Endless Legend, fantasyland trying to fix Endless Space's flaws

[DramaticPopcorn]

I'm having huge withdrawal from 4x, and this game is pointless to play in SP, so I'm wondering if anyone would want to MP it? Competitively or against PC either way is fine.

I realize that chances of this actually happening are low but still codex pls deliever

I own this game, and while I haven't played it enough to be good, I could be persuaded if others join. Though, preferably if they have some sort of pit boss system. I haven't looked into the MP, usually only have a couple hours at a time to play games that I have to pay attention to(leaving games running and walking away is another story).

I'd be up as well.
UTC + 2:00

So, DramaticPopcorn was this just a spur of the moment?

It was sort of spur of the moment, coz I can't play on weekdays, except for friday.
I'm GMT +3, available tomorrow after 4 PM.
Sent PM

 

[Silva]

What's the lore for this game? What's up with this Auriga planet? Was it some kind of experiments lab for that Endless bunch? Is that what explains the different races?

 

[Nael]

What's the lore for this game? What's up with this Auriga planet? Was it some kind of experiments lab for that Endless bunch? Is that what explains the different races?

In regards to ES2 you mean? The only thing in ES2 (AFAIK) in regards to EL are the Vaulters/Sisters of Battle and planet Auriga being discoverable. Even playing as the Vaulters and discovering Auriga seems to be treated as an afterthought.

Spoiler

There's a very small mission/curiosity associated with the planet if you find it and settle it as a Vaulter and that's it. The main quest for Vaulters is instead centered on finding a remnant of their people from Auriga located on another world referred to as "Auriga 2.0." Kinda cheesy and a little bit of a disappointment considering the Vaulters otherwise are an awesome race in both games.

 

[Silva]

Isn't Dungeon of the Endless about the conflict in the spaceship that originated the Vaulters? And the robot that narrates the Vaulters campaign in EL (OpBot?) isn't he one of the heros in Dungeon of the Endless ?

I'm giving this game a serious spin for the first time and finding it very interesting and... exotic. But I don't know if outside of the questline of the Vaulters I will find it that engaging. It's combat feels boring and the game is kinda static in a way, don't know if it's an AI fault, or the Vaulters campaign being kinda introductory, or the Normal difficulty. Well, let's see.

 

[Nael]

Isn't Dungeon of the Endless about the conflict in the spaceship that originated the Vaulters? And the robot that narrates the Vaulters campaign in EL (OpBot?) isn't he one of the heros in Dungeon of the Endless ?

I'm giving this game a serious spin for the first time and finding it very interesting and... exotic. But I don't know if outside of the questline of the Vaulters I will find it that engaging. It's combat feels boring and the game is kinda static in a way, don't know if it's an AI fault, or the Vaulters campaign being kinda introductory, or the Normal difficulty. Well, let's see.

Combat is definitely the weakest link in the game.

Essentially what it boils down to is a gorgeous paper builder vs rock builder vs scissors builder simulation.

I enjoyed Endless Legend somewhat for the story of all the races and some of the unique challenges/quests.

Both of the Endless Space games are superior though, but combat still isn't as good as it could be. Hoping it gets more attention in the future because the Endless Universe has some potential.

 

[Eyestabber]

If you like the lore then play Necrophages and Cultists. Both faction quests shed a lot of light into the background of Auriga and its real purpose. I assume Drakken and the Shifters (forgot their name) would also be very enlightening, but I found their mechanics boring so I didn't play them. What sort of faggot likes the "Pacifist civ" anyway?

Elves, Broken Lords and Edgy Mages are kinda focused on doing their own thing so you won't find much background there. Dunno about the Clans (because they are gay) or the Frogs (ships are boring).

 

[Silva]

Ha! just noticed this bot fella from ES2 new expansion

Spoiler

..is actually our fella OpBot who narrates the Vaulters questlines in Endless Legend. Nice touch.

And, oh my, decided to stop auto-resolving battles and actually learn it and now I'm wiping the floor with enemies, no matter what the odds screen says. Well, on Normal at least.

 

[Silva]

Finished my first game. I was Vaulters and got 2nd behind the Drakken in a shared victory (he was my ally).

