Official announcement (http://www.iceberg-games.com/index.php?dispatch=news.view&news_id=125) from publisher Iceberg Interactive:
QuoteBecome Supreme Ruler of Ancient China in Oriental Empires (PC)
Iceberg Interactive to Publish 4x Strategy Game Oriental Empires, Coming to Steam Early Access Mid-2015.
Haarlem, The Netherlands – April 16th, 2015 – Publisher Iceberg Interactive is excited to announce that they have signed a worldwide publishing deal for the epic 4x strategy game Oriental Empires (PC). The game is currently set for a Summer 2015 Early Access debut on the Steam Platform.
Development of Oriental Empires is being led by R.T. Smith and John Carline, two veteran strategy game developers with more than 30 years' experience between them. Previously they worked together on the Total War series of games, in roles including Project Director and Lead Artist, and have credits on many other AAA titles from studios including Crystal Dynamics, Pandemic, Frontier Developments, and Slightly Mad Studios.
Oriental Empires is a turn based 4X style civilization-building game set in ancient China. It will feature both single player campaigns as well as a multiplayer mode. Oriental Empires covers the period from earliest recorded history, until the widespread adoption of firearms (roughly 1500 BC to 1500 AD) and aims to realistically depict the world of ancient China, with a focus on the unique aspects of that civilization. This extremely deep strategy game includes both an historic scenario on a realistic period map of China, and skirmish-style scenarios on random or user generated maps.
"We are extremely pleased to be involved in the upcoming release of Oriental Empires; it really is such a beautiful, deep and elaborate game that we can't possibly list all of its intriguing features in one press release. There are also many detailed future plans for DLC, user generated content and other additions, so this game is going to be around for a long, long time. Gamers can rejoice and get their first taste of a very complex and compelling strategy game come the Early Access release this Summer. If you love strategy games, you can't afford to miss out on this one!", says Erik Schreuder, CEO at Iceberg Interactive.
"We are delighted to be working with Iceberg Interactive, and very excited to finally announce our project Oriental Empires, which we have been quietly developing for some time", says R.T. Smith speaking on behalf of the developers.
About Oriental Empires
Step into the world of the ancient Orient. Control a city or tribe from the dawn of Chinese history, and turn it into a great empire. Develop your land, create great cities, raise huge armies and fight epic wars. Advance your technology, culture and religion to create one of mankind's great civilizations. All the action takes place on one spectacular game map that brings to life the mountains, forests, plains and deserts of China. Zoom in close to review your troops and see your peasants toiling, or zoom out for a strategic overview. Plan your battles, end your turn, and then watch as your armies obey your orders, with hundreds of soldiers battling right on the game map.
Key Features
• Start out as a single nation or tribe, starting from humble beginnings with a single settlement and expand your empire and develop your culture with the aim of becoming the universally recognized Son of Heaven and ruler of the world.
• Persuade the other factions to recognize you as such by either military force, or by diplomatic persuasion.
• Play as one of 16 different factions each with their own special bonuses or penalties.
• Vast beautifully rendered map featuring an attractive and authentic depiction of the landscape of China and Mongolia.
• Large scale battles with hundreds or thousands of soldiers, depicted in detail right on the game map. Watch skilled armies and reinforcements go to battle, according to the battle orders and formations set by the player.
• Fully animated 3D models, with variations in face and clothing for each model, including infantry, cavalry, chariot and artillery units, as well as naval forces.
• Long seamless zoom range lets you step right into the game world or zoom out for a strategic overview.
• Develop your settlements by constructing buildings and developing the landscape around them, build markets and ports to enable trade by land and water.
• Elaborate research tree including technology as well as cultural, philosophical and religious developments.
• Many other elements will determine the outcome of you quest for dominance such as Leaders, Sieges, Unrest and Rebellion, and Authority and Culture ratings.
• As Emperor, set edicts, laws and decrees to balance power and move into a glorious new Era, with new technologies and military units that change the game!
