Game 22: Ultima: Quest of the Avatar (NES) - Final Rating

Combatant
Unlike most RPGs, the main draw for Ultima really isn't the combat. Sure it's there, but the focus is more on the story and plot. Even so, the system implemented improvements over Exodus. Battles are overall very well balanced even though the challenge is often missing (unless you count trying my patience). By mid-game combat became a chore with very little benefit. I ended up using the Blink spell more often than bothering to fight it out.

Spells are plentiful and offer a variety of options. I especially liked the Blind and Quick spells, but I found uses for Tremor and Energy as well as Protect and Jinx. I didn't venture too far into the spell library though as battles often ended quickly due to ranged attacks. Ranged weapons and spells are also now able to target any enemy; no longer are we restricted to straight lines.

Enemies are consistent with a normal fantasy game world (i.e. you start to wonder why they're attacking and where they all come from). The main complaint I had with Exodus is back to haunt the series though. Enemies level at the same pace as your party, and combats take longer with the same amount of gold rewarded. I really hope they address this by the next game.
Rating: 5

The only danger was getting stun-locked via Sleep

Admirer
There's a nice cast of characters here with enough to differentiate between them to make it interesting. The ability to influence your progression is limited. Magic is the only area you have any control over, but there's no give and take, so why not learn everything. Appearance is static for each character, and advancement to Avatar is the only path. Only HP advances with levels. Stats are raised by visiting orbs in dungeons, but in the end I didn't see much difference in having a higher dexterity or intelligence.
Rating: 4

Shouldn't I be glowing or something?

Puzzler
Puzzling out the hints and clues for the main quest is enough for me to give this game the highest puzzle rating yet. There are a couple side quests, and although not tough, provide an interesting task to follow up on while waiting for the shrines to allow meditation once more. Everything fits well in the story, and there are multiple ways of advancing in the virtues. On the flip side of that, figuring out how to avoid reducing virtues (while mostly commonsense) provides another challenge. The purpose of this section is really to highlight how well a game provides challenge outside of combat, and Ultima truly provides the best of that to date.
Rating: 5

One of the more subtle puzzles, I'm told Marina knows the final ingredient to the Life spell

Instigator
I went over my criteria, and while this seems low, hear me out. The main story does well to offer a number activities to involve the player in, and NPCs do offer assistance in guiding us along. However, the game lacks a bit of engagement. There's no way to truly affect the world or characters in it. They repeat the same dialogue with no options to guide the conversation. One character mentioned Ramsel left long ago, whereabouts unknown. I'd like to tell them I found someone of the same name in Buccaneer's Den, but that level of interaction isn't available. I also could use the skull of Mondain in town, but the townspeople regenerate as soon as I reenter. It's an interesting game and the main plot is compelling, but at least in this port, the supporting world lacks immersion and responsiveness.
Rating: 4

If this were the PC version I could probably ask you more about this Flamis fellow (later edit: turns out no)

Collector
If you like to leave no stone unturned, no chest unopened, and take everything not bolted down, then this isn't the game for you. Grinding for the amount of gold necessary to purchase every item would take longer than the potential gain is worth. The number of useful items is limited to herbs, and combat equipment. Said equipment isn't easily identifiable as stronger than other. (Is a sword or axe better?) There are a few class specific items, but beyond the Avatar ones, the classes that use them are very restrictive (I count one for fighter, and one for shepherd). The economy never tanked, although I may have over invested in herbs. About the only collectable items are the stones and runes, which are necessary for the plot. How long do I have to wait for small unique trophies or a book to track my Pokémon?
Rating: 3

No! That's probably the only one in existence...

Explorer
The very first 7 in any category! This game was a true joy to explore. I really loved how each town had its own feel and focus, and you reach them all from the beginning. Each area of the game had some new discovery to reveal. The music left something to be desired by the end. My favorite melody is only available by talking to a bard in the inn of Britain, and it quickly reverted to the original when I left town. The biggest feat is the completely open world. The limiting factors are quickly overcome when the ship and balloon become available (very nearly in the beginning of the game if you know how to get them). Lastly, rather than hopping from one hub town to the next, we get an entirely open world to explore and play.
Rating: 7

Randomly floated around and spotted a new town. So fun!

