GrainWetski
Arcane
- Joined
- Oct 17, 2012
- Messages
- 5,103
USERDATA in the main folder?
-
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"DRPG" Stranger of Sword City
- Thread starter duanth123
- Start date
Zeriel
Arcane
- Joined
- Jun 17, 2012
- Messages
- 13,468
It is the PictureGate folder. Some reviewer said the game already has pictures there you can use to figure out the sizes you need, but in my copy of the game there's nothing in those folders. It's clear you're supposed to put your pictures in the picturegate/1-16 folders and then use the "upload" button in the options menu, I just haven't tried yet.
2 hours into the game.
Still re-roll bonus point.
The thing that gets me about rerolls is I ALWAYS end up accidentally clicking "reroll" after getting the best roll possible because most rolls are junk and you're just going by instinct at that point. I really wish the genre would implement a "revert to last roll" option.
Reinhardt
Arcane
- Joined
- Sep 4, 2015
- Messages
- 29,771
Zeriel
Arcane
- Joined
- Jun 17, 2012
- Messages
- 13,468
How about the genre just move to point buy?
Point buy is why we invented gas chambers, fam.
Copied from the developer post on it in the troubleshooting forum :
Step 1: Go to the directory: Steam\steamapps\common\Stranger of Sword City\PICTUREGATE\
Step 2: Choose one of the folders and enter it. You can have up to 16 custom characters, dood!
Step 3: You need four files, which can be png, bmp, or jpg (of course, if you want it to look nice, make sure the image you're using has transparency). Make sure you've named them correctly and you have the right resolution!:
userImgA [746 x 720 pixels. This is your main character image!]
userImgB [350 x 380 pixels. This is the portrait that displays in your party.]
userImgC [160 x 240 pixels. This is your character creation/selection portrait.]
userImgD [146 x 32 pixels. This is the mini icon that displays during combat.]
Step 4: Start up the game. In the second page of the options menu, there is a Load Image option. Pick the folder you used and the extension of the images you used, then Upload. Apply and exit, and you'll be in the game, dood!
For some inexplicable reason the devs insist on using 'dood' as if it's punctuation. I cba to edit them all out, but ffs don't think it's my words.
Step 1: Go to the directory: Steam\steamapps\common\Stranger of Sword City\PICTUREGATE\
Step 2: Choose one of the folders and enter it. You can have up to 16 custom characters, dood!
Step 3: You need four files, which can be png, bmp, or jpg (of course, if you want it to look nice, make sure the image you're using has transparency). Make sure you've named them correctly and you have the right resolution!:
userImgA [746 x 720 pixels. This is your main character image!]
userImgB [350 x 380 pixels. This is the portrait that displays in your party.]
userImgC [160 x 240 pixels. This is your character creation/selection portrait.]
userImgD [146 x 32 pixels. This is the mini icon that displays during combat.]
Step 4: Start up the game. In the second page of the options menu, there is a Load Image option. Pick the folder you used and the extension of the images you used, then Upload. Apply and exit, and you'll be in the game, dood!
For some inexplicable reason the devs insist on using 'dood' as if it's punctuation. I cba to edit them all out, but ffs don't think it's my words.
Courtier
Prophet
- Joined
- Aug 12, 2015
- Messages
- 441
How could you not recognize the faggot prinny speak NIggerSA uses, dood? Experience doesn't typically RP penguins or rip off yuro customers (NISA EU copypasted dollar prices in pounds+extra charge, so a $50 SoSC Limited Edition is £54.99 or >>>$80<<< in the NISA EU store, shipping costs excluded)
Lol, yes excuse my mixing up of developer with publisher! In my defence, the poster on the steam forum has 'developer' next to his name.
I give them a certain credit for staying in character, even if that character sounds like he belongs in some terrible 80's surfer b movie.
