PS:T - How to kill your game
Planescape: Torment is not an overly difficult game to play ( though some might argue that) but it can be a difficult game to "win" when you consider all you need to do to win, is FINISH.
Since finishing the game requires you to not only progress through different scenarios but also to meet certain criteria, this can become frustrating.
Well I'm not about to create a walk-through, those exist. What I would like to identify though is some of the pit-falls that exist you will hopefully avoid while playing, so that you at least make it to the end.
- To start, most acknowledge that are familiar with BG type games, that being evil is not synonymous with homicidal maniac. If you have a different perspective, well, don't play this game. Killing everyone in this game will end it by chapter one.
You CAN take an evil outlook to the game and succeed but that involves cunning and manipulation ( think politician). There are benefits to taking the good path but surprisingly for a BG type game, there are benefits for taking an other than good path as well (i.e. having an awesome evil Mage join your group that makes Edwin seem like a Boy Scout and first year novice).
Killing indiscriminately will end your game quickly though, as dialogue through-out the game is key to progression, kill the wrong guy, game over.
- Another point worth mentioning is the importance of Charisma as a personal stat. I've mentioned before how critical this stat is in another post regarding learning mage spells but it goes far beyond that.
I'll also take this moment to address the issue some might have with having a high Charisma being an attribute of Lawful Good characters or good of any vein. Assuredly not!
In D&D ( and most religions) devils have an incredibly high level of charisma. hence their ability to coerce, manipulate and corrupt. So yes, an evil protagonist can max out charisma as easily as a good aligned PC.
And, you want to, ASAP! I can't think of a more difficult hindrance to progressing in the game than being a thud-plug. Reality check, how long do your conversations last with people that are obnoxious, boring, forlorn, confused, whiny or stubborn? Well the game has the same attitude, they shut you down pronto, move along, go away, GO AWAY! Kinda difficult to get plot points when no one will talk to you.
So Raise your Charisma every chance you get or learn to live and love in the Hive.
- Ending conversations will also end your game. Remember in High School and College those multiple-choice exams where two answers were damn close to right but there was always that one answer choice that was so obtusely wrong that only a moron would select it? Well PS:T dialogue options are frequently like living that bloody nightmare all over again. Thing is, sometimes those moronic dialogue selection choices are seductive and even though you "know" it's a stupid choice, "what if I just..."
Don't. Well Not without saving first. Guaranteed that guy or gal just spoke to you for the last time and if it was a plot point, hope you saved in the past hour... and if it's your first play-through, good luck discovering that was a key plot character or not. Now this is also where a high Charisma comes in to play. With a Charisma of "normal" say 9-12, you may have 3 dialogue options. With a Charisma of 18+, you could have 4 or even 5 choices, with the fifth being so blatantly correct you would have to ignore it by spite.
- Low Wisdom, "cause I'm a fighter, so maxing my Strength and Dex is key!"
Do not do this. Your henchmen in this game are predominantly better fighters than you, so let them be. Many know that Wisdom is one of the critical stats to progress in this game but are confused in some instances as to 'WHY'.
High Wisdom in PS:T provides you with; more experience for each award, and more frequent awards for choices you make in the game. Please do not confuse this with Charisma, which opens dialogue to discover there even IS an award for choices you make. Wisdom... does not make people want to talk to you, it only makes your responses better. For this purpose, Charisma and Wisdom overlap. You get them to talk, you then give the right answer. Gee, just like real life....
You can be a VERY successful evil fighter in this game, with high Wisdom and High Charisma; dump intelligence, if that's the case ( maybe Constitution as well, since you regenerate anyway and have enough healing potions to open an apothecary). Your high Wisdom means you level faster, leveling faster = higher stats, ergo....
- Don't talk to people. One of the most frustrating things (for some) about this game is the sheer amount of people you need to talk to and many, more than once. For others, it is the inherent charm of the game, less butcher more banter. Regardless of which side of the coin you prefer, you need to talk to a LOT of people to progress in the game. Much like real life though, the game developers did a good job of balancing long instances of relative boredom (for the action oriented) with moments of sheer panic and chaos. Many I know bailed on the game during these scenarios of unceasing dialogue. Well, it's true, this is "the best book you've ever played" as some say. Knowing this however, can make it easier for you to plan for those instances where the the enemies just do not stop coming and you will gasp for an interlude of quiet time. Be sure to talk to anyone that has a "name" at least, and SAVE before you do!
- Don't save often. This is not, at least on the first 2 or 3 play-throughs, the game I would select to do a "no-save" run. In fact, I don't know of anyone who has done a no-save run. With that in mind, save often. I've described above, rationale for doing so but to make the matter clear, there are 3 instances I know of in the game that if you have not saved, your game is possibly over, since you are given no opportunity to prepare.
Well there are many other methods of killing your game but I think this post provides a theme at least to ignore, or follow, as you deem to interpret.
