Hero-U

[Tawmis]

Oh. Does this mean that it's better to wait until after Patch 2 comes out before I grab Hero-U?

I have a co-worker that's beat the game. So nothing is "game breaking."

Different bugs for different classes?

I believe (I have only beta'ed it, and not had time to play the released game) - but there's only one class in Hero-U, a rogue - er, a bard...

[Rath Darkblade]

Oh. Does this mean that it's better to wait until after Patch 2 comes out before I grab Hero-U?

I have a co-worker that's beat the game. So nothing is "game breaking."

Different bugs for different classes?

Hmm... I thought there was only one class in this game, i.e. rogue?

I know that in the QfG games there were different bugs in different games for different classes - e.g. the "Oops! You did something we were not expecting" CTD bug in QfG3 when your warrior was running against Yesufu, or the "Oops! You did something we were not expecting" CTD bug in QfG4 when your wizard (or any magic-using combo) was casting spells against the chernovy in the swamp. (Or error 52 - but that affected everybody!)

How are there different classes in Hero-U? Just the name "Rogue to Redemption" is a pretty big clue about classes, isn't it? If I'm wrong, I'd love to know how.

[Tawmis]

Oh. Does this mean that it's better to wait until after Patch 2 comes out before I grab Hero-U?

I have a co-worker that's beat the game. So nothing is "game breaking."

Different bugs for different classes?

Hmm... I thought there was only one class in this game, i.e. rogue?
I know that in the QfG games there were different bugs in different games for different classes - e.g. the "Oops! You did something we were not expecting" CTD bug in QfG3 when your warrior was running against Yesufu, or the "Oops! You did something we were not expecting" CTD bug in QfG4 when your wizard (or any magic-using combo) was casting spells against the chernovy in the swamp. (Or error 52 - but that affected everybody!)
How are there different classes in Hero-U? Just the name "Rogue to Redemption" is a pretty big clue about classes, isn't it? If I'm wrong, I'd love to know how.

It's just one class. Well, you take several classes to be one class, but that's something else entirely...

[Rath Darkblade]

Well, I purchased Hero-U. Now I wonder how long it will be before we start a thread for helping people (or, ultimately, spoiling people) who are playing this game!

Game is still downloading and installing. Looking forward to it!

***********EDIT****************

Goodness me... what a surprise! The person who designed the dungeons and who was one of the biggest backers? He was one of the main 'boardies' on The Halfwittenberg Door, one of the 'spiritual successors' to the official Sierra QfG boards. Sadly, the Halfwittenberg Door is now defunct (and has been since 2008), but it was a real blast from the past to see his name again.

[Tawmis]

Well, I purchased Hero-U. Now I wonder how long it will be before we start a thread for helping people (or, ultimately, spoiling people) who are playing this game!
Game is still downloading and installing. Looking forward to it!
***********EDIT****************
Goodness me... what a surprise! The person who designed the dungeons and who was one of the biggest backers? He was one of the main 'boardies' on The Halfwittenberg Door, one of the 'spiritual successors' to the official Sierra QfG boards. Sadly, the Halfwittenberg Door is now defunct (and has been since 2008), but it was a real blast from the past to see his name again.

If you need help (or have discussions specific to the game) - just start up a new thread! Just be sure to mark it "Hero-U" when you post it in here, so no one thinks you're insane mentioning things that are not in Quest for Glory!

I did play the beta (during beta testing) for some time - but not actually gone in and played the game itself now that it's fully released.

[Datadog]

Took some time to play it this afternoon. Only 3 days in, I'm starting to figure out that this game doesn't want me to grind all my stats early on. In fact, the time penalty for randomly reading a book or playing a card game takes time away from exploration. I have to be very conservative with my clicking.

I can't tell how this will play out in the long game, but I'm otherwise enjoying the rest of it so far. The writing is classic Coles and there is a lot to explore. I'm eager to jump back in.

[Datadog]

I just wrapped up my playthrough and I am very impressed with Hero-U. It's easily my favourite of all the "Old Dev" Kickstarter projects so far (although I haven't played "Thimbleweed Park" yet, so we'll see if it sticks). The game starts out rough with its time management and "dish washing for money", but it got more fun running around the school and its dungeons once I got into the game's groove. The Coles took a page from Harry Potter and successfully built a really charming world around this institution you never leave. My finishing time was roughly 32 hours, and there's still two other paths I haven't tried, so there's some lengthy replay value to it.

To get my complaints out of the way, I feel like the side characters weren't as active around the school as I wanted them to be, considering how often I revisited each room every day looking for surprise content. Unless I'm mistaken, there's a general pattern to visiting people every day that doesn't change much. And I felt the ending came a little too soon with the big payoff being saved for a later game maybe? All I know is that the game teases a "Voldemort", but opts for a lower key ending instead.

Onto the good stuff - I like all the characters in this game. Yes, even Terk the Jerk. There's something very "Shermer High" about how pathetically disgruntled he is towards the students. And then you have the students, almost each of whom you can team up with to go on their special quest. And taking a page from QFG5 and newer RPGs, the Coles now have a reputation/romance system where you can cozy up to LOTS of people, including teachers, all of whom immediately shot me down. I think Esme was my main girlfriend for this playthrough (we used the L word, so it's official), until I accidentally agreed to a date with Thomas. But Esme didn't get mad, so now I'm dating them both. The funny part is that my most affectionate character turned out to be the Chef, and all I had to do was clean her kitchen for three weeks straight.