I give them a certain credit for staying in character, even if that character sounds like he belongs in some terrible 80's surfer b movie.
wtf dungeon crawlers with point buy? i can let that ride as an option but...
remember that part of the kernel of the Wizardry-blueprint lies in the facsimile of randomness and how each seperate system is informed by so-called random variables that then go on to dovetail into OTHER seperate systems.
from top to bottom Wizardry-clones utilize virtual randomness in some of the most elegant ways seen in a video game that have yet to be surpassed. it is not an oversight that wizardry encounters can vary from 1 monster to 20 monsters and that a player can "cheese" the "system" by reloading in hopes of better odds. This is not bad design. This is infinite replayability and a small example of systemic emergent gameplay.
i can also guarantee that everyone here has experienced MUCH worse "randomness", to their detriment/lack of enjoyment. in more games than they ever have in a Wiz-clone; and the detail here of course is that the Wiz-clone is built with this core concept as part of its dna whereas a lot of games with die roll hell are much less sophisticated and much less smartly designed and usually run into such troubles due to willful obfuscation of the game systems interactions.
remember that part of the kernel of the Wizardry-blueprint lies in the facsimile of randomness and how each seperate system is informed by so-called random variables that then go on to dovetail into OTHER seperate systems.
from top to bottom Wizardry-clones utilize virtual randomness in some of the most elegant ways seen in a video game that have yet to be surpassed. it is not an oversight that wizardry encounters can vary from 1 monster to 20 monsters and that a player can "cheese" the "system" by reloading in hopes of better odds. This is not bad design. This is infinite replayability and a small example of systemic emergent gameplay.
i can also guarantee that everyone here has experienced MUCH worse "randomness", to their detriment/lack of enjoyment. in more games than they ever have in a Wiz-clone; and the detail here of course is that the Wiz-clone is built with this core concept as part of its dna whereas a lot of games with die roll hell are much less sophisticated and much less smartly designed and usually run into such troubles due to willful obfuscation of the game systems interactions.
GrainWetski
Arcane
- Joined
- Oct 17, 2012
- Messages
- 5,103
One of my characters got turned into a butterfly after being killed. Gone forever?
Courtier
Prophet
- Joined
- Aug 12, 2015
- Messages
- 441
Yes...keep track of the hearts in the status screen (Life Points) - goes down by one every death, everybody above age ~18 has only 2 LP and vanishes at 0. Hope you can reload an earlier save. Also recovering LP takes about a week in hospital, with a couple of days added the higher level you get
- Joined
- Aug 23, 2015
- Messages
- 5,455
been playing this+eliminage gothic in my spare time (not much, accounting 12ish hours on both)
I can tolerate randomness on the actual gameplay such as random enemies number/composition and loot. It is fine, as in many jrpgs modern and old, arpg, and MMO. Whether it is good design is another discussion entirely though.
What I can't tolerate is the bonus point roll on chargen. Random status on level up? I can live with with that. But good god, wasting half an hour rolling for better bonus point on chargen is tedious as hell.
Well don't bloody do it then!
You can get through the game absolutely fine with chars who are not maxxed out munchkin ninja/dancer/samurai/ranger multi classed machines. I rolled a few times for all my chars and didn't get a roll above 10 I don't think. The game is not even that hard past the first few levels. The stat requirements for most gear is quite easily achievable, (although don't forgo VIT on your tank, end game Heavy armour I've seen with 29 VIT requirement and there might be some higher.)
A better tip is to spend the time creating several characters right at the start and fill your roster at the Guild before doing much XP'ing. The ones you store gain XP quicker than if you make them fresh later when you need them., but if you're going to spend an hour rolling every character you'll be fed up of the game before you've even got your second Blood Crystal!
You can get through the game absolutely fine with chars who are not maxxed out munchkin ninja/dancer/samurai/ranger multi classed machines. I rolled a few times for all my chars and didn't get a roll above 10 I don't think. The game is not even that hard past the first few levels. The stat requirements for most gear is quite easily achievable, (although don't forgo VIT on your tank, end game Heavy armour I've seen with 29 VIT requirement and there might be some higher.)
A better tip is to spend the time creating several characters right at the start and fill your roster at the Guild before doing much XP'ing. The ones you store gain XP quicker than if you make them fresh later when you need them., but if you're going to spend an hour rolling every character you'll be fed up of the game before you've even got your second Blood Crystal!
