Game News Brigade E5 goes Gold

[Twinfalls]

<Survivor>

:D That was just too perfect.

 

[Direwolf]

I didn't enjoy the demo either, but the full version turned out to be very good. It is no JA2 in terms of story and strategic element, but tactical part is brilliant. RTwP is actually very good. Weapon modding is the best part of the game though. It is worth getting the game just to play with lots and lots of guns.

 

[ibo]

I was a little reluctant first, but downlloaded the demo and even if I still like to have TB like in JA2, the new implementation of combat is not bad, definitely not a clickfest like C&C, there are lot of interesting items to manage. I would like to get the final version.

 

[Twinfalls]

Cripes. I used to be a happy drunk.

I guess that's what happens afteryou hit 30, you get all maudlin and sentimental. Like M*A*S*H when Alan Alda took over.

anyway, carry on.

 

[tetsuo]

This game is out here (Germany) for a while, i tried it a few weeks ago and i have to say it absolutly sucks,its the worst ja2 clone ever, not only is the gameplay very unfun ,the missiondesign also sucks ass and the game is fulll of bucks, the game got scores of around 40% here in most mags so its not just me who thinks this game sucks, the smartpause shit is retardet and the best merc looks like Stalin lol

 

[RadioGnome Invisible]

Combat has no flow whatsoever and the anxiety that comes with things being out of your hands (during the enemy "turn") just isn't there.

"Has no flow"? In E5? Yep, looks like you never tried to escape enemy-infested part of the city alone, armed only with Glock and P90 with two clips, where every microsecond counted I rarely get that much adrenaline from FPSes.

i tried it a few weeks ago and i have to say it absolutly sucks

Yes, the game is RAW, pretty low-budget and semi-amateurish. Don't even get me started on what's wrong with it or what could've been done better. But, the tactical combat and equipment parts are almost perfect. Frankly, i'm waiting for the next game from these guys, hopefully, they'll overgrow these "childhood" problems in their next project.

 

[Balor]

Combat has no flow whatsoever and the anxiety that comes with things being out of your hands (during the enemy "turn") just isn't there.

Heh, talking about 'flaws of TB that are considered mighty features' .

However, let's imagine:
you turn around corner, and see an enemy standing right next to you... game is autopaused, your merc (provided he didn't know that enemy is there) is 'shocked' (enemy too).

Now you have to decide what should your course of actions:

a. Run to the enemy and beat the shit out of him (having a bayonet really helps, this shit is deadly).
However, unless he's REALLY close, you are risking a shot in the face. And this is 90% chance of instant death ... 10% is for a chance being knocked out, which is also death, only slower .

b. Grab a fastest weapon you have, and shoot with faster firing mode - (like from the hip).
If enemy also has a quick-draw weapon like a handgun or SMG, not only your character, but you, the player will get a nice doze of adrenaline - cause, like it's already mentioned, every millisecond counts. You may regret attaching that double-mag (I mean one you can make by attaching two stock ones together with duct tape) to your trusty smg... cause it will cost you that very split second of extra 'draw' time that will get you killed.
c. You can try to run away, but it's not automatic. If enemy fast enough, he can speed you up with a piece of magic sword lead in your ass . But it is MUCH more complex then TB mechanics, where ether enemy gets an interrupt and owns you, or vice versa.

I, myself, think that 'close-quarters' combat in E5 shines the most.

Btw, when it comes to opposites, sniping is pretty realistic in E5 too. For instance, initial target-seeking may take a rather long time, but once aimed, you can fair pretty fast, etc.
Ability to 'cover' sectors is nice too, especially with abovementioned sniper rifles...
However, AI, while not looking all to good in open spaces (on the other hand, what kind of advanced maneuvering you can do in open field? Just hit the dirt and spray&pray), is very good in flanking maneuvers and can detect those pesky 'corners of death'.
So, you may just wait and wait for that enemy to show up... while that enemy simply circle around your back and the last thing you'll hear are footsteps (portrayed as a 'question mark') and a gunshot from behind. I swear to Satan, it happened more then once to me... before I learned to position my merc in a way to prevent such encirclements.
BTW, in later patches enemies also learned to handle grenades with uncanny intelligence - more then once I expected an enemy... and got a grenade instead. And got shot in while trying to run from the blast. (Works fine against enemies, though. Btw, proper grenade mechanics is something that is VERY hard to implement in TB)

Btw, even mere flashbangs can be very annoying, especially against 'covering' snipers. Blinds them good, even from hundreds of meters away, if they are unlucky enough to cover the spot where will blow.

