Wizardry 8 Hints

Adventuring

• During your stay on Dominus, you will discover many items, NPCs, and stranger things, all of which may provide you with important information. While this hint file can help you out when you get stuck, by paying attention to everything in the gameworld, you may find yourself needing to refer to these hints less often. A few tips to help you get the most out of your travels through Wizardry 8 are listed below.
  
  Talking to NPCs:
  Talk to NPCs about *everything*. A good place to start would be to ask the
  NPC about himself. Like any real-life conversation, dialogue with NPCs
  consists of give and take. When an NPC mentions something interesting, ask
  him for more details. One quick way to get more information out of an NPC is
  to simply click on words or phrases which he mentions as they appear in the
  dialog box. Remember that the NPCs have been on Dominus much longer than your
  party has, so they have quite a bit of knowledge to share. If you feel an NPC
  is holding something back, try using the Mindread spell to find out what's on
  his mind.
  
  The Journal:
  Wizardry 8 helpfully keeps track of important information like quests and
  clues in your journal. Use it! Often the answer to a riddle or the next step
  to be taken in a quest can be found right there in your journal.
  
  "A Specific Item is Required Here":
  You will be seeing this message quite often as you adventure on Dominus. The
  message is clear enough, but doesn't tell you much. Generally, the item you
  need will be found in the same general area as the place where it is used, so
  do a little exploring. After you've found it, its use is normally (but not
  always) obvious. Be careful with certain items, especially weapons: if you
  feel you have the correct item but it does not show up as "usable" when you
  try to use it, you may need to physically remove it from your inventory and
  click it on the target.
  
  Loot, Booty, Goodies, et al:
  Loot abounds in Wizardry 8. Much of it will end up in your party inventory,
  as unused junk. This can be a problem, as carrying too much weight can slow
  your characters down and make them less effective during combat. If your
  character's AC next to their portrait turns any color other than white, it's
  time to unload some of that cargo. Make sure you identify everything first,
  though: besides the benefit of knowing exactly what you're lugging around,
  identified items will fetch a better price in shops. Sell off unwanted items
  at every opportunity. If there's something you want to save for later, you
  can drop it on the ground at a convenient location (it will not be stolen or
  disappear), or stash it in a chest by clicking it on an open chest. Quest
  items cannot be dropped, but they can be stored in chests. Ammunition in
  particular can become very burdensome. Later in the game, after acquiring the
  Portal spells, you may wish to store excess ammunition and other items at a
  safe location, and portal in and out when you need a fresh supply.
  
  Finally, bear in mind that Wizardry 8 is a very non-linear game. Quests can be completed in virtually any order. Likewise, you will often be required to return to an area several times before you are able to complete all of its puzzles. If you're stuck on a quest, do a bit of exploring or follow up on some other quests. You may discover something that will shed new light on a puzzle.

• Up One Level