Final Rating: 28 [47%]

This is is a great game, easily the best of the year. Even though it tied with DW II  (edit: turns out I can't add, and it didn't tie... my records were just bad), I think there's more depth to this one and it has a slight edge over it. So, how does the game compare to the original? Well, there were a lot of changes. Beyond the obvious graphics and music, the game uses what I believe is a modified engine of Exodus. This means all the NPCs were reworked to have a single piece of dialogue. I believe the NES could have handled branching dialogue and keywords, but the developers decided against it. "What would a game like that look like without a keyboard?" you might ask. Well, I'm glad you asked. It'd look very much like the SMS version of this title.

PC

SMS

As you can tell, even with a slight graphical upgrade, it remains very true to the original. The menu based dialogue offers basic keywords (name, look, job, health, join, and give), and will add keywords as the conversation matures. Flamis here (I looked up who he was) has told me about holding the fabric of justice together. One difference I noted from the PC version, is that it's no longer possible to jump ahead of a conversation chain. No longer can I randomly walk up to people ask them about runes or stones in hopes they'll point the way. If I don't talk to a druid in Yew, ask about job, ask about justice, ask about shrine, then I'll never know to ask Talfourd about the rune. In the screenshot above, my newly made druid approaches him right away, "RUNE", and I get a response.

Mantra? What's a mantra?

Another point to make is I never needed to learn the mantra for each virtue. I guess the NES version didn't see a reason to include these. In the SMS version, I'd most likely need to track the conversation chain down to unlock them for later use. I didn't spend much more time with the games, but I noted eight vs. four active party members. I definitely think this is due to relying on the Exodus engine. Also, I believe ranged weapons remain tracked on a straight line on both the PC and SMS.

The SMS intro is very nice

Well, I'm going to read through Chet's posts now and comment on them from the NES port perspective. Hopefully I can gain and give a bit more insight. I stand by my statement that the NES received a dumbed down version though. Easier battles with ranged weapons (welcomed) and simple dialogue options (basically none) both make for a more straightforward game that lacks challenge. Before I close this up, and you move on somewhere else for further Ultima IV fixes, I'd like to point out there's a speedrun of the NES version. Done in less than 2 hours! Do check it out... I still need to.

I'm already well into Double Dungeons, and could potentially finish it in a night or two since I played it so recently.  I decided again to skip mapping on my own for this one game. I have the maps nearly memorized (at least for these first few dungeons), and I don't see the added benefit of making my own maps while viewers sit and wait. Instead I'm using the maps found on GameFAQs again, but exploring each square to ensure correctness. I've already discovered a couple missing enemies from one, but I'll post more on that soon enough. First, we have a game to cut.

Game 22: Ultima: Quest of the Avatar (NES) - Finished!

Have you ever stopped 10 feet before a finish line? Actually, scratch that, a better analogy... have you ever fallen asleep within the last few pages of a book? You know you didn't finish, but you can't quiet place where you left off. That's how I felt getting back to Quest of the Avatar after a long weekend. I meant to wrap it up on Saturday, but my power company had other ideas.

I like to bookend these posts with the title and very last screens, no matter how underwhelming

So, I knew that I needed to meditate (according to my notes) at the shrine of Valor, but every time I visited, I received the same message. I was too weary from my last meditation. Either I actually needed to walk around the world map to relieve my weariness, or the game hates me. I tried wandering the map in the safety of my balloon. I fought a couple battles. I spent many a night at the inn. All this to no avail.

At least someone acknowledged the passage of time

I had time to stop by Zircon's to pick up the fabled weapon. A completely useless Axe +2. It neither has value to sell, nor anyone in my party to wield it. (According to the manual only the fighter may do so.) I even visited Lord British for some final levels. With nothing else to do, I scouted out the entrance to the Abyss.

That looks likely (I should have said to myself)

In fact it was plainly one of these volcano structures. I thought maybe they were interconnected, and I needed to navigate them. Imagine then my sinking feeling as I walked over each one, taking damage, and not entering a single one. I searched, I used items, and failed to use the correct ones. I found that the bell had a certain affinity with the one pictured above, but nothing more happened.

