Review Mask of the Betrayer reviews

[doctor_kaz]

I thought that the Gamespot review brought up one very valid point that the battles tend to be full of bright flashing lights but are incredibly chaotic, to the point where it's basically impossible to follow what's going on. A side effect of the crappy combat "real-time with pause" system that gets really annoying with more than about four characters or enemies on screen. This is why I argue with people who insist that real-time-with-pause is the same as turn-based. This is especially problematic at higher levels when characters have more and more attacks per round or you've got a Mass Haste spell going.

 

[aweigh]

a game's bugs or glitches should never be taken into accouunt when reviewing a game. they have nothing to do with whether a game is good or not.

 

[JrK]

I thought that the Gamespot review brought up one very valid point that the battles tend to be full of bright flashing lights but are incredibly chaotic, to the point where it's basically impossible to follow what's going on. A side effect of the crappy combat "real-time with pause" system that gets really annoying with more than about four characters or enemies on screen. This is why I argue with people who insist that real-time-with-pause is the same as turn-based. This is especially problematic at higher levels when characters have more and more attacks per round or you've got a Mass Haste spell going.

Seriously, no. I have no problem pausing the game every once and a while to take track of how the battle is faring if it is too hectic for me too follow, which is not many times. I pity you slow unanalytic brains when you think it's too chaotic, BWAHAHAHA.

 

[Volourn]

"a game's bugs or glitches should never be taken into accouunt when reviewing a game. they have nothing to do with whether a game is good or not."

Bullshit. They play a huge part in whether a game is good or bad.

Example: The Spirit Meter is supposed to be a huge part of MOTB. Lots of people like it, and lots of people hate it. Sadly, the spirit meter doesn't seem to exist/is broken in my version of the game because of some inane bug so that most definitely effects the quality of game hence the game should be punished for it.

Period.

 

[spacemoose]

End of discussion.

 

[spacemoose]

And that's a fact.

 

[spacemoose]

Victory at sea.

 

[Texas Red]

"a game's bugs or glitches should never be taken into accouunt when reviewing a game. they have nothing to do with whether a game is good or not."

Bullshit. They play a huge part in whether a game is good or bad.

Example: The Spirit Meter is supposed to be a huge part of MOTB. Lots of people like it, and lots of people hate it. Sadly, the spirit meter doesn't seem to exist/is broken in my version of the game because of some inane bug so that most definitely effects the quality of game hence the game should be punished for it.

Period.

Maybe the bug is that you cant control the spirit meter and you constantly lose?

ROOFLES!

 

[Texas Red]

I thought that the Gamespot review brought up one very valid point that the battles tend to be full of bright flashing lights but are incredibly chaotic, to the point where it's basically impossible to follow what's going on. A side effect of the crappy combat "real-time with pause" system that gets really annoying with more than about four characters or enemies on screen. This is why I argue with people who insist that real-time-with-pause is the same as turn-based. This is especially problematic at higher levels when characters have more and more attacks per round or you've got a Mass Haste spell going.

Quick question: Does fighting usually take place in huge or small areas? Fighting in the Neverwinter city made the game incredibly laggy. I hope I wont have to face something similar. Or maybe the areas arent as laggy as in the original campaign, though the they may be still large(something was said about improving the graphics)?

 

[Nael]

That Gamespot review is exactly why I do not read their reviews on RPG games I might be interested in. If I'm interested in say a FPS or otherwise "mainstream" game I read their reviews because they happen to be somewhat experts on the subject. True RPGs have always been and hopefully always will be for those people who not only play games but probably read books on a regular basis. If you don't enjoy reading, you're probably not going to enjoy most RPGs unless it's something like Oblibion where everyone reads to you like some sort of fucking "next-gen" Speak and Spell bullshit.

That being said, I come to this website and peruse the forums whenever I wanna get the true skinny on an RPG. So review it already VD, you lazy piece of shit.

PS-I already finished the game and reviewed it for myself anyway, but I am curious to see if your thoughts on MotB are similiar to my own.

 

[Lumpy]

a game's bugs or glitches should never be taken into accouunt when reviewing a game. they have nothing to do with whether a game is good or not.

Why? It seems to me that bugs, just as every other aspect of the game, should be written about in reviews. When giving the scores... who gives a fuck about scores anyway?

 

[Helton]

"a game's bugs or glitches should never be taken into accouunt when reviewing a game. they have nothing to do with whether a game is good or not."

Bullshit. They play a huge part in whether a game is good or bad.

Example: The Spirit Meter is supposed to be a huge part of MOTB. Lots of people like it, and lots of people hate it. Sadly, the spirit meter doesn't seem to exist/is broken in my version of the game because of some inane bug so that most definitely effects the quality of game hence the game should be punished for it.

Period.

How far into the game are you? You don't start with the spirit-meter.

 

[Volourn]

I reached the first town.

If I'm reading spoilers on the official boards correct, you should receive the spirit meter after facing off with the spirit bear at the end of the spirit burrows (after devouring his spirit essence or not). I never got that option (though I got the quest update and left the borrows fine).

