Forever Heroes ~ Player's Memories ♪♥

[Indinera]

Done with the game? If you've got 5 mins, please fill this funny questionary about Forever Heroes!
So your feedback also lives forever!!!! (hopefully )
Just copy the questions and answer below them!

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Since the questionary is big, to avoid any stupid loss due to internet connections stopping (I've been there lol), maybe copy it in a word document and save it before sending.

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Your opinion about Caius?
Your opinion about Marlyn?
Your opinion about Busho?
Your opinion about Genevieve?
Your opinion about Lilith?
Your opinion about Penelope?
Any opinion about the 2 optional characters (if you found them)?
Who is the strongest character, and why? And the weakest?
Who's more handsome, Caius or Busho?
Who's the prettiest, Marlyn, Genevieve, Lilith or Penelope?
Who hits harder, Caius or Random (Laxius Force)?
Who is wiser, Penelope or Luciana (Laxius Force)?
What age do you think is Penelope?
What's the best place to live, Fay (1st village), Deckersville (port town), Canacopra (Island village), Elven Village, Saint Town or Master Z' bunker?
Did you purchase the plant in Hermit Island village and if so, did you like it?
Your opinion about the story?
Your opinion about the graphics and sounds?
Your opinion about the gameplay?
What was your favorite moment and why?
What's the game's best/strongest sides?
Favorite and hardest dungeons?
Favorite and hardest sidequests?
Most dangerous enemy?
Who did you send to the Evil Shrine at the end?
What did you think of the ending?
How does this game compare to past Aldorlea epics (Laxius Force, Millennium, The Book of Legends, Witch Hunt etc)?

[kimo]

I just want to say I gave up some considerable game time today to complete this for you, Indi. A great game deserves an objective "review".

Your opinion about Caius?
He started as a very egotistical person who thought very highly of himself, but the character developed into a caring person as the story progressed. Personally, I think an inferiority complex and giant ego drove his character in the beginning. He basically just wanted to be famous.

Your opinion about Marlyn?
I didn’t distrust her character until she sold out everyone. When picking her up later in the game, the character had changed for no discernable reason. In fact her attitude made her seem untrustworthy. But she at least was another body to help with dispensing items during battles. Her death spell was incredibly powerful during 1st play through, less so during second play. Did something change between game versions?

Your opinion about Busho?
He and Caius had a long friendship that seemed to be one of those types that gave each other grief for whatever reason. But, there are times you need to tell a good friend they are wrong. Neither of the characters held back in that regard. I laughed at a few things like a wooden sword (I had friends do the same to me when I was learning Kendo), the “hiding in the bushes” (“Busho”) and other comments I cannot remember right now. Good natured ribbing from both characters made it funny many times.

Your opinion about Genevieve?
I didn’t really use her fabrication spell as much as I could have and I even found a lot of unique ingredients. I wish her character could have fabricated boosts from some of that rare stuff that was found. Genevieve was generally the slowest, so her “Worm” spell was a great combo when you could poison the enemy first. I gave a poison spell to Busho because he is the fastest in the game’s beginning.

Your opinion about Lilith?
If it flew, she could kill it (even those giant Millipuves). Great strength that, but not the only thing she could do. The Herbal Knowledge spell used up MP all the time, so clearing out an area to minimize encounters and wasting MP became a basic strategy. Her poison cloud (I gave a similar spell to Busho from a book) worked very well as it increased in levels.

Your opinion about Penelope
There’s still a mystery involving her. Is she ancient? Or is this just “don’t trust anyone over 30?” A sage should be wise, but she didn’t seem to have sage-like wisdom. There was no real philosophical bent to her personality.

Any opinion about the 2 optional characters (if you found them)?
I never knew Nyx was a lady until I played this game; but, definitely worth the effort because she was one serious kick-butt warrior. How could you not find Audrey? She was the proverbial damsel in distress that didn’t need help from anyone. She and Nyx were both invaluable characters and I could not imagine succeeding without them.

Who is the strongest character, and why? And the weakest?
I found Marlyn to be the weakest during my second playthrough (she is gone now). The strongest depends on what that means. Hit power of Caius was incredible, but each character has somewhat of a specialty (undead, worms, anti-flying, etc.) when you got their skills/magic to level 5.

Who's more handsome, Caius or Busho?
I guess it depends whether you prefer blondes or brunettes. I’m a guy and we are usually looking elsewhere. No, not there. I’m not that kind of guy.

Who's the prettiest, Marlyn, Genevieve, Lilith or Penelope?
Anyone with an “F-cup” and a chest size under 40” works for me. So, Genevieve gets my vote. She wasn’t fat as much as she was voluptuous. Her self-deprecating comments were an unnecessary negative side because she could have been portrayed as a more confident person in touch with herself.

Who hits harder, Caius or Random (Laxius Force)?
Caius had a spell (Gamaeon) and skill (Megadeth) that no one could ever approach. I remember in one instance with a boss, Caius did over 20,000 damage with Mace of Megadeth.

