Playing CSB for the first time-Will need advice

[Jan]

Excellent progress, Lord Soth!

If you're in the open area with pits, don't forget to read the Hint about this Maze. It tells you at least two important things: where is the only item you really need from this maze (

Spoiler

a key

) and where is the exit from this maze (surprisingly,

Spoiler

through one fake wall

).

And if you're really desparate, do this: from the entrance to the maze (stairs from the Scorpion level)

Spoiler

only follow your left hand (by tapping on walls). Avoid one pit, kill two dragons and after 10 squares or so you'll get to the important-looking-key you need

.

If fighting with the dragons causes you loose direction, always put something on the floor before you start a fight and then come back to it and regain your sense of direction. Always follow the outer walls of the maze, never dare inside - as Paul said, there's a nasty turning teleporter that can cause you a lot of troubles. Having a compass in your hand is extremely useful. Mapping, IMHO, is not that useful here because you can't see a bloody thing anyway.

[Ameena]

Ahh, you found the Dragon Maze . Didn't I say you'd find a new food source in Ros? These Dragons are piss-easy to kill, though - one Mon-Fireball should sort 'em out (if not, a second one will certainly do the trick ). I find it's easier jut to run around, keep moving so they can't hit you - sooner or later you'll emerge in front of one and then you can nuke the bugger. I can't remember how many there are but I suppose you'll know you've killed 'em all when you stop hering Dragon-growl noises from behind you, lol.
Just make sure you have a good explore of the area before you move on - in particular, looking at

Spoiler

the floor

in the

Spoiler

area you emerged into, with all the false walls (rather than the open section with the pits)

. Jan has already hinted at this in the post above this one .

[lord soth 75]

Thanks for the tips guys.

I haven't had enough spare time to play the game tonight,but im hoping to get back to the adventure tomorrow evening.

*Im thinking of filming my adventures through this dungeon's second part,and uploading my progress onto my Youtube channel (with commentary as i play)

[Trantor]

These Dragons are piss-easy to kill, though - one Mon-Fireball should sort 'em out (if not, a second one will certainly do the trick ).

Not quite. It should be somewhere between 4 and 6 fireballs.

I can't remember how many there are...

I do. In this room, there are

Spoiler

7 dragons total.

[Jan]

(with commentary as i play)

I guess the language you will use in the later stages of CSB might be too strong even for the apathetic and liberal YouTube community.

[lord soth 75]

Emerald Key found!!!,Dragon Plate Armour & Preparation for Dain.

Adventure Log#7

I haven't progressed much tonight on CSB.
Thankfully....I located the Emerald Key in the dragons maze,and then found my way back to the scorpion area.
I headed back to the Junction of ways,and then spent a few hours wandering around the levels i have already cleared looking for anything that i may have missed.
I found a piece of 'Dragon Plate' armour (hidden behind an invisible wall in the Ant men room on KU.And i used a lock pick to open the door in the secret area in the dragons lair on KU.
Headed back to the Worm regenerating tunnel and trained my characters for awhile. (I got enough worm rounds to feed an army)

Saved my game facing the junction of the ways,where 'Dain' is my next level to tackle.


*After a very frustrating start,i am actually beginning to enjoy this game more than DM.

[Paul Stevens]

After a very frustrating start

Good Grief! Compared to my first feeble attempts to
play this game, you are flying. You have survived
some of the hardest parts. Impressive.

[Trantor]

Very good! You have indeed achieved much, and are doing much better than most of us here on their first attempts. Good luck on Dain!

[Jan]

As others said, you've made a fascinating progress!

enjoy this game more than DM.

Welcome to the club!

'Dain' is my next level to tackle.

Dain, IMHO, is the hardest of the ways. A lot of tough fights plus some very head-scratching puzzles. I'd give yout two advices:

1. There are some

Spoiler

disorientating invisible teleporters. Watch your surroundings carefully; if the area looks almost but not exactly the same, consult the Hint Oracle

.

2. If I were you I'd

Spoiler

first return to the Supplies for the Quick to get the Vorpal Blade if you haven't done so before

.

[Ameena]

Wheee - as the others have said, it sounds like you're doing well . I think most of us are probably agreed that Dain is the hardest of the four Ways (as Jan says). It's got plenty of tricky bits in it. I would advise staying on your guard at all times (you know, more so than you surely are already ), seeing how Dain is the path of the Wizard, and all .

