Windows

The Temple of Elemental Evil: A Classic Greyhawk Adventure

Now, like many of you here guys I fell in love with the best two cRPGs of recent time, namely Arcanum and Bloodlines so I went on looking for other games by the same company. Obviously I found this one. Neither review I read gave me clear answer so I am asking you. Does this game live up to the other games by Troika? The reviews here only mention true conversion of AD&D rules and lots of bugs. Now I couldn't care less about the first. And if the game is good I can forgive it the second. (like I did while playing Arcanum and Bloodlines ). So does it have all those cool Black Isle/Bioware features that made Arcanum and Bloodlines so good? Or is it more like Icewind Dale of the Troika games family?

If you make sure to install all the patches, it's lovely and very entertaining.

Bah. Tis blasphemy.

But does it have a good story and great characters, like in other Troika games?

It can have a really gay ending. And I mean that in the most literal way possible.

Actually Dr. Von Katze's thread and link enclosed in it reminded me of the game, so I am already aware of the fact. Oh... or did you mean "gay" like you know "funny"?

St Martyne,

I'm playing the game now. I have Arcanum and Bloodlines, but haven't started either yet, so I can't say how TOEE compares. At the price it is going for now, get it!

I think the bad reputation it has is from the bug-ridden original release.

If you get a copy (and you should!) make sure you patch it up AND get the Circle Of Eight mod to reinstate the brothel and the cut quests.

Maybe another thing people don't like is the old-school nature of the story. Your group of adventurers visit a couple of towns, clean out some dungeons and assault the Temple Of Elemental Evil. No epic, Baldur's Gate story-telling here.

Still, I think this is a better RPG than the Icewind Dales (which I loved!) because there's more to do. Many of your quests involve creative thinking and actual role-playing to help out townspeople. Clearing the moathouse will level you up, but so will figuring out why a farmer's sheep are dying, or getting the tailor into the city guard.

And your options will change depending on what traits your character has. My charming halfling thief got different responses on some things than my intimidating dwarf fighter did.

And goodness, I'm tired of people picking on Bertram. Yes, you can have a gay romance in the game. Or you can skip it. Darn Puritanical mindset. Get over it already.

Thanks, Zod Wallop. I have already given up to see anything else posted in this topic. From what you say it seems that I really gonna like this one. But the lack of the epic world-saving storyline with exotic locations to visit has actually ruined a few of the earlier otherwise nice cRPGs, most notably EoB.

And it's hard to get over having a gay party member. Because it's very unusual, and goes to show how open-minded and unprejudiced some of the video game developers are.

Just remember, you don't have to have that gay party member, if it makes you uncomfortable. You can just skip that whole part of the game and not lose a thing.

Personally, I am courting Bertram with my sorcerer, but that's just me. If you tell him you aren't interested, it won't effect the story at all. I was glad to see an openly gay character in a western RPG. There's also a lesbian character if you get the Circle Of Eight update, but other than a quest, you won't see her much (as far as I know).

You know, for me not having a continent-spanning RPG is a nice change of pace. It was nice to play something for once where none of the members of my party are 'The Chosen One' fulfilling 'The Ancient Prophesy' and all that stuff. It may make a nice basic story, but when EVERY RPG plays out that way, it becomes same-y.

And there are at least snough locations that you won't grow bored they way I did with the original Diablo. Also, talking to people in town is interesting. Most people in town will have a quest for you.

Hope you enjoy it. Make sure you visit the Circle Of Eight website before starting it though!

It seems we share similar tastes. Because I also applaud developers for inclusion of an openly gay character in the game (and not in form of some ridiculous drag queen), I also got bored with both Diablos, and I am also sick of all the "ancient prophecy" stuff, although I still want my cRPGs to be epic. So as I said, thanks for your insight. And please post the link to this Circle of Eight website if you can.

I added it as a link to the Links/Searches section, but they haven't approved it yet I guess.

Anyway, here's the link: http://www.co8.org/forum/

You are looking for the Official Mod Pack Release. I'm trying a link directly to the thread that has the file and instructions: http://www.co8.org/forum/showthread.php?p=33144#post33144

Hope you enjoy!

Gay scence? Now I'm beginning to wonder if I got this game mixed up with another game. May have to play it again just to be sure (and trash it no doubt). Where did I put that CD....hmmm......?

Just having some good fun old chap. No problems with gay characters here, no sir. And I hear there's more gender-bending fun if you install the brothel patch that was removed from the original, is that right?

PS: Love the Heavy Metal avatar!

i brought this game a few years back.. my suspicion should have been piqued by the drop in price (a dead giveaway that a game is crap) - masters of orion 3 anyone? hehe

i DID get the patch, but it didn't fix anything? characters would not sell/buy equipment in shops etc, i found the whole game bland.. a bit like that Lionheart game.. i've trolled through BG1&2, SOA, the icewind ones (i didn't like the linear story of them) and found TOEE to be my most hated..

to this day i consider TOEE a waste of money.. it's nice to hear that the patch DID work for some of you folks tho' :)

Unit, did you get the offical patch Atari release? Go to www.co8.org (I tried adding that as a link a week ago. Why no word yet?) and download their unofficial patch. I haven't heard anybody with your complaints after the patch.

I can't promise it will make you love TOEE, but it will fix the "characters would not sell/buy equipment in shops etc" problems anyway.

