Codex Interview RPG Codex Interview: The Banner Saga, 2D Turn-Based Strategy RPG

[almondblight]

Exertion? Stamina was too mainstream?

Shut up man, Something Awful might tattle on us again.

 

[Murk]

Dear Stoic members, you are aware that your blog still has the "sample page" under the news section of the site, yes?

Mayhapse you should fix that...

 

[kazgar]

http://www.destructoid.com/banner-saga-factions-announced-will-arrive-early-nov--235005.phtml

We haven't heard much about Kickstarter success Banner Saga over the past couple months, but developer Stoic has just come out with some big announcements.

While Banner Saga Chapter 1 (a full game, not an episode) will arrive early 2013, Stoic is taking the combat and assets from it and making a free-to-play multiplayer game called Banner Saga Factions, which will arrive on PC and Mac in early November. iPad and Ouya releases will follow.

"Basically we are developing the single-player game, and we realized we are doing all this work on the combat and it's really fun to play!" Art Director Arnie Jorgensen said. "Why not just release the combat as we develop the full game?"

I got the chance to play Factions and was surprised by how polished and fun it was. You can expect a full preview early next week.

 

[kazgar]

http://www.destructoid.com/preview-the-banner-saga-factions-235135.phtml

Bigger preview of the new f2p multiplayer. Looks like a interesting format, and some of the rules/stat decisions could be fun to play with.

However the Stoic forums cracked the shits at microtransactions, so there's some some backpeddling here

 

[IDtenT]

However the Stoic forums cracked the shits at microtransactions, so there's some some backpeddling here

More like elaboration than backpedalling. Never understood why people get so butthurt over microtransactions.

 

[Metro]

Beta has been added to the Steam registry so guessing it should launch soon.

 

[Mother Russia]

Wait, I don't understand: Preview say the single player game will feature 16 classes not in the Factions game...but if so, does that mean Factions won't have classes at all since the game is supposed to have 16 base classes only?

Can someone explain to me? Won't factions have classes? Will it only have premade characters you can add to your army?

 

[OSK]

I got the beta. Anyone else try it yet?

 

[IDtenT]

I got the beta. Anyone else try it yet?

How is it?

 

[Helly]

Don't have nor want steam - guess I'll have to wait for the DRM free edition

 

[OSK]

I got the beta. Anyone else try it yet?

How is it?

I played a single match online, so here's some rambling thoughts.

It's pretty basic so far. All you can do is play matches with other people online.

Both sides have exactly the same team: Two small fighters, two archers and two big fighters. The two big fighters seem to be different than one another. One has a two-handed sword, the other a shield and mace. All characters have hitpoints that also act as strength (think magic the gathering), armor, will power (points that get used up for special actions), a basic attack and a special attack. Each turn you can move and attack, just attack or rest (I'm not sure what rest does). Willpower gets used up for doing special attacks, for moving further than normally and for putting more power behind basic attacks. For basic attacks, you can choose to attack armor or bypass armor and attack hp directly. I'm not entirely sure how the mechanics work. Annoyingly, there seems to be no zone of control.

The small fighters have a special attack that lets them attack multiple times and it seems to randomly hit armor or hp. The big guy with the two-hander's special lets him make a large swinging attack that strikes everyone (including your own guys) next to and in front of him (including diagonals). I didn't try out the archer or other big guy's specials.

Each player alternates turns, and gets to move/attack with one person at a time. You don't get to chose which guy to move, it's determined by some order. The weird thing is, even when you start killing guys, it still goes like this. Like I had 3 guys remaining to his one, and he still got to move his one remaining guy every turn whereas I was alternating between my three. I was worried the other guy would beat me at the end since he could use his big guy every turn, whereas I could only use my big guy once every three turns and my two archers the other two. I don't like this.

I don't fully understand the combat yet, but it seems pretty basic. Hopefully characters get additional special attacks when they level up, otherwise I could see combat getting a bit stale. Visually, the game looks really nice, but the character animations seem like they have too few frames or something. It also feels like a lot of things are missing, like I can't view character stats or anything other than basic stuff on screen like armor, hp and willpower.

Combat:

 

[Frusciante]

Banner Saga Let's Play: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HwOK1w9XNv4

 

[Murk]

Looks pretty cool so far. I don't think it will be as good a what I am hoping Chaos Chronicles comes out to, but definitely looks fun. Love the visuals, they look pretty good -- tho I can see what OSK meant by too few frames. I kind of got that feel from the pitch video tho. Still, I have yet to learn of anything that I don't like about the game.

 

[Mother Russia]

Sounds way too basic. I wasn't expecting FF:Tactics, but come on: Just ONE special ability?? That's ridiculous. And no spellcasters, special warrior/mage type classes?? No summonings? Come on, this is norse inspired for crying out loud.

Anyhow, checking out sys requirements: Hopefully it will run on my shittop. Doubt it though.

 

[felipepepe]

That's why I pulled of my money on this, they started out comming to the Codex, promising that FFT was their aim and that they would even add weapons & armor if they got enough money; only to end up with few units, one special attack only and no equipment... very retarded.

 

[Metro]

Yeah I have to agree I'm a bit underwhelmed with what I actually see. Basic stats, basic units, basic attacks.

 

[almondblight]

That's why I pulled of my money on this, they started out comming to the Codex, promising that FFT was their aim and that they would even add weapons & armor if they got enough money; only to end up with few units, one special attack only and no equipment... very retarded.

Yeah man, but they only got like 7x what they were asking for. And they needed to put that money into more important things, like full orchestral music.

But hey, maybe they'll have that once chapter 8 is released...probably in like a year and a half, so we don't have to wait too long.

 

[Lagole Gon]

But it's so beautiful...

/artfag

 

[Frusciante]

Sounds way too basic. I wasn't expecting FF:Tactics, but come on: Just ONE special ability?? That's ridiculous. And no spellcasters, special warrior/mage type classes?? No summonings? Come on, this is norse inspired for crying out loud.

Anyhow, checking out sys requirements: Hopefully it will run on my shittop. Doubt it though.

I dont know. I find that many crpgs are more about spamming spells and attacks then about tactical choices. A simple system like this is easier to balance and doesnt necessarily mean less tactics required. I know this is the most cliche thing ever to say but chess is much more basic but still a very challenging and interesting game.

Mage type classes will be added as the beta progresses. This is just the very basic first class selection.