Courtier
Prophet
- Joined
- Aug 12, 2015
- Messages
- 441
Why would you roll on chargen for more than half a minute? Taking Elminage Gothic as an example: You're extremely unlikely to get advanced classes right off the bat, attributes have minimal impact on everything earlygame compared to levels, they will all definitely max out not even halfway through the game, and there's not even worthwhile innocent equipment for characters who didn't classchange. In SoSC a ''base'' roll of 5 is perfectly doable, you will get a lot of points to spend throughout the game. Nothing prevents you from just rolling with the character except your autism.
This argument is tired and retarded fuck I got ninja'd by shackledude
This argument is tired and retarded fuck I got ninja'd by shackledude
Zetor
Arcane
Speaking of permadeath stuff, what's the best way to make a week go by for LP recovery? The hydra boss in the slums AOEd my group over and over (yea, I did use the 'heal every turn' divinity and a ton of heals / healing items on whoever was about to die) and my two lowest-HP dudes bit it in the same round he did. I did revive them, but they're both at 1 LP now.
I have some alternate characters to switch in for my two goners, but I'd prefer keeping all of my team as close in XP as possible. Or I don't suppose sosc has the "turn gold into XP" thing from Elminage and earlier EXP games to help dead dudes catch up? The passive XP gain from the guild suggests it doesn't.
e: it seems like each fight is "worth" 2 hours, though some of the tougher ambushes may be worth 4?
I have some alternate characters to switch in for my two goners, but I'd prefer keeping all of my team as close in XP as possible. Or I don't suppose sosc has the "turn gold into XP" thing from Elminage and earlier EXP games to help dead dudes catch up? The passive XP gain from the guild suggests it doesn't.
e: it seems like each fight is "worth" 2 hours, though some of the tougher ambushes may be worth 4?
Last edited:
- Joined
- Aug 23, 2015
- Messages
- 5,455
Yeah, probably shouldn't. But this kind of system actually rewards rolling, especially in Strangers because, unless my early impression is wrong, unlike Eliminage where status actually could goes up or down depending on active class, in Strangers you actually point buy when leveling.
And thanks for the rest of the advice.
I got 4 of mine youngish party as Samurai, Lord, or Ninja on chargen because I spent 1 hour rolling on eliminage
A knowledge a person without experiences in the series would have no possibility of knowing beforehand. The thing with status rolling on chargen is, I don't know on what level of bonus status will the game balanced around. For example, will the game reward older riskier but with more bonus point or not?
While you can consult a guide or perhaps discuss it with blobber experts, that on itself rob the authenticity of trying and figuring new things/genre, in this case wizclones. In this case, I've tried and due what I perceive as shitty system, I complained.
Courtier
Prophet
- Joined
- Aug 12, 2015
- Messages
- 441
I get what you're saying mate, but it's left entirely up to the player to set their character's age/race/gender, roll for however long they'd like to get a varied amount of points/the classes they want, and start out with the party they'd like. Of course you wouldn't know anything beforehand, you don't immediately know what's ideal in any game, do you? The point is exactly to try and figure out new things, which is why you can usually reclass from the base classes to whatever you want after just a few levels. Even without any foreknowledge as a first time player I've never spent more than a few minutes rolling, not in these games nor in games such as Baldur's Gate.
For those who already know about the advanced classes, they can immediately go for them with the right point allocations and rolling. But it's entirely optional. A chargen point buy system would homogenize every character and take away the possibility of starting off with a small boost. Advanced classes have very high base stats so starting as one straight off the bat would be off the table too, or if allowed they'd have to be weakened. Basically it'd be one step towards ''balancing'' all the fun out of the game.
For those who already know about the advanced classes, they can immediately go for them with the right point allocations and rolling. But it's entirely optional. A chargen point buy system would homogenize every character and take away the possibility of starting off with a small boost. Advanced classes have very high base stats so starting as one straight off the bat would be off the table too, or if allowed they'd have to be weakened. Basically it'd be one step towards ''balancing'' all the fun out of the game.
Honestly, I wouldn't worry too much about XP differences at lower levels. You'll probably want to swap out some members of your team at various points and they'll all be around a level they can contribute, AS LONG AS you don't go too mad with multi classing. You halve your level, HP, MP every time you change class, but keep the skills so you can use them in a different class. It does mean you can have a period where your best guys turn into your worst guys for a bit and that might be where you switch out your other members.
