Gothic 3

Bee · 10-16-2006, 04:53 PM

I'm surprised no one has posted impressions yet since the previous games were pretty popular here. My copy should be here on Wednesday. I have read that there are some performance issues if you have an older system or less than 2 GB RAM. Looking forward to trying the game out. Anyone have a copy yet?

hukarez · 10-16-2006, 05:06 PM

Whoa, it's coming out this week? I thought it was for a November release!

This is interesting. I wonder if it'll run on my laptop okay...

(2 gigs of memory, along with a 7400 nVidia card...)

Eaglesfan27 · 10-16-2006, 05:11 PM

I thought it wasn't coming out until November. We had another thread about the game a few days/week ago. I'm looking forward to it, and have more than enough memory that it should run well.

Deattribution · 10-16-2006, 05:36 PM

Ebgames has it listed at 11/13, did I miss something about an early release?

sabotai · 10-16-2006, 06:15 PM

IGN lists its release as Oct.27th (Oct. 13th in Europe)

Gamestop still has it as Nov. 13th (and the Europe release as Oct 13th.)

Did Bee order an import from Europe?

Bee · 10-17-2006, 06:02 AM

Sorry for the confusion, I'd forgotten the US version had a different release date. Yep, I got the UK version from gogamer.com. No difference between it and the US version other than release date from my understanding. In any case, I'll post impressions once I get a chance to play it tomorrow.

sabotai · 10-17-2006, 01:55 PM

I just got Gothic II Gold from Amazon today. I'll be firing that baby up and am looking forward to seeing how II compares to your impressions of III.

Bee · 10-18-2006, 02:51 PM

The game is supposed to be delivered tonight, but I just found out from the wife that I have other plans...

Bee · 10-20-2006, 10:23 AM

So far, I'm pretty pleased with the game. It runs pretty smooth on my system, but I do have a pretty high end system. I haven't had any crashes or anything. The only problem I've run into that I had seen reported was the boar issue, but even that wasn't as bad as I had read. The boars are way too tough, but with hit and run tactics and liberal use of healing potions I was able to deal with them. No other monsters I've run into so far has really felt unbalanced though. Graphics are good but not on the level of Oblivion. The storyline seems to be pretty decent so far. I like the combat controls a lot and the interface as a whole seems much better than Gothic 2. The quest log could use some work. I wish there was a way to replay conversations because a lot of information seems to be missing in the quest logs which mainly consists of 4-5 word explanations of what you're supposed to do. I've heard there are some problems with save files becoming corrupt, so I've been keeping a rolling save of 3 files going to avoid losing too much progress if I get a corruption but so far no problems.

Bee · 10-25-2006, 07:52 AM

I've been playing the game just about every night and having a blast. There are a lot of bugs and performance issues, but despite that the game is pretty entertaining.

Also, for those waiting on the US release, I saw on another board that they are probably going to delay the release a couple weeks until the game is patched again.

Buccaneer · 10-25-2006, 08:25 AM

I saw that too and am glad because that's the way Gothic 1 and 2 came to us nearly flawless. The only difference was that there were at least a 6 month lag between Euro release and US release. For example, they got Night of the Raven before we even got Gothic 1.

I also saw, for the first time, the minimum and recommended specs. Yikes. Looks like my 4 year old custom built PC ain't going to play this.

Tigercat · 10-25-2006, 08:41 AM

Are the requirements about the same as Oblivion? I can run Oblivion slightly above midlevel settings smoothly on my laptop, wonder if I stand a chance with this.

Bee · 10-25-2006, 08:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tigercat

Are the requirements about the same as Oblivion? I can run Oblivion slightly above midlevel settings smoothly on my laptop, wonder if I stand a chance with this.

I've had more performance issues with this than with Oblivion, although Oblivion is (IMO) a much better looking game. I just think that they haven't done a very good job of optimizing Gothic 3.

Also while I think Oblivion is the better looking game, I think Gothic 3 is the more enjoyable game.

Bee · 10-25-2006, 09:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Buccaneer

I saw that too and am glad because that's the way Gothic 1 and 2 came to us nearly flawless. The only difference was that there were at least a 6 month lag between Euro release and US release. For example, they got Night of the Raven before we even got Gothic 1.

I also saw, for the first time, the minimum and recommended specs. Yikes. Looks like my 4 year old custom built PC ain't going to play this.

