SpellForce: Conquest of Eo - strategy RPG from Fantasy General 2 devs

[ArchAngel]

About 1h of gameplay shown. Looks good. The dev in the video was apparently a producer on some of the previous Spellforce games so the people working on this aren't completely blind to the world building. Lore seems to play a heavy role on the game in general. Not sure why this thread isn't in the Strategy & Sim sub.

This looks very good. This seems to be the true Master of Magic successor we have been waiting for.

 

[Lacrymas]

RE: Lore - unfortunately, the good lore is in Spellforce 1, while this is a prequel/sequel/interquel/whatever to Spellforce 3. I didn't feel like the world building in 3 was anything special, even with the cool references to the previous entries for people who have played them.

RE: Gameplay - I also posted this as a suggestion on their Discord, but I think it's imperative for them to make retaliation simultaneous with the attack, otherwise the whole game starts revolving around getting the first hit in while also making spells/abilities like haste and slow the most important in the spellbook, if not outright overpowered.

 

[luj1]

https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/sp...strategy-rpg-with-4x-dna-and-do-or-die-action

SpellForce: Conquest Of Eo is a strategy RPG with 4X DNA and "do or die action"​

A new vibe for a classic series

I love the name "SpellForce", mid-word capital letter and all. It conjures a mental image of a kid’s TV show where some, possibly sentai-style, superheroes learn about the importance of spelling and grammar. Maybe a little punctuation, as a treat. SpellForce the video game series isn’t that; it’s a trio of RPG-RTS hybrids which, by the time you read this, will have had a new entry announced in the form of SpellForce: Conquest Of Eo. It’s a fresh, turn-based take on the series which casts the player as a wizard attempting to further their mastery of magic.

Ahead of the announcement, developers Owned By Gravity invited me to take a sneaky peek, and I was treated to a hands-off demonstration from producer Jan Wagner. While the game was in a pre-alpha state, it was already looking pretty swish, especially the rather lovely (and lovingly hand-crafted, I later discovered) world map. It all looks very 4X-like, and all four of the exes are present and correct in varying amounts - but there is one significant departure from the formula that Wagner was keen to emphasise.

Rather than world domination, your mage is something of an academic, only interested in researching the secrets of the Allspark - sorry, Allfire. Instead of sending forth mighty armies to conquer territory, you’re dispatching heroes to track down artefacts and magical secrets. It’s like being the quest giving NPC in an RPG, camped out in your tower doing nerd stuff while you send out a bunch of jocks to do the heavy lifting.

Having recently inherited the aforementioned tower from your mentor, whose disappearance provides an important story thread, you set about establishing your credentials as the hottest thing to hit the magic circuit since white rabbits. You can choose from pregenerated runesmith, necromancer and alchemist builds, or create your own by bodging together two or three schools of magic from those on offer.

Expanding your tower and performing various rites and rituals requires resources, furthering your need to explore the world and find new sources of stuff. The constant need to fuel your magical fires combined with the lack of empire building is all designed to “preserve the do or die action” of the early stages of typical 4X titles, Wagner explained, and to bypass the stagnation and repetition that frequently comes with the late game.


The heroes themselves are unique individuals, all with their own personalities and backstories. They’re not working for you out of the goodness of their hearts; all of them want something from you in return and completing these quests is a major part of the game. They’re not on their own either, as each hero can be accompanied by up to five units of troops, an intentionally tight limit designed to keep punch-ups quick and, well, punchy.

The heroes are unique individuals, all with their own personalities and backstories.
Wagner showed me one of these battles, which are now turn-based in contrast to the previous SpellForce games’ RTS stylings. Like the world map, these battlefields are handcrafted in order to make the fights interesting, even with a low unit count. I wasn’t given an exact figure for the number of different maps, but there are enough for the whole world map to be more or less accurately reflected in the battles. Troops, which level up and gain new abilities every few levels, have been designed to be very distinct, even in their basic forms. The goal, Wagner told me, is to “condense the experience so that it’s always exciting.” A typical skirmish in the early stages of the game takes 10-15 minutes, with larger scraps not expected to reach the half hour mark. Automatically resolving fights is also an option, if you’re more of a big picture mage.

Your choice of units doesn’t just impact battles, but also gives you more options during capital-A Adventures, another big feature of SpellForce. You’ll encounter these RPG style quests as you explore the map, some attached to specific regions or cities, others to characters or just random events. Each one has multiple outcomes and some tough moral choices are promised. At the time of the demo, they were approaching 600 individual stories, all handwritten.


