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About the StoryNot so much an old-school dungeon crawl as an old school Dungeons & Dragons adventure: you are an apprentice mage wandering the streets of a deserted city in search of items, spells and experience. Expect fiendish traps, diabolical puzzles and lots of enemies to slaughter.Game Details
Language: English (en)
First Publication Date: March 1, 2006 Current Version: Unknown Development System: Inform 7 Forgiveness Rating: Cruel IFID: AC736F19-3C4D-461E-9C84-49A759C72F42 TUID: nnhm4yp172oivtd9 |
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| Average Rating:  Number of Reviews: 1 Write a review |
Charming Unfairness, January 2, 2008The Reliques of Tolti-Aph has been given very negative reviews. Reviewers almost invariably tell us that it is a game with unfair puzzles, too much random death and even--gasp--a huge maze; and therefore, frustrating and not fun. Although I would hesitate to call The Reliques of Tolti-Aph a good game, I believe it is charming and fun, but to enjoy it, you need to be in the right mindset.
What mindset is that? The same mindset which you need to appreciate the first edition Dungeon & Dragons scenario's. These scenario's are often insanely difficult and grossly unfair, so your character is almost certain to die. But, hey, rolling up a new character is a matter of 60 seconds, and with your new-found knowledge that behind the second door on the left is a monster that deals 8d10 damage as soon as you enter its domain, you might actually have a chance of finding the fabled gem! And who knows, perhaps you'll manage find out what that magical staff does without losing more than 4 ability points?
This game is unfair. You will die random deaths. So sit back and relax: rolling a new character (so to speak) is not just allowed, it is expected. Enjoy the ride! You will not survive your first play-through of The Reliques of Tolti-Aph. You will not survive the second or the third or even the tenth. But getting further each time is fun; the puzzles actually have solutions (and you can always peek behind the GMs screen, that is, consult a walkthrough); the locations are well-thought out and well-described; and the maze is very cool indeed.
The only places where I feel the GM (that is, Graham Nelson) went beyond the bounds of fair play is with the stone you absentmindedly picked up and the two spells you learn from the gods. Those should have been described in a more explicit manner. The GM shouldn't write on my character sheet when I'm not looking!
If you enjoyed The Reliques of Tolti-Aph...
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Polls
The following polls include votes for The Reliques of Tolti-Aph:Games with good magic system by Christian271
I'm looking for some games with a good magic system. Doesn't have to be at brilliant as Savoir-Faire but consistency would be nice.
Games that inspired you to MAKE a game. by MyTheory
Whether it was the witty dialogue, the charming atmosphere, or the cleverness of the puzzle - you played "this" game and it inspired you to write your own. Selfishly, I'm looking for my own inspiration, but I am also very, very curious...
Games with good rpg elements that are if by Zzoro26
I'm looking for a good interactive IF that has good rpg elements
This is version 3 of this page, edited by David Welbourn on 23 December 2008 at 2:33pm. - View Update History - Edit This Page - Add a News Item