The Dark Eye Blackguards - turn-based tactical RPG set in The Dark Eye world

[rusty_shackleford]

Tell me of a mobile game if the same quality as Blackguards and I will happily play it.

Quite a few modern RPGs/Tactical combat games have been ported to mobile platforms.
e.g.,

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.atomrpg
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.tresebrothers.games.battlefrontelite

 

[Abu Antar]

Tell me of a mobile game if the same quality as Blackguards and I will happily play it.

Quite a few modern RPGs/Tactical combat games have been ported to mobile platforms.
e.g.,

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.atomrpg
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.tresebrothers.games.battlefrontelite

Indeed, but those are already bought on PC! The point is that he is using the phrasing "Mobile game" in a derogatory way.

 

[LESS T_T]

This game's combat engine was pretty solid. I'm surprised that Daedalic haven't revisited it in the age of Divinity: Original Sin turn-based mania.

Since they have license to make multiple Middle-earth games I wouldn't mind a turn-based Middle-earth RPG or tactics. (But considering how they talked about that Tolkien Estate liked the idea of non-violent games they probably won't.)

 

[anvi]

It is not a full RPG because they can't afford to make that. Some cities have multiple screens. There are more skills and items and spells later. BG2 improves a lot of this, but also dumbs some things down which enraged a lot of people, but I liked that one too.

But yeah the series is not a full RPG, it is a Final Fantasy Tactics / Dungeon Rats / Whatever type of game, just a well done one with some meaty combat.

 

[anvi]

My only real issue with Blackguards is that the magic has no balance so some spells are shit and some spells are uber.

 

[Stavrophore]

Ok im at the rescue baroness quest and i must say the game is ok. It's nothing outstanding, it's just a small enjoyable trinket to spend some time on. So far a 6+/10 game.

 

[Stavrophore]

Hahahaha i was curious why i dont get any loot. It's not really nice that the game don't tell you that you are already on the capacity limit...

 

[Contagium]

The first Blackguards was pretty good. The 2nd is an irredeemable pile of dogshit.

 

[Doctor Sbaitso]

IMO Black Guards could have been a top 3 example of turn based combat & character system on PC. It fell short. As I remember it, the devs final ward on the first game was basically that they know better than the players. That carried forward into BG2 development. Arrogance killed their potential success with this series.

 

[TheSoul]

Game has a lot of good encounters that are either puzzles or brawls. Party is a bit too rigid, so you can easily screw yourself with the default mc classes if you don't know what you're doing.

 

[Grunker]

Love it when this thread is updated. Reminds me how great the game is

 

[Darth Roxor]

Game has a lot of good encounters that are either puzzles or brawls.

In hindsight, from the perspective of the dozens of "tactical" "rpgs" that we've been exposed to since Blackguards's release, most of which are either thinly veiled puzzle games or simply shit, this really stands as a testament to the strengths of this game's design. Because the number of brawls heavily outnumbers the puzzles, and it always feels like you are playing through an RPG where your dudes engage and kill the evildoers, with no added bullshit on top, and it's simply propa fun.

 

[Grunker]

Game has a lot of good encounters that are either puzzles or brawls.

In hindsight, from the perspective of the dozens of "tactical" "rpgs" that we've been exposed to since Blackguards's release, most of which are either thinly veiled puzzle games or simply shit, this really stands as a testament to the strengths of this game's design. Because the number of brawls heavily outnumbers the puzzles, and it always feels like you are playing through an RPG where your dudes engage and kill the evildoers, with no added bullshit on top, and it's simply propa fun.

As you know I don't think much of the character customization, though it is servicable. The itemization is downright horribru. I think the key to Blackguards' success really lies almost entirely in its hand-crafted encounter design. It has a few flaws (like the lice-maze which everyone hates though I do find a certain masochist satisfaction in it) or the big slug-encounter. But mostly, it really feels like going through P&P encounters one of your friends designed by hand.

And I think the only reason this was possible was that the game pretty much focuses its limited development resources on more or less this one factor instead of trying to be a "full-fledged" RPG like Chaos Chronicles/Realms of Beyond/MoonMoon Studios and all the other failed "indy" RPGs with delusions of grandeur.

Also the reason the first KotC was so good.

Let that be a lesson to you Codex: stop demanding full-fledged RPGs from budgets that can't produce them, when we can get gems like Blackguards when developers focus in on key features instead.

 

[CryptRat]

But mostly, it really feels like going through P&P encounters one of your friends designed by hand.
[...]Also the reason the first KotC was so good.

And Dungeon Rats too, the comparison was appropriate, the narrative, the systems and the combat content in those games really capture PnP.

The itemization is downright horribru.

I understand why you'd say that but on another hand I also think that the austere itemization fits the overall lowkeyness of both the narrative and gameplay of the game which blend together well.

 

[Grunker]

But mostly, it really feels like going through P&P encounters one of your friends designed by hand.
[...]Also the reason the first KotC was so good.

And Dungeon Rats too, the comparison was appropriate, the narrative, the systems and the combat content in those games really capture PnP.

The itemization is downright horribru.

I understand why you'd say that but on another hand I also think that the austere itemization fits the overall lowkeyness of both the narrative and gameplay of the game which blend together well.

It’s not just austere, it’s bizarre, clearly due to devs focusing elsewhere. Some item types have extremely abundant representation while others are nearly non-existent

 

[agris]

Almost like some item types are... more rare than others???

