm just gonna run with it anyway.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN8rH25nIMUuiDrrvyEKDq5-uG9ubE35NvlFULRljqdVeo3XlHeRPUtX9ZcATRvaEBuXSS32OWXkq-xkEL33-jA83mRLm-yT3pBVD5UDgB9UTfSMyYYNiYfRgiTcxy3r7ThOhG5VLwsJ28/s1600/savage_001.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN8rH25nIMUuiDrrvyEKDq5-uG9ubE35NvlFULRljqdVeo3XlHeRPUtX9ZcATRvaEBuXSS32OWXkq-xkEL33-jA83mRLm-yT3pBVD5UDgB9UTfSMyYYNiYfRgiTcxy3r7ThOhG5VLwsJ28/s1600/savage_001.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">If only learning languages were always this easy.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Starting up the game proper leads to me waking up in the the hut of Intanya, shaman of the Kurak tribe and my caretaker during the time I was unconscious. His treatment apparently had the side effect of granting me the ability to understand the dialect of the peoples in the valley, and to assure himself of my mental state and recuperation, he asked me a question. Answered to his satisfaction, he then proceeded to give me the rundown of the current state of affairs. He suggested finding Aiela, the kidnapped daughter of the chieftain, along with the two companions I had accidentally fallen into the valley with via the corrupted moonstone, Professor Rafkin and Jimmy Malone. According to Intanya, Jimmy was likely to be found with the Disquiqui tribe far to the south, while the professor with with the Yolaru tribe, some distance east. He also suggested I speak with Aloron, chieftain of the Kuraks and Aiela's father, if I wished to aid in the search for her, which I most certainly did - I had, after all, failed to rescue her the first time around (hence the unconsciousness), and felt a certain responsibility to see the job through to completion. Intanya had a few other things to say, such as a mention of the insectoid Myrmidex, fierce warriors and the enemies of most of the valley from what I gathered, and by the time we had finished speaking, I had a decent sense of the current situation, and what I should be doing for the immediate future, at least.<br />
<br />
To aid in my tasks, Intanya sent his student Triolo to join me, who bore more than a passing resemblance to a certain bard I'd traveled with on several occasions previous. Talking with the apprentice shaman revealed that he too was not a native of the valley, though he could not remember his life previous to it. I let it rest - he seemed content with his position as it was, and I had other matters to attend to. After familiarizing myself with what exactly his shamanistic abilities could do, I left Intanya's hut and set about getting to know the locals while figuring out how best to outfit myself for the tasks ahead.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7yAiixJDFPWPXsXqvPmOQXBd1wJRFV4LfzQIvdgRXe_GaLKG6gjPW1vIiDvu1-Fku1qXxAAkWb6quxK5UqnF4Md3523De0W2dJ668bqcOWmuNOj93enBFB-zBieT0GfbCUkaoLk5p_cNI/s1600/savage_043.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7yAiixJDFPWPXsXqvPmOQXBd1wJRFV4LfzQIvdgRXe_GaLKG6gjPW1vIiDvu1-Fku1qXxAAkWb6quxK5UqnF4Md3523De0W2dJ668bqcOWmuNOj93enBFB-zBieT0GfbCUkaoLk5p_cNI/s1600/savage_043.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">So many things for the taking...</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I know the manual justifies it by a more communal mentality and larger proclivities to share resources and different stances on ownership and the like, but it still feels a little weird to be able to just... pick up anything lying around without fear of it being owned by anybody. After three games of having it drilled into me that it's not right to take anything that isn't expressly mine, it's... somewhat jarring to suddenly be able to just throw it out the window. I'm not entirely sure how I feel about it, at least thematically speaking. It's a spinoff, I suppose, so it has more leeway to do its own thing, and at least the manual makes attempts to give reason for it in-universe, but at the same time, by tying it to the main series as it has, it feels a bit dissonant in some ways after thievery being so explicitly called out and penalized in previous games. Although it <i>does</i> set up an interesting position for the player coming off the Age of Enlightenment, in some respects - I mentioned way back in my second post for this blog that I consider the next few games an 'Age' of their own, tied together by means of the Avatar taking what he's learned in the Age of Enlightenment games and applying them to contexts outside of Britannia itself without the oversight of its authority figures, learning to stand on his own two feet, as it were. Setting things up like this in Savage Empire kind of puts the player in the same position. There's no real reason <i>not</i> to take whatever's lying around - but does that make it right? Can you still hold to the ethics the last few games have championed when there's no longer any visible or tangible reason to do so? It's an interesting thing to ponder, at the very least, even if I'm not sure I quite <i>like</i> it, per se.<br />
<br />
Of course, it's something of a moot point to a degree, on account of the fact I'm already running into weight issues as far as my inventory goes. Not having really done any combat yet, I haven't got a good sense of what's a good 'load' to carry for my playstyle, and as a result I may be overcompensating a bit as far as what I'm carrying with me. Which made it all the more important to pick up a few extra party members ASAP, if only to have another packhorse or two, so to speak.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq_0PrXygZTKZs1aX9W-2bqm-x3JjjJVjR7zeGnA4Qzje1_QOnzHVGkUsDMv4z3Xt8YtWw6R0T4ZaLEuIoYfeh5oXcB6Yl7ujFafwh2BwJn49lmkadS3UYVEejbVUlQoLRBEZbbwftTt_y/s1600/savage_023.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq_0PrXygZTKZs1aX9W-2bqm-x3JjjJVjR7zeGnA4Qzje1_QOnzHVGkUsDMv4z3Xt8YtWw6R0T4ZaLEuIoYfeh5oXcB6Yl7ujFafwh2BwJn49lmkadS3UYVEejbVUlQoLRBEZbbwftTt_y/s1600/savage_023.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Well, I do need rations for the trip, after all.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Anyway, back to business. I chatted with the Kurak tribesmen to see what they could tell me about the surrounding area, and they were all concerned about Aiela, of course. I learned that the Urali, the tribe that had captured her, were rumored to live far to the southeast, though nobody but a man named Topuru knew exactly where, and he was thought to be mad. He was said to be near the Barako tribe, on an island to the north across the river canyon. I made a note to seek him out once I'd fleshed out my ranks a bit more. The tribesmen told me a bit about the rivalry with the Yolaru - though it seemed to be a friendly one, as they considered them noble warriors - and the Myrmidex, which they spoke of in quite the opposite manner. They were both hated and feared, made all the worse due to the fact they had a nest just to the west. I made a note to avoid that particular direction until I was better equipped. Aloron, the chief, told me much of the same information, corroborating a few rumors and giving me an idea of how I might go about finding the Urali and rescuing his daughter.<br />
<br />
Well, one of them. Because before I left the village, I met his other daughter. I bumped into Tristia.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyYJEpqXfU4bXYB3jGgeIRmCtMbZgcbYPfho3x5NCINkCfFxhL1izLcaLOg1hcyv6C5TyjJo4HrsKq7WyaKtNIAvlodQLY6j46zqhbHvyuhGyyXBnFknUPb4R7zFF2wR8b4RywrGx5bIfc/s1600/savage_016.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyYJEpqXfU4bXYB3jGgeIRmCtMbZgcbYPfho3x5NCINkCfFxhL1izLcaLOg1hcyv6C5TyjJo4HrsKq7WyaKtNIAvlodQLY6j46zqhbHvyuhGyyXBnFknUPb4R7zFF2wR8b4RywrGx5bIfc/s1600/savage_016.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It ain't just beauty I go for, ya know.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
And in so doing, bumped into one of the reasons I had less options when it came to choosing specifics about my character. Savage Empire is the first Ultima game to feature something of a romance subplot, and again, I'm... not entirely certain how I feel about that. Again, it makes sense in the context of the game in and of itself, as it does feel like something that's very much a part of the genre that Savage Empire is paying homage to. But it feels a little abrupt and forced. I'm not really one who needs romances in games to begin with (there's far more to explore as far as character relationships go than just the romantic, after all, and more often than not I find other sorts more interesting), having only seen two 'romance paths' to completion in all of my gaming that I can think of. It's just... never really been something the series has spent much time focusing on. Sure, a fair number of Britannians flirt with the Avatar in Ultima VI, and one can even have a little one-night fling with a gypsy, but the focus has been more on the heroism and the teamwork than the romance. Again, I do give the genre shift some credit, but with the potential to do so right off the bat (Tristia's quick about it and is right there in the starting village, after all), it's just way too quick. You've got to ease into these things to make it feel right, or if not that at least introduce circumstances that make it reasonable to accelerate such a thing - I imagine I won't be <i>quite</i> so jarred when I finally do rescue Aiela.<br />
<br />
But back to Tristia. She was a haughty, proud sort, considering work beneath her and her status as a daughter of the chieftain. Aloron took her in after her parents died in a fire, though she didn't seem to particularly care much about it, and claimed to be the favorite. She quite evidently didn't think much of Aiela at all, thinking Darden a fitting mate for her and the Urali tribe a better place for her adoptive sister. And then, somewhat out of the blue, asked if I loved her. She... did not take my answer well, to say the least. I figured it best to hurry on my way after that particular experience.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkIz1LjdITGxSExoMcvUZxt7otu1gX5zPdjrqDbEoucFTywmKOBuKyn-7Lf6x5NW5J37aeB5mhoDSSa1k1TCNuOxgRkknXsUhlrSe8o_ITM9mdvJ25AsCA5zC_JPckJ_e0N2B6Dmr_Q_3k/s1600/savage_030.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkIz1LjdITGxSExoMcvUZxt7otu1gX5zPdjrqDbEoucFTywmKOBuKyn-7Lf6x5NW5J37aeB5mhoDSSa1k1TCNuOxgRkknXsUhlrSe8o_ITM9mdvJ25AsCA5zC_JPckJ_e0N2B6Dmr_Q_3k/s1600/savage_030.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Oh you do, do you?</td></tr>
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Just outside the village I bumped into a woman named Sahree, who was the daughter of the Yolaru shaman and a good friend of Aiela's. She expressed her concern for her friend, mentioned a few of the antics they liked to get up to, and most intriguingly, a plan to strike down the Myrmidex, involving uniting the various tribes of the valley. The insectoids were far too numerous and powerful for any one tribe to stand against them, but Sahree and Aiela had reasoned that, like the story of the valley's legendary figure Oloro that Sahree related to me, if the various tribes could band together, led by one who had done a great feat for each of them, perhaps it would be enough to push back their common enemy. It's certainly worth thinking about, once I get the band back together and rescue Aiela.<br />
<br />
I passed a few parrots on my way to the Yolaru village, and neither Apaton the chief nor Mosagann the shaman had much new to tell me, only confirming much that the Kuraks had already told me - when they told me anything at all, as Mosagann seemed in a hurry to finish our conversation as soon as possible. I did learn from the tribesmen, however, that Rafkin was indeed around, as they all referred to him as their 'schweitzer,' and sure enough, I found the professor himself not long afterward. He stressed the importance of finding Jimmy and Aiela as well, and thought it would also be worthwhile to find the remains of his lab that had also traveled through the moongate, thinking there might be useful supplies there. He was fairly sure that it was close to the Kurak village, and also told me he had some thoughts as far as crafting makeshift weaponry went, specifically bombs and rifles. I made a note to ask him about that later, introduced him to Triolo, and the three of us sat down to make further plans.<br />
<br />
~~~<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Well that's just rude.</td></tr>
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I called it there, as it felt like a good deal to sift through already. I know that one of the series' trademarks was to use a new engine for each successive entry, but there's something to be said for the games that re-used and refined previous engines, too - I really, <i>really</i> like the look and feel of Savage Empire. It's vibrant, it sets the tone well, it's clear and clean, and the decision to move conversations into the much larger game world panel is very much welcome, albeit it means I have fewer screenshots of the pretty landscape as a result. I'll admit I miss a bit of character depth, as there's a lot of generics hanging around with the same thing to say as all the rest, and even the unique characters don't always have much to say, making them somewhat less memorable than Ultima VI's cast, but there's still moments that shine through even now (I found myself rather liking Sahree a lot, for instance). There's a lot of little bits of interactivity that I'm enjoying, too - from using a knife to get meat off an animal corpse I found and leaving bones behind to getting into conversations with the parrots (and being called an 'Ingrate!' when I broke it off). I'm hoping I won't have <i>quite</i> the inventory problems I'm having now once I get into a few fights and figure out what all I really <i>need</i> to have on hand, but all in all I'm enjoying myself, and I'm looking forward to seeing what else the game has in store for me.<br />
<br />
Now, should I go track down Jimmy, or will he be able to wait a little longer while I seek out what's left of Rafkin's lab...<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCdMFSyUysG0PWz-BBnLDqxcQElLpjCYVxcB8-A66B12taW8PCXiyreh0MCng716Y-DYVnvLICyZ5l97xTu6DotdMF0WxaUIW-MgmOqTKdg-J_I4ce61pKJbflbyol5t-gQGinAKBzKqv0/s1600/savage_053.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCdMFSyUysG0PWz-BBnLDqxcQElLpjCYVxcB8-A66B12taW8PCXiyreh0MCng716Y-DYVnvLICyZ5l97xTu6DotdMF0WxaUIW-MgmOqTKdg-J_I4ce61pKJbflbyol5t-gQGinAKBzKqv0/s1600/savage_053.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yes, yes, I know, I know!!</td></tr>
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<br />Linguistic Dragonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13246332346527264632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3241816870477983024.post-50258703693691011722015-10-12T22:02:00.002-07:002015-10-12T22:02:31.534-07:00Savage Empire: Opening Thoughts<div dir="ltr">
And now for something a little different.</div>
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One of the trademarks of the Ultima series is the fact it uses a new engine for each main entry in the series. Some are less visibly dramatic than others (compare the difference in look and feel between Ultimas IV and V, as opposed to those between V and VI), but every numbered entry used a new engine and pushed it to its limits. That didn't keep those engines from being reused, however - Ultima VII's was re-used for Serpent Isle, and Ultima VIII's would be refined and reused for Crusader. The practice of using an existing engine to power an entirely new game started here, though, with Savage Empire's use of Ultima VI's engine to weave a pulp fiction tale of a lost valley.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The opening credit scroll is very nicely done.</td></tr>