Love Ralph Wiggum BTW

The 'unofficial' 'Circle of Eight' mod patch does add the brothel back in. Then aside from lesbian NPCs, you can indulge in a little S&M, bestiality, etc. It's really pretty bland... the screen fades out and fades in, but I can see why Atari got antsy.

The bad part is that (if you have an evil party anyway) you got some quests in the brothel, so cutting it negatively impacted the game.

thnx for the info you 2.. im new here so i'll leave it at that for now.. :) australian version btw (and correct patch, 2x install.. just lucky i guess?)

do nice people like you come here often? and is it ok to post offtopic stuff here? i have some thoughts about zods mentioning lesbian NPCs, a little S&M, bestiality, etc.. not that i'm into these kinds of things and not that there's anything wrong with that but erm.. yeah.. these kinds of manifestations of the human psyche in video games troubles me.. who better to (try to) talk about this than other video gamers? are we green? spoon?

What is it that bothers you? Honestly it bothers me that we can accept (at least here in America... are you in Australia?) the most grisly and despicable violent acts (Soldier Of Fortune, Grand Theft Auto series, Manhunt, etc...), but we wince when anything involving sexuality or nudity comes up.

I mean, doesn't it offend your sensabilities when the biggest uproar from GTA: San Andreas was the 'Hot Coffee' mod?

I remember a few months ago I was in EB (back when they still carried used PC games!) and a mom and her thirteen year old boy came in. The mom was upset and was demanding that she be allowed to return Dead Or Alive: Xtreme Beach Volleyball . She didn't want her son seeing that. The clerk explained that he couldn't return the game, but she could exchange it.

She exchanged the game for Mortal Kombat: Armageddon! The clerk explained that the game was EXTREMELY violent. She said that would be okay. Her son could handle that.

That really creeped me out.

And unit, you can talk about lesbian NPCs, S&M, etc. without having to clarify whether you enjoy them yourself or have anything for or against them. Who cares? In this case, these subjects related to the thread.

In case I'm coming off as didactic here, I'm sorry. I don't mean for this to come off as an attack or anything like that.

you hit the nail on the head. pretty much exactly what troubles me.. all those games you mention and more..

it's not much that sexual content bothers me, I'm 31 ;) (yeah australia also) but i DO think this 'final forntier' should probably not be in computer games that young kids would buy.. after that.. what's next? (i understand this sex mod was an add-on, not original content.. but there was a gay pirate if i remember correctly?) i DO think this influx of bratz toys, paris hilton, pushup bras for 8y.o's etc is trying to push the envelope in this field, it seems like there is a multi-faceted attempt to bring sexuality to a younger audience and i do not agree with it..

about D&D TOEE.. (i DID love the giant frogs ability to grab a combatant tho' - probably the only part of the game i thought was innovative and should be expanded upon in other D&D games..)

back to topic.. the violence in games is a worry.. most people did ark up about the coffee mod (as u say) while overlooking the rest of the horrendous content.. emulating gangster violence and glorifying it.. something that seems to be having an effect on the youngsters these days.. it's by design, i believe - the video clips, the MTV, etc.. it's all meant to erode away the civility of the human..

it's good that games try to find new frontiers and bring personality traits and such innovations as what you'd find in a sims game (although the sims itself is just designed to sell upgrades and is boring) but it's very disturning to see them mostly emulating the gang culture and violence etc.. (GTA series, need for speed, etc)

where does it lead to?

that lady could have gotten a refund if she simply said she did not wish to abide by the user agreement in the install program (within 7 days).. opting for MK:A just goes to show how uninformed she was.. i hope her child makes better decisions later in life than she did.. nice chatting with you.

Actually, the 'sex mod' is just the brothel in Nulb. It was an original part of the game, designed by Troika that was cut by Atari. The Circle Of 8 mod (my link finally showed up!) just added that original content back in.

To be fair about this, Troika was trying to do as literal an interpretation as possible of one of the oldest AD&D modules. The brothel was a part of that module. Also, I don't see The Temple Of Elemental Evil with it's turn-based combat and hard-core, geeky old-style D&D ambiance being designed for an 8 year old. Also, let's not forget that the game was rated 'M', not 'E'. I just wonder, the blood splatter and everything else was acceptable, but a brothel... why that makes the game qualify for an 'AO' rating...

I understand you don't want sexual content in a game for kids, but I don't want extreme violence in a game for kids either. Also, just because an ignorant or inattentive parent doesn't pay attention to what they buy their kid doesn't mean that game makers should not be allowed to make games targeted at adults on the chance that a kid might get to it.

If your kids got their hands on a copy of GTA: San Andreas with the Hot Coffee mod, would you happily watch them gunning down police and bystanders, but then suddenly balk at the sexual content?

Don't get me wrong. I have and enjoy all the GTA games and think it's stupid that Rockstar had to remove Hot Coffee from a game that is already so over-the-top. After all, Hot Coffee wasn't included as an out-of-the-box feature. As an adult, if I wanted that to be part of my game and the game developer had that content, why shouldn't Rockstar be able to provide it?

I do agree with you about things like the Bratz toys, etc... I do think children (and especially teen and pre-teen girls) are being sexualized by the media. But of course, there's also parental responsibility.

St Martyne, I LOVE the I'76 avatar! Man... I need to reinstall that game...

Yep. It's a great game. Quoting everybody's favourite three-foot psychotic rabitty thing: "I enjoyed the cheesy retro ambiance."