Review An easy recommendation for most fans of single player RPGs

[DarkUnderlord]

Tags: Drakensang

... or <a href="http://au.pc.ign.com/articles/956/956364p1.html">so say IGN about Drakensang</a>:
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<blockquote>Yes, it's unfortunate that the basic ideas are somewhat generic but the real disappointment is that they're used in a generic way. A scholarly wizard who accidentally causes a catastrophe because he's too focused on his studies? Yep, that's here. How about an overconfident rogue who constantly has to talk himself out of complicated situations with women and legal authorities? That's here too. When he's finally arrested for the one crime that he didn't commit, it's like, okay, I get it.
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On the plus side, the story itself is well written, much more so than is usually the case with translated games.
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But players who want to fiddle with their character's values will be restricted to small shifts in skill focus for one of the existing archetypes. If you have a specific character in mind, you'll just have to find the template that fits it best.
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Drakensang wins points with me by including a wide and varied party of adventures who will share your quest.
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That, sadly, is where I think the game's combats sort of fell apart. The turn-based rounds are all going on under the hood, but the whole presentation of the game is geared towards letting those battles play out in real time. The trouble is that, to play the game with as much tactical advantage as possible, you've got to stop and start the action every few rounds just to make sure that your characters are all doing what they should be doing at any one time.</blockquote>
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What, a mainstream review that wants turn-based and non-generic fantasy elements? The game is <a href="http://www.gamersgate.com/?page=product&what=view&sku=DD-DRAK">now available on GamersGate</a>.
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Spotted @ <a href="http://www.rpgwatch.com">RPGWatch</a>

 

[gumbomasta]

Drakensang IGN review

I have a few questions regarding Landstander's review of Drakensang.

I'm speaking specifically of his criticism of Drakensang's realtime-with-pause combat. He writes, "The turn-based rounds are all going on under the hood, but the whole presentation of the game is geared towards letting those battles play out in real time. The trouble is that, to play the game with as much tactical advantage as possible, you've got to stop and start the action every few rounds just to make sure that your characters are all doing what they should be doing at any one time."

Is that really "trouble"?

Don't NWN2 and the upcoming Dragon Age offer a similar combat system? Baldur's Gate? Plansescape? What makes Drakensang's combat system inferior to those games, from which it draws inspiration? Would Landstander's argument have been stronger if he had put this game into context with those classics? How "uncomfortable" is this style of combat to the degree that it gets a 6.5 gameplay rating?

Landstander continues, "On the downside, of course, that means more stopping and starting, but at least it's more interesting from a purely tactical level. Even if you do have a fight that you can afford to wage in real time, the rounds are too apparent." Too apparent how? Compared to what? Landstander doesn't say. "Watching all your attacks launch in unison is funny at first but it soon gets kind of depressing." Is Landstander saying he's disheartened by the fact that he has to pause the action and give tactical commands?

Isn't the "interesting" stopping/starting tactical combat something many consumers might be looking for in an RPG? After all, this is the first one since the NWN2 series that offers this style of gameplay and Dragon Age isn't coming out til November.

just my two cents. thanks for reading.

 

[Luzur]

hes been Oblivified i guess.

 

[Xerxos]

Re: Drakensang IGN review

I have a few questions regarding Landstander's review of Drakensang.

I'm speaking specifically of his criticism of Drakensang's realtime-with-pause combat. He writes, "The turn-based rounds are all going on under the hood, but the whole presentation of the game is geared towards letting those battles play out in real time. The trouble is that, to play the game with as much tactical advantage as possible, you've got to stop and start the action every few rounds just to make sure that your characters are all doing what they should be doing at any one time."

Is that really "trouble"?

Well, the only trouble is that you are forced to play with pause, since in DSA/The dark eye it's crucial for fights to "focus fire" since a normal fighter can only parry one attack per round. The AI does the exact opposite and every party member searches his own target. Special attacks are also much more powerful if timed right. Someone who tries without pause is going to have a really hard time.

Don't NWN2 and the upcoming Dragon Age offer a similar combat system? Baldur's Gate? Plansescape? What makes Drakensang's combat system inferior to those games, from which it draws inspiration? Would Landstander's argument have been stronger if he had put this game into context with those classics? How "uncomfortable" is this style of combat to the degree that it gets a 6.5 gameplay rating?

Landstander continues, "On the downside, of course, that means more stopping and starting, but at least it's more interesting from a purely tactical level. Even if you do have a fight that you can afford to wage in real time, the rounds are too apparent." Too apparent how? Compared to what? Landstander doesn't say. "Watching all your attacks launch in unison is funny at first but it soon gets kind of depressing." Is Landstander saying he's disheartened by the fact that he has to pause the action and give tactical commands?

Well, he has to or he looses. Some people don't seem to like that.

Ok, I have to admit, to tell your fighters to focus fire every single time made me too think a better AI would have been nice.

Isn't the "interesting" stopping/starting tactical combat something many consumers might be looking for in an RPG? After all, this is the first one since the NWN2 series that offers this style of gameplay and Dragon Age isn't coming out til November.

just my two cents. thanks for reading.

Well I liked it. It has flaws, but it is defenitifly the best RPG that came out in ages...