And, right now I firmly believe this is the best 4X ever mechanics-wise, despite the AI problems. The asymmetric gameplay between factions, the tactical combat on the over map, the rpg-like hero management, the diplomacy mini-game, the story quests, etc. It makes Civ look dumb, and just don't surpass the unsurpassable Alpha Centauri due to the latter intangibles like charismatic leaders, philosophic content, etc. because mechanically it does.

11/10 so far. I'll try a bunch more games with other factions and see if my impression confirms.

 

[ArchAngel]

Finished my first game. I was Vaulters and got 2nd behind the Drakken in a shared victory (he was my ally).

And, right now I firmly believe this is the best 4X ever mechanics-wise, despite the AI problems. The asymmetric gameplay between factions, the tactical combat on the over map, the rpg-like hero management, the diplomacy mini-game, the story quests, etc. It makes Civ look dumb, and just don't surpass the unsurpassable Alpha Centauri due to the latter intangibles like charismatic leaders, philosophic content, etc. because mechanically it does.

11/10 so far. I'll try a bunch more games with other factions and see if my impression confirms.

I played it with almost all factions and they all play from different to very fucking different (one of the factions does not even have cities!!!).
So far this game is best 4x I ever played... at least since Master of Magic.

 

[Life of the Party]

Hey everyone,

We're about to close shop for about 10 days, as we head early into our annual summer break. Don't worry though, as we'll soon be back with some news. The project we have in closed beta is coming along nicely. The other closed beta is coming along nicely. Wait, what? We didn't mention there was another beta going on? I'm sure we would have. Anyway, gotta run now, prepare for our national holiday with the right amount of cheese, baguette and fireworks (and possibly a World Cup finals, but frankly, the office sweepstakes are between our HR Manager Minak for Croatia and AI programmer Zbobiwan for France so we're not very invested anymore).

We come back on Monday, July 23rd. Here's a little something to top you over in the meantime...

Things are about to get hot! Until then, have fun...

The Amplitude Team

https://www.games2gether.com/endles...de-summer-break-and-a-taste-of-things-to-come

 

[Rahdulan]

Revving an old thread, but didn't some leaks about a new expansion coming happen almost a year ago? Seems like Inferno is real. Wonder if getting acquired by Paradox had something to do with this.
https://www.gamewatcher.com/news/endless-legend-inferno-announced#

Endless Legend: Inferno Announced
3 days ago | 2 comments | By Filip Galekovic



Amplitude Studios have just announced that they'll be closing shop for the next 10 days, as they head early into their annual summer break. This, however, they decided to do with a little more pizzaz than most would choose to, as they not only noted that they've got two unannounced projects being tested in closed beta (both coming along nicely), but that there's also yet another Endless Legend expansion in the works!

Titled Endless Legend: Inferno, there is literally nothing known about this expansion at all, but it's exciting news to be sure!



Where most of the playerbase assumed that development was done and done when it comes to Endless Legend, Amplitude have decided to throw the nicest possible wrench in these machinations with something altogether new and unknown.

If their previous expansions for this much-touted 4X are anything to go by, we should expect more factions, more units, more mechanics and something game-changing to boot. It's hard to guess from no information at all, but Amplitude's track record is a very interesting thing.

The last big expansion, for example - Tempest - added the Morgawr, an ocean-faring race who seek to dominate and control the landscape and their enemies in a more literal sense than one might imagine. Alongside this came the Naval Warfare expansion, naturally, as well as a whole new weather system and a new minor faction, the Fomorians.

Will this mark the final expansion for Endless Legend? If not, that's great, but if yes, perhaps Amplitude aim to end this game's development cycle with a bang.

No way to be sure until we've got Endless Legend: Inferno in our paws.

 

[covr]

I would love that.

 

[DakaSha V]

How about an expansion that fixes the fucking game

 

[Life of the Party]

 

[Life of the Party]

Hey everyone,

It was a bit cheeky to just drop an expansion logo and moonwalk away, but finally, we're back and ready to show things! Endless Legend Inferno, here we go! New major faction, new features, new... team? Yes! We've met people who were not only asking for more content, but were able to help us make it a reality. Meet NGD Studios, the team behind the Master of Orion reboot, and now our very own Endless Legend Inferno.

