Unofficial Sacred FAQ (revised)
Michael Vondung
half of my Sunday and revised it. It is more complex than before and
hopefully has fewer grammar flaws. The original is located at
Ascaron's forum, in this thread: http://tinyurl.com/2hlg4 I'll make
changes to this thread, so if you find the document somewhat useful,
please bookmark it, since I won't post this frequently here. The
pseudo-HTML version looks better, but as before, below is a plain text
version for Usenet. Enjoy, M.
-------------------------------
The Unofficial Sacred FAQ
A work in progress by Michael "Cironir" Vondung
(Version of February 22nd, 2004)
Introduction
This document offers answers to frequently asked questions about the
demo version of Ascaron's upcoming release, "Sacred". It also provides
answers to questions about the release version, however, many things
about the final product are not yet known. This FAQ is an unofficial
document and does not necessarily reflect Ascaron's opinions; all
information within is subject to change, and there is no guarantee
that all answers are accurate. While nothing "special", please do not
distribute the document without permission. No one would benefit from
different, outdated versions of a resource that is meant to be useful.
For suggestions, corrections, or questions, please leave a message at
http://www.ascaron-forum.com or drop me an e-mail at -removed-.
Overview
A. General
* When will Sacred be released?
* Who developed Sacred?
* Who publishes and distributes Sacred?
* Where can I download the English demo version?
* Is there a Macintosh or a Linux version?
* I heard the game is like Diablo?
* I heard the US version won't have "gore". True?
* What the heck! I want blood and guts! What can I do?
* I am Canadian, will I still get the declawed US version?
* Will I have patch troubles if I get the UK version?
* I didn't see any blood in the demo, how come?
* Will there be a version in French language?
* Do all three versions feature the same cover artwork?
* Can I pre-order Sacred?
* How much does it cost?
* Can I get the soundtrack CD that the Germans get?
* Can I use saved games/characters from the demo in the release?
* Are there English fan sites for Sacred?
* Where can I download Sacred wallpapers for my desktop?
B. Features
* What are the six character classes?
* Can I change the gender of my character?
* Are there levels? What's the maximum level?
* Are there rare, set and unique items in Sacred?
* Are there different difficulty levels?
* Can you tell me more about the horse?
* Do monsters respawn?
* Does Sacred feature random maps?
* Are all areas in Sacred forest regions?
* Is there an editor for Sacred? Can I make mods?
* Can I interact with the environment?
* Does Sacred have a day/night cycle?
* Does this game support PvP and Hardcore?
* What are the available screen resolutions?
C. Gameplay
* How do I assign skill and attribute points?
* I only got one stat point, where did the others go?
* I read about "combos". How do you make them?
* What in the world is a "combo"?
* Will the combos be updated when I raise a skill?
* Are there hotkeys? How do you assign them?
* Five hotkeys each? How do I get the ten slots?
* How do I assign a weapon and a shield to a slot?
* Will my Vampiress die or get damaged when day dawns?
* Why does my character stop fighting when I drink a potion?
* Why are the potions so expensive?
* How do you stack potion bottles?
* Why do I always dismount when I pick up items?
* How many quests are there in the demo?
* Is the blue chest in the towns like the D2 chest?
* At the end of the demo it says I saw 30-40% of the world. Isn't
that small?
* Why can't I use my special attack from horseback?
* When I dismount the horse, can monsters attack it?
* The $!@#§ kids in town annoy me! Can I kill 'em?!
* I walk around and all monsters die when they see me!
* Oh my gosh! I'm glowing! What's that?
* I saw a huge spider across a river. Can I kill it?
* Did my arrows/spells just miss?!
* I can see a magical stash, but can't reach it. Help!
* Help, I am stuck in the landscape!
* My Seraphim stands on the horse! What's up with that?
* Pathfinding really sucks, has that been fixed, too?
D. Multiplayer
* Does Sacred support multiplayer gaming?
* Can I play online with my single player character?
* Is the closed Ascaron.net similar to battle.net?
* I heard battle.net was full of cheaters. Will Ascaron.net be
like that?
* Will I have to pay for playing on Ascaron.net?
* How many people can play in an online game session?
* What about player killing (PK)? Is it allowed?
* Do I need broadband to be able to play online?
* Can I password protect my games and just play with mates?
* Can I prevent high level characters from joining my game?
* Will I be able to "mule" solo?
* How many characters can I have online?
* Won't the "pick up all" option help item grabbers?
E. Technical Stuff and Bugs
* What kind of computer do I need for Sacred?
* Do I really need DirectX 9?
* I can't minimize the demo with ALT+TAB!
* The demo runs slowly and freezes!
* I noticed some grammar and spelling mistakes.
* I need technical help. Who can I contact?
A. General
Q: When will Sacred be released?
A: Sacred will be released in Germany on February 27th, in the UK on
March 19th, and in North America on March 25th. For the North
European/Scandinavian countries, March 19th was mentioned.
Q: Who developed Sacred?
A: Sacred is developed by the German company Ascaron. They have been
in the game development business since 1991 and are well-known for
eco-sims like the popular Patrician and Port Royale series. Sacred is
their first action-roleplaying game.
Q: Who publishes and distributes Sacred?
