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Post by Elliot Kane on Aug 8, 2009 18:06:40 GMT
So here's me, well into Drakensang and thoroughly enjoying it. Figured I'd give my opinions of the game so far and what. for me, are the best and worst things.
First of all: it's an RPG, for those who don't know it. Just to get that said and out of the way ;D
It's a bit like Baldur's Gate in that it's truly huge and party based, but also like Baldur's Gate in that you don't really feel your choices have much of an outcome on the game as a whole.
There are an absolute ton of side quests and not all are combat based, which is good.
As is usual with RPGs, you can pause the combat at will with the space bar, but combat is really fast and furious, so you'll be doing that a lot if you have a weak party. The AI is pretty smart and, as it will outnumber you 9/10 times, the first thing it usually does is heads straight at any archers with a few units while the rest engage your warriors. This makes archers useless in most situations as they are easily reduced to melee combatants within the first few seconds of combat.
The system is also very magic weak, with combat casting being very slow, so that magic is only useful in a support role.
This system is very different to AD&D, so any attempt to create the traditional four member party with healer, warrior, mage and thief will result in a very weak party. The good news is, all inactive companions wait at your house for you and all gain experience at the same rate as those with you, meaning you can swap them around as needed (If a little laboriously) and they all have parity regarding levels. This is very good, as they can be trained in support roles, such as potion making and blacksmithing!
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Post by Elliot Kane on Aug 8, 2009 18:50:22 GMT
Companions: magic is weak, archers are useless. Three tanks and a thief are the way to go (Including your own character, of course). I feel sorry for anyone who tries to play a mage in this, as they'll spend most of their time getting their companions to do the work until they get back up at the end of the fight. Ditto anything except a tank, honestly, but at least thieves have other uses!  The only times I've had problems with that combo was when I ventured into areas I wasn't high enough level for yet (You can do that a couple of times) - or when I needed four tanks, as for the really major fights. As long as your main character has healing and poison removal skills, plus a plentiful supply of bandages and tea (Always gets a thumbs up from me! ;D) you won't ever need magical healing. Combat tactics: ganging up on one thing at a time tends to work. Running away to a safe distance if the opposition is too strong allows healing time and thus allows for hit and run tactics on the rare occasions overpowering doesn't work. As noted, combat is very fast paced in this game, so be careful to pay attention. Skills: Making stuff is sometimes useful. Combat skills, such as 'offensive/defensive tactics' are invaluable. Don't leave home without serious ranks in healing and treat poison. Keep your thief maxed on disable traps and open locks. And remember that perception skill is what causes traps to be spotted! Doesn't matter who has that, though. Forgrimm's Dwarf Nose skill is invaluable. |
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Post by Elliot Kane on Aug 8, 2009 18:52:29 GMT
Overall: it's immense, the characters you meet are engaging and the gameplay is compelling. If they sorted the camera out so that ceilings fade out properly and the camera moves with the mouse rather than needing the right mouse button held down, I'd have no complaints.
But then, I'm not playing a mage or an archer... ;D
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Post by Ubereil on Aug 8, 2009 20:18:51 GMT
Sounds like something to play once I'm done with Mass Effect. So, by next Christmas... Übereil |
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Post by Elliot Kane on Aug 8, 2009 21:50:00 GMT
LOL! ;D
Is is a good game, Ube, and I would recommend it. I'm certainly enjoying it thoroughly, for all its limitations. I'm fairly close to the end now, apparently, and it's keeping up the standard pretty well.
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Post by Elliot Kane on Aug 9, 2009 23:06:13 GMT
And done! Final section is one long fight, so I just took four tanks. And I'm SO glad I did! Stiff little fight at the last! ;D
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Post by mysterd on Aug 16, 2009 23:57:59 GMT
I am looking forward to this, when the inevitable price-drop occurs and/or a big sale on it occurs.
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Post by mysterd on Sept 23, 2009 1:26:52 GMT
So, for those who played it, since it's only $5.00 to buy-to-download from D2D....
What did the game on DVD ship w/ for DRM?
And if y'all have a clue -- what is the DRM on the Direct2Drive version of this game (if there is any)?
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Post by Elliot Kane on Sept 23, 2009 5:05:40 GMT
Simple disk check as far as I noticed, D. It certainly didn't try to be annoying at all. No idea on the D2D version, I'm afraid.