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Released in 1990, mere months after Ultima VI itself, Savage Empire was the first in a sadly short-lived spin-off series, giving the Avatar further adventures outside of Britannia. While having little to do with the main series, being only tangentially related at best, they're referenced enough by other games that it's fair to accept them as canonical. This first entry transplants the Avatar from the medieval-esque world of Britannia into the Lost World-style Valley of Eodon, populated with numerous and varied tribes, prehistoric beasts, and <i>dinosaurs</i>.</div>
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My previous experience with Savage Empire isn't particularly extensive. I've mentioned before the problems that I've had in the past with Ultima VI's engine, and the fact Savage Empire is basically that with a new coat of paint didn't help with my enjoyment. In addition, while it's neat to see the series' take on other genres, I'm not overly fond with the lost world-type stories. I mean sure, I had something of an interest in dinosaurs when I was a kid, but as a genre... eh. I'm not sure why it's never really clicked that well with me - and that's not to say that I don't enjoy a well-told story in that style either - but that coupled with the fact that steampunk very much <i>is</i> a genre I like, and, well, I always found myself favoring Martian Dreams over Savage Empire when I got the hankering to give the Worlds of Ultima games a whirl. But while the game itself hasn't held as much interest for me as compared to its subsequent entry - the manual. </div>
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Oh man, the <i>manual</i>.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Virtue test time! Again!</td></tr>
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Savage Empire's manual probably stands rather high on the list of utterly unique approaches for a game manual, if not topping it outright. Rather than simply lay out the facts, not only does the manual follow the grand Ultima tradition of doing so in an in-universe fashion, it does so by means of presenting it as a pulp adventure magazine that wouldn't be out of place in the era the game is attempting to evoke. And while the stars of the show are the introduction of the backstory as the first part of a serial penned by the Avatar himself (which incidentally is the source for my personal headcanon that the Avatar makes his living between adventures by publishing tales of them), and Dr. Rafkin's descriptions of Eodon's people, flora, and fauna, it's in the detail work that the manual really shines. From hints cleverly disguised in the Letters to the Editor to throwing the developers into a rather amusingly written expedition to advertisements for Jimmy Malone's notebooks and Savage Empire T-shirts (the latter of which actually existed), the manual, as any good manual should, sets the tone and mood of the game <i>excellently.</i> I pored over it gleefully as I prepared to fire up the game, suppressing squeals of glee at the little linguistic tidbits Rafkin delivers on the language of Eodon and the dialects of the varying tribes. (Because of course I would.) And I can't help but bring attention to the copyright information right on the table of contents page: "Reproduction without permission is strictly prohibited, and punishable by sending a Tyrannosaurus Rex to eat your mother... do people really read this fine print?"</div>
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Yes, author of said fine print. Some people do, and they are amused.</div>
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Last order of business was character creation, and I'll admit it was nice to take another virtue quiz of sorts, albeit much abbreviated and modified slightly to stick with the theme. Only three questions this time around, and they're phrased to feel more 'tribal' than medieval, but it's good to see that the game continues the tradition of basing initial parameters for the player character by a series of moral dilemmas. Presented as a dream sequence that may not actually be dream, Intanya says he is working to heal you, but needs to know your spirit in order to do so. He asks three questions - in Aric's case, he first asked whether he would disobey a chief's directive to fight alongside his companions, and he most certainly would. Next he asked about a warrior who borrowed another's spear, then did not return it. Upon finding said warrior's own misplaced spear, Aric chose to give it to the one owed the spear. And when forced to decide whether to uphold an oath and protect his chief or break it and honestly reveal him as a murderer, he chose the latter option.</div>
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So was Aric (and I with him) dropped into the Valley of Eodon, and so does a new adventure begin...</div>
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Linguistic Dragonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13246332346527264632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3241816870477983024.post-63058123139786666192015-10-02T19:13:00.003-07:002015-10-02T19:29:56.463-07:00Linguistic Asides: The State of the BlogWith ten games in the main series, plus the two Worlds of Ultima games, plus the two Ultima Underworlds, and Akalabeth, that's fifteen games total. I've now made my way through seven, and though that's technically shy of halfway, finishing Ultima VI does feel like something of a turning point, as its completion marks the beginning of a detour, the Avatar's adventures apart from Britannia and the watchful eye of Lord British. As such, it feels like a good point to pause for a moment and reflect a bit on this wacky little adventure of mine.<br />
<br />
This <i>definitely</i> isn't my first time attempting to play my way through the Ultima series in its entirety, and it isn't even my first time attempting to blog about the experience while doing so. I think the first time I tried to blog about it, I barely made it through Akalabeth, and was so dissatisfied with how it was shaping up that I scrapped the whole thing. And even this time around, it was something of rough going in the beginning - I'm not entirely sure why. Maybe part of it was because I still hadn't quite figured out my 'groove,' the particular style I wanted to approach the project, and maybe part of it was because there just didn't feel like there was a lot to say about the early Ultima games. That was a good portion of the reason I came to a screeching halt partway through Ultima I, in addition to my life getting busier than I'd planned on right about then. I felt like I didn't really have anything to say that wasn't just reiterating what happened in-game, and so I set it aside for a time until I could figure out what to do with it.<br />
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The hankering to play Ultima again came before I really figured that out, though, and it didn't feel right doing so without starting up the blog again. So I did - I still had my old save file kicking around, so I threw out a brief 'I'm back' sort of post, fired off a quick email to the Ultima Codex about much the same, and played.<br />
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I think that's about when things shifted.<br />
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Thanks to WtF and the Codex, I found myself with something of an audience. And that helped - knowing <i>some</i>one was actually paying attention gave me a bit more motivation to keep things up. I think I hit my stride somewhere around Ultima II, or at least I felt like I had a better grip on how to approach things. I think a lot of that had to do with the fact there were a fair few things about Ultima II that didn't quite sit right with me, which gave me fodder for things to talk about besides simply my exploits in the game. The further along I've got, the more verbose I feel I've become, partly because the games have gotten larger and more complicated, and partly because I feel more confident in both my scrutiny and my expression of what conclusions I draw.<br />
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And that's what it comes down to, really. I find I play the games differently than I used to, partly because I know I'm going to be blogging about it later, so I consciously look for moments that would be worth examining further, expanding upon. I read books differently now that I'm a writer, I watch movies differently ever since I spent a month in Rome with a film study program, and now, thanks to this blog, I find I play games differently, too. And it's kind of neat to look at something I've enjoyed for so long through different eyes, actually taking the time to peek past the veil and figure out what makes them <i>tick</i> as a narrative experience, poke and prod at them and figure out what works and what doesn't.<br />
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And ultimately, I think that's the biggest thing I've pulled out of this blog. I <i>enjoy</i> this sort of thing. Yes, I'm a writer, and I love crafting stories, planning them, spinning them, weaving them, but more than that, I love talking shop, as it were. Examining, analyzing, teasing out the tricks of the trade and recognizing when techniques work and when they fall flat - and not just the what and the how, but the <i>why.</i> There's dozens of things I could talk about outside of Ultima in that vein. What the movie <i>War Horse</i> taught me about the uses of negative space in a story. How powering my way through <i>Planescape: Torment</i> in a couple days helped me cope with the death of my grandmother. How I managed to pinpoint the killer in an episode of <i>Castle</i> from his first appearance on screen, before I even really knew who the character was, based entirely on how they chose to frame the shot. The longest 150-page book I ever read that was so tedious and obnoxious I wanted to throw it out the window multiple times, the way a character's voice actor managed to make me seriously feel terrible about a small action in <i>The Wolf Among Us</i>, scads of other moments like these that I simply <i>view</i> differently than I might have once due to the time I've spent digging through the world of stories in all their forms. And it's nice to have a platform to muse on these sorts of things, maybe even spark a little conversation in the process - I know I've enjoyed the ones I've had as a part of <a href="http://podcast.ultimacodex.com/" target="_blank">Spam Spam Spam Humbug</a> (another something that I might never have actually done if I hadn't started this crazy venture in the first place).<br />
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So that's where my brain is at, now that I've made it sort-of halfway through the series. I figured I'd just make it through the canonical games, maybe poke through Lazarus or the Ultima 6 Project or one of the Neverwinter Nights remakes of Ultima IV when that was done, and call it good. Chalk it up as a fun little experiment and let that be that. But now I find myself wondering if it might be worth... expanding, down the road. There's a lot of other stories out there I'd like to experience and examine, whether for the first time or for the twentieth, from books to movies to TV to games. Maybe it's worth considering continuing in this vein once Ultima's done with.<br />
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I'm coming to discover this is something I love, after all. And being a guy who's currently between jobs, uncertain of exactly what sort of career I <i>do</i> want to have - well. Maybe having an outlet for something I've discovered to be a passion of mine is a good thing right about now.<br />
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Only time will tell, right? It's certainly inspired me in other ways - I've wanted to read through the Hugo/Nebula winners, watch the Best Picture winners... and for some reason I've had the germs of an idea for a fanfiction-y novelization of Ultima I bouncing around in my head lately. Maybe I'll spend NaNoWriMo hacking away at it?<br />
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In any case, I've learned a lot from this venture, and I look forward to seeing what more I learn going forward. And thanks for stopping by my little corner of the Internet - it's always easier to say your piece when you know someone's listening. Who knows - maybe at some point down the road, it'll be a little larger.Linguistic Dragonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13246332346527264632noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3241816870477983024.post-10140551039435039182015-10-01T21:58:00.000-07:002015-10-01T21:58:18.474-07:00Ultima VI: Closing ThoughtsWell that was a bit unexpected.<br />
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My side analysis of Gargish phonology wasn't even up a week before it became one of the most viewed posts I've tossed out there. Withstand the Fury Dragon's attempting to rope me into doing a segment based on it for the Ultima Codex's podcast sometime, which I'm more than willing to do - I mean c'mon, blather on about how TWO subjects I have a deep love for intertwine? (Although hold your horses, it's gonna be some time before I'm in a position to actually do so.) I, uh. I'm a little floored, to tell the truth - I wasn't anticipating that much interest at all, on account of the fact it was basically just me nerding out on a topic in my field, that happened to tie into Ultima VI. I'm half wondering if I can squint at Gargish hard enough to draw out enough for a follow-up at some point, now. There's a lot more I could go into as far as vowel quality goes (I never <i>did</i> touch on dipthongs), there's the point to make about why there are W's present in transcriptions of Gargish despite the fact there's no letter for it in the alphabet, and I haven't even <i>attempted</i> to see if I can figure anything out about Gargish prosody.<br />
<br />
But we'll see what happens. For now, let's talk Ultima VI.<br />
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I was a bit worried going into the game, on account of the problems I've had getting used to the interface and the fact I'm going to have to deal with it for no less than three games on my list. But thankfully, I finally seem to have got over whatever hump had been there, and though a couple things still managed to trip me up (it took me way too long to figure out how to get the balloon to do what I wanted, and I can't tell you how many times I hit H to <H>ole up and Camp instead of R to <R>est) they weren't as debilitating as previous attempts at Ultima VI have been.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGJgkoVReEDnUTtHXl6_KI6-UPaGzfeVqN41bGl-xktidaNH_EFXb0ucWI0H6YD9krq5dpo4OeSO46yx0j7jaIoOG5YkLzqAsWZzPB2BVpkYuEMAuFuG864-WNsaSmHk6E-meBdp8lljEF/s1600/ultima6_028.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGJgkoVReEDnUTtHXl6_KI6-UPaGzfeVqN41bGl-xktidaNH_EFXb0ucWI0H6YD9krq5dpo4OeSO46yx0j7jaIoOG5YkLzqAsWZzPB2BVpkYuEMAuFuG864-WNsaSmHk6E-meBdp8lljEF/s1600/ultima6_028.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I didn't feel adequately prepared for encounters like this.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I enjoyed the game a lot more than I expected to as a result, though it still hasn't surpassed Ultima IV as my favorite (sorry, WtF). Frankly, I'm still undecided if it overtakes Ultima V, either. And I can't quite put my finger on <i>why</i>, either. i think some of it has to do with the combat curve in the game. Combat's a constant, regular presence in Ultima IV and Ultima V, giving the player ample opportunity to learn the ins and outs of the system before throwing them to the wolves in the tougher fights, and though this doesn't necessarily make the early fights less <i>dangerous</i> (and potentially frustrating), these early fights don't really set you back terribly much if you fall in battle while you're still getting the hang of the system. Maybe it means a trek back to where you were, a loss of experience or hard-earned gold or food, but it's not debilitating enough to necessarily demand a full-on reset.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: right;">
