I saw some gameplay videos and screenshots, and then I checked out the reviews. Seeing that the game was brand new and that it had mixed reviews was expected for me, as a game developer I am familiar with launch-day woes. I am a huge D&D nerd and decided to give this a shot. I got into the game, made a paladin, left the settings at the default, and proceeded to get my arse pasted across the map hither and yon. It was frustrating but also endearing -- here was a game that didn't screw around and coddle you. I was smitten the moment I got jumped by my first Will O' The Wisp on the Old Sycamore map. Literally all of the warning signs were right there. I just failed to heed them, with typical gamer superiority complex, and got wrecked AGAIN. At first I was mad, that was my pride talking, and then I slowly realised that this was going to require some thought. Ever since that moment I have been amazed at all the subtle clues and sly hints. I have to plan out all of my non-random encounters: try and scout out the enemy with a stealthed rogue, buff the hell out of my party with a mage and priest and plenty of potions and scrolls... this is the life. This is a faithful translation of tabletop-to-video-game, complete with an a-hole DM that wants to punish you for beating up his NPCs.

I saw some gameplay videos and screenshots, and then I checked out the reviews. Seeing that the game was brand new and that it had mixed reviews was expected for me, as a game developer I am familiar with launch-day woes. I am a huge D&D nerd and decided to give this a shot. I got into the game, made a paladin, left the settings at the default, and proceeded to get my arse pasted across the map hither and yon. It was frustrating but also endearing -- here was a game that didn't screw around and coddle you. I was smitten the moment I got jumped by my first Will O' The Wisp on the Old Sycamore map. Literally all of the warning signs were right there. I just failed to heed them, with typical gamer superiority complex, and got wrecked AGAIN. At first I was mad, that was my pride talking, and then I slowly realised that this was going to require some thought. Ever since that moment I have been amazed at all the subtle clues and sly hints. I have to plan out all of my non-random encounters: try and scout out the enemy with a stealthed rogue, buff the hell out of my party with a mage and priest and plenty of potions and scrolls... this is the life. This is a faithful translation of tabletop-to-video-game, complete with an a-hole DM that wants to punish you for beating up his NPCs.