A: The German version of Sacred is distributed by Take 2. Koch Media
distributes the UK version, and Encore is the distributor of the
North-American version. In Scandinavia, Sacred is published by Atari
Nordic/Sweden. Check back later for information on Sacred publishers
for other areas of the world.
Q: Where can I download the English demo version?
A: The English demo can be downloaded from a number of sites. The
"official" download site appears to be
http://www.edbisfiles.com/all/index.php?dlid=461, but you can also get
it from http://www.gamershell.com/download_5124.shtml and numerous
other locations.
Q: Is there a Macintosh or Linux version?
A: No, and there are apparently no plans to develop Sacred for
platforms other than MS-Windows. It supports Windows 98SE through
Windows XP. Note that Windows 98FE is not supported.
Q: I heard the game is like Diablo?
A: Sacred is an action computer roleplaying game with a medieval
fantasy setting. You slip in the role of one of six character classes,
and face the adventures and epic battles that await you in the world
of Ancaria. Visit http://www.ascaron.com for more detailed information
about the game's background story. Sacred is often compared to
Blizzard's classic game Diablo II. The games do have a lot in common,
but they are nonetheless independent titles. Sacred is not a "clone",
but introduces a large number of new, innovative features, while also
incorporating aspects that gamers have loved in other games. Sacred
offers thirty main quests, two hundred sub-quests, and a huge world
full of vibrant life. Diablo II is not the only title that Sacred is
compared to. Some players felt positively reminded of Divine Divinity,
while others saw similarities to Baldur's Gate, Blade & Sword, and
Ultima Online. If you enjoyed any of these games, Sacred is for you.
Q: I heard the US version won't have "gore". True?
Yes, this is true. The North-American publisher, Encore, wanted to get
a teen rating for the game. In order to achieve this, the full gore
option was taken out of the US version. It is unclear whether it will
be possible to turn on full gore by ways of editing the textual
configuration file.
Q: What the heck! I want blood and guts! What can I do?
A: First, put the knife back in the drawer. Thanks! There isn't much
you can do, but there have been posts on the Ascaron-forum.com message
board indicating that some US mail order companies will offer the UK
version of Sacred. You can also import an UK version from a British
software vendor.
Q: I am Canadian, will I still get the declawed US version?
A: Yes, Canada is part of North-America and you get the same version
as your neighbours. Ordering the UK version might be a viable
alternative.
Q: Will I have patch troubles if I get the UK version?
A: Seraphine of Ascaron wrote in a post that the executable files are
identical in all versions -- this indicates that you won't have any
problems with the UK version if you live in North America.
Q: I didn't see any blood in the demo, how come?
A: It is there, but you might need to first turn it on in the options
menu.
Q: Will there be a version in French language?
A: Yes, it seems so, though little is known about it. Ascaron's Topdog
said, "Sacred is due to launch in France in full French (over 100k
words) in April [2004], localisation process is now completing and
then [the] test process needs to be completed. Our target date is
April 16th."
Q: Do all three Sacred versions feature the same cover artwork?
No. All three major distributions of Sacred exhibit distinct cover
artwork. You can view samples at the following locations:
German version
http://www.ascaron.com/d/sacred/zoom1.asp?bild=sacred_cover_artwork.jpg
UK/European version
http://www.ascaron.com/gb/gb_sacred/zoom1.asp?bild=sacred_cover_3d_gb.jpg
US/Canada version
http://www.encoresoftware.com/images/games/Sacred_SB_LT_M.jpg
Joe177 also posted the link of the concept art for the German version.
It was not used for the final product, but the horse with the sword
wielding lady appears on the cover of the UK/European version. You can
see it here: http://www.noxqs-orden.de/Sacred/cover.jpg.
Q: Can I pre-order Sacred?
A: Yes, many of the large game dealers allow you to pre-order Sacred
so that you get it on the release day. Check Gamestop.com,
EBgames.com, Amazon.com, GoGamer.com, or any of the many others.
Q: How much does it cost?
A: This depends on where you order it. The retail price for the US
version is 39,99 USD, and the German version's recommended price is
49,99 Euro. However, these prices vary from vendor to vendor.
Q: Can I get the soundtrack CD that the Germans get?
A: No. The soundtrack CD is only given to customers who pre-ordered
the game directly at the online shop of Ascaron Germany. It was an
exclusive offer. As far as I know, no such offer has been made for the
international versions.
Q: Can I use saved games/characters from the demo in the release?
A: No. The saved games and characters of the demo version are not
compatible with the full release of Sacred.
Q: Are there English fan sites for Sacred?
A: Yes, there is a number of fan sites for Sacred.
http://www.sacred-fans.net is the most established source for
information about Sacred in English language. Another site worth
visiting is http://www.planetsacred.com. A general fan site for
Ascaron games is located at http://www.ascaron-fanpage.com/. The
official forums can be found at http://www.ascaron-forum.com.
Q: Can I download Sacred wallpapers for my desktop?
A: Check out http://www.sacred-fans.net/view/wallpapers.html for a
number of beautiful wallpapers in different sizes.
B. Features
Q: What are the six character classes?
A: You can choose between the Battle Mage, the Vampiress, the Wood
Elf, the Dark Elf, the Gladiator and the Seraphim. In the demo, only
the latter two classes are available. Detailed descriptions of the
classes can be found at
http://www.ascaron.com/gb/gb_sacred/gb_sacred_diecharaktere.html. For
information on class skills, check out the character information at
http://www.sacred-fans.net.
