Temple of Elemental Evil (Gameplay #1)

[pigboykool]

I love this type of true D&D style tatical turn base combat games; I am a huge fans of the original D&D Gold box series. Thanks for the info of the gog.com; this is definitely a game for me to get!

[dwlnk]

Short as hell, and filled with bugs. But this game sure had some potential.

[Demiath]

@dwlnk I'd say most of the potential has been realized by now. The massive unofficial Circle of Eight patches may not have extended the actual length of the game by *that* much, but they sure did iron out the vast majority of bugs as well as rehaul the skill system to be more comprehensive and faithful to the D&D source material.

[tenegon]

NWN1 was ways better than nwn2

[mortenbakke]

@tenegon Well. I agree, but not quite. I mean i was younger when i played neverwinter nights 1 so when i think back I must had alot of fun, and the main campaign in NWN2 was not the best ive playedt. still i love the style of playing the castledefensive part, and be able to fortify my castle. Consider it was a upgrade from the expanisionpack HoTU where you have to get alliance to defend your castle.I do love all games with neverwinter, and I cant manage to put one or the other forward or behind

[Cha4k]

This game always felt like a proof of concept to me, rather than a full game. I wish Atari had given the developers more time (and money) to work on it.

[Danster82]

This looks more like it, just tried playing baulders gate and found the interface and combat awful.

[Demiath]

@Danster82 Baldur's Gate actually has a better, less clunky interface than Temple of Elemental Evil. That said, TOEE's strictly turn-based and faithfully D&D-based combat system is better than BG's.

[Whatever4690]

Better than NWN and baldurs gate.

[Ohmythatspainful]

Just purchased ToEE from GoG (which is fully compatible with the CIrcle of Eight Mod pack!), applied the mod, and now I'm playing one of the best most addicting turn based tac combat games I've ever played.. the music is intense and the combat I swear sometimes feels like I'm playing Jagged Alliance 2..can't explain it; it's intense! this is good stuff, disregard the negative reviews from years ago, the game is a masterpiece.

Circle of Eight that's all you need... and the game, of course.

[spiraling69]

@Ohmythatspainful I'm playing through it now using the Co8 6/0 mod pack. Wow, it's really an awsome game! It has to be the best computer adaptation of D&D. It's like playing D&D on the kitchen table, but easier. I hope someday a more modern version of this game comes out. I still prefer this style over 3D graphics...

[Blashyrkh22]

Ugh I FINALLY got my hands on a copy of this game after months of searching, but as soon as I install it, IT DOESN'T WORK ON VISTA! Grrrrrr

[Demiath]

@Blashyrkh22 I can't provide any specific technical information, but the game should work on Vista. I don't know which version you got, but the one purchased from GOG (Good Old Games) works perfectly on my machine (which is also running Vista).

[Blashyrkh22]

@Demiath Every time I run the game, it just closes immediately.

[Blashyrkh22]

@Demiath Thanks, I just purchased the GOG version a week ago since I was sick of looking for workarounds for the CD Rom version and it works perfectly. This game is amazing (once I removed the bugs through mods and patches lol)

[TheGameSquid]

@Blashyrkh22 The GOG version should work "out of the box" on Vista. I do have the original boxed version, and that one actually required me to use a crack. Seriously, it refused to run the game on a clean installation.

[Lusitanus]

this game is sooo hard

[545arthur]

is baldur's gate lol

[TimeTravelingPizza]

Just saw this for sale from GOG, so had to surf on over to YouTube to check out a gameplay video.

I admit, as soon as I saw this video and heard it was "turn-based" I fell in love! Gonna buy it now, and play it tonight. :D Thanks for uploading this! Too bad on no sound though. Hope it's worth the $6!

[Demiath]

@TimeTravelingPizza Well, if your immediate reaction to hearing that TOEE features turn-based combat is a very positive one; then chances are you'll absolutely love this game. It's one of the best out there, and worth a hell of a lot more than 6 bucks (just make sure to download the proper mods and all).

As for sound, I have several better TOEE videos with sound on my channel, including one I recorded for the GOG release yesterday.

[ScaredPiglet]

Elemental Evil Temple is a cool game. Maybe the best RPG ever made or at least comparable to Icewind Dale 1 & 2.

[ShadowLiteX9]

Lol. Just a minute in and I'm like: "Yep. This game is for me." xD

[NitroNein]

why can you only get to lvl 10 in this game?