Who is wiser, Penelope or Luciana (Laxius Force)?
I didn’t find Penelope to be as wise as a typical sage would be expected. And a queen learns to be wise as she becomes more experienced with her subjects. You know, those people who rely on her, not school subjects.

What age do you think is Penelope?
30? After all that’s ancient in most RPG main character terms. But she could be much older. Certainly not 17 yrs. old.

What's the best place to live, Fay (1st village), Canacopra (Island village), Elven Village, Saint Town or Master Z' bunker?
I’m an island boy and lived on one with an active volcano, so I’m gonna have to vote for Canacopra.

Did you purchase the plant in Hermit Island village and if so, did you like it?
Not during the first playthrough, but I have it now. I’ll let you know later. And since the plant always seems to die from the observations of others here I bought it

Spoiler: show

just before the final volcano visit and destroying the orb. Once you say “NO” to buying the plant for 100 gold, you never get asked again. So, I just kept saving before I talked to her each time to test this.

I am curious what you get from it. Knowing Indi’s occasional devious nature, it might produce items needed for certain quests.

Your opinion about the story?
Personally, I prefer games with a solid storyline and this was up to my expectations of what “Alan P.” has turned out in the past. For people who fast-forward through the text, I know they missed a lot of clues, even if they were sometimes obscure.

Your opinion about the graphics and sounds?
I play with the sound off. I really should change that sometime, since Indi’s games can often have unique music that you will find nowhere else. The graphics were excellent and I often looked for hidden items in the vines, cracks, pukas, etc.

Your opinion about the gameplay?
This was very different in mechanics. Even the game start itself was different. I really enjoyed the individual player decisions instead of committing the entire party to a set of actions and then just hoping for an outcome you hoped would happen. For example, who’s going to attack the enemy when a player just obviously took 500 HP damage and needs healing. This was a more D&D-like approach to gameplay. Gygax would be proud.

I have never used so many techs and magic spells in a game before. The tech level increases came as a nice surprise when you could get them to lvl. 5. Caius’ lizard spell became incredibly helpful later in the game.

I also need to say that requiring people to be frugal in the beginning kept me from really using techs during the first playthrough. So, I didn’t really get those to lvl. 5 like I am doing during the second play. Now, if I can only get the Mace of Megadeth to lvl. 5.

What was your favorite moment and why?
While the general Covid-related comments were always funny, the toilet paper comment in the general store made me laugh out loud. Apparently, that was a world-wide phenomenon. It reminded me of when a Matson strike one year had radio stations giving away toilet paper as a contest prize because Long’s Drugs was out of paper. Oh well, there’s always the Sears catalog. Wait! How do your wipe your butt with an online catalog?

What's the game's best/strongest sides?
The story was enjoyable to read and the enemies seemed well-balanced at the “normal” level. The boss battles were very difficult, but I never had a “game-over” situation. The one time I tested the results of a game over scenario, my party just reappeared (probably with a lot less money).

Favorite and hardest dungeons?
I’d have to say the Elven Forest was my favorite area even though I have many unsolved quests there. But now I want to figure out things like the blue mushroom. But I did not like that plants could run faster on their roots than I could.

Hardest was the final Volcano/Dark Shrine combo. But I was fully prepared with supplies having nearly 99 each healing, mana, and TP potions. But, the Ice Shrine was not much easier with those Soulswords chasing you down all the time. Reminded me of those running raflesias.

Favorite and hardest sidequests?
The quests, while frustrating as they were, were also unique in their approach. I just prefer when quests are intuitive instead of asking, “Why do I have to do that?” I would be shocked if anyone finishes this game on their first play with all sidequests completed. The generally inadequate number of boosts to be found in this game contributed greatly to my frustration. It’s really bothersome when you know what you have to do, but cannot find the boost to do so.

That being said, any quest I could complete on my own without help was a favorite. But at the top of the list was Q#8 (Bucaneer) because it could be figured out if you paid attention and took notes. I also liked Q#10 (Legendary Treasure). But what am I gonna do with 500,000 gold at this point in the game?

Most dangerous enemy?
I haven’t encountered them all. But on a non-boss basis, those evol-bats were tough. Their nest was serious challenge.

Who did you send to the Evil Shrine at the end?
Caius’ party because I wanted to get Marlyn back for her “Death” spell. But she was such a wimpy fighter, that she became just a support person who had to be constantly healed. And I made sure she was fairly well-equipped before she abandoned the party.

What did you think of the ending?
Well this is certainly not a Hallmark movie. Not unexpected given the scenario in the Ice Shrine. Now I want to change dungeon parties and see if there is more than just a name change difference. You know, maybe a statue of a True Hero being erected?

How does this game compare to past Aldorlea epics (Laxius Force, Millennium, The Book of Legends, Witch Hunt etc)?
I’ll let you know when the next installment comes out. What about all those inaccessible towers, farms, and villages on the map?

