Skip to content

Ever play PS:T as a straight Fighter or Thief?

SharguildSharguild Member Posts: 186
Most experienced players are familiar with how Mage oriented ( 'rewarding' perhaps a better phrase) the game-play becomes for the N.O. as it progresses. Many also played the game numerous times.
How was your N.O. straight Fighter run?
Your straight N.O. Thief run?
In early game, I of course utilized the Fighter increments to gain weapon use, then switch to Thief for picking pockets ( before getting Annah) but ultimately ALWAYS switched over to Mage. I just couldn't stop myself, heh. The spells were just too cool to ignore.
Mind, there were some VERY cool weapons designed just for a fighter N.O. or just a Thief N.O.
Did you run the game as one?
I keep promising myself I will. Just need the resolve to follow through, heh.
And I'm talking no less than 25 runs over 16 years.
Sigh....

Comments

  • DJKajuruDJKajuru Member Posts: 3,300
    Honestly...no. But I 've been told that as a thief you can still spend attribute points on intelligence/charisma/wisdom and have the same roleplaying benefits. I haven't yet because, well, I'm truly addicted to creating magic users!
  • SharguildSharguild Member Posts: 186
    As I understand it, they had a team at Black Isle devoted to just making some of the coolest looking spells they could think of. I think they succeeded HOWEVER I also agree with others when they say some of the higher level spells are far too similar to 'Final Fantasy' type spells that can take damn near a full cigarette to cast!
    That can get frustrating with frequent use.
    Yes, attribute points are awarded regardless of class. Obviously the big 3 (for this game, Intel, Wis and Char)) would take a hit if you were electing to develop say a fighter though and so fighter perhaps is not recommended to first time players ( or could be - if you just wanted a "feel" for the game and don't give a damn about plot or story, which I think would be sad).
    Personally, having I think 'exhausted' all dialogue options at this point, I need to give Thief a try.
    Stay strong Shar, you can do it.....
  • jjstraka34jjstraka34 Member Posts: 9,850
    Since this game is far more an interactive novel (and a great one at that) than anything focused on combat, you could get by fight-wise with just about anything. The problem being of course, is that getting the most out of the story-portion of the game forces you into spell stats. So on a first play, you would want to make a caster for sure. But on subsequent plays, there certainly isn't any harm to trying out the game as a meathead.
  • SharguildSharguild Member Posts: 186
    I agree and... disagree jistraka34.
    I'll explain;
    I introduced my daughter to the game when she was 12. She had watched me play a number of times over the shoulder, as I have done many times watching her play games ( sort of a bizarre bonding moment if you will, great chats while watching each other's "movies" so to speak, popcorn and ginger -ale is essential).
    Anyway, she asked during the course of the game if she should convert to mage, to thief, to fighter and I gave the old stand-by "do what feels comfortable and interesting".
    She got pissed with fighter pretty quick as he stumbled through the game like a moron compared to my mage but... she became uncomfortable and frustrated with Mage because the wrong dialogue option choice ( which is of course, key) would shut down options she saw me have access to.
    I had no intention of playing the game for her but increasingly was nudging her toward specific choices.
    Well, that would frustrate her when I was not there, as she was becoming dependent on my assistance.
    Finally, I suggested she play as a Thief, which gave more flexibility but not as dialogue dependent for her first run and then come back and play as a Mage because she will be more comfortable with the story after one play-through and little would be spoiled.
    This she did, and really enjoyed it.
    At 13, she ran the game as a Mage and made mine look like an illiterate novice.
    It's a very easy (and fascinating!) game to play, yet probably the hardest game ever to get a perfect run.

    M2c
  • TuthTuth Member Posts: 233
    Well, I have always played the game as a fighter. I simply don't like playing as a mage and looking at The Nameless One, he just fits to be a fighter for me. Although, an intelligent/wise fighter that is. I wouldn't gimp TNO to have less options in dialogues. I switch to both mage and thief for particular purposes, but once they're done I go back to fighter.

    I don't know whether I would be able to bring myself to play as a mage, probably not. Thief seems tempting, but not that much overall.
  • SkatanSkatan Member, Moderator Posts: 5,352
    I've only completed the game once, and it was prolly ten years ago, and that was as a fighter using mainly mauls. I didn't know much back then and didn't read walkthroughs either, so I prolly missed alot of dialogues and quests. I didn't have high WIS for example, but the game was still enjoyable and even though I don't remember much details nowadays, I have fond (though blurry) memories of that playthrough.

