Risen is fantastic (and tips for a new player?)

[Fluent]

I know I'm way late to the party, but I picked up the game awhile back and since I've put down Skyrim until the DLC comes out, I decided to give Risen a shot. And I gotta say, it's a great RPG! It's very deep and satisfying so far. I really like the dialog and how it's all interconnected, and the interface, loot, and combat is all great. Kudos to Piranha Bytes for making an RPG in this style with this much depth. And I'm playing on the 360, which I've read horrible reviews for, yet I haven't had any problems with it yet.

Any advice (spoiler-free, please) for a new Risen player? So far I've invested in Open Locks, Alchemy (might have been a bad move? I have no vials and I only invested in it because I wanted to brew beer to get Luis to give me information. However, I then found the guy who sells beer, so it was an epic fail on my part. Does alchemy become useful though? I'm guessing it does.) I haven't invested in Sword or Crossbow, because I really want to use a Staff. The staff combat was really cool in the beginning of the game. But I'm not sure which way I want to move yet. I've only discovered the bandit camp thus far, and I'm still collecting pieces of the sword for the Don.

So any advice for a new Risen player?

Also, a few questions. Does a staff has better range than a sword? I'm guessing this is so but I haven't seen anything confirming it. Also, does a shield become more useful later in the game? Because I find the best strategy to kill things is just to swing away and mash the attack button, and not worry about blocking.

[Fluent]

Just bumping so this thread will show on the main forums page :)

[CountChocula]

I just picked this one up on sale from Steam last week - good to hear you are enjoying it. Looking forward to some tips for new players as well.

[Fluent]

I paid $10 for the 360 version off Ebay. Great deal.

It's pretty sweet so far. I like how the dialog is structured. Talking to one person can open up new dialog options with another person, based on what the first person had to say. It's like unraveling a mystery. I think I've made a few mistakes too, like mentioning certain things to NPCs that I shouldn't have. But it seems like there is a ton of different ways you can approach certain situations. Could just be an illusion though, but if so, it's a good illusion. It gives a feeling of open-ended-ness.

I like that you have to find trainers to increase your skills. And there seems to be a ton of things you can do. From what I've found so far, you can smith your own gear, sharpen your weapons at a whetstone, goldsmithing for jewelry, and various types of cooking, such as cooking complex recipes in a cauldron, plus alchemy, etc. There's a lot of things to discover in this game, and I've barely scratched the surface. It seems there's a good amount of depth to the game too. Combat is exciting and dangerous. It's just a cool RPG.

[Nerevarine]

The best tip I could give a new player is to avoid the Order in the early portion of the game even if you decide to join them. Don't worry, there will still be an opportunity to join them later on (Chapter 2, I think). The reason you want to avoid them is that - just as you are warned by a few NPC's early in the game - the Order will capture you, preventing the completion of many of the quests given early in the game, specifically in the Don's bandit camp. Not only is this bad from the perspective of losing valuable early game equipment, xp and gold, but many of the game's quests are quite interesting and a new player would "miss out" on a decent portion of Risen's atmosphere by skipping the bandit camp entirely.

In addition, if you want to learn a few melee or archery skills from the Don's faction before joining the Order, you can do so by staying neutral and avoiding the Order until you decide to commit to one faction or the other.

[JDR13]

Don't invest LPs in Sneak or Acrobatics. You can find rings that will give you those abilities.

[Frozen Fireball]

The best tip I could give a new player is to avoid the Order in the early portion of the game even if you decide to join them.
This is the best tip I can give too. I lost around 10 hours of my time doing the harbor town quests earlier. Do bandit camp quests first whether you want to join them or not and stay away from harbor town unless you are completely finished with bandit camp.

might have been a bad move? I have no vials and I only invested in it because I wanted to brew beer to get Luis to give me information. However, I then found the guy who sells beer, so it was an epic fail on my part. Does alchemy become useful though? I'm guessing it does.
Alchemy is definitely one of the important skills in Risen. you can make many useful potions that increase your stats permanently later in the game.

Also, a few questions. Does a staff has better range than a sword?
Not sure about this. But even it does, the difference should be very minor.

does a shield become more useful later in the game?
Shield is not useful against animals and monsters, but against humans and human-like enemies ( Which you will face later in the game ) , it's absolutely necessary if you want to use one handed weapons. You can still block attacks without wearing a shield, but the protection they provide is not something you want to miss

[Gorath]

I only want to mention the 2 standard tips for all Gothics:
1. If an opponent seems too strong, just run away. You can beat him later. Don't expect to be able to win every fight just because the game allows you to enter it. Remember you start at the bottom of the food chain.
2. The slower you play, the deeper and easier the experience will be.

[ToddMcF2002]

whack-a-lizard is a fun game but indeed take your time.