[Trantor]

Another vote here for Dain as the hardest way. But seeing your progress so far, I have no doubts you will conquer it as well. But I'm curious what will happen then...

[lord soth 75]

Great Balls Of Fire!!!

Adventure Log#8

Path Of DAIN

Really struggled tonight on this opening section to Dain.
Big area with blue mist fields that had fireballs bouncing from one side to the other.
Discovered a switch in the wall and assumed that it would switch off the fireballs,but to no avail.
Was then attacked by 2 new creature types.Firstly,green slimy monsters that lobbed poison at me,and then an invisible ethereal creature type (Similar to a spell vine..without the fireballs)

Managed to get past the first 2 sets of fireballs,but the third section had me questioning whether it was even possible.
I must have died about 20 times trying to reach the safety of the alcove.
Got it eventually..i cast the fire shield magik and just ran through (The fireballs still managed to practically kill my entire party despite the fireshields)
Healed up,and rested in the alcove..and was woken from sleep by an attack from those ethereal creatures WTF??
Sent the critters back to hell itself with top level harm non material being spells.

Got my first Vorpal blade from the alcove,along with yet another Onyx key.
Dont really know where to go next.It looks like i got to go back through the fireballs,and see if the door outside this area has opened.

-Inventory Notes-
*I now have 4 'Key Of B' in my inventory.Do i need to keep these keys? As i haven't found any doors to use them.
*I also have a 'Topaz' Key.Once again...i haven't a clue where to use it. Anyone help??

[Trantor]

Congratulations! You have found the most evil section of the four paths! And it only gets worse...
About the fireballs and the switch: The switch creates more Slime Devils. You are supposed to let them "catch" the fireballs for you so you don't have to take them to the head.
There are two ways to go on:
1. Keep exploring the surroundings of the alcove with the Vorpal Blade very carefully.
2. Alternatively, try to open the portcullis in this room.

About the keys: The Keys of B can be used near the end of the game, but are not necessary. Jan seems to be very fond of them, I actually never used them.
I don't recall what the Topaz Key is for, but it is definitely not necessary to finish the game.

[Ameena]

Oh yay, the Epic-Fireballs-of-Death room . Still, the Vorpal Blade is useful, especially if you didn't already manage to pick one up elsewhere yet. There is one available at

Spoiler

Supplies for the Quick

, if you wanted to know - it may be

Spoiler

through a false wall

, though I can't remember for sure.
I can't remember too much about that particular room of Dain, off the top of my head. I just know it's a bugger, is all . Mind you, it has that in common with most of the rest of Dain too, so that's nothing special .
Keep looking around and exploring. I seem to recall there's a wooden door somewhere nearby that you can blast through, though that might be if you come at the room from another direction. I don't tend to hang around too long in that section, you see .

[Jan]

Not only that you're very good in playing CSB, Lord Soth, but you're also very lucky, and now in Dain it's not the first time you've been lucky during your adventure. You've been lucky at the Junction of the Ways because what you described as

opening section to Dain

is actually

Spoiler

close to its end

. You've managed to avoid several very very nasty places. Although, of course, the worst is still ahead.

I now have 4 'Key Of B' in my inventory.Do i need to keep these keys?

Well, you don't HAVE TO, but they could be very useful at the end of your adventure and save you from a lot of troubles.

I also have a 'Topaz' Key.Once again...i haven't a clue where to use it. Anyone help??

Ditto. Generally, don't throw away any key except surplus Iron keys.

Dont really know where to go next.It looks like i got to go back through the fireballs,and see if the door outside this area has opened.

If you look carefully around you'll find that something has changed in the room and now there are actually three possible exits from the room - all go to the east (right if you stand in the alcove and look into the room). Consult the Hint Oracle for locked doors. In other cases, don't let a closed door stop you.

[lord soth 75]

Pits.Invisible Pits.And Flying Snakes

Adventure Log#9

RE-'The Hint Oracle'
How do i access the hints from the oracle as i am playing? As it is right now,the only time i can read hints from the Oracle is after i have died.

