Monthly Archives: August 2013

War Thunder PS4 Gamescom Announcement

War Thunder City View

Developer and Publisher Gaijin Entertainment announced that their hit franchise and military MMO game War Thunder will be a PlayStation 4 launch title. War Thunder is a state-of-the-art next generation MMO combat game that combines unparalleled online gameplay experiences that places PS4™ fans into action filled, highly explosive World War II aerial battles or mobilized over terrain using ground forces.
Every visitor of Gamescom 2013 expo can try the demo-version of War Thunder for PS4 in Hall 7, Booth C10 in the Entertainment area of the Koelnmesse in Cologne, Germany, from August 21-25th.

War Thunder for PS4 provides gamers with exclusive content, rich gameplay with cutting-edge next-gen graphics and dramatic realism, stunning lifelike dynamics of real-time flight, breathtaking precision in details, intelligent personalization and deeply integrated robust social capabilities. And Gaijin Entertainment is especially proud to announce that there will be cross-platform multiplayer battles between PS4 and PC users.
“The age old battle between who rocks more, console or computer gamers, now has arena for it to take place. War Thunder for the PlayStation 4 is cross-platform compatible allowing for computer and console fans to battle it out for gaming supremacy. Just think of it, more than hundred planes, tanks and ships – all fighting on the same map. We look forward to seeing our 3 million plus online community take to the skies, or prowl on the ground to do battle in War Thunder accompanied by PS4 users,” said Anton Yudintsev, CEO, Gaijin Entertainment.
War Thunder for PS4 will have more than 300 historically accurate WWII military vehicles available at launch and fans can expect hundreds more to join fierce battles as updates are made to the game simultaneously with PC version. A plethora of different game modes includes co-op, single and massive multiplayer battles playable in scalable realism settings. The power of PS4 also allows Gaijin to include such features as improved head-tracking system made possible by PlayStation®Eye camera and smart and easy options to record, stream and share homemade gameplay videos.
Anyone will be able to download War Thunder from PlayStation®Store for free and play it without any restrictions. In addition, owners of PlayStation®Plus subscription will get some bonus content, and some exclusive content will be provided for all PS4 owners. War Thunder for the PS4 is the exciting continuation of the brand. Each iteration of War Thunder is unique and takes full technical advantage of its platform. Over 3 million players already know the enjoyment of raining down aerial destruction via the PC-version of War Thunder and this fan base continues exponential growth with the recent release on Steam digital distribution platform.
War Thunder is currently in open beta for PC, going into beta for Mac OS, and in development for Oculus Rift virtual reality system. Download War Thunder for free from the official website and join in a heated battle to dominate the skies at http://warthunder.com.

TERA: Rising – Alliance Update Interview (plus community asked questions!)

By Michael Sagoe (Mikedot)

Answers by Patrick (Treeshark), TERA NA Producer

 

Just a few days ago, En Masse Entertainment has released their biggest update for TERA: Rising yet. Known as the “Alliance” update, TERA players can now participate in faction-based PvPvE scenarios in order to gain power, fame and a new mysterious crystal energy known as “noctenium”. The new alliance system also introduces new PvP gear, new jewelry and plenty more.

While the update has been met with much praise, it has also been met with many concerns from the community. With that in mind, I felt it would be best to get some of their questions answered regarding this new update.

TERA Alliance Interview 1

Mikedot: Hello there, my name is Michael Sagoe (or you can just call me Mikedot). For all of our readers, would you care to introduce yourself?

 

Hello! My name is Patrick, aka Treeshark on the forums and in the game.  I’m the producer on Tera.

 

 

Mikedot: While most of the Alliance content is available for LV60 players, players can join an alliance with a guild at any time. How exactly does the alliance system benefit low level players?

 

In each of the three Alliances, there will be an exarch to rule each one.  This exarch can dole out three buffs to players. They revolve around XP, PVP and PVE boosts.  The strength of these boosts will vary inversely to how big your Alliance is.  These XP and PVE boosts are most beneficial to lower level players still advancing through the game.  Additionally, players going through the normal leveling process are granted a lot of Alliance contribution points, so guilds should definitely be keen on recruiting players that are on their way up as well.

TERA Alliance PvP Interview

Mikedot: How come Alliance PvP is only available during certain times of the day? Why not make it available 24/7?

