| On A Ship to Algiers | |
| By Ian Alcritas Klinkhamer (alcritas@att.net) | |
| Simmic’s Review | |
On A Ship To Algiers is by Ian Klinkhamer (alcritas@att.net). It is for Low level parties and is rated PG-13 (R in Blades).
Like Tatterdemalion, On A Ship To Algiers provides you with skill potions in the beginning of the scenario — also like Tatterdemalion, it strips you of skills in the beginning. However, unlike Tatterdemalion, it strips you of everything but your strength, dexterity, intelligence, hp, and spell points.
Of course, as soon as I realized this, I made a new party and didn’t spend any skill points on those skills which would be stripped. Waste not... perhaps Ian would consider it cheating, but he never mentioned it. Plus, playing with a 1-PC party made for an almost perfect combination.
This scenario is renowned to force you to play in a new way — because, having been stripped of your skills, you lack any weapon OR magic skills, thus leaving you very vulnerable. That, and the complete lack of trainers available, thus leaving you entirely at the designer’s mercy. Fortunately, in this case, Ian wasn’t sadistically evil. Just mildly nasty.
Opposed by goblins and lacking priest skills is very nasty. When they hit you, you are poisoned, and the only way to cure it is WEAK potions bought off Elaine. That definitely forced me to play in a new way — I hid behind the tables and occasionally leaped out to knock one of them over the head.
In fact, I would even go so far as to say you need those potions to win — I certainly needed the strength potions in the goblin camp.
Nearing the end, you talk to Xenophon and he asks if you trust him — if you say no, I can’t remember what happens, but I’m pretty damn sure it wasn’t supposed to happen. The final battle was one of the toughest I’ve ever been through — I had to go into the character editor to give myself some spell points to utilise what Xenophon gave me.
On to a side quest, I found the Foreboding Tower very difficult — too difficult, in fact. Whatever hints it gave, didn’t make the least bit of sense to me. I will point out that I didn’t finish it — any mental puzzle too hard is one I immediately hate.
I agree with Lew entirely that variable town entry was overused — a couple less uses could easily have been achieved. I found the three prerequisites to seeing Xenophon not pointless, but they certainly felt like busywork. On a final point, I will point out that I would find it hard to believe any vampire would have the faintest chance of defeating Xenophon.
All that considered, I give it an 8.5. A good scenario, but don’t play it if you don’t like losing your skills.
— Simmic