Cheating without breaking the game.

[GrayFace]

I use solutions for things like teachers in MM or if I searched everywhere and couldn't find something important. I try to avoid using solutions as much as possible in proper puzzles, where all elements are easily seen and you just need to compose/use them the right way.

[hobowu]

I use solutions for things like teachers in MM or if I searched everywhere and couldn't find something important. I try to avoid using solutions as much as possible in proper puzzles, where all elements are easily seen and you just need to compose/use them the right way.

yep, solutions for teachers are almost a must need. Flipping through pages of your notes (in-game) is just painful.

I went through Walls of Mist without a walkthrough. Took ages... and many reloads

[tolich]

Flipping through pages of your notes (in-game) is just painful.

Nobody prohibited you to write your own notes on some sheets of paper, with blackjack and hooker. You probably will know all this information when you'll play the second time.
In contrast, reading walkthroughs not made by you, you do cheat, because it is using of third side information, not yours, and not game's.

Cheating is not good, cheating is not bad. Cheating a game, you break only your own pleasure from things, that possibly don't bring you pleasure. Use it if it's ok for you, but be warned that it's still cheating.

[Macros the Black]

The thing about teacher locations is that if you don't look it up, it will take longer for you to find them. What I did when I played MM6 the first few times was I always visited every house every time I was in a town (even Free Haven). This way I usually found the teachers pretty much automatically, but I didn't go to a specific town just to find them except if I actually knew where they were (the first time I played I'd remembered that the Body Building master was living in Free Haven, except I was so sure that he lived in Free Haven itself, not in Rockham. So I went past every house in Free Haven like three times before I finally decided to check Rockham... and there he was, the first house I checked).

Anyway, my point is, it may have made the rest of the game more challenging because it took longer to get all my skills up this way. But yeah, if I play nowadays the few skill teachers I don't remember I look up online..

I also switch between turn-based mode and realtime mode quite liberally. Most outdoor fights in the game are easiest to deal with in realtime mode, running around shooting arrows at enemies. Most indoor fights are best deal with in turn-based mode, running back in realtime mode when the enemies get near, and going into turn-based mode again to shoot some more arrows. I use whichever tactic works best in a certain situation..

And the getting enemies stuck on a wall, or fighting them from where they can't hit you back is a tactic I employ also.

Most of these things I don't even consider cheating anymore, it's just part of the game for me. The game is still challenging even when you do these things anyway, that's what I like about it.

But I would never use editors or stuff like that..

[GreatEmerald]

I also switch between turn-based mode and realtime mode quite liberally. Most outdoor fights in the game are easiest to deal with in realtime mode, running around shooting arrows at enemies. Most indoor fights are best deal with in turn-based mode, running back in realtime mode when the enemies get near, and going into turn-based mode again to shoot some more arrows. I use whichever tactic works best in a certain situation..

I pretty much always use turn-based combat, since a) it's the original fighting system dating back to MM1 and b) all fights are easier this way because your shots actually *hit* the target! I use real-time mode only if I want to auto-attack my way through.

[GrayFace]

Nobody prohibited you to write your own notes on some sheets of paper, with blackjack and hooker.

Why bother if it's already done?

[tolich]

Nobody prohibited you to write your own notes on some sheets of paper, with blackjack and hooker.

Why bother if it's already done?

Why cribs are prohibited on exams?

[Macros the Black]

I pretty much always use turn-based combat, since a) it's the original fighting system dating back to MM1 and b) all fights are easier this way because your shots actually *hit* the target! I use real-time mode only if I want to auto-attack my way through.

a) I started playing the games with MM6, so..
b) but in realtime mode if you do it right the enemy can't hit you back. Btw do you just mean it's difficult to turn the screen so you're shooting at something while avoiding them from hitting you, or do you mean there's actually a penalty to attack when fighting in real time mode?