 

Players on PvP and PvE servers have different desires and viewpoints regarding PvP.  While it is instanced, it is still content that should be available to players regardless of their preference.  We also want to make time for players to experience the other content in the game and not have them feel like they are forced to defend at all times.  With new dungeons arriving very shortly, having dedicated PvP windows will give players a more concentrated experience. In our first week, we want players to feel out the system and see how they play.  24/7 PvP is not out of the picture for PvP servers, but it is unlikely.

 

 

Mikedot: What is your favorite feature within the alliance system?

 

My favorite feature is the fact that there are many ways in which you as an individual can achieve the various Alliance objectives without involving a zerg.  Sure, it is easier to just follow the herd, but we’ve heard stories from numerous players of how they managed to do X or Y and overcome the odds of being in a smaller Alliance.  As to what they did, I’ll keep a secret so as to not spoil it for them J.

 

TERA Alliance Balance Interview

Mikedot: These next few questions are coming directly from your active playerbase: Many have already expressed their concerns regarding player balance among the three factions during Alliance PvP Times, and their concerns seem to be just about the same on every single server including Mount Tyrannas, Tempest Reach and Ascension Valley. Also some voice concerns on the balance of the perks offered by each. Would you care to comment?

 

I think players will go to where they think they’ll have the best time.  Alliance has only been out for roughly a week so players are still testing the perks of each faction and may decide to switch as they continue to experiment. This is natural and expected, but I don’t expect it to last very long.  Other territories have experienced similar movements during launch and have then seen things balance out over time. It may not happen within a week like some folks may expect, but it will eventually.

None of the Alliances are intrinsically weaker or stronger and their unique perks aren’t going to make or break their success in the long run.  Rather than force players to pick a faction based on perks alone, we feel that it’s most important for players to run with the guilds and players they like to play with.  Alliance is really a way to bring guilds together as a more cohesive team and make the overall social gameplay more intense and rewarding.

 

 

Mikedot: Some players have expressed concerns regarding how opposing faction members can interact with each other during non-PvP times, such as being able to grief players with bombs while they’re attempting to turn in extractor keys. Is this working as intended or will this be changed in the future?

 

Drop-bombs are specifically designed to defend your extractors during non-PvP windows.  There was a typo in the tooltip that said otherwise, but we’re getting that fixed soon.  So yes, it is working as intended.

 

TERA Alliance Interview 2

Mikedot: With all the new alliance schedules, the Nexus and Vault times, there’s a lot that players will have to keep track of if they want to progress. Some players have suggested the inclusion of an in-game alarm clock or calendar for players to keep track of updates. Can this be considered?

 

The vaults currently do have an in-game schedule in the Alliance UI, and we’re looking at the best ways to inform players of all the other events going on in the game too.  Nothing is out of the question!

 

 

Mikedot: Some players are rather confused regarding how vault times work. Would you care to explain how they work in very simple detail?

 

Sure!  At the end of each noctenium extractor competition, the winner will have the higher chance of access into the vault.  This is to prevent a complete imbalance in Alliance access, so that each Alliance will always have a shot at a vault time, not just the winners exclusively.

 

TERA Alliance Rising and Beyond Interview

Mikedot: So with everything said, where does TERA: Rising go from here?

 

Alliance is just the start!  Very soon we’ll be adding four brand new dungeons into the game, which also brings in some more gear sets that will supersede the current Visionmaker set J.  There’s also some end-of-summer festivities that will let you obtain a new achievement mount as well.  After that… well I have to keep some secrets.

 

 

Mikedot: Any other comments you’d like to make?

 

Thanks to all our players for continuing to make TERA a great game!

 

 

Mikedot: Thank you for your time!

 

Also: Special thanks to the TERA community for their questions.

WildStar Introduces Business Model and C.R.E.D.D

NCSOFT® and Carbine Studios today revealed initial details on the business model for WildStar, the much anticipated sci-fi MMO, outlining the different ways players can embark on their planetary adventure when it’s released in spring of 2014.

Upon purchasing WildStar through a retail outlet or digital download, players will receive 30 days free game time, plus three guest passes to give to friends for a week of galactic adventure. Players can then either opt to pay a standard monthly subscription, purchase a Game Time card, or use gold earned in-game to purchase C.R.E.D.D. from other players and avoid paying a subscription fee altogether.

