SpellForce 3 Reforced + Soul Harvest & Fallen God standalone expansions

[Lacrymas]

I remember in Spellforce I and its expansions it was possible to "solo" the game with your party if you min-maxed them well enough, foregoing the rts base building schtick almost completely. Is this still possible?

It wasn't difficult to play the game only with your party, it was actually easier and if you didn't build your main in a specific way it was the only possibility to complete some maps on hard difficulty. As for Spellforce 3, no, you are forced into the RTS sections as part of the main quest.

 

[vazha]

well, that curbed my enthusiasm somewhat, but still will give it a try. Remember liking the very first game and hating the second.

 

[InD_ImaginE]

I remember in Spellforce I and its expansions it was possible to "solo" the game with your party if you min-maxed them well enough, foregoing the rts base building schtick almost completely. Is this still possible?

depends on the map

usually, the RTS section of the game is triggered by.. something. Some map I think is impossible but other maps have the RTS section avoidable until you do a certain thing and you can explore the whole map and try to finish the objective (killing boss usually is the only realistic one to "skip" the RTS section). IIRC the game simply thinks that you finished the game trhough RTS section tho. On the other hand, it is actually easier to finish the map that way when it is possible.

 

[vazha]

I ve hated the typical RTS battle fare ever since Medieval I spoiled me but guess I ll persevere.

 

[Heroic Liberator]

Game is really good, very refreshing. I wonder how Noag's personality will tie into the ending.

I'm going all Gentle & Tribe this time around. Curious how that'll turn out.

I remember in Spellforce I and its expansions it was possible to "solo" the game with your party if you min-maxed them well enough, foregoing the rts base building schtick almost completely. Is this still possible?

No, but I'd say that the subpar RTS mechanics are worth enduring for what is overall a good game.

 

[Cleric of Asmodeus]

Ok I'm playing this now. Have no idea what the hell I'm doing with the character creation and just pushing buttons and pulling levers until I figure things out. Hope there is a respec option..

 

[Cleric of Asmodeus]

Oh it says in game that they can't be changed, heh. I guess I will just try out whatever and see how it goes.

 

[Renevent]

I remember in Spellforce I and its expansions it was possible to "solo" the game with your party if you min-maxed them well enough, foregoing the rts base building schtick almost completely. Is this still possible?

I haven't played this expansion but in the base game it was completely possible. Not a huge fan of RTS (although I did play about 50% of the RTS missions as a RTS) so for a lot of them I didn't bother with any base building/unit management/etc and just used my heroes. I remember reading somewhere else that if you don't build anything or capture resources the AI won't either. Not sure if that is true or not and/or if it's only on certain difficulties but it did kinda seem true. Anyways unless they changed something between the base game and the expansions you should be good to go.

 

[Parabalus]

I remember in Spellforce I and its expansions it was possible to "solo" the game with your party if you min-maxed them well enough, foregoing the rts base building schtick almost completely. Is this still possible?

depends on the map

usually, the RTS section of the game is triggered by.. something. Some map I think is impossible but other maps have the RTS section avoidable until you do a certain thing and you can explore the whole map and try to finish the objective (killing boss usually is the only realistic one to "skip" the RTS section). IIRC the game simply thinks that you finished the game trhough RTS section tho. On the other hand, it is actually easier to finish the map that way when it is possible.

The expansion is pretty good about this, there is usually a soft lock preventing you from soloing the map with your heroes, but you can help yourself out a lot.

Oh it says in game that they can't be changed, heh. I guess I will just try out whatever and see how it goes.

You can respec your char, but you can't change the talents chosen at chargen.

I'm going all Gentle & Tribe this time around. Curious how that'll turn out.

I took the same path.

From a gameplay perspective, if you split points you can get access to all basic skills, but if you go deep into e.g. gentle/tribe you get a new unlock after the first basic skill is finished.
So the parenthood stuff has a total of 20 skills available.

 

[Lacrymas]

Ok I'm playing this now. Have no idea what the hell I'm doing with the character creation and just pushing buttons and pulling levers until I figure things out. Hope there is a respec option..

If the demo is still available, or you have the digital extras, you can play the Old Haalayash scenario where all the trees get used so you can play around with them before committing in the main game.

 

[vazha]

Playing that scenario now and getting my ass handed back to me on the hardest difficulty. Wish there was pause to give commands etc but alas

 

[krilcebre]

Playing that scenario now and getting my ass handed back to me on the hardest difficulty. Wish there was pause to give commands etc but alas

There's a pause option while using the ability wheel (Alt by default). I think it's under gameplay options, it's set to slow down by default I think.

