Pining for a BG3? Blackguards review and nitpicks

[IncendiaryDevice]

Well, what you're doing here is building your entire battles around maximising attack value, which is what I meant by having the special moves like hammerblow be situation specific. If you build to maximise hammerblow, of course you're going to be spamming hammerblow.

I'm not maximising hammer blow, but yes I am maximizing attack value (i.e. DPS OUTPUT), an approach that concerns every attack. Why would you not maximise your THC in a game where your THC is a decisive factor in your damage output?

You can do whatever you like. The point was that "the game allows you too much freedom to spam warrior abilities", to which it only allows you to do that if you specifically build everything towards that, and even then there are maps where a different approach is more 'efficient'.

Going back to your list of ways to maximise attack output, you list: standfast catlike 4, cold shock 4, lightning find you 4, plus debuffing wounds by Takate's spear, so you're cracking off 3 level 4 spells, so this is all going to be quite late on in the game, so for the first half of the game at least this isn't your tactic, hammerblow itself doesn't even become available until Mengbilla, and then costs 1,000 exp points to even get it. Then, once your attacker is built for it, consuming three or four level 4 spells in a fight is going to quickly drain your mana, and mana regen items and abilities are also things that happen in the later half of the game. By this point you're expecting to have more OP attacks, just like in any RPG. And even still, there are other options you're not exploiting to favour brute force, such as the frenzy spell abnaxus likes and the paralyze spell, various knock-down + damage spells, speed spells, forcefields, all of which negate the need to even be hitting that hard. Takate will also be more useful initially primed as a trap detector, which also consumes his first move.

Again, I'm not saying what you're suggesting is wrong, it's a highly valid and successful tactic to employ, but to imply its the only way to go and that the game has no limits to weapon feat spam is misrepresenting the situation if you don't express that its highly caveatable.

 

[rusty_shackleford]

In the end I enjoyed Demonicon more than Blackguards. Sure it's a braindead action popamole but the devs actually adapted Dark Eye ruleset quite ingeniously. Plus from a lore viewpoint it's even better than both Drakensangs.

I will try it out, thanks for the tip, there are not enough dark eye games, I wish there were more.

There was a wave of Dark Eye games a few years ago. It seemed for a while that they were going to whore out the license the same way Games Workshop is doing with Warhammer. But then they stopped. What happened?

probably because most of them were pretty mediocre or bad and likely sold poorly

Most of the Warhammer games are pretty garbo as well but that hasn't stopped them. Could be developers are less interested because it's a (much) less famous license, but I'm not sure that can explain the sudden and complete disappearance of Dark Eye games after 2015 (except for Realms of Arkania: Star Trail HD).

Visualization of the 2012-2015 Dark Eye wave on Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Dark_Eye#Video_games

(lol at all the Realms of Arkania HD DLC though)

warhammer fans seem interested in buying absolutely anything warhammer-related no matter how bad it is

 

[ERYFKRAD]

Vengeance for Niam!

Yeah, works for me.

 

[IncendiaryDevice]

Oh yeah, one last point I wanted to make in any of my posts on BG1 but always managed to forget is that the AI in BG is actually a lot smarter than one might initially think. Not that AI's are smart, but that the developers have actually given enemies different levels of intelligence with regards to battlefield obstacles.

One of the most unique features of the game is the ability to use environmental objects to your advantage. In the early stages of the game, for example, you can kill an enemy simply by lighting a box on fire, standing behind it, and the enemy will lurch at you, stand on the flaming box while it attacks you, then burn to death without you even needing to lift a finger. By the end of the game, however, the mini-boss-like enemies will actively walk around these burning boxes. Excellent stuff, and stuff that a lot of people might miss.

 

[Nael]

I'll have to give BG1 another try. I can't even remember why I never stuck with it. I don't know the background story for that series at all though. Might've had something to do with it.

 

[ERYFKRAD]

I don't know the background story for that series at all though.

Irrelevant, really. Just create a dude and krump 'em gits.

 

[Cynicus]

Enjoyable read, IncendiaryDevice. It reminds me that I really need to get around to playing through Blackguards 2, which has been languishing in my GOG library since release.

By the way, Drakensang is 75% off on Steam right now. At that price, there's no good reason not to try it.

I shoud make a "What happened to TDE games" interview with these guys, former Radon Labs & Daedalic.

