[Kingzjester]

I just bought Gothic - well, actually, I bought it a few days ago and I just got it - and I still haven't started the game up... yet... because this is not my computer, you see... I'll try it later tomorrow.

It was sugested to me by the not yet extinct fellow and the silver ghost chef who had nice things to say about the game... So tell me, is there anything I should know before I endeavor into this world, something that would make it much more enjoyable? Maybe some secret tidbit that is really, really cool?

[Ninja Dodo]

Just two things really:

you need to use the action button (usually CTRL) with the arrow keys rather than on its own.

I just remembered that the thing about Gothic's controls is that the defaults aren't fantastic. What you want to do is change the controls to this:
W - forwards
S - backwards
A - turn left
D - turn right
Q - strafe left
E - strafe right

... rather than having A and D for strafe. This way you can alternate between using the mouse to turn and making 'steering corrections' with A and D. Works smoothly for me...

Also... when you're just starting out, know that you can't believe everything people say. It's important to talk to as many people as you can and to go places. That way you learn more and also get a much better perspective on things.

There's three camps to choose from and no one camp is really better than another... you don't have to stay in the Old Camp anyway.

[Erkki]

Near the end of the game I was practically invincible in combat and there was no challenge. But in the beginning of the game it's really easy to get killed. Umm... so you should try to level up as much as you can in the beginning, but starting from somewhere in the middle of the game you don't have to pay that much attention to that.

Oh, and somewhere I read that you should not enter locked areas before you get a quest to go there because it could cause bugs. But I don't know which areas exactly those are. Possibly the person was talking about using some kind of exploits or cheats to enter areas that normal play wouldn't let you enter anyway. I never had a problem with that, anyway.

Don't ask Mud to follow you! He's incredibly annoying and can't be get rid of without killing him, as far as I know. I lured him into a cave and killed him there.

Also I should mention there are Gothic-specific forums at http://gothic.rpgdot.com

[Ninja Dodo]

I vaguely remember he also got the point if you just slapped him across the face.

No need to get all homicidal... or you could just avoid the guy entirely, like Erkki says.

[Erkki]

Originally Posted by Ninja Dodo

I vaguely remember he also got the point if you just slapped him across the face.

It worked for a while, but then he said "let's forget that" and pretended that nothing happened. Or something like that. But maybe a second beating would have had results?

[Ninja Dodo]

Man, I've just been playing some Gothic 2 and it is excellent fun. It picks up right where the first one left off and improves on pretty much everything!

[soltys]

Gothic is really excellent game, with interesting story and great gameplay. On the side note, a lot of people complained about controls. Honestly I'm not sure why - yes they are a bit different, but when you get used to them, they work like a charm. I would suggest checking some faq or guide, because I'm pretty sure there were more to controls than I thought for the first time. Be sure to patch the game, as there were some nasty quest releated bugs.

And have good time playing

[Erkki]

Originally Posted by Ninja Dodo

Man, I've just been playing some Gothic 2 and it is excellent fun. It picks up right where the first one left off and improves on pretty much everything!

Except one -- buying stuff is now a little bit worse because you might accidentally buy more things than you want to (when holding the button down to purchase large quantities of stuff). Also, there are a few other things I liked better in Gothic 1, but I agree that overall, G2 is a big improvement.

[Garyos]

Would I regret skipping over Gothic 1 and going straight to Gothic 2? Are they very connected?

[Kingzjester]

Originally Posted by Erkki

Don't ask Mud to follow you! He's incredibly annoying and can't be get rid of without killing him, as far as I know. I lured him into a cave and killed him there.

Too late... fuck... I need to kill him now... Hell, if there is such a thing as justifiable homicide THIS would be it!!! I took him to the very beginning of the world and tried to kill him there, but he ran away before I could finish the job... Where is that cave you mentioned?

I think the brotherhood is the place for me, so I will be trying to advance there. There is nothing like a mellow bunch of stoners to make you feel at home...

I love the way the names are kinda vivid... there is no way you can confuse them really, they are slight puns at times. Col Angar, for example, who teaches you how to fight in the swamp camp... or Mud - who is annyong like pretty much everybody I've ever met who is STILL playing MUDs... Also trying to enter the castle is very Kafkaesque which is a plus...

[Ninja Dodo]

Originally Posted by Erkki

buying stuff is now a little bit worse because you might accidentally buy more things than you want to (when holding the button down to purchase large quantities of stuff)

Well, not really, cause you can still get your money or your stuff back as long as you haven't ended the transaction... and even after you have I think you can buy things back without losing money. It's actually way better now because you no longer have to select every single nugget of money. If there's any bunch of things that you want to buy or sell in its entirety you can just hit ALT. In Gothic 1 this took ages... really the only serious problem with the game.

I didn't like the sect guys. I wouldn't have minded their smoking - games don't have smell just yet thankfully - but I resented that ridiculous religious fanaticism. I see enough of that in the real world already, so the last thing I want is to surround myself with it in games as well.

