Wizardry 8

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Wizardry 8 is an epic fantasy RPG that picks up where Wizardry 7: Crusaders of the Dark Savant left off. You may recall that all hell had broken loose at the end of Wizardry 7. The Dark Savant had taken flight with a device called the Astral Dominae, an incredibly powerful artifact containing the secret of life itself. Following him are two powerful races, the T'Rang and the Umpani, as well as your own brave party of adventurers. Everyone is headed to Dominus, a world on the cusp of the Cosmic Circle, birthplace of the Astral Dominae and home of the Cosmic Lords. Many paths will converge on Dominus, and many long-hidden secrets will be revealed.

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Wizardry 8


game-225.gif
Classification: CRPG

Design: Gritty, High Fantasy, Sci-fi, W-RPG
Theme: Good vs. Evil
Setting: Alternate World, Medieval, Futuristic
Combat Style: Turn-based
Reward System: Experience, Training
Play Style: Single-player
Point of View: 1st-person
Color Palette: Realistic
Control: Full Control
Voice Acting: Partially Voiced
Character Backstory: Free-form
Playtime: Over 60 hours
Funding model: Publisher





I. Defining Features


The three core categories Character Development, Exploration and Story that need to be applied and quantified to determine if an interactive computerized game can be labeled as a Computer Role Playing Game (hereafter referred to as CRPG) are listed to show the necessary component elements and qualifying factors.

Any proposed or purported CRPG must contain all three core categories and their essential necessary Must Have conditions fulfilled to achieve the (minimal) CRPG status.

These core categories must maintain some form of progressive nature that will improve from when the game starts and leads to a conclusive game ending.

1. Character Development
Describes ways to create, change or enhance your characters in order to increase their effectiveness in the game.
  • MC1: You can control and role-play one or more unique characters (➙ avatar or party, not only uniform units.) Yes
  • MC2: You can progressively develop character stats or abilities (➙ e.g. through an in game value (usually exp. points) gained by quests, exploration, conversation, combat, …) Yes
  • MC3: You can equip items to enhance character stats or abilities Yes
  • MC4: Stat checks are required (➙ you need to develop your character in order to progress and finish the game) Yes
2. Exploration
Includes how you can move through the game world, as well as everything you can find, see, manipulate or interact with, like locations, items and other objects.
  • ME1: You can find new locations Yes
  • ME2: You can find and collect items (➙ There is an inventory. There must be more item types than quest items, weapons, ammunition or consumable stat boosters) Yes
  • ME3: You can find information sources (➙ e.g. NPCs, entities, objects that provide info) Yes
3. Story
Concerns all narrative elements like setting, lore, plot, characters, dialogue, quests, descriptions, storyline(s) and similar, including how you can interact with them.
  • MS1: You can get information from information sources (➙ e.g. hints, goals, quests, skills, spells, training, …) Yes
  • MS2: You can follow quests (➙ there is at least one main quest) Yes
  • MS3: You can progress through connected events while playing your character's role. Yes
Each core category and the auxiliary category Combat also have related Should Have conditions; the reviewer should make a comment if a sub list item is not fulfilled. Should one or more (SH) not be fulfilled the game is most likely a special CRPG (see Tags) or a CRPG light.

If all (SH) are fulfilled too there's no further discussion necessary — the game is a true CRPG.

1. Character Development
Describes ways to create, change or enhance your characters in order to increase their effectiveness in the game.
  • SC1: You can create your characters. Yes
  • SC2: Pre-planning is required for character development Yes
  • SC3: Tactical use of abilities is required (➙ primary means of problem solving, gameworld interaction and overcoming challenges. The player's physical coordination skills are secondary.) Yes
2. Exploration
Includes how you can move through the game world, as well as everything you can find, see, manipulate or interact with, like locations, items and other objects.
  • SE1: You can find NPCs (➙ non-player characters who you can interact with.) Yes
  • SE2: You can choose a path (➙ there is at least some branching.) Yes
  • SE3: You can interact with the game world (➙ e.g. you can pull levers, push buttons, open chests, hack computers, … appropriate to the game's setting) Yes
  • SE4: The gameworld can affect your characters' conditions or circumstances such that you have to learn and adapt to overcome these challenges (➙ e.g. weather, traps, closed doors, poisoned areas, …) Yes
  • SE5: Inaccessible areas can be reached due to character enhancements or by solving quests or puzzles (➙ e.g. unlock locked areas, overcome obstacles, repair bridges, dispel barriers, …) Yes
3. Story
Concerns all narrative elements like setting, lore, plot, characters, dialogue, quests, descriptions, storyline(s) and similar, including how you can interact with them.
  • SS1: You can interact with information sources (➙ e.g. NPC conversations, riddle statue questions, …) Yes
  • SS2: You can make choices in those interactions. Yes
  • SS3: Some of those choices have consequences. Yes
  • SS4: Thinking is required in order to progress (➙ e.g. irreversible choices, moral dilemma, riddles, …) Yes — limited
  • SS5: The story is influenced by your decisions and your characters' actions and stats or abilities. Yes
4. Combat (Meta)
Describes how combat (or more general: conflict resolving) corresponds to elements of Character Development, Exploration and Story.
  • SF1: Combat is influenced by character stats or abilities (➙ e.g. amount of damage, chance to hit, weapon access, …) Yes
  • SF2: Combat involves random elements (➙ e.g. game internal dice rolls.) Yes
  • SF3: Combat provides some challenge (➙ e.g. requires preparation, use of tactics or environment.) Yes
Wizardry 8 is a CRPG.