Yep, I got my computer less than a year ago and have a pretty high end video card, 2 GB of RAM, etc and sometimes the game slows down on my system. There are some suggestions out there for optimizing the game, but I haven't tried them yet.

hukarez · 11-15-2006, 07:44 PM

Any further impressions so far, Bee?

Galaril · 12-07-2006, 07:33 PM

Anybody played the us release of this which is patched? I know the European patched game was still pretty bad.

Capital · 12-09-2006, 01:19 PM

Interested also in comments as I enjoyed Gothic 2 very much. I have read a few reviews...mostly mixed...it appears that the game is so close but just misses in a few areas.

jbmagic · 12-09-2006, 01:46 PM

Oblivion is the better game.

Deattribution · 12-09-2006, 02:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jbmagic

Oblivion is the better game.

Have you even played Gothic 3?

jbmagic · 12-09-2006, 02:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Deattribution

Have you even played Gothic 3?

Not yet. I have Played Gothic 1 and 2.

But I feel like Morrowind and Oblivion is more of a solid game.

Eaglesfan27 · 12-09-2006, 05:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jbmagic

Not yet. I have Played Gothic 1 and 2.

But I feel like Morrowind and Oblivion is more of a solid game.

Nice to know that you are as informed as ever.

Buccaneer · 12-17-2006, 11:55 AM

I actually had to think about this, believe it or not.

I had some good sales on eBay the past couple of weeks and earned some money to build a new PC from the ground up (it had been 4+ years since I had done that). My new PC will exceed the rec specs for Gothic3 but I had to convince myself that I didn't do that because of wanting to play the game. If that was true, I may be disappointed.

What I did was to read the user reviews at rpgdot and amazon and pay attention to what some love about the game as well as what some hate about about it. Most agree (lovers and haters) that the world is huge and varied and immersive to be in. I think that's what sold it for me because more than anything about a game like this, I just being in world like that - wandering around, discovering unique places and just looking at the scenery.

There are complaints about the controls but if you recall, Gothic 1 was initially trashed because many complained about the UI/controls but in time, many got used to to where it became intuitive and in fact, when Gothic 2 came out, many chose the option to use the Gothic 1 controls (like I did). But in Gothic3, users and reviewers complain about mashing the left mouse button and winning everything. I normally play as a mage or a mage/ranger combo and really never liked close combat/swordfighting.

The other complaint is the storyline. I can't tell if it's too open-ended or if that the main storyline is weak (compared to the previous two versions).

I am getting the game for Christmas (amazon had it for $29.99) and it will take a few days (hopefully) to build my PC, so I guess I'll see what it'll be like.

daedalus · 12-17-2006, 03:24 PM

Speaking as someone who has never played any of the Gothic games but have read about it fairly frequently on here and OO, I don't think Gothic will ever really do too well amongst reviewers -- even while having its own strong fan base. The game is "too" open-ended for the typical gamers -- and certainly most reviewers -- to "like" initially. I think the game appeals more to those who wants to get the most out of the game WORLD they can -- looking everywhere and being immerse in the world -- and not so much to the goal-oriented get-to-the-end type of players. Just my $0.02.

Buccaneer · 12-17-2006, 04:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by daedalus

Speaking as someone who has never played any of the Gothic games but have read about it fairly frequently on here and OO, I don't think Gothic will ever really do too well amongst reviewers -- even while having its own strong fan base. The game is "too" open-ended for the typical gamers -- and certainly most reviewers -- to "like" initially. I think the game appeals more to those who wants to get the most out of the game WORLD they can -- looking everywhere and being immerse in the world -- and not so much to the goal-oriented get-to-the-end type of players. Just my $0.02.

Well said and I think your perception is right. I read the comments of the Gothic players and apart from the technical problems (i.e., few has a system that can run this properly), some feel that this version has been dumbed-down to appeal to a broader audience. They mention things like easier combat, less interactive NPCs, bigger but more boring world and a simpler quest/log model - but they all mention how great the soundtrack is. And then I just found out why....

I was looking in the wrong place.