This should have been a resounding "You are at the right spot!"

I tried to use the candle next and nothing happened. I tried the book, again nothing. I tried the bell again, and again it rang. Then I thought maybe I needed to use each one at a different volcano. You see, I think I missed a hint that told me the order I should use them in. In the end, after about 10 minutes of wandering around, I contemplated trying to meditate again at the shrine of Valor. Luckily, I gave the correct location one last chance.

Truth follows Courage

I figured this out by trying the bell twice in a row. First it rang solemnly. Second, nothing happened. I most definitely knew now I needed to use them in a certain order. Only one left to try.

And both are swallowed by Love

Strangely, the skull of Mondain crumbled to pieces as I entered the Abyss. I wonder if getting it was even necessary. As I entered the Abyss, all my companions simply vanished.

Begin end game *plop*

The Abyss is structured similarly to regular dungeons. To complicate this, the correct path down is lined with chalices where you must answer the correct virtue and place the correct stone into the cup. I'm not sure what happens when answered incorrectly. By the third or fourth level I realized the correct answers were in order.

Let's see, level two, Compassion

The stones are in the same order... really reinforces the order

And, that's it. That's the end of the game. One of the floors has a tricky little maze through the top-down rooms that litter the dungeons, but other than that it's fairly straightforward. Without the last set of gems I can imagine it being a wee bit more work, but really, who's going to play this game without using the gems?

I know there's a way down, the gem told me so

There is one last room of interest where I had to fight against clones of the companions (including my chosen class). Less interesting that it's a standard battle with no dialogue, so I wrote my own twist. I imagined a terrible discovery was made while I was adventuring; that reading from the codex would destroy Britannia. In a last ditch effort, the companions tried to stop me, but I knew this to be final test of my determination and slaughtered these doppelgangers.

Poor Ankh hasn't had anyone around to corrects it's grammar

At the Ankh, the three keys became one. I wonder if it's possible to arrive here without the keys, and what would happen. There's probably something preventing that. A stairway opened up after uniting the keys. Below this room was the Codex. Inside was the end of the game.

Some reference to Infinity

The game was pretty much on auto-pilot at this point. No further dialogue options. No access to the menus. And the game wrapped up in a ceremony above. It turns out this was a hidden area under that strange shrine, which was the very first location I plopped into when I started the game.

It begins and ends with Lord British...

Another game done. This one was a pleasant experience, though a mostly diluted one from what I hear of the PC. I plan to play through a bit of the PC and SMS versions to include some differences in my final rating. I also have a game to cut, which I may end up doing before I get the final rating post out for this game.

As for the next game, Double Dungeons, I'm going to do something a bit different. I've already completed the game in recent memory, so I'm going to dive in a bit more than usual. Into the inner workings of the game and route a speedrun for it. With my new schedule, I'll start later tonight even though I haven't quite finished posting for other games. Wish me luck.

Elapsed Time: 1h41m (Final Time: 19h03m)

Game 22: Ultima: Quest of the Avatar (NES) - A Humble Spirit makes a Just Avatar

This symbol was slowly building, but I'm not sure what determines it

I'm going to skip the virtue play-by-play this time around. By the end of this post, I'll have covered up to a point where I've achieved Avatar status, and collected everything to beat the game, I believe. I just couldn't bring myself to completing the journey before I made another post (plus it was late).

Useless treasure is the best kind

The last runes I needed to find were Humility, Justice, and Spirituality. Humility, was actually about 10 steps from the last screenshot in my last post. I figured it might be there, but didn't take the time to search. Plus, I couldn't really figure a way to fit it into the last title (even this one is a stretch). Justice was, as we knew, hiding out with Vorpal in the Yew prison... sitting right in his cell. The last and most troublesome was Spirituality.

I found it! Between these virtue sapping chests I avoided like the plague...

My mind worked so slowly through this one clue, "Rune of Spirituality in a hidden room of the great castle... near the soldier's western chambers." At first, I thought the great castle must mean Lord British's. Then I started second guessing myself. What greater castle is there? What other castles are there? Well, there are three other castles.

