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- Jan 28, 2011
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Tags: Expeditions: Rome; Logic Artists; THQ Nordic
While the studio may be winding down, the Logic Artists appear to be keeping to their promise to support Expeditions: Rome for as long as they can. Last month they released a major update for the game which overhauled its much-criticized legion battle system. Now Rome has received its first paid expansion, a gladiator-themed DLC entitled Death or Glory. Despite appearances it's more than a simple arena mode DLC, adding the gladiator to the base game as a fully-fledged fourth class with its own unique weapon and armor types. Gladiator characters will be able to compete in the new arena sidequests available in each of the game's three acts. Here's the DLC's launch trailer and an excerpt from the latest dev diary with more details:
First off, the Gladiator class. When you start a new game with the Death or Glory installed, you will have the option to play this class yourself. Alternatively, you may choose to change Deianeira into a Gladiator. If you disable that option, she will remain a Princeps as she originally was. Gladiators can also now be recruited from the barracks, and if you assign them as Centurions they will apply a unique bonus in the new legion battle system if chosen to command just like every other class.
The Gladiator class comes with a full set of 24 class skills and is no doubt the most diverse class in the game, with each of its skill trees focused on a distinct type of play: the Secutor is a heavily armored defensive fighter; the Retiarius is a cunning and mobile skirmisher with many tools to manipulate the movement and positioning of enemies or allies; and the Provocator is a bold showman that can bolster the morale of allies or wear down the morale of their opponents.
Setting the class further apart from the existing classes, the Gladiator’s special class stat is Retaliation. This is a percentage probability that the Gladiator will get to make a free counter-attack against any enemy who hits them in melee. This is different from a mere Attack of Opportunity in that there is no limit on how many Retaliations can be made per turn. The Gladiator has an inherent Retaliation chance which can be further bolstered by the new Gladiator armor, helmet, and the exotic Scissor weapon.
The Scissor is an off-hand weapon which is essentially a gauntlet with a hooked blade affixed – like a punch-dagger, but weirder! Only the Gladiator can wield it. In addition to a full set of new weapon skills, it also introduces combo skills for all the existing off-hand weapons in the game. A particularly fun combo is to use Retaliating Strike to apply a couple of stacks of Retaliating to yourself, which increases your Retaliation Chance, and then follow up with Riposte which deals extra damage for each stack of Retaliating you have. Legendary scissors with new charms can also be found throughout the game, such as the scissor called “Invictus” that allows a second counter-attack to trigger against the same attack.
As if that weren’t enough, Death or Glory also adds a couple of new tactical items that can be purchased from the arena merchants: the Acid Flask, which eats away enemy armor, and the Hunting Trap which can be placed on the ground to damage and cripple the first enemy who moves into it.
With all these new toys to play with, you’re going to need some worthy opposition as well. To this end, Death or Glory will add a new arena to each of the campaign maps where you are invited to participate in matches against formidable gladiators. These opponents will test your tactical cunning in encounters using the new Audience Approval mechanic: every fight in the arena imposes certain conditions that will raise or lower the Audience Approval depending on your actions. Reaching a certain level of Audience Approval or gaining enough of it in one turn will grant powerful buffs to your whole team, allowing you to turn the tide of a tough fight. If Audience Approval falls to -100 you will lose the match, but if you can raise it to +100, you will be victorious.
Humans are not the only opponent you’ll have to contend with. In the famous Lion Arena of Lower Egypt, you will face ferocious beasts that will test your tactical skills in entirely new ways. Male lions hang back and wait while female lions work together to take down their prey. Lions do not choose sides, however, and if you are cunning in your positioning, the beasts may be just as dangerous to your human opponents as they are to you.
Each arena has its own champion that you must defeat in the end if you wish to become the champion yourself. Doing so will earn you special prizes, including the privilege of using the unique color themes and emblems of the arena for your praetorian guard or your legion. Moreover, you will unlock the option to engage in repeatable, randomized matches to defend your title. Return to the arena any time you’d like after you become its champion and simply request a match. Random enemies will be spawned, Audience Approval conditions will be chosen at random, and there will even be a chance for catapults or traps to appear to shake things up. Don’t worry, any tactical items you spend in a randomized arena match will be refunded at the end of the encounter.
If you access the arenas directly from the main menu through the Gladiator Mode, you will get your full party of companions starting at level 5, with complete freedom to assign all your skill points as you please. You will also be given a random drop of items, and between each fight you will gain 1 more level, another random loot drop including 1-3 tactical items, and exactly 1 legendary item. In this mode, injuries are automatically cleared after every encounter as you are not allowed to leave the arena to treat them, but tactical item charges do not replenish. Only when you become the champion of an arena are you permitted to leave the level and move directly to the next arena. Becoming the champion of all three arenas in Gladiator Mode will reward you with a unique Victoria Statue trophy for your tent or villa.
The Death or Glory DLC for Expeditions: Rome is available on Steam and GOG for $10, with a 20% launch discount until next week. Alongside it, Logic Artists have also released another major update for the base game adding new dialogue, equipment, weapon skills, character customization options and more. So if you've been waiting to play Rome, it looks like now is the time.