Apparently, rpgdot (which was very active for Gothic 2) kind of died with Gothic 3. (Probably because the gamers there are the kind that you mentioned???) I wondered where everyone went until I found someplace else

http://forum.worldofplayers.de/forum...f=160&langid=3

at www.worldofgothic.com

Buccaneer · 12-30-2006, 05:36 PM

The boys and I have been into playing this for 3 days now. We have it on High details and no performance problems. After roughly 16 hours of playing, we have covered maybe 2-3% of the game. It is so immense and very richly detailed. The graphics are better than anything I have ever seen in a game. The new combat is different and in most ways, better (I still face the wrong way too many time though). The biggest difference is that this now plays like many of the FP games - using the mouse and arrow keys at the same time. The story and quests are very immersive and everything else about the game, from the quest logs, to the trading/economics system and esp. the character development system are much, much better than before (i.e., easy to use and more depth). The game is huge and I would say that it will be well worth the time spent.

Buccaneer · 02-15-2007, 08:48 PM

I'm stoked. Brian (EaglesFan27) just got Gothic 3. My boys and I have put over 200 hours into this game and absolutely love it, and now I can finally talk Gothic with someone here.

Eaglesfan27 · 02-15-2007, 08:57 PM

I'm looking forward to it as well, my wife got me the game for Valentine's day.

Buccaneer · 02-16-2007, 06:02 PM

Forgot to mention to make sure to get the 1.12 update. There is a big difference between out-of-the-box and the latest update.

Eaglesfan27 · 02-16-2007, 06:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Buccaneer

Forgot to mention to make sure to get the 1.12 update. There is a big difference between out-of-the-box and the latest update.

Thanks for the advice - I'll be sure to grab the update. I will probably wait until tomorrow to dive in as I don't like starting new games when I'm tired, but I'm reading the manual tonight.

Shepp · 02-08-2008, 07:20 PM

I noticed that the 1.6 version of this was released yesterday. I have been wanting to try this game for a while but I heard the previous verisons have needed several patches before the bigger bugs were squashed. Is anyone still playing this and have most of the bugs been worked out?

Calis · 02-08-2008, 07:32 PM

I'll probably fire it up again here soon when I get the time.

I thought it ran relatively bug free with the last patch. There are still glitches, and there always will be, but I found it to be pretty stable.

I haven't put the time in it I should, it is a pretty drastic turn from the first two imo, but not in a bad way. I'd recommend it.

Buccaneer · 02-08-2008, 07:39 PM

Got done playing this all the way through for the 4th times last month. This was with 1.5.2. Never really had problems but like I told Brian (EaglesFan27), you have to be patient (I get kicked out about 4-5 per day of playing). Supposedly 1.6 improves that. This is my 2nd current all-time favorite game, the world is simply vast, full and amazing. If any of you need any help or advice, let me know. Brian can attest to the loads of advice I have been giving.

Calis · 02-08-2008, 07:48 PM

Wow, I'm going to fire it up tonight, if it's Bucc's favorite of the series I really need to dive into it more. It didn't quite grab me immediately like the 2nd one did, and to a lesser extent the first, but I did like the vibe..I think I got stuck very early, with a quest at the first town I believe to kill some starving wolves, several groups..and I killed several groups, but I have searched high and low for the last group and couldn't find them. Eventually I just took a break and haven't gone back. I needed to that quest or one other(finding someone's goods on the beach there at the beginning) to get my reputation high enough to meet the Orcs and move onwards at the first town, but I was having no luck.

I think I might fire it up now and give it another try though.

Eaglesfan27 · 02-08-2008, 07:50 PM

Yeah, I had some stability problems which caused me to shelve it in the past, but with the 1.6 patch, I'm going to give this another try tomorrow. Also, I definitely can attest to the fact that Buccaneer has offered a huge amount of tips, advice, etc about the game. He has helped me get through several parts of the game where I needed a hint on a quest. I really enjoyed Gothic 2, so if the patch can fix my stability issues, I'm fairly certain I'll play through this one as well.

Buccaneer · 02-08-2008, 07:54 PM

Lol. Maybe Brian can tell you a story about those wolves.

One of the ways I can help is that I have links to maps that show where things are (including those wolves).

It is a different game than G1/G2, less linear but in same ways, easier. But the many variety of towns, places and landscapes are beyond belief. The fourth time through, I discovered areas that I had never been to before (to do some missions) and that was cool.