I wish ya the best, cutter;
M2c
Since finishing the game requires you to not only progress through different scenarios but also to meet certain criteria, this can become frustrating.
Well I'm not about to create a walk-through, those exist. What I would like to identify though is some of the pit-falls that exist you will hopefully avoid while playing, so that you at least make it to the end.
- To start, most acknowledge that are familiar with BG type games, that being evil is not synonymous with homicidal maniac. If you have a different perspective, well, don't play this game. Killing everyone in this game will end it by chapter one.
You CAN take an evil outlook to the game and succeed but that involves cunning and manipulation ( think politician). There are benefits to taking the good path but surprisingly for a BG type game, there are benefits for taking an other than good path as well (i.e. having an awesome evil Mage join your group that makes Edwin seem like a Boy Scout and first year novice).
Killing indiscriminately will end your game quickly though, as dialogue through-out the game is key to progression, kill the wrong guy, game over.
- Another point worth mentioning is the importance of Charisma as a personal stat. I've mentioned before how critical this stat is in another post regarding learning mage spells but it goes far beyond that.
I'll also take this moment to address the issue some might have with having a high Charisma being an attribute of Lawful Good characters or good of any vein. Assuredly not!
In D&D ( and most religions) devils have an incredibly high level of charisma. hence their ability to coerce, manipulate and corrupt. So yes, an evil protagonist can max out charisma as easily as a good aligned PC.
And, you want to, ASAP! I can't think of a more difficult hindrance to progressing in the game than being a thud-plug. Reality check, how long do your conversations last with people that are obnoxious, boring, forlorn, confused, whiny or stubborn? Well the game has the same attitude, they shut you down pronto, move along, go away, GO AWAY! Kinda difficult to get plot points when no one will talk to you.
So Raise your Charisma every chance you get or learn to live and love in the Hive.
- Ending conversations will also end your game. Remember in High School and College those multiple-choice exams where two answers were damn close to right but there was always that one answer choice that was so obtusely wrong that only a moron would select it? Well PS:T dialogue options are frequently like living that bloody nightmare all over again. Thing is, sometimes those moronic dialogue selection choices are seductive and even though you "know" it's a stupid choice, "what if I just..."
Don't. Well Not without saving first. Guaranteed that guy or gal just spoke to you for the last time and if it was a plot point, hope you saved in the past hour... and if it's your first play-through, good luck discovering that was a key plot character or not. Now this is also where a high Charisma comes in to play. With a Charisma of "normal" say 9-12, you may have 3 dialogue options. With a Charisma of 18+, you could have 4 or even 5 choices, with the fifth being so blatantly correct you would have to ignore it by spite.
- Low Wisdom, "cause I'm a fighter, so maxing my Strength and Dex is key!"
Do not do this. Your henchmen in this game are predominantly better fighters than you, so let them be. Many know that Wisdom is one of the critical stats to progress in this game but are confused in some instances as to 'WHY'.
High Wisdom in PS:T provides you with; more experience for each award, and more frequent awards for choices you make in the game. Please do not confuse this with Charisma, which opens dialogue to discover there even IS an award for choices you make. Wisdom... does not make people want to talk to you, it only makes your responses better. For this purpose, Charisma and Wisdom overlap. You get them to talk, you then give the right answer. Gee, just like real life....
You can be a VERY successful evil fighter in this game, with high Wisdom and High Charisma; dump intelligence, if that's the case ( maybe Constitution as well, since you regenerate anyway and have enough healing potions to open an apothecary). Your high Wisdom means you level faster, leveling faster = higher stats, ergo....
- Don't talk to people. One of the most frustrating things (for some) about this game is the sheer amount of people you need to talk to and many, more than once. For others, it is the inherent charm of the game, less butcher more banter. Regardless of which side of the coin you prefer, you need to talk to a LOT of people to progress in the game. Much like real life though, the game developers did a good job of balancing long instances of relative boredom (for the action oriented) with moments of sheer panic and chaos. Many I know bailed on the game during these scenarios of unceasing dialogue. Well, it's true, this is "the best book you've ever played" as some say. Knowing this however, can make it easier for you to plan for those instances where the the enemies just do not stop coming and you will gasp for an interlude of quiet time. Be sure to talk to anyone that has a "name" at least, and SAVE before you do!
- Don't save often. This is not, at least on the first 2 or 3 play-throughs, the game I would select to do a "no-save" run. In fact, I don't know of anyone who has done a no-save run. With that in mind, save often. I've described above, rationale for doing so but to make the matter clear, there are 3 instances I know of in the game that if you have not saved, your game is possibly over, since you are given no opportunity to prepare.
Well there are many other methods of killing your game but I think this post provides a theme at least to ignore, or follow, as you deem to interpret.
I wish ya the best, cutter;
M2c
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