</div>
Ultima VI's curve, however, is a bit more... erratic when it comes to its fights. I spent most of the first act of the game <i>starved</i> for combat, only brushing up against the occasional small band of brigands or unusually feisty rats along the roads of Britannia, apart from the battles to retake the Shrines. Though part of the reason I actually took the time to fight the Gargoyles at the Shrines was for narrative purposes (the reveal that comes with translating the tablet feels more poignant to me if there's actually been confrontations where death is on the line), I can't deny a good portion of it was also just for the experience. The majority of the fights I had up until seeking out the pirate map were with Gargoyles at the Shrines, or at least it certainly felt like it. And though they were no cakewalk, I don't feel they quite prepared me for the resource management that I needed to deal with when it came to the dungeons. I can only imagine how much moreso I would have felt if I hadn't transferred my character over, with the boosted stats and experience that came with the action. Maybe this was by design - the game is about resolving matters peacefully, after all, and admittedly, the fact that there's only one fight that I can think of that's strictly necessary (the hydra blocking the secret door in Sutek's castle) is a point in the game's favor in my mind. Still, the learning curve feels a bit sharp in this respect, and skewed a bit.<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhooZ8EMzC3Ml2gDMD9kE3KEtQbZ3XXMg2CU1nIMpC9dR-zQ1l0sC1rA7LA4h4-dsotSXTfdd8HbVnBnSZgrtZz5lMdhzlbeVytxGw-FU_xM27-So7LewlFuzrRHpjy_6VeR5mphPyXFp3n/s1600/ultima6_056.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhooZ8EMzC3Ml2gDMD9kE3KEtQbZ3XXMg2CU1nIMpC9dR-zQ1l0sC1rA7LA4h4-dsotSXTfdd8HbVnBnSZgrtZz5lMdhzlbeVytxGw-FU_xM27-So7LewlFuzrRHpjy_6VeR5mphPyXFp3n/s1600/ultima6_056.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It's nice to know just what my magical resources <i>mean</i>.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Despite what problems in the past with the interface and some of the difficulties I had with the pacing of combat encounters, though, there's a lot about the design and engine of Ultima VI that I rather enjoyed. Streamlining the magic system a degree - making it so I didn't have to mix reagents and could easily see how many times I could cast any given spell with my current resources - made it a bit easier to use, and therefore a tool that I was more apt to use, and indeed used profusely. I've made my appreciation for the design of the Gargoyle realm rather obvious by this point, I think, though I haven't given enough credit to the design of the Gargish shrines yet - whether it's the numerous levers that control the gates at the Shrine of Control, the fires of the Shrine of Passion, or the meticulous scouring of a space for a secret door at the Shrine of Diligence, each shrine is very much a reflection of the principle it's designed to embody.<br />
<br />
Inventory management became a bit cumbersome here and there, but there were some facets of it that I truly enjoyed - most notably the fact that gold coins actually had <i>weight</i> that had to be accounted for. Granted, it's probably easier on the player and less obnoxious to simply take money out of the equation when it comes to the decisions including weight as a game mechanic lead a player to make, but it works rather well here in Ultima VI. Including their weight in player carrying capacity forces a player to make decisions about their budget, more than just 'how much do I need to save before I can buy this really cool item.' The economic system in place in Ultima VI is balanced well enough to make such a thing possible without becoming too headache-inducing, and I really like it for some reason. Seems rather more reasonable to me than carrying around thousands and thousands and <i>thousands</i> of metallic coins - I hauled around enough boxes of coin when I worked at a credit union to know those things get dang <i>heavy</i>.<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8u8p4JKN_XjqsT9b0Eh_PiFnEYEV_I3k47U9GiPuaBcxUldOJa_WbIyfXXo7VuVp8SndX8qA9Y-OwcMtv4G5A0Kx5nlC79mMSYOn7bZlpU92fq8KamUI4xSVXA3Zn4P5RNTUuURAa7Xjs/s1600/ultima6_028.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8u8p4JKN_XjqsT9b0Eh_PiFnEYEV_I3k47U9GiPuaBcxUldOJa_WbIyfXXo7VuVp8SndX8qA9Y-OwcMtv4G5A0Kx5nlC79mMSYOn7bZlpU92fq8KamUI4xSVXA3Zn4P5RNTUuURAa7Xjs/s1600/ultima6_028.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Little moments like this add so much flavor to the characters.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
And Ultima VI's NPCs are the most memorable yet, and not just due to their unique portraits. Each and every one of them has a personality, even those who don't really have much to contribute to the plot, or even much to say at all. Blind, mute, injured, drunk, helpful, abrasive, energetic, lethargic - Ultima VI's cast runs the gamut, and every piece of dialogue they have to say color them further. And this includes their 'I don't know about that' responses when they're asked about something they don't have a response for - they're all unique, and they serve to give each character that much more flavor. Some ignore the question, some don't hear it, some dismiss it as unimportant, some apologize for not being of more help, but whatever they do, it's a telling portion of their character that future games in the series just can't really capture, on account of having switched over to the keyword system by them.<br />
<br />
As always, though, I've got to get to the story sooner or later. And while I normally separate my discussion of the game's story into the story on its own and the story as it relates and fits into the story of the series as a whole, I'm not so sure I can make that separation as cleanly this time around. So much of Ultima VI's story leans on themes and ideas from previous games, after all. And perhaps partly because of that - the fact that it built upon the foundation the previous five games left for it - it's an <i>extremely</i> strong and well-woven story. In fact, despite my love for Ultima IV, I'm going to go as far as to say that Ultima VI is the pinnacle of storytelling in the entirety of the series.<br />
<br />
Yes, I <i>did</i> really just make that claim.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: right;">
</div>
The reason I say this is because Ultima VI's themes permeate the entirety of the game, from the overt to the subtle. Not only does it establish its own themes, but it builds upon the themes from the previous entries in the Age of Enlightenment while setting up others for further development later in the series. It's well-paced, even with the occasional potential short-circuiting from possibly asking characters such as Sin'Vraal and Naxatilor about certain topics too soon. Goals are clear and spaced well throughout the course of the story, and uses every tool at its disposal to reinforce its ideas and themes. I've already mentioned Ultima VI's use of contrast to display both the differences and the similarities between humans and Gargoyles, but there's far more to discuss when it comes to just how well-executed Ultima VI's story is.<br />
<br />
I've mentioned before that the three games of the Age of Enlightenment establish the <i>heart</i> of the setting that Ultimas I-III introduced and refined. They're the games that explore the philosophy and way of life of the people of Britannia, and that's all culminated here in Ultima VI. Ultima IV introduced the virtues in the first place, a set of ideals that established a personal code of living. And that was the Quest of the Avatar was, at its core - a <i>personal</i> exploration of virtue, and an emphasis on the individual. From a certain perspective, it could even be argued that the Britannian system of virtues almost emphasize the individual - introspection, self-betterment, and the boundless infinity of wisdom to be gained from walking that path.<br />
<br />
Ultima V took these virtues and examined the flipside of them, the way they could turn dark when twisted to become something they weren't. The game took a look at what happened when virtue became mandate and law rather than something willfully chosen and followed, and suggested a need for nuance and care when it came to application of the virtues. In a sense, this also reinforced the individualistic nature of the path of the Avatar - forced application on a larger scale led Britannia not into a golden age of development, but a dark period of tyranny, and it was the corruption of virtue in one man, Blackthorn, that cascaded down into an oppressive regime that held the kingdom in an iron grip.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJwitvDW6qvzKwd9wa1T0-qZ-oowDUwkSRaFtiLQhgSVLZnCgIcecFZYu6aj47pk9hw5Is19hY002fGsmyOZSIlKPiJqlwIKiwc-LOXTlFWDWN1fV0q-wgO0sfLEpiR0cKTERgZFmgB2N7/s1600/ultima6_060.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJwitvDW6qvzKwd9wa1T0-qZ-oowDUwkSRaFtiLQhgSVLZnCgIcecFZYu6aj47pk9hw5Is19hY002fGsmyOZSIlKPiJqlwIKiwc-LOXTlFWDWN1fV0q-wgO0sfLEpiR0cKTERgZFmgB2N7/s1600/ultima6_060.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Virtue is personal - but we can't forget those around us, either.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Ultima VI takes <i>both</i> of these central themes and turns them on their head, by way of its own central premise. If Ultima IV was about personal virtue, and Ultima V was about the dangers of mandating it by law, then Ultima VI is ultimately about virtue colliding with virtue. It's a story of culture clash, of what happens when differing viewpoints run up against each other, of the friction that can come out of it and of the fact that reconciliation <i>can</i> happen. Ultima IV established personal virtue, culminating in the precept of Infinity, the countless potential that flows out of personal application of the virtues, but Ultima VI brought in a system that culminated in Singularity, the upholding of unity and cooperation - and by means of its ending, recognizes both the importance of the individual and of a society. Ultima V explored the other side of the coin and revealed it to be dark and unpleasant, but Ultima VI proved that sometimes the other side is simply a different sort of virtue, that sometimes, <i>both</i> sides can be in the right, and that one side of a situation being good and reasonable does not always preclude the other side from being so as well. It introduces other virtues, suggests more nuance to the virtues of Ultima IV, and in so doing sets the stage for the theme of balance that permeates Serpent Isle. And it didn't always bludgeon a player upside the head with these, either - there's a lot of little hints at them from conversations the player may not even necessarily <i>have</i>. It's a <i>tight</i> narrative, it's unique in both theme and execution, and it's brilliant.<br />
<br />
There's aspects of Ultima VI that I'd love to see expanded - a fan-made game from the Gargoyles' perspective would be utterly intriguing, if you ask me, running around the collapsing Gargoyle Realm to find an Orb of the Moons, figure out how it works, capture the Britannian Shrines, and ultimately figure out how to draw out the False Prophet - but there's no more and no less there than necessary to tell the story successfully, and that's what makes it work. It's ever-present, even in the detail work, and it doesn't drown you in the unnecessary. It's wonderful, and I'm glad that I've finally seen it through to the end.<br />
<br />
It's been a journey well worth taking.<br />
<br />
~~~<br />
<br />
And now it's time to pull out my pith helmet and machete as I get ready to plunge into Savage Empire! I may have a few more general things to blather on about before I get started there, and in any case I've got a manual to read before playing, but Eodon is calling my name and I'm raring to answer the call.<br />
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<br />Linguistic Dragonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13246332346527264632noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3241816870477983024.post-82380626962939912072015-09-24T22:38:00.000-07:002015-09-24T22:38:03.752-07:00Ultima VI: The Best of Both WorldsUnconvinced of my understanding of the Gargish way of life, the Shrine of Singularity had sent me on a pilgrimage to each of the other Gargish shrines, one dedicated to each of the three principles around which their philosophy revolved. I still had a few matters to attend to back in Britannia, but I figured it was best for me to see through this insight into the Gargoyles to the very end, while I was here. My surrender and demonstration of submission to Draxinusom demanded nothing less of me, really - how could I truly act in their interest if I had not yet properly wrapped my mind around what defined their way of thinking?<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6xEKw4aA3rjOnwoL5wcnBgEEn_a2wRTkyqBNYHS_VoAGNwkIpPK5wuayx2XyQPF1HFUQtU4v4oKT3tim0avx1ngNclV40RFtYu8q3prFOk0zKBq6xorXs6FCGOIFNM36tDaVW5b30eG7C/s1600/ultima6_007.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6xEKw4aA3rjOnwoL5wcnBgEEn_a2wRTkyqBNYHS_VoAGNwkIpPK5wuayx2XyQPF1HFUQtU4v4oKT3tim0avx1ngNclV40RFtYu8q3prFOk0zKBq6xorXs6FCGOIFNM36tDaVW5b30eG7C/s1600/ultima6_007.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It was... what, last June when I <i>actually</i> did that?</td></tr>
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So it was to the west that I traveled next, in search of the Shrine of Control. Poking through the mountains on that side of the city eventually revealed an entrance, which led to a room absolutely <i>filled</i> with levers, along with a portcullis on the northern side. Some quick experimentation revealed a long corridor beyond the portcullis, blocked by several more, all controlled by various levers in the entry room. I pressed forward as far as my initial curious level-pulls allowed, fighting off a drake or two on the way, then left it to Dupre to fiddle with the rest of the levers, pushing forward when he pulled one that offered me the chance to do so. It was perhaps a little tedious, but not particularly difficult, and it was a relatively simple matter to reach the Shrine proper, where columns surrounded a single statue on a pedestal. I figured that this was the entity that the Shrine of Singularity had told me was the embodiment of Control, and so approached it - only to pause as I neared, as the statue was <i>familiar</i>.<br />
<br />
