The Dark Eye Blackguards - turn-based tactical RPG set in The Dark Eye world

[Roguey]

I found the second chapter rather disappointing. All of the encounters were easier and felt less thought out, no side quests and practically no meaningful story - and I wager that the story it did have will be unimportant overall.

Well well, looks like the truth might be trickling out.

 

[Infinitron]

I found the second chapter rather disappointing. All of the encounters were easier and felt less thought out, no side quests and practically no meaningful story - and I wager that the story it did have will be unimportant overall.

Well well, looks like the truth might be trickling out.

Oh no you didn't

 

[Io-Daedalic]

Hi Codexers,

like I did in the other topic I'd like to ask around if you have any feedback towards Blackguards and in particular regarding chapter two? And if you didn't get Blackguard's Early Access yet, what keeps you from doing so? What would we have to improve to convince you? What do you miss?

Cheers,
Io

 

[Jaedar]

And if you didn't get Blackguard's Early Access yet, what keeps you from doing so?

The fact that it might come up on a steam sale for additional discount during christmas

I don't really feel like playing the early access because from what I hear the game is good enough that it's better not to 'spoil' it by playing an unfinished version, so buying it would only be to support Daedalic in making the final version better and to get it cheaper than release price.

 

[fastjack]

And if you didn't get Blackguard's Early Access yet, what keeps you from doing so?

I don't really feel like playing the early access because from what I hear the game is good enough that it's better not to 'spoil' it by playing an unfinished version.

 

[Bubbles]

I don't mind playing the game bit by bit on Early Access, but I want a hard, hard, hard experience. Previews indicate that the game is too easy now.

 

[skyst]

Really? The Takate, Crocodiles and Final fights were very hard during the closed beta, with people complaining they were impossible and all that... Darth Roxor, did you tried it again? Do you think they nerfed it?

I didn't have trouble with any of the encounters in EA chapter 2. Nothing in chapter 1 was rage inducing, but I did find many of them challenging and often felt outmatched (which was good!) I honestly don't think I ever had to restart a fight in chapter 2, either. I have only played on the hardest difficulty, if there is even a difference - I recall some dispute about this on an earlier post. I don't claim to be amazing at the game or anything, it just seems to have been toned down too much as my characters were simply overpowering every opponent. Details below, if they are of any help to Io.

Spoiler

My main character was a 2h sword user with heavy armor, Naurim 1h axe/shield and heavy armor, Mage was focused on Healing Balm, fire bolt and charisma/astral regen w/staff, Elf was exclusively bow archery (didn't touch her magic) and Takate kind of stayed as is and used a spear... the dual wielding axes didn't seem worthwhile at all in comparison.

Of the 3 encounters mentioned by Felipepepe, Takate's was certainly the least memorable. He whiffed on a couple thrown weapons while his entourage wandered over piecemeal and just got singled down as they arrived. Their Mage just sat on their side, content to die to my archer in 3 or 4 rounds without really contributing. Takate went down like a sack of shit when he finally arrived towards the end.

The crocodiles could have been interesting but their AI was pretty abusable and their large size made it simple to block them from the food plates. I assume I would have lost had all of the food been eaten? They seemed to be coded to retreat into the water around 1/3-1/4 HP, so it was a simple process of whittling them down partially with a few hits and then move on. It would have been interesting if they were able to chomp on the Witch as well as the food and party members.

The encounter with the bug queen and her exploding minions was the most challenging, yet the most telling that the difficulty is too low. I set up around the Witch and killed 3 or 4 minions before the queen engaged, then focused all on her. I was unable to locate the device to close the bug holes when I moused around the map originally, so I assumed that the encounter would wind down after killing the queen. I probably chewed through 10 or more minions before sending the closest character out to investigate a hole and attempt to close it; this also happened to be my PC and heaviest hitter. Once adjacent to a bug hole, I saw that he was able to close it now - PC made his way around the room kiting some bugs and closing holes while the other 3 protected the witch. I burned through an astral potion and 5 or 6 healing potions, but even with such a grievous mistake early on, the mission was a success on the first try with no casualties (not that they really matter).

For the record, I really want to like this game and act 1 was a good time, but act 2 just really feels tacked on. I know it's way too late in development to do much about it, but I found it jarring to be yanked from the story and put into a series of gladiatorial fights for no real reason.

For those reading spoilers without having played the chapter, a random townswomen's child is missing and she asks you to check out some suspected slavers despite your characters currently having an unrelated agenda and are on the run. Your only option from this point is to deviate from your task and pick up what is essentially a forced side quest. You fight some slavers and then a dozen or so more come and capture you. One of your teammates mentions that you are hopelessly outnumbered and you must forfeit, despite slaying at least 10 enemies with 4 characters in the previous map... the handful of slavers would have likely been manageable. For the entire rest of the chapter, you are thrust into map after map of gladiatorial fights. There are probably 12-15 in rapid succession with little story and the same stale vendor in between. You appear to encounter a woman from your PC's past while there, but the entire arena scenario feels like a giant time sink outside of the game's narrative. Hoping chapter 3 can deliver.

