Re: A proto-faq

From: KYER, JEFFREY <jeff.kyer_at_...>
Date: Tue, 15 Feb 2000 10:05:28 -0500

Nils Brobakk wrote:
>
> From: Nils Brobakk <nils_at_...>
>
> From: hollebon_at_...
> >
> > Since no one else seems to be doing this, I've taken the liberty of
> > starting a FAQ for KoDP based on the questions I've seen on this
> > list and the ones that were going through my head as I played the
>
> Nice initiative. :)
>
> I've added a few comments, corrections, questions, and thougths...
>
> > Q
> > Easter Eggs?
> >
> > A
> > On the first screen of the game, press 'o' (for Opal, the game's
> > code name during development). To quote David Dunham, the
> > producer: "All the starting advisors are from the development team,
> > others are among the available leaders, and one other makes an
> > appearance within a few seasons." [I've never been able to get this
> > to work; just what is supposed to happen? If I press 'o' on the
> > opening screen, the tutorial starts.]
>
> I've never managed to get this to work either, I've tried it on both Mac and
> PC...

Nor I. And hitting f1 is bad. Very bad.  

>
> > [Short Game]
> > Q
> > How long do I have to hold the king/queenship to win?
> >
> > A
> > Ten years. Consecutive years. Ten golden years.
>
> Do they have to be consecutive years? I remember this being discussed a
> while ago, can't remember the conclusion...

It has to be 10 consecutive Years, you have to have most of your neighbors liking you AND you must have enough cattle to be considered 'well off' (Call it 700+)  

> > Q
> > What is a small/average/enormous gift to another clan?
> >
> > A
> > As a basic rue of thumb, 10 cows is miserly, 20 is customary, 30
> > cows is generous. Again, this is highly dependent on relative
> > strengths of your clan and the other, your leader's skill, active
> > blessings, treasures and heroquests. Note that treasures, even
> > "worthless" ones, are highly thought of.

1 Horse = 4 Cows = 4 Goods = 8 Food

Treasures are usually in the 60+ range and seem to have automatic 'wow, that's cool' factor.  

> Am I right in thinking 40 goods/cows is a standard price for a treasure? It
> always seemed a bit cheap to me...

60 seems about right.  

> > Q
> > Everyone hates my guts! Help!
> >
> > A
> > There are several approaches to this, depending on your clan's
> > orientation. You can dig in and trust in the powers of the terrible
> > and grim or you can travel the path of the trader and the sage. In
> > dire straits, don't forget the wisdom of the cows: even the angriest
> > male will ever follow.
>
> And there's always the Chalana Arroy heroquest. :)

This one is amazingly powerful, even more so than the Conciliator. However, she will not help you against the non-clan enemies, I suspect. For that, you have to talk to Issaries.  

> > Q.
> > I keep losing parties! Help!
> >
> > A.
> > Exploring Dragon Pass for Farmers:
> > - Use Vinga's Pathfinder blessing
>
> Does the Odaylian blessing (Tracking, I think?) help?

Yes, it does. So does the Tigereye Necklace. And so does moving SLOWLY and not exploring too much blank space.  

> > Sometimes, even the biggest, most prepared parties go astray. I've
> > lost a huge party exploring my tula!
>
> No shit! I had a huge party - 5 thanes, 30 footmen, led by an Issarian with
> Heroic Bargaining and Very Good combat disappear without a trace on my own
> tula (after having explored it numerous times). I found a couple of bones a
> few years later... :(

It happens. Its rare and it doesn't happen when you've thoroughly epxlored your tula. Or at least, I've never had it happen to me when I've completely explored the place (found a half dozen things or so)  

> > Q.
> > I can't build more than a shrine to my favorite God! What's going
> > on?
> >
> > A.
> > First, check that you have enough trade goods. Shrines cost 10
> > goods, Temples [40?--check], Great Temples, 100. If you don't
>
> Temples cost 50.

You may also not have enough worshipers available. To increase that, you have to have more allies, trade partners and friendly clans. Being in a tribe helps greatly here.  

> > Also, some Gods are better than other Gods. That is, many Gods
> > only can have a shrine, some a temple and some a great temple.
> > The list is:
> > Shrine: Ancestors, Barntar, Maran Gor, Odayla, Vinga
> > Temple: Chalana Arroy, Lhankor My, Uralda, Urox
> > Great Temple: Ernalda, Humakt, Issaries, Elmal, Orlanth
>
> Odayla can have a Temple, Lhankor Mhy can have a Great Temple.

This is a good posting...  

> > Note that there have been reports of limits to building beyond these
> > restrictions. It is unclear if this is a bug or one of the conditions
> > above.
>
> I suspect this is down to the number of worshippers.

See my note above.  

> > Learn HeroQuesting in just 21 Days!
> > - Wait a while. Questing too soon after your last attempt greatly
> > reduces your chances (a year or so).
>
> Your advisors will councel against a quest if you did one the previous year
> or the year before that. Not sure how risky it is to try one every other
> year, but I tend to wait three years, just to be on the safe side.

And one should try to wait evey 2-3 years at best.  

> > - Direct worshipers also have the best chance. Note that Vingans
> > count as Orlanthi.
>
> It seems this also holds for your clan leader (if you're playing an Orlanthi
> clan).. I don't think this is mentioned in the manual.

Ring members have a better chance. And the best chance is given to your noble with the best magic. Often wise to put him on the ring.

> > - Some treasures can help.
>
> Ooh, which treasures??

