TGDB.net - Game news, cheats, solutions, walkthroughs, trainers, saved games and much more!

A: When you mount a horse, your "attack" special attack symbol in the special
attack slot (still with me?) changes to a horse icon. Before you can crash
your horse into a monster and damage it, you need to select this special
attack (the horse one) and right-click somewhere on the ground. When an aura
appears around your mounted character, you are ready to ride over monsters and
damage them. This special attack does not require a rune.

Q: Why do I always dismount when I pick up items?

A: Have you ever tried to pick up something from the ground while sitting on a
tall horse? See! Seriously, this is a demo-specific problem and has been
changed in the final release of the game. You'll be able to pick up items
without dismounting every time. You can work around this by using the "A" key
to pick up all items at once (check the options).

Q: Is there a way to prevent that my ranged character runs towards enemies?

A: Yes, just hold down the control key when you use ranged weapons to attack
monsters. In the release, this currently (German version, first patch) does
not work when you're mounted.

Q: The $!@# kids in town annoy me! Can I kill 'em?!

A: No, but you can scare them away by pressing the shift key. In the final
release they also will not follow you out of town.

Q: I walk around and all monsters die when they see me!

A: This isn't an actual bug. You have an item equipped (probably a piece of
armour or a weapon) that has an attribute similar to "Enemies with Lower
Levels Die on Spot +2". Any monster, whose level is lower than your own, dies
when it gets close to you. You do not receive experience if you "insta-kill" a
foe this way. While this modifier isn't a bug, there are two related flaws in
the demo: a) Equipment with this mod shouldn't drop so early in the game, and
b) monsters killed this way shouldn't have a guaranteed drop of a plain item.
It is not a bug that they don't give experience, however.

Q: I saw a huge spider across a river. Can I kill it?

A: In the demo version you can't get on the other side of the stream, but if
you find or buy a ranged weapon (a bow, for instance), you can try to slay the
spider from the distance. This may take a while, though.

Q: Did my arrows/spells just miss?!

A: Arrows and spells can miss. They can also be blocked by houses, trees and
other obstacles. It is also possible to dodge spells and arrows, by running
zig-zag or alternative "evasive manouvers".

Q: What level can be reached in the demo?

A: You can get to about level eight in the demo, but you'll have to find and
kill just about every monster in the demo and also complete all available
quests. Most players reach level six or seven when the demo ends.

Q: How many quests are there in the demo?

A: There is a total of thirteen quests in the demo. The full release features
over 290 quests, many of them optional.

Q: When does the demo end? Is there a time limit?

A: No, you can play for as long as you want, but if you leave the beginner
area (where the demo takes place), the game ends. As long as you stay within
those borders, you can explore for as long as you wish.

Q: At the end of the demo it says I saw 30-40% of the world. Isn't that small?

A: The percentage only refers to the tutorial area. This is the part of the
map that can be accessed in the demo. The world in the release version is huge
and it will take dozens of hours to explore it. Only 70% of the game world is
accessible at first, the remaining 30% can be unlocked through quests. There's
a lot to see!

Q: Where do I find these statistics?

A: The statistical information can be found in the quest log. Press the "Q"
key to open it or push the appropriate button on the control panel
(bottom-center of your screen). One of the tabs here provides information on
the progress you've made in the game so far (monsters killed, area discovered,
and so on).


D. Multiplayer

Q: Does Sacred support multiplayer gaming?

A: Yes, it does. There are three different multiplayer modes: LAN, TCP/IP
(open Ascaron.net) and Internet (closed Ascaron.net).

Q: Can I play online with my single player character?

A: Yes and no. You can participate in LAN and TCP/IP (open Ascaron.net) games
with your single player character, but Internet (closed Ascaron.net)
characters are stored on Ascaron's dedicated server. They can only be used for
this specific type of online playing.

Q: Is the closed Ascaron.net similar to battle.net?

A: Yes, it is very similar, though the interface differs a bit. The advantage
of playing on closed Ascaron.net is that you can be sufficiently sure that no
one has edited or manipulated their character. This makes playing with
strangers much more fun.

Q: I heard battle.net was full of cheaters. Will Ascaron.net be like that, too?

A: At the time of writing this FAQ, Ascaron.net is very new and parts of it
are still under development, but Ascaron is determined to curb any kind of
cheating and exploiting. They have not promised perfect security, but
expressed their desire to do their best to offer a safe, fun, and clean
environment.

Q: Will I have to pay for playing on Ascaron.net?

A: No, Ascaron.net is free, there are no recurring subscription fees or the
like. You'll need a valid CD key/license for Sacred to play online, though.

Q: I heard you can't currently create closed a.net games?

A: This is true, however, there was an announcement that creating games on
closed ascaron.net will be possible if a few requirements are met. Details
will be released soon.