Buccaneer · 02-08-2008, 07:57 PM

Remember about performance. When you load up a saved game, it takes about a minute or so (depending on your system) for all the objects to get loaded. During that time, it will be quite laggy. Just be patient. Also, save often (use quick save frequently). I never go more than 5-10 minutes without saving. You will get kicked out, so just reload and get back into it.

Calis · 02-08-2008, 07:58 PM

Oh yeah I'd love a link to a map with that if there's not too many spoilers on them. I don't want to see too much, but I'm all for a little help at this point.

Just from the bit I've played and reading though, it really seems like they went out in this 3rd version to show The Elder Scrolls series how it's done. You have really varied landscape, and it seems like there is always something of interest you run across, and more importantly your actions actually effect the world, rather than people being oblivious to it. That's the biggest thing I'm excited about.

Ok, fine..I'm downloading the patch and I'll probably be playing the game the entire evening if it's stable.

Buccaneer · 02-08-2008, 08:06 PM

Aww, don't spoil this thread by mentioned Oblivion.

You spend 5 minutes walking away from Ardea and you find more things (creatures, items, plants, etc.) than in ALL of the landscapes of Oblivion. When you start out (esp. after getting doing the thing in Ardea), pick up EVERYTHING. Slowly and methodically cover the lands.

Calis, here's a sample:
http://home.comcast.net/~ouray2/images/wolves.jpg

Eaglesfan27 · 02-08-2008, 08:09 PM

Those F!$!%% Wolves. I spent HOURS looking for the last group. Not once, but twice. The first time I never found the last group and just assumed it was a bug. The second time, Buccaneer helped me out with a map which only pointed out the location of those wolves. Not only did I finish that quest, but I discovered this cool little sub-area that I didn't know existed that was quite scenic and had some nice treasure.

Buccaneer · 02-08-2008, 08:11 PM

Which is why is pays to be very methodical and unhurried, you never know what is behind a rock, tree and nooks. What till you guys get to Nordmar, that will rock your socks (by far the most challenging land I have ever experienced in all of my years of playing 3D FPS games).

Eaglesfan27 · 02-08-2008, 08:18 PM

The tricky thing about them is that most of the groups are out in the open and it lulls you into a false sense of assuming that they will all be out in the open if you just search far and wide enough. In reality, the last group is hidden in a subtle way.

Calis · 02-08-2008, 08:29 PM

Ah, I just began my mountain climbing before seeing this. I figured ok, if they're close to the city and I can't see them, they must be above, so I began circling all the way around and searching. It looks like that is the way to go, thanks guy. I'm going to search for it now.

Yeah with the other groups being so easy I thought I was missing something right in front of me, and then assumed it was just a buggy quest and stopped playing. Oops.

Calis · 02-08-2008, 08:42 PM

Ok, so I'm an idiot.

I have no idea how I missed those the first time, I mean I searched that place time after time, and it uhh..seems so obvious now.

I actually would've missed it this time also, as I had gone all the way around and up way too high but accidentally slid down a cliff and ended up right next to them.

Thank God that's over.

Buccaneer · 02-08-2008, 08:47 PM

You guys are funny.

As you approach Cape Dun or any town, do all of the quests in and around town, to build up points. Remember, you can only liberate 2 Orcs-controlled towns before you will have problems doing stuff in town.

korme · 02-08-2008, 09:09 PM

What are the min. system requirements?

Buccaneer · 02-08-2008, 09:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shorty3281

What are the min. system requirements?

A lot. Remember, I built a new high-end system last year so I could play this game. Most of the problems people have been and are still having is trying to play this on a less-than-high system. Off the top of my head, I would say dual core, 2 gb ram and 256/512mb video. It really is worth playing this game on high details as I have been doing, but it still can easily be played on medium details.

Calis · 02-08-2008, 09:42 PM

Man I forgot how much I loved this series of games. I've just spent the last couple hours just wandering around the wilderness taking it all in, and mostly hunting deer and the occasional bigger beast. I've actually ended up quite a ways away from Cape Dun, so I should probably head back soon to work on liberation, but I'm trying to gain another couple levels before I do and see about upgrading my equipment.

I know most of the alchemical ingredients I pick up I should keep either for potions or quests later right? What about skins and teeth I get from hunting, should I keep those for quests further down the road or am I free to profit from them? So far I've only been selling equipment/armor/trinkets, and keeping the rest just in case.

