Time tips

[Vilk]

Lol funny, do the game in 5 days. In fact it's perhaps possible but I doubt in order to achieve a higher score because to go that fast you'll need skip some quests and probably not finish level 30. Still a funny (and extreme) challenge.

For a 6 days path it's the idea but not the first shortcut. But definitely the second shortcut. Now I have finished from begin to end in 7 days I see well where you have too much time and where you don't and what you can delay or not.

Key points with the second shortcut is that:

• Demonis isn't that much harder than many fights of Undead lands.
• So you could reduce drastically Elven day by skipping many things and start lower level Demonis.
• Demonis can be done very fast despite the wait because of teleporters.
• Doing the Labyrinth plus Murock is very fast, I finished the game at 13H30 and took some time before starting the labyrinth. So perhaps it can be done for 12H00 AM and that let 12H before 24H.
• When you come back to Elven lands for the labyrinth you can achieve some stuff in Elven and Undead lands before to start the Labyrinth.

I'm not sure it's really doable and beat my last record because:

• I know demonis and stuff around can be done very fast but not how fast and if it's fast enough.
• I know you can skip stuff in Elven and Undead lands but how much to be able do Demonis in same day, I don't have yet the answer.
• The number of quests done and hero level count in final score. In 6 days I can only skip 1 quest or end level 29 to beat the score, more quests skip will involve a lower score (1723 for 6 days, level 30 and 101 quests vs 1727 for 7 days, level 30, 103 quests).

Now there's another option for the 6 days game, it's to use both shortcuts you mention to win time for Creiston + Hagar + Taron + Ardan's Peaks + Mehgard. Alas this option also involves a base of 102 quests so all other quests should be done and level 30 reach. That's still an excellent option for a 6 days game. But I admit I'm highly tempted to use the first shortcut to achieve the last Freedom Island quest that gives an interesting item, the Anga's Ruby. This quest requires you get back in Freedom Islands and that's not possible with the path you describe.

In fact I think I'll attempt an easy game and try do it in 6 days to get an idea. The problem is resources you get in a game can involve very different problems in another game with different resources. That point is also why I'm tempted to try the 6 days, because I quote in my game resources that match well this shortcut. In fact I used it to achieve 103 quests instead of 102.

Also the different difficulty could involve to not see some problem at harder difficulty.

EDIT: In 5 day, hero level 30, 3 quests can be skip and still beat current high score, the result is 1728 vs current 1727!! But that won't beat 6 days with 1 quest skip that gives 1732.

[McSwan]

Have you got a points calculator ? Ahh that's right, they show the formula.

Yes I imagine clearing freedom and dwarven mines in a single day to be near impossible with completing all the quests. You'd have to have a really good idea on the exact order that you're going to complete the quests, and have near perfect pathing. It's funny how getting anga's ruby may give you a higher score, so yes, I think that 6 days would give you the highest score + it's more "doable".

Man you'd have to be careful not to miss a single quest.

Still it'd be nice kudos to actually finish it in 5 days.

I do wonder about my choice of paladin. The +15 attack vs undead and demons might be very useful in demonis and undead lands, but yeah I think with mage or warrior this would be easier.

I'll try and do the darion without loss, and then start taking losses at freedom isle as it has to be done rediculously fast, then maybe go back later and see how fast it can be done without loss.

[Vilk]

Yes I put the score formula in a calc. 5 days minus a quest gives 1747 and cannot be beat by 6 days so it's still a theoretical option to do it in 5 days without doing the Anga Ruby quest. That one would be the real absolute score. No idea if it's really possible or not.

I never played Paladin but I suspect that Warrior would be a better choice for a 5 days game, not sure.

For not missing a single quest, it's not really the problem but I still have the problem to not forget start a quest when I'm close to location for starting it or do some quest part. To solve this problem I end in write down list of stuff to not forget associated to locations.

Freedom Islands can be done relatively fast if you don't lost a second in hunting Pirates Ships. I just tried be coherent and finished 5 hours before the limit, I wonder if a much more optimized path can be used.

