What a sequel to this game would need

[JinX]

I've to say that the game is amazing for having being created by only 4 guys(like in the old times), and the old school style of dungeon crawling(constrained movement with enhanced looking freedom and beatiful graphics) is the most important thing, that must remain the same.

Still here are some ideas, to improve the game in a possible Sequel:

1)Outside locations with beautiful environments like in The Witcher 2.
- a) This means also a bit larger environments and with changing weather conditions(like raining, cloudy sky, sun, maybe even snowing in some locations).
- b) Currently max dungeon width is around 10 squares, considering outside environments should have higher visibility conditions(at least in bright sunny day), you could go to 12-14 squares maintaining FOV.
- c) Maybe slightly different FOV or camera angle for the bigger outside environments.
- d) Cities with Taverns for Hiring already prebuilt characters (like in the Ishar Trilogy) possibility to buy stuff or trade stuff, maybe selling the treasures found in this chapter to make a bit of money to start in the sequel.
- e)Possiblity to dismiss, assassinate a party member like in Ishar.
2)Random events/enemies (not always but maybe in the outskirts) and loot, with magical items(that must be identified by a Magician Spell), random passing caravans near cities(or in the outskirt) for trading.
- a)Trading system, with gems, gold, silver coins.
- b)Quests scripted and partially random(Get me these ingredients Example XY wolves/other animal or beast fur/eyes/teeth and I'll give you ring/amulet/weapon/tool/potion/scroll).

3)Quickslots for potions (which currently are very tough to use, and for spells at least not needing to reselect all the runes to cast same spell) - These are a must
- a) The numbers in the keyboard should be used for quick slots not for Characters Inventories (For those F1-F4 should be better) at least give us 2 quickslots for Energy and Health like in Diablo)
- b) More hotkeys

4)More Classes, like druids(beast self-transformation...Bear, and low level enemy transformation), clerics(turn undead...)...

5)A medallion to find secrets more easily, like the Wolf medallion (from The Witcher 2) but with a limited number of charges and high price to recharge for not abusing to solve the riddles(wich are very cool right now).

6)Magical Traps (possibility to 1-Create them, 2-Detect Them 3-Disable them for the Mage class).

7)Mages, Druids should cast spells by saying something out loud.

8)New dungeon types, like Caverns (with Dome shaped environments, currently only Cube shape is available), descending in Wells, Crypts, Ruins, outskirt (Woods, Forests, Jungles,Ghost Cities).

These are the most important things for an improved sequel, and IMHO they wouldn't be too much difficult to implement, for the rest the game is already very cool, for the actual price.

JinX.

[oodyboo]

A "2" at the end of the name.

[JinX]

A "2" at the end of the name.

Do you mean for the game title ?

[Thels]

To be honest, I like a few of those, but a lot of these suggestions steer the game towards a completely different kind of game, and I doubt they'd do the game any real good.

[jynks]

I really want hotkeys for the character attacks and stuff.

I want more of the same please.. but i strongly feel there is an error in the game design here. Basically you have made this neat game with cool monsters, and when you fight you can not even look at them as you are staring at the bottom corner of the screen waiting for cool downs. This is a major problem and should be looked into.

[Brodie301]

Like the idea of a couple of outdoor locales but not on a large scale.
Maybe something like a area where you go outside to go from one cave to another but would have like a 7x7 with monsters to clear before entering new cave.
Some good ideas but a lot of them would be better suited for an open worlder not crawler IMHO

[JinX]

Like the idea of a couple of outdoor locales but not on a large scale.
Maybe something like a area where you go outside to go from one cave to another but would have like a 7x7 with monsters to clear before entering new cave.
Some good ideas but a lot of them would be better suited for an open worlder not crawler IMHO

Well if the 10xwidth is already in this game I don't see why 12x with higher visibility in the outside would be that problem, especially in a City for trading or in the outskirts, these doesn't mean that you need to make all locations 10x width, those are excpetions to vary the game look and possibilities, I like it being a dungeon crawler and the 1-3x areas are the most important, and must be predominant, but I don't think what I suggested would hurt gameplay or the feeling.

If you think are bad I suggest you to look for a Lets Play Ishar Trilogy, you will see that the two games already have lot in common especially in dungeons parts, adding NPC communication, quests and cities/outskirts would add a bigger value, if the original spirit and style of the game is preserved. Maintaining it a 70% Dungeon Crawling + 30% the features I suggested wouldn't impact the game negatively.

JinX.

[Marak]

If you've ever played Shining the Holy Ark on the Sega Saturn (doubtful, I know), I can assure you that trying to do "large, open outdoor area" with grid-based movement is a big no-no. Trying to explore, say, your typical JPRG town by moving on a grid makes you feel like you're playing some sort of on-rails game - it's awkward as hell and immersion-destroying.

As for the rest, you're basically asked for a bunch of added conveniences - but those conveniences would also require a complete overhaul of the way combat works. Which could be done in a sequel obviously, but is it desirable? That's open to debate.

[Encephalon]

If there was large outdoor locations it wouldn't really be a dungeon crawler. The same goes for the suggestion for camera angles and weather. And with money, shops and taverns it would end up depending on buying weapons and armour, instead of make do with whatever you find.

A few new classes could be nice, but then I hope Almost Human come up with something a bit more original than the standard classes. LoG was refreshing by straying from the norm when it came to races, so I hope they keep it that way in other aspects, too. If they introduce rangers, druids, clerics, bards etc I sincerely hope they mold the class into something else that the stereotypical class, and something more fitting the Northern Realms.

I don't quite see why there should be a medallion, or any other item, that should aid in finding secrets. However, there could have been a log where the differend characters could come up with remarks (perhaps even vocal, though I have no idea what an insectoid would sound like) to provide clues to puzzles or secret door locations. If the party has passed a location of a secret door a given number of times without discovering it, one of the characters may come with a remark like: "It feels like there's a draft here. Strange." or "Something about this wall seems... odd." Especially it the secret is essential to be able to continue.

Some belt slots would have been welcome, to hold potions for easy access in the heat of battle. A few more types of potions would also be welcome.
I also like the idea of starting off with just one or two characters, and being able to find others to join your group. Either alive, or their remains which you could resurrect at a lifestone.

I love the magic system with runes, and they open for many possibilities for new spells, including spells to heal.

[Thels]

They could add a Priest class, who had one skill line devoted to healing, purging debuffs (disease/poison), and creating food, making you rely less on potions/resting. Since this would only make things easier (the game's possible without a Priest class), it shouldn't need spreading over the various skill trees.

It could have the Staff Defense and Spellcraft skills (just like both Fighters and Rogues have Unarmed) for general support.

Then for different spells, they could have a Charm skill, which would focus on spells like Hold Person or Fear, perhaps even a Confusion spell where you force a mob to attack it's allies. Naturally, these would only work against living, sentient creatures.

Against Undead, they'd have a Holy skill, which would be a direct damage skill, which would deal less than the mage skills, but would have the advantages that the effect was amplified against undead, and perhaps that there were no creatures with resistance to it.

That would leave one skill tree. Perhaps something more physical, like the Mace skill tree?