Q: Can two people play on a LAN with just one copy of the game?

A: Originally the answer here was "No", but Ascaron listened to the player
feedback and changed their philosophy. Ingo Mohr of Ascaron Germany said this:
"OK. You wanted a solution now you get it. :-) It is possible to start up to 4
games in a LAN with one CD. Just install it and start the game. Get the CD out
of the CD ROM and start the game on the next PC. Not elegant in the moment but
it works. This feature is included in the international version."

Q: Do all players need the same language/country version?

A: No, you can play together (in any of the multiplayer modes) with everyone
who has Sacred. It does not matter if you or they use the US, UK, German or
French version of the game. CD keys are also independent of the
language/country version of the game, and the same key works with any given
version.

Q: How many people can play in an online game session?

A: This depends on the type of game you create. A questing game is limited to
a maximum of four players. The "do whatever you want" type of games allow for
up to sixteen players. The sixteen players can form any number of parties, or
play solo on their own. Both types are available in all three multiplayer
modes.

Q: Sacred has a huge world, how will I find my party?

A: You can teleport to your party members, so you won't have to travel half an
hour before you join up with your friends.

Q: What about player killing (PK)? Is it allowed?

A: This can be individually decided by the person who creates the game. If a
game has PvP (player versus player) enabled, PKing is possible. If the creator
opts against this, it will not be possible to hostile and attack other players.

Q: Do I need broadband to be able to play online?

A: According to Ascaron, dial-up connections work just fine, though in
general, speed never hurts. The author of this FAQ speculates that sixteen
players in the same area may cause some lag for dial-up users, but this is not
verified.

Q: Can I password protect my games and just play with mates?

A: This is a bit of a hot topic. The answer is "yes and no". Yes, in open
TCP/IP games you can password protect your games. No, Internet games on the
closed Ascaron.net cannot be password-protected. The reason for this is that
Ascaron does not want their servers to get overloaded due to thousands of
one-player games.

Q: Can I prevent high level characters from joining my game?

A: It is/will be possible to specify level restrictions for games. If your
game only allows characters between levels 10 and 20, characters who have a
lower or higher level won't be able to enter your game.

Q: Will I be able to "mule" solo?

A: No. Games reportedly close immediately when the last player leaves. Also,
according to a beta tester, items on the ground allegedly disappear very
quickly when there is no one around. It may not be possible to mule at all
without the help of a trusted friend.

Q: How many characters can I have online?

A: On closed Ascaron.net, you are limited to six characters on your account.

Q: Can I have as many online accounts as I want?

A: No. You are limited to one account per CD key. If you need more, you might
have to purchase another copy of the game.

Q: Won't the "pick up all" option help item grabbers?

A: The "A" command is disabled in any of the three multiplayer modes.

Q: I heard that there is no trading screen?

A: Yes, this is true. The German release won't have a trading screen, because
there was not enough time left to add it. However, Ascaron confirmed that this
will be added soon after the release.


E. Technical Stuff and Bugs

Q: What kind of computer do I need for Sacred?

A: For a new release, Sacred's system requirements are relatively low. The
listed minimum specifications are: Windows 98SE/ME/2000/XP; PentiumIII 800MHz;
128MB RAM; 4x CD Rom drive; DirectX9.0b compatible 32mb video card; 1GB free
hard drive space; DirectX9.0b compatible sound card; mouse & keyboard.
Recommended are Windows XP, a processor with 1.3Ghz, 256 MB RAM and a video
card with 64MB RAM. As with all games, more resources do not hurt. Windows
98FE (First Edition) will NOT be supported.

Q: Why is Windows 98FE (First Edition) not supported?

A: Due to the age of the operating system, Windows 98FE is not supported. It
is also due to the fact that Win98FE cannot handle large files, which are
required for Sacred.

Q: Do I really need DirectX 9?

A: It is listed as a minimum requirement, but Mirko of Ascaron stated in a
message that DirectX 7 may, in rare cases, work. However, DirectX 9b is
recommended and there are few reasons not to use it.

Q: I can't minimize the demo with ALT+TAB!

A: You cannot minimize the demo. If you would like to run the game in a
window, select "Sacred Demo Window" from the "Ascaron Entertainment" program
group in your Start menu.

Q: The demo runs slowly and freezes!

A: The Sacred demo is not optimized or tweaked. You can try to update your
video and sound drivers, but if it runs sluggishly for you even though your
system meets the requirements, don't worry too much about it. The release
version is highly optimized and will run much faster. You can also try to
lower the graphics quality in the options. For the release version, you might
want to defrag your hard drive as Sacred often reloads from the disc.

Q: I noticed some grammar and spelling mistakes.

A: That wasn't a question, was it? ;-) Yes, the English demo has some