| For your curiosity I'll try answer your questions.
I haven't yet finished the game but I already played a long time and like it a lot.
One of the most important reason I like it is exactly why you don't like it. The turn based is totally great despite glitch in the interface design and mouse glitches. Yes it makes fights very long but also very tactical if you use a little your brain and take time to explore and experiment all the tactical options. I must admit that I haven't yet explored all possibilities but already found many. It 's from far the best turn level RPG I ever played.
For example in this area it is a lot better than the major Baldur's Gates series, despite character levels aren't very high and that involves that magic doesn't get that major and tactical than at the end of the BG series. I also played very old RPG that add tactical turn based fight and none reach that quality level. The second best I can remember is Fallout but ToEE system is much better.
I agree that the world isn't very big but that's not a major point, what important for me is the world density and getting the feeling of an area. And it fits this well even if it's not the best. There's many people to talk with including some in dungeons and the D&D complex system of skills and talk is quite well setup. Eventually the quests are often a little too basic but there's many and that contribute to the world density. The complicate friend/foe setup in the temple is a little disturbing because usually RPG used to be more clear about friends or foes but once you get in it it's nice and give some density. There's many little thing that contribute to setup this world density, I can't quote them all, few quotes, some NPC can evolves during time giving you more dialog options later in the game despite you didn't achieve more quests directly linked to them, there's many little secret to find it's fun even if this too often only directed by the D&D skills system.
The very numerous NPC that can join your party is quite interesting and having 3 increase your options. Yes the party NPC system involves some frustration but I don't remember any that work that well. In previous game I played either they are just more characters in the party because you control almost everything, either you control almost nothing but the game doesn't control well causing many frustrations, anyway no NPC system party I can remember worked very well. ToEE doesn't fail to this rule but I found it's system quite interesting and better than many. Yes for greedy RPG players we are all the treasure they get can be a little frustrating but I played all the beginning without to cheating and get some fun from it, it adds some density to the party NPC and the various behavior depending of the NPC is fun to discover. Yep in the long run I end in cheating by using a little trick to avoid them getting items from treasures. The good point of the party NPC in the game is their diversty and how well many are setup fro their abilities. Very high character available or very low. The D&D system make this working quite well by requiring more xp to level up if the character level is higher and attribute less xp for a higher character than a lower. It makes ok to get in your party a lower level party NPC. Another good point is the little story and talk arround many before you get them in the party and for some when you get them in the party. also a few make some comment when you reach some area. That gives some some personalty more than in many RPG but less than some RPG. They should have more little comments and little talk to set them a strong personality.
One stuff I haven't really explored but that seems quite interesting is about a feature I don't like in D&D it's the alignment stuff. My party is good neutral with a paladin and I tried quickly a chaotic evil party and got a very very different beginning with dark talks more funny than usual for evil characters in similar games like B&G series. It' seems that for once a RPG game is really well setup for an evil party. B&G always failed and all RPG usually have a main quest than doesn't fill well to evil party. I don't like play evil characters because that's quickly disturbing to do so many evil stuff. But it seems that some extreme evil approach and dark humour is setup and will perhaps allow me many laugh and fun fro reaplying this game with an evil party.
Ha well enough even if I have more to say, not the perfect game, but on many features it's a very good quality and the fight turn system is much better than in any RPG.  |