That's wild you were forced to do photocopies and pull apart your own copy of the module like that. As someone who has reviewed Temple relatively recently (years ago, mind you) another problem you can run into is that it takes more to get that one running these days as well, 2 mods (Circle of 8 and Temple+ if memory serves), and even with those it can still be prone to save file corruption, crashes, and bugs. I really enjoyed it because you just don't see that specific edition of DnD in games basically at all, but the barrier to entry is much higher for the average person, I think. I imagine the genre die hards will always remember it!
i remember being quite underleveled when making that final temple push and so i went back and there was this dialogue option to lie and say that i've done what was expected of me and then the credits rolled.
@@yelisieimurai is my understanding that games on GoG are all patched and compatible with modern hardware (compared to, say, buying the same title on steam)
Same here, and I realised I don't actually own a copy. So after watching this video, I picked it on up on GOG, for a fiver. Looking forward to giving it a shot.
Temple of Elemental Evil remains one of my favorite games of all time and I am immensely grateful that it was made and that talented fans are STILL at work modding it. For those unfamiliar, there is a fan-patch produced by Circle of Eight (Co8) that fixes most bugs and in one version restores cut content. Then there is another mod that adds additional content to the game up through the city of Verbobonc and beyond. Then there is a mod using the Temple engine to recreate the old-school module: Keep on the Borderlands and a couple of other modules that have been released in the last several years. It can be tricky to get the game running on modern hardware/operating systems but it can be done and anyone who enjoys tactical D&D combat owes it to themselves to buy the game (from GoG) and experience it.
game is nearly unplayable without the C08 fixes, they saved the game and honestly are the only reason I remember it fondly (one of my favorite old school dnd games. best 3rd edition game by miles.
ToEE with the Co8 / Temple+ fixes installed is one of my all time favourite and most replayed games. I fired it up again for my umpteenth playthrough only this week.
The Temple of Elemental Evil will always say in my heart and my memory Tim. This was a game I purchased when I got my second PC and in all honesty a game that humbled me in crpgs and really help me cultivate my love for that genre. For me, Temple of Elemental Evil stands on a throne of its own in my gaming history.
Love TOEE, but if nothing else, this game at least should be remembered forever for the amazing soundtrack. The Hommlet OST is quite possibly the single coziest piece of fantasy music EVER!
Currently having my first playthrough of Temple, with the mods. And I got to say, I genuinely am having the time of my life. Combat has so much tactical depth to it. It is fun going full "evil-party", which many CRPGs had issues with back in the days. Presentation is on-point, being a massive fan of Pre-rendered backgrounds. And the art is gorgeous. While a shame that you couldn't make those sequels, I am still so happy that this game exists. So thank you Tim!
Temple of Elemental Evil 2003 was the best implementation on 3.X rules for over a decade and is a game I enjoyed a bit back when it was newer and a bit this year. I actually see it as a game that broke the ground that the later Pathfinder video games could then walk on, almost like a spritual predeccessor. ToEE 2003 will never be forgotten, for sure. A game worth mentioning!
Probably beyond the scope of this conversation but a LOT of D&D channels I watch are pretty critical of the way WotC covers and interacts with the game's history so in a way I am not surprised to see this game (easily one of my favorites) get randomly overlooked in this book. I for one will not soon forget it.
Definitely agree. "Art & Arcana" (to me) ended up feeling like a fluff piece for 5e while overlooking or putting down so much of D&D's actual history (like Troika's ToEE). The 4e section especially feels SO disrespectful to the artists for a so-called "visual history"; none more so than the iconic work of William O'Connor, who passed away a year or so before the book released. ☹️
I bought TOEE in 2005 and loved it, played it a couple of times trough the years... I could never forget it!!! Still have the original cd and the box!!
TOEE 2003 is an amazing game! The artwork is top notch, and the aspiration of bringing that expansive multi-module's history into a video game was incredibly realized- by you Tim and your fellow dev/artists. I have almost 700 screen captures of your game- beautiful!
I'll never forget this game. I honestly put it up there with BG1/2 as a game I will get a hankering to replay every couple of years. It's truly the best D&D combat engine and really captures the old school pen and paper feeling. And of course, the Co8 mod is pretty much essential. Thanks, Tim & Team!
Now that you mention it: TTRPG rulebooks and modules really should have spiral binders as opposed to being printed as traditional books. Just thinking back to my own teenage self and how these books had to be rifled through a lot and also often got packed into backpacks for travel and the like. That's a lot of wear and tear for a traditional book. But the spiral back and preferably with laminated pages would sure make it easier to use and more durable 😄
I am glad you brought ToEE up again. I don’t know how you guys pulled off the combat system in this game, but it remains my favorite interpretation. Particularly the opportunity attacks and real-time interaction of cursor and reaction. Absolutely brilliant. Too bad more people did not get to know the game.
