Underworld - New Re-Balanced version

Corwin

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You can't say developers never listen. Classic Games Remade has re-balanced their recent release of Swords and Sorcery Underworld to make it an even better experience. Here's the text of the forum post announcement:
Following discussions on the forum, email exchanges and RPGWatch's (fantastic!) review of Underworld, it was clear that part of the original intent - to provide a consistent tactical challenge throughout the game's combat encounters- wasn't met.

Players tend to level higher than I expected and in the end distortions come out. While I intended the sorcerer to be a powerful class, it quickly overshadows all the others.

Another issue that comes out frequently is the difficulty finding gold. That was intended but apparently instead of adding to the fun it really adds frustration.

V1.05 addresses these issues and several others by:
- scaling XP: each mob now has a level. When the party's average level goes beyond a mob's level the resulting xp from killing that mob progressively decreases until it reaches 1xp per mob in the encounter. Each mob's xp is added to determine the final reward for victory. Overall having replayed the game I found that the lower XP means slower levelling, and therefore less need for training gold, while keeping up with each level's challenges. (Level requirements remain the same).
- Spell efficiency: the sorcerer remains a powerful class, actually starting out more powerful than previously, but with slower progression. The sorcerer's power remains at par with the others but with its added abilities to immobilize, transport, deal with multiple enemies... Each spell's algorithm has been reviewed.
- New loot system: this allows for more flexibility in loot mapping, making each loot much more likely to be progressively useful.
- Reviewed monster power: Each mob's abilities have been edited to ensure a real tactical challenge in most of the game's encounters (random or fixed).
- Reviewed item efficiency: plate armor especially tended to protect too much...

Other:

More convenient saving system (offers previous save name as default when overwriting an existing save).
Hit space / click to make the combat aftermath stop.

Bug fixes:

- Killing the guard at Highnest & coming back to previous save didn't bring back the guard (using the 5 new save slots). The same went for fixed encounters and locked / unlocked doors, although that was less noticeable.

- De(m)oting a character disabled (N)ew character and (x) back, forcing a reload

- F1 kills the mouse cursor but it would deviously find its way back in combat.

Some differences in the game will be less noticeable if you already have a high ranking party (past level 15).In that case v1.05 may best be left for a future replay.
More information.
 
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I went to the homepage. Maybe I'm suffering from temporary blindness, but I can't see the basic company infos. I bet a lot of people are a bit reluctant to do business with an anonymous company.
 
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The company, is a one man operation like many Indies!!
 
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I added a company page. It's short :)
 
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Hey, sorry for replying late - I just hopped off a train.

@gorath: I may be mistaken (not being a lawyer, let alone a good one) but not being in the electronics field I shouldn't have an issue with the name.

@ pladio: I definitely understand it isn't for everyone. The 'young and impatient (with titanium left mouse buttons)' aren't expected to show much interest :)

I've always had two home buttons & put off figuring out why with all the dev lately.

Thanks for commenting!
 
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"Creative Labs" ist the name of I'd say THE sound card producing companies !

I'd just suggest writing it really out. *Everyone* knows who is "Creative Labs", but no-one yet knows who is "Creative Laboratories". ;)

Just as a thought.
 
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Hey, sorry for replying late - I just hopped off a train.

@gorath: I may be mistaken (not being a lawyer, let alone a good one) but not being in the electronics field I shouldn't have an issue with the name.

Risky. They could still try, and the difference between "entertainment product - hardware" and "entertainment product - software" is not really something I would expect a court to understand.
Given you are a 1 person company (the second you take money you are a company!) it's possible you are liable with your whole private property. At least in Germany it would be that way, and France is also EU, so maybe there's some EU standard in place.

Your game is finished (apart from patching). So maybe now would be a good time to get all the business stuff sorted. If CL sues you for 500k in damages it will be too late.

Just friendly hints, of course it's totally up to you what you'll do.
I've always had two home buttons & put off figuring out why with all the dev lately.

Thanks for commenting!
Well, there is something to be said for blatantly ripping off the most successful practices of your fellow indie devs. So why not analyze the web sites of Positech, Jeff Vogel etc. to find out how they're doing it. ;)
 
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Given you are a 1 person company (the second you take money you are a company!) it's possible you are liable with your whole private property. At least in Germany it would be that way, and France is also EU, so maybe there's some EU standard in place.

It's because there are no other "methods" in Germany - at least as far as I know of it - to "become" a company than a GBR.

The more money people have, the faster they'd found a company form (like the GmbH) in which they are NOT liable with their own private money.

It's again like the cynical proverb : "Those who have will given". Because people with lots of oney are able to found a company in which they cannort lose all of their money in terms of liability.
Those who have only few money intead are only able to found companies in which they are able to lose all of their money in terms of liability.
Which means that people with lots of money are favoured by the law (the possibility to found companies).
 
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An English Ltd. is way cheaper. It can also be used in Germany. The legal consequences aren't clear yet though.
 
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Is it that expensive to start a company in Germany ? Here you need 5000 euro ( That cannot be considered a big sum for most companies ) to start a company like the one you call "GmbH" ( well at least they are similiar in the sense that don't hold you liable )..... I thought smaller companies often prefer to stay in another form, because they get some benefits and also more profit to the owners.......
 
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All you need is 20 bucks for the license. Which is a simple form sheet in 99% of the cases. You go to the correct office, declare yourself, the officer checks your ID and has a brief look at the paper, you pay your 20 bucks and that's it. Then you are a "full merchant", which means you know how an honorable merchant should behave and everybody else expects you to behave like that. And you're liable with everything you own, except the defined minimum (a cheap car, a TV, a bed, …). Which makes it quite easy to get money from the bank.

A GmbH (similar to a Ltd.) costs 25k, at least half in cash I think. There's also a smaller for which may allow you to get started with less investment. A GmbH naturally has trouble getting a bank loan due to lack of securities.

There are also several mixed forms. If you're in the money it's definitely worth checking out.

edit: There were discussions to lower the sum for the GmbH to 10k. I don't know if this has been done in the meantime.
 
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