Immediately my hand flew to my weapon, but then the statue <i>spoke,</i> which in and of itself was enough to give me pause. It was indeed with Mondain's voice, though something had... softened, about it. After assuring me that I had nothing to fear from him and that he was no threat in this particular state - assurances that I held a healthy degree of skepticism for, all things considered - he set about explaining his new task, enshrined here by the Gargoyles as the embodiment of Control. He expounded on Control itself and the Gargoyles' understanding of it, the importance of self-control, and implying the responsibility to guide that goes along with the power that accompanies control. After passing on the mantra of the principle, Mondain fell silent once more, and I spent the long walk back through the corridor musing on what all he had told me.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I suppose fire is appropriate for Passion.</td></tr>
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Night fell as we exited the Shrine of Control and made our way to the east, where we expected to find the Shrine of Passion. It took us a while to find an opening through the twisted passageways in the mountains there, but eventually we found a cavern, marked by several of the explosive fumaroles that had dotted Hythloth. It proved a recurring motif once inside - though it was a simple path to the Shrine itself, short and direct, fire littered the pathway, whether it was the lava we had to walk over or the fire fields blocking our path - thankfully I had plenty of reagents to dispel them. Simple Dispel Field spells gave way to spells of a more forceful sort, however, as a horde of demons (what <i>is </i>the proper term for a group of demons? I was looking up ones for birds earlier this week, but I have no idea what it is for demons) swarmed us upon approach. The fighting was fervent, furious, and more than a little confusing. With that many charm spells flying around, it was sometimes difficult to keep track of just which of my allies were currently on my side proper. Aric favored slinging spells over his sword, between trying to de-charm allies and keep them in good fighting condition, and what little opportunities he <i>did </i>have to straight-out attack were spent with Chain Bolt and Explosion, trying to do as much damage as possible to as many demons as were in reach - which sometimes also necessitated a Reveal spell to keep track of them. I believe it was the first time I'd burned through enough spells to completely drain MP throughout the course of the game, and it was not a fight easily won - everyone was battered and scarred by the end of it. Once the dust settled, we limped before the statue in the center of the room, the dance of flaming fields surrounding it on all sides, and once again the image was familiar, even before the voice that accompanied it spoke.<br />
<br />
This time it was the face and voice of Minax, Mondain's apprentice and lover, who had reached through time and space to confront me in the name of revenge. Well did I remember the chase she gave me throughout the castle she had claimed outside of Time itself, and like Mondain before her, she now found herself enshrined as the personification of Passion by the Gargoyles. She too assured me that she was no threat to me now, musing on her own passion and how it eventually consumed even herself in its fires. After a warning on the dangers of unbridled passion, she remarked on the Gargoyles' understanding of it, the passionate leading the directionless, giving them the will to survive, and passed on the mantra of the principle she represented. Then she too fell silent once more, and left me to my thoughts.<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEWDFO90L1M2Z_cFSA62djJn_h-YENK1qgFWgHBhrVUU0BU0B3PMAUzU5JTzWJE4DVc3uPzD7Sp1yawXFbtAW0faN3bM7LXRttL2n09zpA5WXU0Y_xyGrhe0-gl9s8uLbVbfTV_928JVjo/s1600/ultima6_025.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEWDFO90L1M2Z_cFSA62djJn_h-YENK1qgFWgHBhrVUU0BU0B3PMAUzU5JTzWJE4DVc3uPzD7Sp1yawXFbtAW0faN3bM7LXRttL2n09zpA5WXU0Y_xyGrhe0-gl9s8uLbVbfTV_928JVjo/s1600/ultima6_025.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I <i>needed</i> it to get through all those demons!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Considering how battered we were after that last fight (not to mention that both Iolo and Blaine had run out of arrows in the process, entirely my fault for not checking their quivers recently), we used the Orb of the Moons to return to Britain, stocking up on ammunition and asking Lord British for healing. Then it was back to the Gargoyle lands, and off to the south to find the Shrine of Diligence there. In light of who I'd met in the first two, I had a good idea of who I'd find at the end as the embodiment of the principle, but I had to get there first. Room after room after room, each one nearly identical to the last save for the monsters we were forced to fight, on and on and on, until a few uses of the Wizard Eye spell to get my bearings revealed a ladder behind a secret door, and it was with relief that we broke free of the monotony to continue on. Yet sounds ahead in the corridor the ladder led to suggested another potentially harsh fight - I surmised it might be better to slip on an invisibility ring and scout ahead on my own.<br />
<br />
Sure enough, demons hung around this shrine as well, and small wonder, because a statue depicting Exodus, the half-demon half-machine <i>thing</i> I'd caused to destroy itself awaited me, as I'd expected. And the voice that spoke to my mind was much the same, a strange sound that was distinctly inhuman in its tone. Yet Exodus too assured me of its focus on the task the Gargoyles had set for it now, and that I had nothing to fear from it now. Exodus expounded on Diligence, what little worth it had without a goal, that the means cannot replace the ends, and that it was the diligent of the Gargoyles who led the wayward and allowed them to maintain the rough life they had carved out for themselves. After passing on the mantra, Exodus left me to reflect upon the words I had just heard as I made my way back to my companions.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZcH1UVkzBPrQTFlGZUs5a_tGCwJduAo_J6RMPux6VqVMVZCIKfEH4cjTS9NSo9FVEqIAUvfczTvhDyInEiOqBpXFRaPw26rQb2BF3y_szfwyzDfRWIHP_Kh_9XgKVp1IUsI_5169mkUFC/s1600/ultima6_032.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZcH1UVkzBPrQTFlGZUs5a_tGCwJduAo_J6RMPux6VqVMVZCIKfEH4cjTS9NSo9FVEqIAUvfczTvhDyInEiOqBpXFRaPw26rQb2BF3y_szfwyzDfRWIHP_Kh_9XgKVp1IUsI_5169mkUFC/s1600/ultima6_032.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tell that to those demons still hanging around...</td></tr>
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We returned to the Shrine of Singularity, having completed the pilgrimages it had set for me, and after stringing the three mantras I had learned together into the mantra of Singularity, the Shrine glowed with a blue fire. I had come to understand the meaning of unity of purpose, and I knew <i>my </i>purpose now - to encourage unity between Britannia and the Gargoyles. The Codex awaited, and it was there that I would achieve my goal and both avert and fulfill the prophecy - not with the sacrifice of myself, but my sacrificing of the Codex itself, not to destroy the Gargoyles, but to rescue them, though it was perhaps already too late for their homeland.<br />
<br />
I still had business to take care of back in Britannia before I could do so, however. I still needed a second lens of human make, according to Naxatilor, and there was still the Vortex Cube to find. It was to Moonglow that I went for the first, remembering a man there who was nearly always at his telescope. Sure enough, explaining the situation to Ephemerides was enough to pique his interest, and after giving him the Gargoyle lens as a pattern of sorts and a glass sword as material, he crafted me the concave lens that I would need to return the Codex to the Void.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnWoiRXzEugFdgiFF8rlD_Jgv1atIAEXw-J5GgKuTBcxKkvF_7KYUKGwVRYQ6fSmoUQK0tmzMK22CFZfFMTlJ3mmkGqJFzUhI2IsMuJJXLytUYbehiHuBDpqc9w6EW-HmDFver5XY_jur4/s1600/ultima6_037.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnWoiRXzEugFdgiFF8rlD_Jgv1atIAEXw-J5GgKuTBcxKkvF_7KYUKGwVRYQ6fSmoUQK0tmzMK22CFZfFMTlJ3mmkGqJFzUhI2IsMuJJXLytUYbehiHuBDpqc9w6EW-HmDFver5XY_jur4/s1600/ultima6_037.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I'll do my best!</td></tr>
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The Vortex Cube had been stolen by a band last seen heading for Stonegate, and there I found a young boy raised by a pair of cyclopes, who had lost their own son and cared for the child as their own when he was shipwrecked near their home in the remains of the castle. Speaking with them suggested that I might find the Cube in their basement, which was kept under lock and key. The key was in the male cyclops' possession, and he was willing to exchange it for - a fish. So I spent some time on the coast nearby until I had a bite, and made the trade. The basement of the castle was difficult to navigate, mostly because of tight quarters and secret doors, but I found the Cube behind some energy fields and reclaimed it.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: right;">
</div>
From there I used a summoned moongate to get to the Shrine of Humility, and then sailed from there to the Shrine of the Codex. The stone guardians allowed us to pass, thanks to the quest the Shrine of Singularity had bestowed upon us, and the Codex itself was open to the page I needed, detailing what I needed to do in order to send it back into the Void. I placed the lenses at just the right places to direct the light from the two flames near it, then placed the moonstones I'd collected at the very beginning of my adventure into the Vortex Cube and set it at the base of the Codex. This was enough to send it back into the Void, and though Lord British and Draxinusom both barged in through moongates of their own, exceedingly irate, once I pressed the lenses into their hands and let them read some wisdom of their own from the Codex, they looked at each other not with hatred, but with understanding, and I knew that my quest had been completed.<br />
<br />
~~~<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVMhSFdw9AvtKA4NyQPnMpG_Cdqywx4DzrWR6C79JfRUkquKfhkWuSkjrlduEqG3GR62pijOMahtmxMnvVZ5vbMMQL6E6AS8_SZ0X8ucGhFzNKAT9GNwerP3dGBmCXnkuGkDSvtAFDUWXX/s1600/ultima6_027.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVMhSFdw9AvtKA4NyQPnMpG_Cdqywx4DzrWR6C79JfRUkquKfhkWuSkjrlduEqG3GR62pijOMahtmxMnvVZ5vbMMQL6E6AS8_SZ0X8ucGhFzNKAT9GNwerP3dGBmCXnkuGkDSvtAFDUWXX/s1600/ultima6_027.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It sure took a lot of Diligence to find this.</td></tr>
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There's a <i>lot </i>packed into these last few legs of Ultima VI, which I suppose isn't entirely surprising. This <i>is </i>the end of Act Three of the narrative, after all, and that's where you bring out all the good stuff in order to tie everything into a nice little package for the ending. Two things stood out to me in particular as I went through this portion of the game. First were the Gargish Shrines, and once again how they demonstrate contrast to the Britannian philosophy. While Britannia focused more on the Virtues, the <i>result</i> of the combination of the thee Principles, it was the Principles themselves that the Gargoyles place in the forefront of their philosophy, looking to them to guide, drive, and maintain their actions as they naturally extend into the eight virtues that derive from those principles. So too were the specific choices of those principles very well suited to tie in to the antagonists from the first three games - I don't know where in the creative process the decision to bring in Mondain, Minax and Exodus again came in, before or after the choice of Control, Passion and Diligence as the Gargish principles, but it's a very nice match when it comes down to it. Especially considering that each of their speeches mention how they went <i>overboard</i> with their respective principles - Mondain's desire for control led him to rule the world with an iron fist, Minax's passion sent her into a rage when her mentor and lover died, Exodus' mechanical nature brought about unwavering, disciplined diligence that could not understand nuance nor feeling. And this, too, is a contrast with the Britannian system - many of the anti-virtues are a lack of the counterpart, whereas the errors that the sort-of-reformed Triad of Evil mention stem from an <i>excess.</i><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigq7WW7YLv7yxtbEMCES9BIk8PK2fHwvN2TBJUFk3rYpG-RyC_h-DK7KQTGCEluyAcTVroBHu5OCeKqWD6aNlC7x-KXPu8ntWE1KHuPRirlAzNzDPqrtpHM5FBuOWK03TKqZTPXG-si7FV/s1600/ultima6_056.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigq7WW7YLv7yxtbEMCES9BIk8PK2fHwvN2TBJUFk3rYpG-RyC_h-DK7KQTGCEluyAcTVroBHu5OCeKqWD6aNlC7x-KXPu8ntWE1KHuPRirlAzNzDPqrtpHM5FBuOWK03TKqZTPXG-si7FV/s1600/ultima6_056.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Everything in its place once more</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The second thing that caught my attention came at the very end, and it was just a very small detail when it comes down to it, but I felt it was the best way to go about the final scenes. And that's the fact that we don't see exactly what the Codex reveals to Lord British and Draxinusom at the very end. Negative space is a powerful thing in storytelling, and I think it works better here than any eloquent speech that could have been written in its place. It's already stated that the Codex is always open to exactly the page that's needed - all we really need know is that the Codex shows the two monarchs the precise bit of wisdom they need to hear in order to realize each other's standpoint. It's simple and elegant, calls back to a few tidbits about the Codex, and ultimately means that the instrument of division between the two races also ends up the instrument of healing. And I do have to admit I very much like stories that come full circle.<br />
<br />
Well, that does it for Ultima VI, folks! As always, I'll have one more post about my closing thoughts on the game, and then it'll be time to take a detour for a few spinoffs! The Age of Enlightenment comes to a close, but the Age of Adventures calls my name...<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWQpMEbhz4numP1b77AA6zcnG0bignBafiM0xLY-e3mGwGfanbzUJBxm4yX-O0z9w-CM2C2UliLB0UBs66nvLjlaZLdz7MfmeugEECRA2mD_sbtDC1qQh9m2Qt9qOU9VsoTyke_bJCs8fF/s1600/ultima6_069.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWQpMEbhz4numP1b77AA6zcnG0bignBafiM0xLY-e3mGwGfanbzUJBxm4yX-O0z9w-CM2C2UliLB0UBs66nvLjlaZLdz7MfmeugEECRA2mD_sbtDC1qQh9m2Qt9qOU9VsoTyke_bJCs8fF/s1600/ultima6_069.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">That's all it needs to say, really.</td></tr>
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Linguistic Dragonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13246332346527264632noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3241816870477983024.post-39216578003258742632015-09-21T21:12:00.002-07:002015-09-21T21:12:58.615-07:00Linguistic Asides: On GargishAlternatively, "Lingustic Dragon Geeks Out at the Chance to Actually Put His Degree to Use for Something."<br />
<br />
