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Hey dudes,
Any advice for people who are about to try Risen out?.
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Niggles: Hey dudes,
Any advice for people who are about to try Risen out?.
Save early, save often, in different slots and try to get the NPCs to soften up a particularly difficult enemy for you :D
Here's a best guide for Risen ever created:
http://www.rpgwatch.com/forums/showthread.php?t=10261
Invaluable for beginners as well as completionists. You can easily avoid spoilers and concentrate on gameplay tips, maps for plants locations and that sort of thing.
Have fun! It's a wonderful game.
Post edited April 04, 2014 by Summit
Exploration is rewarded in Risen, but some areas will be too tough for you at the beginning. However, I'd suggest doing as much exploration as you can before heading to the town. Also, don't rush to join a faction although a point will come where you have to join one to progress the game.

Bear in mind that timing is critical when in combat, but if you watch how your enemy moves, how they attack, you will soon get the hang of it. Plus, as you train in the skills you select, your prowess in combat will improve.

Judas has given you some excellent advice, I'd definitely use his tips :D

Enjoy the game - I hope you have as much fun with it as I have.
Post edited April 04, 2014 by Polly77
I've played this on Steam also and with v-sync off the fps will go well above 60fps. This caused some issues with climbing(flying up and into scenery getting stuck) and I got around this with fraps when I had trouble. It has been a while but i don't think the built in vsync was working for me.
Post edited April 04, 2014 by ronkmonster
avatar
Summit: Here's a best guide for Risen ever created:
http://www.rpgwatch.com/forums/showthread.php?t=10261
Invaluable for beginners as well as completionists. You can easily avoid spoilers and concentrate on gameplay tips, maps for plants locations and that sort of thing.
Have fun! It's a wonderful game.
Hey, many thanks for the link, just downloaded it :)
Post edited April 04, 2014 by Macos10
Hey guys, I am a RPG beginner, too, except for some early console experiences (Secret of Mana, Secret of Evermore, Super Mario RPG ;-)) and need some advice or encouraging words.

The beginning of the game is great. Waking up at the beach, finding some simple items and so on. I played for about 2 hours when I arrived at the bandit's camp in the swamp and then the problems began.
- The game crashed a few times.
- One guy asked me to check out why his artifact boxes are not delivered. I went to the camp fire marked on the quest map, but the henchmen do not want to talk to me. They just say " Not now, come back later". So is this a bug?
- On a small island in the swamp there is a drunk guy who asks me to find his beer bottle, but I could not find it and nearby is a enemy which kills me very easily.

As a newbie these things (just take them as examples) really confuse me and I wonder if it often happens later in the game. Is that typical for a RPG?

Anyway I became frustrated and deinstalled the game. But now I regret it. The point is, I enjoyed a lot of things in the game. Exploring the environment, collecting items, watching the gorgeous graphics and so on, I really want to try it, dive into the game, but what can I do to make it more accessible? I know there is a god cheat, but I don't think it is really satisfying with it activated, maybe only for the hardest enemies?... Maybe I just picked the wrong game? If even RPG/Gothic-experienced players say that Risen is quite tough, how shall a newbie like me have the slightest chance to complete the game? And how to deal with the apparently "broken" quests mentioned above? Just try harder or try again later?

Another point is the overwhelming number of NPCs, in the camp there is nearly a dozen with "real names" and not just generic "henchmen", so I suppose they all have quests for you. How do you keep track of it? Do you first talk to one guy and help him until he has no more tasks for you or do you talk to everybody and have a long list of open quests in the journal? How to deal with the complexity in a non-linear game?
Hi there Chris,

It's a shame the game crashed on you a few times, but lets hope when you re-install it you have a better experience.

To answer some of your questions:

The area where the henchmen will not let you through isn't available until you have proven your worth to the Bandit camp, or until much later in the game when you have joined a different faction and they send you there. However, if you wish to gain entry earlier in the game, the lady at the cooking pot is the key, but you will have to do a range of quests for her before the dialogue options become available. To achieve some of these quests you will need to have developed your character somewhat.

This is typical of a good RPG - the quests are involved and linked rather than just go here, do that. In Risen, they also relate to how you develop your character and what faction you decide to join.