[HardWarUK]

@Demiath Don't get me wrong. You have valid points and have a right to have a different opinion, I just like fighting my battles really tactically and thinking about them whether it's the BG system or the ToEE system. I originally came from a wargaming background (Commodore 64 Microporse SSI and SSG wargames), so I like to think. Itd why I prefer Fallout 3 and STALKER to Half Life and Crysis too.

[Demiath]

@HardWarUK Well, I like to fight my battles "really tactically" too, so there's no difference between us there. For example, in DA:O I turned off all automatic AI behaviors and paused every two-three seconds or so during each battle. That sort of works, but it would still have been a lot more convenient to just have a straight turn-based system. It's not like BG/DA:O have less tactical depth than TOEE, they just make it more of a hassle to take advantage of all that much appreciated complexity.

[HardWarUK]

@Demiath Don't even get me started on DA:O. The only good thing about it were the battles - except that the difficulty was all over the place! (Had to cheat to get past the men guarding a boss, then didn;t need a cheat to fight the boss with twice as many men!). The game had nothing to do with Baldur's Gate, despite the 'Origins' moniker, that was just marketing! Hated how linear it was, with enforced fast travel. Much more Mass Effect than BG!!!

[Demiath]

@HardWarUK I think you're exaggerating the difference somewhat, but I would certainly agree that BG is a lot better and also more tactical than DA:O (the one thing I really hated personally was the smaller party size). However, the point I was making had to do with the basic, Bioware-style combat system and not its specific implementation in DA:O.

And for the record, I love Mass Effect (2) but that's an entirely different kind of game...

[HardWarUK]

@Demiath We have had probably the longest YT conversation without insults, so I have to respect everything you say whether I agree or disagree! :)

[dwaynedibbly]

thanks for the rec. I will keep it in mind while trying to accustom myself to it. Think I'll give it a crack later today ;).

[dwaynedibbly]

i was a bit diappoitned to find out its turn based combat seeing as I'm used to baldurs gate and nwn 2 series. I'm gonna try and get used to it as I began playing and the whole feel of the game is really sweet. Lovely 2'd iso landscapes and great atmospheric music have enticed me to give it a fair go.

[Demiath]

@dwaynedibbly Trust me, if you manage to get into the turn-based system you'll never want to go back. BG and NWN (and Dragon Age, for that matter) have decent enough combat but nothing comes close a true (Western RPG-style) turn-based system in terms of presenting a balanced challenge and giving the player full tactical control over the battles...

[HardWarUK]

@dwaynedibbly Excuse me, but Baldur's Gate and NWN2 could only really be played by pausing and giving commands before/during a battle, making it practically turn based - this game is so close to that I don;t know why you make it seem they are so different. And I am someone who has 50 hours plus in each of those games!

[Demiath]

@HardWarUK Well, "practically turn-based" ain't close enough in this case. There are some great articles available explaining the principles of why real turn-based works better than BG's and DA:O's type of fake turn-based system, but suffice it to say that the erratic "stop/start" approach adds a whole new layer of rather unnecessary unpredictability which reduces the tactical element by introducing stupid timing considerations which simply don't factor in to the authentic turn-based systems.

[dwaynedibbly]

@HardWarUK I wanna get into it I really do and I agree with what you say about BG etc. it just doesn't seems as user friendly/I haven't been able to scratch the surface of it yet.

I've jumped to icewind dale for now but I haven't played that much yet either cos my chars are so weak I lack the patience I used to have and just shut it down if I die once, lol.

Learning curves yo!

[KibotVejn]

DAO's loading screens are drivng me crazy,one time it took 20 minutes to load

[Demiath]

I don't know what version of the game you're using, but without the latest patch the load times actually get worse every time you load a saved game (until you exit to the desktop and start DA:O again). This is a classic memory leak problem which was supposedly fixed in the latest version, although since I haven't played the game in a while I can't confirm that...

[GorionsWard]

ah man thank you so much for uploading this video, I remember playing this game a long time ago I didnt get very far I just had too little time, I think its time I dig it up though its unlikely I still have it :( I threw most of my old games out when I moved.....

[vaerhdf6]

This game is too much like Peggle.

[windmillcrusader]

The Co8 has made this game the longest played game in my library. The mods and upgrades would totally suprise me. the forum for Co8 provides trails i would not find if i didn't read it. Like my latest game is with a wizard/monk and a bard. just a way i don't noramlly play. It's too bad Atari didn't release a moding program.