But really, at 60 hours it is certainly a single game epic and thoroughly enjoyable to play. But without a guide and the help of everyone on this site (special thanks to LadyJJ) , this game would be nearly impossible to finish in 60 hours.

[Aggeliki]

i will start from the gameplay questions:(and i beg you to excuse me for my english)

The story is the usual hero-demon conflict that we find in (and all expect from) the majority of rpgs. The varius twists and turns are somehow familiar to all rpg fanatics.But the huge amount of side quests and backtracking prolongs the main story and gives depth, because you get to know so many characteristics of the team members!The love and treason elements are classical,as the heaven-hell symbolisms.
At the beggining i found the graphics a bit odd, as i was used in the older versions.Especially the outlines appeared a bit crude to my eyes.But after 2 gameplays, i got used to the new appearances! The only think i would change, is the interials: i would prefer them not so empty in some areas, with lots of details! I loved the battle animations and the charas' portraits!
The music was completely to my liking! Best music: During the Slime battle!
I found the gameplay so perfectly built for the whole experience! You have made a tremendous progress since Laxious Power 1(i have been following since then!)All game traits are well designed ( though the early versions had a lot of unnecessary bugs that blocked the full experience..) and the new plus game is very innovating!
My favourite moment is the ending! (both of them) Just like in real life there coudn't be an accomplishment without a loss, small or big, so is in this game!Very touching moments! I love the Rayanne quest outcome too!
The game's best sides are of course the quests and their complexity, the 78 secret rooms, the battle system and the spell maturing with use, the music.
The hardest dungeon is Ice shrine (the damn Soulswords!), as for the sidequests, i missed a lot , because of their complex design and time relating, but i think the most puzzling was the Cockaaaa!
The enemy i had to battle twice even in my story mode, was Ice God (in my first playthrough)..then i prepared myself by levelling up a bit and i killed him easily!
I went in the evil shrine with both parties, but i prefer Busho's party, just for the unorthodoxal element of this choice, and maybe because i slightly prefer the related ending to the other..of course it is easier to complete evil shrine with 4 members too..
Compared to older aldorlean games, this one is more mature from the aspect of gameplay features and battling options, though i kind of missed autobattle ..It is a huge game, with all these sidequests and sr to find, but not as the Laxious Force series, which had away more content.I could compare it to TBOL in length.As i was playing, i realised that i was getting memories from many other aldorlean previous games..in a way some elements of all the past games are embeded in this one, but this is just my personal feeling..
Favourite girl:Nyx!!!! (so strong in the end), but favourite girl spell:Death Kiss!! it kills in one cast!
Favourite boy:Busho! he is not blond, which is very important for me !best boy spell:Megadeath!!
Also loved: item crafting(which never levelled for me) and flower knowledge (like in Laxious Force)!

Overall, it was a very interesting game, with a huge replay value!Looking forward to LS now!!!

[MerryX]

Forever Heroes – My Memories
Indi - 5 minutes – you’re dreaming!!! It takes far longer so I’ve made some executive decisions and skipped a few questions I don’t really have much to say about.

Tried to post and ran into an error. I have sent you a Word doc with my feedback Thank you so much for all your work!!


INDY EDIT (thanks for the placeholder MerryX!!! )
Here is MerryX's entry for the Memories.

Your opinion about Caius?
Brash young man who was quite irritating to me at first but then had quite a rude awakening and began to try to grow up and think of others.

Spoiler: show

in my ending, Busho dies and that was extremely hard for both Caius and me. I cried

Your opinion about Marlyn?
Again, a somewhat superficial young woman initially only focused on herself and her needs, and then showing a gradual growth and change…but a little too late to avert disaster. It was a shame we didn’t get her back until later in the story so she could develop further. Certainly, my second preferred female character just behind Genevieve.

Your opinion about Busho?
My preference is clearly the mysterious aloof brunette type. A good foil for Caius – and a good friend. Likeable

Spoiler: show

I am so sad he died in my ending…so he certainly must have come alive for me in the story.

Your opinion about Genevieve?
I must have liked her as I kept trying to boost her AGI – got a bit sick of both Marlyn and then Lilith picking on her! She struck me as more “real” and relatable. She was frightened and complained a bit about this and that but she kept going…

Your opinion about Lilith?
Very snotty know-it-all Dark Elf – gradually appeared to mellow with her interest in Busho.

Your opinion about Penelope?
Wonder about introducing another buxom “young thing” and whether there would have been more interest with an older/male sage? Maybe a bit crusty and creaky physically but powerful MAT?

Any opinion about the 2 optional characters (if you found them)?
Loved Nyx – great artwork and powerful no nonsense warrior/champion. Great 4th party member.
Audrey – a bit more nuanced, showing an interest in other party members and their relationships but not interfering. Another good addition to the team to make up a balanced party of four.