As for requirements they are definitely high, I just built a new system and so was finally able to buy it here a few months back, and I'm still below where I should be. I think my graphics card is causing me some problems(GeForce 7900) I'm getting a lot of texture tearing, so I'll see a streak running from someone's arm to infinity, it's a bit odd, but I think that is the card rather than the game.

Eaglesfan27 · 02-08-2008, 09:43 PM

The min specs per the box:

Pentium 4 2 GHZ or AMD Athlon 64 3200+, 512 MB RAM, 128MB Video Ram, DVD-Rom Drive.

However, as Buc said, you are going to want much more than that to get an enjoyable experience.

Buccaneer · 02-08-2008, 09:54 PM

Calis, in the early game, you pick up everything so you can 1) sell or 2) use to heal, etc. If you go the route of making potions (always good if you play mage like I do), you can simply concentrate on those items for the potion. By the latter part of the early game, you won't need all the stuff laying around and can concentrate on the many chests and such.

I never put my points into hunting skills because they were always put into better things. By the mid-game, you should have a lot of gold and if you do a good job in hunting down and killing orcs, their swords and loot will go a long ways.

Also, one important thing. Armor is mainly for decoration. You can dress yourself in some very cool looking robes, armor, etc. but don't expect to be identified by such, nor would they offer noticeable difference in protection.

Have a plan of what you want to become and concentrate your points there. The exceptions are learning to make healing/mana potions and picking difficult locks (very important since there are more of those chests around than any others).

Mustang · 02-08-2008, 09:56 PM

Hmm.. might have to crack this game open finally and play it. (One of about 10 I haven't touched...)

10-16-2006, 05:06 PM	#2
hukarez College Starter Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Chula Vista, CA	Whoa, it's coming out this week? I thought it was for a November release! This is interesting. I wonder if it'll run on my laptop okay... (2 gigs of memory, along with a 7400 nVidia card...) __________________ ...what we have here is a man who looks like Tarzan, but fights like Jane! My VG collection \| Xbox 360 Gamertag: ManThol \| PS3 Network ID: hukarez Doce Pares International - San Diego Council Filipino Martial Arts Digest tweet tweet twitter

10-16-2006, 05:11 PM	#3
Eaglesfan27 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: New Jersey	I thought it wasn't coming out until November. We had another thread about the game a few days/week ago. I'm looking forward to it, and have more than enough memory that it should run well. __________________ Retired GM of the eNFL 2007 Super Bowl Champion Philadelphia Eagles (19-0 record.) GM of the WOOF 2006 Doggie Bowl Champion Atlantic City Gamblers. GM of the IHOF 2019 and 2022 IHOF Bowl Champion Asheville Axemen.

10-20-2006, 10:23 AM	#9
Bee Pro Starter Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Fairfax, VA	So far, I'm pretty pleased with the game. It runs pretty smooth on my system, but I do have a pretty high end system. I haven't had any crashes or anything. The only problem I've run into that I had seen reported was the boar issue, but even that wasn't as bad as I had read. The boars are way too tough, but with hit and run tactics and liberal use of healing potions I was able to deal with them. No other monsters I've run into so far has really felt unbalanced though. Graphics are good but not on the level of Oblivion. The storyline seems to be pretty decent so far. I like the combat controls a lot and the interface as a whole seems much better than Gothic 2. The quest log could use some work. I wish there was a way to replay conversations because a lot of information seems to be missing in the quest logs which mainly consists of 4-5 word explanations of what you're supposed to do. I've heard there are some problems with save files becoming corrupt, so I've been keeping a rolling save of 3 files going to avoid losing too much progress if I get a corruption but so far no problems. Last edited by Bee : 10-20-2006 at 10:25 AM.

11-15-2006, 07:44 PM	#15
hukarez College Starter Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Chula Vista, CA	Any further impressions so far, Bee? __________________ ...what we have here is a man who looks like Tarzan, but fights like Jane! My VG collection \| Xbox 360 Gamertag: ManThol \| PS3 Network ID: hukarez Doce Pares International - San Diego Council Filipino Martial Arts Digest tweet tweet twitter

02-15-2007, 08:57 PM	#27
Eaglesfan27 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: New Jersey	I'm looking forward to it as well, my wife got me the game for Valentine's day. __________________ Retired GM of the eNFL 2007 Super Bowl Champion Philadelphia Eagles (19-0 record.) GM of the WOOF 2006 Doggie Bowl Champion Atlantic City Gamblers. GM of the IHOF 2019 and 2022 IHOF Bowl Champion Asheville Axemen.

