Exhuminator wrote:I've got about 2.5 hours in Crimson Shroud for 3DS right now. Glancing at a walkthrough's table of contents, it appears I am halfway through the game already. I'm at the point now where a random item drop will determine if I continue or not, hopefully I will have good luck on this and not be stuck. Despite the idiocy of that design decision, I have loved the hell outta Crimson Shroud so far.
Yeah, I remember that bit. About half of my play time in Crimson Shroud was spent fighting skeletons over and over for that item.
I'd actually say you're probably about 3/4 through tbh. The game is super short.
That bit was really annoying. I lucked out on my first playthrough, but not the second. You should probably go for the NG+, that properly resolves everything.
No question that a larger version of this would have been great fun.
alienjesus wrote:
Get a Tauros. It's a candidate for one of the best Pokémon in the game. Other good physical options include Persian and Snorlax.
All of the games best special attackers are Psychic types - Alakazam, Starmie, Exeggutor, Slowbro and Jynx are all fantastic. Gengar is pretty good too, but he won't help at all against Sabrina!
Zapdos is also one of the best in the entire game - with drill peck and thunderbolt he can take on everything in the game except Golem and Rhydon.
Easier said than done...I've almost had a tauros 3 times. I'm half tempted to go after that second snorlax I seem to remember seeing at one point.
My gameroom
My systems: NES, SNES, N64, Gamecube, Wii, original gba, gba sp(001), ds lite, 3ds, vita, psp, PSone(101 model) ps2, ps3(320gb model), ps4, retron 5, and Dreamcast.
bogusmeatfactory wrote:Ever feel like a wild gazelle in the wilderness?
Turns out I had a lot of spare time over the weekend, so I got a lot of playtime in. Oh, that Day count I'm putting up is for each day I play, not for the in game clock. In game, I'm apparently still on Day 4 or so. Oh, and a quick thought to anybody else who reads this and takes an interest in playing the game: bring a notebook. Ultima Underworld explains things, but it explains a lot of things, so as long as you take copious amounts of notes and check your map like a crack fiend, you'll be fine. Also, this is from memory and my notes, so it's about as accurate as I can get it:
When I last left off, I had effectively completed exploring all of level 1 and had engaged in a partial exploration of level 2 of the Stygian Abyss. With the shrine on level 1 completed, I threw myself into surveying the dungeon with renewed vigor. Since 2 was broken into four quadrants due to a massive central corridor, it made tracking progress easy. Soon I had wiped out a horde of goblins and took up a quest from the leader of the Mountain Men(don't call them dwarves!) to kill a hideous beast hidden in the final quadrant. Exploring in detail in search of the creature, I discovered a smith off in the distant corner capable of repairing my gear. This was an incredibly fortuitous discovery, both to fulfill my armor needs but also because he presented me with information about 2 sacred talismans.
I then set off to hunt the beast and dug my way into its section of mines. Lo and behold, the creature crept around my corner, its massive central eye glaring at me as its tentacles writhed with fury. Oh shit, I have to kill a BEHOLDER?! Deadly magic fired off in my direction, but I dodged and rushed forward, already preparing my sword for the hit. We danced a horrid dance as steel sang in the torchlight to the symphony of hideous, vile screeching. When it was over, only I remained, my face peppered in the blood of my enemy. I immediately informed the leader of the Mountain Men and was awarded a special password. Thus did my main adventures end on level 2, and I crept down into the floor below.
LEVEL 3
Ho, how horrid! Level 3 stank of fetid water and rot. The entire floor formed a massive lake which had turned into a bog, a haven of lizardmen, bandits, and monsters. Some of the lizardmen I could understand...but only some. Thankfully a mute prisoner I found in a section of the lizardmen dungeon gave me a...rough translation of what each word meant. It was enough to get the idea, and I transcribed all of the dialog I could get. Once more I swept through the level, seeking treasure and building a small room full of supplies at the ready.
I eventually encountered a madman who horded light sources. Checking his inventory, I discovered he was selling a thick candle called a taper. Thinking, "Oh, I haven't seen a taper before," I purchased it and went on my way. I also discovered clues to a treasure hidden somewhere in the southwest. I explored heavily...and found nothing. No treasures, no weapons, no nothing. My search turned exasperated, until finally I began walking through the halls, searching every wall for secret doors. Though time consuming, my efforts proved fruitful; in one corridor I discovered a secret room hidden behind some vines. This room held a switch which opened up a portion of the lake to reveal more secrets, along with the broken blade of a special sword, the very one the smith had told me about on level 2! I grabbed it up eagerly and finished off my search of the level, fighting off a bandit queen and taking a special ring off her body. It's quite nice, though I'm not sure what it does. I also encountered another beholder in a hidden alcove, which I slaughtered just as savagely as the last. I then pushed on to level 4.