II. CRPG Elements


Optional elements are listed in the Nice to Have (NtH) list. With it you get precise information which optional CRPG elements are implemented in the game. A general game info questionnaire is added too, to do some rating.

Choice
  • You can name your characters. Yes
  • You can choose a gender. Yes
  • You can choose looks or voice. Yes
  • You can choose or create through play your own class, profession or race. Yes
  • You can choose traits, alignment or disposition. Yes
  • You can choose abilities. Yes
  • You can choose spells. Yes
  • You can modify primary stats. Yes
  • Lots of different equipment is available. Yes
  • Lots of different spells or abilities are available. Yes
  • Abilities can unlock or block others or branch. Yes — Max primary attributes unlock expert skills.
  • Character classes or development paths can be changed during the game. Yes
  • You can have pets as party members. No
Interdependence
  • (Story) Character stats can change NPC disposition towards the PC. No
  • (Story) Stats, abilities or spells can affect available dialogue options. Yes
  • (Story) Unique items are in the game or can be made. Yes
  • (Exploration) Stats, abilities or spells can affect available paths through the game world. No
  • (Exploration) Stats, abilities or spells can affect the amount of things you can see, find or know in the world. No
Interactivity
  • You can create combos with spells or abilities. No
  • Your character's stats can be modified by using spells or abilities. Yes
  • Your character's afflictions can be cured by using spells or abilities. Yes
  • You can rest or sleep. Yes
  • Stats can limit in some way what you can equip or carry. Yes
  • You can control party members or pets like your main character. Yes
Immersion
  • You need to specialize (➙ can't have everything.) Yes
  • You can create or choose a background story for your character. Yes
  • You can tweak your character lots of times over the whole game. Yes
  • You can wear normal clothes, not only armor. No
  • Factions provide prizes for your deeds (➙ e.g. houses, medals, ranks, …) No
  • Magic is in the game in some form. Yes
  • Your characters can be afflicted with negative status effects (➙ e.g. diseases, fatigue, etc.) Yes
  • Your characters can eat or drink. No
Choice
  • You can follow different paths to reach a goal. No
  • You can reasonably go where you want. Yes
  • You can return to previously visited locations. Yes
  • There are few artificial borders, rare level loading. No
Interdependence
  • (Character) Char development choices can affect available paths through the game world. No
  • (Character) Char development choices can affect the amount of things you can see, find or know in the world. No
  • (Story) You can find and recruit new party members or tame pets. Yes
  • (Story) Exploring off the beaten path yields rewards, e.g. optional quests, secrets or interesting locations. Yes
  • (Story) You can visit and make use of social locations (➙ e.g. taverns, inns, marketplaces.) No
Interactivity
  • You can collect items (➙ there is an inventory.) Yes
  • You can trade items for currency and better equipment. Yes
  • You can interact with items. Yes
  • You can break or destroy items. Yes
  • You can repair items. No — There's a broken bridge you can repair, but that's it.
  • You can move items. No
  • You can combine or disaggregate items. Yes — You can create gadgets and mix potions.
  • You can gather pieces of flora or fauna for later use. Yes — Ingredients for potions are items you can pick up.
  • You can craft equipment, spells or items (➙ e.g. alchemy.) Yes
  • Inventory size is limited. Yes
Immersion
  • There is a place you can call home. No
  • You can explore lots of unique, beautiful and interesting locations. Yes
  • Locations can evolve or change (➙ e.g. town / destroyed town.) Yes
  • There are non-hostile creatures (➙ e.g. wildlife.) No
  • Types of creatures make sense in the area they are encountered in. Yes