WildStar Credd

C.R.E.D.D. (also known as a Certificate of Research, Exploration, Destruction and Development) is an in-game item that can be redeemed for game time. Players can sell C.R.E.D.D. to each other for gold in-game through each server’s Commodities Exchange at a rate established by the player community. C.R.E.D.D. can also be purchased for real money online at www.WildStar-Online.com. This model provides players multiple options for access to play – through a traditional MMO subscription or a ’play to pay’ approach.

“Gamers have strong opinions when it comes to business models and monetisation in MMO games”, said Jeremy Gaffney, executive producer at Carbine Studios. ”In combining a classic subscription model with C.R.E.D.D. we think we’ve struck a good balance. We definitely want to support players who appreciate the value of high-quality subscription-style game. Meanwhile, C.R.E.D.D. gives gamers who don’t like monthly subs the option to just play to pay and enjoy the same content”.

WildStar will be playable on the show floor at gamescom in Cologne, Germany, 21st -25th August and at PAX Prime in Seattle, USA, 29th August – 2nd September.

Forge Online Goes F2P on Steam

Dark Vale Games has announced that they will be turning Forge into Forge Free to Play on Steam today at 10am PDT! Forge melds MMO PvP Arena Style battles with FPS style combat, class based tactics and incredibly deep gameplay to create the ultimate competitive experience. By going free-to-play, Dark Vale Games is opening up the gates of Forge to all players, encouraging them to join in the epic PvP action they have been waiting for!

 

Forge

 

WHY GO F2P?

It’s important for successful multiplayer games to have thriving communities, so going free-to-play is a very effective way of making that happen.

“We always had intentions of releasing Forge as a free to play title, but couldn’t early on due to resource constraints,” said David Domm, CEO of Dark Vale Games. “The game design of Forge sets up perfectly for a f2p title and we’re extremely excited to finally deliver the game our community has been asking for.”

 

Forge

 

One of Forge’s many new features is an armor store allowing for more customization and self expression. Players can spend Ore on the latest and greatest armor sets by Dark Vale Games to show off their dedication to Forge. Ore, the virtual currency, is now earned through gameplay, while armor can be directly purchased using the Steam Wallet.

THE FUTURE OF FORGE!

“F2P brings exciting customization to Forge without breaking our vow to never be Pay-To-Win,” explains Ian Natzmer, Vice President of Development at Dark Vale Games. The new armor doesn’t give players any inherent advantages, so players are only paying for aesthetic changes that won’t necessarily give them a leg up on competition.

 

Forge

 

“We’ve only just touched the tip of what Forge has to offer and F2P allows us to continue our grand vision of Forge,” continues Natzmer. With Forge’s history of continual updates, the F2P model presents Dark Vale Games with boundless options for what they can do with Forge next.

Ubisoft Brings out the Big Guns with Panzer General Online

Today, Ubisoft announced development of Panzer General Online, a turn-based strategy game playable in Web browsers. Panzer General Online is based on the well-known Panzer General franchise and is the latest addition to Ubisoft’s free-to-play line-up.

Panzer General Online is being developed by Ubisoft’s Blue Byte studio, in close collaboration with Funatics Software. As the studio’s fifth free-to-play browser-based game, Panzer General Online provides comprehensive control of all the elements involved in the theater of war, including airplanes, infantry, tanks and more. The game allows players to command units based on historically-inspired battles.

 

 

Focusing on intense strategic battles, players are able to play in both single-player and multiplayer modes. The single-player campaign functions as an advanced tutorial and lets the player take part in battles such as Omaha Beach and Monte Cassino. Meanwhile, the multiplayer mode offers the toughest challenge for every player to discover which generals best know how to control their units. Panzer General Online also incorporates elements of trading card-based games: players can collect and trade virtual miniatures of tanks, infantry and artillery to create their own personalized army.

“We are happy to celebrate our 25th studio anniversary with the announcement of a new entry in the beloved Panzer General franchise” said Odile Limpach, Managing Director of Blue Byte. “Panzer General Online is a game where tactical skill beats the luck of the cards, and will appeal to new and old strategy fans alike.”