Soldiers? Check. Western Chamber? Check. Now, where's that hidden room?

I couldn't for the life of me, during the last two weeks, piece together where in any castle were  soldier's chambers, let alone a western one. I thought I was look for living quarters, beds, something resembling a dressing room. I'd even settle for a broom closet with armor. In the end I decided, it must mean Lord British's castle, and it must mean one of the hidden rooms I'd come across. I'd just explore them all. Oh, look-ey there, a spot on the ground surrounded by chests.

As opposed to the room full of chests that taunt me in every town

But, that's okay. I mean it took me quite some time before I even needed the rune. My Spirituality was growing so slowly that Honesty finally overcame it. To fill the time I started on my way collecting stones. I stopped by Deceit and found when I answered the question of the gatekeeper (each stone has one) I was sent outside without the stone.

Oh, that must happen because I don't have partial Avatarhood

Not quite seeing the connection between my answer and the dismissal, I returned after gaining Avatarhood in Honesty and answered again, "Dost thou ever lie to thyself or to others?" as 'no'. A second time I was banished from the dungeon. I tried 'yes' on my third, and was rewarded with the stone. Okay... I suppose this may have a deeper meaning, say, honestly admitting that lying is human nature in some way. Either that or the game is bonkers crazy and I'll be lucky enough to get any of these answered on my first try.

Nope! The game's mad...

My third stone stop was Justice. I don't recall the question, but it was straightforward. The response I received I couldn't make heads or tails. I was just happy the wall dropped and I was rewarded with the stone. This didn't always happen. I make my final case with the stone of sacrifice, "Art thou one who would withhold the gift of thy own blood from a dying companion?" Yes/No?

Equally applicable, I give you the question of Valor

Thinking on these in succession, I realize now the answer to them all is 'Yes'. Maybe someone forgot to code the 'No' option. So, we learn that the avatar actually lies to everyone, withholds blood from dying companions, and flees from the malevolent face of danger. During all this I found my way into Hythloth, a dungeon whose entrance behind Lord British's castle doesn't offer an exit.

Using the Exit spell in Hythloth takes me directly to this location

The hot-air balloon removed the need of dealing with pesky random encounters; however, the only way to control the balloon is to cast a Wind spell, which blows a wind from that direction. Randomly the wind will change though, and require another casting. With it I managed to come across two new locations. A cave where a scale and the white stone sat, waiting for me.

Seriously, just waiting for me with NPCs to tell me exactly what to do with them

I also happened upon the city of Cove. I never did find a whirlpool, but unlike Ambrosia in Exodus, Cove is on the continent of Britannia. Here I learned of the Gate spell, the Candle of Love, and that if I was foolish enough to enter the Abyss then I should meditate at the shrines of Honesty, Compassion, and Valor in that order. The time it takes to recover from meditation is very long though, and I've only made it through the first two. This is where I'll pick up the next session.

These are the only messages I get now that I have Avatarhood

With the help of dungeon gold, I've been able to keep my Blink and Quick spells funded through all battles, and gems are falling out of my pockets. I also managed to guess that the last two ingredients for Life and Tremor was Manroot. At times though, the game has aggravated me with its faulty descriptions of locations, and the backwards questions spoken across the world. I managed to get the bell from the shoal just north of Serpent's Hold, which really meant northeast across a quarter of the ocean. I wonder if the PC or SMS had these issues as well.

Who's this Flamis guy and what can he tell me?

I collected the Avatar's Sword and Armor from the respective castles, and am now as fully prepared for the assault on the Abyss. I believe I have to enter some of the volcano-like mountains surrounding the Shrine of Humility. Speaking of that shrine, here's a humorous story. So, I was warned it was guarded by demons, and I needed to use the horn to dispel them. Well, I kept running into these demons because they looked exactly like a random encounter. Not until I finally ran out of MP and couldn't automatically escape did stop to think. Then it dawned on me to try something different. Play the horn, no encounter. Simple enough, after the fifth battle.