 

[Cleric of Asmodeus]

Oh, that would be mighty helpful. Finding it takes much longer to understand the numbers and systems behind everything in real time

 

[vazha]

Thank you so much! Anybody knows how to make the troops zoomed in permanently? They are so freaking tiny my eyes are bleeding

 

[ERYFKRAD]

They are so freaking tiny my eyes are bleeding

You talking about the trolls here?

 

[Alienman]

Decided to give it a go and I'm glad that I did. They might be big and tribal, but holy hell are they charming - in other words the writing is good! Find it funny how talkative and compassionate they are.

 

[vazha]

They are so freaking tiny my eyes are bleeding

You talking about the trolls here?

no the original campaign. I can barely see anything without zooming in all the time

 

[Parabalus]

They are so freaking tiny my eyes are bleeding

You talking about the trolls here?

no the original campaign. I can barely see anything without zooming in all the time

You sure something is not broken with your settings?

Most of the complaints about the camera are that the game is too far zoomed IN.

 

[vazha]

You serious? my standard camera view is the "birds eye" and I couldnt find anywhere in the settings how to change that. Have to zoom in constantly, got heroes perma-highlighted and all that. I ll post a screenshot later today.

 

[Alienman]

When I see my Akrog in his armor with his club and giant shield, it kinda puts things in perspective... as a humie that is. How towering they are, and just thinking as a human going up against one of these things must feel intensely terrifying.

I think this loading screen from the game captures it pretty well:

Spoiler

It must be one hell of sight to see one of them come rushing out from the forest with club held high and with murder in his eyes, and well, this is only one, imagine a pack! Also you can see in the picture that the arrows barely puncture the thick hide of the beast - talk about a morale killer. It makes me kinda wonder though, how they can be so far down on the totem-pole, that even orcs and goblins seemingly have no trouble hunting them? Maybe it's explained in the story? (Not too far in).

 

[Heroic Liberator]

It makes me kinda wonder though, how they can be so far down on the totem-pole, that even orcs and goblins seemingly have no trouble hunting them? Maybe it's explained in the story? (Not too far in).

Besides the fact that they are generally less technologically advanced than most races, the bloodcurse which they suffer of is basically the equivalent of the Krogan genophage, only worse (less childbirths, but also severe illness for those that get infected in adulthood).

 

[Alienman]

It makes me kinda wonder though, how they can be so far down on the totem-pole, that even orcs and goblins seemingly have no trouble hunting them? Maybe it's explained in the story? (Not too far in).

Besides the fact that they are generally less technologically advanced than most races, the bloodcurse which they suffer of is basically the equivalent of the Krogan genophage, only worse (less childbirths, but also severe illness for those that get infected in adulthood).

Yeah, but are the orcs that much better? From what I remember from Spellforce 3 they are basically on the same technological level. And the blood curse, isn't that a fairly recent thing? Actually not sure how far into the future this takes place, or is it going on at the same time?

But as a group of "people" I got to wonder why they haven't progressed further, they seem pretty damn smart, treat each other well etc etc.

 

[Heroic Liberator]

Yeah, but are the orcs that much better? From what I remember from Spellforce 3 they are basically on the same technological level. And the blood curse, isn't that a fairly recent thing? Actually not sure how far into the future this takes place, or is it going on at the same time?

The Orcs and Trolls were on the same technological level in the sense that trolls used to be (slave) troops within Orcish hordes. Trolls by themselves though are for the most part primitive tribes minding their own business and trying to avoid being hunted for their tusks or enslaved by other races. And if I'm not mistaken, the expansion is set in the near future following the events of the base game and of the previous expansion.

But as a group of "people" I got to wonder why they haven't progressed further, they seem pretty damn smart, treat each other well etc etc.

I guess that the best way to put it is that Trolls are to Orcs what Elves are to Humans - less technologically oriented, more in tune with nature. The Bogtusk tribals that you meet even state that the Moonkin tribe which Akrog leads is one of the more advanced (or 'smarter') ones around. It's not that they are incapable of learning, but that their education is a traditionalist one which perpetuates that sort of tribal structure and the tribe's adherence to the 'old ways'.

 

[Lacrymas]

I want a Spellforce 4 exploring the events leading to the circle wars. Then a remake of Spellforce 1.

 

[Parabalus]

• ~440-435 b.c. Trolls attempt to resurrect a God

Lots of space for games remaining in the b.c. time.

I also thought the timelines of the later games were more complicated.