Preview RPG Codex Preview: Blackguards 2

[Vault Dweller]

That comparison is pretty bullshit. Your game was criticized for the way it implemented its difficulty even by many Codexers. Blackguards was not. As such, the criticism of difficulty traversing the two games was different.

Most helpful negative Steam review:

THIS IS THE BIGGY The chance to hit modifier is The MOST ANNOYING PART OF THIS GAME!!! YOU WILLL NEVER BE MORE FRUSTRATED, NEVER MISS AS MANY ATTACKS OR FAILED CASTING ATTEMPTS AS YOU WILL ENCOUNTER IN THIS GAME, It has rusulted in me personally restarting hundreds of encounters because this game is COMPLETLY GOVERNED BY RANDOM CHANCE! it will try to break you!!!!!!

Most helpful negative GOG review:

There is a saying: "Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, and expecting different results" In this game it's pretty much the only strategy.This is a fun game overall, good character development, plot, the voice acting is pretty good, and the dark atmosphere makes it all very interesting.Unfortunately, because of the total randomness involved in the combat, you can build a decent strategy and have it completely ruined by a missed arrow or failed spell. I understand that this is a turn-based system based on dice-rolls and that random things will happen, it just seems to happen so much more often in this game than in any other I've played. This game is very addictive, and--when fortune favours you--can be downright satisfying finally finishing some of the more difficult battles: which for me usually involves restarting the battle after any critical failure, and just doing the same thing over and over again until I get different results.

More from GOG

I don't understand the 5 star reviews here. While combat COULD have been alright if it wasn't plagued with a weird behavior regarding random numbers (missing 5 times in a row a 85% chance to land spell is...frustrating to say the least), the rest of the game is so dull and uninterestingly boring that it doesn't make up for it at all. You'll slog through fights that are meant to be fought ONE WAY and can't be won otherwise, dumb AI, bugs (i couldn't buy anything from a merchant), unrewarding quests and fights and overall a really poor attempt at making a RPG by Daedalic.

The problem is the underlying set of rules that controls Blackguards. I feel "The Dark Eye" may not be the best "engine" to power a strategy game, because of its dependency on randomness. Battles are won or lost by the toss of a coin, which has little to do with strategy.

Completely agree with Faenrir review. The entire combat mechanics are broken to say the least - the game heavily favors bows and crossbows, to a point where it is impossible to progress without at least one fully specialized archer. Furthermore, as already been mentioned, the fights feel way too random.

Misfortune Simulator: You have 85% to hit the enemy and you fail, 6 times, in a row. Everything is luck or, in this case, bad luck. The enemy archer will miss you 4 out of 5 times, but if he hits you, he drains around 50% of your life. If there are 2 archers and RN Jesus wants you dead, you're dead.It's not the worst game out there, but hell it's not even near a 4 or 5 star rating...

...but the random chance combat kill this game outright. Missing 3, 4 times in a row an attack, or an heal spell, with a 90% probability to succeed (with also RNG damage) is NOT fun, it's frustrating. There are also not enough skills, and only a few of them are actually useful.It's really a shame, without the RNG factor the combat would have been excellent, the use of the maps and items is pretty good and the character development is interesting. But there is no fun in doing a fight many, many times just because the RNG god hates you.

 

[Grunker]

snippet

You realize you are quoting a post where I talk specifically about Codexers, right?

 

[Emily]

That comparison is pretty bullshit. Your game was criticized for the way it implemented its difficulty even by many Codexers. Blackguards was not. As such, the criticism of difficulty traversing the two games was different.

Most helpful negative Steam review:

THIS IS THE BIGGY The chance to hit modifier is The MOST ANNOYING PART OF THIS GAME!!! YOU WILLL NEVER BE MORE FRUSTRATED, NEVER MISS AS MANY ATTACKS OR FAILED CASTING ATTEMPTS AS YOU WILL ENCOUNTER IN THIS GAME, It has rusulted in me personally restarting hundreds of encounters because this game is COMPLETLY GOVERNED BY RANDOM CHANCE! it will try to break you!!!!!!