Like a good alchemical potion, the real magic isn’t in the individual ingredients, but in how they all work together. This is where Spellforce gets really exciting, as all the moving parts begin to interact. How you choose to play and the decisions you make during Adventures will impact your reputation with the different regions and cities of the world, which then affects the Adventures available to you. You’re not the only new wiz on the block either, with three potential rivals, drawn from a pool of eight, in each game, all pursuing their own agendas.

With so much going on, the potential for emergent shenanigans is huge, so I asked Wagner if there were any particularly notable unintended consequences that popped up during development. I was told of a quest that features a ghost cow (and if that on its own isn’t enough to sell you on the game, I don’t know what is) that the player has to guide home in order to complete the unfinished business of a similarly spectral cowherd. Failed interactions with the undead ungulate result in it respawning elsewhere on the map, and in one instance it popped up in a city that it had no business being in. Eventually the presence of existing, entirely mortal, cows caused a bug to count the ghost cow among their number, resulting in its miraculous resurrection and rendering the quest unfinishable. Pre-alpha, remember.



SpellForce veterans will be pleased to hear that the game is in good hands. Wagner himself served as a producer on the first two SpellForce titles, so Conquest of Eo is something of a homecoming for him. Even though it represents a shift in genre, he’s also insistent that it isn’t a spin-off of the numbered games, instead presenting a different take on the world. Taking place roughly 100 years after the original game, it serves as a direct sequel to the first two titles in the series, as SpellForce 3 was a prequel.

Current plans are for the game to enter beta testing this summer for a release “when everyone is happy”, either later this year or early in 2023. The blend of turn-based strategy, RPG and 4X had already piqued my interest and seeing it in action has me very eager to get my hands on the game myself. Until I do so, I can’t tell if SpellForce: Conquest of Eo will conquer my heart, but it’s a potential necromantic interest for sure.

This kind of hybridisation never worked, and it never will

Back in the day the first Spellforce proved this gameplay is simply too bloated and lost and doesn't know what it wants to be

 

[Dadd]

This seems to be the true Master of Magic successor we have been waiting for.

Wrong.

 

[Lacrymas]

This kind of hybridisation never worked, and it never will

Back in the day the first Spellforce proved this gameplay is simply too bloated and lost and doesn't know what it wants to be

It's not really a hybrid in the sense of the other Spellforces, this is basically King's Bounty with Fantasy General/Age of Wonders battles. I have higher hopes this will turn out at least decent, seeing as how Fantasy General 2 is one of my favorite contemporary games. The "mainline" Spellforce games aren't so much bloated as biased. The devs clearly like RPGs more than they do RTSes and the RTS portions are always somehow undercooked. I wrote extensively about that numerous times in various places, so I won't go into it again ;d Suffice to say, there's a reason Spellforce 3 didn't become a mainstay RTS and is only of interest to historians and RPG enjoyers from niche forums.

 

[Infinitron]

https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1581770/view/3618110321725016168

Developer Insight #5

Meet the Circle!

Venerable Mages,
The year's end draws near and we are polishing and improving the game. Today we want to give you a glimpse of the mages you will face as antagonists in the game.

Thanks to the fantastic art of our Art Director Dominik Mayer, they have faces to their names that are much more than just a portrait, capturing the essence of each.
As many of you may know, the Circle of Mages plays a pivotal role in the history of SpellForce and the future of the point in time our game is set. When we meet the in Conquest of Eo, they have been around for about a century, becoming more powerful after discovering the Allfire and learning its use.

So immersed are they in the study and practice of magic, that they rarely venture outside their studies and towers, instead sending out minions or using proxys to subtly manipulate what happens in the world. With the creation of the Circle, the art of magic has seen a resurgence, magic is now abundant and academies teaching it, have sprung up all over the world.
It is those academies you will seek out in order to gather your own apprentices, so you can make use of their powers and train them to become leaders of your troops and spreaders of your influence.

The Circle of Mages looks at your expansion with apprehension: Their task is to guard and shepherd the use of magic, preventing it from becoming a destructive force and your ambition is viewed by many as dangerous. Others see a like spirit and may seek out alliances – if you are willing to further their goals in return. You will a selection of the Circle Mages in every game, making each playthrough different due to their different character and behavior.
The Circle – as everything in the game – is not good or evil, morality is a matter of choice and so their members come from all nations: humans, elves, dwarves, orcs and dark elves, each with their own agenda and interests.