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Post by mysterd on Sept 23, 2009 20:51:20 GMT
Simple disk check as far as I noticed, D. It certainly didn't try to be annoying at all. No idea on the D2D version, I'm afraid. Then likely, the D2D version is probably something comparable -- like say just need a one-time online activation -- which is fine, since you download the game from them directly so obviously you do the activation right afterwards; you'd do it all in the same clip. Usually, if the disc version is Securom, so is the D2D; disc version is Tages, so is the D2D; disc version has no DRM, so is the D2D version -- you catch my point. Once the install limit crap is tagged along w/ a game -- ugh, that's annoying. I know Riddick: Dark Athena has that w/ Tages -- disc version and D2D. D2D version is also $5.00 for that one, still. I'll probably buy Drakensang for $5.00 from D2D, in a few days -- once I see what Gogamer has up their sleeve for their next 48 hour madness, as long as Draken's not on there. If Gogamer got Draken on sale for $10 or less, I'll buy it from Gogamer -- so I don't gotta do the long-ass DL. I should ask this, since D2D really is NOT modder friendly -- any good Drakensang mods out there? For $5.00, hard to resist the urge from D2D. Gotta' make HD space and all for this thing... |
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Post by Elliot Kane on Sept 23, 2009 21:50:49 GMT
To be honest, I haven't looked for mods. It's the kind of game that could easily spawn entire new player-made campaigns, but while I enjoyed it a lot while playing through, it wasn't really anything I can see myself playing again for some time. It's more of a 'that was good, can't wait for the second one' game, if you get me.
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Post by mysterd on Sept 23, 2009 22:42:18 GMT
Kane, did the game come w/ a SDK? Or was out out there to be able to download?
Oh -- was the game quite stable in its most recent patch, Kane?
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Post by Elliot Kane on Sept 23, 2009 23:06:04 GMT
I had no real problems with it at all, so I'd say it was very stable. No mod creator with the game.
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Post by Alrik on Oct 23, 2009 16:56:30 GMT
Kane, did the game come w/ a SDK? Or was out out there to be able to download? No, nothing in that direction. |
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Post by Alrik on Nov 11, 2009 22:31:45 GMT
By the way, I still strongly believe that the title "Drakensang : The Dark Eye" is a heavy mistake. It should be : "The Dark Eye : Drakensang" because the role playing game is named "The Dark Eye", and "Drakensang" is just a tiny episode of that in-game world ... The English title, as it is now, suggests that Drakensang is about an Dark Eye ... And while I'm at it, read this here : www.rpgwatch.com/forums/showthread.php?t=9050 |
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Post by mysterd on Nov 11, 2009 23:32:15 GMT
We know you think this, Alrik - but it isn't going to change the way this is all going to perceived and/or put forward by the game-makers, the publisher, and the rest of the world. We've been through this already.
The reason it's referred to Drakensang first is all about Radon branding Drakensang, not TDE. People already know TDE as a popular RPG rule-setting around the world - especially over in Germany.
I'd like to say The Dark Eye: Drakensang - The River of Time would just be WAY TOO long as a title. And if there's DLC for this game - Jesus Christ, it'll get even freaking longer. No need for that.
Imagine if we labeled MOTB what it could be labeled as. Realistically, it would be Advanced Dungeons & Dragons - Forgotten Realms - Neverwinter Nights 2: The Mask of The Betrayer for a title. That's just too freakin' long.
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Post by Elliot Kane on Nov 12, 2009 1:11:31 GMT
In English it is more usual to put 'series: episode title'. Hollywood does it all the time. 'PotC: The Curse of The Black Pearl' and its many sequels come to mind.
Would this be normally the other way around in German? I suspect normal linguistic uses may be the source of the disagreement, here.
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Post by Alrik on Nov 19, 2009 12:14:05 GMT
Hm, I'd say that TDE would be the series, and Drakensang the episode ... But on the other hand you could take Drakensang now as the series, and both games as the episodes ...
But "Drakensang : The Dark Eye" sounds to me like "episode : series".
And therefore it sounds kind of "wrong" to me.
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Post by Elliot Kane on Nov 19, 2009 12:42:48 GMT
So I'm right? It's just a difference in linguistic emphasis  |
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Post by Alrik on Nov 19, 2009 23:01:05 GMT
Maybe, maybe, I'm no expert ...  |
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