Gen_Electric
Member
On a related note, it was all one womans fault why Elemental: War of Magic failed........http://www.bluesnews.com/s/134520/stardock-sues-ex-employee-for-usd-1m
Fallen Enchantress
- Thread starter Scott Tortorice
- Start date
Scott Tortorice
Senior Member
I do have a lot of respect for Wardell - he is a self-made business man (he didn't build the roads, though, so he can't take full credit for StardockGosh Scott, you're a Wardell/Stardock proselyte in the same way that an old coworker of mine used to think that Chris Taylor (Total Annihilation, Dungeon Siege, Supreme Commander) could do no wrong.
), and I truly believe that he does care about making good PC-only games and not just shoveling rubbish out there (who else would give two free expansions away after their first title flopped as a way of apologizing? When SotS II crashed and burned, the best people got was some free nickle and dime DLC for their broken game from Kerebos). I also suspect he is as nice as he always appears on various videos. So he definitely has my respect. The betas include the entire sandbox game, with all factions, including the custom faction creator. The full, story-driven campaign is not included, although I think I heard that the beta community might get to test it before release (but don't quote me on that). But keep in mind something important: Stardock betas are REAL betas, and not just pre-release hype builds. What that means is you will find all sorts of bugs (as Wardell pointed out in the vid), and content will be added, changed and adjusted from build to build. There is still a beta 5 on the horizon, so the game you have with beta 4 will probably change once again when the next beta is released. But if you are really keen on the game, feel free to jump in with a pre-order. Based on Beta 3, I would recommend waiting a bit as the game still felt like it needed more work before it would be truly enjoyable even as a beta. As soon as I try Beta 4, I'll update my impressions.
Ouch. Talk about a bad hire! That must have been a miserable year for the company.
Scott Tortorice
Senior Member
It's out:
Thanks for the info Scott. I was practically 90% there on going for the Beta this evening, but after your additional comments I'm back down to about 60%. I gather then that although the complete sandbox campaign builder should definitely provide a lot of content, I need to keep in mind that it is still a Beta so I might have to put up with a few bugs. In any event I suppose I'll weigh the pros and cons of the Beta some more and maybe hold off for your further comments after you've had a chance to kick its tires a little. Again though, I am truly jazzed by the idea that the game may indeed be the hoped for spiritual successor to the great Age of Wonders series.
As an aside, I detected a Freudian 'slap' against Novacore/Pegasus with Brad's comment about how in the video he wanted to show actual gameplay and not just cut scenes. Of course after that 'Forget your SINS' bit, I guess turnabout is fair play. Speaking of failed launches, I don't understand what happened with SOTS2. I mean, SOTS1 was very good bordering on great, and at the risk of printing heresy , I liked it a tad better than SINS. I played it constantly for almost a month and really enjoyed it. How did Kerberos fall so far so quickly?
Sorry about the double post. It happens with me here occasionally and I'm not sure if the problem is with my Firefox, ISP, or your server. Oh well.
PS.......I hear you about your respect for Mr. Wardell. I think the person in the industry I respect the most is the legendary Sid Meier. I can't think of anyone else who has kept his franchise alive and kicking for so many years like Sid. I believe he's in his mid-50's now, and is showing no signs of letting up. Speaking of legends, I think John Tiller has done a lot for PC wargaming, but hasn't done enough to keep up with the times. He is badly in need of a new gaming engine with a better AI.
As an aside, I detected a Freudian 'slap'
against Novacore/Pegasus with Brad's comment about how in the video he wanted to show actual gameplay and not just cut scenes. Of course after that 'Forget your SINS' bit, I guess turnabout is fair play. Speaking of failed launches, I don't understand what happened with SOTS2. I mean, SOTS1 was very good bordering on great, and at the risk of printing heresy , I liked it a tad better than SINS. I played it constantly for almost a month and really enjoyed it. How did Kerberos fall so far so quickly?Sorry about the double post. It happens with me here occasionally and I'm not sure if the problem is with my Firefox, ISP, or your server. Oh well.
PS.......I hear you about your respect for Mr. Wardell. I think the person in the industry I respect the most is the legendary Sid Meier. I can't think of anyone else who has kept his franchise alive and kicking for so many years like Sid. I believe he's in his mid-50's now, and is showing no signs of letting up. Speaking of legends, I think John Tiller has done a lot for PC wargaming, but hasn't done enough to keep up with the times. He is badly in need of a new gaming engine with a better AI.