NEW FACTION: THE KAPAKU

Meet the new guys in town.

Rescued from the brink of extinction after the invasion of their home world by Sowers, the Kapaku were evacuated by the Concrete Endless and sent to Auriga. They were promised a new beginning on a new planet, but discovering the true intentions of their saviors will pit them against both Auriga’s current denizens and the dark remnants of the Dust Wars. They are tinkers and inventors, a race of craftsmen with powerful bonds to earthen energies. Small in size, their resourcefulness and skill led them to create powerful stone golems to use as laborers and soldiers.

The Kapaku are a new race uniquely suited to the Volcanic Terrain, able to thrive off it where other races would struggle, and their symbiotic relationships with their golems allows them to exploit more resources more efficiently, fueling their machinery to turn Auriga into a new Volcanic Paradise. They can exploit the new terrain much better than any other faction, as they are capable of eating the toxic lichen and ashes that would fell other races and their complexion is well suited to the suffocating heat. They require large amounts of strategic resources to use their abilities to their fullest, and must invest them wisely. They also possess unique knowledge of the Dust Eclipses, granted by the Endless themselves.

NEW FEATURE: THE DUST ECLIPSE

The arrival of the Kapaku is marked by a strange new phenomenon in Auriga’s atmosphere. How are these two events connected, and what exactly are these “Dust Eclipses” that sweep the land?

Dust Eclipses are short periods of intense Dust activity over Auriga, but they are not as simple as just a new season. Instead of imposing restrictions on the players, we want to create new opportunities. New objectives are added to the map, rewarding players for being proactive, and new abilities are introduced to the existing factions, reinforcing lore and opening new strategies.

Dust Eclipses are not a new season, rather they are “breaks” during regular summers where new forces come into play. Effects that check for summer will still work during Eclipses, and likewise effects that only work during winter will remain disabled.

NEW TERRAIN TYPE:

With the arrival of the Kapaku and their technology to change the face of Auriga, we have an opportunity to explore the planet’s harsher landscapes: The volatile but rich Volcanic Terrain.

This is a new type of terrain that leans more heavily on late game exploitation. Early on, Volcanic terrain can be a rough starting position for most races, since it’s very scarce in food, but factions able to overcome this difficulty can reap many benefits, as most Volcanic Tiles have above-average yield of Industry, along with Science and Dust. There are also new anomalies exclusive to this region to make these tiles even more productive. Volcanic regions can also roll a chance to get bonus Strategic Resources, going over the usual cap on resources available per region.

To make volcanic terrain special, it has unique interactions with Winter – the intense flow of magma under the surface makes these tiles immune to dust and food reductions, but the intense heat takes a heavy toll on units, preventing them from regenerating life. This makes assaulting a city on Volcanic Terrain a very costly proposition.

Active volcanoes can be found in these new regions, spewing lava that flows over Auriga in Lava Rivers. These tiles are difficult to navigate and can be hazardous to cross, but provide production bonuses to cities that settle over its banks.

And of course, the usual fixes and improvements! The full changelog will be posted once the update is live.

WHEN CAN I GET THIS?

• This will be available next week on August 2nd.
• Endless Legend Inferno with the discount is available HERE for pre-order for 11.69 € /$ 11.69 / £ 9.89 (-10%)
• A bundle of both Endless Space 2 Supremacy & Endless Legend Inferno (HERE) is available for pre-order for 20.78 € /$ 20.78 / £ 17.58

It's only fitting to unveil Inferno on what is so far the hottest day of the year in Paris! We hope you're excited, things are about to get hot!

 

[Nirvash]

Lava people are bullshit op.

Lava terrain is almost the best terrain in the game (massive industry)... and they can fucking TERRAFORM IT EVERYWHERE, they can make the best for EVERY region.
They have a very good support unit, a crazy cheap solid melee and a good cavalry.

They also have the very best most op single tech improvement in the game, the golem camp, a fucking "extra city" for every region/city, 1 extra pop AND 7 ex resources.