  • Creatures are wandering persistently (➙ no random encounters.) Yes
  • Looting makes sense (➙ no shield on a dead wolf.) Yes
  • Time is measured (➙ e.g. there is a day/night cycle.) Yes
  • Time affects the game world (➙ e.g. some things are only available at night.) Yes
Choice
  • You can reasonably do what you want when you want to do it (➙ quest order doesn't matter much.) Yes
  • Some quests depend on each other. Yes
  • Some quests rule others out. Yes
  • Quests can be solved in more than one way. Yes
  • You can join factions, though not all at the same time. Yes
  • You can make moral choices (or romance choices.) Yes
Interdependence
  • (Character) Character stats can change NPC disposition towards the PC. No
  • (Character) Char development choices can affect available dialogue options. Yes
  • (Character) Unique items are in the game or can be made. Yes
  • (Exploration) You can find and recruit new party members or tame pets. Yes
  • (Exploration) Exploring off the beaten path yields rewards, e.g. optional quests, secrets or interesting locations. Yes
  • (Exploration) You can visit and make use of social locations (➙ e.g. taverns, inns, marketplaces.) No
Interactivity
  • Dialogue is fleshed out (➙ there are multiple options in one conversation.) Yes
  • There is more than one game ending. Yes
  • You can have conversations with party members or take care of pets. No
  • There are many side quests. Yes
  • State of the game changes in accordance with the player's actions. Yes
  • You can solve or create conflicts between factions. Yes
Immersion
  • Lore is provided (➙ context, faction rules, laws, history, …) Yes
  • There are different factions (➙ races, groups, guilds.) Yes
  • NPCs or party members are well developed (➙ expansive background stories, etc.) Yes
  • NPCs or party members interact with each other. Yes
  • NPCs have schedules. No
  • There are surprises and twists. Yes
  • The storyline is character-driven (➙ character development within the narrative.) No
  • There is a proper ending or sense of closure. Yes
  • There are memorable antagonists. Yes
  • Your main character is defined. No
Units
  • Combat can be avoided due to stats (➙ e.g. enemies flee) No
  • You can control at least six characters. Yes
  • Your characters are specialized (➙ different battlefield roles.) Yes
  • Enemies are specialized (➙ require different tactics.) Yes
  • Resource management is necessary. Yes
  • Units have multiple attack options. Yes
  • Delayed attacks are possible (➙ e.g. counterattacks, attacks of opportunity, etc.) No
  • Movement-focused special abilities are available. Yes
  • Units have multiple resistance options (➙ e.g. armor, elemental resistance, etc.) Yes
Environment
  • Combat can be avoided through sneaking or gameworld manipulation. Yes
  • You can get a good sense of space (➙ e.g. there is a grid.) No
  • Combat can start at variable distances. Yes
  • Directional facing plays a role (➙ e.g. more damage from behind, flanking.) Yes
  • Terrain is variable (➙ e.g. natural choke points, cover, combat bonuses.) Yes
  • Terrain can be manipulated (➙ e.g. you can create barriers.) No
  • There are elevation effects (➙ e.g. combat bonuses from higher grounds.) No
  • There can be zones or items on the battlefield that reward units who get there in time. No
  • There can be Zones of Danger on the battlefield (➙ e.g. environmental damage.) No
Scenarios
  • Combat can be avoided through dialogue. No
  • Combat can have different win scenarios (➙ e.g. keep NPC alive, defend town.) No
  • Combat can have side objectives aside from "win/loss". No
  • Characters don't die immediately but can be revived during combat. Yes
  • Decisions on the battlefield have character development consequences. No
  • There are memorable bosses. Yes
Roleplay Focus: Character : Exploration : Story = 0.75 : 0.68 : 0.79
Gameplay Focus: Choice : Interactivity : Immersion = 0.87 : 0.82 : 0.70
Combat Focus: Units : Environment : Scenarios = 0.78 : 0.44 : 0.33