Most helpful negative GOG review:

There is a saying: "Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, and expecting different results" In this game it's pretty much the only strategy.This is a fun game overall, good character development, plot, the voice acting is pretty good, and the dark atmosphere makes it all very interesting.Unfortunately, because of the total randomness involved in the combat, you can build a decent strategy and have it completely ruined by a missed arrow or failed spell. I understand that this is a turn-based system based on dice-rolls and that random things will happen, it just seems to happen so much more often in this game than in any other I've played. This game is very addictive, and--when fortune favours you--can be downright satisfying finally finishing some of the more difficult battles: which for me usually involves restarting the battle after any critical failure, and just doing the same thing over and over again until I get different results.

More from GOG

I don't understand the 5 star reviews here. While combat COULD have been alright if it wasn't plagued with a weird behavior regarding random numbers (missing 5 times in a row a 85% chance to land spell is...frustrating to say the least), the rest of the game is so dull and uninterestingly boring that it doesn't make up for it at all. You'll slog through fights that are meant to be fought ONE WAY and can't be won otherwise, dumb AI, bugs (i couldn't buy anything from a merchant), unrewarding quests and fights and overall a really poor attempt at making a RPG by Daedalic.

The problem is the underlying set of rules that controls Blackguards. I feel "The Dark Eye" may not be the best "engine" to power a strategy game, because of its dependency on randomness. Battles are won or lost by the toss of a coin, which has little to do with strategy.

Completely agree with Faenrir review. The entire combat mechanics are broken to say the least - the game heavily favors bows and crossbows, to a point where it is impossible to progress without at least one fully specialized archer. Furthermore, as already been mentioned, the fights feel way too random.

Misfortune Simulator: You have 85% to hit the enemy and you fail, 6 times, in a row. Everything is luck or, in this case, bad luck. The enemy archer will miss you 4 out of 5 times, but if he hits you, he drains around 50% of your life. If there are 2 archers and RN Jesus wants you dead, you're dead.It's not the worst game out there, but hell it's not even near a 4 or 5 star rating...

...but the random chance combat kill this game outright. Missing 3, 4 times in a row an attack, or an heal spell, with a 90% probability to succeed (with also RNG damage) is NOT fun, it's frustrating. There are also not enough skills, and only a few of them are actually useful.It's really a shame, without the RNG factor the combat would have been excellent, the use of the maps and items is pretty good and the character development is interesting. But there is no fun in doing a fight many, many times just because the RNG god hates you.

I now feel sad that i bought and finished Blackguards 1. I feel violated reading these opinions and knowing they have won.

 

[Darth Roxor]

streamu coming online in a minute or so, pack your rice

 

[ERYFKRAD]

Darth Roxor, may you someday find a non-shitty sequel for a decent game to review.

 

[Roguey]

You realize you are quoting a post where I talk specifically about Codexers, right?

Okay, but the Codex is kind of a drop in the bucket compared to GOG and especially Steam users.

 

[Grunker]

You realize you are quoting a post where I talk specifically about Codexers, right?

Okay, but the Codex is kind of a drop in the bucket compared to GOG and especially Steam users.

Is it? Do you have the sales numbers for marginal games like these? Again: LA told us that they got the bulk of their sales and attention from RPS, the Watch and the Codex. These games don't sell that much I'd guess.

Even if you were right, who goes to a sequal when they've already written off the original?

 

[Roguey]

Is it? Do you have the sales numbers for marginal games like these? Again: LA told us that they got the bulk of their sales and attention from RPS, the Watch and the Codex. These games don't sell that much I'd guess.

http://steamcharts.com/app/249650

Could be at least 20,000 or more.

Even if you were right, who goes to a sequal when they've already written off the original?

Well those reviews were written by people who bought the original and thought it was too chaotic. Daedalic releases a new one, says "Hey look, we fixed that, please buy this one too, encourage fence-sitters too."

Though it looks they ended up throwing out the baby with the bathwater. They could have reduced chaos without eliminating it almost-entirely.

Additionally I think every game with probability could probably use a disclaimer telling you that the results of one outcome don't influence the results of another.

 

[Vault Dweller]

You realize you are quoting a post where I talk specifically about Codexers, right?

Okay, but the Codex is kind of a drop in the bucket compared to GOG and especially Steam users.

Is it? Do you have the sales numbers for marginal games like these?

