I picked this game up recently during the Steam summer sale, but I've had my eye on it for a while. For this genre, I haven't had this much fun in a long time. I struggled through my first play-through, but for my second attempt I decided to record my progress:
And here is the playlist of where I am thus far: http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL1HbNiG5nGTekoOYaMLl8noyLYQlVkeZP
So what do you veterans have to say about the game? How does it hold up over multiple play-throughs?
I have been playing all the way from War of Magic to Fallen Enchantress and now Legendary Heroes. I have played hundreds of hours in the Elemental world through all these titles and two of the betas and still come back fro more. For me it holds up well to multiple play-throughs. I think my father has spent even more hours than I have but that is one of the perks of being retired for him; more time for gaming.
There is a lot of elements i really like about the game:
1) I really like the combat system. I am not a big warmonger, but this give me enough tactical combat without boggin me down.
2) I like how you can change the world with your magics.
3) Building armies i find a lot of fun and has a good element of customization while again not being too much.
but it has its weakness too.
1) The AI is pretty weak overall. I feel like i fight the monsters, not the other civs.
2) The building aspect is very shallow compared to other games.
3) The tech tree also feels pretty shallow.
So its a great game...but i wouldn't say best 4x game ever.
Quote;
"I have played hundreds of hours in the Elemental world through all these titles and two of the betas and still come back for more."
I guess "hundreds" could mean up to 999 hrs. I think I've put up into the thousands over the 3 versions. Whatever you paid for it was probably the best money you could have ever spent for a game.
Its a given that I was asleep for a few hours here and there at the computer, but come on! I haven't played a game this long since galciv. Its just the type of game we all want. Aint perfect, but who cares.
"best game ever?" is pretty subjective, but add my name to the list of people playing 1000+ hours and still playing. I'd say this is one of the Top 10 Best Strategy Games of all time.
Same here.
It has flaws certainly, but every game does.
Wow, if I was retired and had time to play this game non-stop, I would be so happy. So is playing through the world of Elemental a long standing tradition in your family?
That's kind of how I'm feeling right now too. A lot of the empire management strategy isn't as expansive as some other games have done, but the inclusion of heroes and the fantasy setting really does it for me. The whole is greater than the sum of it's parts.
So you are definitely a veteran of the world of Elemental, yes? And a big Stardock fan, no doubt.
And I'm definitely with you on it being not perfect, but it is the perfect game for me at this moment. Absolutely loving it.
Indeed. I guess what I should say is, does it have the potential to be the best game ever? For me at least, all the aspects of the game currently are very enjoyable and exactly what I like in a game. Perhaps more work here and there, and it would be the Rosetta Stone of video games.
Very true. It's the enjoyment I get out of the game that defines it's overall appeal to me, as it should be in every case.
I think they should ask only the people who have played more than 1,000 hours (doesn't include me) what they would add to the game or change in the game and then wouldn't that make it the best game ever...or as close as a game could possible get to it?
Probably not a bad idea, but I wonder the actual amount of players who have devoted that many hours into the game. It seems to be the case for almost everyone who has replied here.
'Best game ever' great topic title to start a heated argument or a thread full of nostalgia
Anyway, I love this game and have played hundreds of hours. Lately, I feel like I am done, though, because I have finished the game with my favorite faction (Resoln) and every time I start the game with a 'lesser' faction, it's just not as much fun and I quit after a while.
I guess I am ready for a new Elemental game
Well the good thing about this game, is that you can change stuff yourself somewhat easily, or download mods from other people to do it for you.
And good ideas can be hatched by anyone, people playing 1000 hours do not necessarily have better ideas than a rookie who have just finished his first game. (I would say it's less likely, cause they are more prone to be "set in their game" instead of experimenting anymore.)
It was definitely my intention to start a discussion, hopefully not too heated
In your opinion, what makes Resoln so much better than the 'lesser factions'?
Part of what drew me to the game in the first place was the fact that you could create your own heroes and factions, potentially adding to the re-playability. How often do you find yourself using the customization options to make the game world feel more diverse? I have yet to take advantage of these tools, but I'm curious if veteran players are utilizing them to in a sense create their own specialized version of Elemental.
I like the game a lot. I'd definitely put it in my top five strategy games, along with (off the top of my head) Civ 4, X-Com: Terror From The Deep, Heroes of Might and Magic 4, Medieval: Total War. It doesn't have the polish of, say, a Civ 4, but it's very absorbing, and I like the fantasy setting. I've put in over 150 hours on FE and pushing 200 hours FE:LH. The different factions really do play quite dramatically differently, much more so than in Civilization or Total War, and there are an almost overwhelming number of possibilities in terms of strategies (even if some of them seem to be much more likely to work than others). I think I've completed a game now with all the factions except Tarth, Kraxis and Yithril, and they all pose a different set of challenges, which immensely increases the replay value. The only one I'm not sure about is Tarth, which seems very weak, a sovereign damage bonus vs. beasts, unrest penalty and a special ability which only takes effect in small armies seems pretty rubbish to me. To be fair I haven't completed a game with Tarth, I assume they become more playable when you research bows etc. Even if Tarth is signficantly weaker, if I feel like a challenge, I know which faction to play!