Who is the strongest character, and why? And the weakest?
I’m going to answer this in terms of the building and story of the character rather than their obvious physical or magical strengths/weaknesses:
Genevieve – strongest as most well-rounded (was that a pun ) She had some great skills and Item Synthesiser, a more developed character, and just seemed more interesting to me than many of the others.
Penelope – weakest as did not find her interesting nor particularly helpful.

Who's more handsome, Caius or Busho?
Has to be Busho for me – unlike Penelope, I like brunettes Now, if you’d had an “older male sage” character…?!

Who's the prettiest, Marlyn, Genevieve, Lilith or Penelope?
They all looked pretty – can’t really say – and they’d say stuff to me if I did

Who hits harder, Caius or Random (Laxius Force)?
Oooh, it’s been a while, but I think maybe Random. After all, I was able to get him to a much higher level with amazing gear. Although the Mace of Megadeth was amazing

Who is wiser, Penelope or Luciana (Laxius Force)?
I think, Luciana – to me wiser means being helpful and kind, not just cryptic and overbearing which is more how I experienced Penelope. I am going to have to re-play Laxius Force, aren’t I?

What age do you think is Penelope?
Did I see some reference to a celebration at the end?

Spoiler: show

30th something – suspect not 30 years old – as older than the Dark Elf in the Elven Village

Really no idea and not particularly interested tbh

What's the best place to live, Fay (1st village), Canacopra (Island village), Elven Village, Saint Town or Master Z' bunker?
What about Deckersville (Port Town)? I like being by the ocean and eating fish (not smelling them though). And they also have all those exciting water sports!!
Fay (too small and rural); Canacopra (too hot and a right den of iniquity until I get back and complete a few quests); Elven Village (ewwh, Dark Elves being snotty all the time…?); Saint Town (maybe too cold and pious?); and finally, Master Z’s Bunker (underground – are you kidding!!!!!!!!!!!!!)

Did you purchase the plant in Hermit Island village and if so, did you like it?
It was great – mine lasted and was “a gift that kept on giving” almost right up until the end in the Evil Shrine!!! So worth it – particularly at a time when I really didn’t have a lot of money…

Your opinion about the story?
Pulled me in although I got a bit frustrated as I tend to wander/ramble/explore so it meant that I either was continually stopped or leaped ahead and unknowingly missed a quest completely.

Your opinion about the graphics and sounds?
Loved the graphics – clear and varied/interesting. Such a difference from other games I have tried from other developers which are usually repetitive and “cookie cutter”. Tiny (but still doable) details counted.
And for the first time in a game I enjoyed the music and left it on quietly in the background. It added to my gaming experience – to the point when there were pauses in the music during the Evil Shrine, I noticed and waited for it to kick in again.

What was your favourite moment and why?
When I figured out something tough (with a bit of help from others) – I felt clever and a sense of accomplishment.
e.g. Crystal God, 3 Yaks Quest, surviving numerous boss fights (okay, I was on Easy Mode but still…)
Actually, tbh I really enjoyed the camaraderie and sharing of yourself and the other Forever Heroes gamers. I spent a lot of time reading people’s posts and thinking about them and replying when I could.

Favourite and hardest dungeons?
Ice and Evil Shrines

Favourite and hardest side quests?
Not my favourite (I didn’t get it!!) but definitely the hardest - Quest #29: Cockaaaa

Most dangerous enemy?
Crystal God (the magic-reflecting cold b*#@ard!!)

Who did you send to the Evil Shrine at the end?
Caius, Penelope, Audrey and Marlyn

What did you think of the ending?
It sucks – I clearly have a problem with people dying (hello…I always use Easy Mode – so yes, I’m going to whinge when some of my favourite characters are “offed”).
That being said – that’s what happens in stories and life…I’d be interested to know what was the other ending?

Spoiler: show

I was beating the Ice Shrine God but had to eventually give up because the guide said the evil would keep regenerating as it couldn’t lose, so I couldn’t save Busho and Nyx

How does this game compare to past Aldorlea epics (Laxius Force, Millennium, The Book of Legends, Witch Hunt etc)?
I think it is excellent – I appreciate the slightly shorter play time as I sometimes struggle with the real EPICS (100 hours +). I get a bit feeble and fall by the wayside.
On reflection, I think I’d like a bit more “free play” where you can explore and roam and you’re not immediately cut off from completing quests or getting back into areas. But of course, that makes them really BIG!!! Some of my favourites include: The Tale of a Common Man; Millennium; Dreamscape; etc.

[MerryX]

kimo wrote:
Wait! How do your wipe your butt with an online catalog?

May I suggest a bidet - saves on glossy virtual paper and staple cuts

[MerryX]

INDY EDIT (thanks for the placeholder MerryX!!! )
Here is MerryX's entry for the Memories.

Thank you, Indy Much appreciated

[lilac]

Your opinion about Caius?
Started off as an annoying brat but grew on me by the end.

Your opinion about Marlyn?
Typical cocky rpg vixen. The constant bullying of Genevieve was very annoying.

Your opinion about Busho?
A little too grumpy even for an old grumpy person like me but he's a good character. His and Caius' personalities complement each other well.

