Wizardry 6, 7, and 8

[Philip Overby]

I just picked up Wizardry 6 and 7 from GOG.com mostly for nostalgic purposes and having never really given them a true play through. Well, I never actually played 7, but 6 (Bane of the Cosmic Forge) was a staple at one of my friend's houses growing up and I remember being really interested in it despite getting killed and lost.

Anyone ever play these games? And if you have, what was your strategy to survival and recommendation for party builds?

I hope to get Wizardry 8 later on, but I wanted to play these older games first. I'm doing a run through on easy mode so I can see what's what.

 

[SeverinR]

I played Wizardry when I was in the Air Force at one of the only computer cafe's of the time near the UofA.

That was long ago and it was far away, so much better then it is today.
Can't remember much about it, only played a few months before I was sent to Germany.

 

[HUnewearl Shiro]

I have Wizardry 6-8 on Steam, as well as Wizardry Online. I also have Labyrinth of Lost Souls on my PS3. So you could say I'm a fan.

I don't really have a strategy for winning, since I'm really bad at it but I just keep on trying. Though this little anecdote may give you an idea of what not to do.

I was playing Wizardry 8, I forget my exact party composition but one of my back row was a mage. The starting area is on a sort of beach-like area, and I soon encountered trouble in the form of a group of large crabs. Being the super-powerful mage I thought I was, I cast an ice spell and poured my entire MP reserve into it, only to see this.

"The spell backfired!"

My party didn't get much further.

 

[Graylorne]

I gave Wizardry 8 a chance as well, but I remember it as difficult to start in (those crabs, yes) and too dull to justify the effort. Of course, I was playing Morrowind at the same time and compared to that, I found W8 hopelessly old.

 

[Sam Evren]

SeverinR, UofA as in Wildcats, Tucson, and daily A-10 flyovers?

I played Wizardry from IV on through VII. I think my party - which I still have saved continuously from that first game, making them... 1987 to 2014... 27 year old game characters - consisted of Samurai, Valkyrie, Ninja, Bishop, Sorceror (or was it mage), and a Psionic.

I have a friend who swears by an all Bishop party, to the point he feels it's akin to cheating.

I do recommend running the older games first as you can transfer the characters across, which is oodles of fun. You take random hits as you change games, some weapons will disappear. I managed to keep a Muramasa Blade for my samurai (chance to behead and instantly kill target) from Wiz V to Wiz VII, sadly, I lost it going into VIII. Probably why I haven't played VIII.

Every so often I load VII again and try to game the transfer. Never has crossed, tho.

 

[SeverinR]

Thats the one. I believe it was the only computer cafe back then in all of Tucson. Basically a room of computers that you could rent time on.

Sometimes more often the daily A10 fly overs/.