IS THIS IT...!?!

Discuss Drakan: The Ancient's Gates with other players (no spoilers please!)
nubby
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IS THIS IT...!?!

Post by nubby »

**SPOILERS**




After 5 years I finally get to play this and...and..and...the
Golem just falls on Jassad and that's it? End of game?

Man, I thought the first game ending sucked but this is far suckier ending ever.

there is absolutely no sense of accomplishment for finishing this game.

Being able to open the last gate and return to Surdana and at least
be congratulated might of helped, but noooo....

Oh well, it was fun whacking orcs and wartoks again

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Post by Outlaw Wyvern »

That's one of the most common complaints, as it should be. Funding and time were short(ened), and things suffered. The game got no love after the fact either. They could've at least continued the series after seeing how great a game it was.
It's so good in so many ways, I long ago got over the niggles and rushed production-related disappointments, but I remember how it felt the first couple of times through.
I also think they should've had a cutscene (at least) showing the Dragon Mother and the Dragons of the Order awakening and reuniting with humans.

Nice to meet you, nubby!

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Post by nubby »

Hi, sorry I posted this in the wrong forum *more coffee, please!*

Arokh's Twin, you should include a note for the walkthru on the home page
as (incomplete) or else get a full one up. I wanted to check and see if I
missed things.
Notice except for the npcs there ain't one girl to fight in this game,
not one succubus, even! heh Too many skeletons, tho.

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Post by Outlaw Wyvern »

Hi nubby.
I haven't read it. What info did you find missing? I may be able to clear some things up for you.
Maybe if the deficient parts can be identified, I could write a brief addendum to supplement whatever's already there.

I've played through the game ssooo many times, you'd think I'd've written one by now.

GOOD CALL on the lack of female foes. I honestly had never noticed. I've got the leveling down to a science, nub! I try to make EVERY skelly that I've ever seen in the game pop. There are a whole lot of 'em in the Valley of the Fallen (well, really in the Desert of Tears area, as opposed to the green valley parts) that only spawn after Rynn physically crosses near their spawn point. Merely overflying those spaces won't do.

Say, if you decide to replay D:TAG, I'll share some tips for a less linear experience of the game, if you'd like.

nubby
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Post by nubby »

Sorry Outlaw Wyvern, I played Order of the Flame 100s of times when I first got it back in 2000, I can still repeat word fer word the dialogue from the cut scenes! Ain't I pathetic? So this TAG was like 2nd nature, it was just getting used to the game pad is all. I'm a keyboard and mouse pc gamer not a consoler.
The walkthru stops at just before Stratos. I just really wanted to know how to get into that area where Clinesmhidt's blade was. I took note of the blocks in my exploring but I couldn't have figured that out in a million years. Slap that guy who devised that puzzle!

I thought about using the cheats to get thru again and see what the bows do, as I left that field with its original 1 point thru out the 1st time. Don't care much for archery. I like to fight, prefably with a Mithril long sword. Whack!

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Post by Arokhs Twin »

I did look into getting a full walkthrough. I had to ask the guy who wrote the current one if I could use it on my website. I contacted some of the people who made the complete ones but the emails either bounced or I got no reply.
Ill check into it again.

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Post by Arokhs Twin »

New and complete walthrough now up

nubby
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Post by nubby »

I guess the developers expect you to avoid the island in the middle of Stratos with the last gate so there will be a more difficult final battle, but when you kill everything before hand, there is only the golem left, uh well.
Silly, too, when you get behind him, Arokh enters the golem's body and gets stuck.
On my 2nd play-thru I did get to see Rynn as a flesh mage bride, tho. Alternate ending, ha.

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Post by Outlaw Wyvern »

You have to defeat the Flesh Mage and get his staff before the last gate is available to you, otherwise, it has a red impassable barrier there.
I've lured and left dragons and gryphons around that site, and left the Desert Lords and defensive towers intact to make for a more entertaining end battle.
If you fly around strategically and lead the Pain Golem's eye beam, it will destroy the towers and any enemies it sweeps across. Rynn and Arokh can flame a tower out, but only the eye beam can destroy them.
It's pointless, but fun, and I only did that because I've played the game an absurd number of times.
You also can't fly away from the end battle. An invisible barrier hems you into the general vicinity.

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Post by Outlaw Wyvern »

Order of the Flame had a pretty lackluster ending also, but I dearly love that game!

Since I played D:TAG before OOTF, I did and still do like D:TAG better, although I recognize that I'm in the minority. I understand full-well that if it had been ported to PC also, that we could be rolling in high quality mods for it and loving life all the more.
$ONY sucks dirty old metal money from under couch cushions. Still... they were responsible for bringing us a million things we love... so... I'm only conditionally bitter 8^)

nubby
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Post by nubby »

Well, well...I wasn't supposed to go to the monastery in Surdana without Arokh? I found that jump-on point quickly in the water (below Jade's tower) on my first playthru. I wanted to get all the experience I could before going into Shadowmire.
I also spent a lot of time trying to get back into the Andrellian Isles in the sunshine (I think it's a myth!). I got Rynn down to the bottom of the cliff on the right side, refilled health, but she'd die instantly when I moved her.
This was done before I'd ever read a walkthru.
I did get Arokh behind the gate and into the desert by that glitch, does the game just continue as usual if you can return to Surdana without before going to Andrellian?

Speaking of walkthru. I thought the first walkthru was very well written and concise. The one that's up now. Oy. I'm no English major but the writing is atrocious, he's all over the place. Am I making a mountain out of a mole hill? Yes, and yes you can slap me!

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Post by Arokhs Twin »

Yes, I thought it wasn't as well done as the other one but it's the only one I got a reply for and its complete. Short of writng my own walkthrough (which I don't have time for/can't be bothered) it's either one or the other.
Ill keep trying to get a better one and if so put it online.

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Post by Outlaw Wyvern »

Hi nubby. The Sunny Andrellians is real. I've done it dozens of times.

Also if you glitch to the Valley, everything in the game stays the same. You activate the Eye Gate and go back to Surdana, then continue as per usual. Brekk has all items that would pop from opening that gate, but not the ones unlocked in the plot before that. You'll have access to the higher Mythrils, the Armor, Bow, and Shield of the Order, and Skeletal Touch, just to name a few.

Congrats on finding a way to do all of Surdana before the 'Mire. Every single thing except Khassa Vole's realm is fair game before getting Arokh if you want it.

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Post by nubby »

I'm just basically toying with the game now. I kind of lose interest at Shiverbane.

I did find the spot where you can get back into the islands. I was immediately killed because of those two dragons Arokh is supposed to kill after he gets the lightning attack!
Just the attacks, no dragons. So I replayed and went back out. Strange anomalies tho. Fandrill's boat is invisible, but the guys are standing there! Sevoth and his mate are gone. Then when I went back into some of the caves and came back out, the weather turned bad just like on entering!

Weird when you fly in low, you just get the Mezzedril cutscene. And flying in higher you get Bonegrinder's welcome. Missed that the first time.

Cool now Arokh has the most powerful attack early in the game. But I still prefer the good old fire. So further into the game, does Valley of the Fallen level just play like you'd never been there?

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Post by Outlaw Wyvern »

No, there's no cheating the finite amount of experience you can get. When you get back to the Valley in the plot, all that you did is still done, you'll just have anything you left undone... then go on into the rear of the Sanguinade and on to Stratos.
Going into the Valley early and then warping the same way through the shiny gate before Shiverbane, you could get all elemental weapons shortly after arriving in Ravenshold.
That means you could purchase and wield Mournbringer comparatively early in the game.... if one were so inclined.

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