To manage Kraken and not lost too much time nor do it too soon I applied a cool trick. My path was roughly organized in order to reach the ship that will lead to Kraken I follow it but in same time explored/did the fights on the road and when not too far from Kraken I didn't want fight yet I stop follow the ship to continue elsewhere and later. The ship waited here so I just had reach the kraken place to fight it instead of having to do the long road a second time by following the hunter captain ship. But for the best speed I doubt the kraken could be delayed like that and the path would need to be organized in order to be able do it when the path involves it.

Another point I quote to win time in Freedom Islands is the underground with some undead, no quest is linked to this area. But xp price could be too high.

Currently I'm playing a game in Normal mode and well pick mage anyway I'll try 6 days with mage. If I don't succeed it in 6 days in normal then I doubt I will in impossible mode. Alas if I succeed in normal mode it won't mean that I'll do it in impossible mode too. The problem isn't really the higher difficulty but the different path options involved by a higher difficulty.

I also got a problem to select a game by quick scouting, it seems easy mode doesn't provide good spells but plenty great items. I switch to normal mode but again didn't succeed select a game until I get a strange combination Sacrifice + Hypnotize (through item). I have also Magic Spring but it seems not Gift in first areas. Ha well I try this game I'll select another one only if I feel this combination change too much an optimized path.

[McSwan]

Another issue is that you lose your entire army when you death teleport, so you'll have to pick up a completely new army each time you do it. You could get your elf army back when you head back to the elf lands, but it'd be hard to get an elf army going in demonis. maybe dwarfs or demons, demons prob be bad due to the paladin not getting his +15 attack.

Your only option I think is to do the quests and not to worry too much about going off road gaining xp, otherwise you may fail to complete all the quests in time. If you get time at the end, then go back to them otherwise I'd ignore them, as 1 battle in the higher levels equal 10 in the lower levels.

Is there a way to gain free/max xp apart from paladin skill? I take it summoned creatures do not give xtra xp.

I'll have to check out the kraken and see if there are speed ups for it.

[Vilk]

I consider the quests Archmage rezo, Cursed Child and Mage Range impossible to do before Freedom Islands, I could be wrong but I doubt. But to get more xp you could do Archmage rezo fights up to Gremlins battle, it should not make you lost too much time but still a little.

The Abandoned Castle quest is certainly to attempt before Freedom Islands. If I remember well Calinda made it but the final fight and a Paladin did it too before Freedom Islands but not sure it was all fights. Myself I didn't but I'll try.

About Turtle Battle there are two tricks:

• The more simple is using Magic Spring + Last Hero + A stack of one unit fast enough to reach Turtle at second round before Turtle attack at second round and despite Turtle slow spell. This solution requires moving close to Turtle, like right to its head (not in front the head) and cast last hero, next round cast magic spring, next round cast last hero and so on. During this time the 4 other stacks, long range will attack the turtle. One caution is always cast a spell when the unit close to turtle has already spend his turn. So you need in your army a stack with higher initiative than turtle but lower than the unit in contact with turtle.
• The other trick is to use 2 stacks of 1 Warrior Thorn each. Move them closer to Turtle. Next round move one close to turtle and the second closer to turtle but close to the other Thorn. Then at each round the turtle kill a Thorn, the other Thorn use the dead body to generate a new Thorn and so on. The turtle will always kill the older Thorn. But you could need use haste at the beginning and Battle Cry if a thorn generated is a hunter instead of a warrior because of initiative problem with the turtle. I'm not sure of those last two points. And for this trick too when a unit go close to turtle at second round it should not be in front of the turtle head.

About 6h15 it's because you forget the animations trick I quoted. You need escape both animations, at travel start and at travel arrival. Then in theory 20mn is enough but myself I let me 30mn to be safer.

EDIT: I'm curious, for this attempt, could you summarize what you've already done before the turtle?