It will be difficult to get along with each one unless you want to curb your own ambitions and goals but think twice before you make one or all of them your enemy, for their powers are great. As the game progresses, they learn new tricks and magic that may be quite a challenge to overcome.
So, choose your course wisely and decide when to strike and when to keep the peace…if you can.

We are looking forward to your comments and we will see you back next year with another Developer Insight!

 

[Lacrymas]

Spellforce 3 butchered the lore terribly anyway, but if someone is interested I think those are Rohen, Yria, Isgrimm (the gay dwarf) and Hokan in that order.

 

[vazha]

Spellforce 3 butchered the lore terribly anyway, but if someone is interested I think those are Rohen, Yria, Isgrimm (the gay dwarf) and Hokan in that order.

Why is Isgrimm gay? Dont remember anything like that when I played SF 3?

 

[Lacrymas]

Spellforce 3 butchered the lore terribly anyway, but if someone is interested I think those are Rohen, Yria, Isgrimm (the gay dwarf) and Hokan in that order.

Why is Isgrimm gay? Dont remember anything like that when I played SF 3?

He says it in his dialogue when you unlock his loyalty ability. He ran away from the dwarf city because his gay lover (Galik? Gulik? Something like that) got executed for conspiring against the current government. You can even ask him what it's like to not be straight in dwarven society.

 

[Parabalus]

Spellforce 3 butchered the lore terribly anyway, but if someone is interested I think those are Rohen, Yria, Isgrimm (the gay dwarf) and Hokan in that order.

How did they butcher the lore?

 

[Lacrymas]

How did they butcher the lore?

The time span they give is completely wrong (the most egregious example is how Bertrand and Sentenza Noria say that Greyfell's walls are "thousands of years old" while Greyfell itself is at best 500 years old at the time of SF3. That also comes with a lot of other lore consequences that don't make sense). The queen ruling from Greyfell is very sus because not only is the city the home of a noble house who rebelled against the crown in the mage wars which ended like 8 years ago, but also because the closest big city is where the throne is (Angbrand? Something like that. They literally call it the City of Kings). The Hybernians are portrayed as this ancient race, but that's ridiculous because the nation itself only collapsed 200 years before SF3 takes place. It's like calling the Ottoman Empire an ancient people. Oh, and they aren't a different "race", just a nation of humans. The Lost Isles from where Shar (one of the mages of the circle) comes from are said to be north of Fiara, when in actuality they are to the south on the official world map.

They completely changed the lore of the mages of the circle themselves. For example, Yria was the high priestess of Finon Mir, while in SF3 she says she was exiled from there. Isgrimm was the most skilled stoneshaper from his race, while in SF3 he says himself he's terrible at magic. Speaking of Isgrimm, Mulandir wasn't an ancient Shaper city, it was made by Isgrimm on top of/near a demonic rift after the circle was founded. That demonic rift is a main mission in SF1. The Shapers also weren't thеse magical, glowing, abstract beings, they looked like humans with elf ears. Etc., etc., I really could go on.

 

[Parabalus]

How did they butcher the lore?

They completely changed the lore of the mages of the circle themselves. For example, Yria was the high priestess of Finon Mir, while in SF3 she says she was exiled from there. Isgrimm was the most skilled stoneshaper from his race, while in SF3 he says himself he's terrible at magic. Speaking of Isgrimm, Mulandir wasn't an ancient Shaper city, it was made by Isgrimm on top of/near a demonic rift after the circle was founded. That demonic rift is a main mission in SF1. The Shapers also weren't thеse magical, glowing, abstract beings, they looked like humans with elf ears. Etc., etc., I really could go on.

These make sense - winners write history after all. Isgrimm in particular makes sense given his personality.

 

[vazha]

How did they butcher the lore?