With respect to the artefact crates and Louis' beer both of these can be solved without passing the henchmen. You need to look around the areas of the camp you can get to and explore thoroughly checking crates as you go. With the beer, Louis is drunk and just wants a fresh one.

To keep track of quests there is an inventory section that is really detailed for each faction - I will check on the details of this later and come back, but it isn't hard to access. This will assist you with keeping track.

Don't worry if quests stack up and some are not possible to do immediately. Focus on talking to people and exploration, run away from opponents that are too tough for you right now and use beds to heal. Before you decide to join a faction, make sure you've talked to the key people first. This means you will need at some point to leave the Bandit camp and find the town.

I hope you enjoy the game second time around. It is a complex scenario if you're new to RPGs, but it is a really good game to play.
Okay, so here is how you keep track of all the quests you pick up:

Press L on your keyboard to access your Journal.

Your Journal is divided into 2 sections. On the Left is an Overview of every quest you encounter, on the Right are the Maps that you find/steal, get given or buy.

The Overview section is divided into 4 tabs; Current and Completed quests, plus the Traders and Trainers you find as you progress through the game.

Each tab is organised using the following sections: World; Harbour Town; Volcano Keep; Bandit Camp; All

If you go to Current and open Bandit Camp you will find a list of all the quests you currently have in the Bandit Camp. You can get further details concerning the quest if you select the quest itself. Dialogue concerning the quest then appears below.

The Map side of your Journal just has 3 tabs and these are self explanatory.


Its worth noting that you can access Risen's key settings by pressing Esc, selecting Settings then Input. Here you can also change the key settings of the game to suit yourself. For instance, most would find it more logical if your Journal was accessed using the J key!

I hope this is helpful.
It it possible to play as a pure mage or using mage as a utility/supporting tool more viable? I'm asking because I prefer to use magic all the time if's possible, otherwise hybrid is fine which brings me to my next question; I don't usually like playing melee warriors so could I play as a mage/archer type? If so, which faction is a good choice?

I'm using the v1.3 unofficial update.
Post edited April 06, 2014 by Nirth
I'm having a great time with Risen so far. It reminds me a lot of Gothic 1, but with better graphics and improved combat (it doesn't have that annoying command lag built in to Gothic's combat system). For someone familiar with the Gothic games, it's easy to jump right in. Also, you can cook multiple amounts of raw meat at one time - superb! Why are simple tasks fun in these games? I have no idea, but they are.

I haven't joined a faction yet, but I'm planning on becoming a mage...eventually.

I'm also using the unofficial patch 1.3, FWIW.
Post edited April 06, 2014 by UniversalWolf
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Nirth: It it possible to play as a pure mage or using mage as a utility/supporting tool more viable? I'm asking because I prefer to use magic all the time if's possible, otherwise hybrid is fine which brings me to my next question; I don't usually like playing melee warriors so could I play as a mage/archer type? If so, which faction is a good choice?

I'm using the v1.3 unofficial update.
At the beginning of the game you will need to rely upon your blade until you can find someone and the money to train you in archery. As you explore you'll find trainers which will be noted in your Journal (L)

With Risen, it takes time before you're in a position to train as a mage - it's not an option that is available immediately. But, you can purchase spell scrolls and cast them, so there is a certain amount of casting that can be done as you explore the island and town early on.

To train as a mage you need to be accepted into the Monastery. If you press C to access your Character Stats, you will see there are 2 forms of magic: Crystal and Rune.

Crystal magic allows you to cast magic Bullet, Fireball and Frost. At their strongest these are devastating spells, but different opponents come with different strengths and weaknesses, so if you train solely in Fireball it will be quite ineffective against opponents who are resistant to fire.

Rune magic allows you to create scrolls and again, these can be powerful. They also allow you to expand the range of magic at your disposal. The Seal option is the basic requirement for the use of magic runes without using scrolls i.e. you cast the spell directly rather than creating a scroll to cast if from.

Most of the trainees at and for the Monastery are shown using pole weapons, but I've played the game as a sword wielding Battle Mage which has been an effective mix. However, a mixture of Archer & Mage is possible, but will take time to develop. Playing the game as a pure Mage at the start is - imo - impossible. I would argue that Risen encourages a hybrid character build. Still, if we view the game as containing beginning, middle and end sections, a pure Mage should be effective mid game and for much of the last section.