10-16-2006, 05:36 PM	#4
Deattribution College Benchwarmer Join Date: Oct 2003	Ebgames has it listed at 11/13, did I miss something about an early release?

10-16-2006, 06:15 PM	#5
sabotai General Manager Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: The Satellite of Love	IGN lists its release as Oct.27th (Oct. 13th in Europe) Gamestop still has it as Nov. 13th (and the Europe release as Oct 13th.) Did Bee order an import from Europe?

10-17-2006, 06:02 AM	#6
Bee Pro Starter Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Fairfax, VA	Sorry for the confusion, I'd forgotten the US version had a different release date. Yep, I got the UK version from gogamer.com. No difference between it and the US version other than release date from my understanding. In any case, I'll post impressions once I get a chance to play it tomorrow.

10-17-2006, 01:55 PM	#7
sabotai General Manager Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: The Satellite of Love	I just got Gothic II Gold from Amazon today. I'll be firing that baby up and am looking forward to seeing how II compares to your impressions of III.

10-18-2006, 02:51 PM	#8
Bee Pro Starter Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Fairfax, VA	The game is supposed to be delivered tonight, but I just found out from the wife that I have other plans...

10-25-2006, 07:52 AM	#10
Bee Pro Starter Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Fairfax, VA	I've been playing the game just about every night and having a blast. There are a lot of bugs and performance issues, but despite that the game is pretty entertaining. Also, for those waiting on the US release, I saw on another board that they are probably going to delay the release a couple weeks until the game is patched again.

10-25-2006, 08:25 AM	#11
Buccaneer Head Coach Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Colorado	I saw that too and am glad because that's the way Gothic 1 and 2 came to us nearly flawless. The only difference was that there were at least a 6 month lag between Euro release and US release. For example, they got Night of the Raven before we even got Gothic 1. I also saw, for the first time, the minimum and recommended specs. Yikes. Looks like my 4 year old custom built PC ain't going to play this.

10-25-2006, 08:41 AM	#12
Tigercat College Starter Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Federal Way, WA	Are the requirements about the same as Oblivion? I can run Oblivion slightly above midlevel settings smoothly on my laptop, wonder if I stand a chance with this.

12-07-2006, 07:33 PM	#16
Galaril Pro Starter Join Date: Jan 2004	Anybody played the us release of this which is patched? I know the European patched game was still pretty bad.

12-09-2006, 01:19 PM	#17
Capital High School Varsity Join Date: Oct 2000	Interested also in comments as I enjoyed Gothic 2 very much. I have read a few reviews...mostly mixed...it appears that the game is so close but just misses in a few areas.

12-09-2006, 01:46 PM	#18
jbmagic Pro Starter Join Date: Apr 2004	Oblivion is the better game.

12-17-2006, 11:55 AM	#22
Buccaneer Head Coach Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Colorado	I actually had to think about this, believe it or not. I had some good sales on eBay the past couple of weeks and earned some money to build a new PC from the ground up (it had been 4+ years since I had done that). My new PC will exceed the rec specs for Gothic3 but I had to convince myself that I didn't do that because of wanting to play the game. If that was true, I may be disappointed. What I did was to read the user reviews at rpgdot and amazon and pay attention to what some love about the game as well as what some hate about about it. Most agree (lovers and haters) that the world is huge and varied and immersive to be in. I think that's what sold it for me because more than anything about a game like this, I just being in world like that - wandering around, discovering unique places and just looking at the scenery. There are complaints about the controls but if you recall, Gothic 1 was initially trashed because many complained about the UI/controls but in time, many got used to to where it became intuitive and in fact, when Gothic 2 came out, many chose the option to use the Gothic 1 controls (like I did). But in Gothic3, users and reviewers complain about mashing the left mouse button and winning everything. I normally play as a mage or a mage/ranger combo and really never liked close combat/swordfighting. The other complaint is the storyline. I can't tell if it's too open-ended or if that the main storyline is weak (compared to the previous two versions). I am getting the game for Christmas (amazon had it for $29.99) and it will take a few days (hopefully) to build my PC, so I guess I'll see what it'll be like.