The Mighty Quest for Epic Loot Beta Review

By Remko Molenaar (Proxzor)

MightyQuestReview2

Thankfully I had the chance to try out the most originally unoriginal named MMO ever last week, The Mighty Quest for Epic Loot. This brand new free-to-play hack and slash game by Ubisoft is still behind closed doors for most members of the public. But JamesBl0nde let me hop on his account for a bit to delve into the advanced closed beta dungeons full of scary, filthy and powerful creatures. And these creatures aren’t the only ones trying to bring you down; the dungeon itself will also try to confuse the heck out of you, with surprisingly innovative but overall just plain nasty traps lurking around every corner.

MightyQuestReview3

In The Mighty Quest for Epic Loot you get to play one of the three available heroes: archer, knight, and mage. While the names might sound generic, their kits play out quite differently in this trap filled dungeon crawling setting. Since James had already developed the archer and mage pretty far, I started with the knight to get a feel for how the early game plays. I figured of the three classes, the tanky knight would be easy mode in the early stages. Turns out I got my ass kicked all the same. From the get go you will be facing a barrage of diverse challenges that only share one common theme, they exist to maim you. And now you might ask yourself, why is the game so hard on you? Well, it’s not some standard MMORPG more interested in feeding your ego to get you to spend as much money as possible before you get bored and move on. It is so much more than that. Quest for Epic Loot is a strategy game at the core and an MMORPG as an afterthought. See, these dungeons are special. They are designed to punish you, to humiliate you, and to eventually train you to play at a higher level. You will feel like a donkey, making the same mistakes twice, but once you’ve learn from your mistakes, you might end up actually finishing the dungeon, and going to that beloved last room full of gold and glory.

MightyQuestReview4

When you start, you will begin in the beginner’s zone. Enjoy this zone while it lasts, because it will get at least twice as hard when you take the training wheels off. You see, these dungeons aren’t just randomly made by Ubisoft. Once you go to the higher levels, you will be forced to tackle player made dungeons, and well these dungeons are only made for one thing, to make you lose. The concept is simple; if you die you lose, and the dungeon wins. Think of it as playing blackjack with your life as the ante. The house enters with a slight numerical advantage and you need to be on top of your game if you want to walk away with a profit. Around each corner there might be a trap, or a monster lurking to kill you. Meanwhile hordes of monsters will literally be hunting you down to put an end to your minor success should you still be breathing a few minutes into the dungeon. If you’re not sweating yet, Ubisoft was cruel enough to add a time limit before the treasure room at the end locks.

 

Ever heard the tale of the rabbit and the turtle? There couldn’t be a worse moral when related to this game. The Rabbit wins in this case, so make sure not to take a nap. Once you’ve been jaded from getting destroyed by the toughest dungeons the server has to offer, you can take out your frustration on your fellow player by building your own dungeon filled with traps, monsters and map pieces that you can buy and create. Ubisoft did a surprising job keeping this balanced across the various elements you can implement, so it takes a truly tactically deprived mind to figure out the right combination of pitfalls and monster ambushes to bring down your fellow players on the regular. Beyond general malice though you might wonder what’s in it for you to rob other players from your dungeon’s loot? After all in a perfect world you could just build easy dungeons and everyone could help each other power level to wealth. Instead Ubisoft made it beneficial to profit on the misfortune of others. You can gain gold and life force with each kill your dungeon earns to be spent on improving your dungeons as well as powering up your hero. The fearless challengers that step foot in your dungeon also leave behind a replay, and learning from these clips will help you gain a better understanding of the typical psychology of running your dungeon. It’s incredibly useful for figuring out what traps that worked so well in your head are complete blunders, and ideally you will learn to better utilize your resources to make magic and mayhem happen. Best of all, you can run the dungeon yourself to see if you have the skill to overcome your own diabolical plans!

MightyQuestReview5

The gameplay itself is also easy to learn, but hard in a sense. You click your way through the dungeon, and with the use of the number keys plus your mouse buttons, you will be able to activate your spells. Each Hero has his own set of skills, and these skills can make your life much easier if used accordingly. One major component of skills is the ability to knock foes back, but said skills often have notable cooldowns. Most skills are pretty spammable however. You will want to play around with these skills to find a combination you are comfortable with. And while certain combinations will end up working pretty universally, I am still finding clever trap combinations that force me to react in new ways. Essentially no matter how well planned out your skills are, this game takes some fast reaction times, and the ability to keep cool under fire to succeed regularly. With gold you will be able to purchase new clothing and equipment, but what would an action role-playing game be without loot dropping? Well the loot drops, but you better survive the dungeon if you want to keep your precious new items. Each move, and action in this game has consequences, and if you make one mistake, they’ll make sure to smash your dreams into the ground. Losing hurts, and that’s half the fun!