As my choice of Dragon name might imply, my academic background is (mostly) in linguistics - it wasn't what I went <i>into</i> college for, but it's the degree I came out with. It's a broader subject than most people expect, but to put it in as succinct terms as possible, it's essentially the science of language. From sentence structure to how languages are related to each other and change over time, from how new words form and enter the common vernacular to etymology and local slang and dialects - they all fall under some branch of linguistics. Language and its uses fascinates me. I spent a half hour in a class once discussing the differences in the subtleties behind 'unlawful' as opposed to 'illegal' and loved every minute of it. My parents sent me a book on the Hawaiian language as a souvenir from a trip they took several years back, and I spent weeks poring through it for some <i>fascinating</i> tidbits (like the fact there's four separate words in the language for 'we', depending on how many people are in that 'we' and whether you're including the person you're speaking with). I've studied four languages besides my native English<i>, </i>though I'm not really fluent in any of them, and I analyze speech patterns and dissect accents about as naturally as breathing by this point.<br />
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All of this is to give a little perspective on exactly why I've been eagerly awaiting the right moment to do a little analysis in regards to Gargish. This is a complete side-post that has absolutely nothing to do (expect perhaps tangentially) with my playthrough, just a subject that I had too much to say on to leave it to a tangent on a normal post. So if that's what you're here for, feel free to skip this one. If watching a language nut nerd out over fictional alphabets is something you find particularly interesting, though, then read on!<br />
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My degree gave me a taste of most of the larger sub-fields of linguistics, but, perhaps due to the fact I'm a rather auditory person to begin with, two that clicked with me particularly well were phonetics and phonology. These are the branches that deal with the <i>sounds</i> of language - there's a considerable amount of overlap between the two, but loosely speaking, phonetics deals with individual speech sounds and the mechanics of their formation, whereas phonology is essentially phonetics 'in practice,' the study of the sounds of a language and how they interact with each other and shift in everyday speech. From pronunciation to syllable structure, everything that deals with the spoken word falls under some facet of these two subjects. So what I'm about to do is make a few conjectures on the subtleties of "proper" Gargish speech based solely on this:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikBvvLLDnjs81LS5fBsePXjIZnEIJdsR_IGg2FOIL2Zaz2V9r6Kk_RG5Czk4K4eV9kHthiB9m4VRkyKlpNAFMOzv3SlAXY1XAiqWtj9XJvCoxBV4AkE8bLA3CMJKyhJYK12qRaUYxrXTHp/s1600/800px-Gargish.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="253" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikBvvLLDnjs81LS5fBsePXjIZnEIJdsR_IGg2FOIL2Zaz2V9r6Kk_RG5Czk4K4eV9kHthiB9m4VRkyKlpNAFMOzv3SlAXY1XAiqWtj9XJvCoxBV4AkE8bLA3CMJKyhJYK12qRaUYxrXTHp/s400/800px-Gargish.gif" width="400" /></a></div>
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This chart is probably familiar to any Ultima fanatic - the set of runes used to write anything in Gargish. Unlike the Britannian runes, they're always presented in this five-by-six tableau, never in the alphabetic order we English speakers are used to. There's also a good deal more double-character runes in the chart as compared to the Britannian runes. And there's very good reason for both of these facts - like Tolkien's Tengwar script used for the Elvish languages he developed, the Gargish runes form a <i>featural </i>alphabet, a script where the shape of the individual characters is representative of the characteristics of the sound it represents. Each symbol is representative of an individual sound, and the fact the design of the alphabet relies so heavily on the features of the sounds they stand for is what enables one to make a few educated guesses on how the language might sound without hearing a single word of it spoken. Whether they're accurate or not is another thing entirely - there's a whole branch of linguistics devoted to the study of how languages change over time, including phonological shift (English itself had a massive shift in vowel quality over the course of a few centuries, referred to as the Great Vowel Shift), but hey, that's the scientific method, right? Hypothesize, test, compare, adjust.<br />
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So let's see what I can do off of this particular data set, so to speak. In order to properly discuss the matter, though, we're going to have to spend some time discussing classification of speech sounds. And in order to do <i>that</i>, I'm gonna pull out a couple more charts for the sake of further visual aids. Allow me to introduce those of you unfamiliar to the International Phonetic Alphabet.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiQLxHcRxXZWgwSkR7N-WfN5mKyegYvDSXytgCAKetG-6QmtZjsS681fg-7zy_YD_jEeUuDFB24d8_ZhnYRTAezzg8Zu1D206rqxdOEMTk2UhVgI-31gcFf9XsyFsYBw9SxNKQorRmmymQ/s1600/800px-IPA_consonant_chart_2005.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="291" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiQLxHcRxXZWgwSkR7N-WfN5mKyegYvDSXytgCAKetG-6QmtZjsS681fg-7zy_YD_jEeUuDFB24d8_ZhnYRTAezzg8Zu1D206rqxdOEMTk2UhVgI-31gcFf9XsyFsYBw9SxNKQorRmmymQ/s640/800px-IPA_consonant_chart_2005.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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One of the marks of a linguist is the above chart (or similar ones) popping into your head when the acronym "IPA" is uttered, ahead of the beer. Think of it as a sort of standardized notation for the sounds of language. Languages may use the same alphabet, but there's no guarantee that they pronounce each letter the same way. Take the letter J - the French typically pronounce it 'zh,' whereas in German it's more of a 'y'-like sound, neither of which is how it's most often pronounced in English. With IPA, each individual symbol is indicative of one sound and one sound alone - that J becomes /d͡ʒ/ in English, /ʒ/ in French, and /j/ in German. (There's actually a distinction between placing IPA symbols in slashes, like /ʒ/, and between square brackets, [ʒ], but that's a finer distinction than I find necessary for my purposes here.)<br />
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The above chart covers most of the consonantal sounds used in the languages of the world. Others exist beyond the ones listed on this particular chart (note the 'pulmonic' descriptor, which doesn't include such things as clicks), but these are essentially the more "standard," and it'll be enough for my analysis. Consonants are distinguished from vowels by a constriction somewhere in the vocal tract, and are described based on what sort of constriction it is and where that constriction is. The labels along the top of the chart indicate the <i>place of articulation</i> - this describes where in the vocal tract the defining obstruction is, such as the lips, the roof of the mouth, or the back of the throat. Down the side list the <i>manner</i> of articulation - how the sound is made around that obstruction, whether it's a full obstruction, forcing air over a partial obstruction, moving it through the nasal cavity instead of the mouth, and so on. And finally, there's a third feature used to describe consonants called <i>voicing</i>, which is basically an indication of what the vocal cords are doing when producing the sound. You can feel the difference by placing your hand on your throat as you make and prolong a 's' and 'z' noise in turn - the buzzing you feel beneath your fingers for the 'z' is the mark of a voiced sound, whereas its absence indicates a voiceless sound. In the chart above, when symbols are paired, the left is voiceless, the right voiced - so /p/ is voiceless, /b/ is voiced.<br />
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Vowels are also described by features, though a slightly different set, and as a result, they've got their own chart.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJhgg5JviSczp6cvFAt1owJyVbdrA2L3KF_7Akpr5EgAoRnjqRtQzjUzUps2i24aazRMd3vPikGJX6xeXc97AdJ4FwSiMgoQhtcq86vA34QMreMJv4bjBNGqe0sA_5uyXr-OzMHQV8NQQb/s1600/IPA_vowel_chart_2005.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="321" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJhgg5JviSczp6cvFAt1owJyVbdrA2L3KF_7Akpr5EgAoRnjqRtQzjUzUps2i24aazRMd3vPikGJX6xeXc97AdJ4FwSiMgoQhtcq86vA34QMreMJv4bjBNGqe0sA_5uyXr-OzMHQV8NQQb/s400/IPA_vowel_chart_2005.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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Unlike consonants, there's no obstruction in the vocal tract, which makes the classification of them a bit more nebulous. It's something of a fuzzy line as to where one vowel shifts into another, but generally speaking, vowels are described by the shape of the vocal tract and the location of the tongue to produce the sound. "Backness" describes how far forward in the mouth the tongue is - you can feel the difference between the 'ee' sound (/i/ on the chart) and the 'oo' sound (/u/), the former made closer to the teeth and the latter more toward the uvula. "Height" measures the other direction, and can easily be felt by how open your mouth is when pronouncing the vowel - your mouth is considerably more open when pronouncing the low vowel 'ah' (/ɑ/) as it is when pronouncing the high vowel 'ee' (/i/). And then there's "roundedness", which describes the shape of the lips when pronouncing the vowel in particular. Again, this is easy to feel the difference, as your lips are rounded when pronouncing 'oo' (/u/) as opposed to the unrounded 'ee' (/i/).<br />
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So putting all of this together, what have we got in regards to Gargish?<br />
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As mentioned before, the table is arranged entirely on the features of the sounds involved - try to ignore the letter transcriptions by each rune, and remember to think of them as <i>sounds</i>. The five rows on the table organize the runes by place of articulation (or backness, for the vowels), moving roughly from the front of the vocal tract to the back. The first row denotes the bilabials and labiodentals (articulated either by both lips or a combination of the lips and teeth), the second the alveolars (made at the roof of the mouth), the third the post-alveolars (just behind the roof of the mouth), and the fifth the velars and glottals (the back of the mouth and the throat). The fourth is a little harder to pinpoint, on account of these particular transcriptions not really representing sounds often used to an English speaker, but I'm inclined to mark these down as palatals, on account of them being between the post-alveolar 'sh' (/ʃ/) and the velar 'k'. At the same time, there's the palatal 'ny' (/ɲ/) in the third row, so it's also possible that these are retroflex sounds, made with the tongue curled back toward the back of the throat. I'm more inclined to call them palatals, as they're closer to the 'kl' and 'gl' the chart gives as a transcription, and perhaps the 'nl' is a retroflex proper (/ɳ/).<br />
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The columns, on the other hand, organize the table by voicing and manner of articulation. The first column are the voiceless stops or 'plosives' (sounds involving a complete obstruction), the second the voiced plosives, the third the nasals (where the air moves through the nasal passages rather than the mouth - you can see this for yourself by making an 'm' or 'n' noise and then plugging your nose while doing so), the fourth the voiceless fricatives (where air is passed over a partial obstruction), the fifth the voiced fricatives, and the last the vowels. In addition, affricates - sounds that are a combination of a plosive and a fricative, like 'ch' (/t͡ʃ/) are included in the first and second columns as appropriate, and the liquids or 'approximants', sounds with less of an obstruction than a fricative, are included in the fifth column. These columns are <i>roughly</i> in order of sonority, which is essentially a measure of how resonant they are - I say roughly because nasals are generally more sonorant than plosives or fricatives, and liquids more sonorant than nasals.<br />
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So now that we've gone over the general organization of the Gargish alphabet, we can determine a bit more about the quality of the individual sounds. For example, let's examine the Gargish R. The English R is /ɹ/, an alveolar approximant. The Gargish R, however, is enumerated with the bottom row of characters, which makes me more inclined to think of it as the more throaty version used in a language like French or German - either the uvular approximant /ʁ/ or its associated trill /ʀ/. (if you can roll your r's, that's the trill /r/, typically used for the Spanish or Italian R). Then there's the vowels - since U is in the first row, with the most forward sounds, I'm more inclined to think of it as closer to a /ʉ/ or possibly even a /y/ rather than the typical 'oo' (/u/) sound we English speakers are used to. Then there's the dot over the symbols in the first three columns - it's <i>possible</i> that this is a diacritic of sorts, although I'm more inclined to think of it as simply a part of the letter, like the dot over an i or j. However, it <i>does </i>differentiate the bilabial /p/, /b/, and /m/ from the labiodental /f/ and /v/ in the first row, as well as the velar /k/, /g/, and 'ng' (/ŋ/) from the glottal /h/ and the probably-uvular /ʁ/. And if this is the case, it may be indicative of 'frontedness,' which would imply the Gargish /t/ and /d/ to be dentals rather than alveolars, made with the tongue against the back of the teeth rather than at the roof of the mouth and therefore giving it more in common with the Italian T and D rather than the English ones.<br />
<br />
We can make a few other conjectures on the nature of Gargish pronunciation by extending analysis to the Gargish vocabulary we have access to - since it's a featural alphabet we're working with, we can draw a few conjectures based off the choice of spelling in certain words. For example, 'summ,' meaning 'honor' - why is this spelled with two 'm's? The presence of double-consonants in the spelling of a language using a featural alphabet suggests to me that the language makes use of what are called 'geminate' consonants - essentially the consonantal equivalent of a prolonged vowel sound. It's something that comes up frequently in Italian - compare /papa/, the Italian word for father, with /pappa/, the word for pope. The latter's a geminate consonant. (Pairs of words like this, that differ in only one sound, are referred to as 'minimal pairs,' and are what's used to identify a speech sound as distinct in the set of speech sounds, or 'phonemic inventory,' that a language uses, rather than simply a variant of another sound used in the language, or an 'allophone.') In addition, take a Gargish word like 'beh' or 'kah' - in an English pronunciation of these words, those h's would probably be silent, but for a language involving a featural alphabet, I'm more inclined to take this as a mark of aspiration, which is a sort of breathyness added to a vowel - if you distinguish the pronunciation of 'witch' from 'which,' then you can hear what I'm talking about. 'Witch' begins with an unaspirated W, whereas 'which' starts with an aspirated W.<br />
<br />
