Talisman - Digital Edition

I

Icefire

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Stumbled across this little gem. A pc version of a board game called "Talisman". Has a few lite card battle & rpg elements. Downloaded the demo of the "Prologue" game and within a minute I ordered the Silver Edition, which is the "Prologue" game now and the Digital Edition when ready.

http://www.talisman-game.com/
 
Talisman is a classic.
Great that it's now available for the PC: :)
 
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Hey, thanks for the heads up. It's an enjoyable little game, and in German no less.
 
I have still the original table top game.
 
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Tried the demo. Don't have the original game nor heard for it.
Don't like it, sorry.
Won't buy it.
 
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I used to spend hours upon hours playing the original board game as a teen. In retrospect it wasn't a very well designed game, but it had a ton of flavor to it.

I don't think it holds up that well in comparison to modern board games, but I still enjoyed playing the prologue for awhile for nostalgia.
 
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Must be because of the respawns? :biggrin:

LOL
I just stopped playing games where luck is the most valuable thing one can have.
Because of that, didn't play any card game for ages. I did enjoy stuff like that before, but now when I'm just another old fart, I really can't enjoy luck over fruits of work and skill.
Honestly, I had no fun with the demo.
 
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Info:
Every CRPG works rolls of a dice internally. Luck is a defining element of rpgs in general.
 
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Yea, see, I disagree.

I think that every cRPG has x-y system. You know you'll get a certain value from x;y interval and no (un)luck can mess your strategy if you're skilled enough. And dice? There are no dice inn a PC. There is a function that returns a random number from 0-1. Multiply that value with y and you get a number from the interval (basically).
With the power of PC, you can define any interval, for example you can inflict a damage between 10 and 10.000. Tell me, can you do that with dice? Yes, you can. Although, I wouldn't want to play that and wait for you to calcualte a total.

Since you don't have a precise clock that can make you RND function outside of a PC, you can only use dice to get some value from some predefined interval. Thus, your definition of cRPG is wrong. That can be only a definition of a non-computer (calculator, since there are consoles with calc chips) RPG. :)

And so, I won't buy games based only on luck. And you know that since we already discussed here on the forum some spacesim from Kickstarter (was it called FTL?) where based on luck your enemies are sometimes utterly easy and sometimes impossible to win even with the highest skill.
 
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Yea, see, I disagree.

I think that every cRPG has x-y system. You know you'll get a certain value from x;y interval and no (un)luck can mess your strategy if you're skilled enough.

which is purely hypothetical because there are very few situations in CRPGs where dice rolls can make no drastical difference. Which may or may not be intentionally lazy design.
 
Missing the expansions to be honest. Talisman is my most favorite boardgame of all time. I have played all three editions (1:st edition was a beta to the 2:nd so it doesn't count). Rare to games like this, the 4th edition is actually the best edition as far as I am concerned.
 
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Since you don't have a precise clock that can make you RND function outside of a PC, you can only use dice to get some value from some predefined interval. Thus, your definition of cRPG is wrong. That can be only a definition of a non-computer (calculator, since there are consoles with calc chips) RPG. :)

A dice_n throw can easily be simulated in a computer program:
Example: Dice with 6 sides. (n=6)

Code:
Function Dice6:Integer
var
y:Intger;
x:Real;

begin
  Randomize; // Randomize the internal number generator
  x:= RND;      // Random Function that produces values in [0;1]
  if x <= 1.0      then y:= 6;
  if x < 0.8333333 then y:= 5;
  if x < 0.6666667 then y:= 4;
  if x < 0.5       then y:= 3;
  if x < 0.3333333 then y:= 2;
  if x < 0.1666667 then y:= 1;
  Return y;
end;

Those kind of dice-n throws are common in CRPGs. Trust me!
 
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Of course computer can simulate dice.
I'm saying dice can't simulate a computer.
 
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Joxer: I stop playing games that involve luck.
HiddenX: Every CRPG includes some sort of randomness aka luck aka dice roll.
Joxer: There are no dice rolls in CRPGs.
HiddenX: Pseudo Code example as proof that CRPGs work with dice-n-rolls.
Joxer: I'm saying dice can't simulate a computer.
HiddenX: ???