MightyQuestReview1

Beta Verdict: Great

This hack and slash game looks very promising. In fact I think it is easily able to surpass the current market of ARPGs. The feature of having your own dungeon, making it as hard as possible, and witnessing others attempt to raid through it accomplishes what so many evil villain titles of late have attempted, and outshone them at that. On paper it looked kind of cool but once you experience it for yourself, the fun factor is phenomenal. The game’s learning curve is high enough to keep you coming back for more, and the focus on player created content means you’ll never run out of challenges to try. This built around a hack and slash game concept requiring actual skill and tactics to survive feels head and shoulders above the typical tripe publishers have pushed our way lately. From what I’ve seen so far, and even though the game is still in closed beta, it is shaping up nicely. There can still be some tweaking here and there, especially with some of the monsters and the loot drops, because as of now, equipment is hard to find, and the dungeons and monsters are getting stronger and stronger.

LEGO Minifigures

LEGO Minifigures (working title) is a family-friendly MMO based on the LEGO Minifigures collectible toys. Filled with the LEGO-style humor you’ve come to expect, the world ranges in many realistic and fantasy landscapes. Collect power-bricks and arrange them to boost your powers. Battle others in head-to-head brawls, team battles, and team challenges. More is yet to be revealed on this developing title.

Dream Square to reveal New Pal Online to EU at Gamescom

Dream Square will reveal its next blockbuster title New PAL Online at Gamescom and the company is proud to present brand new posters and a gorgeous teaser trailer for the game today. The trailer, crafted by Dream Square, is directed by Yao Zhuangxian. Wada Kaoru, a Japanese music composer, wrote the music for the trailer. The teaser trailer gives a look at the massive game world and its huge plot twists which make the game a competent rival to client based games. New PAL Online is getting ready to become a household name at this year’s Gamescom.

 

New PAL Online

 

On the wedding night, the cute couple Li Xiaoyao and Zhao Ling’er make their wedding vows. They begin their love story again in the trailer entitled “Love & War”. New adventures unfold. When people wish them a happy life, a Watery Ogre from the Miao territory appears to have their hopes and dreams shattered. Li Xiaoyao falls down to his own pool of blood. Zhao Ling’er fights for the guild and faces death without fear. Will she survive the war? Just check out the new spoiler-packed trailer.

 

Divinity: Dragon Commander Review – Thinking Like an Imp

By Darren Henderson (DizzyPW), MMOHuts/OnRPG’s Mountain Dragon

Dragon Commander Review @OnRPG

Politics has always been a draw and a hindrance on the gaming industry. And no I’m not talking about congressional policies crafted by old white men that still use AOL as their homepage. I mean the attempt of luring young active politically driven men and women into a realm where policies matter and have actual impact on the gameplay. The MMORPG field is littered with failed attempts of such features and truly the only success seems to exist in the realm of real-time and turn based strategy games like Civilization and Rise of Nations. Yet even these tended to build their success more on historical politics rather than touchy edgy modern ideals still up for debate.

Dragon Commander Maxos

Thankfully a relatively unknown indie studio out of Belgium had the sense to build the backstory of their longstanding Divinity series of games as the stage for both addressing modern political controversies and creating one hell of an FPS RTS hybrid title. This is the tale of Larian Studios and how they won my heart over with one of the most innovative buy to play multiplayer titles of our time, Divinity: Dragon Commander.

Now I’m not going to waste time explaining the basics as I have laid them out in the past after a small press demo near my office in Santa Monica. You can learn all about the typical round of gameplay from my article here as well as see it in action in one of Larian’s promotional videos.

Dragon Commander Lacks

What it Lacks

Now that you’re educated on what Dragon Commander brings to the table, we’re ready to talk about where it falls short. Now as I stated Larian Studios is quite indie. How indie? Their next title Divinity: Original Sin required Kickstarter funding just to be made. This shows through in a few key points of Dragon Commander.

