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Post by Elliot Kane on Feb 28, 2009 6:11:10 GMT
The original Majesty is one of the quirkier and more distinctive sort-of-but-not-quite RTS games on the market. The idea was that as the King or Queen you hired adventurers and bribed them to do stuff nut you couldn't directly control them. They wandered around the map, exploring, fighting etc and (If you did it right) gaining victory in various scenarios upon your behalf. Forthcoming is what (I hope) will be a new & improved version: Majesty 2. ScreenshotsPreviewInterview |
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Post by Nero the Glorious on Mar 11, 2009 1:17:16 GMT
Looks cool EK, I still play the first one from time to time...its just very unique.  btw |
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Post by Elliot Kane on Mar 11, 2009 6:00:43 GMT
Me, too. It's one of those games that's pretty much unclassifiable because there's nothing else out there remotely like it. Always a good thing, IMO. And hi back atcha |
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Post by Elliot Kane on Sept 3, 2009 12:21:28 GMT
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Post by Nero the Glorious on Sept 3, 2009 20:54:48 GMT
Looks like they didn't change much but making it 3d...which is fine with me.
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Post by Alrik on Sept 10, 2009 17:21:23 GMT
I've seen it at the GamesCom. It uses the same engine like King's Bounty, and you'll probably surprised how much the art style looks alike in both of these games.
They said they'd try to release it in September, if I remember this correctly, similar to the King's Bounty add-on.
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Post by Nero the Glorious on Sept 14, 2009 18:52:36 GMT
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Post by Elliot Kane on Sept 19, 2009 1:58:25 GMT
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Post by Elliot Kane on Sept 19, 2009 3:19:27 GMT
The DRM they are using is a new one, apparently:
Originally Posted by Stardock
Impulse Reactor v1.0
Take advantage of Impulse Reactor, the next-generation virtual platform for PC software developers. Impulse Reactor is unique in that all its features are server-based. That means developers can use its features without having to distribute a third-party client.
The components of Impulse Reactor are:
1. Anti-Piracy Protection. Impulse Reactor’s Game Object Obfuscation (Goo) lets developers encrypt their program EXE to reduce piracy. Unlike other systems, Goo requires no changes to your source code. Instead, we apply Goo to your standard EXE. When the protected program is run for the first time, the user enters their email address and serial #. From then on, that serial # is associated with that user.
Impulse Reactor is intelligent in how it handles users. Users can reinstall their game or application to multiple computers without hassle. But Impulse Reactor will flag installations that are occurring in multiple geographic locations at near the same time or other anomalous behaviors and allow publishers to set their own policies on how to handle such scenarios.
Because Impulse Reactor is server based, developers do not need to re-distribute any client. This means that you can protect your program with Goo and have it sold through any channel you use (retail or other digital distributors) since Goo, unlike alternatives, is vendor neutral.
In addition, when a program uses Goo, the customers remain yours. The email addresses and used serial numbers are provided to you. As a result, it makes it easy to support your program through multiple digital distributors. Thus, if one digital distributor exits the market, your customers can still download and activate through another provider.
2. Cloud Multiplayer. One of the biggest challenges for developers making multiplayer games on the PC is how to connect players together through routes. NAT negotiation is an increasingly difficult and expensive problem. Impulse Reactor’s Common Virtual Platform (CVP) APIs allow developers to seamlessly connect players together. Best of all, this powerful feature is free to any title that is non-exclusively on Impulse.
3. Multiplayer Matchmaking. Impulse Reactor includes built in support for intelligent match-making. Based on the Elo rating algorithm (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elo_rating_system) a developer can literally just send a user off for multiplayer and get a user with a similar skill back. This works even if the players purchased their game from a third-party service (Impulse Reactor is vendor neutral).
4. Rankings & Achievements. Impulse Reactor has built in support for rankings and achievements. To ease support of implementation, Impulse Reactor supports sending and receiving data in XML. This means developers can implement their achievements in a platform neutral way and support multiple achievement platforms at once.
5. Community Features. Impulse Reactor includes the Impulse Overlay which provides a standardized way for users to find friends, chat online, check out rankings and more. However, developers can easily make use of these features as well since (to stress this: Impulse Reactor is server based, not client based). This means a developer could, for instance, create their own IRC client within their game with only a few lines of code or integrate friends, groups, invites, etc. into their game natively without having to re-distribute a third-party client. Even the overlay features are skinnable to match your game's look and feel.
***
Online activation means they can stuff it, of course. Horrified to see Stardock of all people behind this...
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Post by Alrik on Sept 19, 2009 20:42:23 GMT
I assume that point 2 is just a result of the thought of how to use the model of peer-to-peer networking with games. Nothing new, then. It was forseeable that someone'd try to exploit this model.
Edit : It also sounds very much like this new OneLive thingy. Or how it's called.
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Post by mysterd on Sept 20, 2009 14:06:25 GMT
Stardock's GOO was mainly built for 3rd-party developers. EA and many other big name dev's/publishers just would NOT join Stardock until Stardock came up with some sort homemade-DRM.
Not all games on Impulse will use GOO. It's an option up to the 3rd-party dev's/publishers. So just like Direct2Drive and some other online places -- you'll have to pay attention to if a game sold over there has DRM and what it's using, if it is using any DRM. There could be games w/ NO DRM; Stardock's GOO DRM; other DRM features (Securom Internet DRM; Tages Internet DRM); additional DRM features; etc etc.
