The Occult Chronicles

[Nefaro]

Awesome!  Thanks for the news on the game's new page!  It must be getting close!  ;D

Despite the trick-taking card game looking rather uninteresting, everything else looks good.  Certainly a fast purchase.

Edit:  There will reportedly be a Beta buy-in, in about a month.

[spelk]

You can buy into this now, as an open beta!!!

http://www.crypticcomet.com/games/OC/Occult_Chronicles.html

$14.99

[SgtRock]

Another buy-in Beta ???, no thanks, I don't buy beta's. This trend of buying Alpha & Beta's releases seems to be getting out of hand, just wait until EA and others start doing this! In most beta's you have as much chance of changing anything, as a fly on the wall in the White House has on changing policy.

[Nefaro]

Been waiting for this to become available.  ;D

Even if it means the game is pretty much set in stone, despite still being in beta.   ;)

[Nefaro]

Definitely very boardgame-ish. 

With the Lovecraftian-horror theme, and the exploration factor, I think it's quite enjoyable.  Sure, it may eventually get old after playing so much that I've seen all the encounters, but I should have had enough enjoyment by that time.  I'm enjoying the system more than I did the last western themed one, for sure.  While the conflict resolving "card game" isn't a some big tactical mini-game, it's still an improvement.

Now if I can just make it a bit further before being eaten by some terrible horror, or going mad.  It can definitely be a tough go, too, as a somewhat roguelike game.  Especially if you end up on a sub-floor too quickly without gathering enough xp & trinkets on the floor level.

I had recently been thinking of plugging in some Solium Infernum again soon, along with AE perhaps.  That itch started a couple days ago.  Must've been an omen.

[Huw the Poo]

So where the hell were all you Cryptic Comet fans when I tried to start a game of Solium Infernum? :(

[Tpek]

^Invoking the Elder Gods obviously :P

[Bison]

Does this game suffer from the same full screen issues as his other titles?  He makes some really fun games but the tiny windowed screen and the exact same size screen in "full screen" just kills it for me.  I tried again to get into Armageddon Empires, which I actually like, but I get tired of fighting the map to scroll around and look and plan.  If this could be fixed, his games would be enjoyable to play.

[spelk]

Does this game suffer from the same full screen issues as his other titles?  He makes some really fun games but the tiny windowed screen and the exact same size screen in "full screen" just kills it for me.  I tried again to get into Armageddon Empires, which I actually like, but I get tired of fighting the map to scroll around and look and plan.  If this could be fixed, his games would be enjoyable to play.

Same problem here, with TOC. He has different binaries for windowed, netbook, and fullscreen, but the fullscreen one just adds black borders and centers the play area.

It is a shame that he can't expand his repetoire to some coding mechanism that supports larger resolutions, but I guess he works his way, with what he knows and what he is comfortable with. It's the price you pay for admission to Vic Davis games I'm afraid. Since this is his fourth title, I can't see it change in the future, unless he manages to get a massive cash injection from some other company.

The sad thing is, you're missing out on his delectable game designs. There's really nothing else out there like it. If only Vic could bring in a coder to his team, and allow his mind to be set free from this Macromedia shackles!! But I think him physically coding it all up is part of his design process.

It is what it is. If you want to taste his game experiences, it has to be in a 1024x768 window. Sadly.

[spelk]

New update today

http://www.crypticcomet.com/blog/?p=1029

Occult Chronicles Update 1.02
I have an update available for The Occult Chronicles that fixes some bugs/script errors as well as takes a swipe at some low hanging fruit for improving the game.  I'm still trying to gather  feedback and more importantly save game data on player progression before I make any major changes to the game's mechanics. I would recommend that players apply this update as it fixes some script errors that might pop up after roaming/wandering monsters are created.

Major Bug Fixes:

Roaming monster path finding error fixed that could cause crash whenever player moved

Multiple fixes to edges that either did not work or were not working correctly

Climb down from pit traps when climb failed should now be fixed

Black Heart cursed item now longer generates error when viewed during challenge

Double doors should now work when encountered in locked state

Gameplay Changes

Quests now have a mandatory reward that appears when finished.  The reward is usually an expertise token but can be a Talisman or Edge Upgrade card.

Determination has been buffed up so that repeated failures of the same option can take you to 5 tricks on the board/5 drawn cards in your hand.  This should help most early game problems of having to attempt the same option repeatedly to get a result. Fleeing with a low swords/cups build should be a lot easier.

The evade % chance after a flee option attempt is now 20% per point above the trick point target level.

NOTE: I'm working on some ideas to have Talismans appear on cards in your hand during challenges and activating them will allow you to chose from a list of options on how to manipulate the card.

[Nefaro]

The new patch definitely helps the weak starts of the Wands- and Pentacles-heavy character builds.  I still got slaughtered on the first floor in my initial attempt, however.

Still seems like the Sword & Cups build is the easiest to survive the early game, since it doesn't have to 'Flee' as much (and benefits from the more rewarding combat wins).

[Faux]

I'm a bit sad because Vic is spending all his resources on this new game and Solium Infernum will probably never get any further polish and balance updates.

[Nefaro]

I'm a bit sad because Vic is spending all his resources on this new game and Solium Infernum will probably never get any further polish and balance updates.

SI is pretty awesome but he stopped working on it years ago.  I get the impression that Vic gets quite bored of working on any one game very long, so after a few post-release patches it's off to the next.  I do see that someone had done some unofficial patching & modding of SI for awhile, however, in the guise of the "Rectification" mod-patches.  http://si.battlespot.com/wiki/Patches   

I had really hoped for improved single-player AI for Solium Infernum as I'm usually averse to joining many PBEM games due to the long waits.  SI is one of the few pbem games I'd probably still weather, if I have a yearning.  Maybe some day he'll create an expansion pack for it.

[Nefaro]

The reports on the forum were right about what is likely the strongest character build in Occult Chronicles right now.

I've gone MUCH further with the Mentalist 3/3/2/1 build, and boosting the 2 Wands stat with the extra 5 xp coins you get at the start for the Mentalist profession (making it 3 or 4?). 

The 3s in Swords and Cups are for hacking your way through the early game because a few of the monstrosities can only be combatted with physical attacks, but once you boost up your Wands rating and get the psi 'spells' that allow you to take a peak at some unrevealed tricks, along with the other that gives you trick award points if you select a facedown face card, then you're off & cruisin'. 

I had initially thought the trick-taking card game side was rather basic and clean-cut but after levelling up some stuff and getting more card modifying abilities/spells, I can see where some of the intertwining strategies can come out.

This is the furthest I've made it so far, with the Mentalist (and no deaths).  The reason I have more Wands abilities than my encumbrance allowance (8/6, cards not shown) is because I was at my limit of 6/6 when I levelled up into another Psionic spell.  The rules allow it in such cases where the award was given directly, and not taken in the card pick rewards screen.  ;D

[Nefaro]

1.03a patch is out.

http://www.crypticcomet.com/blog/?p=1037