Your opinion about Genevieve?
Nice girl, i wish she had grown more confident during the course of the game.

Your opinion about Lilith?
Same as Marlyn.

Your opinion about Penelope?
Interesting character.

Any opinion about the 2 optional characters (if you found them)?
I liked them a lot. I appreciated having a couple of characters on the more serious, mature side.

Who is the strongest character, and why? And the weakest?
Weakest maybe Marlyn ( but her kiss of death was really good in the beginning ). I don't know if Busho is the strongest but his rain of hits was darn useful. I used and abused it a lot.

Who's more handsome, Caius or Busho?
I wouldn't call a cartoon handsome, but since i'm not too fond of blond hair i'll say Busho.

Who's the prettiest, Marlyn, Genevieve, Lilith or Penelope?
Hmm... i'll say Genevieve.

Who hits harder, Caius or Random (Laxius Force)?
I want to say Random, but Caius' megadeath mace was insane!

Who is wiser, Penelope or Luciana (Laxius Force)?
Luciana.

What age do you think is Penelope?
30?

What's the best place to live, Fay (1st village), Canacopra (Island village), Elven Village, Saint Town or Master Z' bunker?
I'm with MerryX on this one. Port town,

Did you purchase the plant in Hermit Island village and if so, did you like it?
Yes, very useful little plant ( and i'm sure i would have appreciated it more if i was playing on a higher difficulty ).

Your opinion about the story?
Pretty nice, standard rpg story. I liked the twist with Marlyn.

Your opinion about the graphics and sounds?
I liked them, but i have to say, the music in Canacopra after the volcano erupts is super annoying.

Your opinion about the gameplay?
Nice gameplay. The skills were very interesting but my criticism is that playing on easy mode i was anticipating things to be more simple. I mean, i really had to level up some skills to get through some parts of the game and i associate easy mode with whack away with your weapons and you're good, but maybe that's just me.

What was your favorite moment and why?
Flying around with the saucer. I prefer games where i'm allowed to move around the map freely.

What's the game's best/strongest sides?
Lots of side quests and SRs.

Favorite and hardest dungeons?
Well i was playing on easy mode, so what do i say? I really hate the slimes in St.Mountain.

Favorite and hardest sidequests?
Favorite: no brainer, Cockaaa! Hardest: i read posts about the lottery ( which is connected to the dying man quest ) and it looks like a super difficult, insane, complicated and wacky quest to achieve! I must solve it when i replay the game.

Most dangerous enemy?
I guess the soulsword.

Who did you send to the Evil Shrine at the end?
I took Penelope's advise.

What did you think of the ending?
The ending took me a little by surprise. I was expecting Busho and Nyx to suddenly show up but they never did. So, though it was sad, i found it refreshing that it wasn't the typical, Disney like happy ending.

How does this game compare to past Aldorlea epics (Laxius Force, Millennium, The Book of Legends, Witch Hunt etc)?
I liked the game a lot, but Laxius, Millennium, TBOL and Asguaard are still better for me personally.

[Indinera]

i associate easy mode with whack away with your weapons and you're good, but maybe that's just me.

or... maybe that's just "not me"
but there's always story mode which is easier

[lilac]

i associate easy mode with whack away with your weapons and you're good, but maybe that's just me.

or... maybe that's just "not me"
but there's always story mode which is easier

For sure, in the next playthrough i'm going with story mode.

[Lady JJ]