[willypete2171]

this game bombed when it first came out because of bugs, but like you said Co8 fixed everything and made it better. I think this is the best and truest D&D computer game ever made! Graphics are nice and gameplay is awsome! The only problem now is that its a rather short and limited campaign... I would love to see this game be as long as Baldurs Gate was

[TyroneTasty]

This game is surprisingly good. I got it a few weeks ago after searching endlessly for some more great CRPGs and it's delivered ten fold. I just love the whole plot centering around there being a huge mysterious tower out there (full of loot of course) and it's your job to investigate it. What else do you need? You're adventurers dammit! It's also tough as nails, which makes it so much more satisfying than any other RPG I've played recently.

[Daemonocracy]

There was so much I loved about this game, from the art to the graphics to the exceptional turn based combat but I did not like having the majority of my exploration limited to one temple with all too similar rooms. I would have preferred a more traditional story based RPG compared to a Dungeon crawl but it was still a good game. I wish this combat system was used in modern RPGs, turnbased combat allows for so many more options in combat than real time.

[tixchicken]

man played this game when first came out it was very challenging but great game different to baldurs gate

[Silfverr]

Never heard of this game..it looks pretty good though.

[robbin08]

How would you compare this game to BG2 and tob? is it better? what's different? i saw your characters are the same as in bg2 lol. anyway, im thinking about buying this game but need some more info

[Demiath]

The major differences are that TOEE has an entirely turn-based combat system (instead of BG2's realtime-with-pause) and that BG2 is much more story-oriented while TOEE is a pure dungeon crawler with minimal plot development. Personally I think I enjoyed TOEE more than BG2.

[NobillyT]

I agree with you there, I also enjoyed TOEE more than BG2. To me, for games, gameplay>>story.

I don't think story is necessary for a game to be enjoyable. I do like it when a game with good gameplay has a good story, but I usually won't slog through poor gameplay just to get a good story. If I want a good story I'll just read a book or watch a movie.

[NobillyT]

I should add, though, that I did enjoy BG2. I can't help but feel I would've liked it better with a better combat system, however.

[matternicuss]

@NobillyT oh man, I absolutely loved BG2's(and the other IE games) combat system. It was turn based, yet real time, and it was never a chore. Yet at the same time you really had to be strategical with your characters. for me, its easily one of the most fun, yet not dumbed down combat systems ive ever experienced in an rpg

[adnihilis]

I agree with your points. I only own 2 computer games, but isn't the point of playing a game to PLAY a game, not to watch it? I got Dragon Age for the PS3, and the gameplay isn't bad, but there's not much of it. It's a shit-ton of cutscenes. Like you, I'd much rather read a book or watch a good film.

[Demiath]

Don't know how much you've played of DA:O so far, but the first 10 hours or so are much slower (with more cutscenes and boring story exposition) than the rest of the game. It took me about 65 hours to finish it, and while DA:O is far from perfect I'd say it's probably the single best RPG title (the PC version, at any rate) since Temple of Elemental Evil...

[Daemonocracy]

Dragon Age is the best RPG to be released in a long time. The story may not break new ground but in game cutscenes add a lot to the experience and really push the campaign along nicely. I love a good book, but a book does not allow you to choose how you interact with the main characters as Dragon Age does. They are different experiences, equally satisfying. There is so much gameplay in DA: O that even if you don't like the story, there is plenty of gameplay to take your mind off of it.

[Demiath]

Even though it's a great game, as far as the core gameplay is concerned DA:O does have some issues. In particular, I felt that battles too easily descended into chaos, with your party frequently overrun by zillions of orcs in ways which made it unnecessarily difficult to engage in genuinely tactical gameplay. Part of the problem is Bioware's typically schizophrenic semi-realtime structure...which is why I probably enjoyed Knights of the Chalice's turn-based combat more among last year's RPGs.

[Daemonocracy]

you're absolutely right and it is even worse on consoles. Still playable, but I felt I was being held back from full combast potential due to the real time system, and constantly freezing the gameplay manually to position myself is not really real time anyway. They should have offered a comprehensive turnbased system, like in KOTOR which was excellent or Temple of Elemental which was superb. real time combat would only work is you have more of a hack an slash set up, limiting spells/abilities

[weglarz]

Actually I felt that the story and the characters were the best part of DA:O. The battle system was fun, but flawed. The characters were phenomenal (Morrigan ftw) and the interactions between them were a lot of fun.

[Demiath]

I agree that the dialogue involving the party members (both the party banter and the individual dialogue scenes) were one of the best things about DA:O.

As for the overall storylne, however, I felt it was pretty generic and forgettable stuff which basically boiled down to "kill some orcs & dragons", and there were far too many tedious story exposition scenes explaining things about the cliched game world that I really didn't give a crap about.