12-17-2006, 03:24 PM	#23
daedalus Pro Rookie Join Date: Oct 2000	Speaking as someone who has never played any of the Gothic games but have read about it fairly frequently on here and OO, I don't think Gothic will ever really do too well amongst reviewers -- even while having its own strong fan base. The game is "too" open-ended for the typical gamers -- and certainly most reviewers -- to "like" initially. I think the game appeals more to those who wants to get the most out of the game WORLD they can -- looking everywhere and being immerse in the world -- and not so much to the goal-oriented get-to-the-end type of players. Just my $0.02.

12-30-2006, 05:36 PM	#25
Buccaneer Head Coach Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Colorado	The boys and I have been into playing this for 3 days now. We have it on High details and no performance problems. After roughly 16 hours of playing, we have covered maybe 2-3% of the game. It is so immense and very richly detailed. The graphics are better than anything I have ever seen in a game. The new combat is different and in most ways, better (I still face the wrong way too many time though). The biggest difference is that this now plays like many of the FP games - using the mouse and arrow keys at the same time. The story and quests are very immersive and everything else about the game, from the quest logs, to the trading/economics system and esp. the character development system are much, much better than before (i.e., easy to use and more depth). The game is huge and I would say that it will be well worth the time spent.

02-15-2007, 08:48 PM	#26
Buccaneer Head Coach Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Colorado	I'm stoked. Brian (EaglesFan27) just got Gothic 3. My boys and I have put over 200 hours into this game and absolutely love it, and now I can finally talk Gothic with someone here.

02-16-2007, 06:02 PM	#28
Buccaneer Head Coach Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Colorado	Forgot to mention to make sure to get the 1.12 update. There is a big difference between out-of-the-box and the latest update.

02-08-2008, 07:20 PM	#30
Shepp High School Varsity Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Atlanta, GA	I noticed that the 1.6 version of this was released yesterday. I have been wanting to try this game for a while but I heard the previous verisons have needed several patches before the bigger bugs were squashed. Is anyone still playing this and have most of the bugs been worked out?

02-08-2008, 07:32 PM	#31
Calis College Starter Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Kansas	I'll probably fire it up again here soon when I get the time. I thought it ran relatively bug free with the last patch. There are still glitches, and there always will be, but I found it to be pretty stable. I haven't put the time in it I should, it is a pretty drastic turn from the first two imo, but not in a bad way. I'd recommend it.

02-08-2008, 07:39 PM	#32
Buccaneer Head Coach Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Colorado	Got done playing this all the way through for the 4th times last month. This was with 1.5.2. Never really had problems but like I told Brian (EaglesFan27), you have to be patient (I get kicked out about 4-5 per day of playing). Supposedly 1.6 improves that. This is my 2nd current all-time favorite game, the world is simply vast, full and amazing. If any of you need any help or advice, let me know. Brian can attest to the loads of advice I have been giving.

02-08-2008, 07:48 PM	#33
Calis College Starter Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Kansas	Wow, I'm going to fire it up tonight, if it's Bucc's favorite of the series I really need to dive into it more. It didn't quite grab me immediately like the 2nd one did, and to a lesser extent the first, but I did like the vibe..I think I got stuck very early, with a quest at the first town I believe to kill some starving wolves, several groups..and I killed several groups, but I have searched high and low for the last group and couldn't find them. Eventually I just took a break and haven't gone back. I needed to that quest or one other(finding someone's goods on the beach there at the beginning) to get my reputation high enough to meet the Orcs and move onwards at the first town, but I was having no luck. I think I might fire it up now and give it another try though.

02-08-2008, 07:50 PM	#34
Eaglesfan27 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: New Jersey	Yeah, I had some stability problems which caused me to shelve it in the past, but with the 1.6 patch, I'm going to give this another try tomorrow. Also, I definitely can attest to the fact that Buccaneer has offered a huge amount of tips, advice, etc about the game. He has helped me get through several parts of the game where I needed a hint on a quest. I really enjoyed Gothic 2, so if the patch can fix my stability issues, I'm fairly certain I'll play through this one as well. __________________ Retired GM of the eNFL 2007 Super Bowl Champion Philadelphia Eagles (19-0 record.) GM of the WOOF 2006 Doggie Bowl Champion Atlantic City Gamblers. GM of the IHOF 2019 and 2022 IHOF Bowl Champion Asheville Axemen.