I don't understand you.
 
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Lol, I think I understand what joker means. I mildly share his point of view but I also think it's need be tempered.

An example to highlight why random could got on my nerves. King's Bounty The Legend quite fascinated me because of the numerous diversified tactical possibilities it has (homm series rather pale on this aspect in comparison but has a strategy layer that kbtl doesn't have).

But one point never satisfied me fully, the critical that could double the damages or perhaps more I don't remember. Few times I calculated deep tactics chaining based on computing movements and analyzing branches and so on. The execution begins it goes well (yeah most often I hadn't planed some AI moves enough to destroy my combination) and right in a middle one of my army hit with critical and blow up my "brilliant" combination. That's very irritating after to have spend 15 or even 30 mn to calculate a combination.

That's why some players don't like at all random events it's because they feel they can't anticipate and manage it.

But that need be tempered a lot, some examples:
  • Managing a random through a range isn't that different than managing an exact number. At least it's possible to manage it without any random approach.
  • When a random event is repeated many time and doesn't has a high variation it ends to be stats not random. That's what happen more or less in RPG fights.
  • Best Roguelike games both has a very high random and a player mastering one will almost never lost anyway.
  • Random in strategy games often is a reflect of incertitude and imprecision. Typically the fog of war and the advantage to surprise an opponent can generated something similar to random. But that incertitude level and imprecision level can be managed and anticipated, despite all the random. Typically the best AI has a part of random. Chess AI surpass human limits and don't need it but that's rather exceptional. In general it's required to avoid the AI is too easily predictable.
  • I'd say that Dominion 3 is an excellent example of random in strategy games. And how this add spices but can be managed anyway. It's not only random events that in fact you can manage and anticipate (or choose ignore anticipate) but also the game has a very rude fog of war system and a very imprecise scouting system. Another example is morale/flee system, it's partly based on random but also the game provide tools to manage it and influence its random and its effects. It ends that this random part that can has huge influence on a battle result, is rather interesting to manage through the strategy planing.

But I still have hard time to appreciate random with a huge effect. For example a fight would be between 5/8 rounds but there's a chance of instant death. But when the game has enough depths and allows setup strategies to manage a high random I can enjoy it a lot anyway despite a high random level. Otherwise I often appreciate the surprise element that can bring random and learn manage it.

EDIT: I did learned appriciate more the random in video games but I'd like a DLC in KBTL with no critical hits. :biggrin:
 
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Ihaterpg & Joxer:

Randomness is the fun in CRPGs and RPGs.

Example:
I have a sword that hit for damage 10 and I have 36 HP.
My enemy has a hammer that hits for 12 damage and 40 HP.

In a non random world I have no chance:
The enemy hits for 3 times (3*12=36) and I'm dead, because I would need 4 rounds (4*10=40) to beat him. BORING!

In a random world, where the hammer of my enemy has a chance to hit of 50% and the damage range is 8+4*RND and my chance to hit is 70% and my damage is 9+1*RND I suddenly have a chance to win. INTERESTING!
 
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Hidden, please go on, maybe you'll reveal me the reason I can't understand why so many ppl buy bloody gambling boxes in Star Trek Online. For real cash, ofc.

Or not? See, I mentioned IIRC a richer randomness provided by a computer than limited randomness from a dice.
 
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@HiddenX: My post is certainly is too long to read it fully but I didn't wrote I didn't want random in RPG. I even quoted multiple reasons to enjoy it.

Your example includes (at least) three points:
  • Random event repeated is statistics, not pure random.
  • Random low down the tactical level (not the strategical level) ie pure combination reach a too high complexity with an important random. It can be more relaxing and even some (probably the majority) of players will prefer it to avoid long thinking on precise combinations.
  • Random brings a pleasure of unexpected and surprise.

EDIT: Moreover about Talisman I checked it quickly and I would have tried the demo if it was on Mac, but I'm not curious enough to make a switch to PC just for it. Really a game I think I could enjoy as a fun casual game if one game isn't too long. Or as an interesting strategy game if it has enough depth to allow manage a lot of its random through strategies.
 
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