Descent to Undermountain - Playing it in 2024...

[Nixheb]

Didn't wanted to necro some old thread...
Hungry for more Forgotten Realms settings game, and boosted by some review video that surfaced on my youtube suggestions, I'm finally playing "Descent to undermountain" (v1.3, patched).

To my great surprise, it was : 1, less buggy than what I was expecting ; 2, really really curiously enjoyable !

There is something strange in this game. Combats is broken. Maniability is "mehhh". But there is a peculliar alchimia of subtle things ... it's weird, but it somewhat has a soul. I'm truly convinced that some folks behind it really tried to make something good out of this doomed project.

But let's get to the point : I spent quite some time on the internet trying to find some resources on the game (maps, walkthrough, guides...) but found almost nothing !

Does anybody here have any good resource to share I may have missed ? Or at least, a good memory of it to answer some questions I may have during my explorations ?

 

[ShaggyMoose]

I assume you won't find a lot due to the atrocious reception this game (deservedly) received. Only thing I can find is a bunch of videos on Youtube. Not exactly ideal, but this one at least has a named series that can hopefully let you find the appropriate location.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YjftYUBkpVg&list=PLAMGM1hSRIUomMtUAqvKDqbglNnAh78r_

 

[Nixheb]

Thanks for the link, I will have a look a the videos if jammed.

 

[TheDeveloperDude]

I assume you won't find a lot due to the atrocious reception this game (deservedly) received. Only thing I can find is a bunch of videos on Youtube. Not exactly ideal, but this one at least has a named series that can hopefully let you find the appropriate location.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YjftYUBkpVg&list=PLAMGM1hSRIUomMtUAqvKDqbglNnAh78r_

This is only OST music.

 

[I eat frozen vegetables]

I still think using the Descent engine was a terrible idea.

 

[ShaggyMoose]

I assume you won't find a lot due to the atrocious reception this game (deservedly) received. Only thing I can find is a bunch of videos on Youtube. Not exactly ideal, but this one at least has a named series that can hopefully let you find the appropriate location.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YjftYUBkpVg&list=PLAMGM1hSRIUomMtUAqvKDqbglNnAh78r_

This is only OST music.

Oh... I probably should have actually watched the videos... There were a few other longplay videos on there as well.

 

[Nixheb]

For the technical part, probably. The engine was not designed for _that_...

It's too bad, because the more I play, the more I say to myself that this game have a great potential.
It's all about atmosphere... maybe that's me and my dementia, but I find it surprisingly attaching.

In spite of the (not so catastrophic...) bugs and defaults. The is clearly unpolished and unfinished, but what is sure is that there where some talentuous guys behind it. It's broken, but not _souless_ at all !

 

[Ziroth]

Hi there!! I am just playing Descent to Undermountain and I think exactly as you say about this game, I mean, there are some bugs, the ladders, the combat... but the dungeon design, the story, the music, I really like it a lot! I occasionally stream this game on my channel, if you want to see some action, but I speak spanish. I am, I think, somewhere between the last third of the game, but I dont know, because there are no walkthroughs! But yeah, I really like this game.

 

[Nixheb]

In fact, I found on this board a "walkthrough" copypasted from @KeighnMcDeath !
!

https://rpgcodex.net/forums/threads/pool-of-radiance-ruins-of-myth-drannor-in-2018.125061/page-3

Alas, it's a "straigth to the point" one, without the side quests and such... for example, the skeleton on the bridge that can be befriendened with some Mystra profanity near the mad ghoul still puzzle me... :\

 

[Nixheb]

Just found out a pre-alpha demo of the game.
https://community.pcgamingwiki.com/files/file/884-descent-to-undermountain-interactive-demo/

It was somewhat smoother than the final game !

 

[Ziroth]

In fact, I found on this board a "walkthrough" copypasted from @KeighnMcDeath !
!

https://rpgcodex.net/forums/threads/pool-of-radiance-ruins-of-myth-drannor-in-2018.125061/page-3

Alas, it's a "straigth to the point" one, without the side quests and such... for example, the skeleton on the bridge that can be befriendened with some Mystra profanity near the mad ghoul still puzzle me... :\

Thank you very much! I am gonna look at it, and yes, there are several "sidequests" that I cant figure it out !

 

[I eat frozen vegetables]

In all honesty, a fan remake could be a feasible option. Just apply the smoothness of the alpha and make it play like a normal RPG.

 

[Jaesun]

In all honesty, a fan remake could be a feasible option. Just apply the smoothness of the alpha and make it play like a normal RPG.

Yeah, while you would unfortunately have to play the original (to get all the dungeon design and other stuff)..... it would be rather interesting to actually play this in a working non buggy fan remake. Not sure what engine would however be best for it though.

 

[Ziroth]

I am streaming the game right now, I like it a lot! https://www.twitch.tv/mileniooscuro

 

[DaveO]

Unfortunately the latest DTU patch botched things up where you tend to have problems. Mages can shitstorm you and you have no defense. Warriors now tend to fumble weapons. Wear boots by the way to avoid silly rat damage in one of the areas.

 

[Ziroth]

Unfortunately the latest DTU patch botched things up where you tend to have problems. Mages can shitstorm you and you have no defense. Warriors now tend to fumble weapons. Wear boots by the way to avoid silly rat damage in one of the areas.

Like the HOLD PERSON spell! omg you have to wait between 1-30 real time minutes haha load time of course

 

[DaveO]

I found that patch 1.3 makes progression impossible past a certain point. Any archiver have access to patch 1.2? Otherwise, I go with 1.1 or unpatched.

I'm going to search my backup drive for .csv and .pst files. I *might* just have my old email account archived before it got assimilated by Cox.

 

[Ziroth]

I found that patch 1.3 makes progression impossible past a certain point. Any archiver have access to patch 1.2? Otherwise, I go with 1.1 or unpatched.

I'm going to search my backup drive for .csv and .pst files. I *might* just have my old email account archived before it got assimilated by Cox.

Well, I am at quest 14, I think is the final dungeon, with the 1.3 patch.

 

[Ziroth]

Ok, just finished the game on stream! Ufff the final stage...., but in general I really enjoy the game.

 

[Nixheb]

I found that patch 1.3 makes progression impossible past a certain point. Any archiver have access to patch 1.2? Otherwise, I go with 1.1 or unpatched.

I'm really curious to know what alteration makes progression impossible ?

 

[DaveO]

It was in an article. Let me find the quote. This could take a while.

 

[Ziroth]

Strange, I really want to read that article too, because, as I said early, I was able to finish the game with this patch installed (I fought a lot of bugs, even the suddenly disappearance of all the rest shrines, all over the maps! Imagine, a cleric without the capacity to rest! forget all the spells... but at the second to last dungeon, magically all the shrines appeared again! XD. Anyway, I had a huge stock of potions, just in case!

 

[DaveO]

https://mr-garett.livejournal.com/100890.html
Found the article. It's in Russian, but Google Translate should fix that for you.

 

[Eisen]

Seems my type of game, except it looks clunky as fuck

 

[Ziroth]

The article mentions the "ladder´s bug", well, I could bypass almost easly by clicking the left mouse button (the melee atack) while climbing the ladders, and it seems its more easy to reach the top, I dont know, in the desesperation I started doing it and, well, I think it works XD