Ultima: Quest of the Avatar - Humble Shepherd Run Part 4

Channel:

Master Knight DH

Subscribers:

1,960

Published on August 12, 2019 12:55:09 AM ● Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A1QUbm82-Gk

Game:

Ultima IV: Quest of the Avatar (1985)

Duration: 32:57

15 views

1

Rules:
-Shepherd Main Character
-No deaths
-No Orbs
-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.

In this part, I guess we go by Lycaeum Castle and Jhelom. And both places are making me wish the Key was yet available, not locked behind freaking 2000 Gold. At least the Telescope view at Lycaeum shows the locations of the Virtue towns and the shrines.

I guess I can talk about the Reagent system. Basically, Reagents make sure there's demand for a second resource for using magic, and unlike MP, which does gradually regenerate, Reagents require going to a town in order to be supplied and resupplied with them. Already, this encourages using tempo spells over spells that could be MP cost-effective, because the tempo spells wouldn't require added Reagents of each given type involved to be casted.

What pushes the Reagent system into imbalance and making magic in general underpowered, however, is the excessive costs for Reagents. The whole thing is already a maintenance system, and then wouldn't you know it, the 6 base available types cost about 310G for every 10 pieces of all 6 types unless you exploit the seller being stone-blind. Attack spells particularly suffer because they require Pearls, which are the most expensive Reagents at 9G each; Mandrake Roots, which can only be found at a specific location at a specific time or bought at a specific Reagent shop with a "password" for 20G apiece; or both of those 2. I obviously burned through my Gold by providing 40% tips to begin with, but my complaints aren't changed when the costs still add up.

Missile suffers the most from the overpricing, because Heal not requiring any Pearls just brings up how the Reagents are in active competition with each other for their purchasing. By the time Pearls can be purchased on the side to halfway-decent effect, Missile completely sucks because even in this difficulty hack it's still going to be outpaced by the regular Bow. There are probably other spells that suffer from overpriced Reagents as well.

What do I expect, this IS an NES game.

Spell ingredient learning of note ATM:
-Tremor: Ash, Manroot, other ingredient(s) unknown (Beggar at Skara Brae and Soldier at Jhelom)
-Life: Garlic, Moss, Fungus, last ingredient only known by Marina of Empath Abbey (Nigel, Lycaeum)

Coordinates of note thus far:
-69,105 - unknown so far, could just be a joke by all indications
-149,46 - unknown so far, but search should be done during double New Moons

Other Statistics