Dragon Commander Customization

For one, there is the semblance of a character customizer when beginning a new game, whether it be single or multiplayer. Unfortunately this breaks down to merely being a color code for your units and national borders, a name, and the selection of one of three dragon types. And while the three dragons look incredible and I hope to see DLC adding new options in eventually (or perhaps even a real character creator!), there are no actual stats setting them apart. In fact the only difference that will persist into the gameplay at all is an advanced level dragon skill that’s not acquirable until chapter 2 of the main story. In multiplayer this limitation doesn’t exist at all.

Dragon Commander Risk Board

On the note of stories, the game consists of conquering your enemies across a large variety of maps that will force you to make proper use of land, sea, and air units to out maneuver and out plan your foes. However, the strategy maps look about as plain as a Civilization II map. Now granted the UI on these maps are fantastic and perform their function flawlessly. However it would have been nice to see a little terrain or perhaps a tad bit of animation within the oceans and land. Even some weather effects could have added that bit of touch to make this section seem on par with the quality presented in the other two modes. Instead you’ll just be able to zoom in and look at your painted figurines standing around on a Risk gameboard.

Dragon Commander Battle Odds

Once in the actual battle phase (pertaining to single player only), another issue is the ability to only partake in one battle at a time. Any other battle will require you to pay one of your animated and highly stereotypical generals to fight on your behalf in what breaks down into a series of hidden dice rolls weighted based on overall unit composition. I would kill to see my overconfident lizard general Edmund get his face smashed in on the battlefield. Unfortunately I’m delegated to watching his units budge and disappear with a monotonous explosion sound as the coup de gras.

Dragon Commander Cocky Edmund

Now someone considering if they should buy the game might see this wall of text and take a step back. Perhaps second guess their purchase plans? Nay I say, Nay! For each element Dragon Commander is lacking in, it makes up for 10 fold in other areas.

Dragon Commander Combat 2

I am Dragon, Hear me Roar!

Whether playing with friends, fighting random strangers online, or just duking it out with the AI featuring vastly adjustable difficulties (ranging from so easy your baby nephew can hang to hard enough to make you throw your monitor out the window), you won’t deny the RTS elements of this game are superb! Sure it might not be the next masterpiece to one up Starcraft with perfect balance between three separate unique factions. But by utilizing a tech tree that I’ll touch upon later, it forces would be tacticians to learn to adjust their strategy on the fly to account for facing foes with superior technological advantages, unfair number advantages, and adept enemy dragons bringing an array of skills, passives, and auras with enough diversity to make recently closed fantasy MMORPGs cry green envious tears.

Dragon Commander Combat 1

Flying as a dragon across the open battlefield is another piece of the puzzle that makes combat so satisfying. Ever hated that feeling of staring helplessly knowing your opponent had outwitted you? It’s not enjoyable to sit by clicking buttons feebly knowing there is nothing more you can do to turn a battle around. Well in Dragon Commander you have the option to go down swinging by fighting right alongside your final battalion, launching fireballs, heals, and other buffs in an attempt to turn the tide in your favor. And Larian has found what I believe to be the ideal level of power and skill cap to make dragon fighters a viable strategy in RTS warfare. Plus who doesn’t love the feeling of charming an enemy juggernaut and making it launch an Imp Bunker Buster into the enemy’s capital?! That was all dragon, baby!

Dragon Commander Combat 3

One common complaint about the non-dragon related combat is that most maps turn into a battle to see who can spam the most units to overcome their foe. This I feel is rather exaggerated and directly countered with the low population count on most maps. Population represents a shared resource required to do everything from building buildings and units to summoning and resummoning your dragon. Eventually you’ll find the map has hit complete zero and every unit you have counts. This is when special researched abilities like the devastator’s siege mode will separate the men from the dragon commanders. And blindly running a few unit types into a prepared enemy will leave your forces looking like Swiss cheese while your enemy stomps all over you.

Dragon Commander Tech Tree

The FPS elements make for quite the interesting test of action and reaction battles. Dragon commanders would be wise to hotkey specific unit groups they have researched active power-ups for such as the flying white mage brigade (Shamans essentially representing the hilarious concept of loading white mages into the Good Year Blimp). The Shamans can then be taught to cure allied troops of the various disables such as sabotage and even turning them into giant ladybugs.

Your Juggernaut is now a lady bug. I win!

Overall the combat is quick, painless, and offers just enough of an adrenaline rush between major political decisions and turns of Risk to keep the game pumping at full throttle without scaring off the players that prefer the diplomacy or strategy aspects of the game.