 

[Zboj Lamignat]

At least they're the first dlc faction that's somewhat interesting to play and their design is not bad. They get zero food outside of lava and the terraforming costs do pile up, so they don't snowball that hard. Plus, the game is pretty easy on endless anyway regardless of the faction, unless the rmg fucks you up real bad.

On the other hand, they added yet another set of map pick ups, this time from the dust eclipse events. So it seems they still do not understand how retarded and out of place the implementation of pearls was.

 

[Nirvash]

They play the same as vaulters/elves.

Teraforming cost pile up is for each single resource, just grab that double tit-glass territory as 1 expansion and you are set for the early, once at era 3 you unlock more minerarls = no more problems.
You can also luck with more natural vulcanic regions, lol.
Oh right, let's not forget the extra research bonus for ruins exploring.

On the other hand, they added yet another set of map pick ups, this time from the dust eclipse events. So it seems they still do not understand how retarded and out of place the implementation of pearls was.

The cubes are nice little power ups you can easy ignore.
But yes, those damn pearls are a massive chore.

 

[lightbane]

The Inferno expansion is having a discount sale this week, for those interested.

 

[Supermedo]

I forget that I own this game I remember playing it at launch and the AI and diplomacy mechanic being nonexistent.
was that fixed and does the DLC in sales adds a new mechanic or just new factions.

 

[cvv]

Bought it and played it a while ago. A strange game. I remember liking most of the individual elements but as a whole it just couldn't hold my interest. Something about it...

 

[DakaSha V]

its slow as fuck for once thing

 

[HeatEXTEND]

Something about it...

Spoiler

Unity

 

[Humanophage]

I would strongly recommend the current iteration of Rise from Erebus to those who think that EL is the top fantasy 4X. I really wanted to like EL because it attempts to emphasise non-combat aspects, which is fairly rare in fantasy strategies. However, it ends up resembling a board game with its overabundance of convoluted and gamey elements. Unlike RFE, every empire ends up being quite similar to the rest, in spite of their formal diversity. There is no geography, really, except maybe in terms of blocked tiles like mountains and water, and little world-building. In RFE, you build your entire strategy around particularly good special tiles ("anomalies"). Here, special tiles are essentially generic, and they are all over the place. That is not so bad though, just quirky.

That quirkiness would have been tolerable if not for the absolutely atrocious combat system, easily the worst I have seen in a TBS. It is a serious mess, and I am usually quite tolerant when it comes to bad combat. What was the purpose of making it semi-real-time on the global map, so you have to close the pop-ups as fast as possible to escape from the AI? Why go for the odd semi-indirect command system in combat where you don't really know what silly nonsense your units will come up with? Why can't you speed up units on the global map? Was it all done as part of some nefarious multiplayer plan? It's especially sad because they had a couple of decent ideas like different equipment for units.

Another really poorly thought-out aspect is the interface for quests. The quests are integral to the gameplay, and you get a ton of them even on a small map. Meanwhile, the interface is essentially made for about six quests when you have about 25. There is no way to sort them; no way to look up on the map swiftly which hut wants which quest if the hut is covered with the fog of war. Instead, there's just this useless ability to pin a quest.

I still feel compelled to play it just because it is such a rare genre, but it is an almost masochistic experience, especially during war. I'd do autocombat except the AI keeps sacrificing key units for no reason. It's all very sad.

 

[oldbonebrown]

I largely agree everything Humanophage said about the game and I have many more complaints than that as well, everything about the game feels slightly off, but I still really enjoy it.
As to the special tiles being all over the place, I find the game a lot more interesting when the world difficulty is set to Hard - making luxury and strategic resources rare and often placed in hotly contested regions.

The Kapaku seems OP. You can really start shitting out extremely tough stone golems after a while, and rake in heaps of resources from planning for dust eclipses.
I'm guessing the Allayi with their skyfins might be able to rake it in from dust eclipses as well.

its slow as fuck for once thing

Definitely remember to set combat speed to highest, the option to do so is a bit hidden but crucial.

How about an expansion that fixes the fucking game

Its far too late for that.