TBS Age of Wonders: Planetfall - AoW gone to space

[you know what time it is]

It's not just art though, gameplay is quite bland as well. I remember trying third AoW and every race felt way too similar to each other.

 

[Raghar]

It's not just art though, gameplay is quite bland as well. I remember trying third AoW and every race felt way too similar to each other.

At release? Yes.

I think its quite fine right now, tho.

The real problem now, is that Class Units >>> Race Units.

That was by design. Otherwise warlord would build normal units instead of class units.

 

[Edija]

Never seen a game that pulls of the terrain/world design so gorgeously but absolutely fails in unit design and animations. What the actual fuck, same case as in AoW 3

 

[Talby]

So I guess by going sci-fi, they really made a blunder for the ages.

 

[vota DC]

It's not just art though, gameplay is quite bland as well. I remember trying third AoW and every race felt way too similar to each other.

At release? Yes.

I think its quite fine right now, tho.

The real problem now, is that Class Units >>> Race Units.

That was by design. Otherwise warlord would build normal units instead of class units.

They still have the same description for all races. I think they would have better removing third racial tier (to avoid colliding for example draconian flyer/exalted) and then make every class unit different for each race. I don't mean just like the cavalry archer where elves get no range penalty and orcs bleeding, I mean really different so no huge monster that breed with ogres to non orcs, they could do spiderelf, batman and beetlegoblin, same with machines...every race a unique machine. It would be a hell to balance but it would be awesome.

 

[Lacrymas]

I like how nobody cared enough to post the newest video -


I just randomly stumbled on it. Maybe this is the most interesting faction so far. Which is weird, the humans being the most interesting faction in a sci-fi game doesn't sound right. Not that I'm sure they are human, but they sure do look like that. I can't help but feel like going 3D was a mistake, both in AoW3 and this. AoW, Wizard's Throne and Shadow Magic had gorgeous 2D, AoW3 and this look painfully, tortuously generic.

RE: Balance between races - it's always better if the races aren't a mirror of each other, where the minutest of better numbers is felt immediately. They should be very different, with wildly different units, mechanics and bonuses.

 

[Harry Easter]

I like how nobody cared enough to post the newest video -


I just randomly stumbled on it. Maybe this is the most interesting faction so far. Which is weird, the humans being the most interesting faction in a sci-fi game doesn't sound right. Not that I'm sure they are human, but they sure do look like that. I can't help but feel like going 3D was a mistake, both in AoW3 and this. AoW, Wizard's Throne and Shadow Magic had gorgeous 2D, AoW3 and this look painfully, tortuously generic.

RE: Balance between races - it's always better if the races aren't a mirror of each other, where the minutest of better numbers is felt immediately. They should be very different, with wildly different units, mechanics and bonuses.

I think all the factions are supposed to be humans, except the insects, who are the, quote, "only Alien Race." Yes, even the Space Dwarves are humans.

Besides that, I liked the trailer too, especially the part of reinincarnating your slaver units. Not a bad idea for Space Necromancers.

 

[Lacrymas]

I think the Assembly are going to be more like space necros. Don't quote me on that, however, they just have that look about them.

 

[Edija]

My wallet auto shrinks upon seeing the Paradox logo. I've been talking a lot of shit on this but I don't want it to fail. The Syndicate units at least look a tad better than the stuff I've seen in earlier videos so maybe they worked on their design a bit.

 

[BING XI LAO]

I can't help but feel like going 3D was a mistake, both in AoW3 and this. AoW, Wizard's Throne and Shadow Magic had gorgeous 2D, AoW3 and this look painfully, tortuously generic.

It looks like a more polished Civ5, so SHIT! Even down to the mindless squad graphics for units that are functionally individuals. So they have the worst of both worlds, less visual clarity than an individual trooper, and no squad mechanics like Master of Magic had. 2019 games are uglier than 1999 games, stupider, run worse, vastly more expensive, etc...

 

[Edija]

Many devs fail to realize that stylized 2D (especially for games like this) would give them more breathing space for features and gameplay. I don't think there is anybody into these kind of games that would drop them solely because it isn't 3D or following the latest graphical fads.