I used to find the game too easy, and the idiocy of the AI was annoying, but this seems to be improving quite dramatically at the moment, I really noticed a step-up with 1.2. One of the most rewarding things about the game has been the continuous improvement, with Stardock responding directly to suggestions which have a good chance of appearing in the game within months or even weeks. I've not played a game before where that's been the case, and it increases the sense that there's something new to discover every time you start a new game. I would almost certainly have moved onto a different game by now if that was not the case.
Resoln isn't the best per se, I just happen to like magic. Pariden is equally magicky, but winning is too easy with them being a Kingdom.
So it is easier to win as Kingdom? Is this because Kingdom's are generally easier to play, or because you can make friends more easily?
I haven't been playing the game too long so I haven't been around to notice this, but it is definitely encouraging to hear that Stardock is working to improve this game still.
What exactly makes winning easier as kingdom? I am curious, because I am of the opposite belief (Sacrifice and Blood Rage giving Empire the edge)
I'm not saying kingdom is easier, but if it is i would attribute it to:
1) Faster growth through soverign's call.
2) Ability to use healing magic to keep key units alive.
I'm guessing you have a point really early, before death magic gets sick. (mass curse and stuff) But that is the fun of this game, you can make most stuff work. If I play Kingdoms my goto spell is Crusade, not healing (hello 15+ armies with 500+ HP)
teh tree and realm spells need more....
Tech tree has to become unreachable in all branches...
Choices have to have consequences in long term - relations, events....items...
I'd still like to have dragons grown from eggs to bigger ones and harder to get then it is..
Outposts need reworking...
It is not the best game ever.
Dominion 2 -3 are far more sophisticated on strategy map .( But you can not participate in combat there ,your task is only to provide generals
with 8 different type of magic crystals so they can use em for spell casting in combat plus you can assign position of your troops) .
Age of Wonder 2 has better combat system - tactical (speaking as nerd yes their strategy map allows more then two armies participate in tactical combat the troops in adjacent hexes also get involved ,but even so their tactical is better. This one tactical can surely compete only with atrociously simple combat system in Steve Falkners Warlords IV or HoMM 3 )
But all together it is an all right modern-take game . Its certainly far superior to another modern game HoMM 6
Exactly. Sovereign's call is the best city enchantment in the early game, easily as useful as inspiration and enchanted hammers combined.
As I said, I love magic, so I usually don't bother with trained troops. Instead I use a stack of doom with elementals and beasts. Without healing, those beasts will die at some point, however. Not a huge deal, but still.
Blood rage isn't as good as destiny's gift or celerity. Yes, I like initiative
Empires grow too slowly to use Sacrifice.
Empires do have one edge over Kingdoms: the chance to recruit the Gallowman. His consume spirit spell is basically an 'I win' button.
I have heard very good things about Age of Wonders from many different people. What do you think about the third one (in name, not in number) coming out within the year?
I never heard about it coming ,thanks for good news:)
They are , approximately, same as FE ,but they have three affiliations for 15 races - Good ,Neutral ,Evil . 2 races are extreme ones- one is Pure Good and another is Pure Evil . You can have different races in army but there is penalty for it according to affiliation. So while Orcs and Goblins or Dark Elves can be in one army with only minor penalty for morale getting a dwarf or elf together with evil races will result in desertion . Even Pure Good Archon can not be in one army with Human,Frostling,Tigran,Draconian ,Nomad who are Neutral .
Also some other minor difference like armies in adjacent hexes get involved in combat .
Units can only go up 2 levels
Maps can have an underground map level as in Heroes of Might&Magic (They had even the third map level Shadow World -a warped realm in their
Age of Wonders Shadow Magic,which is more developed version of Age of Wonders 2 )
Generally both games are inspired by Master of Magic- so they are related .
Am very positive .
I really like that SD continues to pour support into the product. They're continually improving like....like there is a certain element of pride involved in their workmanship. That sort of commitment doesn't exist in many places anymore. Sure, it costs customers extra to stay on board, but anything good is going to cost something...else it's too good to be true.
I can definately see this game, once it reaches it's rumored final 1.5 state, as being the 4x benchmark for many many years to come.
My 2 cents:
E:WOM was a bad game.
E:FE was a decent game.
E;LH is really quite a good game and the best to come out in this genre for quite a long time.
IMHO, LH is in the top 5.
I live for the day when someone is able to take the crown from Alpha Centauri.
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