Garyos: you can play the second one without having played the first one, but I think it's more fun if you have. For one thing, it gives you better perspective on the history of the game world but there's also a number of characters from the old game that appear in this one.

They don't seem to have the first one on Amazon, but if you ever see it in shops or catch it on ebay I can highly recommend it. Best RPG I've ever played.... although nr 2 looks to be challenging that title.

[Erkki]

Originally Posted by Garyos

Would I regret skipping over Gothic 1 and going straight to Gothic 2? Are they very connected?

I think you would regret it. Well, at least I think I would have. Gothic 2 will give away the ending of Gothic 1 so you also can't go back without having it spoiled if you skip it.
They are not so much connected that you would need to know anything from Gothic 1, but there are some characters that make a new appearance and you will even go back to the world of Gothic 1 (which has changed a lot).

Originally Posted by Kingzjester

Where is that cave you mentioned?

Right next to the bridge near the Old Camp entrance.

Originally Posted by Ninja Dodo

Well, not really, cause you can still get your money or your stuff back as long as you haven't ended the transaction...

Maybe there's a difference in patches? In my version of gothic 2 there is no longer an "accept" button, every transaction is immediate and every item is traded for gold. And when I buy back something I sold accidentally, I pay 3 times the price. Actually just got rid of my main weapon that way and decided not to buy it back.
Thanks for the ALT tip! Didn't know that.

[Ninja Dodo]

Actually, yeah, upon further inspection, you lose a lot of money buying things back and forth... so I guess that is one minor downside. ALT kind of aleviates the problem, because you wouldn't really need to hold down CTRL, reducing the risk of accidentally selling stuff you want to keep.

[Kingzjester]

Is there anybody in this prison colony willing to pay more than half of what my 40 crude swords are worth? C'mon folks, I stole the materials fair and square, and then worked my ass off in somebody else's foundry! I felt proud, though, knowing that I worked for something... Working pays well...

Another question, will the traders' purses and coffins coffers of sorts replenish ever, short of me buying stuff with ore?

EDIT: Coffins? Coffins?!

[Kingzjester]

Originally Posted by Ninja Dodo

I didn't like the sect guys. I wouldn't have minded their smoking - games don't have smell just yet thankfully - but I resented that ridiculous religious fanaticism. I see enough of that in the real world already, so the last thing I want is to surround myself with it in games as well.

C'mon, it's called ROLE-PLAYING... I don't love religious fanatics no less noway.

[Erkki]

Originally Posted by Kingzjester

Is there anybody in this prison colony willing to pay more than half of what my 40 crude swords are worth? C'mon folks, I stole the materials fair and square, and then worked my ass off in somebody else's foundry! I felt proud, though, knowing that I worked for something... Working pays well...

Cool. I never tried the foundry. But I think all the traders give you the same price for everything (half what it's worth).

Originally Posted by Kingzjester

Another question, will the traders' purses and coffins coffers of sorts replenish ever, short of me buying stuff with ore?

Yes, they will.

[Ninja Dodo]

I know, Kingz, but I prefer to play a role that's at least vaguely comfortable... which is also why I don't enjoy GTA much.

[Kingzjester]

So I finished the game and I must say that it is one of the best games I have ever played... Aside from the fact that the ending was a little lacklustre and barely explained, I really loved the game. I also like the way one of satndard clichés of fantasy writing is handled...

Spoiler:

...the Necromancer is actually quite a cool old chap. I thought that going to his castle would be a horrendous feat with many fallen zombies and ghouls and skeletons... Alas notwithstanding, when I got there but however... And his picture gravely set up in the inner fold of the manual made him seem like the secret Big Evil Boss. I actually thought when I joined the Brotherhood that they worshiped the Necromancer unknowingly - in as so much, I was not wrong - they did worship the Big Evil Boss, but the Big Evil Boss was not Xenogrk or whatever the Necromancer's name is.

I have to get the sequel, but I will wait til the near end of the semester, otherwise I will mess up my high-maintenance classes...

[Kingzjester]

Another thing I really like is the absence of typical RPG bullshit: you finish the quest and the guy who sent you out to your several doom-and-reloads gives you a magnificent new mythril weapon that can kill everything this side of the Mysterious Misty Muscht Mountains except the magical molusks of misery and yada yada yada... No, you clean out a mine from horrendous beasts that eat miners and the surveyor of the mine gives you a six-pack of beer! That is one of the greatest RPG moments I have ever had! It is so marv3lously understated!

And yes, I must admit, the game had a bad battle scheme, especially when fighting multiple foes...

[soltys]

Originally Posted by Kingzjester

And yes, I must admit, the game had a bad battle scheme, especially when fighting multiple foes...

In sequel you will get two methods of controls scheme - one similar to Gothic 1 and the other one more similar to hmmm, Rune maybe. I used the former one. Wasn't exactly the same as in G1 afair, but still better than the other choice (especially for ex-G1 players )