...

All in all, depth of tactics in this game is unrivaled. Yea, in many other areas it's mediocre at best, but hey - you cannot have everything, especially from near-indy development company's first project.

 

[Deacdo]

I don't see it. To me it is mostly "pause, react, pause, react". I don't think tactical depth can ever shine under such circumstances (not that there aren't *any* advantages over TBed combat). Like I said, they did a pretty good job imputing details, the format just doesn't support it very well.

Anyway, each to their own. I'll wait for JA2's successor and maybe give this one a go in the meantime (after numerous patches and whatnot).

 

[RadioGnome Invisible]

Funny. Original version was patched several times, and became stable as it can be at last. Where do those new bugs came from? Do german publisher use some older build (like original 1.0) or do they bring in some new ones during localization process? Anyway, i hope they're working with the latest version, because patches here are more than just bugfixes - each introdused some content additions and/or game improvements.

 

[Crichton]

I played the "english" demo a while back and it was complete garbage. I'll monitor the reviews to see if anything changed, but unless the game was completely revolutionized since the release of that demo, go grab "silent storm" out of the bargin bin instead.

Silent Storm's got all the same low-budget, made by crazy commies problems, but it has vastly superior combat, the RTwP system in E5 is about 3 steps down from the IE games, maybe 1.5 steps down from freedom force, as jerky as all hell and crummy movement/attack interpolation. Silent storm on the other hand, has an excellent physics system (including destructable buildings, essential for urban combat games), a workable stealth system (problems towards the endgame), a great system for encouraging specialization leading to a much richer tacitcal system than most pseduo-modern games and is only marred by LOS issues (you basically have LOS on any target that anyone in your party can see, they beam the position directly into your brain by ESP) and 3-4 levels with stupid robo-suits, but you can play all the non-robo-suit levels without playing any robo-suit levels so you can just skip them.

 

[RadioGnome Invisible]

Silent Storm and E5? "Same low budget"? It's like comparing Oblivion's and M&B's budget, actually.

 

[Crichton]

Silent Storm and E5? "Same low budget"? It's like comparing Oblivion's and M&B's budget, actually. Razz

I guess it's not clear where the clauses apply to a non-native speaker, it's got the same low-budget problems (that is, problems stemming from a low-budget), i.e. lousy translation, bizzare "features", bugs, poor VOs, and crummy UI.

 

[denizsi]

The Smart Pause Mode (SPM®) blends together advantages of both turn-based and real-time and lets the player experience realistic tactical combats in real-time but still have the comfort feeling of turn-based.

Why

Why

Why???

Ok, I'll try the demo before I'll shout "goddamn fucking stupid cocksuckers, little whiny whores of todd descendance!"

I hope Deacdo is a retard. If he is, then there is a slim possibility that it's not bad at all.

I'll pay cash money for a copy of the game I can own that doesn't also install nasty low-level shit on my machine.

Just pirate it and send money game's worth directly to the guys, or buy the game and still pirate it. First option will make the devs earn more in short term. 2nd one will make their game rate higher and will rise their chances of staying in game development in long term.

(that is, problems stemming from a low-budget), i.e. lousy translation, bizzare "features", bugs, poor VOs, and crummy UI.

Oblivion:

Lousy translation? check
bugs? check
poor VO? check
crummy (in the sense that it's utterly annoying, tiresome and unnecesarily big) UI? check
bizarre features (NPCs with state-of-the-art next-gen "RAI" doing stupid shit, level scaling) ? check

Conclusion: It's hard to tell what's high and what's low budget these days.

edit: Added Twinfall's quote from Drakensang interview thread.

 

[Awakened_Yeti]

skeptical

does it have dialogs with NPCs and side quests like JA2?? is it non-linear like JA2??

 

[Balor]

"does it have dialogs with NPCs and side quests like JA2??"
Yea, and much more then JA2... however, they didn't really feel as polished.

"is it non-linear like JA2??"
It's much more nonlinear then JA2. Ja2, in fact, was more of 'freeform' game, and it didn't have a 'story' to tell about. Just a bunch of (funny as hell, I must admit) narrations, mostly reaction from Deidranna on your progress capturing the cities.
E5 has three different sides, with different storyline each. Unfortunately, none of them felt as polished and fun, like I said, then in Ja2... but still, it's much better then original, where you had only one side to work with.
Oh, it also has a strong freeform element. In fact, I think the one of ways to get the most fun of the game, cause combat is one of it's strongest points (and if you are REALLY hardcore) - just choose "They are all enemies!" at the beginning of the game .