    I really want to replay the game again but haven't gotten around to do it. I have too little time to invest in games nowadays unfortunately.
  • TeflonTeflon Member, Translator (NDA) Posts: 515
    Become mage to unlock unbroken circle for dakkon but does that count as played as a mage?
    For me planescape torment's harzadous environment is too hard for mage so always played as a fighter, never without morte though.
    Favorite weapon is punch dagger.
  • OlvynChuruOlvynChuru Member Posts: 3,079
    The game is totally playable as a fighter or a thief, but it's much more fun to play as a mage.
  • bob_vengbob_veng Member Posts: 2,308
    playing fighter is story mode basically. super fast and super easy.
  • CrevsDaakCrevsDaak Member Posts: 7,155
    bob_veng said:

    playing fighter is story mode basically. super fast and super easy.

    I played as a Mage and felt the same. It's the game's combat that isn't rewarding in general.

    Mind you that I maxed out CON to 25 and reached level 29 as a Mage =)
    Anyway, I never used many spells in the game, and if I did, it was probably just spamming Missile of Patience or however it is called, throwing in a high level damaging spell and then going in melee with the Sword you get off the Fallen Archangel (my memory fails me, so sad...).
  • TuthTuth Member Posts: 233
    edited November 2015
    Celestial Fire, Trias's sword that actually could be any weapon.

    Having played mostly as a fighter many times, I must say that the combat is really fun and challenging. Maybe because I made a weak type of fighter, with stats like: str 16, con & dex 9 and most points to the int/wis.

    I don't know why PS:T is considered to have terrible combat. I much prefer it to the IWD series, where the enemies were either boring, or annoying. I remember encounters, such as with Trias, or the evil wizard construct to be really good in terms of combat.
    Post edited by Tuth on
  • SharGuidesMyHandSharGuidesMyHand Member Posts: 2,582
    Tuth said:

    I simply don't like playing as a mage and looking at The Nameless One, he just fits to be a fighter for me.

    This has always been one of my biggest problems with PST - the story/gameplay push you to play as a spellcaster, but your character just looks like a thuggish brute.
  • TuthTuth Member Posts: 233
    If you could keep the Dustman's robe that would be quite awesome to play as a mage. I know it's a deliberate choice by the designers to have no armor for TNO, but that would convince me to do a full playthrough as a mage.
  • SkatanSkatan Member, Moderator Posts: 5,352
    I tried to play the game this weekend, but couldn't get the higher resolution mods to work. It messed up the installation unfortunately. I should probably move on from my old Vista as well, it doesn't really do me any favours.. :P Had planned to make a mage playthrough, but yeah I guess I have to wait and hope for an EE version in the future.
  • SharguildSharguild Member Posts: 186
    I guess I should mention that though I predominantly play the game through as a Mage, there are a variety of situations where a Thief or Fighter is deemed appropriate;
    - pumping pick-pocket ability early ( Annah takes a while to get up there) and there is some GREAT loot on many folk throughout the game.
    - learning new weapon levels ( a dagger is standard for Mage but to increase ability, you need to be a Fighter to learn)
    - pumping hit points ( Mages suck, Fighters are great)
    - some scenarios require a damned good Thief to get through for optimal reward.
    - Modron maze is cruel punishment as a Mage if you are arrow or goggles hunting (for Nordom). A Fighter has an easier time of it.
    - The Lowers Ward sewers after returning from Curst can be a beast if you are just loot hunting unless Fighter ( why waste spells? ).

    I'm sure there are others. Plus, sometimes it's just great to smash things! Argghh me Hulk! especially after a trying day at work, heh.

    As a Mage, of course you have such WONDERFUL spells to play with and it relieves you from boosting stats that don't benefit the game-play you may seek. As Wisdom, Intelligence and Charisma ultimately provide the (subjectively) "best" responses throughout the game, "wasting" stats on Strength, Dex and Constitution proves unnecessary.

    Regardless of class though, this game remains one of the most fascinating sojourns into D&D and I consider it, despite the most certainly linear aspect, one of my favourite games of all time.
    The Planescape universe is the very definition of diverse and I have the majority of the PnP modules.
    Wish I still had folks nearby to play the PnP with but, this will do, for now....

    M2c
  • AndrewFoleyAndrewFoley Member Posts: 744
    I went through as a straight fighter, partly because figuring out the UI for magic twisted my melon, man (I only figured out Dak'kon could cast spells in the last quarter of the game), partly because I couldn't square TNO's physical appearance with either thief or caster specialties, and partly because the version I was playing was buggy as hell, which meant a lot of the non-sprite, non-static visual elements (including all the cinematics) at best didn't appear onscreen and at worst turned the entire screen black for a few seconds to more than five minutes on one occasion.
Sign In or Register to comment.