Do it! I read somewhere that Radon was doing Web games now. So sad.

 

[Morkar Left]

Why are you guys pretending it's an rpg? It's various and lots of turnbased tactical battles with story and some equipment management inbetween the fights. There aren't even dungeons to explore, not even in a multiple choice way...

 

[Darth Roxor]

Why are you guys pretending it's an rpg? It's various and lots of turnbased tactical battles with story and some equipment management inbetween the fights. There aren't even dungeons to explore, not even in a multiple choice way...

because fuck you, that's why

 

[Morkar Left]

Back in time nobody would have called such a game an rpg. It may be a good game but it's not an rpg. Not even the devs thought it's really an rpg. That's why the second part had more strategy/HoMM elements in it. And financially tanked because their market audience expected them to dabble more into the rpg part.

 

[IncendiaryDevice]

It's various and lots of turnbased tactical battles with story and some equipment management inbetween the fights.

[Ignoring your lazy and highly inaccurate generalisations...] So a bit like most RPGs then...?

Back in time nobody would have called such a game an rpg.

Yes they would.

 

[IncendiaryDevice]

By the way, Drakensang is 75% off on Steam right now. At that price, there's no good reason not to try it.

The weak spot of River of Time was the awkward/clunky combat, its high point was the world, story and characters. The first Drakensang title was reportedly inferior to River of Time in the world, story and characters department, and the combat alone is something I'd rather avoid, hence I never tried the first one. If you can sales pitch me the world, story and characters then I'd be more sold. However, you could always start a new thread for that, perhaps one detailing your review of that game

 

[ERYFKRAD]

If you can sales pitch me the world, story and characters then I'd be more sold.

Dunno about the world, or story, but here's a character pitch for ya:

Spoiler

 

[IncendiaryDevice]

If you can sales pitch me the world, story and characters then I'd be more sold.

Dunno about the world, or story, but here's a character pitch for ya:

Spoiler

You get to look at boobs for a couple of minutes, huh. Well, can't dispute that's a positive, but not necessarily a game changer. Or does she adventure along with you?

 

[ERYFKRAD]

Or does she adventure along with you?

You get other fine specimens to accompany you.

 

[Morkar Left]

It's various and lots of turnbased tactical battles with story and some equipment management inbetween the fights.

[Ignoring your lazy and highly inaccurate generalisations...] So a bit like most RPGs then...?

Storytelling on rails with no option to stray away from it - not to mention freedom of movement - is not like an rpg. It's exactly like a strategy/tactics game that tells a story alongside of its battles. The only rpg components is leveling up and equipping your squad. It's basically like WH40K Chaos Gate except there the maps were bigger...
But you probably call MOBAs and HoMM rpgs as well...
The game surely isn't bad - it's even good - but calling it an rpg is something I would have never expected from rpg codex of all websites. Decline knows no boundaries...

 

[VentilatorOfDoom]

Gwendala (Elven Spell Weaver) + Kladdis (Redhead Charlatan) + Forgrimm (dwarfen beer drinker) + Mainchar (elven fighter specialised in spears) is best party.

Elven fighters are the best, you're a fighter yet have spell casting like Fastness of Body and Icecold Warrior (with good rolls on ICW you can have like ~18 armor DR toward the end), Attributo STR, Acceleratus.
Deathblow with a spear, blade storm on stuff that is immune to wounds.

 

[IncendiaryDevice]

Storytelling on rails with no option to stray away from it

Is not what Blackguards does.

- not to mention freedom of movement

You are free to move.

- is not like an rpg.

It is.

It's exactly like a strategy/tactics game that tells a story alongside of its battles.

Nope.

The only rpg components is leveling up and equipping your squad.

Nope.

It's basically like WH40K Chaos Gate except there the maps were bigger...

Nope.

But you probably call MOBAs and HoMM rpgs as well...

Nope.

The game surely isn't bad - it's even good - but calling it an rpg is something I would have never expected from rpg codex of all websites. Decline knows no boundaries...

The irony in this sentence is palpable.

 

[Morkar Left]

Good arguments Sir. Very convincing...

 

[IncendiaryDevice]

Good arguments Sir. Very convincing...

