Kingdom of Loathing

[Ameena]

Anyone playing this, at all? Just curious...I started playing it recently and I seem to recall it was mentioned on here a while back (though getting no luck trying a forum search for it ). I just wondered what the chances are of any DM forum people already playing it and being in a clan, since I'm vaguely interested in joining one but I don't really fancy joining a clan of complete strangers.

[Tom Hatfield]

I'd never even heard of it until now. It sounds very interesting, kind of like LORD in the turn aspect, and I like how the administrators are very involved in the community. Maybe I'll check it out someday.

[Ameena]

Yeah it's cool and funny...kingdomofloathing.com if you're interested. It doesn't take long to start up an account so you could always make a char and just mess around for a few mins, then not bother logging in again if you don't like it .

[Tom Hatfield]

I've been playing for a couple days. I've got a level three pastamancer, or whatever it's called. At this rate of ascension, I don't know how long I'll keep playing. The first couple levels came easy, but now it seems I'm never going to get another level. The first quest I received from the council was quite spectacularly impossible for my character level. It's easy enough to play that there isn't really a turn-off, sort of like checking your e-mail every day: it's just something you do. I like the inside humor.

[Ameena]

Yeah it's good like that. And yeah, the Council quests are generally a bit advanced for the level you get 'em, but there are plenty of other quests you can do in the meantime (check out places in the town and also locations on the map). The various areas generally contain mobs of a certain level range, so if you're finding exp is coming a bit slowly, maybe you should try looking around to see if you can open up any new zones. There's a cool place called the Hidden Temple which has little or no combat, but loads of stat increases. But I won't tell you how to open that one (if you haven't already) .
Btw, eating food and drinking booze gives you more Adventures, so when you've used up your daily allowance of adventures (80 on the first day and 40 every day after that, though they accumulate up to a max of 200 if you don't play for a while), you can stuff yourself and drink yourself silly so you have a bunch of extra adventures for the next day - you won't be able to use them straight away if you got 'em by drinking booze 'cause you'll be too pissed .

[Tom Hatfield]

Yeah, I've been concentrating on keeping a good supply of food and booze so I can max my turns. I actually am getting into the game, especially since it's so easy to play. Thanks for keying me into it. :D

[Ameena]

Hehe np . It's cool ain't it .

[Tom Hatfield]

I told all my friends about it and one of them started playing, so I sent him a mugcake and some cash. I expect the others to join shortly. It's like a virus. I can't wait until I can afford better food for more turns (and more stats). Some of these areas are really kicking my ass, and there's no way to know how powerful they are until you risk it. I did drink myself stupid for the first time today.

[Ameena]

Lol...I haven't bought any food or booze yet - I've had it all drop off various monsters and stuff. I seem to recall hunting in the Spooky Forest for a bit, early on...and somewhere in the Big Mountains too, I think (places you get sent by Toot Oriole). Apparently there's some kind of Orcish pub place later on (I haven't revealed it yet at level 9 but my dad's 11 and he has) where you can get tons of booze. I had tons already so there must be LOADS to get there .

[Tom Hatfield]

I've found only two annoying aspects to the game: it's HTML, so it's not very responsive even over a good connection; and the limited number of turns puts a restraint on how much of the game you actually get to explore, which restrains enjoyment and appreciation of the game itself. There's a ton of stuff to see and do, but you only get a minuscule taste of it each day.

This is counter-intuitive to anything I've ever seen, and I don't entirely understand why there's a turn limit other than to keep the server load down. LORD had this restraint because BBS's generally only allowed one or two people online at a time, so timesharing was critical; the technical limit for web servers is much, much higher. Perhaps it's a form of forced discipline; perhaps it's a matter of cost. Either way, I'm disappointed that I can't spend more time in the Kingdom of Loathing. Still, the turn limit does add strategy and character to the game . . . as if it didn't already have enough character.

I discovered the hidden temple, but I don't know where to get a shovel. I've refrained from asking for help in the chat room because I want to discover everything on my own.

[beowuuf]

Just messing around with it now - pretty cute game

[beowuuf]

Well, end of day one and I have no food/booze, three points of drunkenness, barely any meat left, a map I need an item to use that I haven't found yet, and a load of junk. And no familiar cause I spent the meat on somethign else. But on the plus side I have a level 4 disco bandit with MMM of 13/17(15)/16 , which doens't seem too shabby.

I'm not sure if I've played stupidly or well really! All I do know is that there must be tons to see and do (most hidden) once you get into the swing of it, BUT sometimes the repetition of the combat stuff gets in the way of the cool multi-path finds.