LEVEL 4
Level 4 holds two rival factions, an order of knights and a tribe of trolls. The knights seemed kind enough and allowed me to join their order, while the trolls were peaceful to my approach. Unfortunately both were being harassed by a knight to the far north, so I hunted him down and challenged him to combat on the stairs of the great hall. Again, swords sang as we raced up and down the steps, moving in for a quick strike, backing away before the other could retaliate. The halls of the abyss echoed with the sounds of our struggle, until finally I brought my sword down hard onto his head in a fatal stroke. He crumpled, and I took his magic sword as proof that the job was done. The way now opened, I further explored level 4, eventually finding two special items to attain knighthood as well as a ring that makes me jump higher.
Here I also attained further information about the talismans and received my first official one, the Standard of Honor. Having slayed the beholder on level 2, I also gave my reward to a knight and in return was told how to find the Ring of Humility. I also discovered that the taper the madman sold me was none other than the Taper of Sacrifice, meaning I now possessed three of the sacred talismans! But my questing was not at an end, for once I finished with the knights, I moved over to the trolls to aid them. One wanted soup... I had previously been given a recipe by a goblin way back, and as it turned out, I had grabbed all of the necessary ingredients at some point and put them into my various storage areas. I raced up through the levels to acquire everything, and he in turn provided me with...dragon scales? How odd, I thought to myself, and I instead moved on to a new room where I could manipulate the floor. This led to a stairway to level 5, and there is another secret hidden somewhere in the walls that I have yet to reach; I can see it on my map, but no matter how I try, I have yet to find exactly where this hidden room begins.
LEVEL 5
The hard to reach stairway in level 5 brought me to a crypt, which I explored cautiously. Ghosts haunt these halls, but my magic sword proved too much for them. I soon ran across a broken hilt, and realizing I already had a shattered blade, I gathered it up and hurriedly finished my explorations. Making my way back to the smith, I discovered I had located both pieces to the Sword of Justice, which I immediately asked to be repaired! Being informed it would take an hour, I made my way back to level 5 to continue my explorations and seek out the Ring of Humility. Level 5 is split into the secret crypt, a city of friendly flesh-eating ghouls, a central meeting room, and a mine. Lava separates the ghouls from the mine and the meeting room, while walls and a secret door I eventually found from the other end connect the crypts. I discovered a variety of information from the ghouls: a flute tune, how to operate a mine teleport, information on a mad wizard, etc. I also found a tailor. Hmm, I thought to myself, I have thread...but I needed something more. I experimented with what I might find until finally offering up the dragon scales. Turns out those were the correct choice, and the ghoul got to work on some special boots.
Many strange and nasty creatures can be found wandering the halls of the deeper depths. I eventually found myself locked in a crypt with a dire ghost, slaughtering hordes of spiders and headless in the great hall, and battling rats and skeletons like it was going out of style. Eventually I uncovered a wizard who asked me to find some strange material from the mine. Having discovered the combination to access the teleporter, I made my way over and found his materials while fending off ghost after ghost in vicious combat.
Turning in this quest, I returned for the Sword of Justice and then gathered up my new boots from the tailor. They were red, made from dragons...I swapped out my old boots and then decided to take a jaunty walk into some lava. I'd accidentally fallen in a few times and gotten torched, so I figured why not? Ho, turns out they work! I walked around and explored, eventually finding a crazy lady who wanted a picture of her long dead beloved. I promised I would find it and moved down to level 6.
LEVEL 6
Level 6 is dominated by a wizard academy, which I immediately explored. The wizards provided me with many hints about the talismans, about magic, and about the history of the Abyss. I also ran a few quests and was soon given bonuses to my casting ability and hints on how to find the Book of Honesty and the Wine of Compassion(this from freeing the mute prisoner on level 3). I was also informed of the Golem, a massive unkillable creature who guarded a special treasure for only the most valorous. Steeling myself and wielding the Sword of Justice, I threw myself into the Golem's domain and fought it in single combat. Large stone fists failed to penetrate my mail, and I adeptly danced around, slinging blows until they finally found home. Though the battle was long and fierce, I successfully managed to outdo my opponent so well, the Golem bid me hold off and then praised me. As a reward, he granted me the Shield of Valor, which I immediately equipped.