[Elwro]

Yes, play slowly, carefully exploring the wonderful world. Avoid the Order.


And I wouldn't invest in more than one melee skill. Also, don't underestimate investing in Strength! Early on it may make a bit difference regarding the difficulty of some fights.

I enjoyed the occasional quest-related pickpocketing option, but overall it (the skill) wasn't worth it imho.

[Kostaz]

I'd advice taking all the time in the world to finish the first 2 chapters. They're by far the best part of the game.

If you decide to become a mage I'd say hoarding Learning Points for a pure mage built is not worth it.

Since there are no respawns you might want to get any hunting skills (skinning/gutting/etc) before going to clear the wilderness from monsters.
As long as you do not get caught, you should complete most quests in the Don camp and the Harbor Town. The decision will be made in a series of quests in the Harbor Town so don't be afraid of doing quests for the Bandits.

Should you get caught you'll automatically be a warrior of the order and the mage path will be locked out. Becoming a mage is only possible if you are accepted into the order rather than being thrown in.

The top sword trainer is available only to the bandits so either max the skill out before making a choice or pick another type of weapon.

You also may want to take a look at the first few pages of the Risen guide in this thread (http://www.rpgwatch.com/forums/showthread.php?t=10261) The author keeps it mostly spoiler-free before going into quest walkthroughts..

[Sir Markus]

I agree, Risen was nicely done.

[Maylander]

Stick to either swords or axes. They are superior to spears due certain abilities you gain at higher ranks. By all means, spears are still viable, so if you happen to like that style of fight - go for it. However, you are making the game a bit harder than it has to be.

Then again, Risen is not really hard for people who have completed NotR, so it probably doesn't matter too much.

[Fluent]

I do like staves, but I really can't decide if I want to use staves or swords. So far I've been using a sword and shield mostly, so I'll probably stick to that. I just think staff fighting looks cool though. It's very much like martial arts, which is cool. I just don't know....

I'm now in Harbour Town doing all the quests I can find. And wow, Harbour Town is actually pretty huge when you factor in all the NPCs there are. There's tons of 'em, and they all have quite a bit of dialog to tell you, which is cool. I wasn't expecting this much dialog in the game really, it's been a pleasant surprise in that regard. I like the large amount of non-combat quests there are as well. It really balances things out, like right now I am loving not having to use combat much in town, but I am also itching to go hunting when I get the chance to leave the town. Cool stuff.

Don't invest LPs in Sneak or Acrobatics. You can find rings that will give you those abilities.

I didn't read this until after investing in Sneak. It was only a measly 5 LP though. And I have to say, I'm very glad I did invest in it when I did. It makes things a whole lot easier. I've found countless good loot through sneaking in people's houses, and have been able to complete a few quests that otherwise I would have had a hard time with. Pickpocketing is also extremely valuable and cool. I was able to do some cool quest-related things with it as well. Thief skills are invaluable in this game, I highly recommend getting them early on (for other new players who may be reading this).

And this is actually the first RPG where I've ever invested into sneaking and thief skills. The setting is just perfect for it though. Deserted on a volatile island where you have to survive on your own? Thieving is almost necessary. And it's really fun role-playing a thief, I must say. Fun times :)

[Thrasher]

It's a great game. G2 is very similar but better (except in the graphics department).

[Fluent]

Graphically I've heard the PC version of Risen is much prettier than the 360 version which I'm playing, but the 360 version doesn't look bad to me. It's not Skyrim, but it's not bad either. I've come across some nice vistas and what not. The rain and weather effects are very well done, and the lightning is really nice, especially during a huge storm in Harbour Town and you're looking out over the ocean, with the waves crashing against the piers, and then the lightning lights up the entire night sky. It was really nice.

What makes Gothic 2 better than Risen?

[Thrasher]

The magic system is better for one. Also, the story and quests. I also like the combat controls better, but they are harder.

[JDR13]

What makes Gothic 2 better than Risen?

Well it's significantly bigger for starters. With the expansion installed, G2 is about twice the size of Risen. There's also a lot more variety in the environments and the enemies.

I recommend playing the Gothic games in order though if you decide to play them. Playing G1 first isn't a necessity, but it'll enhance your experience with G2 imo.

[curious]

yes but the "old world/lands" in gothic 2 are mostly filler and if you have played the original gothic then its kind of a letdown to visit the old areas that were so vibrant in the first game with a mere fraction of its content. the old camp is still one of my all time favourite "cities" in any game.

risen sure could have benifited from an addon like night of the raven, even more so if it was released in less than 2 years after the core game. keeping in the hope that risen 2 is bigger and better than risen i still think it would be great for the pirahnas to spoil us with some meaty additional content afterwards this time instead of having to wait the normal 3 year drought.