The best route to get into the Monastery is via Harbour Town, but I'd suggest some exploration first (both outside and in the town) so that you can gain experience by doing quests for other factions before joining up - it's possible to milk this game for experience points at the start and it's worth doing.

p.s. There is a place where you can find a bow and some arrows early in the game. If you wish to use archery from pretty much the start, explore the land close to where you meet Jan.
Post edited May 04, 2014 by Polly77
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Polly77: Most of the trainees at and for the Monastery are shown using pole weapons, but I've played the game as a sword wielding Battle Mage which has been an effective mix. However, a mixture of Archer & Mage is possible, but will take time to develop. Playing the game as a pure Mage at the start is - imo - impossible. I would argue that Risen encourages a hybrid character build. Still, if we view the game as containing beginning, middle and end sections, a pure Mage should be effective mid game and for much of the last section.
That's good info. Since I'm playing the game for the first time, milking experience is not what I'm going for, but it's interesting to know it can be done.

One question I have...how about a Mage/Thief hybrid? My character seems to be naturally developing along that route, but I wonder whether I should spend points on lockpicking when I will presumably have access to a lockbusting spell sooner or later.

I haven't trained any ranged weapons for the same reason; because I assume my spells will eventually give me a potent ranged attack.

BTW, I'm really enjoying the game so far. It makes me want to play Gothic 1 and 2 again.
My advice would be to avoid a Mage/Archer hybrid. It would be a waste of precious learning points: you'd essentially be duplicating your skills by acquiring two separate methods of attacking enemies at a distance (Magic bolts and arrows).If a fast-moving enemy closes to attack range before you can kill it at range, you'll be in trouble if you don't have a melee skill.

Getting to rank 10 in Fireball (or one of the other mage skills) is going to cost 100 Learning Points, or ten levels. Weaker creatures can be killed with one fireball, but stronger ones will often need two or three, or six or seven in the case of really tough ones. I imagine it'll be the same with missile weapons; I've not played an archer. My mage character had about four or five ranks in Sword skill, which was enough to deal with the creatures that got too close, or if I was out of mana.

Carry a crossbow with you even if you aren't an archer, because it can be used to trigger distant switches in tombs.

Mages have access to lots of useful utility spells - yes, including lockpicking, and also levitation. Once you've unlocked the skill you can cast these at will, as long as you have mana. Other character types have to use scrolls instead, which you buy or - if you join the Order - you can learn the skill to make your own.

The only reason to choose lockpicking if you're planning to become a mage-type is if you can't wait until the middle of Chapter Two which is when you get access to magic. Otherwise, just remember where the locked chests are and come back once you have the spell. As a compromise, a single level of the lockpicking skill will allow you to open the majority of treasure chests.

Pickpocketing might be useful, though I didn't really bother. There is one quest where you can pickpocket a key from someone if you have the skill instead of having to fight or bribe him.

The hunting skills can be useful to earn some extra money early in the game by getting trophies from the animals you kill - it can make a big difference early on when cash is short, but matters less in the late game when you'll have thousands of gold pieces.
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Summit: Here's a best guide for Risen ever created:
http://www.rpgwatch.com/forums/showthread.php?t=10261
Invaluable for beginners as well as completionists. You can easily avoid spoilers and concentrate on gameplay tips, maps for plants locations and that sort of thing.
Have fun! It's a wonderful game.
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Macos10: Hey, many thanks for the link, just downloaded it :)
You're welcome. Credit goes to guy who wrote it. He did a tremendous amount of work.

I've yet to play a mage. I did however play melee bandit and archer. Out of two archer is by far superior. If you pick up all stat boosting plants you'll be able to max your dexterity, archery and have decent melee to be able to defend yourself when things go south. There are so many ways to increase your dexterity and strength without spending points on it. Sufice it to say if you want your dex to be maxed (200 points) you only need to spend 49 learning points on it. Game really rewards you for exploration.
If you need any tips ask away. I know where everything is on this island including free dex and strength potions.
Post edited April 08, 2014 by Summit