There's a couple other things that some more time and perusal of the Gargish vocabulary might suggest to me upon closer inspection, but I think what I've got here is a good taste of what all's involved in my field of choice. How accurate am I with these conjectures? Well, there's... not really a good way for me to tell. Pretty much the only example of spoken Gargish we have in the series is a few bits in Ultima IX, and... well, I don't really think that's enough to go on to do a completely proper phonological analysis, especially considering much of what I've said above is probably a much more in-depth look at the phonological basis of Gargish than was probably meant. At the same time - am I really going to pass up a chance to take a closer look at a fictional language? If nothing else, it gives me a few things to go off of while I practice my Gargish accent!<br />
<br />
I mean, I <i>do</i> have a pretty decent microphone. Maybe recording a few practice phrases down the line isn't out of the question?<br />
<br />
(For interactive charts - with audio, so you can actually <i>hear</i> the sounds I'm describing! - you can find a pretty good one <a href="http://www.internationalphoneticalphabet.org/ipa-sounds/ipa-chart-with-sounds/" target="_blank">here</a>. I've only scratched the surface of the ins and outs of phonetics and phonology here, and I'm a huge advocate for Learning New Things! If you find this or other language-analysis topics interesting - or just linguistics in general - hit me up, I can try to point you in the right direction. There's a contact box over to your right, I'd be more than happy to chat.)Linguistic Dragonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13246332346527264632noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3241816870477983024.post-72903533190130998272015-09-12T19:16:00.000-07:002015-09-12T19:16:04.119-07:00Ultima VI: How the Other Side LivesSo apparently last week marked the second anniversary of Official Dragonship for me - my join date's listed as September 2, 2013. Funny, it still feels like it's only been a few months or so. But hey, what better way to celebrate than with another session of Ultima VI?<br />
<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">All this ash should come in handy.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
When I last left off, I was gearing up for another trip, this time into the depths of Hythloth. I'd been informed by Sin'Vraal that his people dwelt on the other side of the world through the dungeon on the Isle of the Avatar, and there was no way I would be able to resolve anything between us if I didn't take the time to understand them.At the same time, this would not be a pleasant trek in the least - Hythloth was, after all, a cavern located on an island fraught with volcanic activity, all to lead me to a place where every resident likely despised me enough to desire my death.<br />
<br />
Could I really do anything else in good conscience, though?<br />
<br />
It seemed fitting that the closest to Hythloth the Orb of the Moons could take me as of yet was the Shrine of Humility. Carefully we wound our way through the explosive fumaroles still burbling on the island, then entered the caves. And sure enough, our path was perilous indeed. The ground shook on occasion, lava flowed profusely throughout the tunnels, the volatile nature of the fiery depths made manifest. Even worse were the beasts such an inferno was wont to attract - a few drakes here and there at first, but the deeper we went, we found ourselves fighting off the beguilements of demons, and the terrible might of dragons lurking amid the flame. I found myself leaning heavily on my magical abilities, and while the caverns proved a fine source of sulfurous ash (meaning I had little worry when it came to running low on reagents for Light spells), it was my dwindling stash of mandrake that I was truly worried about - I was burning through Great Heals like no tomorrow.<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgLXu7H6ZX3MOe-xJe1ReHa7tLB2S75Pqmb1BTHjHxnqtB83ZrtoZHqrKMtCSLHN6EnDQ5pjoKv15Jl7I92tJv-ymPKXOXajwFLonzKn6zXhmic0Hn8g0M19yjrDDT_p8GqRHa2bvYEZIR/s1600/ultima6_021.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgLXu7H6ZX3MOe-xJe1ReHa7tLB2S75Pqmb1BTHjHxnqtB83ZrtoZHqrKMtCSLHN6EnDQ5pjoKv15Jl7I92tJv-ymPKXOXajwFLonzKn6zXhmic0Hn8g0M19yjrDDT_p8GqRHa2bvYEZIR/s1600/ultima6_021.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I <i>wish</i> learning new languages was this easy.</td></tr>
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Yet eventually, battered, burned, and weary, we saw a sight we hardly expected to see here at the bottom of the world - a dwelling. Here was were Captain Johne now made his home - why he was content to settle here of all places eluded me, but it was good to see his friendly face. He too pleaded with me on behalf of the Gargoyles, having spent some time learning about their culture. He told me their lands, once as large as Britannia itself, were now reduced to a single city, their center of learning and government the only bastion of civilization left to them. We spoke a little of their society and their beliefs, but of most interest for the moment was their <i>language</i>. How was I to help and understand a people I could not communicate with? Johne provided me with a scroll of basic vocabulary, which I proceeded to pore over, and he also pointed me in the direction of Beh Lem, a Gargoyle child that had helped him learn the language himself. He stressed the importance of seeking him out, as the rest of the Gargoyles would likely attack me on sight without his presence in my company.<br />
<br />
I found the youth just outside Hytholth's egress, just as the captain had said I would - they met at that particular spot rather regularly, at approximately that time of day. Beh Lem confirmed the fear his people had of me, but remarked it was not a fear either he or his father Valkadesh shared. Believeing his father, a respected scholar, might be able to help find a way to heal the rift between our respective peoples, he eagerly joined us and guided us around the mountains to his home - after, of course, I took a moment to outfit him properly, so that he wouldn't start exploding every few steps after an unprotected stroll through a swamp. He thought it best to avoid the heart of the city until we had a more concrete plan, and I saw no reason to dispute him.<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitTCg12dLsNIlshd2lJl0Ha1KpKAnwMzV5URkWuhrrKHLqiYwiBc6CKXA58dgh2QS9mcXpiGZyMFD80-CJ6KmQyGsJVO2KvvrAeYrDkL_nIIMR26X5jSt_Ad1eUMAo9CF_EgUXfY-UV9I0/s1600/ultima6_033.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitTCg12dLsNIlshd2lJl0Ha1KpKAnwMzV5URkWuhrrKHLqiYwiBc6CKXA58dgh2QS9mcXpiGZyMFD80-CJ6KmQyGsJVO2KvvrAeYrDkL_nIIMR26X5jSt_Ad1eUMAo9CF_EgUXfY-UV9I0/s1600/ultima6_033.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Um... that's a problem.</td></tr>
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Valkadesh did indeed prove helpful. He believed and believed strongly in the error of the Book of Prophecies and that I, the False Prophet it spoke of, could be reasoned with and in fact persuaded to help save his people rather than condemn them. It didn't take much for him to do so, as that had been my intent in coming, but the only thing he could think of as an alternative to sacrificing myself would be to return their most holy book, the Codex itself. He elaborated that 'sacrifice' could mean that of self, of others, or of valuables, and that perhaps Naxatilor, the wisest Gargoyle there was, might be able to help discern the nuances of the potential interpretations. But he warned me that it would be unsafe to wander the city without first surrendering myself to the Inquistor - to submit to the local authorities would be a way of demonstrating my goodwill toward them, thus making me less hated by the populace.<br />
<br />
And so I made my way to the quarters of Draxinusom, who thundered about my audacity in coming, demanding to know what I was doing there and making it <i>very</i> clear that the presence of a Gargoyle child was the only reason he restrained himself from slaying me where I stood - Johne had been correct on that particular matter, it seemed. Though shaken a bit on the inside, I calmly informed the Inquisitor of my purpose - to surrender. Draxinusom was skeptical, but upon telling him I had been discussing with Valkadesh about how I could go about providing the needful sacrifice, he presented me with an amulet, telling me to don it as proof and demonstration of my submission. Dupre was uncomfortable with this, believing it to be a magical trap of some sort, but there was no other choice, the way I saw it. I removed my ankh and replaced it with the amulet, and that was that.<br />
<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gotta say, wasn't in a hurry to see this again.</td></tr>
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As I made my way to Naxatilor's, the populace did indeed seem to relax slightly once they caught sight of the amulet around my neck. I made a note to see what I could learn from them after my meeting with the wisest of Gargoyles. Naxatilor confirmed that I was indeed fated to destroy their world, though he said that he found this surprising, as he could tell that I was truly a being of honor. We spent some time in discussion of what sacrifice truly meant, and he echoed what Valkadesh had told me - that in their language, it could mean sacrifice of the self, of others, or of items of value. Sacrifice of my self was something I had come to <i>avoid</i>, and it would hardly have been virtuous of me to resort to the sacrifice of one of my companions, and so that left items of value. The only thing of true value to <i>both</i> peoples was the Codex itself, and Naxatilor agreed that the only clear options were to give up my own life, or else return the Codex. It turned out that he was the one who drew the Codex out of the Void in the first place, and directed me to the Hall of Knowledge and the Book of Rituals to learn more about how that had been done and what might be needed to reverse the process - as well as retrieve the lens that lay within one of the chambers. As for the Codex's current location, he told me to speak with Captain Bolesh, recuperating at the healer's just to the north of his residence. He had just returned from the Shrine of the Codex, and could perhaps tell me more about how circumstances there lay.<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR6_y1XBHsYuEs3T2-HoLGhN8YjJLTo3an78Rv7qW5YJZ1xduSoAIFko1eJpyXlycceo2eY5Vfvu8hA1kSE28lyl1eSQ5uRn_FDk7vGshwuPnZfuZA7R2wyG3UaN2FMxBQpI06xoeg8xDh/s1600/ultima6_101.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR6_y1XBHsYuEs3T2-HoLGhN8YjJLTo3an78Rv7qW5YJZ1xduSoAIFko1eJpyXlycceo2eY5Vfvu8hA1kSE28lyl1eSQ5uRn_FDk7vGshwuPnZfuZA7R2wyG3UaN2FMxBQpI06xoeg8xDh/s1600/ultima6_101.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Well that's depressing.</td></tr>
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Having made several pilgrimages to the Shrine of the Codex on the previous adventure, it was perhaps not strictly necessary to pay Bolesh a visit, but I felt it would be at least a gesture of goodwill and faith to demonstrate a bit of concern for the well-being of Gargoyle captains. Much of what the recovering captain told me was indeed knowledge I already had - that there was a force surrounding the Shrine that prevented anyone but those on a sacred quest from approaching, that perhaps I could obtain a sacred quest from the Shrine of Singularity here in the realm of the Gargoyles, but that I would need to fly in order to reach it. I left Bolesh to rest and took some time to explore the rest of the city. I found the very slab I had been lashed to during the Gargoyles' initial attempt to sacrifice me, along with numerous graves, of the honored sacrifices and of those with no names, and a tomb where they laid their monarchs to rest - I chose to let them be. I spoke with some of the shopkeepers, none of which had names save that of their profession - the Foodmaker shared some of the local specialty with me (which turned out to be horsemeat!), the Weaponsmith spoke of the catacombs that housed shrines to the Gargoyle principles, the Goodscrafter blamed me for his depression and crisis of faith after the loss of his family in the wake of the cataclysms brought by the theft of the Codex. I spoke with two farmers who had very different ideas of how the wingless in their employ and care should be treated. But at the same time, I didn't want to overstay my welcome, and so I headed for Minoc, remembering mention somewhere in my travels that they knew the secrets of flight.<br />
<br />
A brief conversation with Lady Isabella pointed me in Selganor's direction once more, and he in turn told me that the inventor of the balloon (though considering I had flown one many years prior, I personally thought it was more likely he was its re-inventor) had headed to Sutek's island, east of Serpent's Hold, something about a job he had there. And so I set sail once more, navigating the channels through the islands until I reached the one I remembered as the wizard Sutek's.<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDrXTlOXMzQABDuI3dl3cfO30yBl6PzGMRG8l8RuiLMq6sdyqXmGEAcEFzdBXho4ngQOMk1CAplNsJBnml9gwi7oNF3tuOyixdoOZ3XdfX1d6zGjByQgSSX7KNpoCjYo3SAgtmwNWDJfBW/s1600/ultima6_124.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDrXTlOXMzQABDuI3dl3cfO30yBl6PzGMRG8l8RuiLMq6sdyqXmGEAcEFzdBXho4ngQOMk1CAplNsJBnml9gwi7oNF3tuOyixdoOZ3XdfX1d6zGjByQgSSX7KNpoCjYo3SAgtmwNWDJfBW/s1600/ultima6_124.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Uhhh... I'll just see myself to the exit.</td></tr>
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I made landing at his dock, and took note of the abundance of rabbits near the entrance of his abode. I thought little of them - until they began to attack, with sharper teeth than expected! It turned out the island was full of creatures that were not all that they appeared, the results of mad experiments - dual-headed creatures seemed to be the favorite, including alligators, cows, and those cursed giant ants I'd fended off earlier in the desert. Clearly Sutek had changed over the years. It took some careful searching and well-aimed spells (including Telekinesis just to lower his front gate!) to navigate his once-simple home. Energy fields, secret doors, levers, pull-chains... Sutek made use of all of them, and they were guarded by his frenzied experiments. It all culminated in another hydra, guarding the only passageway to both Sutek himself and the chambers beneath the structure. I tried speaking with the mad wizard, but he was of little help, only cackling when I asked about the balloonist, and telling me he was deep in the catacombs beneath his home. So down I plunged, fending off the most gigantic serpents I'd ever seen and wrestling with the riddles of a two-headed horse known as the Pushme-Pullyu. I feared the worst for the poor balloonist, but I did find one still-living friendly face beneath Sutek's. Gorn, a barbarian with a rather thick accent, lamented his lack of traveling companions, and so we invited him to join with us. The last I'd seen of him was in the depths of Blackthorn's dungeons - he seemed a tad simple, but well-meaning, and we were glad to have him along.<br />
<br />