[Gorath]

Better in Gothic 1 & 2 Gold are:

1. the NPCs (much more depth, especially in Gothic)
2. the setting (Gothic 1 is basically a fantasy Escape from New York)
3. the world design - Risen has good world design, but it's lacking spectacular vistas. All 3 Gothics offer more in this department. What PB did with a world you could cross by foot in 10 minutes (Gothic 1) was pure magic.

Risen is better in:
1. the interface
2. general performance, technical product quality and stability
3. newbie friendliness (the Gothics are hard at the beginning)

Apart from that Risen is an updated copy of Gothic 1/2. Three factions in conflict, newbie quests, your choice closes the other routes. Armour is status symbol. Typical PB game structure.

[JDR13]

yes but the "old world/lands" in gothic 2 are mostly filler and if you have played the original gothic then its kind of a letdown to visit the old areas that were so vibrant in the first game with a mere fraction of its content. the old camp is still one of my all time favourite "cities" in any game.


Revisiting the Valley of Mines in Gothic 2 was one of my favorite parts of the game, and it certainly didn't seem like filler to me. I liked how the changes to that area reflected the recent events in that region. I would have been disappointed if they had just left it exactly the same as it was in Gothic.

[Dr. A]

If you were to start G2 (Gold of course, which includes the excellent NOTR expansion), I would recommend turning on the quick potions hotkey and changing the default control scheme

[Fluent]

I'll probably go the gamepad route when I finally do get around to playing the Gothic games. Unfortunately it probably won't be any time soon, with Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning and Risen 2 coming out this year. Once I'm done with those 2 I may check out the Gothics.

Regarding Risen, I just got my first set of proper armor (Sweet!!). It was well worth the wait, it's damn nice armor. I love that it took me that long just to get armor. Most games throw that stuff at you left and right. It's cool to see a different approach for once. That is just one of the reasons why Risen (and I guess all PB games?) is very unique. Armor as a status symbol indeed. Risen rocks.

[Moriendor]

Regarding Risen, I just got my first set of proper armor (Sweet!!). It was well worth the wait, it's damn nice armor. I love that it took me that long just to get armor. Most games throw that stuff at you left and right. It's cool to see a different approach for once. That is just one of the reasons why Risen (and I guess all PB games?) is very unique. Armor as a status symbol indeed. Risen rocks.

Yes, it's like that in all of their previous games. Although it needs to be said that it is part feature and part necessity ;) . They are a small team and they have always had to work with a rather tight budget so even if they would have wanted to, they could not have afforded to have much of a variety in armor types. So they have only about three (low/mid/high level) armor types per faction and the armor is always a full suit instead of individual set pieces.

This is one of the things that is going to change in Risen 2. In Risen 2 we'll be getting equipment slots like in most other RPGs and there will be a lot more variety in the pieces of armor that you can wear.

[Fluent]

Well they really took a negative and made it a positive then. I can't remember playing an RPG that didn't throw armor and weapons at you left and right. It really is refreshing to play something so different, where I had to actually work to get a decent set of armor, and upgrading your weapon actually makes a big difference. And it makes sense with the setting. I mean I am stranded on this island with nothing to my name, so it made sense that I'd be running around in rags for awhile until I either had the coin to buy a set of armor or I made friends that could supply armor. I had to prove my worth to even get offered a set. I like that a lot. I hope Risen 2 keeps a similar progression of armor and weapons. Having more armor slots will be a great thing too. Can't wait for Risen 2!

[Maylander]

Yeah, I love that aspect. It was fantastic in their previous games too.

I hear Risen 2 is changing to a more common system with armor parts and what not. A shame if they ruin the sense of achievement the previous games had regarding armor.

[TheMadGamer]

Well I'm late to this thread so my early tips here probably don't matter for you anymore but I'll just put them in anyway.

At the very beginning of the game, when you get to the hermit's hut, off to the right is a small 'gnoll' like structure at the top of a hill that overlooks a small farm. You can get on top of that gnoll and find yourself a nice bow and some arrows.

When you head down to the farm that the gnoll overlooks, you'll get a quest to kill some boars that are much too difficult to kill early on. But if you aggro those boars and run back to the farm and climb on the roof, you can shoot them with your bow.

I did this on my 2nd playthrough of Risen. I find it a lot of fun to kill things I can't melee early on. Not sure if anyone else does though.

[Zephyr]

One of my favorite features of all the Gothics is the ability to use the terrain to my advantage. You can climb up on stuff and snipe enemies that would otherwise be too difficult to kill face-to-face. This was especially true of the Orcs and Lizard Men in G2. I load up on arrows and bolts and let 'em have it from the safety of my perch. It worked beautifully in G3. Of course, Orc Shamans had magic to use, so you had to snuff them quickly or die.

[jantzz]

Got it handled...)