Heort's Stone (but only in desperation) and certain other items that will pop up, especialy if you are having terrible luck at questing.  

> > Q.
> > Who is...
> >
> > A.
> > ...my warleader: The ring-member with the highest combat score.
> > ...my lawspeaker: Ditto, for custom.
>
> According to the manual, a worshipper of a war god (Elmal, Urox, Humakt,
> Vinga) will sometimes take preference over another ring member with a higher
> combat score. Likewise, a Lhankor Mhy worshipper is preferred for
> lawspeaker.

Yes. And your best poet is teh person with the best average Leadership and Custom. Poetry can have a powerful effect, often all out of proportion to its seeeming value.  

> Q.
> > How do I get new nobles?
> >
> > if the omens say that children born in a year will have great
> > destinies, it appears that the children of that year produce more
> > nobles (so spend points on children during sacred time).
>
> I've only had this happen once, I got two nobles 15 years later, both had
> very high abilities.

This is true. And spending magic on children may also generate a better chance of nobles. I've not sat down and tracked this.  

> > There is a treasure that can help.
>
> Which treasure? Where can I get this? Waant!! ;)

Orlanth's rattle. It is hard to get but it will give a greater chance of heroes in your youngsters.  

> > Finally, an event can bring you a babe with Heroic potential.
>
> I take it you're thinking of Kallyr?

Kallyr.  

> > Q.
> > Which shrines should I build?
> >
> > A.
> > This varies so widely with play style that it impossible to give one
> > answer. However, most agree that building a Barntar shrine (with
> > either of Vigour or Plowsong) is important. Chalana Arroy is critical
> > too, for both healing and curing.
>
> It's usually enough to build a shrine, then you can switch between Healing
> and Curing depending on your situation.

Ancestors protect against ghosts and spirit attacks very well.  

> > Later in the game, either Humakt and Maran Gor or Issaries and
> > Lhankor My will become very important.
>
> Or all of them. :) I tend to build all 6 Great Temples as soon as I can, and
> whatever other shirnes and temples I can support...

Eeep. No wonder you urn out of sheep.

SHEEP are the great limiting factor on temples. One has to conserve them. I only go whole hog (as it were) when I find I am ending the game and NEED those bonuses.  

> > Q.
> > What effects do the various traditional enemies have?
> >
> > A.
> > Trolls: There are several families of Dark Men in Dragon Pass,
> > which the game tracks just as it does the other clans. They are
> > all your enemies. Also, there is one area of the map you should
> > definitely avoid. Several treasures can greatly help you. I think
> > that one treasure, in particular, will only appear in a troll-enemy
> > game [the iron spike].
>
> No, I got this in a game where I had the Praxians as my enemy.

The Trolls will provide mangic if you attack those random carvans and other trollish encounters. Wiping out trollish attacks will help your reputation and occasionally give you magic, especially if you kill trollish heroes in the course of the battle.  

> > Tada the Green: The nomads of eastern Prax will harry your
> > steads, much like the horsepeople of the west. You can take the
> > fight to them, but they have strong magic which can scour your
> > tula and kill ring members. Towards the end of the long game,
> > great help can come from humble beginnings.
>
> Are you thinking of Derik the Praxian-Fighter?

Praxians can also raid you into insensiblity. And since theire are a myriad of types, one needs different tactics. A raid by Rhino Riders can really flatten your day.

> >[Do you piss off the Uroxi too? Not sure.]
>
> Not that I've noticed...

Nope. Urox likes to fight. And doesn't care who.  

> > The Salty Sea: Floods, wiping out crops and drowning your people
> > and herds will be a constant problem.
>
> You also get the weirdo who wants your help with the salmon heroquest - can
> have very nice effects. :)

He shows up anyways. Random encounter. But I *like* salmon. Floods will be a problem. Never actually found any plus side to this guy other than he's RARE in attacks.

Winter - The Ice Giants Commeth.

Killing these blokes generates a LOT of magic for you. You can also raid and travel with impunity in Storm Season. If you fail to stop the giants, expect to lose everyone you sent out to fight them AND a bunch of cattle. But once you have the knack for stopping them, they are probably the easiest enemy to have.

Horse Spawn -- this means CONTINAL raiding by Horsespawn and nastier/sneakier ones than usual. In fact, all the Enemies can be considered tougher than the usual encounters.  

> > Q.
> > OK, spoil me. Where should we explore first?
> >
> > A.
> > The Quivin mountains are quite nice, as are the Dragonewt wilds. A
> > first visit to the utter west can also be very profitable but is
> > extremely dangerous. Don't forget your own tula too.
>
> Kero Fin. Tarsh.

Quivin is very good for starters. That is the question. Kero Fin is dangerous for beginners. Especially as some of the intervening terrian is QUITE nasty.

Exploring Snakepipe Hollow is bad. Its much worse in the 1300's then than it was in the 1600's.  

> > Q.
> > What does that crazy reptile want with its questions about what we
> > think is important?
> >
> > A.
> > What happens after he leaves? The gift will eventually lead to an
> > important choice. Think well on your answer to its question and
> > you will be mightily rewarded. The reptile is a magisaur by the way,
> > not a 'newt.
>
> Does this event lead to the Earthshaker eggs?

Yes, it does. And the difficulty and results are judged on how well your treatment of the little dinos matches the word you chose.

Me? I'm hospitiable.  

> OK, maybe that was more than a few comments... So sue me! ;)
>
> NH.
>

All good questions and comments.

Jeff

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