I hope folks will forgive me for perhaps pre-empting an announcement, but Blue`s News posted a link for the new Stardock turn-based spiritual successor to Master Of Magic.
http://pc.gamespy.com/pc/elemental-war-of-magic/926527p1.html
I sure will like to try this one. Pre-order will be my plan, as long as it is under identical digital download + box copy plan of Sins & Demigod. I remember having considerable fun with Master Of Magic, despite a number of bugs. MoM never quite fulfilled its potential design-wise though (needed a more varied 'adventuring' feeling, if that makes any sense), and this effort looks so superbly clean tech-wise... Nice surprise.
Who - me? Negative channelling lightning Air attacks and deploying undead? No no no, you must have me mistaken for some other cruel and Evil tyrant...
I'm drooling. The pre-order (and Beta!!!!) may actually be the reason to get a credit card.
This has been posted in two other threads, by Annatar and idunno16 respectively (or was it idunno116, my apologies if I've gotten it wrong), and Annatar noticed Mittens paste the link in IRC, so it's apparently not preempting an announcement.
Considering the other two threads started out as anticipation and speculation, it may be better to move the discussion here, but then again it may not.
As far as my own personal feelings go, based on the screenshots alone I'm not overly impressed, but I've always been more about the mechanics of a game than the visuals. When one accounts for the fact that Brad has mentioned it will be somewhat like Populous (though obviously with other things factored in and influencing it, and done in a way that only Stardock can do it), and more to the point that it will have multiplayer and, for lack of a better way to put it, a mod universe, I become much more interested in it. I do hope the graphics and interface have improved somewhat from what gamespy has by the time it launches, but since this is Stardock we're talking about this is a hope that may actually be realized and less of a legitimate concern.
However, I am not yet ready to justify preordering it, even if it were possible. Sorry, Brad. I know I'm picky.
I guess the cloth map has the same functionnality than the tactical view in GC2: reducing eye and candy for more available informations.
There is also some screenshots on edge online http://www.edge-online.com/features/elemental-war-magic-unveiled
Tiny screenshots are tiny (and don't appear to link to larger versions). But thanks regardless; I'm more impressed with it but still holding out for more. From my perspective, and from seeing the ground unit combat screen on gamespy, it doesn't look as good as GCII, which is...not good. I can only assume that the screenshots don't represent where the game is currently at.
Eerrrrr, the persistant Multiplayer stuff in that article sounds like Demigod, not Elemental. Rook? Oak? Those are from Demigod
Stardock is a small company. It doesn't have dozens and dozens of coders whose only function is supply eye candy. For my part, I don't mind low-graphics philosophy, as long as it's done well. If you can't do an Ironman, stick to a half-triathlon and finish that.
I would prefer a good 2D sprite-based graphic engine that's fabulous rather than a badly rendered 3D. That said, I don't mind graphics at all, really. As long as it has good aesthetic sense, I'm good with it. The gameplay is more important.
Roxlimn...
I already said I'm more concerned about gameplay than graphics, it's just that those screenshots don't strike me as equal to or better than GCII, which is surprising to say the least.
I guess we need to find the screenshots from the first announcement of GC2, then those used when it shipped and compare them with the current screenshots from GC2:TotA to have a better grasp on how graphics can evolve in the life of a game.
Why do I think that the background for Elemental is the GC universe?
From the way of the Krynn (https://forums.galciv2.com/169514) :
The Way represents the ultimate direction for people to live their lives. The Krynn believe in a supreme being (what humans would call "God") who created the universe and then sent 4 guardians to safeguard the universe. These guardians looked over the a massive crystal that the creator has put into the universe for the time when life would be added to the universe. The crystal would be used at a time when the universe was ready for life to exist. However, a 5th entity, a demon, came into the universe and attempted to corrupt the crystal. In doing so, the crystal was shattered and every tiny fragment of the crystal that came into contact with the right conditions began life across the universe.
The Krynn have put this belief to the test and have proven to their satisfaction the existence of what others call "dark energy". It is the invisible energy that the Precursors use. Their belief also predicted the existence of a "big bang" long before the science existed to provide rationale for that theory.
