This week in the Neverwinter Foundry! A short night, as Kasul and I were play testing each other’s contest entries. Mine, as you know, is “Fire Sale” (and I’m going to do a project review on it at some point). Kasul’s entry is “Of Kobolds and Cultists”, and I won’t be reviewing it. You should play it, though — AFTER it gets featured as part of the Dragon Cult contest.
That’s what they’re planning on doing. Featuring six contest quests each week, starting August 16th 19th, I think.. I will be reviewing all of those as they go live, except for mine and Kasul’s. But I will point out when ours are live in case you want to throw some stars our way 🙂
We’ve been jumping the gun a bit with the dragon cult contest quest reviews, and that will continue today. But the contest reviews will give me a chance to see them all in their final state, as the author intended.
A Call for Heroes by grimah
The town of Twindletop is looking for a hero. A hero like … you? When you arrive, you find out that the hero spot’s already been taken, and all that’s left for you is to do odd jobs. Because, in this adventure, that’s pretty much all you’re good for, as this adventure takes control of your character’s history and rewrites it. You’re a beginning hero, and nobody’s ever heard of you.
But, is there something going on that maybe even you would notice? Answering that question will… not make you the hero. Sorry. You’re just not that good!
I liked this quest for the sort of sneaky way it introduces the real plot, where you, the player, is aware what’s going on while your character is too stupid to ever fully understand.
Kasul hated the way the quest takes your character from you, thought it was vaguely homophobic, thought some of the quest choices were questionable, and didn’t like how it started so slowly.
So, split decision from the two of us. It’s a controversial quest, as the author notes in the description. Judge for yourself. I skipped playing the first part so Kasul could approach it fresh (I’d played it before), but I’ll be re-reviewing the whole quest from the start when it comes up in the contest.
Part 1: Humble Pie by akwete
A merchant in the market is panicking, looking for help. Her husband has been arrested by kobolds for a crime he did not commit! And his sentence is death. Can you find her husband, a simple pie seller, and clear him of the crime?
This quest could have been a simple kill quest. The author, though, built a deep plot with maps that were fully interactive, plots that could go one way or the others based on your suggestions, characters who organically might help you if you needed, or step aside if you felt you could handle things.
I felt the quest glossed over the fact that you had killed a bunch of kobolds prior to a detente of sorts that leads to the ending. The solution of this mystery, though, sets the stage for the next — a part 2 which is not yet written.
Nonetheless, both Kasul and I really enjoyed this quest, and it was the high point of our night. I checked — akwete doesn’t have an entry in the contest. Thankfully. I don’t need this kind of competition!
Next week — no dragon cult foundries!