This word 'great' is thrown about quite a bit

I have now the three keys of Truth, Love, and Cour; the three principle items Book, Candle, and Bell respectively; and a clue to visit the shrines in that order. Seems I'll find somewhere to read the book, light the candle, and ring the bell before I find the Codex, read from it, and move on from the land of Britannia. Wish me luck, I may need it.

I still haven't found a use for this shrine, but it hints at the end game

I'm not sure if "This is nes" is coincidence, or someone having fun

Elapsed Time: 5h58m (Total Time: 17h22m)

Game 22: Ultima: Quest of the Avatar (NES) - Honoring Valiant companions

Can you spot all three hidden passages in the screen above?

In my last post, I had just discovered what hidden passages look like. With that knowledge in hand I explored more of Lord British's castle. I learned there exists a lighter-than-air device, and somehow this person knew its current location even though it was stolen. It's always a little strange that random NPCs have this knowledge without ever discussing how they found out. I found a couple more locked doors. I figured before going to every town and castle looking for more passages I'd explore a dungeon, gain some gold, and purchase the key to unlock these blasted doors.

Criminals will be criminals

I chose to explore the dungeon of Despise since it was close to Britain and I already reached Avatarhood in the virtue of Compassion. During my first attempt I tried to get by without mapping; I should know better by now. In the middle of that I realized it wasn't going to work and started over; however, I unfortunately stopped by to speak to Lord British again. I am now level 6, and the random battles increased in level once again. It isn't so much that it's more difficult. It is, but mainly the battles tend to take so much longer since I'm not doing any more damage.

Using gems has made finding my way much easier

Luckily fixed battles are always the same. In the map squares mark rooms, which may or may not have a fixed battle or event. Only two of the rooms on that floor have battles, the others are empty. One of the fountains fully heals the character that drinks while the other poisons. Other fountains have so far done nothing. There are also chests, orbs, and secret passages shown by using the gem. While gems do make mapping trivial, I'm not adverse to using them on every floor. In case it wasn't obvious, the dungeon size is greatly reduced from Ultima: Exodus.

Some rooms have multiple gold chests

I ran out of gems before I got very deep. I still ended up with a good pile of gold though to purchase the sextant, 10 more gems (should be enough for one dungeon), and some more herbs. I stopped by Jhelom to recruit Geoff, in Skara Brae I picked up Shamino, and found Katrina hiding under Magincia. She had some interesting ideas to discuss about pride before we agreed her questions don't make much sense, and she joined anyway. Since I already had four in my party, they all reside now at Lord British's castle. There's a hostel downstairs where I can dismiss and invite each member.

Yes, I think... pride's bad, right?

Nope, I'm wrong. Apparently it's prideful to think I could cleanse my heart of pride...

Back in the dungeon I quickly mapped it with my new gems. Inside I found three orbs. Orbs will raise your stats, but take a good chunk of HP at the same time (200 currently, but the manual suggests some orbs take up to 800). The orbs disappear after use until exiting the dungeon. The orbs in this dungeon all raised my intelligence. I'd really like to raise my dex in hopes of doing more damage with my ranged weapons.

Mysterious orb in a dungeon... here's an idea, let's touch it

I found the yellow stone in the middle of the dungeon. It was well hidden. In fact, if I didn't know there was a room on the other side with the help of the gem, I probably would have passed by it without a second thought. To get there, you have to create a bridge my stepping on a false wall.

Obvious or not? You decide

The stone lay beyond a stone wall. Before the wall was a beggar who asked for a blessing. I deposited 100 gold, and the wall faded away. I retrieved my first stone, and made my way back out. I still didn't have enough to purchase a key though, so I went back in to fully explore. It turns out that the dungeons are connected to the altar rooms.

Is the word Love written on the ground or something?

The altar room appears to not only connect to the dungeon I came through, but all four dungeons related to the virtues that correspond to that principle. At least I know where the altars are, and I'll return once I collect the proper stones. One dungeon down, six more to go.

That sleep sprite, oh my

I took a break from the dungeons, picked up the key, and started to run down my list of things to do. I used the sextant to find the location of some fungus, but failed to find anything at another location. I'm not really sure it was a true location, but someone mentioned compiling a book and it was 69,105 pages. So I tried 69 long. 105 lat., but nothing was there.

