Ultima: Quest of the Avatar - Humble Shepherd Run FINALE

Channel:

Master Knight DH

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Published on August 25, 2019 8:54:31 PM ● Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rsjXD7GfBAA

Game:

Ultima IV: Quest of the Avatar (1985)

Duration: 1:07:41

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1

Rules:
-Shepherd Main Character
-No deaths
-No Orbs (exceptions: Mariah gets 1 Orb from Wrong, 1 from Shame; Janna gets 1 Orb from Wrong; may add 1 Orb from Covetous for Geoff)
-Hack used to halve the Might values of physical range weapons, and also shift a quarter of the stat influence for physical range attacks from Dexterity (the actual Dexterity) to Strength
-No Virtue drops or farming
-Given spells may be banned as deemed fit
-No using the Paladin or Tinker

I think in light of the recent mass shootings, I'd want to get a good project off the ground. Obviously, anything involving guns casually (Advance Wars or Lost Frontier) is out, but why not involve something involving welcome messages. Obviously, Ultima 4 is dated with Guide Dang It handling and other questionable handling of its own virtue system, but the ideas are certainly there at least, and I'd rather make it clear that #VideogamesAreNotToBlame no matter how messed up video game communities in general are. Besides, I'm for going with something tame enough at the moment after my venture with Startropics, even if 2x Speed would be recommended for usage with this series, because the combat system IS rather dated.

And it's done.

As you see, my docking at Moonglow was to be able to head to the Stygian Abyss from a convenient save point. You might also notice that I have the companions take the brunt of punishment along the way to the Stygian Abyss. This is because the Stygian Abyss forces the Avatar to go through it alone.

Oh, and by the way, getting in is a Guide Dang It moment. On the original computer version, meditating at the Shrines for the Virtues with singular Virtues for 3 cycles basically tells you the order in which you're supposed to use the items. The NES version only tells you that you're supposed to use the items, nothing about the portions of the order. For reference, it's Bell first, then Book, then Candle.

The Stygian Abyss's gimmick is that to advance to the next floor, you have to answer the question from the floor's chalice correctly and then insert the Stone for the representing Virtue. Hopefully you didn't forget to get the Black Stone from the Moonglow Moongate location at the double New Moons just because you didn't need it for the 3 Keys. The questions themselves aren't so complicated at all, which is rather lenient from the final dungeon.

Speaking of being the final dungeon, the Stygian Abyss wasn't as long as I expected, even if it helped that there are no random encounters to worry about and also fountains at FOUR given points to keep my Avatar's HP fresh. I was expecting being isolated would have made some fights drag, but spellwork did some wonders for the harder battles. Protect is blatant about this, granting for its clearly long enough duration +128 DEF which with the Exotic Armor results in effective invincibility to non-luck damage, and made tolerable not only Sleep nuisances, but also one particular room that spams Lava Lizards and Hydras on B8, and then of course the Companion Doppelganger. (Yes, doppelganger DOES work as plural.) Tremor, you have competition in the cheesing department. And if you're wondering what I do with the Companion Doppelganger, they do have their individual stats, and about half them avoid being 1HKOed by the Paradise Sword even with max Strength. I focus on the Fighter and Tinker first, though, because they have the highest ATK values, so taking them out of play sooner means I'm not as suffocated by swarming.

All in all, this part took all of 1 underwhelming recording to handle, though with the length, I'm glad it didn't need another 700 or so attempts. I'm able to use the relaxation. More thoughts in an inevitable Comment.

All spells learned.

Coordinates of note thus far:
-69,105 - misconstrued as significant coordinates, but proved to be useful as a marker of being north of Britannia Castle and thus south of the dungeon Wrong
-149,46 - search during double New Moons for Fungus
-54,182 - search during double New Moons for Manroot (confirmed as that totally not suspicious poison swamp)

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