The First Session
07 Oct 2020So after fiddling around for a few hours, I was able to get a working configuration for the game. As I declared in some form of exasperation, moderately light but not really hiding the true frustration, it really was a 90s video game experience.
But! A cut scene reminding me of the salient plot points of the first game and a new game prompt await me. As I prepare to dip in I have about 15 minutes before I have to tend to reality for a time. We’ll see what comes.
Oh the character portraits are memories.
There’s an assumption that one has read the manual I think, and knows the classes and other options because I have to pick my character portrait before I choose my profession. The bearded robed mysterious and perhaps a bit mystic gentleman it is. Smolder he shall be known as.
The races I remember pretty well but goodness there are a lot of classes! I’m not certain right now that I ever played the expansion, perhaps there’s a whole lot here.
I like to think about character creation. Where’s the fun in this? It’s terribly fun for me, and it’s about the mix and combination of attributes and the personality. Describing the personality of a character and how it connects to the role. That is interesting.
I’ve been thinking about automated character generation a bit for a thing I’m going to be obtuse about because it’s likely not going to amount to anything (much like this blog, anyway). But for that thing, I’ve been thinking about using personality determination systems like astrology or Myers-Briggs but not that one specifically because it’s copyrighted. Astrology isn’t though! Tarot is always cool because of cards but this ain’t no Ultima universe.
I have about five minutes left before I wanted to address some outstanding household duties and I’m going to spend it and probably just a tiny bit more reading these. But uh, I’m kind of thinking this guy is a Bard.
There are Bard sub-classes!
I have to think on the sub classes. Honestly there are compelling bits to any of them. The blade is an arrogant front man, spinning and cavorting. The jester a skilled mc rap battler and the skald is a viking at a rave.
I have returned to my notes for a time. The person I see in this portrait isn’t any of these things the classes are though so I may need to return to the portrait or dig further into other classes. There’s some roguishness and mysticness to the person in the portrait.
Character creation is the promise that a set of properties established at the start will have an impact on how the game is played.
Perhaps this person is a Sorceror.
I’ve played now for a couple of hours total. This person is in fact a Sorceror, though I don’t have a solid understanding of spellcasting in this world. I really think I should read the manual as a starting point, but since my laptop battery is nearly dead that will have to come another time.
I don’t like the combat yet, but that’s because I don’t know what I’m doing and of course, we don’t have very good equipment. More will come in time I think, and I’m quite happy to read guides so I will probably do so. I’ll likely read more about character classes and the impact these choices are going to have on the game as a whole.
The promise of character creation is that I get to role play. The limitation of role playing games is that we can only play within the confines created for us. It’s impossible to know the “right” build but it’s less about whether or not I will be powerful but whether or not I understand the consequences of the choices I am making.
If I as the player don’t have that understanding, whatever it actually is that character creation promises to is, will never be what I hoped it could be.
There is a tutorial feature in the game. It may be worth exploring that a little bit also.