Q: Can I change the gender of my character?
A: No, the genders of the six classes are "fixed". Battle Mage,
Gladiator and Dark Elf are male, and Wood Elf, Seraphim and Vampiress
are female.
Q: Are there levels? What's the maximum level?
A: Yes, there are levels. The highest level you can reach is a
whopping 150. It will take a very long time to get there.
Q: Are there rare, set and unique items in Sacred?
A: Yes, there are, and class-specific items as well.
Q: Are there different difficulty levels?
A: Yes, there are four difficulty levels: bronze, silver, gold and
platinum. You can start a character in either bronze or silver, but
need to beat the game in silver to unlock the gold difficulty. When
you have won Sacred in gold, you can enter the platinum difficulty to
face the real challenge!
Q: Can you tell me more about the horse?
A: Yes. It is big, has four legs, and ... oh! That's not what you
wanted to know? All right, then. :-) Horses in Sacred are more than
mere eye-candy. First and foremost, they enable your character to
cross wide areas of Ancaria faster, which drastically shortens the
time required to travel to a far away place. But horses are also
weapons. You can "crash into" enemies and trample over them. Depending
on the level of your riding skill, you can choose between different
types of horses, ranging from fragile animals that faint when they
spot a goblin to elite horses that will take you to hell and bring you
safely back. Horses can be equipped with special gear to improve their
performance further.
Q: Do monsters respawn?
A: Yes. Monsters respawn even in the single player campaign. Mirko of
Ascaron said, "The monsters will respawn after a time. In freed areas,
there will be fewer monsters than before. During the story the
character will move through some regions several times. Later in the
story line, regions will be overrun by the undead. Then there will be
a fresh respawn in this region." According to Seraphine, more monsters
spawn in higher difficulty settings.
Q: Does Sacred feature random maps?
A: Sadly, no. Sacred offers a large and beautifully designed world,
but its geography is static. Areas, including dungeons, are not
randomly generated.
Q: Are all areas in Sacred forest regions?
A: No, not at all. There are sixteen very different tilesets,
including deserts, polar areas and mountains.
Q: Is there an editor for Sacred? Can I make mods?
A: As of this point in time, there is no editor and also no support
for player-created mods. Ascaron has not announced any plans to change
this in the foreseeable future. The game world is very large and
features different tilesets, though. It won't get boring very fast.
Can I interact with the environment?
A: The world of Sacred is a lively one. Animated animals can be found
everywhere, and the cities are populated by NPCs. You can initiate a
conversation with many of them, and you can even see (by the little
icons above their heads) what each of these NPCs is currently thinking
about, doing or going to do. There are hidden stashes and uncounted
containers, just waiting to be looted by you. Unlike in many other
games of this genre, the world in Sacred feels alive and vibrant.
Sacred also has "henchmen", though they only join you temporarily (as
part of quests).
Q: Does Sacred have a day/night cycle?
A: Yes, and the gameplay is affected by this cycle, too. For instance,
the Vampiress' abilities depend on whether it is dark or light; she
cannot "bite" creatures when the sun shines brightly.
Q: Does this game support PvP and Hardcore?
A: The PvP option is optional. See the Multiplayer section of this FAQ
for more information on the available multiplayer modes. Sacred also
has a hardcore mode where your character only has one life. This is
optional also.
Q: What are the available screen resolutions?
A: Sacred only supports 1024x728. Lower or higher resolutions are not
offered. However, there are three zoom levels, so that you can zoom
out for a broader view, or zoom in if you are prone to eye strain.
C. Gameplay
Q: How do I assign skill and attribute points?
A: You need to open the character's inventory ("I" key). The
skill/attribute scores are on the top right. It says either "Skills"
or "Attributes", and there is a small circle that's either red or
green. Click on this circle to switch between stats and skills. To
assign a stat point, click on the attribute you'd like to raise. Et
voila!
Q: I only got one stat point, where did the others go?
A: Sacred uses a different system than other games in this genre.
While you can distribute skill points freely, you can only assign one
of the stat points that you get at a level up to an attribute of your
choice. The game assigns the others automatically, depending on the
chosen character's class. The purpose is to allow diversity, while
also preserving the typical aspects of each class.
Q: I read about "combos". How do you make them?
A: You need to find a "Combo Master" in the game who will "make" a
combo for you. Not for free, however, prepare to pay a nice gold sum
for this advantage. How exactly this works is explained in greater
detail at this URL: http://www.sacred-fans.net/combos.html.
Q: What in the world is a "combo"?
A: It is a custom sequence of up to four special attacks that your
character can perform. It can be hotkeyed and replayed. For instance,
you could have a combo made to shout a "war cry", leap towards an
enemy, and release a mighty attack twice in a row.
Q: Will the combos be updated when I raise a skill?
A: No, the levels of the skills in your combos remain where they were
at the time when you had the combo made, even if you increase the
skills later on. Ascaron designer Aarne Jungerberg implied that Combo
Masters might offer an upgrade -- for a hefty fee -- in a later patch.
Q: Are there hotkeys? How do you assign them?
A: Yes, 1-5 for the weapon slots and 6-0 for the special moves. In the
demo and the first release, it is not possible to modify the hotkeys.
This may be changed at a later time.
Q: Five hotkeys each? How do I get all ten slots?