[Daemonocracy]

Oh I agree completely, I didn't mean to give off the impression I didin't. I think the plot was cliche, but still exciting and epic and yes, the characters were phenomenal. Morrigan has got to be one of the best female characters I've come across in a game.

[Demiath]

I don't know about Morrigan. She seemed kind of snarky and annoying, though I didn't use her much during my one playthrough since she constantly objected to my Good actions. Whenever I get around to that Evil playthrough I shall have to give her a second chance, but she better not be such a back seat driver this time around...

[SamsButterscotch]

@Daemonocracy

Surely thou jest, my good sir. Morrigan is nothing else then a female Edwin (from BG 1&2), combined with a little bit of Viconia lust, once you get on her good side. Lets not forget about that gay rogue, whatshisname (very imaginative of you, Bioware), the pussy who goes by the name of Allistar, who wouldn't accept his responsabilities like a man (the whole game you find out bits and pieces of how he's the kings bastard, if I'm not mistaken, and at the end, when he's asked to

[SamsButterscotch]

@SamsButterscotch

accept the throne, he starts all-of-a-sudden to bitch out like you wouldn't believe, like he didn't see this coming at all. Not to mention the fact that he's an idiot. Oh and last but not least, there's the most retarded character of all, Oghren (or however the dwarf was named), who takes the 'dwarven stereotypes' to a complete new level, mumbling things that almost made you ashamed of having him in your party.

[SamsButterscotch]

@SamsButterscotch

All I'm saying is that, in the end, it takes more than GREAT voice actors (which almost all of them are, except for the guy who voiced that gay elf) to make good characters, and that Gaydar should seriously stop creating fantasy settings if all he's capable of is a cheap Lord of the Rings rip-off...

[Hwaigon]

this is not very well known game, its more of a Dungeons and Dragons than diablo, Bg. or Gothic. Its D20 play system according to DnD manuals RP game. The crating of a character as well as using right spells, magic, attacks, choosing appropriate skills, feats and stuff like that - you really have to think while doing this. Its definitely not like Sacred, diablo 2 ... or warcraft. Its just temple.

[DvaisKila]

hey where can i find gooood patch or crack for toee. i have tryed 1st , 2nd and 3th oficial patch but i still have problems like i cant take stuff from dead and if i find a way than i cant enter a door... i really love this game but i cant play it like this. please help anyone.

[efeorh]

That game was da bomb in my arsenal yeaaaaaars ago.

[iiTudy]

This game is damn hard..... :\

[Azmodan86]

Thanks for the answer. So for what i've figured out 2d6 is better? Anothere question. I'm inside the first Dungeon of the temple and i found Romag that asked me to talk with his commander but i can't talk to him. Is it a bug or it isn't the right person?

[Azmodan86]

I like this game but still can't really understand rules. What is better a weapon 2d6 or 1d8? I can't figure out what this 1d8 means? is it the min and max damage?

[Demiath]

I can fully understand how this is not self-evident for people who aren't very familiar with the D&D rules.

"1d8" means that damage is determined by throwing a single dice which has 8 sides. The damage from that particular weapon thus varies between 1-8 points. Similarily, "2d6" damage means that you throw 2 dice with 6 sides each, which in turn results in damage varying between 2-12 points (lowest possible result being 1+1 and highest 6+6).

[nutherefurlong]

The character animations in this are pretty good. I also like that it's turn-based.

[PunisherSNS]

I have this game and it's pretty good! But I still prefer Neverwinter Nights 2 because there are a lot more classes you can choose!

[gocico86]

Play NWN 1, 2 + expansions

[MCsunday1508]

Im playing this game again for 2 days now. Im so happy i bought it like 6 years ago :-) Properly modded this is the best turn based RPG I know of. And I played allot of games. Maybe final fantasy tactics could compete. But thats a console game, what am I saying :-)

[madman1547]

tactics sucks it is the worst game there is

[Vanitypantyhoes]

Excellent game.

[matthiasfsa]

woooooooow, where do i get this mod??? i still have my BG safe in a box

[Demiath]

If by BG you mean "Baldur's Gate" you won't have much use of that box...

[BillyCauseyjr]

it's not a mod, it's a different game than Baldurs gate.

[Redenamle]

Demo available for this game doesn't work

[MrHands87]

Thank christ you didn't put annoying music over this video. So many dumbfucks put their random favorite songs over gameplay videos or tutorials.

[Demiath]

I fully agree...although being able to record the game's actual soundtrack/sound effects is of course a lot better than just boring silence. Luckily, I've sorted out those sound problems since then and now all of my Windows-related game videos have recorded sound as well.

