Thelas
Level: Delver
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I'm planning on buying one of either DROD:TCB or DROD RPG's full versions and one SMS.
Which one of each should I get?
I've been working on an RPG hold (as you can tell from the thread in RPG Architecture) but I'm not as interested in its main story as in TCB. However, if one is considered to play far better past the demo than the other, then I'll get the better one.
Also, I'm pretty bad at DROD (both types), so suggest an easy SMS please. [I'm thinking Smitemastery 101, only because that's the easiest.]

jbluestein
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Thelas wrote:
I'm planning on buying one of either DROD:TCB or DROD RPG's full versions and one SMS.
Which one of each should I get?
I've been working on an RPG hold (as you can tell from the thread in RPG Architecture) but I'm not as interested in its main story as in TCB. However, if one is considered to play far better past the demo than the other, then I'll get the better one.
Also, I'm pretty bad at DROD (both types), so suggest an easy SMS please. [I'm thinking Smitemastery 101, only because that's the easiest.]

Me, personally...

I would buy DROD: TCB for starters. Some of the rest depends on your taste for completeness. When I started, I played through all official holds in order (as much as I could, anyway). So I started with KDD 2.0 and then moved on to Rooted Hold and TCB, interspersed with as many of the SMS's as I could beat. (It took me a very long time to beat Perfection...even longer to beat Beethro's Teacher.)

If you're talking purely hold quality, though, I would recommend Beethro and the Secret Society. I'm not sure if one SMS purchase gets you both that and Halph Has a Bad Day, but both are quite good. (BatSS remains my favorite SMS to this day.)

If you're looking to learn more about how to play, though, Smitemastery 101 is a fine beginner's hold. Obviously, it won't help you with 3.0 elements, but it's a really good place to start.

Josh

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slimm tom
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jbluestein wrote:
I'm not sure if one SMS purchase gets you both that and Halph Has a Bad Day, but both are quite good. (BatSS remains my favorite SMS to this day.)

One purchase will get you both holds for you to download.

Nuntar
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Naturally I would encourage you to get the full version of RPG The rest of the main hold is good fun and will teach you a lot about what goes into making a good RPG hold. You also get to see other holds in the correct room styles, with the correct music; not only does this enormously enhance the experience, it's invaluable for when you need to decide which styles to use in your own holds.

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Briareos
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I'd say get DROD:TCB - you just can't beat the sheer quantity, if not quality, of the user made content there is.

That, and it has a much saner concept of scoring, i.e. you won't find out several hours later that you've played poorly.

np: Yppah - Almost In That Category (You Are Beautiful At All Times)

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Jatopian
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Smitemastery 101 is the easiest SmS, and I can personally recommend it.

I recommend getting DROD:TCB if it's all the same to you - you'll get more bang for your buck, as there's simply years more DROD content than there is Tendry's Tale content.

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Thelas
Level: Delver
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Registered: 08-15-2009
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Why does the user-made content matter? I have the demos for both already and am playing holds in both while I try to decide.

Thelas

CuriousShyRabbit
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Because some of my favorite holds are user-made!

Unlike "fan-made" levels from some other games, many user-made DROD holds are excellent, clever, artistic, well worth playing, and every bit as good (if not better in some ways) as the official holds. So far, more than 25,000 user-made DROD rooms have been published on this site. User-made holds are rated by other players, so you can see which the best ones are. You've got years of puzzle solving fun ahead of you if you play the user-made DROD holds.

DROD RPG is a new game that is (still) just getting started. There are only a few user-made RPG holds so far. But if you stick around for a few years, I'm sure there will eventually be a decent-sized collection of those too.

Nuntar
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CuriousShyRabbit wrote:
Because some of my favorite holds are user-made!

I think what Thelas was asking was, "Why should the quantity of user-made holds sway my decision, since I have the demo versions and therefore already have access to all user-made content for both games?"

Which is true enough, although I have to grudgingly admit that the point I made earlier does apply -- you don't quite get the full experience if you are playing in the demo, which only has one style.

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Snacko
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What style do you enjoy more? TCB and TT are both wonderful examples of their respective styles, just choose the one you enjoy more.

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Thelas
Level: Delver
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Registered: 08-15-2009
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Kind of change of topic:
I've decided I'm not getting RPG yet.
However, I just played the demo of Journey to Rooted Hold.
39th Slayer...

So... which full version should I get of those two?
On one hand, 39th Slayer is a major jerk and I'd like to hit him with the buisness end of a Really Big Sword (TM) [or a bomb or whatever we actually use to kill him]; on the other hand, DROD:TCB was newer and I kinda want to know what's in the library.
I will eventually be getting both (and RPG also eventually), but I only want one for now.

Also, I can't really make out the lyrics to that title theme to Journey to Rooted Hold.
Is there a copy somewhere?

---

[Last edited by Thelas at 09-07-2009 01:48 AM : Forgot to add one word]

Dr. Murphy
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I would recommend JtRH first. It's not overly complicated and it gives you... certain... satisfactions...

As the for the lyrics, they're part of the "Architect's Oath". The lyrics can be found in the bolded text here.

CuriousShyRabbit
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I'm sure you'll get responses from both camps, but JtRH is my favorite Caravel Game. The title lyrics are the Architect's Oath, quoted here.

Reasons:
* JtRH reviews all the game elements of its time, so that someone relatively new to DROD won't get lost. In later levels, it cranks up the difficulty so you can really show your stuff.
* The level design is varied and ever-so-slightly nonlinear, so it's fun to explore. The secret rooms are hidden in really creative ways.
* 39th Slayer is indeed a delicious villain. And you learn some interesting backstory about Beethro's nephew, Halph, which is needed to understand what he's doing in TCB.

NiroZ
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JtRH, 'nuff said.

TFMurphy
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It's worth noting that if you happen to have CaravelNet, the full version of JtRH *and* the full version of TCB, then it is possible to play JtRH in the TCB engine -- this also comes with some small graphical/architectural updates to the hold itself. You can read about this here. You can technically also play it in the TCB demo, but then you're limited to the City style, which isn't exactly the most exciting style around. Note that you don't have to specifically buy CaravelNet for this so long as you do it within a certain time frame: the full versions of JtRH and TCB both come with a free month of CaravelNet after registering them.

(It would be nice if there was a package discounted price to get just TCB and the JtRH hold for it, just as KDD2.0 is available as a standalone SmS, but at the moment, this seems to be the only way to do it.)

t_z
Level: Delver

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In my opinion, JtRH is the best introduction to DROD for new players: even better than AE/KDD2, SM101, and the tutorials in TCB. Level designs are well polished. Game elements are gradually introduced, with no assumption of prior experience. 39th Slayer and Halph are superb additions to both the storyline and gameplay.

I often play compatible holds in JtRH, rather than TCB, for the variety of music and tilesets in the full version.

As far as SmS go, the KDD2+TC bundle is arguably the best value.

t_z

Snacko
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Though I firmly believe that TCB is the better hold, JtRH does a much better job of easing the player into the game. TCB assumes experience, and a lot of it.

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zwetschenwasser
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IMO, JtRH severely jumps difficulty level after the demo levels finish. TCB implies experience, yes, but provides a less steep learning curve.

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Jatopian
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I suppose that's technically true, given that the TCB demo now includes the introduction of briars.

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DROD has some really great music.
Make your pressure plates 3.0 style!
DROD architecture idea generator