ToEE was my gateway into the world of turn based rpgs, and it still holds pretty well gameplay wise even thought we now have BG3, Divinity:Original Sin 1&2 and Solasta
I played Temple and still remember how surprised and pleased I was about how faithful the game is to D&D's experience. I'm not going to forget it any time soon 👍🏻
Funnily enough, I own both a copy of Temple of Elemental Evil and Art & Arcana. Before reading the art book I didn't even know Temple was based on an original module. Having grown up in germany I wasn't very familiar with D'n'D and knew its rules mostly through the Baldur's Gate series. And since Temple was basically shipped with an abridged rulebook for characters up to level 10 it singlehandedly tought me the 3.5e ruleset. 😄 I never got around to finishing the game but have only fond memories of playing it. And at least it is being mentioned in more computer-focused puplications like The CRPG Book or Dungeons & Desktops (both of which I wholeheartedly recommend).
I never forgot about it, I still have it on my shelf. Me and my childhood friend talked about it the other day. I went out and bought it cuz he had it and it was the best dnd game we had alongside NWN
I absolutely love the ToEE video game for having the best video game interpretation of the D&D rules by far at the time it was released (I'd say only the far more recent BG3 gives it any competition on that front). When I ran the Hommlet/ToEE modules for my D&D group, I borrowed heavily from names and ideas used in the video game. So thank you, Tim. And now I'm inspired to give it another re-play ...
Temple of Elemental Evil is one of my favorite games of all time. You have so much freedom to act within the bounds of the quest. Everything looks great and is faithful to the rules. New companions are around every corner. Its one of my biggest gaming disappointments that we never got a sequel
Temple of Elemental Evil was a great game. It had some technical issues at launch, but a couple patches and it was golden. It is one of the closest to tabletop crpgs's ever made.
Oh Tim, this video breaks my heart. I just want you to know that this channel and community that you have cultivated will not forget you or your games. Its really sad when you think of all of the video games that are truly forgotten. Game preservation is more important now than ever, it is without a doubt art preservation and look at all the jumps and hoops we go to to preserve art. Im not that big into art but i can think of Otto Dix who lost most of his post World War I artwork because of "That" party in Germany, art pieces that conveyed the horror and melancholia that followed post war Europe.
Dear Tim, I know it is not much, but I got to discover Troika and fall in love with your team, your games, the stories behind them, the passion, the dedication, and finally this glorious channel, all of it just because around 15 years ago my desk mate in high school lend me ToEE. It was an absolute pleasure getting to play a bard and making friends with the most bizzarre characters from the very setting that some years prior introduced me to D&D and sparked the drive to become a game designer myself. Again, it not much, but it is quite a big lot to me. Thank you for everything ❤
I played through Temple of Elemental Evil (with the patch you had nothing at all to do with, Tim) and enjoyed it a lot! I have fond memories of that game, and where I ran out of runway on the other Troika games, I was able to finish ToEE. Thank you, Tim! :D
I've still got my original box somewhere. For the longest time, it was my favourite videogame adaptation of D&D for one simple reason: It was turn-based. In hindsight, it also did something incredibly rare in videogame RPGs, something that I only feel Larian also realised the value of in BG3 (and there's a LONG time between those two games): Every single encounter felt unique. Monsters were rarely re-used, and every room looked different. I mean yes, it pretty much required the Circle of Eight community patches in order to properly play it, and time hasn't been kind to its 4:3 viewport. But after the days of BG3 and NWN when publishers insisted that RPGs needed to be real-time, it was a breath of fresh air to be playing D&D combat the way it was meant to be played.
I still have very fond memories of playing ToEE when it came out. During an era of some really excellent CRPGs, Temple was the only one that could scratch a very specific itch I had - I wanted to play a D&D game that treated the turn-based mechanic as a core feature, not as of a technological limitation of tabletop (looking at you, Bioware). Was the game buggy? Sure. Did I still spend dozens of hours playing with the fully-customizable party creator, and 9 different prologues (1 for every alignment)? You bet. Did I get my ass handed to me by giant frogs in the very first fight? Absolutely, and loved every minute of it. And then I got to see all the gorgeous environments, and all the strange and colorful monsters, and some really nuanced combat mechanics. The game made a huge impact on me and I think is really underrated. One of these days I’m gonna install the patched version and play it all the way to the end.
I have it on GOG. I most certainly haven't forgotten. It's just that I found Arcanum, Fallout and Bloodlines to be more impactful games. Much more simple to play as well, whereas Temple is more of a 3.5 adaptation.
I actually bought ToEE on GOG after watching this channel last year lol. I had a lot of fun (and frustration!) getting my own goofy portraitists for my party in the game.
I think ToEE was the first Troika game I bought from GOG. Thanks Tim for a great adventure! I wish there were more "module" games released, would have been great to play the whole Demonweb Pits saga...
Bro... That's definitely got to feel hurtful, and on a very personal level. You guys contributed to the lore, gameplay and history of D&D at a very significant level. I bought and played the game back in era. It WAS a good game, despite the bugs. People convenirntly forget it's true, but many, many computer games shipped buggy as heII in the early days before easily downloadable patches. That didn't stop us OG gamers from enjoying them even if it could make life frustrating and therefore tank reviews. Just just learned to save scum constantly. Most pc games were at least a little this way and it was the understood tradeoff for a much bigger world/game than you got on console. Thanks for making a game I played for literal months and still play when nostalgia for old D&D hits. ...Gotta say I enjoyed your autopaused battle system more than the Neverwinter Nights style that came after; it was more true to the tabletop.