A: When you start a new character, you only have one slot each for a
weapon and for a skill. As you level up, you'll get more slots.
Q: How do I assign a weapon and a shield to a slot?
A: Just drag the weapon and the shield in the same slot. This only
works with one-handed weapons.
Q: Will my Vampiress die or get damaged when day dawns?
A: No, but she won't be able to use her special vampire abilities
during the daytime. She'll be sort of a human knight when the sun
shines. At night, though, she turns into a deadly hunter with pointed
teeth and a thirst for blood.
Q: Why does my character stop fighting when I drink a potion?
A: When your character quaffs a potion, you'll see an animation.
During the animation, the character is busy guzzling the fluid and
cannot fight back. This way, battles become more challenging since you
can't just refresh your health at any given time without possibly
fatal consequences.
Q: Why are the potions so expensive?
A: The idea is to make the game more challenging and encourage a
tactical playstyle. In other words, you'll have to carefully evaluate
a situation before you jump right in the middle of it. Also, in the
full release you'll not be as broke as in the demo. The relatively
rarity of potions is a deliberate feature of Sacred.
Q: How do you stack potion bottles?
A: You cannot stack potions. Each bottle takes up a square in your
inventory. In Sacred, you are only limited by the inventory space, not
by weight. It is a trade-off: If you take a lot of potions, you can't
carry as much loot. Safety or profit? You decide!
Q: Why do I always dismount when I pick up items?
A: Have you ever tried to pick up something from the ground while
sitting on a tall horse? See! Seriously, this is a demo-specific
problem and has been changed in the final release of the game. You'll
be able to pick up items without dismounting every time. In the demo,
you can work around this by using the "A" key to pick up all items at
once (check the options).
Q: How many quests are there in the demo?
A: There is a total of thirteen quests in the demo. The full release
features over 230 quests, many of them optional.
Q: Is the blue chest in the towns like the D2 chest?
A: Yes, this blue, shimmering metal chest is your personal town chest.
By means of ancient magic, you can access the items in this chest from
every town. It is like a bank box.
Q: At the end of the demo it says I saw 30-40% of the world. Isn't
that small?
A: The percentage only refers to the tutorial area. This is the part
of the map that can be accessed in the demo (marked by a dotted line
on the map). The world in the release version is huge and it will take
dozens of hours to explore it. Only 70% of the game world is
accessible at first, the remaining 30% can be unlocked through quests.
There's a lot to see!
Q: Why can't I use my special attack from horseback?
A: To keep the game balanced, not all special attacks can be used when
the character is mounted on a horse. Some special attacks work, some
do not (this is listed in the skill description in the game). The only
exception is the Wood Elf. All of her attacks can be used from the
horse, and some of them even only work when she sits in a saddle.
Q: When I dismount the horse, can monsters attack it?
A: Yes, the horse is vulnerable when you dismount. If you are in a PvP
mode, it can also be killed by players.
Q: The $!@#§ kids in town annoy me! Can I kill 'em?!
A: No, but you can scare them away by pressing the Shift key. In the
final release they also will not follow you out of town.
Q: I walk around and all monsters die when they see me!
A: This isn't an actual bug. You have an item equipped (probably a
piece of armour or a weapon) that has an attribute similar to "Enemies
with Lower Levels Die on Spot +2". Any monster, whose level is lower
than your own, dies when it gets close to you. You do not receive
experience if you "insta-kill" a foe this way. While this modifier
isn't a bug, there are two related flaws in the demo: a) Equipment
with this mod shouldn't drop so early in the game, and b) monsters
killed this way shouldn't have a guaranteed drop of a plain item. It
is not a bug that they don't give experience, however.
Q: Oh my gosh! I'm glowing! What's that?
A: Congratulations, you've found a full set of items! There are
special bonuses when you equip a complete set. The bonus you receive
depends on the set.
Q: I saw a huge spider across a river. Can I kill it?
A: In the demo version you can't get on the other side of the stream,
but if you find or buy a ranged weapon (a bow, for instance), you can
try to slay the spider from the distance. This may take a while,
though.
Q: Did my arrows/spells just miss?!
A: Arrows and spells can miss. They can also be blocked by houses,
trees and other obstacles. Beta reports indicate that it is also
possible to dodge ranged attacks, including spells.
Q: I can see a magical stash, but can't reach it. Help!
A: This is a bug in the demo version. In the release version this has
been fixed. There is no way around this in the demo.
Q: Help, I am stuck in the landscape!
A: This bug has been fixed in the release version and is specific to
the demo.
Q: My Seraphim stands on the horse! What's up with that?
A: This is a known bug in the demo version. Basically, whatever
abnormalities you observe in the demo are likely to have been fixed in
the release version. The code base for the demo was separated from the
release in early December 2003 already and does not reflect the state
of the final product.
Q: Pathfinding really sucks, has that been fixed, too?
A: Yes, Ascaron says this has been optimized and works much better in
the release version.
D. Multiplayer
Q: Does Sacred support multiplayer gaming?
A: Yes, it does. There are three different multiplayer modes: LAN,
TCP/IP (open Ascaron.net) and Internet (closed Ascaron.net).
Q: Can I play online with my single player character?
A: Yes and no. You can participate in LAN and TCP/IP (open
Ascaron.net) games with your single player character, but Internet
(closed Ascaron.net) characters are stored on Ascaron's dedicated
server. They can only be used for this specific type of online
playing.