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OK Scott, I caved. I had a $33 excess on my Amex card, so I said what the heck. In any event in reading the forums it seems that other than the few odd crashes and installation issues, the majority of comments on the beta have been very favorable. In fact a few people said that they like the Beta 4 FE better than War of Magic on it's official release.
It should be an interesting experience though. In this case rather then doing the single player campaign first which I usually do, I will immerse myself in the sandbox mode then I guess do the story-driven campaign after the full game is released.
BTW, concerning the Stardock litigation, I see that Ms. Miseta is quite a looker. Hmmm.
I had a $33 excess on my Amex card, so I said what the heck. In any event in reading the forums it seems that other than the few odd crashes and installation issues, the majority of comments on the beta have been very favorable. In fact a few people said that they like the Beta 4 FE better than War of Magic on it's official release. It should be an interesting experience though. In this case rather then doing the single player campaign first which I usually do, I will immerse myself in the sandbox mode then I guess do the story-driven campaign after the full game is released.
BTW, concerning the Stardock litigation, I see that Ms. Miseta is quite a looker. Hmmm.
Wow! I'm trying not to let early initial enthusiasm get the best of me, but I just finished the tutorial and am very impressed. Firstly I really like the beautiful pastel graphics. They have a mildly cartoonish (in a good way) look about them that brings to mind Warcraft 3 and Starcraft 2 (the graphics were one of the few things I liked about SC2). Also, the interface is intuitive and easy to use. I really liked the tutorial structure and how the designers don't make you suffer through a lot of text, but rather show you short videos each step of the way. I would also mention that I had absolutely no issues with installation and have yet to experience any crashes. Anyway, so far so good. I'm about to start a campaign, but think I will play it on easy difficulty in order to avoid possible early game frustration. I know it's way too early to declare this game a slam dunk, but my initial impression is that Scott's enthusiasm for it has not been misplaced. Again though, after watching the entire 40 minute play walkthrough video I had a hunch I would like this game.
View attachment 37246
Update: OK, not surprisingly I went down on my first attempt, most likely due to my 'turtling' nature in 4X games and not expanding fast enough. Still in all I am encouraged as there seems like a lot of content here, especially for a beta.
View attachment 37246
Update: OK, not surprisingly I went down on my first attempt, most likely due to my 'turtling' nature in 4X games and not expanding fast enough. Still in all I am encouraged as there seems like a lot of content here, especially for a beta.
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After three tries I got my first win, and it was most satisfying. I did the 'Spell of Making' victory, and it reminded me a lot of the transcendence victory in Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri. I dunno, it is a really good game. Love the intricate city management, tech tree and build options (without being too intricate), and the diplomacy angle was very good as well. It took me a while to get a handle on the tactical battle screen, but now that I have it's a lot of fun. The only thing is I've not quite yet figured out the right force mix to beat the really tough beasts, but I imagine this will come in time. Anyway, if there were any serious bugs in the game I didn't notice them, and not once did I experience a crash. The worst I would say is that it was maybe a bit rough around the edges in places, but certainly nothing that spoiled my enjoyment of it. Next I need to maybe play a more epic game on a larger map, maybe bump up the difficulty, and possibly even experiment around with creating my own custom faction (there are a lot of options for this, cosmetic as well). This may be the Age of Wonders killer I've been waiting for. Scott, ya done good! I think you've backed a winning horse with Fallen Enchantress.
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Scott Tortorice
Senior Member
I hate it.Scott, ya done good! I think you've backed a winning horse with Fallen Enchantress.
Only kidding. :clown:
I put in a few hours yesterday - one campaign than ended in 50 seasons (I am finding the moderate AI to be brutal!), and one still in progress - and like what I see. The game is coming together nicely. My only complaint is one of pacing. It just feels off to me. The beginning is fun when you are running around exploring and fighting monsters, but after awhile it feels like it slows down to a grind of more of the same. In other words, I am not finding myself planning grand strategy as much as I am just living from turn to turn, slaying monsters and grabbing resources. What do you think?
The city building changes are noticeable and long overdue.
Yeah, I think SD has finally gotten the battles locked down. I hear that they are still planning on making some additions, like the possible return of tile bonuses.