Temple is a wondeful gem of a videogame. It appeals to a certain kind of gamer: the millenial that entered RPGs after the boom of Lord of the Rings and Star War movies and was faced down with the D&D 3.5 and open license D20 context. 3.5 was an experience. it, for the ones that started D&D by playing it THE definitive form of D&D. People were so impressed back then that some can't shake it off and are still using it, and it produced things like Pathfinder that is a homage to it. When I saw, in my CRPG renaissance in the 2010s, that there was a game that not only adapted 3.5 pretty well it adapted one of the best expansions to D&D in ToEE, I couldn't believe it. And not only that, made by the legendary Troika. Had the most wonderful time with the art, the incredible innovative command wheel that I don't understand to this day why wasn't it adopted by the whole industry (it's much better to navigate menus in that form that in sidebars) and great story and characters. Since I played well after the launch it had unnoficial patches and was, by most expectations a perfect release. I realize this a very narrow context but to us, it's a top ten RPG of all time.
My copy from GOG is permanently installed, with the Co8 and Temple+ patches of course. It's so faithful to the 3.5 ruleset that I find myself referring to my tabletop DMG and PHB all the time. Love this game to bits.
I remembered correctly, but I went and checked it out anyway before posting: TOEE is literally the 1st game I bought on GOG, 10 years ago. I always bring it up whenever there's some CRPG/ tactical RPG related discussion, it's one of my favourite games ever and will always have a special place in my heart.
I've owned the U.S. retail 'small box' copy since around 2005 or so. I just two weeks ago got lucky on eBay and finally got a copy of the rarer 'big box' copy that was only available in Walmart/Sam's Club. It is such a beautiful box with amazing artwork, and it is now proudly displayed along with the rest of my crpg collection. Oh and yes, I like playing it too (with CO8 and Temple+).
FWIW I’ve been hunting down a boxed copy of Temple. I have complete boxed copies of Arcanum and Vampire. Troika had a short but glorious. Long live Troika!
3.5 was my favorite D&D version and in my personal opinion Temple Of Elemental Evil had the best ruleset adaptation of any D&D version. I always glaze ToEE every time the subject of D&D RPGs comes up.
I never played Temple, and its the type of thing that's hard to run now, but I appreciate what you said about the time and energy that went into the game. The more a I learn about game dev, the more I think its a miracle that any game ever comes to fruition ever. I'm amazed by the work that goes into crafting the worlds that I love, and I hope the creators feel know what they mean to us.
Your ToEE was my first exposure to D&D. I have those giant frogs around the first bandit castle burned into my memory, as well as that annoying drinking contest that I had to get a level 5 max con Barbarian to have enough hp to win. I have such fond memories of this game. I sadly don't have the dvd disk anymore; after finding your channel I have SO wanted to go back and play it again.
Lol i own the book and noticed that too, didnt think much of it at the time but glad to see you giving so much insight. Its a shame because like you mentioned there some fine art in the game that would really help show how the medium of video games changed and made some iconic dnd visuals.
I just finished BG3 and installed Temple a few days ago. After all these years I never got around to it but it does look like something I'd love to play.
I recently replayed Psychonauts and I was surprised how well it holds up even today. A wonderfully tailored 15 hour adventure with a great story. The amount of effort to create anything like it in today's 100 hour playtime standard would be insane.
It's never forgotten. I had 2 copies up until this summer, and my old friend got my second copy, becuase we were talking about the game a lot in our DnD group. We still play it to this day.
#3 most favourite D&D computer game, #5 of all D&D games across all systems, #1 most favoured D&D module. This game shall never be forgotten, by me at least
Was telling my game club a couple of weeks ago about how hardcore this game was, even though its 3.5e it still has a lot of the hints of old school D&D with the use of henchmen you can find in town and they each all have their little stories. I also thought it was cool you met Gygax when you were making it, about some changes I think (you mentioned this in a video before I think, can't recall). Great game, ended up buying my mom and little brother copies over the years!
I have it on my GOG wish-list to buy once i have disposable income again. Love those older D&D games. Have been looking forward to playing Temple & all the others I missed out on as a kid. Thanks to you & your team for all the work they put into bring Temple & all the others to us. ^^
I kept meaning to go back to ToEE and finally finish it. I remember I bought it from a store in NYC then read the manual on a long flight back to Europe and couldn’t wait to play it. That manual was epic. The game itself was good, but buggy and it was missing some of the charm of the Infinity engine games and NWN. Never got to finish it, thanks for reminding me to go back to it.
Oh man this was one of the first pc games I ever bought. I didn't know what i was getting into. I hadn't ever played an rpg before. I couldn't get past the first level. Man thank you for reminding me. great video. I'm going to have to replay it.
I have always been a fan of the game. I am honestly surprised it doesn't get more attention from Watzy these days. If nothing else for the Bertram storyline. I am pretty sure it was the first D&D video game that did anything like that.
I bought this back when it came out and I liked it and I still do, I have it on gog as well, thanks for mentioning it it was also one of my favorite modules I was so glad to see it converted to a game.