Later on, you'll find ambush spots that are particularly good for grinding XP. That's probably the time to think about getting people's level up or switching classes. You'll know them when you find them, trust me.
And no, there's no 'donate' option to switch out currency for XP, more's the pity.
RE-rolling bonus points in order to start with an advanced class is very... amateurish ^_^
once you've been a few times around the block you will know that in a game like elminage (and in wizardry) it is all about reaching mid-game with all of your characters in their 2nd class and then around half of them changing into a third class for the late-game and post-game in order to build end-game hybrids.
the only reason to re-roll in wizardry and elminage is to get an insanely high roll so you can create whatever race is most balanced (usually humans) and make six characters that are of the basic classes each, but with perfectly balanced and very high attributes without giving preference to any particular stat.
the point is so that as these balanced-race / basic-class characters with evenly-distributed attribute points level up and master their class (spells) by the mid-game they are 100% ready to transition into their (probably final) 2nd class which will be one of the fancy ones.
now you're getting why i stressed the importance of getting a high initial bonus roll and then evenly distributing it, right? there's nothing worse in a Wiz-clone than mastering your basic class and not being able to transition into your next class that will give you the perfect compliment of skills/spells that you were planning for...
however since you made sure to keep everybody's stats high and evenly distributed all throughout (even distribution helps balance out gains/losses during level ups) then each one of your chars will have every single class you want highlighted and waiting for them when you choose to add a 2nd class to each character and expand their spells/skills.
i rarely go for a 3rd class in any dungeon crawler unless i fucked up somewhere, or i use a class-changing item.
remember: the most effective Wiz-clone "ability" for a party in an end-game / post-game scenario is for everyone to be able to cast all of the important buffing/debuffing spells in the first 2 turns. this requires usually 2, sometimes 3 characters with access to the same spells/abilities but who are currently all 3 in different classes. get it?
nothing is more powerful in elminage than in 1st round having 2 chars with access to alchemy cast buffing spells and then 2 chars with access to priest spells cast AC buffs and then the final 2 chars with access to mage spells AC debuffs on the enemy.
that 2nd turn becomes a slaughterhouse.
once you've been a few times around the block you will know that in a game like elminage (and in wizardry) it is all about reaching mid-game with all of your characters in their 2nd class and then around half of them changing into a third class for the late-game and post-game in order to build end-game hybrids.
the only reason to re-roll in wizardry and elminage is to get an insanely high roll so you can create whatever race is most balanced (usually humans) and make six characters that are of the basic classes each, but with perfectly balanced and very high attributes without giving preference to any particular stat.
the point is so that as these balanced-race / basic-class characters with evenly-distributed attribute points level up and master their class (spells) by the mid-game they are 100% ready to transition into their (probably final) 2nd class which will be one of the fancy ones.
now you're getting why i stressed the importance of getting a high initial bonus roll and then evenly distributing it, right? there's nothing worse in a Wiz-clone than mastering your basic class and not being able to transition into your next class that will give you the perfect compliment of skills/spells that you were planning for...
however since you made sure to keep everybody's stats high and evenly distributed all throughout (even distribution helps balance out gains/losses during level ups) then each one of your chars will have every single class you want highlighted and waiting for them when you choose to add a 2nd class to each character and expand their spells/skills.
i rarely go for a 3rd class in any dungeon crawler unless i fucked up somewhere, or i use a class-changing item.
remember: the most effective Wiz-clone "ability" for a party in an end-game / post-game scenario is for everyone to be able to cast all of the important buffing/debuffing spells in the first 2 turns. this requires usually 2, sometimes 3 characters with access to the same spells/abilities but who are currently all 3 in different classes. get it?
nothing is more powerful in elminage than in 1st round having 2 chars with access to alchemy cast buffing spells and then 2 chars with access to priest spells cast AC buffs and then the final 2 chars with access to mage spells AC debuffs on the enemy.
that 2nd turn becomes a slaughterhouse.
lol the last time i re-started elminage gothic i was hell-bent on making the most optimized, most power-gamed party ever to take on ibag's tower so i rolled:
3 priests, 3 alchemists.