I like the faction creator as much as the character creator. BTW: have you noticed that your past characters can make a reappearance in the game as an AI-controlled faction? In my current game, I find myself competing with a character I created back in Beta 3!
Glad you like it!
I *love* the art design. You can read more about it here: http://pc.ign.com/articles/101/1019369p1.html
Yes, I do like the artwork. Your inserted quote said it exactly; hard lines and soft tones. Definitely gives it a nice, original feel. Interesting though how they thought it a contrast to the Blizzard style, whereas my first impression was that it looked similar, if not exactly like the Blizzard games. It may be that they all registered in my mind as having a comic book feel (in fact Slitherine's Battle Academy does as well).
Having just one victory thus far to base my opinion on, now that you mention it, the end game was not quite as interesting as the beginning and middle sections. I really liked early on how it seemed that even though it was a turn-based game it didn't feel like one, as I was rarely having to hit the advance turn button. By the end though, with the map explored and the remaining AI faction unwilling or unable to touch me, I just kept hitting advance turn until the requisite structures for the 'Spell of Making' were completed. To be fair, the same could be said of the Age of Wonders late game. As a matter of fact, AoW often got downright tedious in the late game, especially on large maps. Anyway, in my next game I'm going to bump up the difficulty and try a larger map and see how things play out.
Your custom factions can be used against you? That is so cool!
Speaking of grand strategy as you mentioned, I was reading one article where the writer was discussing Warlock as well as FE, and he hit the nail on the head as to what bothered me about Warlock. That is, on the plus side the tactics in Warlock are great. In fact I've not seen such great tactical battles in a turn-based game since John Tiller's Campaign Series. The trouble is, the high-level strategy in Warlock seems rather generic and watered down. In fact two things that FE does that are mostly missing in Warlock are all the customization options and the rather more sophisticated diplomacy. In my game last night I got a lot of mileage out of doing diplomacy and for the most part was impressed with it. If not quite as sophisticated in diplomacy as Civilization, FE is certainly close and far better than I've ever seen in a sword and sorcery game. Concerning customizations, I really like how FE gives you aesthetic options as well as the usual stats and attributes. I can't remember the last game that did that. In any event I'm glad to see that the Stardock team seems to appreciate the value of aesthetics and cosmetics in a game.
Anyway, if the FE Beta is this much fun, I can't wait to play the full release and do the story-driven campaign. I'll bet that campaign is going to be epic.
One more thing I would mention. Someone on another forum noted that Stardock learned a great deal of humility in the aftermath of the troubled Elemental launch, and so have redoubled their efforts on FE. From what I've seen so far in the Beta, it shows.
Best gaming moment thus far: My sorceress took a growth potion during a battle (have no idea where she got it), and grew to a 12 foot giant and proceeded to kick serious butt!!! That was so unexpected and so cool!
Having just one victory thus far to base my opinion on, now that you mention it, the end game was not quite as interesting as the beginning and middle sections. I really liked early on how it seemed that even though it was a turn-based game it didn't feel like one, as I was rarely having to hit the advance turn button. By the end though, with the map explored and the remaining AI faction unwilling or unable to touch me, I just kept hitting advance turn until the requisite structures for the 'Spell of Making' were completed. To be fair, the same could be said of the Age of Wonders late game. As a matter of fact, AoW often got downright tedious in the late game, especially on large maps. Anyway, in my next game I'm going to bump up the difficulty and try a larger map and see how things play out.
Your custom factions can be used against you? That is so cool!
Speaking of grand strategy as you mentioned, I was reading one article where the writer was discussing Warlock as well as FE, and he hit the nail on the head as to what bothered me about Warlock. That is, on the plus side the tactics in Warlock are great. In fact I've not seen such great tactical battles in a turn-based game since John Tiller's Campaign Series. The trouble is, the high-level strategy in Warlock seems rather generic and watered down. In fact two things that FE does that are mostly missing in Warlock are all the customization options and the rather more sophisticated diplomacy. In my game last night I got a lot of mileage out of doing diplomacy and for the most part was impressed with it. If not quite as sophisticated in diplomacy as Civilization, FE is certainly close and far better than I've ever seen in a sword and sorcery game. Concerning customizations, I really like how FE gives you aesthetic options as well as the usual stats and attributes. I can't remember the last game that did that. In any event I'm glad to see that the Stardock team seems to appreciate the value of aesthetics and cosmetics in a game.