 

[felipepepe]

Game has a lot of good encounters that are either puzzles or brawls.

In hindsight, from the perspective of the dozens of "tactical" "rpgs" that we've been exposed to since Blackguards's release, most of which are either thinly veiled puzzle games or simply shit, this really stands as a testament to the strengths of this game's design. Because the number of brawls heavily outnumbers the puzzles, and it always feels like you are playing through an RPG where your dudes engage and kill the evildoers, with no added bullshit on top, and it's simply propa fun.

I think a key factor is that the first acts move quickly and never feel like filler... every story beat has only 1-2 fights, that all have some weight or cool twist behind them. Other tactical games might have a more complex underlying system, but you could cut like half of the game's battles and not lose anything. There's nothing memorable or interesting about "5 orcs in a kitchen" followed by "6 orcs in a hall" and then "7 orcs PLUS A MAGE on a throne room".

Blackguards always adds a twist, even fighting undead in a crypt was memorable due to the presentation and how rare it was. It just loses momentum at the end, like most RPGs it would've been better by just being shorter and tighter.

 

[Doctor Sbaitso]

anvi as citation regadring the devs discarding good feedback, how about this Codex interview with Blackguards and Blackguards 2 producer? At the time the codex was a major source of feedback for patching the game and singing its praises. As talks of finishing BG1 and BG2 development was underway, we got a chance to ask direct questions to the producer. The answers we got didn't inspire hope, and unfortunately the result was as we feared. They would not apply requested changes to combat, character development and combat / systems feedback to BG1 and their answer regarding BG2 was 'we don't think that is necessary, instead we will simplify'.

 

[Grunker]

Almost like some item types are... more rare than others???

Riiiiiight. I'm sure it was a well-planned, core feature to have a million single-handed weapons with different effects, 1 or 2 greatswords and 1 or 2 shields. Everyone knows that in fantasyland, single-handed weapons are in bountiful supply while shields are worth more than gold

It's just due to lack of testing. Which is totally understandable. They put their efforts into the set-piece encounters. Good decision. It's where the game shines!

 

[vonAchdorf]

Almost like some item types are... more rare than others???

Riiiiiight. I'm sure it was a well-planned, core feature to have a million single-handed weapons with different effects, 1 or 2 greatswords and 1 or 2 shields. Everyone knows that in fantasyland, single-handed weapons are in bountiful supply while shields are worth more than gold

It's just due to lack of testing. Which is totally understandable. They put their efforts into the set-piece encounters. Good decision. It's where the game shines!

Apart from that, TDE just doesn't* have a comparable weapon progression system like DnD (no +1 or +2 swords). It's more mundane in that regard.

* it has something, but only at the highest end

 

[Grunker]

Almost like some item types are... more rare than others???

Riiiiiight. I'm sure it was a well-planned, core feature to have a million single-handed weapons with different effects, 1 or 2 greatswords and 1 or 2 shields. Everyone knows that in fantasyland, single-handed weapons are in bountiful supply while shields are worth more than gold

It's just due to lack of testing. Which is totally understandable. They put their efforts into the set-piece encounters. Good decision. It's where the game shines!

Apart from that, TDE just doesn't* have a comparable weapon progression system like DnD (no +1 or +2 swords). It's more mundane in that regard.

* it has something, but only at the highest end

Yeah, but IIRC (I'm not 100% sure, been a long while since I played) I made a post quite a while into the game when I still used a single-handed sword because there simply hadn't encountered a single two-handed one yet.

It's not that the game's system is problematic. Rather the opposite, I think while I dislike many aspects of the character system, the base possibility for item diversity was actually quite high, and you can see it with stuff like really, really impactful ammunition types! Those knockdown arrows were like diamond dust, really sweet.

Anyway, it was just one example of how the game cuts a ton of corners in favor of developing its core conceit as well as it possibly could. And even with the lackluster final chapter, it's kind of impressive how long it takes before encounters become stale. The diversity of battlefield challenges and opponents is in-fucking-sane. Makes me want to replay the game just thinking of everything from crocodile-filled moats to scaffolding to elemental hazards and everything in between. All the while having enemies who synergize well with those hazards.

 

[Piotrovitz]

Just bought BG1 on GOG and I'm having a blast.

First attempt was with ranger/support mage MC on normal - got almost to the end of Act 1, but things were too easy and I cannot recall having to reload a single fight.

Started again on hard, and things are much better now. Right now I'm stuck at the final fight with those two dwarves in their dungeon. It'll probably take more than a couple of reloads but I will eventually kick their assess.

 

[Grunker]

Hard is the only way to fly

 

[CryptRat]

The final fight against the two dwarves is maybe the hardest fight in the game if you go there as soon as you can.

 

[Piotrovitz]

I've postponed it a little and went there with full party available at the time (MC/Naurim/Zaurbaran/Niam) and it's still hard as fuck - melee dwarf is hitting like a truck with poison on top of that, while being hard to hit himself. Crossbow one is annoying, with almost every single shot knocking my archers down.

My current plan is to rush the crossbow dorf with Niam and engage him in melee, while MC and Zaur will debuff the melee one with aching limbs and lightning find you, and try to whack him with Naurim. Without debuffs, chance to hit him is abysmal.