Hi,
Just bought the beta on steam and had 2 complete playthrus. I thought I would give my feedback while I wait for a new beta to hopefully get rid of some issues.
Disclaimer: I have no particluar knowledge of the game or game making, saw it on steam and was like "I am so desparate for a fantasy strategy game i Must have this". Strike that, I am so desparate for a good strategy game!!! I hate civ 5 but play it with no other options.
I bought it hopin for a MOM or AOW type game. So you know my background and can treat my comment as such.
One: Clunky
Seriously i dont know how to say this, the game is clunky or clumsy or something. I dont know how to phrase it better. When I click something or do something its not clear or easy or fast. Its not smooth. Surely some body with more experinet in the area has explained it better then this!
Two: Clarity
Its not clear what things do, when I play me first game I get that I can settle on the spots with resource info. Classic civ type information on the screne. What I dont get is when it comes to my second city with pioneer where and why I can build. It all grassland, why is it I can only build on spots with magic floating resource info??? Its not clear why I can just bung down another city like 3 tiles away civ style.
Similarly its not clear why and how much my culture zone is expanding? My culture bubble will just increase? How far will it go, why does it get bigger? This is all very important to know BEFORE i build a city and its really not clear at all why this is happening.
Three (or Two A): Resource
It took a while but now I see you have gone for a Empire: Total war type province resource system ie I make things in city and then click on resource/spots in province to improve that as well. Total war abandoned this in shogun and I dont see why you guys are copying this. Its tedious, let me make all improvements from the city ( or one screen somehow).
At present I have to roam all over the map click randomly on stuff to see if i can improve it. I know it tells me when I get a new tech and can improve it, but what about later, or for new cities.
This is tedious and needs changing.
Four: Fighting & Custom Stuff
I LOVE customisation, just love it. I'm the sought of person who spent ages in any sort of game from Moo2 to SOTS and HOI3 to rpg like dragon age customising my stuff. I hated Saints row 3 becuase it wouldnt let my customise my character like SR2 did ( so much so I didnt buy it, even tho, lests face it, its about being silly and runing round like a tool. IT just IRKED me I my character was less customised not more!!!!). That how much I love customising in games.
But it has to have meaning. I dont mind the plus 1 plus 2 stuff thats fine, I like everything I do to have an impact, and here it does. I sort of person who like a distinction between braod sword and long sowrd etc. If thats only a small impact thats fine.
BUT I also like some sort of major strategic direction. I feel there is a begining of this is the blunt, peircing type distinctions. But its not clear (see point 2) and its not major enough.
In SOTS I have unknown nation ships attack me, my all ballistic attack ships, I die badly and see that they have strong ballistic defence, no reflective or point defence. I change to lasers or missiles or drones. I can make a ship that defends all types but it COSTS, so as alternative I can on the cheap make twice as many PD defenece ships or anti laser ships but I take RISKS that this is exactly what enemey is packing. I must have good scouts and good luck. Its strong choices based game play. I am rewarded for customising and thinking about enemeny and scouting. I am stressed and taking risks about what works and wot wont. Its fun for me. THen add in lots more variables like random tech tree and stuff. (dont mention SOTS 2!!!!)
On a different tack in AOW I make a super enchanted Titan. It has almost every possible enchantment, I look after and level the titan. It has been major focus on gameplay for me. I am invested in it. MP mate of mine loses one on one (or two or three top tier stuff) to this guy all the time, he doesnt have turns or magic to match me he was too slow at start, then gets a brain wave. Minor boosts to alot of missile troops (rather then MAJOR investment in once guy) and wait for me to attak city walls. suddenly I'm getting shot to crap. Titan dies and I have to adjust gameplay style to match this.
ANyway to get out of my time machine (you lucky I didnt start on all my MOO and MOO2 memories!) I like to have multiple options and I want to be able to influence fighing with my superior desined and managed army.
So I would like say to have massive blunt defence, you cant touch me. Oh no you have peiceing, Im stuffed. Or major magic attack, oh no you have massive anti magic. Do I have a mix? But then jack of all trades master of none. Losts of need for scouting, redesigning.
It also stop bulldozing. In my 2 games after awhile I just steamroll mega sov and super friends to victory. He and his mates have super kit and magic enchantment and there nothing any AI can do to stop them. THey killl like 20 units in one turn, no loses.
But if say my sov was kitted out to magic and AI deploy magic immune guys??? Or was ranged and ranged resistant? Or loved peiceing attacks but major peice resistance?
It would stop my Sov steamroll cold! And I have to go back to drawing board!
FIVE: tactical map
I get the game is done, its about balancing, which is why I focus on point 4 beacause I think this is not major change so much as balancing stuff to make real differences! So this is more of wishlist type point!
I like the abiliaty on the tactical map to make real difference with my playstyle. Its why I had great fun in MOO games. I was behind the times in empire size and cheating AI gifts, but in tactical I could make a real difference.
I just dont think in the tactical map I can make a real difference by using tactics *like flank or surround, like use tactical terrain, like powers at certain times etc etc.
Anyway this is my two cents whilst I wait for my dream MOM AOW hybrid to appear with Awesome civ 2 gameplay matched to AOW tac map fighitng with SOTS type unit making (all with major AI boosts fo course).