Q: Is the closed Ascaron.net similar to battle.net?
A: Yes, it is very similar, though the interface differs a bit. The
advantage of playing on closed Ascaron.net is that you can be
sufficiently sure that no one has edited or manipulated their
character. This makes playing with strangers much more fun.
Q: I heard battle.net was full of cheaters. Will Ascaron.net be like
that, too?
A: At the time of writing this FAQ, there is little information about
Ascaron.net available, but Ascaron is determined to curb any kind of
cheating and exploiting. They have not promised perfect security, but
expressed their desire to do their best to offer a safe, fun, and
clean environment.
Q: Will I have to pay for playing on Ascaron.net?
A: No, Ascaron.net is free, there are no recurring subscription fees
or the like. You'll need a valid CD key/license for Sacred to play
online, though.
Q: How many people can play in an online game session?
A: This depends on the type of game you create. A questing game is
limited to a maximum of four players. The "do whatever you want" type
of games allow for up to sixteen players. The sixteen players can form
any number of parties, or play solo on their own. Both types are
available in all three multiplayer modes.
Q: What about player killing (PK)? Is it allowed?
A: This can be individually decided by the person who creates the
game. If a game has PvP (player versus player) enabled, PKing is
possible. If the creator opts against this, it will not be possible to
hostile and attack other players.
Q: Do I need broadband to be able to play online?
A: According to Ascaron, dial-up connections work just fine, though in
general, speed never hurts. The author of this FAQ speculates that
sixteen players in the same area may cause some lag for dial-up users,
but this is not verified.
Q: Can I password protect my games and just play with mates?
A: This is a bit of a hot topic. The answer is "yes and no". Yes, in
open TCP/IP games you can password protect your games. No, Internet
games on the closed Ascaron.net cannot be password-protected. The
reason for this is that Ascaron does not want their servers to get
overloaded due to thousands of one-player games.
Q: Can I prevent high level characters from joining my game?
A: It is/will be possible to specify level restrictions for games. If
your game only allows characters between levels 10 and 20, characters
who have a lower or higher level won't be able to enter your game.
Q: Will I be able to "mule" solo?
A: No. Games reportedly close immediately when the last player leaves.
Also, according to a beta tester, items on the ground allegedly
disappear very quickly when there is no one around. It may not be
possible to mule at all without the help of a trusted friend.
Q: How many characters can I have online?
A: On closed Ascaron.net, you are limited to six characters on your
account.
Q: Can I have as many online accounts as I want?
A: No. You are limited to one account per CD key. If you need more,
you might have to purchase another copy of the game.
Q: Won't the "pick up all" option help item grabbers?
A: The "A" command is disabled in any of the three multiplayer modes.
E. Technical Stuff and Bugs
Q: What kind of computer do I need for Sacred?
A: For a new release, Sacred's system requirements are relatively low.
The listed minimum specifications are: Windows 98/ME/2000/XP;
PentiumIII 800MHz; 128MB RAM; 4x CD Rom drive; DirectX9.0a compatible
32mb video card; 1GB free hard drive space; DirectX9.0a compatible
sound card; mouse & keyboard. Recommended are Windows XP, a processor
with 1.3Ghz, 256 MB RAM and a video card with 64MB RAM. As with all
games, more resources do not hurt.
Q: Do I really need DirectX 9?
A: It is listed as a minimum requirement, but Mirko of Ascaron stated
in a message that DirectX 7 may work. However, DirectX 9b is
recommended and there are few reasons not to use it.
Q: I can't minimize the demo with ALT+TAB!
A: You cannot minimize the demo. If you would like to run the game in
a window, select "Sacred Demo Window" from the "Ascaron Entertainment"
program group in your Start menu.
Q: The demo runs slowly and freezes!
A: The Sacred demo is not optimized or tweaked. You can try to update
your video and sound drivers, but if it runs sluggishly for you even
though your system meets the requirements, don't worry too much about
it. The release version is highly optimized and will run much faster.
You can also try to lower the graphics quality in the options. For the
release version, you might want to defrag your hard drive as Sacred
often reloads from the disc.
Q: I noticed some grammar and spelling mistakes.
A: That wasn't a question, was it? ;-) Yes, the English demo has some
translation flaws. The reason for this is that demo was translated in
a hurry before the localization (for the international market) was
finished. The final release of the game will have the professional
quality of all of Ascaron's English titles. Sacred was originally
developed in German.
Q: I need technical help. Who can I contact?
A: You can contact Ascaron's technical support via the German contact
form at http://www.ascaron.com/d/service/index.html. If there is an
English form, then I haven't found it. I'll briefly explain the form
to you, though, it's not difficult. The fields, from top to down, ask
for the following information: first name, last name, e-mail address,
name of the game you are having trouble with, type of problem (choose
one that sounds familiar: Grafik for graphics issues, Sound for sound
troubles, Installation for installation difficulties, Absturz for
crashes), a brief description of the problem you're having, and lastly
the content of the DXDIAG output. Then click on "abschicken" to submit
your report. You can write in English. To get the DXDIAG output, click
on the Start button and select "Run ...". Type in "dxdiag" (minus the
quotation marks) to run the diagnosis tool of DirectX. Save this
information to a text file, open the file in an editor and copy/paste
the content of this file into the form.
