Thought I'd write a small guide to sailing in Two Worlds II, as for me it's been a highly enjoyable and unexpected extension to the game that I feel a lot of players will miss, as it's not at all necessary to completing the game;
Mini-Guide to Sailing in Two Worlds II
One of the first things any player should do when starting Chapter II and arriving in New Ashos on the continent of Eollas is purchase a boat - a guard you encountered while escaping prison at the start of the game has one for sale for 3000 auras, and you can find him on the pier directly south of the city of New Ashos. But what point does sailing serve in Two Worlds II, and how much of the land can be explored?
Well, to start off you won't just be able to sail to the 3rd continent of Eikronas to the north and start visiting places meant for later in the game - due to barrier walls of rock the interior of the continents aren't explorable by boat, however there are a large number of interesting locations to explore along the shorlines of Eikronas and Eollas.
To begin with, as sailing in Two Worlds II can often be a time consuming process, you'll want to travel somewhere close, and although the small island to the south of New Ashos is a tempting destination, it's best left until you have a good grasp on how to handle the boat when sailing into the wind. A better course of action would be in exploring Eollas' southern coastline to familiarise yourself with sailing.
To control the boat, you simply adjust the sail's boom to catch the wind using the left and right triggers and then steer the rudder using the left stick. The key to maintaining speed is to keep the boom parallel to the direction of the wind - your mini-map will show the force and direction of the wind, as will the red flag on top of the boat's mast which is handy for lining up the boom.
While it is impossible to sail directly into the wind, you can 'tack' into the wind by pointing the boat at a 45 degree angle and adjusting the boom so that it still catches some of the wind - ideally the sails should be taut and not billowing, although either way you aren't going to be able to maintain much speed. Sometimes it's best to just land the boat and explore for a bit, while you wait for the wind direction to change, and even then then wind direction will never have changed dramatically.
When landing your boat it's best to beach it on the shore, rather than leave it bobbing in the water, as if the wind direction changes while you are off exploring you might return to find your boat a few hundred metres out into the water. Once your boat is beached you can push it back into the water when you're done exploring, but be aware that a physics glitch sometimes occurs that causes your boat to launch into the air when disembarking, and this can be a real pain if it lands in-land. Also, it's always a good idea to use a map-marker to remind yourself where you've beached your boat.
Also, when travelling to the shorelines of the various continents in Two Worlds II you will want to bring a lot of personal teleporters, as there are no fixed teleports on the shorelines (with two notable exceptions) and placing personal teleporters makes it easier to return to areas you've explored that aren't accessible from the mainlands.
Now, the best reason for sailing in Two Worlds II (other than exploration) is the loot - there are a lot of enemies to be found on the shorelines, and often they drop some valuable, rare and high-level loot, or have chests (usually master locked) full of loot for the player to find. The two main enemy types you will face for this loot are Vidons and Scapulari - the Scapulari are primitive octopus or shark-headed men that live in small fishing communities on the coastlines of Eikronas, while the Vidons are beast-men that live further in-land and are marginally more advanced (as well as more dangerous, Vidon arch-mage's can be quite tough in large groups).
And finally, here's a list of places of interest for you to sail to;
. Un-named island to the south of Eollas and west of Erimos - this island is slightly smaller than the starting island of Alsorna, and is inhabited by a number of Vidon tribes. There is no fixed-teleporter on this island, but there is a fair amount of loot available to intrepid explorers.
. Eollas' islands and shoreline - there are six main islands off the coast of Eollas. The two western-most isles are self-contained dungeons not accessible by boat (the northern-most island can be reached by a teleport north of New Ashos, the southern-most isle by a quest for the Mage's guild). The rest of the islands are largely unremarkable, but a boat is needed to access the western shoreline (and the Ancient Tombs where the Human Runestone is located for the runestones quest). The western-most island in the collection of small islands on the northern shore houses a trap-door to a secret room with a number of chests and a large quantity of potions.
. Un-named island to the south-east of Eikronas and north of Erimos - this island is particularly difficult to get to, as it will almost certainly require you to set sail from Eollas and make the lengthy journey north-east across the ocean. It's quite a rewarding journey however, as the un-named island is a beautiful site, with the ruins of an ancient society to explore and a large number of Vidon tribes to kill and loot.
. Eikronas' eastern shoreline - although largely uninhabited, the eastern shoreline of Eirkonas is a beautiful place with a distinctly North American feel, as timber wolves roam between the pine trees. A path into the Eikronan mainland is visible, but crossing the barrier causes the game to re-set you on the beach and chastise you for 'straying from the path'.
. The abandoned settlement - in the large bay along the southern coastline of Eikronas there are a number of notable features, the first being an abandoned settlement complete with ramshackle houses and a crumbling lighthouse which is located. Although the village is entirely uninhabited, there are a number of chests and wardrobes for the player to loot. The settlement is located on the northern side of the bay, north-west of the un-named island.
. The Scapulari fishing village - in the mouth of the bay is a fishing village that features a large number of Scapulari, as well as a water altar and a number of chests.
. The Jungle Temple - heading inland from the Scapulari fishing village the terrain will turn distinctly tropical. Heading through a swampy region marked by a number of altars and a mix of Vidon's and Scapulari, the player will find a fixed-teleporter. Head further inland still and you'll find an ancient jungle temple filled to the brim with Vidon's. This can be difficult to explore, as much of the best loot is found high on platforms that often require precise jumps to reach. Also, the sheer number of enemies means that you're going to need a ton of health potions, but the rewards are definitely worth it as there is a TON of loot to be had.
. Eikronas' western shoreline - the west side of Eikronas has no real notable features or landmarks, but there are many jungle and beach settlements with the usual Vidon & Scapulari presence.
. Northern Scapulari settlement - on the northern shoreline of Eikronas (near the small, crescent-shaped island) is a large settlement with a ton of Scapulari to kill and a lot of chests with loot. Also, this is the location of the second fixed teleport I mentioned earlier.
*edit;
Neuromancer said:
That wet blanket Arthur Gies didn't like Two Worlds 2.
IGN:
6.0
Good thing I've learned to disregard his reviews ever since Hydro Thunder Hurricane. If I had to guess, I'd say he just doesn't like fun.
Wow, he only spent 14 hours completing the game? Man, I'd sunk 14 hours into Two Worlds II before even completing the first damn chapter! And now I'm at something like 25 hours in, still on chapter 2, still loving it.