And from the Altarians background (http://forums.impulsedriven.com/171522 )
In the meantime, a series of incredible wars were fought out on Altaria with different factions laying claim to the world. At the end of one particularly brutal war, the planet is nearly destroyed in what becomes known as the cataclysm. Nearly all life on the world is wiped out.
While the world recovers, the war between the Precursor factions raged across the galaxy in what becomes better known as the Arnor/Dread Lord wars. The war is concluded just as the world begins to heal itself.
The post-cataclysm Altaria recovers slowly with different factions vying for control. The world itself is littered with artifacts of the Precursor wars which threaten to ultimately destroy the world again.
Much of the history between the rebirth and modern Altaria is lost. What is known is that the modern Altarians are highly peaceful and benevolent. They also have the genetic ability to manipulate what is known as "dark energy". It is a difficult concept to grasp. Just as different species can recognize different light spectrums, the Altarians have the capability to inherently make some use of dark energy.
Sole Soul:
I wasn't referring to you in particular, which is why I didn't direct my post to you. I was speaking in general. We are of like mind in putting gameplay above graphics. If you have to put it in a 16 bit shell to make it amazing, do that. Of course, one hopes for better.
That said, have you actually looked at a DL screen lately? I assure you that the ToA graphics and the DL graphics are worlds apart. Elemental's screens are a little on the DL side, but not nearly as bare so it's about on the right spot, given that it's still got two years in development at least before the basic game release.
Eh, a year and a half-I've seen some Feb 2010 numbers floating around.
Personally, I -have- looked at a DL screen lately. Which is why I'm so unimpressed by those screens, and hope they're not too current.
Heh, I actually really like those graphics. It reminds me of Valkyria Chronicles coming out on the PS3 this month. I'd say these are on par with GC2 (if not better), it's just a different art style.
EDIT: I'd like to see how they are in motion though. Could change my view.
I would rate them similarly. It's harder to do graphics for fantasy animation because it has to look organic. Ships and planets are much easier to skin and animate - just turn them around and zoom them off. In terms of technical skill for graphical rendering, I have to say that even ToA is no great accomplishment. It wouldn't surprise me to see something along the same (basement) level of graphical rendering. World of Goo is an excellent game, but it's not a graphical tour de force. I want Elemental to have the same focus.
The fact it is based on the Silmarillion has me really stoked for it to be honest. It was one of my favorite stories as a child - along with all the other JRRT stuff. I'm a big head on graphics but to be honest game play will always win the day. Let's hope it really rocks. I so miss MoM, MoO & SimC.
So where is that announcement?
I for one love the graphics and I know they can only get better with time. I want to see the big spells that we heard so much about.
In an ycase there is one thing we can all agree on is that we all trust Stardock and we all know how good they are. This will be great!!!
Blame gamespy for that, what's done is done
At first look it doesn't appeal to me but we'll see as more information is available. But I may just get it since this the name Stardock is involved
BTW: I really like the artistic style so far. It has that 70's fantasy graphic art pen and ink visual quality to it. A very elegant touch if done right to be sure - at least for an old timer like myself. It puts me in mind of the images of Alan Lee, Darrell Sweet & John Howe.
Now about the absence of death magic - WTF?
I guess Death magic is just life magic as a negative channeler
You just know it is slated for the x-pack.
Well, what is generally death magic? Giving life to dead and denying life to living Looks really like a twisted life magic.
BTW, do you know the background behind the Death goddess in Disciples and Disciples II ?
Consider them officially blamed!
Hey - this is still very cool, no matter how you slice it. Simultaneous development on Demigod, Sins, and now this one. Yeehah...
(Blamespy...)
I'm wondering if you could Conjure Fantastic Units, like in Masters of Magic, like for Life it would be cool to conjure Angels, and for for the Elements you could conjure elements, and monsters associated with those elements, like Dragons for fire, but if you use DnD for your inspiration for dragons then all the elements could have dragons, but you get the idea.
*sigh* The only sad part is that they announced a game that's not coming out for at least a year and 3 months. There's the beta early next year(which I'll probably buy/sign up for) but still....
https://www.elementalgame.com
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