Link Found Here: http://nwn2forums.bioware.com/forums/vi ... &forum=121


Unless I got the name completely wrong, and the spirit bear I'm thinking of is not this Okku. And, if so, I've gone crazy, and my rants here are for nothing. HAHAHA!


P.S. Now reading the thread again, it talks about witches and towns so i dunno. Must be confusing Okku. Gah. HAHAHA! I'm such a Codexer!!!

 

[cardtrick]

You don't get it until after facing Okku/spirit bear for the second time.

 

[Elhoim]

Unless I got the name completely wrong, and the spirit bear I'm thinking of is not this Okku. And, if so, I've fgone crazy, and my rnats here are for nothing. HAHAHA!

There is another possibility. You got the name right, but it's after you defeat him the second time. So it not bugged in that regard.

 

[Vault Dweller]

I reached the first town.

If I'm reading spoilers on the official boards correct...

So you just made it out of the starting dungeons and decided to hit the spoilers because ... you didn't know what to do next? Come on, Volly.

... you should receive the spirit meter after facing off with the spirit bear at the end of the spirit burrows (after devouring his spirit essence or not). I never got that option (though I got the quest update and left the borrows fine).

So, the game is broken because you didn't get some feature you wanted right away? How about - I dunno, it sounds crazy - just playing the game and trying to see what it's about, instead of comparing notes with everyone on the internet?

 

[dragonfk]

Volly is next-gen :D !

Me thinks too much of Bioware games is bad to ones health.

 

[aweigh]

If Vollyball is referring to the second time you encounter Okku and his spirit army outside the gates of the first town, then yes, after that fight is when you receive the spirit meter. There is a known bug that has you finishing that fight and not receiving it, but that bug is tied directly to mods. So if your override directory is clean, you probably won't experience any problems. After dealing with Okku and getting your spirit meter, you have to talk to the 3 witches inside the town so they can tell you a little bit more about your curse.

Obviously, if for whatever reason you don't rececive your spirit meter when you're supposed to, AND the witches don't recognize you have it, you're probably gonna have to go back to an earlier save and re-try the Okku fight, OR use the developer console and give your PC the relevant Spirit Eater feats. You can find their feat codes in one of the official forum workaround threads.

 

[Admiral Rimjob POOBUM]

Yeah, I got that bug, and had a clean override directory. I had to go through the entire first act again. Fun. I have a vague idea what caused it; I spoke to Okku as soon as he became non-hostile, since my party was on its last legs, and told Gann to leave in the following conversation. Then the cutscene conversation started, automatically, as it was supposed to do... er... about a minute before. I told Gann to leave in that, as well; however, Gann wasn't in the scene, as he'd already left, so the conversation ended there. I thought that was a bit odd, but didn't think any further of it until the Witches wouldn't speak to me and I wondered where the hell my spirit meter was supposed to be.

 

[Volourn]

"You don't get it until after facing Okku/spirit bear for the second time."

You, and Elhoim are correct. I just got the bear whiny threat. so I haven't faced him a second time. I'm a bout to 9kinda foresqw the possibility because of other red wizard's threat that Okku wasn't actually dead).


"So you just made it out of the starting dungeons and decided to hit the spoilers because ... you didn't know what to do next? Come on, Volly."

1. I'm an idiot for panicking too quickly. Loss net penis points for me.

2. You are an idiot for not reading the linked thread. i was reading non spoiler threads on the NWN2 baords when i saw a thread read 'Game brekaing Okku battle bug'. Since I had already beaten the Okku fight (the first not the second), I though I'd have no worries so i read the thread. When the fellow mentioned the lack of a spirit meter afterwards, and I didn't have it, I figured I was effected by the bug too.


I didn't know about the second Okku battle specifically BECAUSE I DIDN'T READ SPOILERS. Dumbass.


"So, the game is broken because you didn't get some feature you wanted right away? How about - I dunno, it sounds crazy - just playing the game and trying to see what it's about, instead of comparing notes with everyone on the internet?"

I don't need spoilers to complete games thank you very much; but I rather catch an early major bug that effects the entire game early on so I don't have to replay 15 hours though hence the reading of that thread.


"Volly is next-gen !"

Yup. The fact and worrisome problems of bugs is very next gen. i think too much playing of Obsidian games makes one worry about bugs. HA!


I'm rather be mistaken about the bug as I seem to be here then right anyways. My main point about bugs should have an effect on a agme still stands though.


Points for everyone in this thread; but VD and I. We *both* suck.

 

[Starwars]

IGN put their review up, giving it a 8.5/10 score. I was initially happy about that score, judging the review itself it seemed like a 7 or 7.5 score would be more appropiate. It must be the score inflation at work again, since I would view 8.5 as something to be quite excited about, but the review kinda gives it a somewhat average impression.

http://pc.ign.com/articles/827/827626p1.html

 

[aboyd]

The IGN review doesn't seem too discordant to me. What they wrote feels like a pretty OK 8.0 -- and in fact the average of the 5 areas they scored is probably closer to 8.0. So they bumped it to 8.5, that's OK. If anything, I think the biggest failing of the review is that it's tiny. They're reviewing an expansion for a top-tier franchise, and it's an expansion with good buzz among the fans, and they wrote 8 paragraphs or so. I was hoping for a little more. Still, it'll do as-is.