Anywya, I might go back to it tomorrow, I'll see

[Ameena]

Yeah, there is certainly a ton of stuff to do - as well as the Council quests, you get quests from your guild in town (which guild depends on class - mine is the Shadowy Guild of Arts and Crafts, found on the Wrong Side of the Tracks), and from various other NPCs either in town or in other map locations. There's still a load of places on the map I've not been to yet but I'm still unlocking more and have plenty to keep me occupied for now. The adventure limit is only annoying for me when I have time spare to play it - less so during the week as I only tend to log in for half an hour or so before I go to work, and therefore don't always use up however many adventures I have (usually around 80 or so as I've pigged/drunk myself silly the previous day before logging).
It's fun and funny though ain't it . Maybe we could make ourselves a clan, if you chaps intend on staying. I think anyone can make a clan so if you're interested maybe I'll look into doing so...

[Tom Hatfield]

I believe you need to be level 9, or maybe 11. Sounds fine by me. We could be the "Dungeon Masters." I haven't seen any DM plugs yet, but I'll bet there are a couple in the dungeons.

[Ameena]

I was having a look through some clan names the other day and there's already one called "Dungeon Masters" (consisting of only one member), unfortunately...maybe we could call ourselves the Chaos Strikers or something .

[Tom Hatfield]

"Chaos Disciples." Sounds like a gang name.

Is it just me, or are the combat rewards not really balanced at all? I can fight something that goes down in one hit with my weakest spell, and then I can fight something else that takes two hits from my buffest spell, and the stat gain is maybe 50 percent more. It's gets really, really hard to improve after a while, and it seems like I'm wasting 40 turns for very little gain. That, and when I explore new areas, I invariably get killed instantly by the first thing that attacks, and I have to waste another three turns resting. That happened twice right at the start of today. Grumble.

[beowuuf]

I think you probably do more sneaky stuff than combats to gain points

Hopefully not spoiling anything, but I found the lost temple particularly (infact, maybe insanely) rewarding

Similarly, I found more reward in eating stuff too than some of the combat bonuses

I might not be as far on, but so far unless called on to kill things or I need quick money, I dont' rely on that for gaining anything - it seems quests and new areas provide much better item rewards that combatl

Sadly, I went and shot, myself in the foot this mornign, and didn't notice a sta boosting cocktail was quite so intoxicating. I've actually lost a level trying to do anythign while drunk

While the adventure points might seem annoying, it also definitely stops you just blindly doing somehtign for hoursd and hours to munchkin, The actual physical time stop or realing you have to wait a day for drunkenness to wear off, or to go adventuring again, is quite a novel and interesting feature I don't hate yet. Although I can see if you have a few dead end adventures you might wish to do more than you are allowed in a day!

What I find annoying is having to wade through quite so many random (same) monster encoutners to get to the cool 'choose your path' type encounters - that, of cours,e you choose one path of and loose the encounter.

I guess it balances out your adventure points to do it that way, but...sometimes it is just button clicking!

[Tom Hatfield]

I forgot to ask for your names. Mine is Heresiarch.

I get a lot of stats from food, booze, and potions, don't get me wrong, but it seems like combat should be more rewarding if it takes that much effort. The weakling fights I wouldn't expect to offer much benefit, but when something can kill you in two or three hits and you barely scrape by, you should get more than "+1 strongliness, +2 mysteriousness", you know?

Unfortunately, it seems like all my quests involve killing things to get other things, and I don't get very many of those "choose your path" adventures. (I've had maybe a half-dozen since I started, and one of them defaulted out.) Once you get the barrel full of barrels, I find smashing all the barrels each day grants supreme rewards — though probably not as much as the temple, by the sound of it — provided you can survive the mimics.

Oh, and I did find the door to the alternate dimension today, but I was too drunk to go through it. Hey, it's a holiday! You're supposed to get plastered. (I sent my friend a bottle of whiskey to celebrate.)

I'm still having money problems, even with selling all my excess stuff. I spend what I've got left on food because I can't use any decent equipment, but I've barely had more than 1500 meat at the end of day.

Tomorrow I'll have 80 turns ready, and I expect to make some progress! let me know if you make that clan. I was wrong: you only need to be level 7.

[beowuuf]

Heh, beowuuf for my main character, but wanted to check out stuff so created neowuuf the pastomancer for today.

I just noticed the hermit has some five leafed clovers, I reckon for today only for the stinky pete day or whatever - might be worth getting one!

ah, I'm at the barrel full of barrels (and there's a tavern with the darkness too) but obviosuly too drunk today to explore that one yet!

And lol, darn, I have the continuum thingie equiped but not foudn the door yet

Hmm, see if I can hit level seven tomorrow or not - if so, I'll yell!

Yeah, I have no money either - ah wlel, it's all fun

[Ameena]

It's not money, it's meat . And they're ten-leaf clovers .
The door thingy you can see when you have the continuum transfunctioner equipped is called (I think) the Inexplicable Doorway.
I'll maybe look into making a clan tonight and PM you in-game about it or something, now I know your char names .

