Wizardry 6: Bane of the Cosmic Forge

[Ice Cream Jonsey]

So, today I became aware of this game and its English patch for the Sega Saturn. Over on Caltrops, the Saturn file has been patched and uploaded.

I thought I was struggling to open the first chest in the game, but I think I did it accidentally. Here is what I learned:

The DOS version for Steam, I could not initially get going in a large window, as opposed to full screen. In full screen mode, the aspect ratio is off. The publisher should feel shame. They put out a bad product.

The eXoDOS version does not have the crack installed. It wants you to look up words based on runes. They do supply the necessary code wheel. I really wish eXODOS would give you the option of a cracked .exe.

The choices ya gotta make in combat might stop me from using a controller with the Saturn. You have to specify the type of "parry" in combat. I am happy to say that I don't make people do that in Cyberganked.

Blobber CRPGs do come down to flow and muscle memory when fighting.

The place I upload jpgs to is down, so no screenshots yet.

[Jizaboz]

For the Steam version the trick is to change up how the associated DOSbox is launched. I wanted mine bigger than default but not so big it covers up my auto-mapper.

I actually had no idea there’s a Sega Saturn version but I’m almost to the end of the version I’m playing.

[Ice Cream Jonsey]

Auto-mapper?? What? Where? How? Where?????

[Jizaboz]

Auto-mapper?? What? Where? How? Where?????

Yessir! https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/ ... =528034096

[Ice Cream Jonsey]

Thank you!!

[Ice Cream Jonsey]

I will figure this out and I don't need help, but it is shocking to me just how fucking bad the average set of instructions is for anything.

3. Extract Wiz6AutoMapMod12 to a folder.
4. Go into the DosBox folder, and copy everything but the file named 6.conf.

Takes an extra minute to actually write decent instructions.

[Ice Cream Jonsey]

This is mostly a good game. It is brutally difficult - I haven't been able to rest without a fight breaking out, so that makes it tough to make progress.



I have the auto map going - thanks Jiz!!

I haven't found the Sleep spell to really give me crowd control.

Everything says "don't let doors get jammed!" Well, they are gettin' jammed, so I am restarting and save scumming.

Like BG3, it's not the individual enemies, it's the sheer number of them so far that kills my party.

[Jizaboz]

Hell yeah! Right, starting out is hard. You may find you can progress better going to Game Settings where you save and stuff and changing toggling the difficulty.

Sleep can be learned fairly quickly, but I mainly use a fairy bard chick that just uses her lute item to cast sleep.

[Ice Cream Jonsey]

Yeah, I dropped it down to easy just as I get started. It is kind of brilliant in a way, but there is no mistaking that the graphics are bad and the sound is just abysmal. I turned sound completely off.

It's also weird that the enemies move in a herky jerky way on the screen.

[Ice Cream Jonsey]

Someone remade Wizardry 6 in the Wizardry 7 engine.

Ahhhhhhhhhh I don't know if that is an improvement?? I guess I'll make a party and find out.

https://rpghq.org/forums/viewtopic.php?t=3170

[Ice Cream Jonsey]

This is also needed. I don't have the time to play totally cold, so guides like this are great for me:

https://www.crimsontear.com/gaming/wiza ... lkthrough/

[Ice Cream Jonsey]

Here are some thoughts:

It's a good game so far, that has some bad features.

The sound is terrible. I had to turn it off. Not only is it just PC Speaker noise that they are pumping through a Soundblaster, it is constant. I don't know how fast it thinks it should be - I probably need to tweak the speed it is running at in DOSbox, but it was just constant bumping sounds. No music at all.

On one level of a dungeon, I walked forward and plummeted to my death. Ya can't do that, ya just can't.

I am saving every time I accomplish something and I am safe. This allows me to progress. I'm on the easiest of modes, too.

But I give it credit, it has created a sense of CRPG "flow." There is a flow state that I love getting into with these things. I guess this is why I am making a blobber, I want people to experience it. Wizardry 6 does something really great, which is - for combat - your most standard actions can be picked with the enter key. I do not have that in the game I am making. I am really contemplating doing something like that. If you don't want to just hit enter, you can use the cursor keys. Now, for travel, I do have a mode that Roody helped with that allows you to set the game so that you can use the cursor keys for movement. I am really considering adding this to pick options for fighting in Cyberganked.

I like that you can pick new portraits for your characters. I am really considering adding that feature to my game, too.

It's brutal. I can handle two enemies at the moment.

[Jizaboz]

Here are some thoughts:

It's a good game so far, that has some bad features.

The sound is terrible. I had to turn it off. Not only is it just PC Speaker noise that they are pumping through a Soundblaster, it is constant. I don't know how fast it thinks it should be - I probably need to tweak the speed it is running at in DOSbox, but it was just constant bumping sounds. No music at all.

On one level of a dungeon, I walked forward and plummeted to my death. Ya can't do that, ya just can't.