Anyway, if the FE Beta is this much fun, I can't wait to play the full release and do the story-driven campaign. I'll bet that campaign is going to be epic.
One more thing I would mention. Someone on another forum noted that Stardock learned a great deal of humility in the aftermath of the troubled Elemental launch, and so have redoubled their efforts on FE. From what I've seen so far in the Beta, it shows.
Best gaming moment thus far: My sorceress took a growth potion during a battle (have no idea where she got it), and grew to a 12 foot giant and proceeded to kick serious butt!!! That was so unexpected and so cool!
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Hey Scott, my first big issue. The game for the most part plays well enough on tiny and small maps, but I've tried it a couple of times now on medium and it's been buggy as hell. For a beta I suppose that's not a big deal though, as small is big enough for me. Also, have you tried playing the Celtic faction? Either I'm not playing them right, or they have some balancing issues. Still mostly enjoying it though. For some reason, however, I've not yet fully fleshed out the magic system. Although I use it as much as I can in combat, I find myself rarely casting anything outside of combat. Just lazy I guess. Also, I've pretty much ignored the big quests and just concentrated on attacking or sucking up to the AI factions.
Scott Tortorice
Senior Member
Yeah, I've only played on moderate maps, so I've seen a bunch. My favorite is the "sneak attack arrow" - you fire an arrow at a target and it disappears...wait for it....wait for it...it reappears on the left side of the screen after a few seconds and hits the target from the side!
Personally, I think this is a feature and not a bug. No, I only play custom factions. However, there are balancing issues everywhere. They will be taken care of closer to release.
Yes! This is something I noticed, too. The tactical spells are fun to use and useful, but I find the strategic spells to be forgettable. It's almost as if the game doesn't need them at all. I am glad to hear you say this because it validates something I've been feeling since EWOM. By way of comparison, I found the spells in Warlock to be much more useful on the strategic map.
I hear you about the strategic spells. That is one area where Age of Wonders has it all over FE, at least as of this release. Another thing I liked a little better with AoW was the inventory management. You see, AoW is based on the 'channeler' concept. That is, your main king/wizard usually stays in his ivory tower with his/her heroes channeleing the wizards spells. So whenever you find a sword, shield, armor, what have you, using mana your hero can transport it either back to your wizard or to any other hero on the map. Quite a nice and convenient way of doing things really. By contrast, in FE, in order to get an item you have to actually travel to the physical location where it's at, and that can be a bit tedious at times.
I reverted back to the small maps and haven't had any issues. I may have to try the moderate sized again sometime and see if I have the same issues. In any event, I really think that the small map is big enough for me in the game, at least for this beta. I've even been adding an extra faction to the mix, though of course this risks overcrowding and early war.
I'm still trying with the Tarth (Celtic) faction, and still struggling. The big, big problem I've noticed with the Tarth is that the bow Lady Irana starts out with absolutely sucks!
Having said all that, I am still really enjoying the game. It definitely has an addicting quality about it, even in its pre-release beta state. I've not yet tried to make a custom faction, but imagine I will after one or two more wins. I was thinking of creating Sylvanus and the Foresaken from Warcraft 3.
I reverted back to the small maps and haven't had any issues. I may have to try the moderate sized again sometime and see if I have the same issues. In any event, I really think that the small map is big enough for me in the game, at least for this beta. I've even been adding an extra faction to the mix, though of course this risks overcrowding and early war.
I'm still trying with the Tarth (Celtic) faction, and still struggling. The big, big problem I've noticed with the Tarth is that the bow Lady Irana starts out with absolutely sucks!
Having said all that, I am still really enjoying the game. It definitely has an addicting quality about it, even in its pre-release beta state. I've not yet tried to make a custom faction, but imagine I will after one or two more wins. I was thinking of creating Sylvanus and the Foresaken from Warcraft 3.
Well Scott, after about 6-7 tries I finally got a win with Queen Boudica and the Celts (I mean the Tarth . Like just about every other 4X game though, I can see that your starting position is critical. If you aren't close to places where you can build at least one or two additional cities quickly then you better restart. I'm still enjoying the game a lot, especially when you consider it's only a beta, but I'm starting to notice a pattern here. In all my wins I have been enjoying the early-to-mid game period, but in the late game find myself getting impatient to wrap it up. It's also interesting to note that this time out I concentrated almost exclusively on the military and civics trees and pretty much eschewed magic. In fact I don't think I even cast five spells the entire game. I suppose this is good because it shows that you have a wide degree of latitude in how you can to proceed with the game, though I still have a nagging feeling that maybe the magic aspect of the game is not as compelling as it could be and needs some work. Also, again, I've been ignoring the hard one-off quests. The way I see it, if you're going to build a strong army then I would prefer using it against the AI factions rather than going off and doing dungeon sieges and chasing dragons.