Sam Witwer of Star Wars, Days Gone, and Battlestar Galactica fame, as well his brother, and some of their friends were behind that book. I'd love to see him on the channel, and I bet you two would get along well and have tons to talk about. Make him answer for his crimes XD
Temple of Elemental Evil is the one game of Tim's I never came across for whatever reason. I was the biggest Fallout 1/2 fan back in the day, Arcanum and so on, and think I would have loved Temple if it came across my radar, but for whatever reason, I didnt' come across it.
I loved toee. I forget when i played it chronologically but was a big Baldurs gate 1/2 fan and picked it up because it was more d&d. But was my first exposure to greyhawk and the module and was a great representation of low level play
I still have all of my 3.5 books it's the only D&D I play it's the pinnacle. Temple is also my favorite pc D&D game closely followed by Nevereinter Nights 2.
The only game of Troika I have not played… don’t know, how could I miss it in early 00s, when I was playing Fallout 1,2; Arcanum and Planescape Torment.
ToEE was the only Troika game I finished more than once from the start, and the only one I made mods for. I started Arcanum a buncha times and finished it once. I never played VTM. Note that the MMORPG DDO (Dungeons & Dragons Online) adapted parts of ToEE to its MMORPG format.
It's definitely a noteworthy game, the good, the bad, and the beautiful. The art was the one thing that I recall being consistently praised at my groups and FLGS.😃
I started a playthrough of Temple just the other day! I recently finished Arcanum for the first time (it was my introduction to CRPGs back in 2001), and played Bloodlines last year, and loved them both, which just left Temple. I'm not very far into it, and have to admit I'm not that great with D&D, but I'm really enjoying it so far, especially the soundtrack.
I'm only a quarter century old, I've never been much of a D&D fan, but I have for years been a Tim Cain fan. Because I've played and enjoyed almost all the games you have worked on, even as far back as a 6 year old struggling to play (probably pirated) Starfleet Academy on my family's ancient computer, I feel I would enjoy ToEE. But it has always felt like one of the games I can't play because there would be to much lore, or context that would go over my head, much like I feel with Warhammer and 40K, and I would feel like a "fake fan" or something by trying to play it. I just feel too late to the party, and can't catch up.
Man, must hurt youve suffered through development of a game (work pressure+the kidney stone) and it just slips away like that. It's a shame. It's also sad to realize so many games that are now forgotten had passionate people working on them for years.
I loved it back in the day and played it all the way through. I actually haven't played the other two even though I was always excited to play Arcanum (sorry!) but I had a great time with ToEE as a lifelong D&D fan.
I enjoyed the game even if I never got very far in it because of how difficult it was compared to a lot of the D&D games before and after it. And I still have some of those original Basic set dice too, though they were my father's.
That's wild you were forced to do photocopies and pull apart your own copy of the module like that. As someone who has reviewed Temple relatively recently (years ago, mind you) another problem you can run into is that it takes more to get that one running these days as well, 2 mods (Circle of 8 and Temple+ if memory serves), and even with those it can still be prone to save file corruption, crashes, and bugs. I really enjoyed it because you just don't see that specific edition of DnD in games basically at all, but the barrier to entry is much higher for the average person, I think. I imagine the genre die hards will always remember it!
i remember being quite underleveled when making that final temple push and so i went back and there was this dialogue option to lie and say that i've done what was expected of me and then the credits rolled.
GOG has their new Game preservation initiative and I’m glad for that. Don’t let games fade away👍
Good foundation for something a little more decentralized and informal..
At the moment Arcanum is under the preservation program but not Temple. I am sure it works fine, but just thought it was interesting.
Just bought it on GOG to make sure I don't forget it, Tim.
Is it no problem with playing it on new computer?
@@yelisieimuraiGOG usually make sure that the old games they sell run well on newer systems.
@@yelisieimurai is my understanding that games on GoG are all patched and compatible with modern hardware (compared to, say, buying the same title on steam)
@@Stevoleblanc Search Co8 if you want some additional patching/content.
Same here
I never even heard about Temple until I started following your channel.
Same, but now it's my favorite D&D game hands down.
Same thing here, I had no clue it existed. It does look beautiful!
Same here, and I realised I don't actually own a copy. So after watching this video, I picked it on up on GOG, for a fiver. Looking forward to giving it a shot.
@@madness1931 Download either Temple Plus or the Circle of Eight mods to get bug fixes
Temple of Elemental Evil remains one of my favorite games of all time and I am immensely grateful that it was made and that talented fans are STILL at work modding it. For those unfamiliar, there is a fan-patch produced by Circle of Eight (Co8) that fixes most bugs and in one version restores cut content. Then there is another mod that adds additional content to the game up through the city of Verbobonc and beyond. Then there is a mod using the Temple engine to recreate the old-school module: Keep on the Borderlands and a couple of other modules that have been released in the last several years. It can be tricky to get the game running on modern hardware/operating systems but it can be done and anyone who enjoys tactical D&D combat owes it to themselves to buy the game (from GoG) and experience it.
game is nearly unplayable without the C08 fixes, they saved the game and honestly are the only reason I remember it fondly (one of my favorite old school dnd games. best 3rd edition game by miles.