[Ameena]

Anyone got any suggestions for a clan name btw? I kinda like "Chaos Strikers", but if someone comes up with something better then I'll change . Something related to DM but in a humourous/punny kind of way would probably be good, since KoL is a humourous kind of game ain't it .

[beowuuf]

Lol, if Sophia woulnd't sue Dungeon Strikes Back is a name that just grows on you for coolness

And lol, clan away all you like tonight, sounds like Tom and I are too drunk to adventure

I managed to sudden;y realise how mind blowingly stupid I was being with the dr ghost guy quest, and am now stuck because I can't go searching for a blad-y asparagus-y item!

I even got my secondary pastomancer too druink to play anymore opushign the amount of adventures I could do. Got through the whole barrel of barrels with her though!

[Ameena]

Oh btw, I dunno if I've mentioned it but when you join a clan you can get extra adventures and meat and stuff...I think you may need to have specific items in your clan place though, I dunno...but anyway, I'm going to bed for now so maybe I'll make the clan tomorrow morning before I go to work .

[beowuuf]

I'll be sober by then, I am sure!

[Tom Hatfield]

How about the "Screamer Slicers"? Yes, make a guild! I'm ready to join. I'll get my friend Eric to join, too. He's playing a seal clubber named World Krusha.

I can't remember where the damned hermit is, or I'd buy some clovers. Those things are unbelievably useful for unlocking new stuff.

Haven't even seen the ghost guy quest yet.

Well, 15 minutes until maintenance begins. Rats, this game has become addictive! I had considered prototyping my own RPG using this kind of format, and now this has pretty much sealed the deal. Or clubbed the seal. Or something.

[beowuuf]

hermit was in the mountains, you need a pass to see his area and soemthign useless

My pastomancer got a lepricaun asa familiar! PIty it's against the rules to have secondaries to build up primaries...that mighr have been a one off thing, I don't know!

Spooky forest for the ghost I believe...and the clues are just so obvious but I was just thinging 'oh, funny' and then ewnt on looking for a logical unconnected item

[Ameena]

The Hermit can be found in the Hermitage, which is in the Big Mountains. However, the Hermitage is only available if you have a Hermit Permit on you (bought from the Demon Market in Market Square...tent at bottom of screen). When you visit the Hermit, make sure you have at least one Worthless Trinket on you with which to trade for stuff - buy a chewing-gumn-on-a-string from the market (same place as the hermit permit) and visit the sewers which will nab you a random item - keep trying till you get a worthless trinket (you can also get worthless nik-naks and worthless dewdaws...whatever they are...but I don't know if they'll work for the hermit).
And I was thinking earlier "What about a clan name with a DM mob in it", and "Screamers" was one I considered. Well, I'll have a think about it when I'm done checking the forums and see what I end up with.

[Ameena]

It's done - we are the Screamer-Slicer-Chaos-Strikers ('cause I couldn't decide on anything better ) and I've Whitelisted you both so you should both be automatically allowed to join when you apply - there doesn't seem to be a feature to just allow a direct invite so you'll probably have to actually look up the clan in the Clan District in town. When you're whatever level you need to be, that is.
I'm just gonna have a mooch through the available clan stuff now but it looks like members can donate meat to the clan meat coffer so the leader (ie me) can buy stuff for the whole clan which can buff you and get you extra adventures and stuff .


Edit - Given myself a title and rank now too . I'm off to work now but whenever you guys join the clan (dunno what level you need to be) I can give you titles and privileges and stuff if you want. Not that we have any other members but, you know, you can just get that feeling of having smug superiority over no-one else .

[Tom Hatfield]

I was planning to donate a bunch of money to the guild fund, but when I was done adventuring (and gaining my sixth level), I decided to pop off for a few at the tavern, and the first thing I know, I lost a bunch of money and my level. So, I had to waste the rest of my time and money getting my level back. No more tavern for me.

[beowuuf]

Hmm, I think I still need a few things - only at lunch have I managed to get into the mis-spelled graveyard and start earning anything like serious meat! I'm starting to find monsters tough

I wonder if there is actually anything in the hidden temple, or if I am just gaining abilities for no reason!

Also, I am scared how long it took me to find the grave in the mis-spelt graveyard, realise i needed an item, then keep goign to find someone with that ite,, who doens't auto-drop it, so spent all my adventures basically waiting for one of the random encounters (and it took forever) to drop the item, then wait again to get the grave again

Do they get this hard, because I almost thought I was doing it wrong and was goign to look for alternative means!

Still, i actually like how as the fights get worse you get more meat not more points - so you still level up better by doing cool non-combatty stuff, just you get access to items and equipment more through combat

And lol, did you auto=-lose pointsi nthe tavern then? I've cleaned it out but not gone back. Yesterday was a bad day, I stupidly kept tryign to see what I could do and lost a level and many points before I stopped.

Then I carried on and almost solved the ghosyt map, or course

Addictive game!