To start off, the link:
http://www.roguetemple.com/z/vapors/Screenshots are in that link, scroll down a bit.
It's a roguelike. And it's in hexes instead of squares. Well, it's squares too, but I haven't bothered looking for that option because the hexes are fun. Movement can be done with the numpad or the mouse. Actually everything can be done with the mouse. A point to note here is that you can see where you look, and it shows where you're facing with an arrow. If you're facing one direction, you get 180 degree view over there, but you have to turn if you want to walk to the side. So where you're looking is actually a big deal.
The magics are fun too. It uses a rather crafty system where you can develop more spells depending on what you know. Anyone who's played Magika will know how this works. Oblivion too, but a bit different. My starting wizard knew the spells Fire, Fire-Fire, and Missile. The game auto-generated my starting spells, Fire, Fire-Fire, Fire Missile, Fire-Fire Missile. The Fire spell can be cast on any adjacent tile and deals fire damage-over-time and can damage equipment. Fire-Fire is the same thing, but stronger. Missile will shoot at other locations. So Fire will make a fire next to you. Fire Missile will shoot a bolt of fire that explodes at the target. Fire-Fire Missile will make a larger projectile and bigger explosion. When I first started, I made a custom spell of "Fire-Fire Fire-Fire" - that is, 2x large fire. The result is a very massive fireball that I can put on an adjacent tile, but the explosion is so large I burn myself as well. Although in this way you can combine spells to make your own. Get Fire, Missile, and Death, and making a seeking death blaze. Fire Spray would may an area-effect "shotgun" of fire (or flamethrower!). Mix and match different abilities and make a variety of spells, whatever you need! Plus find wands that are already equipped with spells. I found a few that I couldn't figure out how to use, but they had combined spells that I could figure out.
Of course, this is all a bit overshadowed by the complex interface. The usual keys are there, like numpad to move, and moving into an enemy will melee them. But then there's unusual actions, like when you want to launch a fireball. You "t" to target the enemy, then "f" to select what you want to fire, then you
select yourself, and it'll launch towards your target. You do NOT select the enemy you want to hit, but instead you select the tile where the bolt will originate from. Although it's important to note that you don't have to target an enemy. You can use the targeting menu to fine-tune where you're facing, so you can launch fireballs at trees, or burn down wooden fences, or you can fire right in front of an enemy and let them step into a trap. But there's other issues as well, like trying to manipulate the "use" menu, as well as the "consume" and "wear" are a bit clunkier than they should be. "rub" menu still makes no sense to me yet... I think you rub with a magic orb to pass the magic into an item, but I'm not sure. There's a TON of buttons and a lot of icons and it can be confusing if you just jump in.
Luckily there's a tutorial. And pressing ? brings up a rather helpful manual.
Now, for the things that I really like about it. If you hit "g" you'll follow a path. In a narrow tunnel you'll go down the only route. If you're on a road, looking down the road, you'll walk in that direction and follow the curves of the road automatically. If you hit "G" (capital) you'll take about 20 steps forward, but you'll stop if you see an enemy. So roads actually become roads, and you can travel somewhat leisurely by pressing "G" a few times. Assuming you can deal with the rats and human farmers on the way. But it's alright, everything is hostile.
I ran into a goblin on the road. The goblin came at me with a copper hammer. It was wearing a backpack, gloves, and boots made of human skin.
I accidentally made a spell powerful enough to burn myself within the first 5 minutes of play.
Wands can hold runes and be cast on their own, without consuming the holder's mana - presumably even a warrior can hold a wand because it only needs a living hand to absorb charges. This can provide some very powerful, cheap spells to rip through enemies if done right, or to heal yourself.
There is a "rest until fully healed" button.
Now I'm going to dive back into the world and see if I can't learn a few new runes and get some absurd spells going!
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Topic: Vapors of Insanity: Hexes, Magics, and The Most Confusing UI Yet? (Read 6596 times)