Dragon Commander Rivellon Times

Dragon Commander Strategy Map

I don’t know if anyone can understand this madness…

 

A Little R&R with your Morality Check

While the combat might be excellent against AI and simply incomparable when dealing with multi-dragon multiplayer matches, I will bluntly state that it’s the single player campaign that keeps me coming back for more. The field graphics are nice but the character models aboard your flying flagship, The Raven, are AAA tier. Seeing fantastical elves, undead, dwarves, imps, and lizards converse in fully voiced dialogue complete with facial mapping technology is about as good as it gets for drawing you into the believable political intrigue of the world of Rivellon. The dwarven equivalent of Fox news arriving in newspaper form at the end of each battle to ridicule and exaggerate your every decision and battle outcome is just icing on the overly liberal elf wife… err cake.

Dragon Commander Liberal Elf Wife

Not only does the wizard Maxos play the perfect part of both father figure and tutorial guidance counselor, but each and every cast member to join your ship offers a spark of originality mixed with overdone clichés to keep you laughing, and cringing from round to round. I can say there were a few times when standing at the round table of races that I felt legitimately pressured by the politicians around me and the impact their backing might have on my world map and RTS war efforts. The lizard politician Prospera in particular even made me feel like a bad person after declining universal health care to save a few gold/turn for my empire. Good for her!

Dragon Commander Prospera Lecture

Representative of the lizards by day, the Dragon Commander’s nagging mother by night!

And universal health care will be among some of the lesser controversies you as the Dragon Commander will be faced with. From the aftermath of your wife getting a room full of councilors high while passing laws, to facing controversial decisions on euthanasia, gay marriage, and corporal punishment, this game keeps you guessing! It takes a pretty cold hearted or just socially isolated player to not get wrapped up in the excitement and nail biting action of choosing between your personal beliefs and what you believe will be best for your empire.

Dragon Commander Card Deck

And that’s the best part! The RTS and Risk elements of gameplay are impacted in serious ways from each action you make. Demoralize the population with an iron fist and suddenly you’ll find yourself hard pressed to find population willing to occupy your machines of war. Carry too heavy of a heart towards the plight of the helpless and you may end up wondering how your empire’s coffers ended up so empty. Make friends in high places and you’ll find your battles won before you begin with powerful cards that can bolster your forces, cripple your enemies, and even blow up a parliament building for laughs. Alienate a particular racial faction and soon you’ll find stiff resistance waiting in nations heavily populated by their ilk. The decision is both yours to make, and yours to face the repercussions of.

Dragon Commander Great Imp Destiny

Final Verdict: Excellent

While Dragon Commander is rough around the edges and takes some getting used to, especially with the unique RTS controls, in the end it delivers with the force of a dragon powered by a jetpack. The multiplayer is ideal for both quick engagements with strangers on small maps as well as long drawn out campaigns with close friends. The Raven political engagements, world map strategizing and guns versus butter decisions it entails, and the fast and furious FPS RTS battles all properly support each other to provide for a solid game unlike anything I’ve played before or expect to soon experience again. And Larian has offered enough tid bits between various wife storylines, multitudes of political ventures, and unpredictable AI to keep the replayability factor quite high. If the concept of this title entices you in the slightest, I assure you, you won’t be disappointed by making the purchase.

Dragon Commander Conclusion

Graphics: 4/5 – Some slight optimization issues keeping me from running the game on the recommended “ultra” setting along with the bland world map prevent me from giving this beautiful title a perfect score.

Controls:  4/5 – Being a dragon can be slightly wonky from time to time. That said after a month of practice I’m sure the dedicated will be flying aerial formations while simultaneously commanding troops.

Features:  5/5 – Between trading cards, voice acted political drama, four diverse marriage storylines, a sinister plot, the beautifully imagined merge of FPS and RTS elements, and an advanced form of Risk that will leave your sweating, it’s hard to think of what more Larian Studios could have done to improve in this field.

Customization:  3/5 – Personal character customization might blow, but the far stretching impacts of your decisions on both politics and research can help a player create a fascinating and original empire whether in single player or multiplayer.

Community: 2/5 – While I can’t say I’ve met any hot-heads while playing, it’s likely in part to the small number of players online. I can’t blame Larian though. Their single player is just so addicting that it’s hard to find extra free time for multiplayer. Bring some friends though and give it a shot as quadra dragon battling is not to be missed!