Co8 New Content: Hickory Branch

Ok that was absolutely fantastic, great fun! Finally a map that sufficiently challenging enemies in sufficient numbers to "justify" the raining of fiery death upon them from all those items we can find and buy after Zuggy. I do have to mention a bug I'm having. When I killed everyone and everything, I returned to that ranger girl and she asks me how many of the leaders I identified. I'm given no option to answer that question though, instead, only given the ability to leave and end the conversation.

 

Hi Barles, did you just kill everything in sight? Because you have to have a conversation with the leaders first in order to identify them. After each conversation you can kill everything that becomes hostile.

 

I killed everything but I did speak to everyone that would engage in a conversation. I checked my reputation and saw "Nine of Nine" so I think I identified all of the leaders.

 

Ok, sounds like a bug to me. Maybe you have to use a console command. I'm sorry that I do not know the it, maybe someone else here can give you the one you need.

 

I was curious to find out if anyone was having problems viewing the Hickory Branch intro slide. I was wondering because I could not get the intro slide to play at all!

After talking to Bethany, I tried 4 ways to get to Hickory Branch:
Travel by dialog from Bethany.
Travel directly to Hickory Branch after talking to Bethany.
Travel to another map location and then travelling to Hickory Branch.
Teleport directly to Hickory Branch after talking to Bethany.
Each time the intro slide would not play!

I tried restarting and consoling HB with the same result. I even got the same result after starting a new game. I admit it that I haven't done the full uninstall, reinstall ToEE yet. :roll:

Is this just my problem :shrug: because I am too lazy? :yawn:

Or is a more sinister hand at play? :transform

 

When you are gathering the nine names, do you need to have an actual dialogue with a leader, or does it register by "overhearing" a name via the floating text boxes as they are talking to themselves? (while you are sneaking and listening)

 

:sadblinky

is it possible to miss HB altogether? my party is 12th level and we defeated zuggtomoy and moathouse respawn and white dragon in verbabonc. am i too late for HB?

 

Spoiler

Warning this post contains observations and tactical guidance for the OPFOR in Hickory Branch. If you haven't visited these charming camp grounds do not read this post.

For some reason the "SPOILER" tags don't seem to be working.

*** SPOILER***
Warning this post contains observations and tactical guidance for the OPFOR in Hickory Branch. If you haven't visited these charming camp grounds do not read this post.

Thank you Geare for guidance on matters of posting etiquette.

The Righteous Forces of Evil could use a bit of tactical guidance


First rule of a good ambush is that no body in the kill zone gets out alive.

Second rule is that the attack is initiated with your greatest casualty producing weapons.


Keeping the above in mind lets look at the main ambush that takes place when the party encounters the explosive runes at the open field.

When using area denial weapons such as mine fields, we'd like to slow the enemy down as much as possible so that they have more time to enjoy the shrapnel.

So I suggest that once the mine field is tripped, we get the evil spell casters to throw spells like "Slow", "Grease", "Soften Stone", "Entangle" ( if available ), Sonic Burst, Confusion, Gaseous Cloud, etc.

Might even consider hidden pit traps that cost say 5x the normal movement cost to get through.

On the casualty producing side of things, other spell casters begin lobbing fireballs, flame strikes, ice storms at the party.

Our friends the Stone Giants would pick this time to start their bombardment via thrown boulders and archers would begin sniping at party members with the lowest AC.


NOTE that these opening attacks are carried out even if the party is beyond the visual range of the casters and Giants. They know this ground and the kill zone has been well planned. They also have the advantage of Forward Observers if the ground troops can see the Party.


As to the Grunts of our Elite Orc Guard, I've discovered that if your Party can get to the top of the line of troops sitting to the left of and just outside of the explosive runes mine field, the Party can easily push their way down line, only fighting a hand full of Orcs, Gnolls, etc at a time. With little interference from enemy spell casters.

To address this weakness we need to anchor both ends and the center of the skirmish line with some of the best troops available. We should also place additional explosive runes at the flanks of the line. The goal once again to slow the party down long enough for spell casters, rock throwers, and archers to impact the party and for reinforcements to come up from the reserve.


Once the Party has reached the center of the, a reserve squad of Orc Shock Troops ( think tower shields, heavy armor, first attack getting the "Charge Attack" bonus ) should brought up to engage them. This will once again serve to slow down the party so that the archers and spell casters can keep them under fire without the threat of direct contact.


In other areas of Hickory Branch I've noticed a tendency for the troops to just stand there while my archers have shot the crap out of them. In all areas outside of the main ambush site, the moment a squad member is attacked the whole squad should change the party in mass. With spell casters throwing things out there like Sonic Bust, Glitter Dust, FireBall, etc. Forget casting defensive spells - the fight will be over before they'll be of any value any way.


I realize that some will not want to increase the lethality of the game to this level. However, I would point out that these are Elite troops fighting on their own ground.

Please take the above commentary in the spirit offered - With peace love and joy - May the Hoards of Hickory Branch live a thousand years - and may there be a halfling in every pot!

 

I have looked all over the map, even cheated and used the thumbnail with the 12 potential locations, but I am not seeing the phylactery... Does it highlight when you hold Tab down? does it take a char with high spot skill or do I just have to randomly click every pixel I can until I get lucky? Love what you have done with this Area by the way! Just having a heck of a time doing this final search and destroy part of the quest... Thanks!

 

The phylactery does not highlight when you hold down the Tab key. As far as I am aware, your characters' Search and Spot skills have no affect what-so-ever on finding the phylactery. I had the exact same problem as you. I went to all 12 possible locations but couldn't see the damned thing. The phylactery is a tiny object. You'll just have to persevere and keep going back to each of the 12 possible locations until you finally manage to notice the tiny object with your eyes/brain. Here's what the phylactery actually looks like:

 

I too went to each spot and moved my cursor around until it changed shape.

Thank you very much gazra_1971 for the locations and the map. :thumbsup:

 

That map was created by Gaear (after I asked him for one). The credit goes to Gaear, as always.

 

I saw that it had a green circle around it, like a friendly NPC

 

Where do i find the map with the 12 possible locations?
I wanna find that box sooo bad.