I am saving every time I accomplish something and I am safe. This allows me to progress. I'm on the easiest of modes, too.

But I give it credit, it has created a sense of CRPG "flow." There is a flow state that I love getting into with these things. I guess this is why I am making a blobber, I want people to experience it. Wizardry 6 does something really great, which is - for combat - your most standard actions can be picked with the enter key. I do not have that in the game I am making. I am really contemplating doing something like that. If you don't want to just hit enter, you can use the cursor keys. Now, for travel, I do have a mode that Roody helped with that allows you to set the game so that you can use the cursor keys for movement. I am really considering adding this to pick options for fighting in Cyberganked.

I like that you can pick new portraits for your characters. I am really considering adding that feature to my game, too.

It's brutal. I can handle two enemies at the moment.

Nice. I'm enjoying your reflections.

Last year I told myself I was going to finish Wiz6 and then start Wiz7 at Christmas because I originally got Wiz7 back in the early 90s as a Christmas present. Then, Baldur's Gate III came out so that didn't happen. I also didn't realize how long Wiz6 can be even with map editing and occasional edit of my save game to do shit like give me an item I missed 4-5 floors or hours back because fuck that.

Wiz6 the sounds of combat I really enjoy, but the sound of just standing or walking around reminds me of being in a redneck haunted house where the workers or patrons are constantly kicking the plywood walls that have been spray-painted black. This was a bit of a shock to me initially years back after playing 7 first. 7 (not gold edition) does the combat and environment sounds well and also has some music that really grew on me for the camp menu.

[Jizaboz]

Breakdown of my Wiz6 party:

ZARA the level 10 female Human Ninja
VALERIA the level 12 female Human Valkyrie
SAIGO the level 11 male Dwarf Samurai
BARBIE the level 11 female elf Bard (thought she was a fairy. Must have been a previous game)
BELBOZ the level 8 male Elf Lord
NATAS the level 11 male Elf Mage

[Ice Cream Jonsey]

Last year I told myself I was going to finish Wiz6 and then start Wiz7 at Christmas because I originally got Wiz7 back in the early 90s as a Christmas present. Then, Baldur's Gate III came out so that didn't happen. I also didn't realize how long Wiz6 can be even with map editing and occasional edit of my save game to do shit like give me an item I missed 4-5 floors or hours back because fuck that.

I appreciate going back to play games given as gifts. There was a afternoon and night I will always remember that I may have mentioned before. It would have been 1990 or 1991. I started playing Ultima 6, a game that I must have warezed with the help of Da King, I certainly did not own it. I got home from high school, started playing it and I didn't stop until it was time to go to bed. I have been chasing that high for 35 years. What I like about CRPGs is when I can shut my brain down and just play them, and I have had this experience (and remember it) with Devil Whiskey and Daggerfall and, sure, Baldur's Gate III, too.

Like you had mentioned, I will also be using a character editor when needed, in case I missed something that I need from hours ago. Right now I am saving after each fight still. I saw my first characters gain levels! I remain delighted that the entire thing can be played with the cursor keys and the enter key.

I bought a clean copy of the manual off eBay. Just to have it around, so I can read it.

The things I don't know is where spell points are.... so I am thinking maybe the game doesn't have them. But I am not sure how many spells you can cast without resting. It seems like it's 1, maybe 2. But yeah, this is nice!

[Ice Cream Jonsey]

Still playing this and only this. As a CRPG, it is quite good. As a game evaluated by comparison to other entertainment products I could be enjoying, the first few areas could do with a little, ah, letting me get on with it.

I am still using the guide and the map. I don't think I'd be able to keep playing without the automap, so thanks Jiz. I just opened the treasure chest of Ramm by using the key of Ramm, which you find by searching on a random dungeon square. I guess you were expected to "search" each square. I have nothing like that in Cyberganked.

[Jizaboz]

I am now in the TEMPLE OF RAMM !!

Should have the game finished tonight or tomorrow night in plenty of time before Christmas morning to transfer my party over Wizardry VII.

Really looking forward to how different it will be to play with this imported party versus the from scratch party I had when I first got the game for Christmas. Apparently Wiz7 starts differently depending if you got a good ending, a bad ending, or never even played Wizardry 6.

[Ice Cream Jonsey]

I took a break but you are encouraging me to pick it back up! It was the game I spent the most time with in 2025 according to Steam. I have to figure out how to get out of the first areas I am in!

[Jizaboz]

I took a break but you are encouraging me to pick it back up! It was the game I spent the most time with in 2025 according to Steam. I have to figure out how to get out of the first areas I am in!

My motivation for doing so was getting to all the hot jungle girls trying to kill me lol

(Probably mentioned before.. Scorpia disliked this game for this aspect)

[Jizaboz]

I beat it! Character transfer left me confused for a bit so passing out.

Wizardry 7 tomorrow heh