 

[felipepepe]

Such a shame, it took me like 3 tries for Takate, and more than 10 to get past the crocodiles in the press build...

 

[thesisko]

Hi Codexers,

like I did in the other topic I'd like to ask around if you have any feedback towards Blackguards and in particular regarding chapter two? And if you didn't get Blackguard's Early Access yet, what keeps you from doing so? What would we have to improve to convince you? What do you miss?

Cheers,
Io

I was interested when I read the Codex preview, but after hearing how you guys have severely toned down the difficulty level this game no longer holds any appeal.

 

[Haba]

Yeah, pretty much this. The main appeal for me in this game was the challenging tactical combat and the implied darker-toned story.

Unfortunately neither of the two descriptions seem to really fit upcoming game anymore

 

[Chaotic_Heretic]

So no challenging tactical TB RPG from Germany?

Looks like scat porn is the only thing to look forward to from Germany.

 

[Tigranes]

Yep, I've been increasingly hyped about the game, but now hearing reports of difficulty changes, I'll wait and see. I don't want to play a tactical combat RPG where I never die.

 

[Bubbles]

I don't want to play a tactical combat RPG where I never die.

Speak for yourself; Fallout 1 is still pretty popular here.

 

[felipepepe]

Turn-based combat alone does not make a tactical RPG...

 

[Infinitron]

 

[Chaotic_Heretic]

I don't want to play a tactical combat RPG where I never die.

Speak for yourself; Fallout 1 is still pretty popular here.

Fallout 1 is tactical?

I guess Arcanum is tactical too... MCA has such a hard time beating combat encounters in it.

Play Silent Storm or Jagged Alliance 2. Now they are solid tactical TB RPGs.

 

[V_K]

Hmmm, there's an interesting dichotomy here: hard (=hard to win) vs unforgiving (=easy to loose/die). I wonder if it's possible to design RPG combat the way, that it would be the former but not the latter (and not mindnumbingly boring at the same time). At least for Adventure games puzzles it's obviously possible.

 

[felipepepe]

You would have to resort to huge pools of HP, on both PC and Enemies, and probably time limits or such. Not a good idea, IMHO.

 

[Infinitron]

Hmmm, there's an interesting dichotomy here: hard (=hard to win) vs unforgiving (=easy to loose/die). I wonder if it's possible to design RPG combat the way, that it would be the former but not the latter (and not mindnumbingly boring at the same time). At least for Adventure games puzzles it's obviously possible.

Sure it's possible. Encourage retreat as a viable tactic, make enemies individually weak but numerous and unrelenting.

That approach doesn't fit very well for a tactical combat game based on set piece encounters, however. It's the same problem Age of Decadence has.

 

[tuluse]

You could do what adventure games do. There is a singular path you have to follow, and essentially the game won't let you do otherwise. Think the chess puzzles people play. You're told there is checkmate in 4 turns, and it's up to you to find it. Some of them will tell you after each turn if you've made the right move or not.

This would require a completely deterministic combat system, and a very niche audience and specific design.

 

[ERYFKRAD]

Varying objectives could keep things challenging. You'd have to approach with a mindset different from KILLBURNPURGE.

 

[tuluse]

You could also do what jRPGs tend to do. Bosses often have a very specific and deadly weakness. Combat is about staying alive long to find the weakness (or grind it down the hard way).

 

[Chaotic_Heretic]

You could also do what jRPGs tend to do. Bosses often have a very specific and deadly weakness. Combat is about staying alive long to find the weakness (or grind it down the hard way).

No

From what i gather, fights are easier in Early Access due to developers nerfing talent/spell use by enemy ai to reduce challenge level (wounding strike etc.).... restore them. I can use my whole fucking arsenal...let the AI use it too.

 

[clemens]

Hi Codexers,

like I did in the other topic I'd like to ask around if you have any feedback towards Blackguards and in particular regarding chapter two? And if you didn't get Blackguard's Early Access yet, what keeps you from doing so? What would we have to improve to convince you? What do you miss?

Cheers,
Io

I was interested when I read the Codex preview, but after hearing how you guys have severely toned down the difficulty level this game no longer holds any appeal.

The concept of the game, its overall execution, the engine and character advancement are still pretty good, imo. Challenge can still be fixed during this beta stage. I hope it will, because chapter one was damn fun and refreshing to play.

 

[Western]

I might still eventually fish it out of a bargain bin or get it in a bundle, but I'm not interested in getting it at release unless some difficulty is brought back to the combat.