The story is incredibly dense and the Coles have put a lot of thought into the dialogue. Like, SO MUCH THOUGHT. All the philosophy that goes into their "Rogue" class feels like a real school curriculum. Even the carefully-worded exam questions gave me nightmarish flashbacks to high school. And the puns - OH MY GOD. THE PUNS. I can't tell if the Coles keep a punning dictionary on-hand, or if they're natural Homonym Sapiens. I'm convinced half the game's budget went into puns somehow. I also appreciated that in the spirit of QFG, the game still offers three roles to pursue on top of your rogue path, with learning to be a Healer, an Alchemist, or a Magician for your elective class.

The combat is... challenging. I don't hate it; it's just not designed to be a power fantasy simulator. When you can't sneak around, every encounter needs to be planned out and staged on your terms. You can't just run in and attack or you'll be overwhelmed. Fortunately, you get a lot of tools to even the odds. I spent most of the game's latter half carefully backing away while throwing daggers, dropping traps, or sneaking in for back attacks. Some encounters did wear on me, but felt rewarding once I figured out the tricks.

Speaking of tricks, the Poobah sequences became a lot more fun once I figured out that the characters all have "tells". Notably, Aeolus and Katie, where Aeolus' face telegraphs his every hand, while Katie amusingly forces her expression to be the opposite of what she's holding.

I also really liked the ties to "Quest for Glory". It's more than fan-service; it's a direct continuation of the games, with a lot of QFG's events and locations being the history and meat of this world. Even one of the main characters appeared in a previous title as an unnamed NPC. But my favourite bit of lore came after I did some post-game reading and discovered Lori Cole's Convergence Concept which suggests that the Hero from QFG is actually four different siblings in Hero-U's world, each one a different class, who all saved Silmaria together, making every QFG ending canonical - with the added twist that QFG's thief is actually a woman in disguise.

It feels good to finish the game; it was a much larger time investment than I expected. I really hope they sell enough to launch the sequel (or another Kickstarter) because I'd like to see where they take this series next. It's a nice hybrid of old/new gameplay that I trust even younger audiences may enjoy.

[Tawmis]

I am glad to hear you enjoyed it - I've only been hearing great things about the game (even from non traditional "Sierra" fans who have played it).

[Tawmis]

From Corey Cole:

If you have a favorite gaming website or magazine, and haven't seen a Hero-U: Rogue to Redemption review there, use their comment form or email to tell them how much you love the game, and that you're surprised they haven't covered it. Send them to http://hero-u.com/press/ and suggest they contact us at press (at) hero-u (dot) com for a review copy and/or interview requests. We're getting some amazing and heart-warming user reviews and letters, but haven't managed to reach most of the gaming press. Game sections in local newspapers and general publications might also be interested in covering Hero-U with a little nudge from their readers.

[Tawmis]

Hero-U Update about Patch 2.
http://blog.sierrahelp.com/2018/09/06/h ... edemption/
or
http://larrylaffer.net/archives/3082

[Tawmis]

Hero-U on sale - plus some additional platforms?
http://larrylaffer.net/archives/3085
or
http://blog.sierrahelp.com/2018/09/26/h ... edemption/

[Rath Darkblade]

Hmm, it may not do much for the game's popularity if gamers who haven't played it think that the salesman is a rat.

[Tawmis]

Not a lot of information, hoping it's an expansion and not a whole new game at full cost.
http://www.summerdazegame.com/

[Rath Darkblade]

Heh. I doubt it's a full game... the last I heard, the next game was supposed to be similar, but from the POV of a wizard pupil.

Yes, I finished Hero-U as well. 'Twas a good game. On my first play-thru, I tried to major in both healing and magic, which didn't really work. I also never figured out either the sea caves map (so couldn't help Katie) or the catacombs map (so Joel died and came back to haunt me).

On the second try, I tried magic as an elective all the way through. It makes combat easier (especially runestones).

Poobah is also one of the areas where the second try became easier. In addition to Datadog's mentioning of Katie's and Aeolus's "tells", I can also reveal that Sosi is a big spender and will raise a lot, but don't be scared; he only has a Poobah if his eyes are closed and he is grinning, as if dreaming what he'll do with your money. He has another "tell" - if his eyes are closed to a slit and he's grinning, he has a Fizbin. Otherwise, he has a Mimi or less - he even raises on a Wump.

Joel is a dangerous player because he has just one tell. If he has a Fizbin or a Poobah, his smile becomes just a tiny bit bigger. Otherwise, his face doesn't change.

Esme is unpredictable but generally smiles more if she has a better hand. Thomas is very timid, but has no tells. However, he won't bet unless he has a Fizbin, and won't stay for the final showdown unless he has a Poobah.

Lastly, here's how to beat the Pirate Captain at Poobah. He has four "tells":
1. "Bad", i.e. an angry frown. He has a Wump or Meh hand. If you have at least a good Meh, you will always beat him.
2. Flat lipped, no expression - this is the Captain's Mimi face.
3. A slight smirk/smile, but with NO TEETH SHOWING. This is his Fizbin face.
4. The Captain's Poobah tell is a wide, toothy grin. He clearly knows he's got you beat, so fold unless you have a Grand Poobah.

The last tip I can give you? Practice Card Theory every day and play games (especially cards) against your classmates in the Rec Room at night to increase your Gaming and Luck stats.
-----------------------------------
I can also tell you where Sir Hans, Jamus, Mortuai and Velyana (i.e. the four Knights Luminar) came from, as well as the look for Mortuai's character. However, I'm not sure if this is something that the people behind those characters would be comfortable to making public, so send me a PM if you'd like.

But - and this is something I noticed last night - the science teacher is named Professor von Braun. I immediately thought "A-ha! I know where this came from!" It's Dr Wernher von Braun, isn't it?

[Tawmis]

Some Halloween goodness!

Read about it here:
http://blog.sierrahelp.com/2018/10/30/h ... edemption/
or
http://larrylaffer.net/archives/3126