Game 3: Ultima: Exodus (NES) - Progress, at a Snails Pace

So, I'd like to take this time to welcome back CRPG Addict. I'm sure everyone here is already aware, but it doesn't feel right to not say something when writing a blog and playing a game with a character that are mostly based on him. When I decided to start this, before his hiatus, I had hoped to compare some of the games on my list with the ones on his. While many of the early ones are covered, there are still some later ones like Drakkhen, Hillsfar, and Eye of the Beholder that would lack comparable reviews.

I enjoy reading other views on the same game. In fact while I'm playing Exodus, I took a peak at his posts, and noted that it only took him 10 hours to get through Exodus (I didn't read past his spoilers warning, so maybe he explained this quick expedition). Maybe this is due to his previous experience with the game or a difference in the port, but I'm expecting at least double that.

I prefer the screen with character stats on the side

I'm 6 hours in, and have very little to show for it. I was able to check out the main island, found some towns, a lot of dungeons, and moon gates. The one dungeon I ventured in I hardly explored because I got scared off by the harder enemies. Grinding for gold, I managed to upgrade Chet's armor who passed on the leather to AmyK.

Who would have predicted CRPG Addict would be back so soon?

I think I've already mentioned it, but I'm wary about raising my level due to expecting the enemy level to increase as well. Without increasing my other stats, I feel that fighting stronger enemies would act as a hindrance to progress (not that I'm making much of that as is). Maybe I should just bite the bullet, and have a little more faith in the game; however, in this era of gaming, I'm slow to trust the game to stay within hand. So, I've explored all the towns I could find. Only finding the odd rumor and unhelpful dialogue, maybe this wasn't the right approach. All of the armor and weapons are the same, but I did find some guild shops to purchase keys. Even with the keys though, the doors in the castle don't lead to much.

Sounds good, thanks for the tip...

Now, wait a minute...

There's a prison, that didn't prove very helpful, although there are still two doors to open and some NPCs standing in deadly areas I've yet to talk to. A fortune teller that charges obscene amounts of gold was a little useless at this point. The cheapest hint definitely didn't endear her to me. I may try again once I have some cash to burn. Lastly, the boat I'd been so eager to get to was stuck in the moat, and I couldn't find a way to sail it out to shore. (I only found one NPC, who said he was guarding the castle. More like slacking off.)

This doesn't look safe

The most drawn out part of all this is the fighting. Battles can take a long time to resolve, but I need to get through them for the money (plus I've yet to find a way to retreat). Then there's the choice of opening just one treasure, with the risk of getting poisoned. Actually, I had not recalled that the open spell automatically avoids traps, and continued to forget this. With this firmly in mind now, Trick is mostly useless for that task, although he's still good for stealing from shops if I choose to go with that approach. Also, I had been neglecting the Repel spell, which is actually very handy for taking out the early living enemies I've found.

Wow, look at all that treasure! Wait, where'd Trick go?

I'm definitely enjoying the game; it all has a certain charm: the random exploring, trying new things, and making incremental progress. Now that I've explored a bit I'm fairly sure that I need to delve into the dungeons. Maybe I'm being a bit too cautious, but the early party wipe caused me some concern. With the only save point at Lord British's castle, I still haven't wanted to stray too far. Next steps are to collect some gold, get a blowgun for Chet (I was really hoping for some kind of bow), stock up on food, and fully explore one of the dungeons. There are Shrines, which I've been unable to find, and flowers somewhere that a girl named Sherry is asking for. Also, a ship would be great. Maybe horses for 800 Gold isn't too bad of a deal, at least it'd help me travel faster.

I'm noticing a lot of dialogue directed at the player. The fourth wall is more like a parapet with quotes like "are you a descendent of Link?" and "I'll tell you a secret. I really enjoy Ultima V." Immersion is often broken because of these quips, and it's hard to take the game seriously. I'm not too concerned with this though, as I haven't found myself thoroughly drawn in even without running into these NPCs. It's hard to think of this as another world when many conversations are repeated, and other NPCs will spout off random nonsense. What am I supposed to think when an NPC responds, "I'm Jane. I'm on a diet." without any context?

I know he meant this to be funny, but playing it decades later, it takes on a rather sad context

And many believed Richard Garriott's avatar was Lord British...