One thing I've noticed about war making is that before going to war you need to make sure you have enough troops to cover your rear areas, because at harder difficulty levels the AI will try to do an end run on you.
Do you know how unit upgrades are done? I've not yet figured this out. I know that upgrades are not automatic. Do you have to go back to an armory or something?
So there will be at least one more beta before the final release?
Anyway, don't get me wrong. I still think it is a very good game, and even great in some ways. I love the tech tree and the city building options, and the ability to customize your army. Also, the tactical combat is a lot of fun. In any event it will be interesting to see what the final game is like.
Now that I've gotten wins with my three favorite factions, I guess it's time to try creating a custom faction. I would also add that I've been alternating playing FE with Star Wolves, and I can't remember the last time I played two such enjoyable games concurrently.
. Like just about every other 4X game though, I can see that your starting position is critical. If you aren't close to places where you can build at least one or two additional cities quickly then you better restart. I'm still enjoying the game a lot, especially when you consider it's only a beta, but I'm starting to notice a pattern here. In all my wins I have been enjoying the early-to-mid game period, but in the late game find myself getting impatient to wrap it up. It's also interesting to note that this time out I concentrated almost exclusively on the military and civics trees and pretty much eschewed magic. In fact I don't think I even cast five spells the entire game. I suppose this is good because it shows that you have a wide degree of latitude in how you can to proceed with the game, though I still have a nagging feeling that maybe the magic aspect of the game is not as compelling as it could be and needs some work. Also, again, I've been ignoring the hard one-off quests. The way I see it, if you're going to build a strong army then I would prefer using it against the AI factions rather than going off and doing dungeon sieges and chasing dragons. One thing I've noticed about war making is that before going to war you need to make sure you have enough troops to cover your rear areas, because at harder difficulty levels the AI will try to do an end run on you.
Do you know how unit upgrades are done? I've not yet figured this out. I know that upgrades are not automatic. Do you have to go back to an armory or something?
So there will be at least one more beta before the final release?
Anyway, don't get me wrong. I still think it is a very good game, and even great in some ways. I love the tech tree and the city building options, and the ability to customize your army. Also, the tactical combat is a lot of fun. In any event it will be interesting to see what the final game is like.
Now that I've gotten wins with my three favorite factions, I guess it's time to try creating a custom faction. I would also add that I've been alternating playing FE with Star Wolves, and I can't remember the last time I played two such enjoyable games concurrently.
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Scott Tortorice
Senior Member
Yeah, I noticed that too. Bad news for a turtler like me. :OHNO:Well Scott, after about 6-7 tries I finally got a win with Queen Boudica and the Celts (I mean the Tarth
Agreed. I think the tac magic is fine, but the strategic magic needs a lot of work. I often find myself completely forgetting that there is strategic magic to play around with...this is a problem.
Again, agreed. This is one of the things that concerns me about Elemental: the mix between RPG and 4X strategy gaming seems to conflict at times. If I am spending time questing and defeating monsters, I can't focus on the strategic game. If I focus on the strategic game, I don't level up quickly / get good loot because I am avoiding quests. The game is supposed to be structured in such a way as the player can focus on questing in the early game, and once all the monsters are slayed, transition to the 4X strategy game, but I don't find it to work that way. I rather find myself torn between two conflicting gameplay styles.
Wardell takes pride in his AI.
That's a good question. I think they are automatic, but never have upgraded a unit either.
Wardell said there will be a Beta 5, and then we'll see what's next depending on how that goes.
Glad you are getting value for your money! SD always makes good stuff...sooner or later.Now that I've gotten wins with my three favorite factions, I guess it's time to try creating a custom faction. I would also add that I've been alternating playing FE with Star Wolves, and I can't remember the last time I played two such enjoyable games concurrently.