III. Fun Features


1. Character Development
Describes ways to create, change or enhance your characters in order to increase their effectiveness in the game.
  • FC1: Are there useless skills? No
  • FC2: How would you rate character progression? Balanced
  • FC3: Is there auto-leveling of some sort? No
2. Exploration
Includes how you can move through the game world, as well as everything you can find, see, manipulate or interact with, like locations, items and other objects.
  • FE1: Is Auto-Mapping available? Yes
  • FE2: Is Fast Travelling available? No
  • FE3: Are there quest markers? No
  • FE4: Is there a quest compass? No
  • FE5: How much realism is there? Balanced
  • FE6: How much looting is in the game? Some
3. Story
Concerns all narrative elements like setting, lore, plot, characters, dialogue, quests, descriptions, storyline(s) and similar, including how you can interact with them.
  • FS1: Does the story follow cliched paths? Yes
  • FS2: How linear is the game? Network-like
  • FS3: How would you rate the suspense? Ok
  • FS4: Are there pre-selected options? (➙ Choice is reduced.) No
4. Combat (Meta)
Describes how combat (or more general: conflict resolving) corresponds to elements of Character Development, Exploration and Story.
  • FF1: How much fighting is in the game? Much
  • FF2: Grinding: Is filler combat necessary to develop your character? Yes
5. Interface

  • FX1: How often is gameplay interrupted with loading? Rarely
  • FX2: How would you rate the game's interface? Ok
6. Difficulty

  • FD1: How difficult is the game? Hard
  • FD2: Can difficulty be adjusted? Yes
  • FD3: How balanced is trading? Good
  • FD4: How much reloading is necessary to beat the game? Some
  • FD5: How good is the AI? Medium
  • FD6: How much handholding is there? Little
7. Gameplay Features

  • FG1: Are there Easter Eggs? Yes
  • FG2: Are there minigames? Yes
This fact sheet was created using CRPG Analyzer 1.01 Beta.​
 
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GothicGothicness said:
I don't get those graphcs.. what do they mean ?
Click to expand...

They are a graphical representation of the amount of CRPG elements in the game (see spoiler tag; they are also referred to as "Nice-to-Have elements") and they show you which of the three main areas the focus lies on.

Essentially, big triangles mean lots of CRPG elements in the areas the triangles point to. Classic adventures for example would be very small in "Character Development" and "Combat".
This is all a result of our eternal quest for the answer to the question "What is an RPG" or more specifically, "is game X a CRPG?".


So you have three main areas that make up a CRPG (roleplay):
- Character Development
- Story
- Exploration

Combat is a meta category that is related to and affected by these three categories:
- Units refers to how much character stats and skills are used in combat.
- Environment refers to how much "Exploration", i.e. terrain, danger zones etc. plays a role in combat
- Scenarios refer to how much combat affects or is affected by story elements, like what are the goals, etc.

"Gameplay" describes the type of gameplay in each area. For example, choice in Character Development means how much you can customize your character, Interactivity means how you can sort of interact with stats and abilities (this one makes more sense in terms of "interactive environment" or "interactive story"), Immersion is about how much sense everything makes and how invested you can become.


All that said, the graphs are just icing on the cake. The actual cake is the first line: Wizardry 8 is, for all intents and purposes, a CRPG. It may be easy to say in this case, but not so easy in borderline cases — I guess we all have seen one or two discussions about what a CRPG is. ;)

And it allows us to better compare games. This is from Icewind Dale, for example, a "linear CRPG":

 
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"Color Palette: Realistic"

Well... for the time. ;)
 
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You underbid the gameplay hours by 20 or so on average and the upper end for someone that does everything (double agent + easter eggs) should probably be over 100 hours. Heck, according to Steam I'm sitting at 30 hours on my run for Felipepepe and I'm between 1/3 and 1/2 thru right now. My runs, while complete, tend to be quicker than average, too, since I know how to optimize my travels. 60-120 hours seems much more reasonable to me. You'd have to skip a lot of content to complete in 40 hours.

Beyond that, excellent report.
 
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Zloth: Heh. ;) It's just colors that I'd call realistic though, not polygon count. :)

dteowner said:
You underbid the gameplay hours by 20 or so on average (..)
Click to expand...
Thanks for the correction. For gameplay length I always have to consult gamefaqs [
http://www.gamefaqs.com/pc/374906-wizardry-8 ] because I have no idea, and it said ~55.7 hours (voted by 15 people). Anyway, I trust your judgment on this, o great Wizard VIII.
 
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Is there a section in the analysis tool for recommended mods? I generally play everything vanilla, but Wizfast is about as close to "mandatory mod" as you'll ever get and that probably bears mentioning in your report somehow. I imagine you could get agreement on a few mandatory mods for other games, too, like NWN, ToEE, and the Elder Scrolls series, so it's not a situation unique to Wiz8.
 
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dteowner said:
Is there a section in the analysis tool for recommended mods?
Click to expand...
Not yet, but we could add an entry in "Fun Features" and perhaps show it more prominently than the other fun features, if there are recommended mods. We could also use a conclusion text field for some custom last words.
 
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