Path Of DAIN
Still in Dain tonight,from the Fireballs trap room i used the Onyx key on the portcullis and proceeded onwards into a room with water fountain.
Ran into one of the poisonous flying snakes (Same species as on level 5 of DM).Destroyed the critter with fireballs and was rewarded with an orange gemstone.
Found a couple of false walls,and eventually discovered one of my biggest fears in these games....A big room...with pits everywhere.
Noticed there was 2 green buttons in the area ahead,but i fell down damn invisible pits when i tried to head over there.
Found an area with a scroll,and 3 tiny switches in the wall.Pressed the west button (Which i assumed,had closed the invisible pits near to the green buttons) How naive of me, lol.
Decided to explore this room more,and was attacked by more of those flying snake creatures (Used the Brandish option on the Cross Of Neta to scare them off)
Noticed a key in an alcove,but there is a pit in front of the alcove.Then noticed a locked door.
The green buttons in the wall obviously must close the pit in front of the elusive key.The flying snakes continued to attack.

I'v managed to create a small map of this room,so that i dont keep falling into those damn invisible pits.
There is a pressure plate that makes switch noise when i stand on it,but as of yet..im not sure what area has opened as a result of standing on this pressure plate.
Very frustrating room...particularly because of those snake things.

Not much progress tonight im afraid.There is obviously a way of closing the pits in front of the green buttons..and im fairly sure that the green buttons will close the pit in front of the area where the key is.I just haven't figured this room out yet

[Ameena]

Isn't the Topaz key used to acces

Spoiler

the room with the "vending machine"

, or is that the

Spoiler

Turquoise key, or even some other key

?

[Trantor]

@Ameena: That's the

Spoiler

Sapphire Key, which is found upstairs in the DDD behind some black flames

.

[Jan]

Not much progress tonight im afraid.There is obviously a way of closing the pits in front of the green buttons..and im fairly sure that the green buttons will close the pit in front of the area where the key is.I just haven't figured this room out yet

Welcome to one of the most complicated and difficult places in the

Spoiler

lower part of

CSB. Your progress is very good. You're right that you need to get to these two green buttons and using them close the pit in front of the key you want. To do so, you first have to "solve" the alcove with three buttons. From what you write I guess you "solved" it, i.e. you pushed the

Spoiler

Western

button. What you have to do now is to

Spoiler

throw something on a pressure plate to the west that was revealed / exposed by pushing this button (I think this is the pressure plate you mentioned in your post).

. This should open your way to the two green buttons. Note that some

Spoiler

fake walls can be involved, so basically try going to the south and west from the three buttons alcove, tapping on walls and revealing fake ones

.

Re Topaz key: as I said in my previous post, this is one of the keys that might be used in the

Spoiler

final stages

of the game.

Re Hint Oracle: I don't know how exactly does it work in RTC but it should work only on a saved game (it reads the save file). So perhaps if you save your game, try running another RTC and read the save with the Oracle. Dunno. I hope you won't screw thing up or damage your savegame. Normally you should save your game, quit it and run the Hint Oracle separately.

[Gambit37]

Hint Oracle doesn't work in the game, you can only access it from the "front door" menu. It may seem silly, but this is sort of how it worked on the original Atari/Amiga versions. It's due to the limitation of floppy-disk based computers and the fact that the game itself took all available memory. So you had to quit the game, and reboot with the Hint Oracle disk which was a stand-alone program. This would then read your save game and offer hints.

[Jan]

Yeah. That's also why playing CSB for the first time and discovering things used to be so painfully slow.

[Ameena]

Wow, looks like we simul-posted last night, Soth, and somehow I didn't notice so I missed your latest progress update. Ah well, I've seen it now, obviously . Yay fo the room of the Flying Snakes. That room is a bit annoying, but at least the Snakes are dealt with fairly easily with a few top-level Fireballs (since by that stage of the game, especially if you're doing Dain last, you can have everyone lob off a couple each and usually still have plenty of mana to spare, unless you took someone with crappy mana and failed to train them up in either of the two caster classes). And in RTC, you can at least hear them coming . At least there are no Thieves in this area (that I can remember) to make life even more annoying for you, eh?
I think any advice that could be given about this area already has been by those posting above me - I couldn't remember anything about it anyway, lol. I can remember some stuff about the part you're probably gonna get to next (

Spoiler

"Bridge"