I tried my hand at creating a custom faction, and it was my best game yet! I thoroughly enjoyed it, all the way up to the end. Diplomacy was key this time around. I basically bought off two of the AI factions while expanding against another, and for the end-game I got one of them to help me destroy my biggest rival. Then rather than attack the AI that had helped me, I made a beeline for 'alliances' in the tech tree and that was all she wrote. I really like diplomacy in this game, and in fact think in some ways it is better than diplomacy in the Civ games. The problem with Civ is that at the higher difficulty levels you can't trust the AI civs at all, as they will stab you in the back at the drop of a hat. In FE though the AI factions seem to act much more honorably and will keep their word. It is also interesting to note that point-wise I was behind until well past mid-game.
Also, I discovered what a huge advantage it is to buff your wizard up as quickly as possible. In-between the wars with the AI's, I sent my wizard and heroes out on search and destroy missions against some of the tougher monster stacks, and in no time my wizard got access to some really good death spells like life drain, and another one that was tantamount to having a tactical battlefield nuke!
The faction and wizard customization options are great. I love how by giving yourself a handicap like 'scarred', you can take an additional advantage trait. Additionally, although many games allow you to create custom factions, few allow you as much leeway in doing so as FE, and none that I know of will actually allow you to change cosmetic things like faction colors and the wizard physical appearance. By comparison, the faction customization options in Endless Space were a joke compared to FE.
Anyway, there are just two things that I would like to see Stardock improve upon. The first, as we've discussed, is that the strategic spellmaking needs to be more useful and compelling. Secondly, like all turn-based 4x games I've ever seen, once your empire gets large it can be a bear to manage, and anything that Stardock can do to facilitate this would be appreciated. One of the biggest problems, of course, is that with large empires it can be harder to track things, so you are more vulnerable to end runs by the enemy factions. I actually think Civ5 did a good job ameliorating this issue as it is very easy to tell when your border is being violated, but FE is a bit less effective at this.
Needless to say I am really enjoying this game, and although I took a big risk forking out $40 for a beta it was worth every penny. Scott, do you know if they're going to release a hard-copy collector's edition? I like this game enough that I would consider buying one.
At the end of the day I think what hooked me on FE was that the game has a lot of personality. It's one of those intangible qualities that is hard to put your finger on, but comes from all the constituent parts of the game coming together in a great synergy. FE has it, and so does Starwolves. Come to think of it, I also think that Rulers of Nations has a lot of personality, though the over-the-top difficult economy hurts it a little.
I thoroughly enjoyed it, all the way up to the end. Diplomacy was key this time around. I basically bought off two of the AI factions while expanding against another, and for the end-game I got one of them to help me destroy my biggest rival. Then rather than attack the AI that had helped me, I made a beeline for 'alliances' in the tech tree and that was all she wrote. I really like diplomacy in this game, and in fact think in some ways it is better than diplomacy in the Civ games. The problem with Civ is that at the higher difficulty levels you can't trust the AI civs at all, as they will stab you in the back at the drop of a hat. In FE though the AI factions seem to act much more honorably and will keep their word. It is also interesting to note that point-wise I was behind until well past mid-game.Also, I discovered what a huge advantage it is to buff your wizard up as quickly as possible. In-between the wars with the AI's, I sent my wizard and heroes out on search and destroy missions against some of the tougher monster stacks, and in no time my wizard got access to some really good death spells like life drain, and another one that was tantamount to having a tactical battlefield nuke!
The faction and wizard customization options are great. I love how by giving yourself a handicap like 'scarred', you can take an additional advantage trait. Additionally, although many games allow you to create custom factions, few allow you as much leeway in doing so as FE, and none that I know of will actually allow you to change cosmetic things like faction colors and the wizard physical appearance. By comparison, the faction customization options in Endless Space were a joke compared to FE.
Anyway, there are just two things that I would like to see Stardock improve upon. The first, as we've discussed, is that the strategic spellmaking needs to be more useful and compelling. Secondly, like all turn-based 4x games I've ever seen, once your empire gets large it can be a bear to manage, and anything that Stardock can do to facilitate this would be appreciated. One of the biggest problems, of course, is that with large empires it can be harder to track things, so you are more vulnerable to end runs by the enemy factions. I actually think Civ5 did a good job ameliorating this issue as it is very easy to tell when your border is being violated, but FE is a bit less effective at this.
Needless to say I am really enjoying this game, and although I took a big risk forking out $40 for a beta it was worth every penny. Scott, do you know if they're going to release a hard-copy collector's edition? I like this game enough that I would consider buying one.