It should be noted that R. T. Smith was the lead designer for the original
Medieval Total War and the lead developer for
Armada 2526. Given my love for those two games, combined with my interest in ancient/feudal China, has me pretty damn excited for this one. 8)
Ah...i've been ninja'd!!! Just wanted to report this O0
Looks sort of like a combination between Civ 5, Endless Legend, and Total War...
(https://www.grogheads.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi1108.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fh412%2FRotarrin%2FGame%2520screenies%2FOE%2520-%25201_zpswc55g4lz.jpg&hash=b704f423fe14094f7003699abfa8c1dd7a8c76f7)
(https://www.grogheads.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi1108.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fh412%2FRotarrin%2FGame%2520screenies%2FOE%2520-%25203_zpsgcmtboiq.jpg&hash=ad89479768f5fba6a4129f221c9135eb3b542ed8)
(https://www.grogheads.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi1108.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fh412%2FRotarrin%2FGame%2520screenies%2FOE%2520-%25202_zpsgyglbtbh.jpg&hash=6fc87e7e0008bfed31bb63fc1e881cf43e8d95f6)
Quote from: Anguille on April 16, 2015, 02:25:52 PM
Ah...i've been ninja'd!!! Just wanted to report this O0
I figured it was going to be a race between the two of us as to who would be the first to post the news. :P
Quote from: Martok on April 16, 2015, 02:28:34 PM
Quote from: Anguille on April 16, 2015, 02:25:52 PM
Ah...i've been ninja'd!!! Just wanted to report this O0
I figured it was going to be a race between the two of us as to who would be the first to post the news. :P
You're the best!
Anyway this is day one purchase for me :D
Thanks for the post Martok. Looks to be one to follow. I confess to be totally ignorant of ancient China and all it's history.
Looks pretty sweet, but did they bite off more than they can chew? If the underlying Civ game isn't good, the TW-looking battles will be pointless.
In.
Quote from: glen55 on April 16, 2015, 02:47:29 PM
Looks pretty sweet, but did they bite off more than they can chew? If the underlying Civ game isn't good, the TW-looking battles will be pointless.
The civ part of Medieval TW, Shogun TW and Armada 2526 worked really well....i am not worried. ;)
O Rearrry?
This could be good... if it's not like Armada 2526.
Quote from: Nefaro on April 16, 2015, 02:57:23 PM
O Rearrry?
This could be good... if it's not like Armada 2526.
Heresy....
Armada 2526 is almost perfect ;)
Quote from: Anguille on April 16, 2015, 03:00:33 PM
Quote from: Nefaro on April 16, 2015, 02:57:23 PM
O Rearrry?
This could be good... if it's not like Armada 2526.
Heresy....Armada 2526 is almost perfect ;)
Blech!
:P
Wow. Looks superb!
Quote from: Nefaro on April 16, 2015, 03:03:59 PM
Quote from: Anguille on April 16, 2015, 03:00:33 PM
Quote from: Nefaro on April 16, 2015, 02:57:23 PM
O Rearrry?
This could be good... if it's not like Armada 2526.
Heresy....Armada 2526 is almost perfect ;)
Blech!
:P
Seriously, for Armada 2526 he was alone leading the project....now there's a big team...it's going to be great!
Quote from: Sir Slash on April 16, 2015, 02:31:44 PM
Thanks for the post Martok. Looks to be one to follow. I confess to be totally ignorant of ancient China and all it's history.
In truth, I don't know a great deal myself. However, the little I do know fascinates me.
Quote from: glen55 on April 16, 2015, 02:47:29 PM
Looks pretty sweet, but did they bite off more than they can chew? If the underlying Civ game isn't good, the TW-looking battles will be pointless.
The strategic/empire-management side of Armada 2526 is one of the best (and maybe *the* best) I've ever seen in a strategy title. If OE's game design is even remotely similar -- and I believe it is -- then I'm not concerned. :)
bugger - must buy here too. I think i have bought all his games over the years
registering interest in this game hence my post here to keep this thread on my radar. It looks like the setting is pre Han dynasty so no Cao Cao or Liu Bei. I'm going to have to learn some new historical Chinese names now. 8)
Anything Oriental is good for me.