Our fears for the balloonist proved well-founded, as he lay dead in a corner of the deepest part of the catacombs. He did, however, carry the plans for his balloon on him, listing rope, a cauldron, a large silk bag, and a basket large enough to hold several people as the necessary materials. He also made mention of an anchor as excellent ballast should it prove necessary. And so it was off to the craftsmen of Britannia to gather what items I would need to construct the balloon. After a pit stop in Moonglow to once again restock reagents, I headed for Paws, where I bought rope, and Marissa confirmed she could make a bag out of silk, if I would procure it for her. Arbeth just down the road spun a good portion of my spider silk into thread, and in New Magincia, Charlotte wove the thread into a bolt of cloth. Then it was back to Minoc, where Michelle happily put her skills to the test and wove a basket large enough to fit all of us comfortably. Then it was back to Paws once more to get Marissa to sew the bag itself. Once she had finished, I followed the plans to put everything together, and <i>voila</i>! I was in the possession of my very own lighter-than-air device.<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgszExEGg51RJzdCHe0drFD_H2OJBahNL8cZjhRFyE-ZESD5CDuzMFXbQUdeC0nbOIN1CeDhqtiega2l0QLQ-zxCFRUPjtXqyMtY_gBMO6Uf3IYYh1XxAyd0ScXEaW9HdCGsKBP882uhT24/s1600/ultima6_158.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgszExEGg51RJzdCHe0drFD_H2OJBahNL8cZjhRFyE-ZESD5CDuzMFXbQUdeC0nbOIN1CeDhqtiega2l0QLQ-zxCFRUPjtXqyMtY_gBMO6Uf3IYYh1XxAyd0ScXEaW9HdCGsKBP882uhT24/s1600/ultima6_158.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I wonder who that could be!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I headed back to the Gargoyle lands, and after boarding the balloon, I soared around the area for a while, looking for a place to pass over the mountains. The magic fan that had been among Hawkins' treasure proved a treasure indeed, as it made directing the balloon a good deal easier than if I'd had to subject myself to the whims of the weather, and didn't cost me any reagents. Eventually I found the Shrine of Singularity. I was uncertain as to whether the Shrine would bestow a sacred quest upon one not of the Gargoyles, but upon approaching the Shrine, a voice resonated in my head, asking me for whom I truly sought the Codex. A moment's consideration, and I gave the Shrine my reply - for everyone, both human and Gargoyle. The voice replied that my answer had been wise, but how could I work for the good of a race I did not truly understand? I was told to seek out the three Shrines of the Gargoyle principles - Control to the west, Passion to the east, Diligence to the south - where I would find a being exemplifying each principle. I was to return when I had done so.<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlSYWONLrX35tiUpEVErA5lLGRnX_i6lD1C1Sk17Cf-osAvyEoUrqIgGCkznf-WGfkl16gNIFrqZHKFU0n1ay0JY-vBPmxZikUYfAmSOCs3lkqKu-sSTNX4XDTtbXUQZYBabHkGFiqIgRq/s1600/ultima6_168.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlSYWONLrX35tiUpEVErA5lLGRnX_i6lD1C1Sk17Cf-osAvyEoUrqIgGCkznf-WGfkl16gNIFrqZHKFU0n1ay0JY-vBPmxZikUYfAmSOCs3lkqKu-sSTNX4XDTtbXUQZYBabHkGFiqIgRq/s1600/ultima6_168.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I think this one's gonna need a rewrite.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I left the Shrine with a new sense of purpose, but there was one more thing left to do in the city. I hadn't yet paid a visit to the Hall of Knowledge, and Naxatilor had told me there was information (and an item) that I would need. The Caretaker of the Hall told me a bit about what lay within - one room held books of import to the Gargoyles, another relics of my own realm, and a third the lens I sought, along with the pedestal where something called the Vortex Cube once sat. Apparently it had been stolen some time ago, and rumor had it that it was taken to Stonegate. I made a note to drop by there when I had opportunity. In the meantime, I picked up the remains of the shattered lens, and learned of the retrieval of the Codex from the Void, of the relationships between winged and wingless Gargoyles, and a glimpse into what the Gargoyles interpreted of Britannia. Still musing over everything I just read, I took the lens to the Gargoyle Lensmaker, who repaired the one I had in my possession. Naxatilor was pleased when I showed it to him, and informed me I would need a second, made by a human lensmaker, which would also need to be concave.<br />
<br />
That left me with much to do, but also much to sift through. So I decided to call it a day there, and give myself opportunity to let everything I had discovered about the Gargoyles sink in.<br />
<br />
~~~<br />
<br />
Let's take a moment to talk about contrast.<br />
<br />
It's a powerful device in any sort of narrative. In fact, one could argue that it's just about <i>necessary </i>in order to give one a good sense of stakes. Why should one care about how things have changed, or might change if something isn't done, if one doesn't have a baseline to compare it to? But more than that, contrast is great fodder for conflict, for development, for friction and, eventually, the learning of lessons in a story. It's <i>boring</i> to read about two characters who are so similar that they agree on practically everything. There's nothing to move anything forward in that sort of situation - it's contrast that drives them to discuss and deliberate, to consider, to take action. Even if it's not strictly <i>conflicting</i> contrast, it's important to give a good sense of both sides of the story.<br />
<br />
This session was practically all <i>about</i> the contrast. The Gargoyle Realm stands in pretty stark physical contrast to Britannia - sloping, pyramidal structures as opposed to the rectangularity of Britannian buildings, triangular signage with weird letters, holes of pure void that need to be skirted. The rocky, rough terrain of the city as opposed to the wide open spaces and clear roads of Britannia. The floating, tri-colored lights, the glowing heat sources, the mats the Gargoyles sleep on - practically <i>everything</i> in visual design and structure stands to distinguish Gargoyle society in stark contrast to Britannia, from nearly every angle.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqiZDACFs4iSAIx0pnPGQ8bUg75x7XPauFCV22T_6OnsOfn4IBH60ag5ddAomRmassMUWHJNQOlvlWwgphmSUjOApG8r1VWiDJ-LSdIsqeneQAaCm4__oF8Ep-NMcMf6RJkZ6jhYFbJe6v/s1600/ultima6_171.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqiZDACFs4iSAIx0pnPGQ8bUg75x7XPauFCV22T_6OnsOfn4IBH60ag5ddAomRmassMUWHJNQOlvlWwgphmSUjOApG8r1VWiDJ-LSdIsqeneQAaCm4__oF8Ep-NMcMf6RJkZ6jhYFbJe6v/s1600/ultima6_171.png" /></a></div>
But it's not just contrast in the sense of the visual, either. Even several of the residents serve as evident contrast to others. Farmer Krill is all business, believing the wingless under him need to be strong-armed and kept on tight metaphorical leashes, whereas Farmer Nash does less well, partly because he feels he should give the wingless more freedom to make their own decisions. The Weaponsmith is disgusted with the Goodscrafter, both having lost someone close to them in the cataclysms, yet the Weaponsmith clings tight to his beliefs and principles, finding solace in them, whereas the Goodscrafter falls into despair and depression, casting them aside. The willingness of Valkadesh compared to the thundering anger of Draxinusom, the fact half the town's residents don't even have names beyond their job - there are so many ways to stand the Gargoyles in contrast to each other, and yet this has the effect not of distinguishing them from Britannians, but portraying them as <i>similar</i>. Though representing two very different societies, these are all the sorts of problems humans face as well as the Gargoyles, and here, contrast isn't just used to differentiate, but to make the Gargoyles <i>relatable. </i>It's wonderfully utilized here, and as wildly dissimilar as the two worlds are meant to be, it's these little touches that reinforce what the player is trying to do - give both sides an opportunity to understand the other.<br />
<br />
I also don't want to let this session go without mentioning how much I love the fact the balloon-building focuses on the craftsmen. The first part of the game involves hobnobbing with the uppity-ups, the ones in power - Lord British, his trusted advisors, the mayors. But the latter part of the game, it's all about the lower classes, and while pirates and thieves would probably be enough to demonstrate that, the game goes one step further, utilizing the more virtuous and good-natured lower classes in the form of the craftsmen scattered around Britannia. Great use of contrast once more, and I wish this sort of thing was done in more games. I mean come on - look at how excited Michelle is to help out in an endeavor like this!<br />
<br />
~~~<br />
<br />
I can't quite move on from a post in which I explore Gargish society without going into the language, but that's more fitting for a separate post. I've got a heck of a lot to say about <i>that </i>particular topic, considering that sort of thing is my bread and butter. But hopefully it'll be ready to get out there soon, and then I can gather the last few pieces I need to finish up Ultima VI - the end is in sight, folks!Linguistic Dragonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13246332346527264632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3241816870477983024.post-75932925599291937412015-08-27T16:43:00.000-07:002015-08-27T16:43:08.073-07:00Ultima VI: Pieces of Eight(I suppose more accurately that should be 'Eight Pieces,' but 'Pieces of Eight' sounds considerably more piratey, and thus more fitting.)<br />
<br />
As nice as it would have been to kick back for some much-needed - and arguably well-deserved - R&R on the lovely banks of scenic Dagger Isle, I only had a scant half of the map in my pockets, and four other pieces yet to seek out. Two lay in Britannia's dungeons, one in Shame, another in Wrong, and after my harrowing experience in Destard, I wasn't yet sure of the wisdom of chasing after those two yet. Perhaps a somewhat thin rationalization, admittedly, of my reluctance to do some more dungeon-delving without further magical backup, but there it was. So too did the scorching desert heat seem unappealing at the moment - Sin'Vraal was a capable sort, it wasn't as if he couldn't take care of himself and whatever pirate might be making his way to confront the demon. And so there was my decision - it was off to Empath Abbey next, to seek out Nathaniel Moorehead and hope that he wouldn't send me on yet another wild goose chase.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQPvBV4NYytu3w7K5JE90HKvsLyt7zMJpOUnnL9PMxuumvRTna-mdsSKliCc346Zo1C4uAG1PvioWbqX_3geYWUoXi4146FuATMZsFQB9dS-w1md0tzKO-jRX2JejGPIgY_lPnFxv-RxPu/s1600/ultima6_000.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQPvBV4NYytu3w7K5JE90HKvsLyt7zMJpOUnnL9PMxuumvRTna-mdsSKliCc346Zo1C4uAG1PvioWbqX_3geYWUoXi4146FuATMZsFQB9dS-w1md0tzKO-jRX2JejGPIgY_lPnFxv-RxPu/s1600/ultima6_000.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I suppose I should have expected 'no response.'</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I summoned a moongate to Yew via the Orb of the Moons, and made my way down the meandering path to the Abbey. It was dark by the time I arrived, and I was surprised to note that Skara Brae was not the only haunted locale in Britannia - passing by the graveyard, I saw a good number of ghosts floating amongst the tombstones! They were less... distinct than Quentin had been, likely due to Quentin's death being a recent affair, and none of these ghosts seemed hostile in the least, simply the remnants of the graveyard's occupants that had decided to linger around a little longer for one reason or another. I left them alone to their own devices and awaited the morning.<br />
<br />
When it came, I made my rounds among the townsfolk, asking after Nathaniel and if anybody knew where I could find him. Eventually I was directed to his widow - Nathaniel himself had been dead for some time, leaving what profit his piracy had brought about to his dear Sylaina, who lived off of that and what money she could make as a seamstress and embroiderer. She was familiar with the crap I sought, but here too was another snag - it had been kept in a locket of hers that was recently stolen by a band of wandering gypsies. I despaired of finding them in the vast landscape - Zoltan and his band had been tricky enough to track down when I was looking for them - but Sylana eased those fears when she told me that this particular band was known to frequent the road passing from Britain to Trinsic.<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJi6BFBmChuf2HhJuU_Xqlxw0u9wQ_mkid11D50oc5_LJGbIfpb8dom_D-3ro1U6LjZmg1n4duWi0LC8B-pyn64SdV6ZTuV93_gSCmG817leI9-eAFIzdHZ8VBi1w0xkwoMz-q3zU7xH-h/s1600/ultima6_014.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJi6BFBmChuf2HhJuU_Xqlxw0u9wQ_mkid11D50oc5_LJGbIfpb8dom_D-3ro1U6LjZmg1n4duWi0LC8B-pyn64SdV6ZTuV93_gSCmG817leI9-eAFIzdHZ8VBi1w0xkwoMz-q3zU7xH-h/s1600/ultima6_014.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I did, for the record.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
So pulling out my Orb of the Moons once more, I made my way to Trinsic, and sure enough, just north of the town, I caught sight of a traveling caravan, making camp just as night fell. This band were a rather less savory sort than Zoltan and his entourage. Indeed, while on the surface they seemed genial, nearly all of the actions they took were designed to either bilk me or distract me so they could take what gold I had for themselves. Even the piece of the map their leader Arturos held, which he himself said was hardly interesting, ended up costing me fifty gold once he learned that I did indeed have some use and desire for it. The exchange I'd made with the wisps meant I had more than enough to make the deal, but I was not sorry in the least to part ways with these folk.<br />
<br />
From there I made my way to the Shrine of Sacrifice in the desert, and after a brush with some giant ants came across the cottage where Sin'Vraal called home. Hurriedly I warned him of the pirate that was likely headed his way to kill him, and after a moment, with a bit of a confused expression, he told me that he'd met a pirate once, but that he'd been dragged off by the very insects that I'd bumped into on my way here. It turned out they were numerous, building large mounds in the desert that they called home. It seemed that I would have to plunge into the depths of these tunnels that they dug in order to find the poor man - although it was hard to feel a good deal of pity for him, knowing that he'd intended to kill someone who, despite a frightening appearance, was rather a good sort at heart.<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc_dtrDUBX6XM8nXR2G2d-RA7-4_rFaDAEjOYLA0SEveIOHxraKXoEcD21Nul6cyAE-ZAuC4m0IpD-tzgl8Li57P-F6UuA6YquYG5jMo2zLSViKvBXO6DG-n_VwAphyrtyKYu70Mw1C6LK/s1600/ultima6_034.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc_dtrDUBX6XM8nXR2G2d-RA7-4_rFaDAEjOYLA0SEveIOHxraKXoEcD21Nul6cyAE-ZAuC4m0IpD-tzgl8Li57P-F6UuA6YquYG5jMo2zLSViKvBXO6DG-n_VwAphyrtyKYu70Mw1C6LK/s1600/ultima6_034.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I didn't sign up to be an exterminator!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The ant caverns were extensive and winding, and I'm fairly certain I spent a good deal of time wandering in circles before I managed to push my way deeper into the colony. All the while we were beset upon by swarms of the beasts, though thankfully they proved just as squishy as their normal-sized versions. We were little worse for the wear even as we finally reached the body of the pirate Sin'Vraal had mentioned. There was something vaguely ironic about a man who had gone out into the desert seeking to kill, and ending up dead himself. He did indeed have a scrap of the map on him, so after taking it and paying our respects, we made our exit.<br />