ToEE with the Co8 / Temple+ fixes installed is one of my all time favourite and most replayed games. I fired it up again for my umpteenth playthrough only this week.
@@phantomeyebrow Im hoping someone decides to remake it in BG'3. would be amazing
The Temple of Elemental Evil will always say in my heart and my memory Tim. This was a game I purchased when I got my second PC and in all honesty a game that humbled me in crpgs and really help me cultivate my love for that genre.
For me, Temple of Elemental Evil stands on a throne of its own in my gaming history.
Love TOEE, but if nothing else, this game at least should be remembered forever for the amazing soundtrack. The Hommlet OST is quite possibly the single coziest piece of fantasy music EVER!
It's so unusual for the genre with its synth influence. Works quite well for some of the more eerie tracks too, like Moathouse Exterior.
Currently having my first playthrough of Temple, with the mods. And I got to say, I genuinely am having the time of my life.
Combat has so much tactical depth to it. It is fun going full "evil-party", which many CRPGs had issues with back in the days.
Presentation is on-point, being a massive fan of Pre-rendered backgrounds. And the art is gorgeous.
While a shame that you couldn't make those sequels, I am still so happy that this game exists. So thank you Tim!
I've never forgotten about TOEE. I loved that game. My monk was so badass.
ToEE with the Co8 mod is one my most replayed computer games. I will never forget this game because it's one of my favorites. Best combat ever.
Yeah, i tend to replay it every 2-3 years. And, yes, combat is still feels better then in a number of newer retrostyled crpgs
I was super lucky to randomly find an old box version of The Temple of Elemental Evil in an op shop, good buy, good game.
It hasn't been forgotten. One of my all time favorite DnD computer games!
near unplayable due to bugs and lack of polishing
Temple of Elemental Evil 2003 was the best implementation on 3.X rules for over a decade and is a game I enjoyed a bit back when it was newer and a bit this year. I actually see it as a game that broke the ground that the later Pathfinder video games could then walk on, almost like a spritual predeccessor. ToEE 2003 will never be forgotten, for sure. A game worth mentioning!
Probably beyond the scope of this conversation but a LOT of D&D channels I watch are pretty critical of the way WotC covers and interacts with the game's history so in a way I am not surprised to see this game (easily one of my favorites) get randomly overlooked in this book. I for one will not soon forget it.
Definitely agree. "Art & Arcana" (to me) ended up feeling like a fluff piece for 5e while overlooking or putting down so much of D&D's actual history (like Troika's ToEE). The 4e section especially feels SO disrespectful to the artists for a so-called "visual history"; none more so than the iconic work of William O'Connor, who passed away a year or so before the book released. ☹️
Justice For Trokia's Temple of Elemental Evil (2003) !
TBH, I never knew the temple was a thing before I'd stumbled upon your channel.
Was about to say this. ToEE video game is often mentioned as a "good effort, not so great game" in article about d&d video games
One of the prettiest games. Spectacular maps and assets
No argument there. The graphics really hold up.
I bought TOEE in 2005 and loved it, played it a couple of times trough the years... I could never forget it!!! Still have the original cd and the box!!
TOEE 2003 is an amazing game! The artwork is top notch, and the aspiration of bringing that expansive multi-module's history into a video game was incredibly realized- by you Tim and your fellow dev/artists. I have almost 700 screen captures of your game- beautiful!
A remake is long overdue :)
I'll never forget this game. I honestly put it up there with BG1/2 as a game I will get a hankering to replay every couple of years. It's truly the best D&D combat engine and really captures the old school pen and paper feeling. And of course, the Co8 mod is pretty much essential.
Thanks, Tim & Team!
Now that you mention it: TTRPG rulebooks and modules really should have spiral binders as opposed to being printed as traditional books.
Just thinking back to my own teenage self and how these books had to be rifled through a lot and also often got packed into backpacks for travel and the like.
That's a lot of wear and tear for a traditional book. But the spiral back and preferably with laminated pages would sure make it easier to use and more durable 😄
Some of them don't even have thick paper. I started tearing pages in my Cyberpunk RED book very quickly.
I loved Temple after the "community" patch nudge,nudge,wink,wink. Fear not Tim, I introduced it to my offspring, the legend will continue.
I am glad you brought ToEE up again. I don’t know how you guys pulled off the combat system in this game, but it remains my favorite interpretation. Particularly the opportunity attacks and real-time interaction of cursor and reaction. Absolutely brilliant. Too bad more people did not get to know the game.
ToEE was my gateway into the world of turn based rpgs, and it still holds pretty well gameplay wise even thought we now have BG3, Divinity:Original Sin 1&2 and Solasta
I played Temple and still remember how surprised and pleased I was about how faithful the game is to D&D's experience. I'm not going to forget it any time soon 👍🏻
Funnily enough, I own both a copy of Temple of Elemental Evil and Art & Arcana. Before reading the art book I didn't even know Temple was based on an original module. Having grown up in germany I wasn't very familiar with D'n'D and knew its rules mostly through the Baldur's Gate series. And since Temple was basically shipped with an abridged rulebook for characters up to level 10 it singlehandedly tought me the 3.5e ruleset. 😄
I never got around to finishing the game but have only fond memories of playing it. And at least it is being mentioned in more computer-focused puplications like The CRPG Book or Dungeons & Desktops (both of which I wholeheartedly recommend).