A big "Thank you!" to everyone who has contributed to this FAQ! You
guys (and gals) are the greatest!
(Edited and compiled by Michael Vondung, aka Cironir. Contact:
-removed-. You may not distribute this document without permission.
2004-February-22.)
Kevin
"Michael Vondung" <mvon...@gmx.net> wrote in message
news:m5rh3053e9jba3jsk...@4ax.com...
Michael Vondung
>Q: Are there levels? What's the maximum level?
>A: Yes, there are levels. The highest level you can reach is a
>whopping 150. It will take a very long time to get there.
Some additional information here: Mirko Worsley, the Marketing Manager
and Support Lead, is the source of the "150" value. He's consistently
posted this information. There are other Ascaron employees who have
uttered different values, someone even said there'd be *no* character
level cap at all. Others said 250. So, it seems impossible to get a
straight, reliable answer. Mirko seems high up in the hierarchy, which
is why I used 150. I clarified this in the forum version of the FAQ.
M.
spacefish
"Michael Vondung" <mvon...@gmx.net> wrote in message
> The Unofficial Sacred FAQ
> A work in progress by Michael "Cironir" Vondung
> (Version of February 22nd, 2004)
This is an excellent resource. Thanks for posting it. =o)
--
Paula Callesře
To reply, please remove your clothes.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
play : Tribunal
look : You Only Live Twice
read : Stephen King - From a Buick 8
hear : voices...
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
SunBae
"Michael Vondung" <mvon...@gmx.net> wrote in message
news:m5rh3053e9jba3jsk...@4ax.com...
Saber
> I received a ton of feedback to the FAQ, so I sacrificed the better
> half of my Sunday and revised it. It is more complex than before and
> hopefully has fewer grammar flaws. The original is located at
> Ascaron's forum, in this thread: http://tinyurl.com/2hlg4 I'll make
> changes to this thread, so if you find the document somewhat useful,
> please bookmark it, since I won't post this frequently here. The
> pseudo-HTML version looks better, but as before, below is a plain text
> version for Usenet. Enjoy, M.
>
you know you have a problem when you spend the whole weekend making a 32k
FAQ for a game that isnt even out yet.....
;)
--
Saber
Darrel Hoffman
> you know you have a problem when you spend the whole weekend making a 32k
> FAQ for a game that isnt even out yet.....
> ;)
So... How about working for months on a 2.79MB Excel file for a game that's
been out for over 5 years?
Darrel Hoffman - Lvl 26+2 Game Guru
(Boy, I'm really in trouble, aren't I? And I haven't even released it
because it's not finished...)
Michael Vondung
<sab...@IEATSPAMMERSoptonline.net> wrote:
>you know you have a problem when you spend the whole weekend making a 32k
>FAQ for a game that isnt even out yet.....
I have NO IDEA WHAT YOU MEAN!!111!! Err, Hello! ;) Will you believe me
if I say that this is just a result of coincidence? ;) Saturday
afternoon, my significant other said she needs to lay down for a bit,
so I faced two hours with nothing to do. So, I figured I'd compile a
few of the questions that people kept asking over and over on the
Ascaron forum. This isn't my first FAQ, but I really underestimated
how time-consuming this one would turn out to be -- didn't think
people would respond so well to it, and the more questions I added,
the more missing ones I thought of. I still have more to add. :( When
it comes out, I can already see myself working on the FAQ rather than
playing the damn thing! It's fun, though.
And see, Darrel is worse than I!
M.
Saber
sure, blame it on your SO.
not that i havent made anything for d2...
>
> And see, Darrel is worse than I!
yea, but hes darrel, what could you expect. ;)
--
Saber
Saber
>> <snip the faq>
>> you know you have a problem when you spend the whole weekend making
>> a 32k FAQ for a game that isnt even out yet.....
>> ;)
>
> So... How about working for months on a 2.79MB Excel file for a game
> that's been out for over 5 years?
and excel file of what? every item in the game? hasnt that been done?
i know youre a game guru and all, but there are some things that border
insanity... and then some things that are definately insane.
>
> Darrel Hoffman - Lvl 26+2 Game Guru
> (Boy, I'm really in trouble, aren't I? And I haven't even released it
> because it's not finished...)
like my web site? almost done for a while, but not quite there yet...
--
Saber
Michael Vondung
<sab...@IEATSPAMMERSoptonline.net> wrote:
>sure, blame it on your SO.
She wasn't thrilled that I sacrificed the better part of the weekend
for a game, but hey, she got some work done and finished web pages,
so, all is dandy. ;)
>yea, but hes darrel, what could you expect. ;)
Good point. I rest my case!
M.
Sjoerd
<snips faq>
I figured it out already, but maybe you could add something on dual
wielding. You know, clicking the weapon/shield to remove rather then
just clicking any part of the circle untill you've got the right stuff
equiped. :-P
Also, you say that stuff can happen to your horse when you leave it
somewhere. So, is there a safe place to leave it behind? Just leave it
in a random town or something? Or do you have to take it everywhere. I
mean, they're fun, but since I'm one of those people who feels he has to
pick up every single gold piece he sees, getting on and off the horse is
quite annoying and many cool skills can't be used on a horse.
