As you guys know, a couple of months ago I wrote to The Biggest Gaming Magazine in Poland(TM) called CD-Action. They have a column where they write about various mods, so I asked the guy in charge of the column whether they could check out Co8 (both KotB and Co85.0.0.). It was a favourable moment for us because recently they had the full version of ToEE on their Cover-DVD. This month's edition (well it was available from the 13th of May ) featured a short review of the mod (5.0.0 got favourable notes!). I will allow myself to mention that he wrote very kind things about the whole community and the idea of us working together and fixing a game that wasn't really a commercial success. The reviewer said that he was amazed at the level of changes and the fact that he was not always aware of them. Anyway, Co8 got a 9/10 for playability and another 9/10 for the level of changes. Oh, and CD-A also put the mod on their Cover-DVD (don't know if they asked anyone permission though). Sadly, there was no mention of KotB but if we manage to get it finished be sure that I'll write to them.
Right away! -- [you hear the sound of salves] Very nice, maggit. Any chance we can get some images or a link?
Well, the review is not big... I'd say it's a mini review, but nevertheless Co8 is on their DVD. Sorry if I made that sound overoptimistic. I was excited to see it printed though . I'll provide a translation some time later.
And now (also as a part of exercise before one of my Practical English Exams) the translation. Be sure to tell me if something sounds unnatural or clumsy. Obviously the author is exaggerating in a few places, but what the hell. At least they got our name right! Ahem.... Circle of Eight Modpack 5.0.0 Anyone who played The Temple of Elemental Evil a for a longer period will surely agree with the statement that it is one of the best old-school RPGs out on the market and yet it has more bugs than experience points to give away. No matter how contradictory this judgement sounds, it is a fact. The game's level of complexity was mainly to blame for the fact the developers did not manage to find all bugs. Well, somebody had to do it for them. Almost everything... The mod presented here is not much of a creation of the fans it's more of a phenomenon. I mean, look at it yourselves, how else can you describe hundreds, even thousands (their forums have over 9000 users) of people focused on one game which never made it on the top list of PC games? ToEE is a game for enthusiasts, and those play the game of improving the title. If you're one of them you probably know Circle of Eight. If not, you'll surely love'em. The modpack collects loads of more or less complicated patches and add-ons to the game. After a couple of hours I spent playing the mod and browsing through the Co8 forums I was astounded with the fact that I wasn't aware which portion of the content was actually modified. ...and a little more. Where to start? From the basics maybe. After installing the mod you will find loads of new and modified weapons, armour and spells. This includes both new stats and look. There are a few new NPCs, some quests have different consequences than in the original game. There are also new quests, locations, monsters and traders such as the add-on called Verbomod. Finally, the level cap has been raised 10 levels higher than in the original. There is much more of course. The only problem with the mod is to run it. You have to strictly follow the guidelines to make it work with the Polish version. The details how to install can be found on the cover DVD. It is simply a must for fans! Verdict: Gameplay: 9/10 Level of Changes: 9/10 In short: Pros: +LOTS of addons! +Fixes lots of bugs Cons: -...and has a few new ones. -English gets mixed with Polish creating a grotesque effect (but that's not the fault of the modders)
