Game News The Banner Saga Released

[ben_reck]

Played it for 3 hours and am bored, so far art is the best thing about this game. Well, combat is not bad I guess, still rather simplistic.
Not sure why they decided to give you 2 parties to control, seems annoying to me.

It's a literary/storytelling technique: offering multiple points of view (PoVs) notably used in the Game of Thrones (Song of Ice and Fire, yes) series where they proliferate. They broaden one's experience of the fantasy world.

The writing itself can be literary. Take this bit from the map for the Hanged Man landmark:

"The singular snow-capped summit between them stands lonely and alone."

That's some generous alliteration followed by a touch of personification. Poetic if you like. I'm just saying there's some craft here.

 

[Johannes]

It's a literary/storytelling technique: offering multiple points of view (PoVs) notably used in the Game of Thrones (Song of Ice and Fire, yes) series where they proliferate. They broaden one's experience of the fantasy world.

Also used in about every other fantasy series ever.

 

[fastjack]

Played it for 3 hours and am bored, so far art is the best thing about this game. Well, combat is not bad I guess, still rather simplistic.
Not sure why they decided to give you 2 parties to control, seems annoying to me.

It's a literary/storytelling technique: offering multiple points of view (PoVs) notably used in the Game of Thrones (Song of Ice and Fire, yes) series where they proliferate. They broaden one's experience of the fantasy world.

The writing itself can be literary. Take this bit from the map for the Hanged Man landmark:

"The singular snow-capped summit between them stands lonely and alone."

That's some generous alliteration followed by a touch of personification. Poetic if you like. I'm just saying there's some craft here.

This is sarcasm, yes?

 

[ghostdog]

 

[Black]

Played it for 3 hours and am bored, so far art is the best thing about this game. Well, combat is not bad I guess, still rather simplistic.
Not sure why they decided to give you 2 parties to control, seems annoying to me.

It's a literary/storytelling technique: offering multiple points of view (PoVs) notably used in the Game of Thrones (Song of Ice and Fire, yes) series where they proliferate. They broaden one's experience of the fantasy world.

The writing itself can be literary. Take this bit from the map for the Hanged Man landmark:

"The singular snow-capped summit between them stands lonely and alone."

That's some generous alliteration followed by a touch of personification. Poetic if you like. I'm just saying there's some craft here.

Or maybe the devs forgot which side they're supposed to be developing?

 

[ben_reck]

This is sarcasm, yes?

No, I'm not being sarcastic. I suppose liking or disliking that particular line might be a matter of taste, but the presence of poetic technique is not. It is not, in my estimation, a prosaic line.

"Or maybe the devs forgot which side they're supposed to be developing?"

I assume you're being a little facetious here, so you'll just humor me when I say... the dual PoV's allow the writers to concentrate on the Varl and the human perspective without blending them overmuch--although each PoV has a key member of the other race (Luden and that Varl). I kind of like that major/minor approach for both PoVs.

 

[OuterSpace]

So it's a week after release and this game is still hovering around 11th on the Steam Bestsellers list. I'm hoping this guarantees that the remaining episodes will be created.

 

[Monkeyfinger]

There's nothing wrong with having to adapt to an unusual system with a few quirky tactics like maiming opponents then holding off on the finishing blow, and spending most of your resources at the start of a fight so you can access refills quicker. What kills the combat for me is the flat, featureless maps and having to fight the same 4 classes of dredge over and over (grunt, slinger, scourge, defender)

 

[ben_reck]

There's nothing wrong with having to adapt to an unusual system with a few quirky tactics like maiming opponents then holding off on the finishing blow, and spending most of your resources at the start of a fight so you can access refills quicker. What kills the combat for me is the flat, featureless maps and having to fight the same 4 classes of dredge over and over (grunt, slinger, scourge, defender)

yeah, that's an issue. nice variety of characters to play but no corresponding abundance of foes. playing an hour here and an hour there might help with that.

 

[toro]

Finished it on normal difficulty.

The biggest flaw of the game is the combat system: it's simplistic and incoherent. Instead of implementing actions points or initiative order or something else, they implemented the "each side will always take turns" mechanic. This is not a bad mechanic in itself but in this case, it's an awful idea. As BlackAdder said, sometimes is better not to kill the low strength/hp enemies because (1) they steal the turns from more powerful units, (2) they mess-up the AI path-finding for other units and (3) they can be used to promote low dmg units like shield masters. And truth to be told, you will have to exploit this shit if you want to finish the game.

wtf you gotta lern2play if you want to finish the game? staying well away from this turd then

Lern2read you moron.

