EDIT 4: I'm split between recommending this game or not. The main core gameplay itself is really good, wuxia martial artist disciple simulator. On the other hand, some non-negligible elements of the gameplay is pretty annoying (e.g minigames, and random strolling).
EDIT 3: Ok it's probably because some of my low spec setting. Start from normal .exe and delete all the hidden option below bloom in .ini fixed it. Finally finished the game. As for why no game hours are added in my steam, that's because I'm playing offline using goldberg to remove steam cpu usage. Final verdict: the game is nice and playable, but not for everyone, but ultimately decent. Now if only the dev start fixing bugs and pushing updates back to EN version instead relying on fan translation patches.
EDIT 2: my game crashes everytime I finished a battle in the cult so can't progress. Yeah, this game is definitely abandoned by the developer.
EDIT 1:
Ok, now I have replayed it again after a long time. There's key problem with event system here, the trigger (stroll) is too RNG, for the limited timeframe it's given. This make triggering an NPC-related event become too much of a gacha. This event gacha also give you massive distraction on what to do, and it become very easy to miss BOTH target NPC's event AND training goals.
I suppose the plan is for you to replay it a lot of times so you know when and what triggers. But frankly, even that is horrible approach since human often forgets, and it's NOT FUN to research and record like taking notes when and what. Even more so, that's not gaming, at least that's not the experience of what an average rpg gamer peeking at the game screenshots expect.
A solution maybe to actually give marker on who and what characters appear in an event place before stroll visit. This way, there are much less RNG involved, and some kind of planning can be done under limited condition.
Other serious problems: the developer seems to have abandoned maintenance of the game and moved on to something else. Before even most of the glaring bugs and problems are fixed. The english version even lagged several versions behind, missing a lot of interesting elements.
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If your pc is low spec (like mine), here's an attempt to make it more runnable. I used chatGPT to suggest on what to do, with a little test.
create new shortcut with command option
[code]"DriveLetter:\GamePath\wuxia.exe" -force-d3d9 -popupwindow -nolog[/code]
more importantly under GamePath\launch folder, there's TaleOfWuxia.ini
add the following hidden options
[code]
[setting]
screenSize=1280,720 ;change this to fit comfortable screen resolution, though the smaller probably better performance (not to mention apparently it's easier to do mining minigame, which is key money making mechanics)
fullscreen=false
shadow=true
shadowQuality=low
shadowDistance=low
vSync=false
antiAliasing=false
imageQuality=low
screenSpaceAmbientOcclusion=false
tonemapping=false
resourcesCount=low
MusicValue=0.50
SoundValue=0.50
JumpMovie=true
NPCdelayloading=true
Bloom=false ;I'm sure this is one of the valid ones
motionBlur=false
HDR=false
realtimeReflectionProbes=false
lodBias=0.5
textureQuality=2
anisotropicFiltering=disable
shadowCascades=0
motionBlur=false
depthTexture=false
GodRays=false
LightShafts=false
SunShafts=false
LensFlare=false
AutoExposure=false
ColorGrading=false
ambientIntensity=0.0
volumetricLight=false
volumetricLighting=false
lightScattering=false
scattering=false
godray=false
volumetrics=false
volumetricFog=false
directionalLightShadows=false
atmosphere=false
skyEffect=false
particleRaycastBudget=0
softParticles=false
billboardsFaceCameraPosition=false
pixelLightCount=0
ambientMode=Flat
realtimeGI=false
bakedGI=false
lightShaftIntensity=0.0
sunShaftIntensity=0.0
godRayIntensity=0.0
shaftQuality=0
enableShafts=false
particleEffects=false
particleQuality=low
maxParticles=0
effectDensity=0.0
markerGlow=false
highlightFX=false
interactiveGlow=false
highlightIntensity=0.0
sunFlare=false
flareIntensity=0.0
glowAmount=0.0
sparkleFX=false
lightStreaks=false
volumetricSun=false
lightScatter=false
ambientLightIntensity=0.0
directionalLightIntensity=0.0
waterReflection=false
waterReflections=false
planarReflections=false
reflectionTextureResolution=0
waterQuality=low
reflectSky=false
reflectOtherObjects=false
caustics=false
waveDisplacement=false
shorelineEffects=false
foamFX=false
wetness=false
planarReflection=false
enablePlanarReflection=false
reflectionProbes=false
probeReflections=false
disableReflectionProbe=true
reflectionProbeIntensity=0.0
waterReflectionProbe=false
planarRefl=false
specularHighlights=false
disableSpecular=false
planarReflectionEnabled=false
reflectionEnabled=false
useReflection=false
enableWaterReflections=false
usePlanarReflections=false
waterReflectionsEnabled=false
enableReflectionProbe=false
disableReflectionProbes=true
[/code]
Most of these options don't work since I simply asked chatGPT to find them for me. But the performance boost was pretty significant.
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Old review:
Unlike other (translated) wuxia games where you can go all around collecting martial arts manuals and have it all. In here you're supposed to enter into a single training "route", and work off your gameplay centered around it, including picking martial arts that fits your specific training route.
For example, directly off my memory, early on you have a pick of barehanded vs sword martial arts. In starting village stage, you can get one of them from a beggar. If you focus training properly for it, you can use the barehanded martial art somewhat early on, on the other hand, to use the sword art you have to train in it specifically, probably can only use it quite a bit later on. But the key is, you have to focus on one of them (e.g pick the matching starting martial art type, barehand or sword type).