(all of this during 1st dungeon and also during 2nd dungeon)
two of the alchemists upon mastering their spells changed one to lord and one to valkyrie.
the remaining alchemist changed to bishop. he will remain like this until end of game.
two of the priests upon mastering their spells changed one to samurai and the other to thief (then to ninja via hermit knife).
the remaining priest changed alchemist.
1 lord w/ alchemy background
1 valkyrie w/ alchemy background
1 samurai w/ priest background
1 ninja (previously thief) w/ priest background
1 alchemist w/ priest background
1 bishop w/ alchemy background
3 priests, 3 alchemists.
(all of this during 1st dungeon and also during 2nd dungeon)
two of the alchemists upon mastering their spells changed one to lord and one to valkyrie.
the remaining alchemist changed to bishop. he will remain like this until end of game.
two of the priests upon mastering their spells changed one to samurai and the other to thief (then to ninja via hermit knife).
the remaining priest changed alchemist.
1 lord w/ alchemy background
1 valkyrie w/ alchemy background
1 samurai w/ priest background
1 ninja (previously thief) w/ priest background
1 alchemist w/ priest background
1 bishop w/ alchemy background
Courtier
Shackleton
so i'm basically about to launch SSoSC for the very first time...riiiiiight.... NOW. before playing i actually went and looked through all of the game's files to see how EXP have stepped their compression game up and...
i have (japanese language) generation xth 2 and generation xth 3 installed on my PC right now and those two games are as open as fuck. an amateur translator/text-hacker's wet-dream of a "prospect".
in comparison the SSoSC files are packed so tight i don't think they could tighten any more tightness in tight. absolutely everything is compressed beyond all hope, fuck even the english_script file is as well. i suppose it's a sign of them moving on up in the world!
in any case what this means is there almost certainly won't be any quick-and-dirty hex-edit mods (item values, character system variables modification, etc). not any time soon.
Shackleton
so i'm basically about to launch SSoSC for the very first time...riiiiiight.... NOW. before playing i actually went and looked through all of the game's files to see how EXP have stepped their compression game up and...
i have (japanese language) generation xth 2 and generation xth 3 installed on my PC right now and those two games are as open as fuck. an amateur translator/text-hacker's wet-dream of a "prospect".
in comparison the SSoSC files are packed so tight i don't think they could tighten any more tightness in tight. absolutely everything is compressed beyond all hope, fuck even the english_script file is as well. i suppose it's a sign of them moving on up in the world!
in any case what this means is there almost certainly won't be any quick-and-dirty hex-edit mods (item values, character system variables modification, etc). not any time soon.
btw, this is me mashing the enter key as fast as possible to get to char gen... sigh. please feel free to spoil whatever you wish! or give whatever advice you wish!
anything you want to talk about concerning the game, feel free! or not concerning the game!
best way to enjoy these crawlers is via live posting it, heh.
anything you want to talk about concerning the game, feel free! or not concerning the game!
best way to enjoy these crawlers is via live posting it, heh.
MrRichard999
@Hell
GOOGLE TRANSLATION ALERT! Some truly... BANAL and google-ish text! (not a slight on the game; more a slight on the translation "scene")
some of my work-inprogress:
(party's encounter with Judah.)
MANY MEN CIRCLE A TABLE AND SIT DOWN.
AS THEY SIT EVERYONE NOTICES
A MAN CASUALLY STANDING.
「TO HAVE STRAYED INTO SUCH COMPANY...
OH, WHAT GREAT LUCK!」
「THIS LEISURE HAS BEEN UNBEARABLE.
COME, NOW, I SHALL MAKE YOU ALL BLEED.」
THE MEN SWARMED IN A MASS OF LIMBS AS
THE LEADER TOOK POINT.
THE MEN CIRCLED THE TABLE, WARY,
AS LAMPLIGHT REVEALED THE SHADOWS..
A KETTLE AND A KNIFE, A WORMHOLE APPLE,
AND SEVERAL MUGS LACKING A TEA SPOUT,
AND SOMEHOW YOU MANAGED TO FIND...