Talking about horses, it seems that dual wielding doesn't work very well
on horseback. I'm now using dual haste swords or something like that for
when I'm on foot, and a BIG pole when I'm riding my horse. I also keep a
bow ready, though I never really use it, so I may switch it out for a
sword/shield combo.
Another thing about horses, I just experienced the bug while looking for
the blacksmiths weapon thingy. I just continued playing spending half
the time standing on top of the horse, and the other half being muted
into some seraphim-horse hybrid. After a while the game crashed on me
when I tried to do "Attack". Oh well, I saved before the bug occured.
By the way, what's Attack called in the German version? Does that name
make more sense? First I thought it was rather pointless to use a normal
attack that way, but when i tried anyway I found out how incredibly
powerful it is. :-D
Well, despite the bugs I really like the demo and I can't wait for the
final game. :-D
Michael Vondung
wrote:
>I figured it out already, but maybe you could add something on dual
>wielding. You know, clicking the weapon/shield to remove rather then
>just clicking any part of the circle untill you've got the right stuff
>equiped. :-P
Hey, considering that you had to click the weapon/shield and drag it
into the circle, it does make a certain amount of sense that you have
to click the weapon/shield and drag it OUT OF the circle, you know! :P
>Also, you say that stuff can happen to your horse when you leave it
>somewhere. So, is there a safe place to leave it behind? Just leave it
>in a random town or something?
That's what I assume, yes. If you're not a wood elf, then the horse is
probably mostly useful for travelling across long distances. You can
call your horse by clicking on the horse shoe symbol below your
character portrait. If you're about half a screen away, or more, your
character will whistle. :) I'll play mostly wood elves, though, since
it's been so long that I played a game where you could mount a horse.
I also liked ranged attacks, and some of the wood elf's special
attacks look (read) almost like spells.
Just for fun, buy a bow for the Seraphim. It looks pretty cool, and
monsters get briefly stunned when an arrow hits them. It's more
"realistic" than in D2.
>mean, they're fun, but since I'm one of those people who feels he has to
>pick up every single gold piece he sees, getting on and off the horse is
>quite annoying and many cool skills can't be used on a horse.
In the demo and in SP, you can hit "A" to pick up stuff without
dismounting. :) Check the options if "pick up all" (or something like
that) is enabled.
>By the way, what's Attack called in the German version? Does that name
>make more sense? First I thought it was rather pointless to use a normal
>attack that way, but when i tried anyway I found out how incredibly
>powerful it is. :-D
It's called "Attacke". ;) But the skill description (when you hover
the mouse over the special attack icon) says it gives you a 76% damage
bonus at slvl 1. :p I guess it's something like "Bash" in D2.
>Well, despite the bugs I really like the demo and I can't wait for the
>final game. :-D
The demo is really bugged. If you use a bow, you'll notice that too.
But still, I'm having a blast with the demo (still finding new
chests/barrels/stashes that I haven't found before) and can't wait to
get my copy on Friday -- or Saturday. Glad you enjoy it! Another
possible person I know to play with online! :)
M.
Jim Vieira
Don't even give people like that the tmie of day. He just saw
this as an opportunity to put you down, so he could look even
more cool and normal. I think you did a great job, thanks for
the work.
J
David RP Haig
<SNIP>
So does anyone have a good source in the UK for buying games? I'm
interested in getting the full fledged 'gore' version.
Thanks in advance,
Dave
Michael Vondung
>So does anyone have a good source in the UK for buying games? I'm
>interested in getting the full fledged 'gore' version.
Two that have decent prices and have confirmed that they'll ship
Sacred to the US and Canada, are these:
http://www.game.uk.com
http://shop.game.net/
Shipping is about seven dollars for the second one (haven't checked
the other), and both say that mail will take about 5-8 business days.
Gogamer.com, a US vendor, stated that they will offer the UK import
version (alternatively to the US version) for pre-order, later this
week. They will probably ask the (higher) UK/European price for the
import, though. Then again, if you order in the UK (release: 19th) you
might still get it faster or as fast than the US version (release:
23rd).
M.
jerk-o
Can you put this in the FAQ?
--
no, i didn't forget the 'F's
Well, there's yer two 'FF's'
-Marshall, commenting on my results on the goth name generator
http://www.geocities.com/jerk_o2002
http://www.geocities.com/nameless_mod
-My 1.10 Diablo 2 Mod
patriarch jerk-o clvl 99 necromancer LOD/AR
patriarch Lombar-Hisst clvl 99 barbarian AR
matriarch jessica clvl 99 sorceress AR
Guardian yodaddy clvl 99 necromancer HC AR
Guardian the_man clvl 99 necromancer HC Gemstone
patriarch IAmTheLaw Clvl 94 necromancer
patriarch moonshadow clvl 93 necromancer
Sjoerd
> On Mon, 23 Feb 2004 21:52:45 +0100, Sjoerd <sjoer...@ONhotmail.com>
> wrote:
>
>>I figured it out already, but maybe you could add something on dual
>>wielding. You know, clicking the weapon/shield to remove rather then
>>just clicking any part of the circle untill you've got the right stuff
>>equiped. :-P
>
> Hey, considering that you had to click the weapon/shield and drag it
> into the circle, it does make a certain amount of sense that you have
> to click the weapon/shield and drag it OUT OF the circle, you know! :P
What I meant is the following. When you have only a weapon or shield in
a slot and drag the other kind of equipment on it (anywhere on the
cricle) it will simply be added. Now when you've got dual wield and you
drag another weapon onto the slot, the item replaced depends on what
part of the circle you let go.