I find realtime dodge/shoot combat to work most effectively in places like Castle Ironfist or Harmondale where there's lots of ranged enemies and the turn-based/run/repeat trick doesn't help. There's also places like the Barrow Downs where it would just take ages to kill everything the old fashioned way, this trick really helps in such situations.

Something else I forgot to mention is the flying up and down in turn-based mode trick... Honestly I've used this a few times, specifically in the Eel Infested Waters and Dragonsands when I just want to finish the game at that point and don't really care for the challenge of fighting those enemies.. But nowadays I don't use the trick anymore, it's just too cheap imo.

[Sure Valla]

OFFTOPIC>> Macros you're signature is really awesome!xD

[GreatEmerald]

In both modes your arrows home to the closest enemy/enemy under your mouse, but in real-time mode it doesn't lead the target, and since targets zigzag around, you can't hit them. Besides, in real-time mode you're generally slower because you can't turn around to back off as easily, making melee enemies a lot harder, although since you can move and enemies don't lead their shots as well, it's more effective against ranged enemies.

As for the flying trick, I use it, it's not that much of game breaking since dodging the shots isn't easy by itself, and you can do that in real-time mode as well.

[Sure Valla]

In both modes your arrows home to the closest enemy/enemy under your mouse, but in real-time mode it doesn't lead the target.

Thats not true, it does lead to the target.

or am i reading this all wrong?

[Macros the Black]

In both modes your arrows home to the closest enemy/enemy under your mouse, but in real-time mode it doesn't lead the target, and since targets zigzag around, you can't hit them. Besides, in real-time mode you're generally slower because you can't turn around to back off as easily, making melee enemies a lot harder, although since you can move and enemies don't lead their shots as well, it's more effective against ranged enemies.

I take it by "leading the target" you mean the arrow gets shot to the point they are at instead of in front of where they're walking to?
This is true. In fights with many enemies you just have to be lucky that the one you're shooting at is standing still at the moment you shoot. In fights with a single dragon for instance, though, the trick is to turn around and shoot at the right moment when they're still standing still right before shooting at you. It's still trial and error though.
And yes. It's more effective against ranged enemies, I did mention that I use it primarily against those

As for the flying trick, I use it, it's not that much of game breaking since dodging the shots isn't easy by itself, and you can do that in real-time mode as well.

I don't find it difficult to dodge those at all..

[GreatEmerald]

I take it by "leading the target" you mean the arrow gets shot to the point they are at instead of in front of where they're walking to?

Correct.

[adyghost]

Back to topic, here's a couple of ways I used the editor without breaking the game. The knight class always starts with Leather predetermined and I HATE that. I edit and substitute it with Plate obviously, and if you're really picky, you can also edit your money later on and subtract the cost of it. Also, in a situation when I'd find some stat barrels and I could really use some Might instead of Speed, I'd just edit it in instead of loading a hundred times for it.
Anyway, it's still called cheating no matter which way you look at it... heck, even the Save and Load button are cheats!

[Sure Valla]

heck, even the Save and Load button are cheats!

well no, BUT using it is less fun to me - without saving the game rules even more!

[Macros the Black]

Also, in a situation when I'd find some stat barrels and I could really use some Might instead of Speed, I'd just edit it in instead of loading a hundred times for it.

Wait, you can load to get different stats in the barrels? Like getting the NPC you want? I didn't know that yet..

[tolich]

There're some locations in the game, where barrels appear after your proper actions. If you save BEFORE these actions, and then load, and repeat them, you obviously get different barrels.

Tsantsa Temple is an example.

[adyghost]

If you stop your party in front of an NPC, save it, then load up a bunch of times and the NPC will have a different job every time.

[tolich]

NPC will have a different job every time.

It's supposed to be known to everyone.

[GrayFace]

heck, even the Save and Load button are cheats!

well no, BUT using it is less fun to me - without saving the game rules even more!

It depends on how you use them. I consider things like getting loot you want from corpses cheating. Save/Load buttons combined with Enter can even let you avoid any enemy strikes.