Exile 3: Ruined World
Overview information
| Publisher, Year | Spiderweb Software, 1997 |
| Genre | RPG |
| Difficulty earmarks |
|
| Time for 1 run | 20-35 hours |
| Contributors |
Exile 3 is the last game in the Exile series proper (not including Blades of Exile), created by Jeff Vogel of Spiderweb software. The engine and graphics are vastly outdated for what was available at the time, but as an intriguing and challenging RPG it is very solid. If you prefer long storylines to short and tough combat to easy this is a game for you. It has since been remade with the "Avernum" engine and moniker. Avernum is a technical refresh that encompasses largely the same story, though the mechanics of the game and many details differ. This guide, while similar, should not be used to refer to Avernum.
The game is earmarked by two things in particular, a (very) long storyline and (very) difficult combat. Even when facing relatively weak opponents, it is easy and possible to become quickly overwhelmed by a summoning mage or a cursing priest. Towards the end of the game, combat can be extremely difficult - even with an extremely powerful party. The game grows in difficulty exponentially as you progress, keeping you on your toes.
General Reference Material
Combat and Survival (READ THIS!)
Special Encounters and Dungeons
Alchemy (Tactics & Ingredient and Recipe locations)
A word on Cheating and the Editor
The PIH staff does not endorse cheating just to play a game. While there is often a fine line between metagaming and outright cheating, there are many things you can do in Exile III that are cheats. USING THE EDITOR IS CHEATING. No ifs, ands or buts about it. If you use the editor IN ANY WAY to manipulate your game, YOU ARE CHEATING. If you are cheating, you shouldn't be using this guide! There are plenty of 'softcore' guides on GameFAQs or elsewhere; the entire purpose of this guide is to prove you shouldn't need to.
The disgusting thing is that many FAQs I see about Exile III actually endorse cheating as a way to simply play the game. "Oh, just use the editor to do this and that". There is actually a FAQ on GameFAQs that suggests you edit your character to be infinitely powerful at the very beginning of the game just to play. Where's the fun in that?
Other forms of cheating in Exile III include abusing the Intelligence bonus in the Tower of the Magi, abusing the vendors to reap infinite gold from selling herbs, et cetera. Exile III is a tough game, but by no means impossible to beat without cheating.
Early Game Walkthrough
This portion of the walkthrough covers dealing with Upper Exile, your initial approach to the surface, the Slime and Roach Plagues and a few minor sidequests and detours. It'll also cover where to snag some decent equipment early on to assist in your survival, and give you a few metagaming approaches to potentially dangerous situations.
The early game can spell death for the unprepared party in a few ways, due primarily to your relative fragility and poor resources to recover from a disaster. Ambushes are one of your biggest problems, along with disease and poison. Overall, though, it's more just about picking and choosing your battles that will keep you alive. The latter portions of the game differ greatly in this aspect.
Mid Game Walkthrough
This portion of the walkthrough covers the first truly difficult plagues, the Troglodytes and the Giants. It'll also take you through Upper Exile on your second trip and take you on some more dangerous detours, along with cleaning up any valuables left behind in the easier areas. A portion of this section is dedicated to artifact hunting and powerlevelling your party, which will be sorely needed once you move on to the last third of the game.
The mid-game is where a lot of players can run into trouble due to over-confidence. You start getting your nuke spells and can take out large groups quickly, but you'll also start facing opponents that can destroy mages with ease (Giants) and opponents that have incredibly potent magic of their own (Khazis). Combat takes a new approach where you have to begin singling out certain creatures for quick removal, rather than just an all-out brawl.
Late Game Walkthrough
The final section of the walkthrough is, of course, the most difficult. It will take you through the Golem Plague and then dealing with the Alien Beasts, dealing with the Tower of Magi and some other difficult areas, finish up on some artifact hunting and prepare you for the end. Your tactics, equipment and characters will be well-defined at this point, so it's mostly a matter of putting what you already know to good use.
External Resources
All Exile 3 resources on PIHwiki were generated by PIH staffers. We didn't duplicate or copy any material from any of the sites listed below. If you'd like your site listed, just ask any admin.
The official Spiderweb Software webpage: http://www.spidweb.com/
The official Exile trilogy forums: http://www.ironycentral.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/forums/20/1/The_Exile_Trilogy
Wikipedia article on the Exile series: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exile_(computer_game_series)
Olly's Exile Pages (fansite): http://www.geocities.com/TimesSquare/Arena/3134/
I won't be linking the GameFAQs articles on here since two of them outright endorse cheating.