The time span they give is completely wrong (the most egregious example is how Bertrand and Sentenza Noria say that Greyfell's walls are "thousands of years old" while Greyfell itself is at best 500 years old at the time of SF3. That also comes with a lot of other lore consequences that don't make sense). The queen ruling from Greyfell is very sus because not only is the city the home of a noble house who rebelled against the crown in the mage wars which ended like 8 years ago, but also because the closest big city is where the throne is (Angbrand? Something like that. They literally call it the City of Kings). The Hybernians are portrayed as this ancient race, but that's ridiculous because the nation itself only collapsed 200 years before SF3 takes place. It's like calling the Ottoman Empire an ancient people. Oh, and they aren't a different "race", just a nation of humans. The Lost Isles from where Shar (one of the mages of the circle) comes from are said to be north of Fiara, when in actuality they are to the south on the official world map.

They completely changed the lore of the mages of the circle themselves. For example, Yria was the high priestess of Finon Mir, while in SF3 she says she was exiled from there. Isgrimm was the most skilled stoneshaper from his race, while in SF3 he says himself he's terrible at magic. Speaking of Isgrimm, Mulandir wasn't an ancient Shaper city, it was made by Isgrimm on top of/near a demonic rift after the circle was founded. That demonic rift is a main mission in SF1. The Shapers also weren't thеse magical, glowing, abstract beings, they looked like humans with elf ears. Etc., etc., I really could go on.

do go on, please. I am thinking of replaying the earlier entries in the series and this might tip the scales in one way or another.

 

[Whisper]

Clone of Kings Bounty 2.

 

[Hobo Elf]

How did they butcher the lore?

They completely changed the lore of the mages of the circle themselves. For example, Yria was the high priestess of Finon Mir, while in SF3 she says she was exiled from there. Isgrimm was the most skilled stoneshaper from his race, while in SF3 he says himself he's terrible at magic. Speaking of Isgrimm, Mulandir wasn't an ancient Shaper city, it was made by Isgrimm on top of/near a demonic rift after the circle was founded. That demonic rift is a main mission in SF1. The Shapers also weren't thеse magical, glowing, abstract beings, they looked like humans with elf ears. Etc., etc., I really could go on.

These make sense - winners write history after all. Isgrimm in particular makes sense given his personality.

Isgrimm is a giant piece of shit, especially in Soul Harvest. I can see him lie about his achievements.

 

[Lacrymas]

How did they butcher the lore?

do go on, please. I am thinking of replaying the earlier entries in the series and this might tip the scales in one way or another.

At the top of my head - the elves in Northander aren't "exiles from Finon Mir", they are what became of smaller clans that moved north after the war of the six races, which ended 600 years before the events of Spellforce 1. They retconned this war as well and said it ended 600 years before Spellforce 3. The orcs shouldn't be in Fiara at all at this point or if they are they shouldn't be these clans. Trolls are not lore-friendly either. They are beasts and orcs mutilated and mutated by Zarach and shouldn't be so big, at most they should be a little bit bigger than the orcs. One of the worst retcons is the making of the iron blades. It took Hokan 500 years, the knowledge of both the cenobite order of Xu and the Circle, the magic of the Archfire, and the Mask of Belial to construct the iron blades, yet Lacaine somehow did it during Spellforce 3.

There's also the godstones. After the Convocation, the only surviving lands were those around the godstones, but they are everywhere in SF3, so I don't see how anything would get destroyed in this case. There are also some other minor things I've noticed, like how Angar Arandir is now a commander of a legion for some reason while he was actually a bard.

 

[Lacrymas]

One of the devs on Discord confirmed that they are going with the original lore if something contradicts it in SF3, so yay.

 

[Lacrymas]

Since Discord seems to be the best place to get information from and announce these things, primetide said this will be out before AoW4, so before the 2nd of May.

 

[Lacrymas]

so before the 2nd of May.

Specifically Q1. Primetide just said so.

 

[ArchAngel]

Interesting how for many years nobody could do new Master of Magic and now in 6 months we will have 3 games being straight copy or spiritual successors (MoM from end of last year, this game and AoW4).

 

[Lacrymas]

This comes out on the 3rd of February, they just announced it.

 

[ArchAngel]

And I think this looks more interesting than AoW4 but I will need to try both to make sure :D

 

[Parabalus]

Hopefully it's as good as FG2, that was excellent and kept getting content for a while.

 

[cyborgboy95]

 

[Tuco Benedicto Pacifico]

This comes out on the 3rd of February, they just announced it.

Man, talk about short notice.

And I think this looks more interesting than AoW4 but I will need to try both to make sure :D

I'd say on paper they sound almost on even ground.
We'll see which one turns out to be better.

And it's good to have the choice to begin with.