I tried to get into this but I'm strugggling, any advice? Barely got through the gladiator fight, and now I'm wandering in the slave basement talking to people. I like the aesthetic and setting but this is a lot older than most things I've played. Also where does this rank in terms of the other SSI games? I'm interested in Ravenloft, are they similar in quality, or gamplay?

>>3809201 (OP)
>I tried to get into this but I'm strugggling, any advice?
Always graft your weapons. Get at least one Thri-Kreen. Don't bother with Psions, always get a Preserver. Rush the mist wall spell, hide in a room and mist wall the outside to defeat any crowd..
>I'm interested in Ravenloft, are they similar in quality, or gamplay?

>Quality
Yeah, sure.
>Gameplay
Absolutely not. Both Ravenloft games are first-person non-grid dungeon crawlers.

>>3809249
>first-person non-grid dungeon crawlers
Not to mention, you only make two characters, the rest are premade companions hanging around.
I personally like that, and the little touches of personality the duo has that even vary a little depending on their class and specific alignment, but not everyone does.

>>3809249
Thanks, I'll drop the psionicist and pick up a preserver. I didn't want any bug men but I'll get one anyway too. Shame there's no skill carry over for the other games, oh well.

>>3809201 (OP)
The Ravenloft games were made by DreamForge and only published by SSI. They also made Menzoberranzan. They are more Dungeon Master clones, kinda like Grimrock if you've played that.
>>3809249
>Don't bother with Psions,
Nah, they are useful, just make every single character a multi-class psionicist, don't use any pure classes. There's no XP cap, just a level cap, so multi-classing isn't a drawback and pure classes max out too easily.

>>3809201 (OP)
a few pointers:
in character creation you can freely jack up your attributes to their racial maximums by clicking on the stats (I recommend this on your first play through rather than taking the dice rolls).
when it comes to party mix, try not to overflow on frontline fighters; you just really need two: a half-giant and kri-rin. then you uses a combination of psionicist/mages/clerics to crowd control and buff your Hasted frontline fighters and mop up the stunned Psi Blasted/Ego Whipped/Confused. The game is really ez once you realize how OP psionics are and virtually everything is psychically susceptible in the game/setting.

Gamefaqs typically has the best guides on this stuff if you really need help.
https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/pc/564606-dark-sun-shattered-lands/faqs/80958

>>3809861
>kri-rin
thri-kreen

>>3809861
>mages
"preservers"

>>3809861
The game is really ez once you realize how OP psionics are even at low level. Pic related for example.
here's the manual btw
https://orangetide.com/GAMES/darksun/darksun.pdf

>>3809201 (OP)
This game is shit and just beloved by retards because of the aesthetics and setting. PoR, the Krynn games, EotB and Spelljammer (fuck you) are the only actually good SSI games.

>>3809873
It's liked because, apart from some bugs, it's very close to what we consider a "modern" RPG. Heck, BG lifted a lot of stuff directly from it. Though it didn't copy one of its best features, namely the spell range indicator.

>>3809941
the visual area of effect is such nice qol. bioware probably couldn't implement it well in real time and scrapped it.

>>3809941
Its funny you say this since I worked back from Pillars of Eternity, to the Infinity Engine games, to this, and it felt like a natural progression.

>>3809873
Besides the fact that you're baiting about Shattered Lands, I can tell you don't play strategy games or know much about SSI.

>>3810135
Playing them backwards felt like progression? Damning to Obsidian and Bioware.

>>3811674
No, I don't mean they got better, just that its a nice way for younger people to get into older games. I don't think Shattered Lands is better than Pillars or Planescape and BG, but its probably underrated, and has a lot in common. There isn't a lot to complain about with Dark Sun, but there is less to praise.

because of the poisoned guavas in this game, when i was a little kid i thought all guavas were poisonous.

>>3810135
This is pre-Fallout and it feels a lot like that too
This is the first game where quests and dialog and such feel quite like the modern way - like that dungeon area with the wizard in the sewers feels like you could put it in anything up to 2025 as content (in a newer engine obviously) and no one would bat an eye.

The Dark Sun video games introduced me to Athas as a setting back in the day. On the one hand, it's sad to see it neglected nowadays. On the other, the retards who own the IP say they don't want to make new books for the setting because that apparently somehow promotes slavery, fascism and racism, simply because the setting contains them.

Anyway, anyone know if someone tried to fan-remake these in games like Neverwinter Nights?

>>3811754
That's nonsense, WotC is just scared to split their audience among a lot of settings because that's what shafted TSR. That's why they go all in on FR, they don't want to compete with themselves.

>>3809201 (OP)
One of my favorite old-school RPGs. The setting is interesting and I like the idea of being enslaved and forced to fight in an arena. It would never happen, but I would love to see another game created in Dark Sun setting.