Re: guidance on Heroquests

From: Bryan Thexton <bethexton_at_...>
Date: Mon, 22 Jan 2001 05:45:36 -0800 (PST)


Yet again> More spoilers ahead.
>

Things that some of us on the list thought helped, and have been refuted by the designer, are temple size and season in which you quest.  

Things that are known to help are: lots of magic in quests (but if you aren't in a tribe and don't have a trickster you are limited to 1 point there, which does make life a lot tougher), 7 different cults on the ring, quester on the ring, high magic, sacrificed to that god in the previous year, lots of worshippers (using favors or allies or your tribe to can boost this), knowing both levels of the myth for certain quests, quester a follower of the god in question, quester had good scores in the right skills, not having quested in the previous couple of years.  

Things that may help and have not been refuted: doing pleasing things for that god in the previous year (building fortifications for elmal, cattle raiding for Orlanth, increasing your fields for Ernalda), configuring your sacred times magic in a manner pleasing to the god (max healing and no war for Challana Arroy, vice versa for Humakt, max trading and diplomacy for Issaries, etc). Certain background choices may affect difficulty too: for example some suspect that Orlanth and Aroka is harder if you are dragon friendly.  

One additional thing to note: quests to deal with current problems seem to be easier. So if your crops are predicted to be bad, the Ernalda Feeds the Tribe quest is probably going to be easier to complete, if your cattle herds are dwindling Uralda may cooperate, etc. I'm not sure, but I guess, that when the blind prophet comes and suggests you make a tribe that possibly the Making of the Storm Tribe will be easier.  

If you feel a need to do a quest that you really don't have a good leader to fulfill, I suggest building up favors, then calling in a number of them for magic. If you go into a quest with all relevant sacred time magics maxed out, and with 15 or so current magic, your odds of succeeding improve dramatically.  

Of course, I'd still save the game before you start the quest!  

Oh, and I'm one of those who often does a hero-quest in the first few years of the game. I find that often even one quest passed can greatly improve the odds of survival (especially on the hard game). So I generally look through my leaders and decide who looks like the best potential quester, then I set out to learn that quest, and to prep. Usually it is a case of "OK, we know the myth, this year we were able to build up a couple of magic points, lets plan on doing it next year." So in dark/storm I start doing all the

relevant things to get ready. I would say the early quests that make the biggest difference are: Ernalda feeds the tribe for future good harvests, Challana Arroy heals the scars for improved relationships with neighbours, and Elmal for Elmal's help when the clan is attacked. Later on in the game other quests and other benefits may be more useful, I just find these three especially useful as stabalizing the young clan.  

Good luck!  

--Bryan  

PS: a note about various trade/exploration/diplomatic missions: some games just seem to be more afflicted with bandits than others do. So sometimes you can easily send out missions without much combat skill and not worry, other games you don't dare send out anyone with less than excellent combat accompanied by half-a-dozen weaponthanes. There is definately no all-around best strategy on this. There is also little that you can do about it. The Issaries quest is supposed to lower bandit activity for the next three years, but that is at best a short term sop. One of the few things I would like added to the game is something that let you take an active role in lowering bandit activity.



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