In most cases combat means that you want to kill your opponents as fast as possible therefore a combat system in which is advantageous to keep your opponents alive is simply contra-intuitive and retarded.
And there is a difference in (1) learning how to use the npcs abilities and (2) exploiting the design faults of the combat system. Normally I would have no problem with this kind of shit [2] if it was hidden somewhere deep in the internals of the combat system but in this case it just cannot be ignored. That's the problem. Except if you are a moron who thinks that exploiting a flaw in the combat system is the same thing as playing under the system's rules.

 

[OuterSpace]

Finished it on normal difficulty.

The biggest flaw of the game is the combat system: it's simplistic and incoherent. Instead of implementing actions points or initiative order or something else, they implemented the "each side will always take turns" mechanic. This is not a bad mechanic in itself but in this case, it's an awful idea. As BlackAdder said, sometimes is better not to kill the low strength/hp enemies because (1) they steal the turns from more powerful units, (2) they mess-up the AI path-finding for other units and (3) they can be used to promote low dmg units like shield masters. And truth to be told, you will have to exploit this shit if you want to finish the game.

wtf you gotta lern2play if you want to finish the game? staying well away from this turd then

Lern2read you moron.

In most cases combat means that you want to kill your opponents as fast as possible therefore a combat system in which is advantageous to keep your opponents alive is simply contra-intuitive and retarded.
And there is a difference in (1) learning how to use the npcs abilities and (2) exploiting the design faults of the combat system. Normally I would have no problem with this kind of shit [2] if it was hidden somewhere deep in the internals of the combat system but in this case it just cannot be ignored. That's the problem. Except if you are a moron who thinks that exploiting a flaw in the combat system is the same thing as playing under the system's rules.

the in-game tutorial encourages you to use this strategy. It's not as if this is a design flaw that went unnoticed by the dev team. Some may find it jarring from an immersion perspective but it makes for wonderfully cerebral combat.

 

[MrEvilGuy]

In most cases combat means that you want to kill your opponents as fast as possible

That is not the case in the Banner Saga.

 

[SuicideBunny]

I'm just saying there's some craft here.

the cringeworthy pleonasm belies your words.

 

[DragoFireheart]

felipepepe

Ok man, how does this compare with FFT/TO?

 

[Chaotic_Heretic]

felipepepe

Ok man, how does this compare with FFT/TO?

Closest to a Western FFT but less storyfaggy if ch1 is any indication.

 

[Visperas]

I think I've found a bug...

Spoiler

In the first big town you visit with Rook, where the gates are initialy closed, I lost the last battle and so got kicked out of there. Despite that, after the Varl town, I had a conversation with Alette about Ekkil, the guy who kicked us. Apparently the game "thinks" I won that battle because Ekkil is following the caravan as an outcast of sorts. Dissapointing.

 

[InspectorRumpole]

Yeah, had that one too.
Also the game "freezes" if you use "Mark Prey" on those slingers who move if they get hit.

 

[toro]

In most cases combat means that you want to kill your opponents as fast as possible

That is not the case in the Banner Saga.

Is that day of the month?

 

[bledcarrot]

In most cases combat means that you want to kill your opponents as fast as possible

I don't get this complaint. I mean who complains that in chess it's sometimes advantageous to use your opponent's own pawn positioning to trap and limit their options? It's a tactical game, not a lesson in life. And who said it's exploiting poor design? You think the devs don't know that positioning, and therefore leaving weakened units on the board, is key in this game? I'd say they're pretty well aware of it, since like you say, it's not exactly 'buried deep within the combat system.' You sound like you might be a little frustrated because your "rush in and kill everything as quickly as possible then howl at the sun" strategy hasn't paid off. Adapt to the system bro

 

[InspectorRumpole]

So, has anybody completed it on hard (all the way)?
I was playing on hard, but that final battle was just impossible.

 

[Tigranes]

Playing on Hard and currently trying to get past the Stoneslinger.

 

[MrEvilGuy]

You're quoting the wrong man, bledcarrot.

I finished it in hard, last battle was tough but I got over it.

 

[bledcarrot]

You're quoting the wrong man, bledcarrot.

I finished it in hard, last battle was tough but I got over it.

Oops sorry. Replied to the wrong post with the right quote.

 

[Tommy Wiseau]

Between this and Shadowrun Returns it's like Kickstarter devs are out to redefine linearity.

 

[Chaotic_Heretic]