Hello, gentle readers, and welcome to the RPG Reload Play-Along. Each month, we’ll be playing an iOS RPG together, sharing laughs and tears in equal measures. The post on the front page (like this one!) is basically here to announce the game in question and give a few tips on getting started. The real action will be happening in the TouchArcade forums, where you’ll find a thread dedicated to each month’s featured game. Sign up if you haven’t already, post your screenshots, ask for advice, or just chat about your misadventures with others. We’ve got a great community of RPG fans here at TouchArcade, so let’s make the most of it! As a little incentive, at the end of each month, I will randomly pick one of the participants and send them something small and silly from here in Japan. All you have to do to be eligible is, well, play along with the Play-Along!
As expected, the March Play-Along of Lunar: Silver Star Story Touch proved to be a tough challenge for most. Not only is it longer and more difficult than the previous games we’ve played together, there were a lot of great new releases in March to play. Still, there was plenty of fun participation in the forum thread, and by all indications, many will continue playing the game even though the month is formally finished. Thanks to all who joined in, and I hope to see you in this month’s thread! March’s winner of a Small and Silly Prize has been pulled from the ever-temperamental Magic Moogle Hat after giving it a good shake. This month’s winner is none other than nkx! I’ll be in touch soon through the forums to get your mailing address, nkx. To everyone else, a new month brings another chance to win a Small and Silly Thing from Japan!
For the April Play-Along, I figured we would play something a little lighter all-around. Not too light, mind you. I don’t want you all to have too much free time! For such an occasion, I think Lava Level’s 2013 release QuestLord ($5.99) fits the bill perfectly. This is one of the more approachable first-person dungeon crawlers I’ve played, and its three distinct character set-ups should provide some variety to help keep the stories interesting and worth sharing.
Lava Level is currently working on a sequel to the game, so this might be a good time to revisit QuestLord even if you’ve already played it before. As was the case in previous months, you’ll need to grab the game from the App Store if you don’t already own it. Then, either log into or sign up for the TouchArcade forums and head on over to the April RPG Reload Play-Along: QuestLord thread to say hello. You don’t need to beat the game to qualify for the random draw, but I would like to see at least one screenshot of your progress at some point, okay?
There are three main stats to consider in QuestLord, and before we talk about anything else, it’s good to know what each one corresponds to. Bravery is somewhat similar to strength in other games, determining the damage you deal to enemies. Cunning is a defensive stat, determining how well your character can avoid attacks and reduce the damage taken. Finally, Knowledge is associated with magic ability. If you want to boost your MP and play as a mage-type, this is the stat to take care of.
In QuestLord, your choice of character not only determines your stats and capabilities, but also your starting point on the map. Thus, depending on who you pick, your adventure is going to unfold in a slightly different way. Instead of offering up classes, you have three different races to choose from.
Humans begin their quest in the village of Kyre. Their strongest stat initially is Bravery, while their weakest is Knowledge. They’re flexible enough to take in any direction, however. Humans start with a Rusty Sword, Leather Armor, Worn Boots, a Ridiculous Hat, and 10 Gold. If you choose to play as a human, be forewarned that you’ll face a tough boss much earlier than the other two races.
Dwarves start off at Mount Hammerstone. It’s a little out of the way compared to other starting locations, and since beating the game requires you to visit here no matter what, it’s nice to get it out of the way early on. Their best starting stat is Cunning, giving them a robust defense. Their weakest starting stat is Knowledge, so if you fancy yourself a wizard, you might want to look elsewhere. Dwarves march into the game with a Mining Axe, Stitched Leather, and a Wooden Shield. The developer recommends playing as a dwarf if you want an easier experience.
Elves begin their journey in Telefin Grove. They start off with a lot of Knowledge, making them ideal spellcasters. Their weakest stat is Bravery, so be careful if you’re going toe-to-toe with any monsters. Their starting gear includes a Dagger, an Elf-Weave Shirt, and Elf Boots. You’ll find a Bolt Spellbook almost directly in front of you when you start the game. It’s an excellent advantage to have, especially early in the game.
Getting started in QuestLord is fairly straightforward. The only big pieces of advice I’ll give you is to make use of your map and don’t forget to carry extra food to make offerings at the statues. You’ll be sorry if you don’t, trust me on that. Should you happen to get really stuck somewhere, you can ask for some help in the thread and I or someone else will probably be able to give you some advice.
If you can’t decide which race you want to play, you can always rely on our old friend, the six-sided die. Just assign two numbers to each class, roll, and take what you get. No matter which class you play, the game is quite viable. You don’t need to sweat the decision too much. In the past, I’ve usually played as a human, so I’m going to change things up this time and go with the Elf. You can check out my adventures and join in yourself by hopping on over to the April 2017 RPG Reload Play-Along thread in the forums.
Next Week’s Classic Reload: The Room ($0.99)
As before, the comments on this article will be closed, so if you want to comment or join in, please head to the forums.