At the end of the day I think what hooked me on FE was that the game has a lot of personality. It's one of those intangible qualities that is hard to put your finger on, but comes from all the constituent parts of the game coming together in a great synergy. FE has it, and so does Starwolves. Come to think of it, I also think that Rulers of Nations has a lot of personality, though the over-the-top difficult economy hurts it a little.
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Scott Tortorice
Senior Member
Boy, you are really enjoying it. Good for you! Glad I didn't steer you wrong.I tried my hand at creating a custom faction, and it was my best game yet!
Also, I discovered what a huge advantage it is to buff your wizard up as quickly as possible. In-between the wars with the AI's, I sent my wizard and heroes out on search and destroy missions against some of the tougher monster stacks, and in no time my wizard got access to some really good death spells like life drain, and another one that was tantamount to having a tactical battlefield nuke!
The faction and wizard customization options are great. I love how by giving yourself a handicap like 'scarred', you can take an additional advantage trait. Additionally, although many games allow you to create custom factions, few allow you as much leeway in doing so as FE, and none that I know of will actually allow you to change cosmetic things like faction colors and the wizard physical appearance. By comparison, the faction customization options in Endless Space were a joke compared to FE.
Originally, the plans for Elemental included a vassal system where the player could only directly control X-number of cities; anything over that limit and they would have to turn day to day control over to an AI vassal, sort of like in Crusader Kings 2. The idea was to lessen the management load for the player late game, as well as introduce a whole new level of politics (i.e., you vassals would start acting like NPCs - sometimes doing what you wanted, sometimes not). I still love this idea and hope it gets revived in the next expansion pack.
I haven't heard anything about it. I suspect initially "no" as Wardell has sort of resigned himself to an uphill battle rehabilitating the Elemental name. I don't think he would want to invest the money with that in mind. However, if the launch proves successful, who knows? Sins: Rebellion collector's edition wasn't announced until post-release either, when sales had proven to be strong enough to support the cost.
Are you posting these positive impressions on the FE forum? Wardell et alia read almost everything people are saying and take it into account. I am sure they would be interested in your comments, too.
Hey Scott, I suppose you're right in that if I really like FE I should think about opening up an account on the Stardock forum. You know what though, there was a time not so long ago when it seemed that I had an account open on a forum for every game I liked, and it was getting tiresome to manage them. Having said that, that's what I like about GameSquad. I mean, one forum that covers every aspect of gaming in addition to side things of interest like science fiction and history, to say nothing of politics (though one definitely needs to be careful about what one posts in the political threads.
Anyway, I definitely look forward to going back to FE shortly and refining my Sylvanus Windrunner and the 'Forsaken' faction, as soon as I finish up Starwolves (I'm on the final mission now). And yes, I will seriously consider opening a Stardock forum account.
BTW, it looks like here in Tampa Bay we're going to dodge another bullet; hurricane Isaac. I still anticipate heavy rains though. In the immortal words of REO Speedwagon, 'Riding the Storm Out'.
Anyway, I definitely look forward to going back to FE shortly and refining my Sylvanus Windrunner and the 'Forsaken' faction, as soon as I finish up Starwolves (I'm on the final mission now). And yes, I will seriously consider opening a Stardock forum account.
BTW, it looks like here in Tampa Bay we're going to dodge another bullet; hurricane Isaac. I still anticipate heavy rains though. In the immortal words of REO Speedwagon, 'Riding the Storm Out'.
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Scott Tortorice
Senior Member
It is nice of you to say that. It was always GameSquad's goal to be a "broad spectrum" gaming site where board gamers, minis, PC gaming, consoles could get together and cross-fertilize.Having said that, that's what I like about GameSquad. I mean, one forum that covers every aspect of gaming in addition to side things of interest like science fiction and history, to say nothing of politics (though one definitely needs to be careful about what one posts in the political threads.
I didn't even notice your location on your profile until you said that. Well, I am glad it will be a near miss. I am hoping that some of the moisture gets sucked up by me as it's been dry around here since July. Not mid-west dry fortunately, but dry. I can't remember that last rainy day (T-showers have been plentiful, though).BTW, it looks like here in Tampa Bay we're going to dodge another bullet; hurricane Isaac. I still anticipate heavy rains though. In the immortal words of REO Speedwagon, 'Riding the Storm Out'.