), but that's about all, except one other area of Dain that you haven't been to so far (

Spoiler

the Cistern

). But hey, at least you don't have a million Beholders or Spell Vines shooting at you like you did in DM, right? I actually downloaded CSBWin the other day, since someone I know is gonna be playing DM and I thought maybe it would be better for him to play that version so he doesn't get bogged down in overpowered spellcasters. I had a little mess around myself only to find that Hissssa's casting capabilities are much worse than in RTC (he doesn't have enough mana for "Ful", though he can manage "Ya" after his mana has topped up from casting "Lo", lol), and I'm guessing Wuuf's are too 'cause I'm sure I normally had him able to cast more than a couple of crappy light spells...plus I seem to get a lot more fails as well. Already I'm seeing the differences between CSBWin and RTC! And then Wuuf got one-shotted by a Mummy while I was in that little dead-end trying to loot flasks and stuff, so I just quit 'cause I was only messing around anyway. But I'll probably have a proper go at it at some point, to see how the casters compare. I know this is the Atari version, which I played so many years ago, but that's probably the problem - it was so many years ago I've forgotten how hard it was, and so I've got used to RTC which, it turns out (other than insta-death-by-practically-any-spell), is apparently much easier! Omg I'm dreading CSB, lol.
Sorry, I'm sort of derailing the thread now, aren't I...oops, sorry, carry on .

[Darklord]

Sorry, I'm sort of derailing the thread now, aren't I...oops, sorry, carry on .

No no, all very interesting.

Daniel.

[Jan]

But I'll probably have a proper go at it at some point

Funnily enough, Lord Soth's DM and CSB adventures somehow made me to replay both games again too. I runned fast through DM with reincarnated Leyla (constant problems with low stamina) last week and then took her to CSB for a proper "long-run". I started with KU and I'm currently standing at the entrance to the Vexirks' Lair. Unfortunately I have so little time to play 'cause I'm so bloody busy at work with finishing three large grant applications at one time besides other work.

Omg I'm dreading CSB, lol.

[lord soth 75]

Problem Solved!!/Winged Key/Ruby Key Located

Adventure Log#10

Path of DAIN
Done it!!! Thanks to Jan for the hints about this damn pits and snakes room.
The problem was so obvious,that i over looked it.

Placed an item onto the pressure plate,and made my way back around to the green buttons and the pit was closed.
Got the Winged key from the alcove,and used it to open the locked door.

Battled against more flying snakes in a new area that also had a treasure chest.Inside this chest was the Ruby key!!
One of the flying snakes dropped a RA key (I dont recall seeing any RA doors in this game yet)
Battled against more ethereal creatures in a long corridor and found myself back in the area at the start of Dain (Prior to the fireballs room)

Looks like iv done everything there is to do here.
I have the 4 keys from each path,and now i have to find this Demon Diabolical place..The only problem is,I haven't got any idea where this area actually is.

Halk's lightning Bolt sword has no charges left.Iv used this as his weapon since i started this game.Does the sword still do as much damage now that it isn't magic anymore? and which weapon should i have him to use from now on?

[Paul Stevens]

i have to find this Demon Diabolical

The DDD can be reached at the end of any of the four lower paths.
All four paths converge on the DDD.

[lord soth 75]

The DDD can be reached at the end of any of the four lower paths.
All four paths converge on the DDD.

So,i basically now have to go back into each 'way' and locate its DDD?
Thanks for the info Paul

[beowuuf]

The DDD is one place you can get to from all four ways. However, you need to figure out how to traverse it in order to use the way's key, and then get on to the second part of your path. The KU 'fighter' way has a very obvious clue written in the DDD that might be harder to follow, though!

[Ameena]

Yeah, as Wuffy says, basically "Part One" of each Way starts at the Junction, and ends at the DDD. then "Part Two" starts at the DDD and ends at one side of the Corbum Pillar .

[Fermen]

Finished CSB about half year ago. Veeery challenging game. I didn't realise until I read the guide how it was built up... with the corbums and the DDD and all that x) So it was pretty confusing then. One thing to have in mind is that (at least when I played it) there is not as much lack of food and water as in the original DM, where I had real troubles with that. In other words, you don't need to hoard like a freak What I had most problems with was to face enemies who were waaaay stronger than my champs.