Further exploration proved fruitful, as I soon found what the wizards meant about the Vas runestone. I gathered many runestones up, giving me nearly a full set(I'm missing 2 I believe...), but the Vas was special. Thankfully one particular wizard gave me the means to find it, and after a few hops and at least one big accident, I successfully obtained it. I was also informed of the magical properties of incense, which I immediately blitzed myself on. The hallucinations showed a grail with letters on the side. I wrote them down, rearranged them to find a word, and dropped that. I asked people about them in different arrangements, but no luck. I eventually tried them as a mantra and discovered a message about my sacred objects. Hey, it's a mantra, the shrines use it for some kind of location device...and there were multiple shrines on level 3! I raced back up and spoke the words at the shrines there, which directed me accordingly. But once finding the right spot, the place I assumed I was to be going, I wasn't sure what to do. I looked back over my notes to see if I had anything at all pertaining to this quest and noticed a line about playing the flute in a special area... Since most of my other notes at this point had already been used, I decided to try the one song I knew and was rewarded with the Cup of Wonder, by far the most complicated of the 8 talismans to find! I then went right back to a shrine to try the dream mantra again, to no effect. But with this new item, I stuffed the talismans in a backpack and continued on with my quest to level 7.
LEVEL 7
Oh dear. This is by far the most complicated level I've been to. Upon entering, I discovered all of my mana drain away. I explored the initial area and found a gate where a guard demanded I present a medallion. When I did not, a horde of goblins and trolls attacked! Three times this happened as I wandered around in a circle, the pathways locking behind me as I went. Thankfully I kept referencing my maps, so before I entered the third portcullis, I turned back and managed to make my way back to the level entrance. I then explored as fully as I could, probing each pathway and ensuring I saw as much as I possibly could until finally reaching dead ends. I then return to the third portcullis, took a deep breath, and ventured through. Just as I expect, it locked behind me, and I was forced to push forward into a maze of pit traps and hordes of spiders. But locked away inside these caverns was a lost wizard named Naruto, who informed me of an inescapable prison ahead. He informed me the inmates would have valuable intel, and I heeded his advice and pushed forward.
Again, a portcullis. Again, a horde of enemies demanded some token that I worked for the evil wizard Tyball. Again I slaughtered the lot of them. This time I found a key, and it unlocked the portcullis! Laughing, I entered the prison and used it to escape a trap meant to lock me inside. Once beyond, the prisoners proved marvelous, showing me a secret escape passage and giving me a crystal shard because of my knowledge of Mountain Man passwords. I plunged into the escape passage, explored the area, and then encountered a dreaded fire elemental...and then another...and another! Hordes of fire elementals savaged me, and while I could easily best them in single combat, their barrage of magic was enough to bring me under...and return me to the silver sapling I had planted on level 2! I recharged, resupplied, and made my way back down.
Upon my return to the spider traps, the crystal the imprisoned Mountain Man had given me suddenly activated, and I found my way into a crypt full of ghosts but also offering a secret passage to the supposedly dead end caves I had discovered earlier. This short cut secure, I went back to exploring the escape route and found a raised walkway. Level 7 apparently features several short caverns in level 8, because I ended up having to plunge the depths in short bursts, sometimes looking for items or using it to gain access to a new area. I found one such route over the fire elementals' heads which led to a small locked door with a written warning. I also discovered some kind of rock that looks like a sling bullet called Orb Stone or something like that. I explored as far as I could, then bit the bullet and returned to the canyon full of fire elementals. This time I found a door that led me to a route through level 8, resulting in a chamber on 7 with an imp who offers me a crown, and only the crown, from a treasure room. I'm told I need to to navigate a maze somehow. I took only the crown and returned to the ravine to thin the fire elementals' ranks.
As of right now, I'm not sure what my next move is. I'll keep killing the elementals and finish exploring the canyon. After that, there is a locked door I passed in one of the guard houses. If I get stuck, I'll go see if I have a key to the door.
Like I said, I had a lot of free time. I probably should have gotten more sleep, but I admit that I have gotten really into this game. I'm hoping to finish it off soon, though I've probably missed a lot of stuff too. There are sometimes secret entrances that I can see on the map, but I don't know how to use, and there are some red herrings among the info you are given. I always talk to everyone and try to go through all of the dialog trees to glean as much as I can.
Also, I've built my character to be a hoss, which is why I easily get through so many fights. I actually maxed out my attack and defense skills at lower levels and then pumped up my sword skill too. I'm wearing so much armor that a lot of enemies simply don't do any damage when they hit me, and even if they could, I usually dart in and out of range to strike anyway. I also pick places to fight where I can get enemies caught on doorframes or funnel them so they have a harder time getting to me.
prfsnl_gmr wrote:I have two quick questions about UU:
(1) Do the enemies respawn?
(2) Are the battles turn-based or real-time?
1) No. At least I've found no evidence of respawning enemies. Occasionally I have returned to an area I thought cleared and discovered an enemy, but considering how mazelike some areas are, I chalk it up to missing something when I first explored.
