KickStarter The Banner Saga

[fuzz]

I'm disappointed they took time out of developing the single-player game for this.

It's a great marketing ploy, lots of people will try it as it is f2p. So now you've got a larger amount of potential buyers exposed to Banner Saga, some of them might like the gameplay and will buy the single-player version.

 

[Hobz]

It's also a good way to tune up the combat system. Would they have come up with the pillage mode without Factions ?

 

[MicoSelva]

Apparently there's some delicious drama going on regarding the f2p multiplayer portion of the game. Probably you already know about this (in before late to the party), but maybe not:

Article @ Gamasutra

 

[Dickie]

I reserve the right to be disappointed by things people do even if they tell me they're gonna do 'em.

 

[Cyberarmy]

I reserve the right to be disappointed by things people do even if they tell me they're gonna do 'em.

:D That's the thing happened. We have been told about factions on the KS campaing startier video but most of the people reacted like it came out of nowhere...

 

[almondblight]

They never said in their original pitch that they were going to make a full F2P game. In fact, in their recent update, they say that the free multiplayer was much more of a side note when it was originally announced. The Gamasutra article is silly.

 

[Tigranes]

Backed it, tried the closed beta - I like it. The artstyle is poor (come on, this is Disney's Viking Land, some of the environments are good but the characters are terribad), but the combat system is sound, intuitive, hard to master. I don't really have the time to play the battles competitively though, and I'm just going to wait for the actual game.

 

[Comrade Goby]

It is like Fire Emblem so I liked it

That said too slow for an online game

If single players adds more depth and C&C then I'll definitely buy that

 

[MasterSmithFandango]

Yeah, I want the game. I like the battle system, but don't think it's ideal for online.

 

[J1M]

The battle system has problems that need to be addressed:
1) It is advantageous to allow one of your own units to die at the start of combat on a kamakazie run.
2) There is no significant incentive to save stamina in reserve.
3) Turns resolve too slowly
4) There is no support for varied teams, such as having 0 archers or 5 archers.
5) Units have at-most one special ability. There's no choice and therefore no way to surprise an opponent.
6) Can't move through own units.
7) Archers fire a shorter distance than most units can move.
8) Alternating turns with no control over starting turn order makes planning flanking behavior futile.

I wanted to like it, but it feels like it was put together by people who either can't see these issues or don't know how to fix them.

 

[Galdred]

The battle system has problems that need to be addressed:
1) It is advantageous to allow one of your own units to die at the start of combat on a kamakazie run.
2) There is no significant incentive to save stamina in reserve.
3) Turns resolve too slowly
4) There is no support for varied teams, such as having 0 archers or 5 archers.
5) Units have at-most one special ability. There's no choice and therefore no way to surprise an opponent.
6) Can't move through own units.
7) Archers fire a shorter distance than most units can move.
8) Alternating turns with no control over starting turn order makes planning flanking behavior futile.

I wanted to like it, but it feels like it was put together by people who either can't see these issues or don't know how to fix them.

That about sums up my issues with the game. The biggest problem I have is the fixed turn order combined with alternating between players regardless of number of guys left. An initiative system would have been much better if they wanted to frequently alternate between players. Battles are usually everyone alpha straking with all stamina to damage as many units as possible (preferably damaging the strongest one), without trying to kill any, or to preserve any of your own units (except for the most powerful ones you don't want to get hit at all).
I think it makes the game less tactical, and more about abusing weird gameplay mechanics.

 

[MetalCraze]

The battle system has problems that need to be addressed:
1) It is advantageous to allow one of your own units to die at the start of combat on a kamakazie run.
2) There is no significant incentive to save stamina in reserve.
3) Turns resolve too slowly
4) There is no support for varied teams, such as having 0 archers or 5 archers.
5) Units have at-most one special ability. There's no choice and therefore no way to surprise an opponent.
6) Can't move through own units.
7) Archers fire a shorter distance than most units can move.
8) Alternating turns with no control over starting turn order makes planning flanking behavior futile.

I wanted to like it, but it feels like it was put together by people who either can't see these issues or don't know how to fix them.

You are just a stupid. Kickstarter saves gaming! Go suck on EA cock.

 

[fuzz]

The battle system has problems that need to be addressed:
1) It is advantageous to allow one of your own units to die at the start of combat on a kamakazie run.
2) There is no significant incentive to save stamina in reserve.
3) Turns resolve too slowly
4) There is no support for varied teams, such as having 0 archers or 5 archers.
5) Units have at-most one special ability. There's no choice and therefore no way to surprise an opponent.
6) Can't move through own units.
7) Archers fire a shorter distance than most units can move.
8) Alternating turns with no control over starting turn order makes planning flanking behavior futile.

I wanted to like it, but it feels like it was put together by people who either can't see these issues or don't know how to fix them.