Make a point that is actually about the game and not some bollocks you've made up for whatever personal reasons and then an argument can start. At the moment you're just some tosser talking out your ass who doesn't even deserve a response, but rather deserves their posts being sent to retardo, but I'm not fussed, I'm quite happy to engage in a meaningless retardo bump'a'thon as that suits my agenda of having my work read by more people. So, go ahead freak, spew some more horseshit, it's fascinating viewing...

 

[SausageInYourFace]

Brofisted for effort even though I do not particularly agree with many things wrt to BG1.

I found everything that had to do with characters, dialogues, plot and atmosphere (the latter mostly deriving of the former anyway) sorely lacking. But the systems and the combat were really good. I found the rest so bland however, that at the time I was playing, I was glad the game was over. It didn't really run particularly well on my system either, which didn't help.

However, in hindsight, I found myself thinking back about the fun combat a lot though and will surely get around to play BG2 on this account alone someday. I already bought it really cheap anyway.

I'd say for combatfags this is a mustplay, for everybody else its so cheap by now you could at least give it a try.

 

[IncendiaryDevice]

I found everything that had to do with characters, dialogues, plot and atmosphere (the latter mostly deriving of the former anyway) sorely lacking. But the systems and the combat were really good. I found the rest so bland however, that at the time I was playing, I was glad the game was over. It didn't really run particularly well on my system either, which didn't help.

Yeah, its not a game that can be forced through if your system is struggling with it. I went into a mini-panic in the one fight that started stuttering from too-many enemies on-screen, so I dread to think what it would be like if you got lag throughout.

I guess the characters, their dialogues and the atmosphere are things that are going to be subjective to personal taste more so than a lot of the other categories, so I tried to be as objective as possible. The guy who does the voice if you choose the male protag is the same guy who voices Hawke for bioware games, so there's no skimping of funds here and its as professional VA as its possible to be. Regards the dialogues it might be that you didn't always get the humour? Which is very possible, as a lot of it is very subtle and particular in cadence to specifically English lore and understanding. In terms of atmosphere, I was rating it more on the fact that everything is designed around the same aesthetic and there's nothing which particularly takes you out of their world, but if you don't like that world personally then that, obviously, isn't going to help you any.

 

[Barnabas]

Gay

 

[vonAchdorf]

In the end I enjoyed Demonicon more than Blackguards. Sure it's a braindead action popamole but the devs actually adapted Dark Eye ruleset quite ingeniously. Plus from a lore viewpoint it's even better than both Drakensangs.

I will try it out, thanks for the tip, there are not enough dark eye games, I wish there were more.

There was a wave of Dark Eye games a few years ago. It seemed for a while that they were going to whore out the license the same way Games Workshop is doing with Warhammer. But then they stopped. What happened?

probably because most of them were pretty mediocre or bad and likely sold poorly

Most of the Warhammer games are pretty garbo as well but that hasn't stopped them. Could be developers are less interested because it's a (much) less famous license, but I'm not sure that can explain the sudden and complete disappearance of Dark Eye games after 2015 (except for Realms of Arkania: Star Trail HD).

Visualization of the 2012-2015 Dark Eye wave on Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Dark_Eye#Video_games

(lol at all the Realms of Arkania HD DLC though)

There was a constant stream of TDE feature phone CYOA games during the dark green decade (also adapted as browser games). The license holder for TDE computer games is a mobile developer after all, recently they published a TDE strategy game trilogy for Android:

There has been a new edition (TDE 5) in 2015, which means the ruleset changed and maybe developers wanted to wait how things - including fan acceptance of the new edition - would turn out.

Now that TDE made a push into the international market, namely the US, we may see increased chances of a new TDE game, if those are successful. And since there's a French edition too again after two decades of absence, maybe Focus, esteemed purveyor of Euro trash shovel ware mid-size budgeted niche audience games, will notice

 

[abnaxus]

Gwendala (Elven Spell Weaver) + Kladdis (Redhead Charlatan) + Forgrimm (dwarfen beer drinker) + Mainchar (elven fighter specialised in spears) is best party.

Elven fighters are the best, you're a fighter yet have spell casting like Fastness of Body and Icecold Warrior (with good rolls on ICW you can have like ~18 armor DR toward the end), Attributo STR, Acceleratus.
Deathblow with a spear, blade storm on stuff that is immune to wounds.

ehhh just edit a file so you can have party of five