TLDR version - I liked it. You will, too.
Played on Normal Mode

Your opinion about Caius?
Hmmm... immature, naive, narcissistic, reckless, shallow, yet he suddenly 'became a man' when the situation called for it. Not that he didn't fall back on those earlier characteristics throughout the game, but he certainly matured and stepped up to the plate. And later in the game, in the occassional regressions, there was always that wise woman to corral him to better choices.
Your opinion about Marlyn?
Never liked her. Never trusted her. Was she a succubus or a slave? Wendala would be appalled at Marlyn calling herself a slave! Okay, so she was a reasonable, actually pretty good, fighter, but, yeah, definitely not a likeable character for me.
Your opinion about Busho?
I liked Busho right from the beginning. I know there was at least one player who was annoyed by Busho's pessimism, but I found him to be the perfect balancing act for Caius' naive and foolhardy behavior.
Your opinion about Genevieve?
My favorite character. I've only gotten just one ending thus far, so I don't know if the individual outcomes change with the second ending. I was kind of sad to see 'Geneve' just retreat back to her own mundane life.
Your opinion about Lilith?
A strong woman, and like most strong women, there are some who will dislike her just for being capable. And she was more than capable. The romantic relationship that so subtley brews between Busho and Lilith is absolutely a Nora Roberts role reversal. I realize love interests aren't the focus of most RPG players, but I found this one to be of the most refreshing I've experienced in a long time. Don't worry, though. Hard core RPG gamers will not find this romance to be either sappy or excessive. A little aloof perhaps, slighly condescending, well more than slightly to Genevieve, but she is an elf after all and that's her nature.
Your opinion about Penelope?
The game needed a Penelope. A question down the line asks to compare Penelope with Luciana. I'll do that, but here, I'd like to compare Penelope with Yveen. I do think that's a better comparison. Despite her reluctance to involve herself in worldly affairs, she decides that this time she must intervene and joins the party. Like Yveen, she is a strong healer. Like Yveen, she is bemused by and perhaps even has a crush on the young hero, though not in a romantic way at all. She takes it upon herself to nurture and protect the party and lead them to success.
Any opinion about the 2 optional characters (if you found them)?
Nyx, another strong woman who doesn't take any guff from others. She's not quite as abrasive as Laxius Force's arena champion Linda, but she neither does she mince her words or suffer fools gladly. Not sure the trio would have been as successful if it were not for Nyx joining the party. And, unlike Lilith, Nyx seemed to recognize Genevieve's inner strengths. (As an aside, I'd like to know the history of Nyx. That name seems to show up a lot in Indinera's world... forum member, weapon in this game, mentioned in other games..)
The dragon lady, Audrey, is a supportive character at best. Not much to say about her, she shows up by circumstance and it's always good to have a third party throw some healing / boosting potions your way.
Who is the strongest character, and why? And the weakest?
I think Busho is the strongest character. Caius is physically stronger, but Busho is a fundamentally stronger character both in terms of moral fiber and fortitude. The weakest, well that would be Marlyn both in terms of strength, moral character and fortitude. Honestly, it was an effort trying to keep her alive after rescuing her.
Who's more handsome, Caius or Busho?
Too subjective to answer...
Who's the prettiest, Marlyn, Genevieve, Lilith or Penelope?
Too subjective to answer...
Who hits harder, Caius or Random (Laxius Force)?
Random has a much wider range of talents, so he definitely wins this contest. Not to mention, Random has both Sarah and Wendala, and even Luciana and Yveen when they're present, boosting him to even greater levels. Yeah, our young Caius will have to weather quite a few more demon outbreaks before he can stand on the same stage as Random.
Who is wiser, Penelope or Luciana (Laxius Force)?
If you're talking 'facts or book smart,' then maybe Penelope, but even that's doubtful. Aside from knowing how to approach and defeat the demon, I didn't see much evidence of Penelope's sage wisdom. She is after all, in her own words, "a sage, not an encyclopedia." I will give her credit for recognizing Genevieve's worth, though. But as for wisdom, as in life experience, knowing what's best for people, pondering difficulties and then figuring things out, it's definitely Luciana. Although, like Caius vs Random, Luciana has had hundreds of game time hours to develop and display this wisdom, so the comparison might be a little unfair. They do both like cats.
What age do you think is Penelope?
Oh, I think she is very, very old. Remember she told the group that she would be travelling incognito in her 'little girl' disguise. I think it would have been nice for her to reverted to her true sage self when they approached the final demon. It would have boosted her magic abilities, as she wouldn't have needed to keep some in reserve maintaining the disguise and it would have been a refreshing change from the villain always saying, "HA! You think you have defeated me! Now you will see me in my TRUE form!"
What's the best place to live, Fay (1st village), Deckersville (port town), Canacopra (Island village), Elven Village, Saint Town or Master Z' bunker?
Deckersville for sure. It's not such a small town as Fay, and not as isolated as Saint Town and the bunker. Plus, you can always walk to Fay and take a boat trip to Canacopra if you so desire. Elven village? If you're an elf, I guess it's okay, but otherwise, I'll pass. They are, after all, elves.
Did you purchase the plant in Hermit Island village and if so, did you like it?
It was okay. I think perhaps I didn't find as many recipes as was possible.
Your opinion about the story?
Okay, so the overall premise was the old 'hapless chums find themselves in position of saving the world and they rise to the occasion.' But it did put a new spin on it as our 'hapless hero' DELIBERATELY released the demon. That was both fun and refreshing. As in most of Indy's game, the story served to develop both characters and relationships. This is a story, not just a hack'n'slash your way to the final dungeon game. And it's beautifully done so that even if you are a TLDR kind of gamer, the dialogues are spaced far enough apart, so it doesn't spoil your gameplay. Definitely a story to be told, but definitely an RPG game, NOT a visual novel. It's a nice balance.
Your opinion about the graphics and sounds?
Graphics were a nice mix of RTP and custom graphics. I'm not a fan of chibi style, but I get that this is a fault of the game engine, not the game developer. Sound, well, I'm sorry Indy, but I play with the sound off.
Your opinion about the gameplay?
Gameplay as in mechanics or development? For me, the game played very smoothly. I use keyboard controls, and I didn't have any issues. Neither did I have any issues with game freezing like some did. I should mention, though, Indy was very quick to research/identify/fix the game freeze as soon as it was mentioned, so it's likely not to be a problem to anyone now.
What was your favorite moment and why?
The volcano blowing up because (1) Caius finally started acting like a hero and (2) I didn't have to deal with Marlyn anymore. Yeah, I really did NOT like Marlyn.
What's the game's best/strongest sides?
Mountain cliffs? Or did you mean teams?
Favorite and hardest dungeons?
The ice shrine because it was hard, but also gave good rewards in experience and gold. Also, the spawn rate of enemies seemed really balanced, enough to grind but few enough to quickly dash to the next screen.
Favorite and hardest sidequests?
I did like those 'chain' sidequests, where you had to solve one to be able to solve a second. My favorite was the Pillar - Erin - Pristine.
Most dangerous enemy?
King Slime and the Raflesia on the world map.
Who did you send to the Evil Shrine at the end?
Caius and Penelope (with Marlyn and Audrey offering their services as well).
What did you think of the ending?
I thought it was sad. I'm hoping that the 'two endings' means maybe I could have found a better ending.
How does this game compare to past Aldorlea epics (Laxius Force, Millennium, The Book of Legends, Witch Hunt etc)?
Well, it's difficult to compare any game, except maybe the Millenium series, to Laxius Force. What are we talking here, 7 games overall? I'd compare it to other standalones like The Book of Legends and Witch Hunt. Witch Hunt was cute, probably didn't take as many hours to complete as Forever Heroes, and definitely didn't have the number of locations / bosses / sidequests. I remember liking the Book of Legends, but, honestly, it was a long time ago, and I don't fully remember it. I would say that Forever Heroes holds its own against any of the standalones, and that's not to disparage the others, they were all quite fun to play, but Forever Heroes is just a notch better in terms of overall gameplay.