A hidden room that seems to serve no purpose in Britain

Compassion
This virtue is complete as far as I can tell. I have the rune, the yellow stone, and I've attained partial Avatarhood. I still donate to beggars every now and then, but I don't think I need to.

One way stairs lead outside through strange mechanics of space-time

Honesty
I'm not sure why, but I don't seem to be progressing in this virtue. It could have to do with me answering questions incorrectly, but some of them are either worded strangely or I'm confused on  how English works. In any case, I'm not too worried. Related to this I've found the Book of Truth. This is one of the three principle items, but I'm unsure what use it has at this time.

In a library?! That's shocking

Valor
With the key, I unlocked a door that allowed me to explore some tunnels under Jhelom. The key is multi-use, which is realistically the only way the game could manage its extremely high price. The rune was easy to locate once I gained access to that area. I took a trip to the shrine and gained partial Avatarhood.

Nostro tells me where to find the rune

Sacrifice
I managed to give enough of my life blood to the healers, and am ready to get partial Avatarhood for this virtue. I wasn't progressing very quickly, so I thought I'd need to give blood to every healer in the world. I'm pretty sure I didn't accomplish that. I think I tend to make things a little more complicated than necessary, although I find the thought of having to visit each place and give better than gaming the system and spilling all my blood at one healer.

Some people have funny ideas of enjoyment

Spirituality
I still haven't located the rune or stone, and still haven't reached an acceptable level for Avatarhood. I'm not really sure what can get me further. The rune is said to be in one of the castles, so I'll continue making my rounds through all locations with my new key. The stone is either located in another land (possibly near Cove) or in a solitary dungeon not connected to any other. This information was discovered after spending the night at Skara Brae where I was visited by a ghost.

beyond the reach of man and horse... so, air travel or boat?

Justice
Along with Honesty and Spirituality, this is one of the last virtues I need to build up and I'm not sure how. I haven't visited Yew since I received the key, so this may get wrapped up during my next session. I have no clue what Vorpal might have to say, but I don't expect much of a journey afterwards.

I tried swapping Mariah for Shamino, but he's so weak

Honor
Finally! Harvest time has come. I'm really not sure what the trigger is here, as the moons don't seem to matter. Eventually I noticed he was saying different things, so I just kept talking to him. He asked for my help in the harvest, and I found the rune in the field. Was just sitting there the whole time? I thought I searched, but possibly not. Since I already had a high enough virtue I easily gained Avatarhood once I had the rune in hand.

What's the purpose of waiting all that time? What does that teach me about honor?

Humility
I've somehow managed to gain enough in this virtue for Avatarhood, but have yet to locate the rune. I learned that it's supposed to be hiding in Paws. "In the moors behind a meadow." Why does this game plague me with description of land represented in glorious 8-bit tiles? Which tile is a moor and which is a meadow? I may just have to search every square. I picked up the black stone of Humility based on the advice of someone hiding out behind a locked door. I thought possibly there wasn't one since I can't imagine its use as it has no place on any of the three altars.

Twin new moons to get the stone

About half the time I spend on this game is in combat. The more I level, the more HP monsters have, and my damage output hasn't increase. I've taken some time to read through my spells though, and found the spell Blink allows me to escape without reducing my Valor. Also, Quick doubles my number of attacks. These two should allow me to speed through the rest of the dungeons.

Tidbits of information haphazardly spread about the world

I'm still gathering information, and I have a list of towns and castles I need to return to with the key. In addition to that I need to locate the whirlpool. I'm hoping it'll be easier if I find the lighter-than-air device first, as I'd guess it doesn't encounter enemies so I can search unimpeded.

I've got my towel

With luck this game will be wrapped up this week. I still have six stones to find, but since the dungeons are all connected, there won't be much downtime between exploring each one. Gems are the key to doing that quickly. First though, I'll take this key and unlock all the doors.

I'm sorry, can you point me towards your local moor

Elapsed Time: 5h35m (Total Time: 11h24m)