<br />
The skirmishes we had with the giant bugs were enough to give both Blaine and Dupre reason to visit one of the shrines again, so it was off the the Shrine of Compassion for Blaine and the Shrine of Valor for Dupre. It also bought me a bit of time to decide which of Shame or Wrong were the lesser of the two evils, for they now contained the only two pieces I had left to collect, and I couldn't stall the expedition any longer. Remembering what lay beneath Shame the last time I paid it a visit, I decided to head for Wrong, and we gated to Minoc, sailing across Lost Hope Bay to the dungeon's entrance. It still seemed to be functioning as a prison of some sort, as there were many monsters in cells. There was a guard keeping watch over a room that held the switches to many of them, and he lashed out unheedingly when we stepped in. Many of the creatures were locked and barred away, which meant we could safely pass them by, but the problems were complicated when we came across a dragon, which could summon demons. We took advantage of the natural chokepoint of the doorway to keep the dragon itself in check, and charm spells were flung left and right as the demon fought to turn Shamino against us - the poor ranger must have been so confused mentally when everything was said and done. Demons, dragons, drakes, we faced them all, until we came to a locked door guarded by a hydra. The creature couldn't do much to us from its position, though (seriously, I fought it THROUGH the door, which was... weird, to say the least), and it was a relatively simple fight. The room beyond looked empty, but I found it odd to have a room guarded by a magical lock and a hydra, and sure enough, closer inspection revealed a secret door that not only held a seventh piece of the map, but a new magical bow for Iolo, now that Blaine had caught up with most of the party and I didn't have to worry about him outdamaging the gypsy.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwM6F8VtJ7n0DkQAluLY8dRcJADzxKSjtm1tccEX4m1smweZXkMeY-y55RO0tF8Rl3W9wbCv9T-LwivMq-gBmIAlMlGC2yDGEx-QNyZlLKHFjyH77Fcsfu2xpW6ULEYk0fslAxKxFHuaQ6/s1600/ultima6_044.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwM6F8VtJ7n0DkQAluLY8dRcJADzxKSjtm1tccEX4m1smweZXkMeY-y55RO0tF8Rl3W9wbCv9T-LwivMq-gBmIAlMlGC2yDGEx-QNyZlLKHFjyH77Fcsfu2xpW6ULEYk0fslAxKxFHuaQ6/s1600/ultima6_044.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Note the hydra covering the door. How does that work?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Heartened by the fact that our trek through Wrong had been comparatively simple, we headed for Shame, hoping that things had changed since the last time we were in there. And for the most part, it had - there were many, many creatures that wished us ill in its depths, but most of them were the likes of skeletons, alligators, rats, and the like. Hardly a problem for any of us at this point. We did come across a reaper (that I SWEAR actually MOVED), which did take some time to deal with, and a cavern off a side corridor was absolutely <i>filled</i> with a mixture of trolls, mongbats, and headless, but a single explosion spell took care of them. In truth, the most arduous aspect of the trek was getting lost more than the monsters. I actually found myself wishing I'd paid a visit to the dungeon sooner, as it was absolutely littered with gold nuggets everywhere, and there wasn't much lack of torches and salvageable rations, either. Eventually I found Old Ybarra down at the bottom of the dungeon, starved and raving. He was all too happy to exchange his piece of the map for some of our food, though no matter how much we gave him it never seemed to be enough. He eventually collapsed, and having done all we could have for the man, we left him - but not before squashing the gremlins that danced about his little campsite. No wonder he'd had problems with food.<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfZkH_wVXDcxrJ5oYmtNXhU9HC50xwq_b0PwZJKgk-Y2HzBC6OhRfoFff-4AfWUXm-MLZkOEHewxYGYEwfMp-09FFJdotZuvtttpqSTjD7gwXsJndexQ16qGCESxUOk9viONN_8xPOeAoa/s1600/ultima6_054.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfZkH_wVXDcxrJ5oYmtNXhU9HC50xwq_b0PwZJKgk-Y2HzBC6OhRfoFff-4AfWUXm-MLZkOEHewxYGYEwfMp-09FFJdotZuvtttpqSTjD7gwXsJndexQ16qGCESxUOk9viONN_8xPOeAoa/s1600/ultima6_054.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ah, explosion spells. So useful.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
With all eight pieces of the map in my possession, it was time to head back to Buccaneer's Den and get Homer to cough up the location of his own. Not before another trip to the shrines, however, as both Aric and Shamino wanted to reap the fruits of their battles in Shame. So after a jaunt to the Shrine of Honesty for Aric and the Shrine of Compassion for Shamino, we set sail once more for the den of pirates, and as the sun rose, we sought out Homer once more. Before he told us what we wanted to know, he made us promise to give him the storm cloak that lay among Hawkins' treasure trove. Reluctantly, we did so, and it turned out the final piece of the map was in his pocket the whole time. Should have known. He informed us the island in the upper left corner of the map was the Den itself, and once we arrived at the island indicated, he gave us directions to follow from the center of three standing stones we would find there. Once we pieced the map back together, it wasn't hard to find the island in question, and following Homer's directions and fighting off another hydra, we dug just to the south of a dead tree and found an entrance to another cavern.<br />
<br />
It turned out that <i>this</i> was the cavern I should have been worried about, over Shame or Wrong. Hawkins' grave was the first thing we found, along with a few supplies, including a sextant, which would certainly come in handy. The pirate captain clearly was not well liked at all - even his epitaph read "He died a hard death and he deserved it." It wasn't hard to see why, if he went to the lengths to hide his treasure in such a dangerous place. Lava everywhere, demons and drakes hiding out on it, poison fields, traps everywhere, signs that outright lied to us, numerous slimes - this place threw everything it had at us, and we did not back down. Once again, I was glad I'd stocked up on reagents, as several spells came in handy during the trip. Vanish spells dealt with the traps we came across, fields were dispelled, and the Chain Lightning spell Aric had just gained access to just <i>tore</i> through the hordes of enemies hanging out in the lava. It was also an Explosion spell that blew down the door that led to the stash itself, and once we cleaned up the slimes crawling all over it, we claimed our prizes. Gold coins, gold nuggets, gems, invisibility rings, a magic fan which I suspected to be similar to the one (if not the same) that Utomo had mentioned back in Yew - to say nothing of the storm cloak Homer wanted so badly, and the object of this whole excursion in the first place, the silver tablet.<br />
<br />
More than ready to be done with this place, we headed once more for the Shrine of Valor for Iolo to boost his strength, then back to the Lycaeum to give the tablet to Mariah. It took her some time to translate the tablet - whether I helped or hindered by peeking over her shoulder with a good deal of interest and the occasional remark, I still don't know - but eventually she had a good idea of what lay within the books pages, and it made my blood run cold.<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH6HjMLdgBlO2u7nOKxr01KCDFxVNDPGhabKEQ4aQWkEDO3h_WLcjWgWk2SeLVmDg4jM7YTaAPgJDTqqLFMnKEGPqya0H67a9-hemXsqDGMFq3fV9Q5sw3xjDmZ1zzO60KQEjYW2Eg_Fmk/s1600/ultima6_116.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH6HjMLdgBlO2u7nOKxr01KCDFxVNDPGhabKEQ4aQWkEDO3h_WLcjWgWk2SeLVmDg4jM7YTaAPgJDTqqLFMnKEGPqya0H67a9-hemXsqDGMFq3fV9Q5sw3xjDmZ1zzO60KQEjYW2Eg_Fmk/s1600/ultima6_116.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Rosetta Stone of Britannia</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The book spoke of a prophecy of the Gargoyles, how they would know the approach of the end times of their race by the coming of a great evil, who would ravish their kind three times. This evil would be of another race, who would consider him a great prophet, but he would be false, not knowing the ways of the Gargoyles and leading them only to ruin. Upon his first arrival, he would desecrate the most holy place of the Gargoyles and steal their most holy relic, the Codex of Ultimate Wisdom. Secondly, he would descend into the bowels of the earth and cause the underworld to collapse, causing earthquakes and great ruin. The final time, he would come with warriors, to destroy the Gargoyle race forever. And the only way to avert this prophecy would be the sacrifice of this False Prophet.<br />
<br />
Suddenly everything came into focus. <i>I</i> was that False Prophet. I had taken their sacred texts, desecrated their holiest place, shattered their world, and for that they had determined that I must die. And so they called up a moongate of their own, snatching up to sacrifice me in the name of saving their way of life.<br />
<br />
This was not going to be something easily fixed.<br />
<br />
Mariah suggested paying Sin'Vraal another visit, as he was no demon, but one of the Gargoyles himself, and I mentally chastised myself for not having realized this sooner - and not just that, but the lesson he so clearly represented that not all of a terrifying exterior, or indeed, a different way of life, were necessarily an enemy.<br />
<br />
I made a few detours before heading back to the desert, mostly as a way of settling my reeling mind. I dropped by Xiao's to restock on reagents, went back to Homer to deliver the storm cloak as I'd promised (an Avatar does need to be honest and honorable, after all), exchanged the nuggets I'd found in Shame for coins, bought a new skiff (I'd left mine on the shores of the island where Hawkins buried his treasure), then finally made my way to the desert once more and took the time to catch up with Sin'Vraal.<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6P_9iN2C9x6bucCKM89viLGSwOCXYgnBC8PG29uYeCuxllBSYSRxpLBLhLCysBSZICEkD-HCd5OwL3aumZQeUNlGj04iO35D95n3uqJEMMJGA5DW8JtGHRbmmQobHxC8xwaTgMh_SnTrz/s1600/ultima6_132.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6P_9iN2C9x6bucCKM89viLGSwOCXYgnBC8PG29uYeCuxllBSYSRxpLBLhLCysBSZICEkD-HCd5OwL3aumZQeUNlGj04iO35D95n3uqJEMMJGA5DW8JtGHRbmmQobHxC8xwaTgMh_SnTrz/s1600/ultima6_132.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ya think?!</td></tr>
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He told me a bit more about his kind, that he was not free among his people because despite the fact he had wings, he could not fly, and that ranked him among the wingless - the lower, working caste. He told me of their Temple of Singularity, the place that once held the Codex and the most holy place of the Gargoyles - and also the fact one needed to be able to fly to reach it. Upon telling him of my situation and what I hoped to do about it, he remarked on the point that 'sacrifice' could mean many things in the Gargoyle language. Wondering if this would all boil down to a matter of semantics, he suggested I seek out a Gargoyle scholar, and that I could reach those lands through the dungeon Hythloth.<br />
<br />
I knew what my next steps would have to be.<br />
<br />
~~~<br />
<br />
I rather like Ultima VI's sense of pacing - there's always something to do, and it's not all clumped together so you're spending long stretches of the game just running around without any true feeling of <i>progress</i> behind it unless you're intentionally doing so, which was a big problem back in Ultima II - but Sin'Vraal is probably the one point I've felt thus far where things get disrupted. It's too easy to get him to share the dialogue about the Gargoyles when you meet him while seeking out the pirate in the desert, and it kind of short-circuits that big revelation that <i>should</i> get dropped only once you get the tablet itself. That's just my writerly sensibilities talking, though, and considering that the whole pirate's treasure sidequest can be skipped in its entirety, it's a good thing there's a second method of getting at least an inkling of that bombshell in the game somewhere, an alternate path to the next plot point. I just wish it was via some other means, it feels a little odd to have that particular reveal happen "too soon."<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCNGm9_0jI7cAdVwIZFz1mhC7FpfGe-gvQvjmNEmaddG78JQge9yhhFSoqgqHqt77al2rTO0JcyKLfzPcAPaOEYKK3uTHpNMt5V_mtx_gfKO7pbAjHVfRLITHDMw8Xs1civBohPlfSMQt2/s1600/ultima6_018.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCNGm9_0jI7cAdVwIZFz1mhC7FpfGe-gvQvjmNEmaddG78JQge9yhhFSoqgqHqt77al2rTO0JcyKLfzPcAPaOEYKK3uTHpNMt5V_mtx_gfKO7pbAjHVfRLITHDMw8Xs1civBohPlfSMQt2/s1600/ultima6_018.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">...I don't think that's how names work.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
This bit of the game also brought up something that I <i>really</i> appreciated about Ultima VI, the fact that it ties in not just to its immediate predecessor, but <i>everything</i> that's come before it. Granted, it does so by way of a few retcons and such, but I don't find them particular obtrusive, and moreover, it's not necessarily done in a way that makes it impenetrable for newcomers to the series. The Book of Prophecy basically interprets all of the Avatar's deeds during the Age of Enlightenment from another angle, and the Age of Darkness gets its time in the spotlight later in the game too. But at the same time, the game doesn't expect you to know everything that it's talking about, either - Mariah spells out that she thinks it's fairly clear the book is referring to your deeds, saving new players from both an infodump and confusion as to how in the world any of that relates to you. It's a nod to the series as a whole without being so hamhanded as to alienate anybody unfamiliar with canon in its entirety, and it's the way I think a series is best handled.<br />
<br />
On a more personal note, it's taken me some time to get around to typing this up, mostly due to the fact that life has kind of gone a touch tumultuous <i>again</i>, but it has, to some extent, got me thinking about this blog and where I might go from here. No, don't worry, I've no intent of halting my efforts in the least - I'm actually discovering I'm enjoying this <i>immensely</i>, and while it's taking me longer to play through the games, I'm finding myself paying more attention to the detail work knowing that I'm going to be blogging about it later. I've actually learned a good deal through his venture, and that's what's got me thinking. As for what I'm thinking <i>about</i> - I think I'll save that until after I finish Ultima VI. That seems a good point for a 'state of the blog' type post, I think.<br />
<br />
I'm eager to dive into this next portion of the game, as I'm excited to see what the Gargoyle Lands have in store for me and I've never really seen them before for myself, and I've got another post in the works focusing on the Gargish alphabet and what can be discerned from the Gargish language from it, but I'm not sure whether I'm going to toss that up before or after I venture through Hythloth and what lies beyond. But I'm nigh-giddy over getting it out there - I've been sitting on that one for a <i>long</i> time - so stay tuned! There's still a good deal ahead of me.Linguistic Dragonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13246332346527264632noreply@blogger.com0