Sounds like you need to get out of "tutorial" (team consisting of units with ranks below 1).
1. It isn't. That unit will get maimed and your opponent will gain turn advantage.
2. Depends. I had a few fights which I lost, because of lack of stamina at the end game.
3. Check expert mode while queuing, turn times are halved.
4. These are balanced to stop cheese.
5. Many ways to surprise here. I'll leave you with Strongarm's and Raidmaster's non-orthodox synergy to ponder about.
6. So you actually have to think about positioning and plan it ahead?
7. So the archers won't be cheese. I get your 5 archer team idea now, lawl.
8. Turn order is chosen when you're setting up the team in Proving Grounds.

 

[J1M]

The battle system has problems that need to be addressed:
1) It is advantageous to allow one of your own units to die at the start of combat on a kamakazie run.
2) There is no significant incentive to save stamina in reserve.
3) Turns resolve too slowly
4) There is no support for varied teams, such as having 0 archers or 5 archers.
5) Units have at-most one special ability. There's no choice and therefore no way to surprise an opponent.
6) Can't move through own units.
7) Archers fire a shorter distance than most units can move.
8) Alternating turns with no control over starting turn order makes planning flanking behavior futile.

I wanted to like it, but it feels like it was put together by people who either can't see these issues or don't know how to fix them.

Sounds like you need to get out of "tutorial" (team consisting of units with ranks below 1).
1. It isn't. That unit will get maimed and your opponent will gain turn advantage.
2. Depends. I had a few fights which I lost, because of lack of stamina at the end game.
3. Check expert mode while queuing, turn times are halved.
4. These are balanced to stop cheese.
5. Many ways to surprise here. I'll leave you with Strongarm's and Raidmaster's non-orthodox synergy to ponder about.
6. So you actually have to think about positioning and plan it ahead?
7. So the archers won't be cheese. I get your 5 archer team idea now, lawl.
8. Turn order is chosen when you're setting up the team in Proving Grounds.

I was out of the tutorial and aware of most of what you said when I wrote that list.

Strongarm + Raidmaster is an excellent example of what is wrong with the game. After several hours of playing a boring game, you might unlock this pair even though there are more compelling individual options. There is potential for something interesting to happen, but it isn't really practical due to the positioning and arbitrary requirements of use. Here is an ability that smashes a unit through other units, damaging all involved, but my massive viking lord refuses to use it... because the destination square is occupied.

 

[fuzz]

If you were aware, then why did you post that shit?
It's not a game's issue, it's you. Read the wiki, plan your build, learn to play with it. You're complaining now that it's bad, that there is a synergy, because you might not find out about it. And when you do it's bad, because you can't execute it properly. At least don't blame the developers for wasting "several hours" because you've spent your Renown badly.

 

[MetalCraze]

Aww gawd the game doesn't suck you suck!

- 15 years old Banner Saga fan

 

[Zewp]

He's right, though. Most of the points he posted were complete bullshit. Many of the things he listed are things that make the game more tactical and force players to think and plan ahead.

 

[circ]

So... Banner Saga is out? Or closed beta something?

 

[Berekän]

They released a free multiplayer spin-off, in which you can play the combat portion of the game against other players, you can download it from Steam.

 

[Grunker]

I really like the combat system. It's great actually: very simple, straightforward, anyone can grasp it after one battle or two; but at the same time, tactical and hard to master. Changing the paradigm from ganging up on one enemy to crippling as many as you are able to is a much needed breath of fresh air.
The graphics are gorgeous. The servers are crap.

This is the truth.

The battle system has problems that need to be addressed:
1) It is advantageous to allow one of your own units to die at the start of combat on a kamakazie run.
2) There is no significant incentive to save stamina in reserve.
3) Turns resolve too slowly
4) There is no support for varied teams, such as having 0 archers or 5 archers.
5) Units have at-most one special ability. There's no choice and therefore no way to surprise an opponent.
6) Can't move through own units.
7) Archers fire a shorter distance than most units can move.
8) Alternating turns with no control over starting turn order makes planning flanking behavior futile.

Half of this is simple opinion (I giggled at "can't move through own units" as a problem), the other half untrue. The only thing you're sorta right about is the lack of active abilities for each unit, but this is a forgivable and not a huge problem.

 

[J1M]

I look forward to one of these kickstarters producing a solid tactics game. Then we won't have to debate what color of shit this is.

 

[Grunker]

I look forward to one of these kickstarters producing a solid tactics game. Then we won't have to debate what color of shit this is.

It's a good system. Not good for what it is; a genuinely good system.

You're debating with yourself what colour of shit it is.

 

[Cyberarmy]

There is a new update about single player, its a bit lenghty wall of text.

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/stoic/the-banner-saga/posts/494433?ref=activity

 

[Stainless Veteran]

Heh, I think they are somewhat trying to troll Torment: Tides of Numenera in this update:

There are other difficulties. If you took a dozen of the world’s most accomplished authors and had them each work on a video game, I suspect they’d mostly be terrible.

[src]

 

[Name]

Heh, I think they are somewhat trying to troll Torment: Tides of Numenera in this update:

There are other difficulties. If you took a dozen of the world’s most accomplished authors and had them each work on a video game, I suspect they’d mostly be terrible.

[src]

Updated my journal:
D1P: Banner Saga
Reason: It's edgy, important and fun.