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现在有一个基于 D&D 第三版规则制作游戏的机会，我坐下来找出了我所有的模组（有 100 多个），想决定到底要做哪一个模组。必须是一个我喜欢玩的（这是当然的），而且还要大到有‘史诗感’。很多符合条件的都是灰鹰（Greyhawk）模组，那些是我在 AD&D 里从小玩到大的模组。
When the opportunity to do D&D 3E came up, I sat down with my entire collection (100+) of modules and tried to decide which one I wanted to do. The module had to be one I enjoyed playing (of course), but it also had to be big enough to feel ‘epic'. Many of the modules that fit the bill were Greyhawk modules, which I had grown up playing with AD&D.
Tim Cain
《邪恶元素神殿》首席设计师Tim Cain,
ToEE's lead designer
霍姆莱特（Hommlet）村非常庞大，其中一些 NPC 有着有趣的任务和故事，但这款游戏的核心是讲究战术的战斗。
The village of Hommlet is huge, and some NPCs have interesting quests and stories, but the focus of the game is the tactical combat.
公平地说，ToEE 也可以称得上自由：游戏中有多个派系，你可以和他们结盟，也可以背刺他们，或者完全不予理会。ToEE 给同伴 NPC 安排了自己的预定事项，还加入了简介短文和基于阵营的剧情，尽了最大努力来营造队伍动机。但是这一切没有得到恰当的执行，而这也是 mod 都无法拯救的领域之一。
不过，ToEE 有一项优点，所有的回顾文章都不应该漏掉——它实在是太华丽了！早在 2003 年，人们就已经发现在精美的预渲染 2D 背景中放上 3D 角色模型的方法效果奇佳，所以在《永恒之柱（Pillars of Eternity）》这些近期的 Kickstarter 众筹 RPG 中再次看到这种做法的回归也就一点都不奇怪了。
尽管发售时一团糟，ToEE 在很多人心中仍然有着重要的地位。很多开发者，例如 Larian Studios，都提到自己受到了 ToEE 的极大影响。即使是距离其发售已经有十多年的现在，爱好者们仍在继续苦心钻研它，维护老的 mod、制作新的 mod。
游戏完全还原了 D&D 的法术系统，加入了数百种法术，甚至包括了法术强效（Empower Spell）之类的超魔（meta-magic）专长。
To be fair, ToEE can be credited for being very free-form – you can ally with various factions, backstab them, or just skip them entirely. It also made a valiant effort at establishing party motivation via short introductory vignettes/alignment-based plots, and making companion NPCs have agendas of their own. It just fails at properly executing these, and this is one area that mods couldn't save.
There is one other major strength to ToEE that no review should leave out – it's freaking gorgeous! The 3D character models over beautiful pre-rendered 2D backgrounds approach proved itself back in 2003, and it's no wonder it has made a comeback in recent Kickstarter RPGs, such as Pillars of Eternity.
Despite its botched release, ToEE remains dear to many, having also been cited as highly influential by developers like Larian Studios. Even now, more than a decade after its release, fans continue hammering away at it, creating and polishing mods.
D&D’s magic system is fully employed, with hundreds of spells and even meta-magic feats like Empower Spell.
ToEE 没有官方的 mod 开发工具，但波兰语版本意外地附带了游戏编辑器。
ToEE didn't get official modding tools, but the game's editor was accidentally released in the Polish version of the game.
ToEE 是那种总是会被你捡起来重玩的游戏。这有很大一部分原因要归功于热情投入的 mod 开发者们，不过同时也得承认，这也是因为很长时间里同类游戏出现得太少了。
总的来说，如果你想轻松地打几场注重战术的战斗，那这是款不错的游戏；但是如果你希望来一段全面完善的 RPG 体验，那最好还是找个别的游戏吧。
模组：
八叶 Mod 合集（Circle of Eight Mod Pack）[3] ：这个巨大的 mod 合集中包括了大量的 bug 修复和对游戏的改进，以及大量的可选额外内容，例如更高的角色等级以及相应的内容。千万不要错过。
神殿+（Temple Plus）：这个项目的目标是扩展游戏引擎，给未来的改造和 bug 修复打下基础。
边境城堡（Keep at the Borderlands）：改编自 Gary Gygax 的另一个经典 D&D 模组。本 mod 侧重于角色扮演方面，加入了复杂的任务，玩家需要在多个势力之间周旋。
《边境城堡》mod 在 ToEE 的重战斗玩法中加入了大量的对话检定和选择支。
ToEE is a game you would keep coming back to, in no small part due to the game's dedicated modders, but honestly also because there weren't many games of its kind being released for a long period of time.
Overall, it's great if you're looking for a tactical combat romp, but if you're after a fully fledged RPG experience, you may want to look elsewhere.
Mods:
Circle of Eight Mod Pack: This huge mod pack includes countless bugfixes and improvements, plus a great deal of extra optional content, including higher character levels and content. Don’t play without this.
Temple Plus: This project aims to expand the game’s engine, allowing for further modification and bug fixing.
Keep at the Borderlands: A total conversion mod based on another of Gary Gygax’s classic D&D modules. It has a heavier focus on the role-playing aspect, with elaborate quests and many factions to deal with.
The Keep at the Borderlands mod adds many dialogue checks and choices to ToEE’s combat-heavy gameplay.
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3 译者注：八叶（Circle of Eight）是灰鹰世界中八名大法师组成的团体，由 D&D 设定中的著名法师魔邓肯（Mordenkainen）建立，他们在幕后维持着各种势力间的平衡。
《电脑 RPG 游戏史（The CRPG Book Project）》原书信息
英文原版主编：Felipe Pepe
原项目网址：https://crpgbook.wordpress.com/
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这本书历时四年，由 119 名志愿者共同完成。
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