I'll still take Stardock's GOO over Valve's Steamworks.
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Post by Elliot Kane on Sept 20, 2009 14:16:53 GMT
Hmmm... Slightly less pissed at Stardock then. I'll wait and see what they do with their own games. If Sins Of A Solar Empire 2 (There will be one - it's inevitable) gets it I'll be royally pissed, but they deserve more leeway than most...
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Post by mysterd on Sept 20, 2009 14:32:09 GMT
Hmmm... Slightly less pissed at Stardock then. I'll wait and see what they do with their own games. I think GOO's terms are much more lenient than most Internet DRM technologies -- especially if you look at Steamworks (for Steam); Tages Internet DRM; and Securom Internet DRM. If Stardock goes out of business, it's entirely up to the game company for what to do w/ your games -- since GOO is not forced through Impulse only. GOO is applied to the EXE; so the game could be sold say anywhere and still have GOO attached to it -- if say the digital distribution company didn't mind (like say Direct2Drive, GamersGate, or Steam). It'll be up to the game dev/publishing company to patch the DRM out, if they want. I thankfully won't need to run Impulse to run GOO-based games. Whereas, Steam forces their DRM through their own service only -- so, you're screwed, if Steam goes under. Now, you have to worry who'll patch the DRM out. Will it be Valve? Or The game dev/publisher? Or nothing? Yeah, so you will have to worry if the 3rd party game company doesn't patch the DRM check out of their game or say Valve doesn't patch the DRM-check out of Steam and its games -- since Steam program's required to actually even run the game. If you ever say wanted a update from any Stardock game, you still have to likely (in most cases) basically go to Impulse to get the update. So, eventually, you'll likely have to go online and get the update -- if it ain't provided on the game disc already. This decision would probably likely be up to Iron Clad -- who makes the Sins games. Stardock doesn't make Sins; they publish it. |
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Post by Elliot Kane on Sept 20, 2009 14:36:09 GMT
Oh, it's certainly better than Steam. But 'damning with faint praise' and all that...
I know Stardock are publishers, but if they can't even persuade their OWN affiliates/publishees, things are not good.
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Post by mysterd on Sept 20, 2009 14:41:30 GMT
Oh, it's certainly better than Steam. But 'damning with faint praise' and all that... I know Stardock are publishers, but if they can't even persuade their OWN affiliates/publishees, things are not good. I doubt Stardock could ever change the minds of companies like EA who still want DRM. EA was NOT willing to negotiate with the terms of "No DRM." Stardock wanted EA really wanted on-board with them through Impulse -- I don't blame Stardock, since EA, like it or not, is a major player in gaming; especially since they now have Bioware. Personally, I'd be happier w/ EA if EA drops Securom entirely forever and just goes w/ GOO from now on. |
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Post by Elliot Kane on Sept 20, 2009 15:24:01 GMT
I'm not sure EA could actually go any further down, for me. Oh, wait - they could impose on Bioware the kind of stuff they intend to put on C&C4... But other than that, the only way is up.
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Post by mysterd on Sept 20, 2009 15:49:22 GMT
I'm not sure EA could actually go any further down, for me. I'm glad that Dragon Age will only have Securom disc check. That's fair. EA can call me when it's $10 or less. Forcing SP online is crap, if you ask me. They might've as well just made the game a MMO. Plus, I already got the entire C&C Saga; C+C3: Kane's Wrath expansion; Red Alert 3 to play -- all which I ain't even began! |
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Post by Elliot Kane on Sept 20, 2009 16:45:02 GMT
Agreed on DA.
EA can call me when they're ready to pay me to play their game with the other thing...
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Post by mysterd on Sept 20, 2009 17:02:01 GMT
I'm sure Bioware threw their weight around to get something they knew their fans wouldn't be enraged about. They are Bioware -- so they probably have more pull than any other companies EA might try to impose things on... Well, okay -- Id Software might be the only other one with that kind of pull, since EA's publishing Rage, even though Zenimax now owns Id... LOL! Nice! I really don't blame you for that one, man. Me, to me, C&C4 sounds like rental-price material given its DRM-nature and all -- so, that's $10 or less, to me... |
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Post by Nero the Glorious on Sept 20, 2009 23:37:38 GMT
Bought it the other day.
In most ways it is simply a sequel to the Original. Other than updating the engine it hasn't changed a whole lot.
A couple things I dislike: Less control over gold collection. In the original you could control where your Tax Collectors would stop thus increasing revenue flow. For some reason +28 gold just isn't worth the time when you need 3k to build a temple.
Same goes for repairs. I don't care if the peasant's house gets fixed. Repair the damn warriors guild first. Hmm...thats about it on the negative side...oh I do wish their was a skirmish mode where you could play vs a computer player.
What I like: The new party system. When you upgrade your inn's you can create 4 hero parties. This significantly reduces hero deaths since it keeps your lvl 4 wizard from attacking an elemental all by himself and getting smashed into the ground. It does seem that parties have troubles moving anywhere though...for most flags ungrouped heros tend to make it a lot quicker.
Other than that...its about the same game. Which is great.
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btw