We sold 900 copies in a year and a half on our own. We sold 10,000 copies on Steam in a year and our game isn't very accessible or friendly to new players (which explains the low conversion and interest rates).

So unless most Codexers waited until the game gets on Steam, I'd say that Steam's potential audience ranging from 0.2 to 5% dwarfs the Codex and Watch combined.

Again: LA told us that they got the bulk of their sales and attention from RPS, the Watch and the Codex.

I assume they meant KS, which is something completely different.

Even if you were right, who goes to a sequal when they've already written off the original?

People who look for something to play and/or expect that the developer learned from the mistakes and did a better job this time around.

 

[Jaedar]

Stream update: the/a producer of the game showed up in chat.

 

[Zorba the Hutt]

Stream update: the/a producer of the game showed up in chat.

I'm guessing Roxor won't be top of the list for preview copies of BG3

 

[Athelas]

Is it? Do you have the sales numbers for marginal games like these? Again: LA told us that they got the bulk of their sales and attention from RPS, the Watch and the Codex. These games don't sell that much I'd guess.

I don't think you can conflate sales and attention like that. Steam is an always accessible marketplace with a huge customer base where at any time, anyone from any place in the world can spot the game and decide they'd like to buy it. The attention they got from those three sites (two of which are rather obscure and have a limited audience) is insignificant compared to that factor.

 

[Nigger]

The link to twitch on the first post goes to twitch.com which is some spam site

 

[Jaedar]

The link to twitch on the first post goes to twitch.com which is some spam site

Stream adress in case people are looking then: http://www.twitch.tv/roxorowski

 

[V_K]

I'm kinda confused: the weapon skills were converted to 1-100 scale so that they'd directly translate to hit chance. But unless your opponent parries or dodges, the attack is guaranteed to hit. How does it add up exactly?

 

[StaticSpine]

so.. no bandages? really?

and that fight in Lorfas, when you get 5 bonus archers... at first I thought they were anemies, like an ambush, but no. The whole battle seemed too easy with that half-beaten insectoid and stuff.

Darth Roxor
Did you say it was hard difficulty?

Thx for the stream btw

 

[Darth Roxor]

I am so super popular and stuffies

I'm kinda confused: the weapon skills were converted to 1-100 scale so that they'd directly translate to hit chance. But unless your opponent parries or dodges, the attack is guaranteed to hit. How does it add up exactly?

It is a mystery. I guess it's some sort of 100% - (offence - defence) when it comes to parries and dodges, but who can know for sure?

so.. no bandages? really?

Yeah, just health potions, hue.

Did you say it was hard difficulty?

Si.

 

[Infinitron]

Did the Daedalic devs say anything interesting in the chat? If I'd known there would be CELEBRITIES I might have popped in

 

[Jaedar]

Did the Daedalic devs say anything interesting in the chat? If I'd known there would be CELEBRITIES I might have popped in

They said some nice things, but I mentioned most of it on the stream.

They did also mention hard difficulty was not properly balanced yet, but neither of the devs present was able to state how exactly to hit chance worked.

 

[Emily]

As i understand dev said that hard difficulty is not yet balanced to be hard. So i am guessing it is not yet implemented or something
Edit: Jaedar beat me to it

 

[VioletShadow]

Dev said they are working on the animation speed slider.


Thanks for the stream Darth Roxor

 

[Agesilaus]

Haha, have to gloat a little, this is great news. Blackguards 1 sucked, and hopefully this sequel will bury the series so that we may focus on something with actual promise. Down with Blackguards!

 

[Irenaeus]

Lol

 

[Invictus]

Never though I would brofist one of defjam's posts or listen to Rexor's nerdy voice for more than 2 minutes but I did and its a shame about BG2, I was just about to buy the original game on the gog sale to help fund them for this but I rather see them die a Quick death for dumbing down a pretty promising series

 

[Jaedar]

Never though I would brofist one of defjam's posts or listen to Rexor's nerdy voice for more than 2 minutes but I did and its a shame about BG2, I was just about to buy the original game on the gog sale to help fund them for this but I rather see them die a Quick death for dumbing down a pretty promising series

That's a pretty foolish thing to do. If you buy the first game and not the second it shows them what they should focus on and maybe they'll make blackguards 3 more complex again.