If you drag weapon B onto weapon A, you simply change weapons, while if
you drag it onto the shield, you start dual wielding. Because the slots
are relatively small I didn't realise this for quite a while. A similar
thing happens when you're using only a single handed weapon and add
another one. Depending on where exactly you drop it determines wether
you're going to switch or dual wield.
Then again, if I'm the only person who didn't notice right away, there's
little point in adding it to the FAQ. :-P
chainbreaker
> Gogamer.com, a US vendor, stated that they will offer the UK import
> version (alternatively to the US version) for pre-order, later this
> week. They will probably ask the (higher) UK/European price for the
> import, though. Then again, if you order in the UK (release: 19th) you
> might still get it faster or as fast than the US version (release:
> 23rd).
>
> M.
I'm glad I read this post, Michael, because I preordered from Gogamer and
was about to cancel it in favor of ordering an "unemasculated" version from
the UK.
But I wonder if I'll have to cancel my existing preorder and specifically
preorder the UK import?
--
chainbreaker
If you need to email, then chainbreaker (naturally) at comcast dot
net--that's "net" not "com"--should do it.
chainbreaker
> But I wonder if I'll have to cancel my existing preorder and
> specifically preorder the UK import?
I suppose I will, to answer my own question--checked the gogamer site and
they now have the import version listed for preorder at a higher price, so I
suppose I'll be canceling my existing order and preordering the import.
All this to get a "feature" that will probably be able to be unlocked in the
North American version, anyway. Oh, well. :-)
David RP Haig
>
> >So does anyone have a good source in the UK for buying games? I'm
> >interested in getting the full fledged 'gore' version.
>
> Two that have decent prices and have confirmed that they'll ship
> Sacred to the US and Canada, are these:
>
> http://www.game.uk.com
> http://shop.game.net/
>
Thanks Mike! :)
Dave
Michael Vondung
wrote:
>All this to get a "feature" that will probably be able to be unlocked in the
>North American version, anyway. Oh, well. :-)
Maybe. :) I don't know if it's a political move to please the
publisher Encore, but the official Ascaron word on unlocking gore in
the US version is this:
"It will NOT be possible to change any part of the config file to
include blood in the US version. It will also NOT be possible to add
settings in the registry, create a blood patch for the US Version to
include blood. In general, it will NOT be possible to do this."
Do you think he meant it won't be possible? ;)
M.
Saber
?
if you were serious, please read the rest of the thread... im a regular in
agd2 and was makin a joke. if you were jokin, um... i have a cold, so ill
blame my not-getting-it on that.
i am very cool though. in fact, i am the definition of cool. look cool up
in the dictionary, and you will see a picture of me.
o wait, thats ogre im talking about, nvm.
--
Saber
Saber
so, they are anti-modding?
--
Saber
Daniel L.
one I know because now I can sell it but I did not figured out how to use
it.
"Michael Vondung" <mvon...@gmx.net> a écrit dans le message de
news:m5rh3053e9jba3jsk...@4ax.com...
Michael Vondung
<jereçoisdéjàtropdespamaubureau@désolé.com> wrote:
>I've read both FAQ but still can't find how to mount the horse! I bought
>one I know because now I can sell it but I did not figured out how to use
>it.
I added it to the new version -- in the other thread. :) In short, you
click on the horse shoe symbol below your character portrait. If you
are close to the horse, you'll mount it. If the horse is some distance
away, you'll whistle and it'll come to you.
M.
Michael Vondung
<sab...@IEATSPAMMERSoptonline.net> wrote:
>if you were serious, please read the rest of the thread... im a regular in
>agd2 and was makin a joke. if you were jokin, um... i have a cold, so ill
>blame my not-getting-it on that.
Have to protect our Saber here -- he's our local junior jester in
alt.games.diablo2 and he loves me! ;) He's just got these troubles
with girls ... well, or the girls with him, I'm not sure which!
M.
Saber
problems. i am the epitome of suave and attractive.
*looks out the window to see a pig flying*
uh... strong thermals
*upon landing, it gets struck by lightning 2x in a row*
freak weather caused by the lake....
damnit
--
Saber
chainbreaker
>> Do you think he meant it won't be possible? ;)
>>
>> M.
>
> so, they are anti-modding?
Looks like . . .
Bingain
news:wtGdnWvHwq0...@giganews.com...
> yea, i dont have any problems, its the girls. they are the ones with the
> problems. i am the epitome of suave and attractive.
> *looks out the window to see a pig flying*
> uh... strong thermals
> *upon landing, it gets struck by lightning 2x in a row*
> freak weather caused by the lake....
> damnit
>
So, dude, you still don't have a steady yet?
I mean, one (or a couple) steady(s) may keep you steady in grades (besides
in bed). A lot of steady(s) or unsteady(s) is gonna screw up your chances
(in girls and ... urh... future) unless you're like me (in a panel for wet
teeshirt contest).
And forget those cheerleaders. If you can't dunk, or if you can't pass a 40
yard ball accurately, you're not gonna have chance with them... unless, of
course, if you can sing and dance like Will Hung.
Bing
Saber
though.
ah, the wonders or rope and gags..
;)
--
Saber