I never forgot about it, I still have it on my shelf. Me and my childhood friend talked about it the other day. I went out and bought it cuz he had it and it was the best dnd game we had alongside NWN
Still an amazing PC game. I still own it and love it. Thank you so much for creating it. I REALLY wish you had been able to finish the whole series.
I absolutely love the ToEE video game for having the best video game interpretation of the D&D rules by far at the time it was released (I'd say only the far more recent BG3 gives it any competition on that front). When I ran the Hommlet/ToEE modules for my D&D group, I borrowed heavily from names and ideas used in the video game. So thank you, Tim. And now I'm inspired to give it another re-play ...
I've bought TOEE on PC a few times through the years and still enjoy it - I would hate for it to be lost
Temple of Elemental Evil is one of my favorite games of all time. You have so much freedom to act within the bounds of the quest. Everything looks great and is faithful to the rules. New companions are around every corner.
Its one of my biggest gaming disappointments that we never got a sequel
Temple of Elemental Evil was a great game. It had some technical issues at launch, but a couple patches and it was golden. It is one of the closest to tabletop crpgs's ever made.
Oh Tim, this video breaks my heart. I just want you to know that this channel and community that you have cultivated will not forget you or your games. Its really sad when you think of all of the video games that are truly forgotten. Game preservation is more important now than ever, it is without a doubt art preservation and look at all the jumps and hoops we go to to preserve art. Im not that big into art but i can think of Otto Dix who lost most of his post World War I artwork because of "That" party in Germany, art pieces that conveyed the horror and melancholia that followed post war Europe.
Dear Tim, I know it is not much, but I got to discover Troika and fall in love with your team, your games, the stories behind them, the passion, the dedication, and finally this glorious channel, all of it just because around 15 years ago my desk mate in high school lend me ToEE. It was an absolute pleasure getting to play a bard and making friends with the most bizzarre characters from the very setting that some years prior introduced me to D&D and sparked the drive to become a game designer myself. Again, it not much, but it is quite a big lot to me. Thank you for everything ❤
I played through Temple of Elemental Evil (with the patch you had nothing at all to do with, Tim) and enjoyed it a lot! I have fond memories of that game, and where I ran out of runway on the other Troika games, I was able to finish ToEE. Thank you, Tim! :D
5:01 Wizards not using greyhawk really upsets me tbh it wouldn't suprise me if temple was left out entirely because it's greyhawk
I beat St. Cuthbert with a solo rogue. My greatest gaming achievement. Thanks, Tim!
Wow, he's a tough fight!
HOW ? By Iuz unholy pants, how ?
I've still got my original box somewhere.
For the longest time, it was my favourite videogame adaptation of D&D for one simple reason:
It was turn-based.
In hindsight, it also did something incredibly rare in videogame RPGs, something that I only feel Larian also realised the value of in BG3 (and there's a LONG time between those two games):
Every single encounter felt unique.
Monsters were rarely re-used, and every room looked different.
I mean yes, it pretty much required the Circle of Eight community patches in order to properly play it, and time hasn't been kind to its 4:3 viewport.
But after the days of BG3 and NWN when publishers insisted that RPGs needed to be real-time, it was a breath of fresh air to be playing D&D combat the way it was meant to be played.
I still have very fond memories of playing ToEE when it came out. During an era of some really excellent CRPGs, Temple was the only one that could scratch a very specific itch I had - I wanted to play a D&D game that treated the turn-based mechanic as a core feature, not as of a technological limitation of tabletop (looking at you, Bioware).
Was the game buggy? Sure. Did I still spend dozens of hours playing with the fully-customizable party creator, and 9 different prologues (1 for every alignment)? You bet. Did I get my ass handed to me by giant frogs in the very first fight? Absolutely, and loved every minute of it. And then I got to see all the gorgeous environments, and all the strange and colorful monsters, and some really nuanced combat mechanics.
The game made a huge impact on me and I think is really underrated. One of these days I’m gonna install the patched version and play it all the way to the end.
Temple of Elemental Evil and Arcanum shaped my earlier gaming years and made me an RPG fan. I just wish Troika made more games
I have it on GOG. I most certainly haven't forgotten.
It's just that I found Arcanum, Fallout and Bloodlines to be more impactful games. Much more simple to play as well, whereas Temple is more of a 3.5 adaptation.
I actually bought ToEE on GOG after watching this channel last year lol. I had a lot of fun (and frustration!) getting my own goofy portraitists for my party in the game.
I think ToEE was the first Troika game I bought from GOG. Thanks Tim for a great adventure! I wish there were more "module" games released, would have been great to play the whole Demonweb Pits saga...
Bro...
That's definitely got to feel hurtful, and on a very personal level.
You guys contributed to the lore, gameplay and history of D&D at a very significant level.
I bought and played the game back in era.
It WAS a good game, despite the bugs.
People convenirntly forget it's true, but many, many computer games shipped buggy as heII in the early days before easily downloadable patches.