I would also like to mention that Indy specifically stated Forever Heroes was designed to be a 'short' RPG with his intention being learning a new game engine. Well, this 'short RPG' certainly took off with a life of its own and developed into quite an epic experience. Hats off to Indy for yet another wonderful game.

Also, since I was fortunate enough to be in the company of early players, I'd like to give a huge shut-out to @kimo, @lilac, @MerryX, @jirafa, @jincyk, @aggeliki, @darkange, @littlebro, and anyone else I may have missed. Your hints and tips have been greatly appreciated and were certainly instrumental in a successful first playthrough.

[Indinera]

Thanks for the feedback @Lady JJ

Also, since I was fortunate enough to be in the company of early players, I'd like to give a huge shut-out to @kimo, @lilac, @MerryX, @jirafa, @jincyk, @aggeliki, @darkange, @littlebro, and anyone else I may have missed. Your hints and tips have been greatly appreciated and were certainly instrumental in a successful first playthrough.

[MerryX]

LadyJJ wrote: Also, since I was fortunate enough to be in the company of early players, I'd like to give a huge shut-out to @kimo, @lilac, @MerryX, @jirafa, @jincyk, @aggeliki, @darkange, @littlebro, and anyone else I may have missed. Your hints and tips have been greatly appreciated and were certainly instrumental in a successful first playthrough.

Right back atcha Thank you, LadyJJ, and all of the other early players and Indy. The camaraderie and fun in the forum really added another dimension to playing the game for me. It was a blast

[Aggeliki]

thank you Lady JJ!!! In the earlier years i was more active in the forums, but now..work, university, family and covid keep me very busy!

[darkange]

Your opinion about Caius?
For me ... he was my favourite character - it doesn't matter if he was superficial or he likes to inflate his ego - he was still fun and I liked his jokes. Plus he was the best in battle at bosses by far, with a few boss exceptions resistant to physical attacks ... only Busho when he got Gravitabomb could come close to dealing decent damage at bosses like Caius.

Your opinion about Marlyn?
I kind of knew from the start she was going to do something evil at some point - especially when she swallowed that guy for being "rude" to Caius... plus who trusts a succubus... lol

Your opinion about Busho?
Annoying in the beginning like I stated before but he started to grow on me in time - still think he was saying "Cringe" too many times for ocasions that didn't even matter. He was too serious for social interactions. Social interactions are supposed to be fun in my opinion ... not serious and hurt each other's feelings.

Your opinion about Genevieve?
My favourite girl ... she wasn't fat at all from how she was looking, she wasn't stupid either ... just lazier than other girls... but I still think she would be perfect for me compared to others - so yeah ... she is my kind of girl - hot, submissive, smart.

Your opinion about Lilith?
Still didn't changed my mind about her - too dominant like Busho stated ... and too annoying for the most part - at the end wasn't even that good at dealing dmg in battle either - at least on my difficult gameplay. Still perfect for Busho I guess ... similar thinking so they can have each other

Your opinion about Penelope?
The contrast is wierd between looking very young and being very wise. No ideea how I feel about her - I have conflicted feelings - best healer in the game like she said.

Any opinion about the 2 optional characters (if you found them)?
Nyx and Audrey were okay I guess ... no special thing to say about them since you get them late game. I like that nyx could equip both swords and lances.