RECEIVED THE SOLDIER KEY!
in contrast i would like to paste these images of my empire 1 translation, currently in progress:
again, i only desire to drive home the point that official localizations are, IN MOST CASES, only a very slight step above a crude google-translation. i've been doing a dictionary-translation so far using only the kanji and shit's working out gangbusters. very slow-going though.
oh yah... back to SSiSC.
@Hell
GOOGLE TRANSLATION ALERT! Some truly... BANAL and google-ish text! (not a slight on the game; more a slight on the translation "scene")
some of my work-inprogress:
(party's encounter with Judah.)
MANY MEN CIRCLE A TABLE AND SIT DOWN.
AS THEY SIT EVERYONE NOTICES
A MAN CASUALLY STANDING.
「TO HAVE STRAYED INTO SUCH COMPANY...
OH, WHAT GREAT LUCK!」
「THIS LEISURE HAS BEEN UNBEARABLE.
COME, NOW, I SHALL MAKE YOU ALL BLEED.」
THE MEN SWARMED IN A MASS OF LIMBS AS
THE LEADER TOOK POINT.
THE MEN CIRCLED THE TABLE, WARY,
AS LAMPLIGHT REVEALED THE SHADOWS..
A KETTLE AND A KNIFE, A WORMHOLE APPLE,
AND SEVERAL MUGS LACKING A TEA SPOUT,
AND SOMEHOW YOU MANAGED TO FIND...
RECEIVED THE SOLDIER KEY!
in contrast i would like to paste these images of my empire 1 translation, currently in progress:
again, i only desire to drive home the point that official localizations are, IN MOST CASES, only a very slight step above a crude google-translation. i've been doing a dictionary-translation so far using only the kanji and shit's working out gangbusters. very slow-going though.
oh yah... back to SSiSC.
Courtier
Prophet
- Joined
- Aug 12, 2015
- Messages
- 441
Mid- to lategame equipment geared towards certain classes has stat requirements, e.g. Int for a wizard hat and Pie for a holy robe. Some melee weapons have base reqs for stats the class otherwise doesn't need, ex: Ice Brand requires 14 Str and 10 Pie, Meteor Darts require 17 Int + 17 Pie. Don't have dump stats, throw a couple points around.
Dual-wielding is the same as Demon Gaze in that offhand weapon effectiveness % increases as agility goes up - 4% per point up to 100% effectiveness at 25 agi. So if your character is going to dual wield (e.g. Samurai, Dancer) put points in there.
Knight gets immunity to crits and paralysis at 21, Cleric immunity to all status effects at 26. There are a lot of other useful skills like these so check what they can get in the learned skill menu and think ahead for multiclassing if you'd like to do that later. Knight can benefit from Ninja evasion skills and counter from Fighter benefits the whole front line, classes with multi-hit concentration skills might want to go Ranger 28 for High Concentration (Hunter's Secret). Wizard benefits from Cleric skills and vice-versa. Like mentioned earlier, don't multiclass too much.
Game is lenient when it comes to leveling many characters. Ones on standby gain exp just from standing around, and newly created ones get exp based on main character level. After game clear with main party levels 40-46, my characters at home that I seldom if ever used are leveled 32-36.
Dual-wielding is the same as Demon Gaze in that offhand weapon effectiveness % increases as agility goes up - 4% per point up to 100% effectiveness at 25 agi. So if your character is going to dual wield (e.g. Samurai, Dancer) put points in there.
Knight gets immunity to crits and paralysis at 21, Cleric immunity to all status effects at 26. There are a lot of other useful skills like these so check what they can get in the learned skill menu and think ahead for multiclassing if you'd like to do that later. Knight can benefit from Ninja evasion skills and counter from Fighter benefits the whole front line, classes with multi-hit concentration skills might want to go Ranger 28 for High Concentration (Hunter's Secret). Wizard benefits from Cleric skills and vice-versa. Like mentioned earlier, don't multiclass too much.
Game is lenient when it comes to leveling many characters. Ones on standby gain exp just from standing around, and newly created ones get exp based on main character level. After game clear with main party levels 40-46, my characters at home that I seldom if ever used are leveled 32-36.
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