While the studio may be winding down, the Logic Artists appear to be keeping to their promise to support Expeditions: Rome for as long as they can. Last month they released a major update for the game which overhauled its much-criticized legion battle system. Now Rome has received its first paid expansion, a gladiator-themed DLC entitled Death or Glory. Despite appearances it's more than a simple arena mode DLC, adding the gladiator to the base game as a fully-fledged fourth class with its own unique weapon and armor types. Gladiator characters will be able to compete in the new arena sidequests available in each of the game's three acts. Here's the DLC's launch trailer and an excerpt from the latest dev diary with more details:
First off, the Gladiator class. When you start a new game with the Death or Glory installed, you will have the option to play this class yourself. Alternatively, you may choose to change Deianeira into a Gladiator. If you disable that option, she will remain a Princeps as she originally was. Gladiators can also now be recruited from the barracks, and if you assign them as Centurions they will apply a unique bonus in the new legion battle system if chosen to command just like every other class.
The Gladiator class comes with a full set of 24 class skills and is no doubt the most diverse class in the game, with each of its skill trees focused on a distinct type of play: the Secutor is a heavily armored defensive fighter; the Retiarius is a cunning and mobile skirmisher with many tools to manipulate the movement and positioning of enemies or allies; and the Provocator is a bold showman that can bolster the morale of allies or wear down the morale of their opponents.
Setting the class further apart from the existing classes, the Gladiator’s special class stat is Retaliation. This is a percentage probability that the Gladiator will get to make a free counter-attack against any enemy who hits them in melee. This is different from a mere Attack of Opportunity in that there is no limit on how many Retaliations can be made per turn. The Gladiator has an inherent Retaliation chance which can be further bolstered by the new Gladiator armor, helmet, and the exotic Scissor weapon.
The Scissor is an off-hand weapon which is essentially a gauntlet with a hooked blade affixed – like a punch-dagger, but weirder! Only the Gladiator can wield it. In addition to a full set of new weapon skills, it also introduces combo skills for all the existing off-hand weapons in the game. A particularly fun combo is to use Retaliating Strike to apply a couple of stacks of Retaliating to yourself, which increases your Retaliation Chance, and then follow up with Riposte which deals extra damage for each stack of Retaliating you have. Legendary scissors with new charms can also be found throughout the game, such as the scissor called “Invictus” that allows a second counter-attack to trigger against the same attack.
As if that weren’t enough, Death or Glory also adds a couple of new tactical items that can be purchased from the arena merchants: the Acid Flask, which eats away enemy armor, and the Hunting Trap which can be placed on the ground to damage and cripple the first enemy who moves into it.
With all these new toys to play with, you’re going to need some worthy opposition as well. To this end, Death or Glory will add a new arena to each of the campaign maps where you are invited to participate in matches against formidable gladiators. These opponents will test your tactical cunning in encounters using the new Audience Approval mechanic: every fight in the arena imposes certain conditions that will raise or lower the Audience Approval depending on your actions. Reaching a certain level of Audience Approval or gaining enough of it in one turn will grant powerful buffs to your whole team, allowing you to turn the tide of a tough fight. If Audience Approval falls to -100 you will lose the match, but if you can raise it to +100, you will be victorious.
Humans are not the only opponent you’ll have to contend with. In the famous Lion Arena of Lower Egypt, you will face ferocious beasts that will test your tactical skills in entirely new ways. Male lions hang back and wait while female lions work together to take down their prey. Lions do not choose sides, however, and if you are cunning in your positioning, the beasts may be just as dangerous to your human opponents as they are to you.
Each arena has its own champion that you must defeat in the end if you wish to become the champion yourself. Doing so will earn you special prizes, including the privilege of using the unique color themes and emblems of the arena for your praetorian guard or your legion. Moreover, you will unlock the option to engage in repeatable, randomized matches to defend your title. Return to the arena any time you’d like after you become its champion and simply request a match. Random enemies will be spawned, Audience Approval conditions will be chosen at random, and there will even be a chance for catapults or traps to appear to shake things up. Don’t worry, any tactical items you spend in a randomized arena match will be refunded at the end of the encounter.
If you access the arenas directly from the main menu through the Gladiator Mode, you will get your full party of companions starting at level 5, with complete freedom to assign all your skill points as you please. You will also be given a random drop of items, and between each fight you will gain 1 more level, another random loot drop including 1-3 tactical items, and exactly 1 legendary item. In this mode, injuries are automatically cleared after every encounter as you are not allowed to leave the arena to treat them, but tactical item charges do not replenish. Only when you become the champion of an arena are you permitted to leave the level and move directly to the next arena. Becoming the champion of all three arenas in Gladiator Mode will reward you with a unique Victoria Statue trophy for your tent or villa.
The Death or Glory DLC for Expeditions: Rome is available on Steam and GOG for $10, with a 20% launch discount until next week. Alongside it, Logic Artists have also released another major update for the base game adding new dialogue, equipment, weapon skills, character customization options and more. So if you've been waiting to play Rome, it looks like now is the time.