Who is the strongest character, and why? And the weakest?
For gameplay - Caius - obvious reasons ... weakest in battle - marlyn - also obvious reasons.

Who's more handsome, Caius or Busho?
No ideea... I am a dude lol

Who's the prettiest, Marlyn, Genevieve, Lilith or Penelope?
For me hands down Genevieve. They were all hot cause Indy has a habit of making all girls hot in his games ... but I would still pick Genevieve.

Who hits harder, Caius or Random (Laxius Force)?
Impossible to compare ... Random had waaay more development and skills so it's not a fair comparison.

Who is wiser, Penelope or Luciana (Laxius Force)?
Still impossible to say - penelope likes guessing and making people find their own answer instead of giving them the answer right up - like how she did with the blonde bimbo - brilliant ideea. Luciana was different in this regard.

What age do you think is Penelope?
I still don't get why not just ask her directly what age she is ... Caius asking her if she is a minor and she was saying she doesn't work in a MINE ... never heard that one before


What's the best place to live, Fay (1st village), Deckersville (port town), Canacopra (Island village), Elven Village, Saint Town or Master Z' bunker?
I'm a guy who takes cold showers for 2.5 years now ... also absolutely loved the music in Saint town, the church in saint town and the soundtrack for legendary big ass slime - so this reasons combined I pick Saint tower hands down. Nobody picked it anyway so I am unique

Did you purchase the plant in Hermit Island village and if so, did you like it?
Yeah ... I was expecting to be useful somehow in time after I paid. Thanks to people in forum comunity telling me that I can extend the life of the plant ... I manage to make it lost a long time.

Your opinion about the story?
Decent story with things that I saw before but by far the secondary quests made the game very interesting ... most of them were creative and really picked your interest.... and the 2 very different endings.

Your opinion about the graphics and sounds?
I always play your game with sound on ... the music on some bosses was absolutely amazing ... I want the soundtrack for some of them - saint tower soundtrack, church soundtrack, the slime king, the final boss .
The graphics is an obvious improvement compared to older games - RPG MV to the rescueeee.

Your opinion about the gameplay?
When Indy said he was going to do a big game with many things in it - he was kidding - it really feels like a proper RPG if you play on max difficulty .. .try to find all secret rooms, try to do all quests, try to find all relics, all legendary heroes and so on.

What was your favorite moment and why?
The nemesis fight with both parties ... It was more interesting for me than the demon fight in the volcano - can't really explain why . And

Spoiler: show

I like the secret dialogue I discovered between Penelope and Nemesis - don't know why you putted there since you cannot find it without some cheat but it was interesting neverthless

What's the game's best/strongest sides?
The gameplay, the secret rooms, the sidequests, bokden, the legendary heroes, the relics, arena - pretty much everything.
I really would have liked to see more quests connected to the legendary heroes - this would have been so much more interesting - the nostalgia of redescovering old heroes and also more quests that actually have things to do with their part in their own game - like Erin quest - maybe expand it even more and make Erin take the party to a dream land.
So many more possibilities here with the legendary heroes quests.

Favorite and hardest dungeons?
Favorite - don't think I have one ... Hardest - volcano area with Caius and Penelope only - died so many times at Blood brute or that general demon guy . Didn't know I can actually reach them with an aditional member at that time so I tried with only the 2 of them.

Favorite and hardest sidequests?
Hardest : cocka cockaaaaa
Favorite - rayanne and glen - too bad I didn't completed it.

Most dangerous enemy?
Blood brute and his pile of bones - that motherfucker was hitting so hard on my team... and getting 2 attacks in a row sometimes - craaaaazy mode at it's best.

Who did you send to the Evil Shrine at the end?
I finished with both parties.

What did you think of the ending?
I very much like the ending where

Spoiler: show

nobody dies and everybody celebrates in the magic village

How does this game compare to past Aldorlea epics (Laxius Force, Millennium, The Book of Legends, Witch Hunt etc)?
Better than others -almost all of them expect Laxius force or millenium series .. and probably asguaard.

[jincyk]

Not done with the game yet, and I will post again when I am. (I'm outside of Saint Town now.)

There is a lot to appreciate about this game--I'm grateful for a very long game, detailed game, and I appreciate the effort that went into it.

But I have never played a game where so many choices were arbitrary and so many quests impossible. Of course it has
replay value, but so does any solid game. The problem is that even on replay (I've restarted 3 times), it's way too easy to miss something important. Sometimes the order in which you must do things or the choices you must make are reasonable (click on stuff, pay attention to what people say, be kind, etc.), but sometimes it's just random. The only way to achieve completeness would be to keep meticulous notes, and for me, the keeping of meticulous notes is not enjoyable. It's work, not play. I hope that at some point a new guide will emerge, one in which the triggering and completion of quests are spelled out (in an appendix, so that the player can choose not to look at these spoilers, or to look only as a last resort).

And again, there's much to like about this game. It's just not as much fun (for me anyway) as it could be. My two cents.