02-08-2008, 07:54 PM	#35
Buccaneer Head Coach Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Colorado	Lol. Maybe Brian can tell you a story about those wolves. One of the ways I can help is that I have links to maps that show where things are (including those wolves). It is a different game than G1/G2, less linear but in same ways, easier. But the many variety of towns, places and landscapes are beyond belief. The fourth time through, I discovered areas that I had never been to before (to do some missions) and that was cool.

02-08-2008, 07:57 PM	#36
Buccaneer Head Coach Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Colorado	Remember about performance. When you load up a saved game, it takes about a minute or so (depending on your system) for all the objects to get loaded. During that time, it will be quite laggy. Just be patient. Also, save often (use quick save frequently). I never go more than 5-10 minutes without saving. You will get kicked out, so just reload and get back into it.

02-08-2008, 07:58 PM	#37
Calis College Starter Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Kansas	Oh yeah I'd love a link to a map with that if there's not too many spoilers on them. I don't want to see too much, but I'm all for a little help at this point. Just from the bit I've played and reading though, it really seems like they went out in this 3rd version to show The Elder Scrolls series how it's done. You have really varied landscape, and it seems like there is always something of interest you run across, and more importantly your actions actually effect the world, rather than people being oblivious to it. That's the biggest thing I'm excited about. Ok, fine..I'm downloading the patch and I'll probably be playing the game the entire evening if it's stable.

02-08-2008, 08:06 PM	#38
Buccaneer Head Coach Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Colorado	Aww, don't spoil this thread by mentioned Oblivion. You spend 5 minutes walking away from Ardea and you find more things (creatures, items, plants, etc.) than in ALL of the landscapes of Oblivion. When you start out (esp. after getting doing the thing in Ardea), pick up EVERYTHING. Slowly and methodically cover the lands. Calis, here's a sample: http://home.comcast.net/~ouray2/images/wolves.jpg Last edited by Buccaneer : 02-08-2008 at 08:29 PM.

02-08-2008, 08:09 PM	#39
Eaglesfan27 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: New Jersey	Those F!$!%% Wolves. I spent HOURS looking for the last group. Not once, but twice. The first time I never found the last group and just assumed it was a bug. The second time, Buccaneer helped me out with a map which only pointed out the location of those wolves. Not only did I finish that quest, but I discovered this cool little sub-area that I didn't know existed that was quite scenic and had some nice treasure. __________________ Retired GM of the eNFL 2007 Super Bowl Champion Philadelphia Eagles (19-0 record.) GM of the WOOF 2006 Doggie Bowl Champion Atlantic City Gamblers. GM of the IHOF 2019 and 2022 IHOF Bowl Champion Asheville Axemen.

02-08-2008, 08:11 PM	#40
Buccaneer Head Coach Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Colorado	Which is why is pays to be very methodical and unhurried, you never know what is behind a rock, tree and nooks. What till you guys get to Nordmar, that will rock your socks (by far the most challenging land I have ever experienced in all of my years of playing 3D FPS games).

02-08-2008, 08:18 PM	#41
Eaglesfan27 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: New Jersey	The tricky thing about them is that most of the groups are out in the open and it lulls you into a false sense of assuming that they will all be out in the open if you just search far and wide enough. In reality, the last group is hidden in a subtle way. __________________ Retired GM of the eNFL 2007 Super Bowl Champion Philadelphia Eagles (19-0 record.) GM of the WOOF 2006 Doggie Bowl Champion Atlantic City Gamblers. GM of the IHOF 2019 and 2022 IHOF Bowl Champion Asheville Axemen.

02-08-2008, 08:29 PM	#42
Calis College Starter Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Kansas	Ah, I just began my mountain climbing before seeing this. I figured ok, if they're close to the city and I can't see them, they must be above, so I began circling all the way around and searching. It looks like that is the way to go, thanks guy. I'm going to search for it now. Yeah with the other groups being so easy I thought I was missing something right in front of me, and then assumed it was just a buggy quest and stopped playing. Oops.

02-08-2008, 08:42 PM	#43
Calis College Starter Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Kansas	Ok, so I'm an idiot. I have no idea how I missed those the first time, I mean I searched that place time after time, and it uhh..seems so obvious now. I actually would've missed it this time also, as I had gone all the way around and up way too high but accidentally slid down a cliff and ended up right next to them. Thank God that's over.