That didn't stop us OG gamers from enjoying them even if it could make life frustrating and therefore tank reviews.
Just just learned to save scum constantly.
Most pc games were at least a little this way and it was the understood tradeoff for a much bigger world/game than you got on console.
Thanks for making a game I played for literal months and still play when nostalgia for old D&D hits.
...Gotta say I enjoyed your autopaused battle system more than the Neverwinter Nights style that came after; it was more true to the tabletop.
Temple is a wondeful gem of a videogame. It appeals to a certain kind of gamer: the millenial that entered RPGs after the boom of Lord of the Rings and Star War movies and was faced down with the D&D 3.5 and open license D20 context. 3.5 was an experience. it, for the ones that started D&D by playing it THE definitive form of D&D. People were so impressed back then that some can't shake it off and are still using it, and it produced things like Pathfinder that is a homage to it. When I saw, in my CRPG renaissance in the 2010s, that there was a game that not only adapted 3.5 pretty well it adapted one of the best expansions to D&D in ToEE, I couldn't believe it. And not only that, made by the legendary Troika. Had the most wonderful time with the art, the incredible innovative command wheel that I don't understand to this day why wasn't it adopted by the whole industry (it's much better to navigate menus in that form that in sidebars) and great story and characters. Since I played well after the launch it had unnoficial patches and was, by most expectations a perfect release. I realize this a very narrow context but to us, it's a top ten RPG of all time.
My copy from GOG is permanently installed, with the Co8 and Temple+ patches of course. It's so faithful to the 3.5 ruleset that I find myself referring to my tabletop DMG and PHB all the time. Love this game to bits.
I remembered correctly, but I went and checked it out anyway before posting: TOEE is literally the 1st game I bought on GOG, 10 years ago. I always bring it up whenever there's some CRPG/ tactical RPG related discussion, it's one of my favourite games ever and will always have a special place in my heart.
I've owned the U.S. retail 'small box' copy since around 2005 or so. I just two weeks ago got lucky on eBay and finally got a copy of the rarer 'big box' copy that was only available in Walmart/Sam's Club. It is such a beautiful box with amazing artwork, and it is now proudly displayed along with the rest of my crpg collection. Oh and yes, I like playing it too (with CO8 and Temple+).
FWIW I’ve been hunting down a boxed copy of Temple. I have complete boxed copies of Arcanum and Vampire. Troika had a short but glorious. Long live Troika!
I never played it and had forgotten about it before hearing about it on this channel. I played Neverwinter Nights 1 and 2 during those years instead.
3.5 was my favorite D&D version and in my personal opinion Temple Of Elemental Evil had the best ruleset adaptation of any D&D version. I always glaze ToEE every time the subject of D&D RPGs comes up.
I never played Temple, and its the type of thing that's hard to run now, but I appreciate what you said about the time and energy that went into the game. The more a I learn about game dev, the more I think its a miracle that any game ever comes to fruition ever. I'm amazed by the work that goes into crafting the worlds that I love, and I hope the creators feel know what they mean to us.
This is a reminder that I need to play Temple and I regret not having played it yet. Thanks Tim!!
One of the my all time favourites. Loved everything about it, especially music.
Your ToEE was my first exposure to D&D. I have those giant frogs around the first bandit castle burned into my memory, as well as that annoying drinking contest that I had to get a level 5 max con Barbarian to have enough hp to win.
I have such fond memories of this game. I sadly don't have the dvd disk anymore; after finding your channel I have SO wanted to go back and play it again.
Lol i own the book and noticed that too, didnt think much of it at the time but glad to see you giving so much insight.
Its a shame because like you mentioned there some fine art in the game that would really help show how the medium of video games changed and made some iconic dnd visuals.
Fantastic game. Keep coming back to it.
Thanks for the reminder, after I finish my playthrough of Arcanum I still need to playthrough Temple!
I just finished BG3 and installed Temple a few days ago. After all these years I never got around to it but it does look like something I'd love to play.
TOEE is one of my favorite games.
I really love the tactical turn based combat and regret that there are so few similar games.
I recently replayed Psychonauts and I was surprised how well it holds up even today. A wonderfully tailored 15 hour adventure with a great story. The amount of effort to create anything like it in today's 100 hour playtime standard would be insane.
I still have that game. Bought it new, years ago.
It's never forgotten. I had 2 copies up until this summer, and my old friend got my second copy, becuase we were talking about the game a lot in our DnD group. We still play it to this day.
#3 most favourite D&D computer game, #5 of all D&D games across all systems, #1 most favoured D&D module.
This game shall never be forgotten, by me at least
Was telling my game club a couple of weeks ago about how hardcore this game was, even though its 3.5e it still has a lot of the hints of old school D&D with the use of henchmen you can find in town and they each all have their little stories. I also thought it was cool you met Gygax when you were making it, about some changes I think (you mentioned this in a video before I think, can't recall). Great game, ended up buying my mom and little brother copies over the years!
Temple of Elemental Evil was criminally underrated. It wasn't perfect, but I remember loving how great the combat was.
I have it on my GOG wish-list to buy once i have disposable income again. Love those older D&D games. Have been looking forward to playing Temple & all the others I missed out on as a kid.