 

[BING XI LAO]

There could be quite a lot of nostalgic midwits who are motivated to buy the games by the 3d, even if they barely play it afterwards.

 

[Lacrymas]

At this point, I'm more inclined to skip a game if it's 3D.

 

[Edija]

At this point, I'm more inclined to skip a game if it's 3D.

The problem isn't 3D, the problem is Neverwinter nights janky, blocky tier 3D. Is there anybody who thinks that Neverwinter nights actually looks better than Baldurs Gate 2? Stylized 2D art can work wonders, see Battle Brother, Sovereignty (game failed for other, unrelated reasons), Warhammer 40k Armageddon... AoW 3 map look and artstyle was beautiful, but once you got into battle and saw the creatures and squad mechanics it felt janky and bad.

 

[Lacrymas]

I'm inclined to say early 3D had character and charm, including NWN. NWN is actually one of my favorite games aesthetic wise. Not because it's beautiful, but because it's unique and it creates atmosphere. Modern 3D is a problem because it's plasticy and artificial. AoW maps looked good, but the models of most of the units were awful. Some Necro and Frostling units were cool though.

 

[rezaf]

Early 3D had character and charm?
Okay, everyone is entitled to their own opinion I guess.

In an unrelated note, when was the last time you had your eyes checked?

 

[thesheeep]

I'm inclined to say early 3D had character and charm, including NWN. NWN is actually one of my favorite games aesthetic wise.

You need to go see an

-doctor.

 

[Lacrymas]

My giant eyestalk is fine, thank you very much.

vs

Def prefer the former. You can't deny it's unique, and I value that over glossy, manufactured 3D every time.

 

[thesheeep]

Nope, you definitely need to see someone about that.

Neither looks good, but AoW is meant to be looked at from a distance, not as close as that screenshot does. Why would anyone ever zoom in that much?

 

[fantadomat]

Why would anyone ever zoom in that much?

Spoiler

 

[Zboj Lamignat]

Guys, stop triggering me. NWN is a game from freaking 2002, I'll probably soon live to hear someone calling the first Farcry "early 3d".

Anyways, there is no problem per se with 3d graphics, old or otherwise. Quake in software mode looks gorgeous to this day and it's from 1996. The problem is the way they are used in strategy/tactical games, where they are shoehorned in without any budget or talent and then the potato 3d makes it into all the promos like it's something worth boasting about. But the worst thing is, they often ruin readability and are not important for the gameplay anyway. AoW3 is a case in point - looks shit, have fun telling most units one from another in combat or quickly identifying everything on a strategic map in some of the terrain tiles and the 3d as a concept is completely meaningless in this game. Now compare this to something like Myth or Total Annihilation - both look good and the 3d is actually integral to the way the game plays. My point is - the devs should think what kind of game they want to make and make decisions based on that, but of course I'm living in a dreamworld and it's "prosper would be proud" production values all around, because apparently 2d game won't sell. And I don't think there is enough talent around to make good 2d graphics anyway.

 

[JarlFrank]

Early 3D had character and charm?

Yes it did.

 

[JarlFrank]

I mean NWN is a terrible example because it's a shit game in every single aspect, including its visuals, but late 90s to early 00s 3D can look great.

Look at some of the coolest maps in Quake and Thief, they look great. Unreal. Return to Castle Wolfenstein. Gothic 1 and 2. Morrowind (the landscapes and weird architecture, not the character models).
Even Tomb Raider 1's extremely blocky and partially unfinished 3D visuals (they didn't finish the braid on Lara's character model, and have no skybox, lol) are extremely atmospheric and often scary and unsettling (those skinless Atlantean monsters, fuu).

It's all about art design. Early 3D could look great when it was made by people who actually knew wtf they were doing.

 

[Modron]

The problem isn't 3D, the problem is Neverwinter nights janky, blocky tier 3D.

Blocky tier 3D isn't really the problem, the problem is art direction. I can still play shieet like Incubation, Rocket Jockey, and Nintendo 64 and Playstation 1 games. Style is the difference not graphical fidelity. Granted I do prefer 2d graphics as well.

 

[rezaf]

Yes it did.

Okay, okay. I get it. You prefer this:

to this:

(Both games depicted are from 1993)

Fair enough.