 

[denizsi]

I just read Balor's descriptions in his "I'm a beta tester.." thread (dated to 2005) and it sounds nice and very much like something I've been modelling myself (albeit for a medieval setting) on paper. I hope it's as good as it sounds.

Btw, Balor, I read in that thread that if you have a rifle or something similarly big or time taking to use in your hands when you run into an enemy and if your enemy has a weapon easier and faster to attack with, it's not good for you. Is there any change in there? For example, if you had a M4A type weapon, can you use it in melee style without a bayonette ie. attack with the weapon's back, hilt etc.?

 

[FrancoTAU]

Doesn't Strategy First own the right for Jagged Alliance? Why the hell would they make a knock off game using a name so similar?

 

[Balor]

"Why the hell would they make a knock off game using a name so similar?"
Well, they didn't MAKE it. They just NAMED it like that, and it was purely marketing stuff. In Russian it's 'Brigade E5 - New Alliance'. Close, but...
And besides, it was indeed 'inspired by' JA2. They didn't want to rip it off, though, or anyhow exploit expectations of the fans - in fact, money was on low priority when this game was made.

"Btw, Balor, I read in that thread that if you have a rifle or something similarly big or time taking to use in your hands when you run into an enemy and if your enemy has a weapon easier and faster to attack with, it's not good for you. Is there any change in there? For example, if you had a M4A type weapon, can you use it in melee style without a bayonette ie. attack with the weapon's back, hilt etc.?"
Well, it was planned, but unfortunately (cause it require animations and stuff) you can only use bayonets, or attack in hand-to-hand. In fact, rather complex h2h system was planned, but running into time and money constrains made this feature meet a blunt axe.
You can put your weapon on your sholder in no time, though - a bit cheaty, if you ask me, but handy. There is even a hotkey for that... cannot remember it right now.
And you can always try and fire a long burst from your hip. It's rather fast, and have a semi-decent change of hitting someone closer then 10 meters away .

 

[denizsi]

Can you tell if there is any degree of moddability to your knowledge, supported (tools etc.) or unsupported (ie. some core elements being read from files as opposed to hardcoded)?

 

[Paranoid Jack]

Damn, this game (Brigade E5), Gothic 3, and NWN2 all within a month?

 

[Elwro]

Move to Poland. We've had Brigade E5 on shelves for a long time now, its price steadily dropping. It's around $5 now.

 

[Balor]

"Move to Poland. We've had Brigade E5 on shelves for a long time now, its price steadily dropping. It's around $5 now."
How much was it to begin with? 7$? I heard Poland is pretty close to Russia when it comes to prices.

"Can you tell if there is any degree of moddability to your knowledge, supported (tools etc.) or unsupported (ie. some core elements being read from files as opposed to hardcoded)?"
It have a DEGREE of modability. People are working on a few balancing mods right now (in Russian, though). Mod kit for better modability was planned... delayed... and pretty much canceled cause the game wasn't exactly planned to be mod friendly, and making a mod kit that would be easy to use was nigh impossible.
Some people has beta-version of modkit, but I guess it will never be relased publicly unless too many people will ask about it.

 

[Elwro]

How much was it to begin with? 7$? I heard Poland is pretty close to Russia when it comes to prices.

I don't know the original cost of this particular game. Big titles like Gothic 3 begin at the Polish equivalent of $33-$43. The less known games usually start around $20.
But sometimes we get real bargains. Cenega has a line of good games at $10 at release (e.g. Space Rangers 2, Still Life, Call of Cthulhu: Dark Corners of the Earth...).

 

[Balor]

In Russia it was about aboventioned 7$ to begin with. Well, more like 8-9, but anyway.

 

[ibo]

I got the English version, and I start having problems with my girlfriend, cause I am spending the nights at the computer :D
This this game is SO adictive, with all those gun choises and attachment options and the combat kick ass. I was not to excited with the unpolished DEMO, but I am so glad I gave it a chance and bought the full version.

@Balor: the bayonet stabing technique is very useful especialy for those surprise encounters around the corner or when entering a sector and finding guards close to you, or when a patrool is entering a sector where you are. I can mount it on a slow sniper rifle like Dragunov and have it like a backup in case something happened and need to react quicly. So many way to do things there, I am still discovering new stuff.
Someone told me price in Russia is $5 so I already asked someone from there to bring me the Russian version too, I heard there are some censored things in US version and some other small differences between them.

I'm looking forward to the sequel: 7.62