[McSwan]

Turtle battle
I didn't have last hero on the turtle battle, I did have royal thorns though. I mainly tanked with the horsemen + archmage shield, and healed the horseman, and eventually had to swap the horse out for thorns occasionally, healed with priests as well. Res'ed with inquisitors. The battle came down to the wire, I had to do 65 damage to kill the turtle with the priests, otherwise the turtle would've killed a non-resurrectable horseman. I think your strat would've been better! Ran back to dirgible with about 2 min spare, skipped anims. (without it I wouldn't have made it -ty.) soooo close.. 0 losses still. Killed him at level 5.

Perfect start:
Restart until you get items you like and royal thorns in bagaba's castle. You have to goto the other frog that wants you to hang his banner on babaga's castle, then back to bag's castle and sometimes royal thorns appear in there. If not, restart. For me, I got banner (+800 leadership) and head piece that gave +400 leadership.

Ok, you need 760 leadership by the time you get to bag castle so you can buy 2 royal thorns without having to backtrack. Always choose leadership on level up.

Aim to have max mana and rage at end of battle, regenerate it with the thorns, poison cloud etc. Start battle with fish attack mostly, don't forget to use zeerocks abilities at start as much as possible to to level him up, esp on easy fights.

I think that all this might be for naught if sacrifice isn't in the starting area though.



So the order I've done it is roughly:
* Do plumes quest.
* (Do nearby easy quests on the way to carl and martha, don't backtrack though because you'll head back this way, grab leadership flags) do bear quest, get beholder quest.
* Get boat to do
* Do carl and martha,
* Do dragon tooth quest,
* Pickup frog princess quest from argus on way back to greenwort, get horsemen if you want them.
* Get chest of rage.
* Do abandoned castle - just run around bad guys.
* Head to swamps, goto swamp see old chivala (by boat cause it's faster)
* Get alchemist quest,
* Progress lost city quest, Carl and martha quest, princess frog quest, bag flag quest
* Goto BAG castle and get royal thorns, hopefully you will have 760 leadership by now.
* Head to greenwort and clear it out, do werewolf quest last, marry rina,
* Do as much of verion forest before having to go kill turtle.
* Clear out verion forest ( this is where I'm up to)
* Clear out Arlina, hand in carl and martha quests, frog princess etc.
* Head to swamps etc


If you know you're gonna head past a place later on, don't bother handing it in until you head past it like the Carl and Martha quest, frog quest etc.

The quests that will be a pain are

* especially enemin quest
* rezo tower ( walk back to hand in)
The above might *have* to be done pre freedom isles. I suspect they might only be possible if you get sacrifice in starting area. c'mon sacrifice..

* Griffins quest ( too much walking ?)
* Titans Tear

* anga's ruby (impossible to do)


// Do not double post, use edit option - Elwin

[Vilk]

I don't think I ever used the exact same path but there are always similarities with them and also with the one you did.

For game selection, scrolls available are my main focus even if items are important too. Mage (like warrior) need a substitute for Paladin res scroll. Scrolls I'm looking at are Magic Spring soon enough, Gift + Inquisitor (or Res), Target. All are required for my game selection. I'm also looking to get Stone Skin and Trap not too late.

Yes sacrifice is important too but get in Darion Gift + Inq and Sacrifice is a very very rare event and I gave up search that. With a Paladin my game selection would be to have sacrifice scroll before anything else.

For items I agree that the true faith banner is great despite the price. Cumulate 60k to buy it is a challenge but should be doable before Freedom Islands. The Tournament Helmet is also a great item to get soon and its price is quite lower. In my 7 days game I got the banner sooner thanks to Rina children giving money and by selling free troops found by fleeing a battle.

About rude quests I think you forget the Magic Range. During the game you have to go back to Greenwort castle using this path so Magic Range and Rezo aren't a problem to delay. In fact you have to path there after Freedom Islands but also after Hagard you need get back to Darion King to continue main quest, and after Elven Islands either with the shortcut either to get the last title giving more leadership.