Warlock 2 where you battle on shards. Seriously?

[W8taminute]

I've been reading up on Steam about Warlock 2 and I'm really turn off violently actually about the fact that the game is now played on shards.  Really?  Wasn't there some other magic strategy game where you battled on shards that was a dismal failure? 

Well I was really pumped about getting this game but this shard things is a colossal turn off for me.  Could those of you who have played the early access version comment?

Thanks  8)

[Steelgrave]

Honestly, I haven't seen anything about Warlock 2 that makes me want to buy it. I played Warlock through a couple of times, enjoyed it, then put it away for later. If I get the urge, I'll fire it up again, but War2 is leaving me cold so far.

[undercovergeek]

I haven't played but I think this maybe just semantics..... the campaign is split up into different world maps and they've used shards to demonstrate this..... if you read the rps play through or watch the let's play on YouTube you'll see it's just a function to desperate the map worlds, they could have said planets and you'd still want to buy it

[son_of_montfort]

Nope, UCG, you play a single campaign by traveling from shard to shard through magic portals. Actually, it works quite well, as each of the shards have different types of terrain that offer different benefits and challenges. For instance, in desert terrain you have less farming fertility, but you have certain natural resources open. In snow, again farming is hard, but you can get iron and donkeys for armor and donkey knights.

It all works together smoothly and the shards are fairly seamless. You just send your units through the magic portal and they enter into a new world. The shards are large enough to allow for fighting between factions but small enough to not be an entire CIV map each.

Not sure why the shards would be a huge turn off, it makes the game much more unique.

BTW, for those that DO want to purchase it, use the 20% off coupon at greenmangaming.com or Gamefly.com.

[undercovergeek]

Nope, UCG, you play a single campaign by traveling from shard to shard through magic portals. Actually, it works quite well, as each of the shards have different types of terrain that offer different benefits and challenges. For instance, in desert terrain you have less farming fertility, but you have certain natural resources open. In snow, again farming is hard, but you can get iron and donkeys for armor and donkey knights.

It all works together smoothly and the shards are fairly seamless. You just send your units through the magic portal and they enter into a new world. The shards are large enough to allow for fighting between factions but small enough to not be an entire CIV map each.

Not sure why the shards would be a huge turn off, it makes the game much more unique.

BTW, for those that DO want to purchase it, use the 20% off coupon at greenmangaming.com or Gamefly.com.

That sounds even better than I thought!

[Barthheart]

I think, if I read the blurbs right, there is a sandbox mode where you can battle it out on a large world with various terrain like the old one.... is this correct? Anyone got it yet?

Me, the shard thing turned me off as well. I'd probably never play the campaign mode... I think I'll pass or wait until it's really cheap... or someone here gives a better picture of what is really offered.

[Gusington]

WTF is a shard?

[Staggerwing]

A shard is a self-contained manifestation of a particular place, like another dimension. I know it has some kind of programing-lingo origin but I'm only familiar with it's use in online games. In the game Uru (part of the Myst franchise) a shard was a particular instance of the game running on a particular server.

[donkey_roxor]

WTF is a shard?

A shard is a self-contained manifestation of a particular place, like another dimension. I know it has some kind of programing-lingo origin but I'm only familiar with it's use in online games. In the game Uru (part of the Myst franchise) a shard was a particular instance of the game running on a particular server.

I think in this context it's supposed to be a smaller, broken-off piece of a once-larger world. Sometimes each shard is connected to other shards (other pieces of the same world) via portals and the like. Think Eador if you're familiar with it.

[Gusington]

From the above descriptions it sounds like an evolution of the underworld ideas from the original Warlock game.

[Staggerwing]

I think in this context it's supposed to be a smaller, broken-off piece of a once-larger world. Sometimes each shard is connected to other shards (other pieces of the same world) via portals and the like. Think Eador if you're familiar with it.

Thanks for the clarification. I'll have to check out Eador then. Hel, I'd not be surprised if it was already in my Steam or Gamersgate backlog...  ::)

[Nefaro]

The "shard" feature is just a replacement for the multiple planes/worlds in the first one, which people often didn't bother using.  Now they've just implemented them as progressive worlds to conquer on your way to ultimate victory.  So instead of being some optional sideshow you don't need to visit, you actually have to.

It's probably a good move because many felt that the extra planes in the first game were wasted or not worth the trouble.  I believe they attempted to make them more attractive in later updates but dunno if it was ever really successful.  At least with this new setup, we'll get a variety of environments in each campaign.  My only concern is how large each 'shard' map is because if they're too small then that would probably have an effect on the core gameplay.

[Silent Disapproval Robot]

Big turn off for me as well.  I hated the other planes in Warlock and avoided going through portals.  I'm going with the wait-and-see approach rather than early purchase for this one now.

[bbmike]

The campaign is played on shards. You can still play like Warlock 1 in sandbox mode. You are given the option to choose how to play when the game starts.

[Nefaro]

The campaign is played on shards. You can still play like Warlock 1 in sandbox mode. You are given the option to choose how to play when the game starts.

This. 

It has both options.