[renrengrin]

@MrHands87 and so many dumb fucks, forget that there is a mute option ^^.

Not that I would be implying that you are one of those people, not at all!

[bohemiozzz]

Thanks to this video I know of this game and the Co8 fix. I have get them and I enjoy now a great adventure!

Thanks!

[caramujo123]

holy crap. your archer sucks

anyway, does anyone know another good turn based game like this? i don't mind if it doesn't have bugs

[Demiath]

Newer turn-based RPGs than TOEE are almost impossible to find, but I suggest you check out the up-coming independent release "Age of Decadence" from Iron Tower Studio.

[caramujo123]

Nice. It isn't D&D but still looks interesting. Thanks.

[willypete2171]

i looked over Age of Dec, but I still think ToEE is better. With the Cicle of Eight mods fixes, ToEE is an awsome experience. It was ahead of its time. Im now entering the temple for the first time and im just blown away by the beautiful graohics and the dark atmosphere. Id say its game engine is one notch above Baldurs Gate II, but Baldurs has it beat with the storyline/plot. Its easly my favorite game and im surprised that many ppl dont even know about it

[Demiath]

Nice to hear that you're enjoying TOEE.

As for Age of Decadence, it's very difficult to tell if AoD will be better or worse than TOEE because Iron Tower's game hasn't been released yet. I suspect that people who are primarily interested in combat will still prefer TOEE and people who want a complex plot, more dialogue and actual "role-playing" will find a lot to like in AoD.

[willypete2171]

I'll definitely check out AoD when/if it comes out.They just don't make RPGs like they used to. Im slowly making my way through the temple now, savoring every second. I'll be bummed when its finally over. I really prefer this style of game with the isometric view. It reminds me of playing D&D on my kitchen table, moving my figurines around. The graphics are so sharp, better than Baldurs gate II that again, Im surprised that you don't hear more about this game. I guess Co8 changed everything.

[Demiath]

By the way, have you checked out Spiderweb Software's games (Avernum, GeneForge, Nethergate etc.)? The game engine in these indie titles may be simple compared to the likes of BG and TOEE, but the actual gameplay (isometric viewpoint, party-based & turn-based combat, lots of dialogue & exploration etc.) is classic PC RPG gaming through and through.

[keithburgun]

Actually it's 3D graphics, not 2d.

[Demiath]

Nope.

[keithburgun]

well, the characters are 3D models. Environment is mostly 2D.

[Demiath]

That I can agree with.

[willypete2171]

awsome game! Any tips on getting the Co8 mod to work for Vista? Im playing the vanilla with the 2nd patch and just think this game is great. Very faithful to probably the best D&D module its based on. Need to get this darn mod to work!

[TheLostCat2000]

The game is rendered in Direct Draw, not Direct 3D using a 2D graphics engine.

[keithburgun]

Bam!

[Borin81]

its a great game, when patched and modded correctly that is. :)

it eased my Baldurs Gate III yearnings abit anyway :D

[jazfreak1]

I love turn based RPG games. This one brought me back to my old Gold Box days. I'm going to go buy a used copy on Amzon.

[NeutralDice]

Turn-based RPG system rules and Temple of Elemental Evil is very underrated.

[Demiath]

Couldn't have said it better myself...

[Mcgoo66]

You accidentally "Ice Stormed" one of your party members early on (oops). Otherwise, why do both of the current youtube gameplay vids occur in this same room? It's not a particularly interesting place to highlight the game. There's at least a hundred more entertaining fights.

[Demiath]

Icestorming my party members? Well as, Donald Rumsfeld - my favorite contemporary philosopher - would have put it: "Stuff Happens"! ;)

It's a bit funny that I seem to have filmed the exact same room as Boilerplate did in his "My Favorite CRPG" video, but it's actually just a coincidence. Of course, you could always add TOEE videos of your own to increase the variety...

[boilerplate]

You're using the BG portraits I see. I forget which one I'm using. Mostly IWD pics I believe.

your video has inspired me to do more ToEE vids. Going to do some late game and end boss ones.

Why not join me and post a few more? We definitely need to get more Troika on this site. Introduce people to this fabulous game.

Oh, and I always icestorm my guys. If you've equipped properly, it isn't an issue. Sometimes you need to play a little rough to get the job done.

[randir1488]

Loved this game back when I played it. I still remember using my fighter and barbarian to block doorways while my mages would fireball everything inside, lol.

[Spetznaz]

Please post another video but with sound

[Spetznaz]

Where can I donwload the mod?

And whats means 3.5 rules?

[Mcgoo66]

Google "Circle of 8"

[aicis100]

very good game!