Thanks to you & your team for all the work they put into bring Temple & all the others to us. ^^
I got a copy last year, just haven't played it yet! Fallout and Arcanum are favorites of mine, and I know I'll love Temple!
I kept meaning to go back to ToEE and finally finish it. I remember I bought it from a store in NYC then read the manual on a long flight back to Europe and couldn’t wait to play it. That manual was epic.
The game itself was good, but buggy and it was missing some of the charm of the Infinity engine games and NWN. Never got to finish it, thanks for reminding me to go back to it.
Probably the most faithful translation of 3rd edition tabletop rules into a CRPG experience. great game. Thank you.
Oh man this was one of the first pc games I ever bought. I didn't know what i was getting into. I hadn't ever played an rpg before. I couldn't get past the first level. Man thank you for reminding me. great video. I'm going to have to replay it.
I have always been a fan of the game. I am honestly surprised it doesn't get more attention from Watzy these days. If nothing else for the Bertram storyline. I am pretty sure it was the first D&D video game that did anything like that.
DAMN that game was SO GOOD! The Circle of Eight mod was tremendous!
I bought this back when it came out and I liked it and I still do, I have it on gog as well, thanks for mentioning it it was also one of my favorite modules I was so glad to see it converted to a game.
😅 I frequently use it as an example of a “bad game” made by incredibly talented developers. I’d never forget Temple of Elemental Evil. Love you, Tim.
I know it's on GOG, but i really like getting Steam achievements. If it was ever released on Steam, I'd snatch it up in an instant.
Temple isn't on steam ? Strange cuz both Arcanum and Bloodlines are avilable there.
I played it when i came out, and loved it.
Sad that happened to you Tim. The art for your game does look really cool.
Just joining in to say that thanks to the good old Good Old Games I got myself a copy of it as well. :P
Sam Witwer of Star Wars, Days Gone, and Battlestar Galactica fame, as well his brother, and some of their friends were behind that book.
I'd love to see him on the channel, and I bet you two would get along well and have tons to talk about.
Make him answer for his crimes XD
Love your TOEE adaption. Have it installed with Temple+ & Co8. Your adaption and the Goodman games books inspired me to run the module.
Temple of Elemental Evil is the one game of Tim's I never came across for whatever reason. I was the biggest Fallout 1/2 fan back in the day, Arcanum and so on, and think I would have loved Temple if it came across my radar, but for whatever reason, I didnt' come across it.
This game was a MASTER PIECE. I really enjoyed playing it.
I loved toee. I forget when i played it chronologically but was a big Baldurs gate 1/2 fan and picked it up because it was more d&d. But was my first exposure to greyhawk and the module and was a great representation of low level play
I still have all of my 3.5 books it's the only D&D I play it's the pinnacle. Temple is also my favorite pc D&D game closely followed by Nevereinter Nights 2.
Well, inspired by this video I decided to buy ToEE! I've never played it before and am a big fan of the Infinity Engine games. Looking forward to it!
Love ToEE. Thanks Troika, Co8 modders and Temple+ modders x.
The only game of Troika I have not played… don’t know, how could I miss it in early 00s, when I was playing Fallout 1,2; Arcanum and Planescape Torment.
ToEE was the only Troika game I finished more than once from the start, and the only one I made mods for. I started Arcanum a buncha times and finished it once. I never played VTM.
Note that the MMORPG DDO (Dungeons & Dragons Online) adapted parts of ToEE to its MMORPG format.
Its lack of inclusion is for sure a massive oversight but Tim... you know why it wasn't included and you touched on it.
One of the best pc rpgs ever created. Thank you Tim.
It's definitely a noteworthy game, the good, the bad, and the beautiful. The art was the one thing that I recall being consistently praised at my groups and FLGS.😃
I started a playthrough of Temple just the other day! I recently finished Arcanum for the first time (it was my introduction to CRPGs back in 2001), and played Bloodlines last year, and loved them both, which just left Temple. I'm not very far into it, and have to admit I'm not that great with D&D, but I'm really enjoying it so far, especially the soundtrack.
I'm only a quarter century old, I've never been much of a D&D fan, but I have for years been a Tim Cain fan. Because I've played and enjoyed almost all the games you have worked on, even as far back as a 6 year old struggling to play (probably pirated) Starfleet Academy on my family's ancient computer, I feel I would enjoy ToEE. But it has always felt like one of the games I can't play because there would be to much lore, or context that would go over my head, much like I feel with Warhammer and 40K, and I would feel like a "fake fan" or something by trying to play it.
I just feel too late to the party, and can't catch up.
Man, must hurt youve suffered through development of a game (work pressure+the kidney stone) and it just slips away like that. It's a shame. It's also sad to realize so many games that are now forgotten had passionate people working on them for years.
ToEE deserves a remake more than any of the other D&D computer games
I loved it back in the day and played it all the way through. I actually haven't played the other two even though I was always excited to play Arcanum (sorry!) but I had a great time with ToEE as a lifelong D&D fan.
I enjoyed the game even if I never got very far in it because of how difficult it was compared to a lot of the D&D games before and after it.
And I still have some of those original Basic set dice too, though they were my father's.