Someone has overheard my gaming prayers.
Hmm, that looks awfully nice. :)
Logging in because I like to buy nice shineys with money I shouldn't spend and then complain about not having time to play them. Medieval would have been more my preference, in part due to my cultural ignorance, but I suppose this keeps them from getting some lame copyright suit from CA.
Right. They could call it, "Not Medieval Total War". Or, "Medieval Chinese Not Totally At War". Or they could just change the setting to Middle-Earth and call it anything they want. :coolsmiley:
Totally Middle Kingdom ?
Hey Total War had a chance to do China and they did Rome again. I say let the new guys have their chance!
Looks pretty tasty to me. :P
I won't be able to resist early accessing this one.
This Chinese take-out will last longer than 20 min. ;D
Just a heads-up: The battles are *not* manually-controlled. Here's what Smith (the lead developer) had to say about the game's combat system on Explorminate's forums:
Quote from: NeutronHello everyone
Thanks for your interest in the game, I'm one of the developers, and I'd like to explain a bit more about the battle system.
All the battles take place in real time right on the campaign map. You don't directly control them, but instead set up your formations and give basic orders during your turn, then at the end of the turn the computer moves all the troops and fights battles where forces collide. The battles take 1 - 2 minutes of real time to resolve, but you can fast forward too. This system has a number of advantages
- All the visual excitement of a big TW style battle, without all the tedious clicking and loading screens.
- Puts the emphasis on force composition, position and tactics
- Makes the game play faster,
- No need to choose whether to fight a boring one sided battle, or take unnecessary losses in auto-resolve.
- Battles work the same way for single and mutliplayer
Personally, I'm just fine with this, as I've never been a big fan of Armada's combat model, and it's on the strategic side of the game where Smith's design abilities really shine anyway. But I wanted to mention it for those who like to fight their battles manually.
Quote from: Gusington on April 17, 2015, 07:43:18 AM
I won't be able to resist early accessing this one.
Same here, man. I'll be grabbing this one the first day it's available. O:-)
A couple more screenies:
(https://www.grogheads.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi1108.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fh412%2FRotarrin%2FGame%2520screenies%2FOE%2520-%25204_zpsj0u3akhx.jpg&hash=5bbd8ff433045edc17985617d80995899c2672ab)
(https://www.grogheads.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi1108.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fh412%2FRotarrin%2FGame%2520screenies%2FOE%2520-%25205_zpsdlysu4da.jpg&hash=a88149bc4d79ca418de008c3c8959b731d02ea2e)
Interesting...
It's fine for me...planning is always one of the best part (and it was crucial in games like Spartan).
@Martok: where did you get this information from? EDIT: found it. O0
*sigh* My wishlist just got bumped +1 :smitten:
Ooookay. Looks like a pretty interesting title. I will monitor this one.
No tactical control? My interest just went to zero.
Mine went up. It sounds like Civ battles just on an uber mega scale.
Count me in with this one. It looks fantastic. RT Smith is a veteran designer. I doubt this will let anyone down. O0
Quote from: Gusington on April 17, 2015, 01:38:56 PM
Mine went up. It sounds like Civ battles just on an uber mega scale.
you had me at 'militia dagger axeman'
Interface looks like it belongs in a Space 4X.
Combat sounds like what Civ should have been doing three releases ago.
Quote from: Martok on April 17, 2015, 11:01:53 AM
Just a heads-up: The battles are *not* manually-controlled. Here's what Smith (the lead developer) had to say about the game's combat system on Explorminate's forums:
Quote from: NeutronHello everyone
Thanks for your interest in the game, I'm one of the developers, and I'd like to explain a bit more about the battle system.
All the battles take place in real time right on the campaign map. You don't directly control them, but instead set up your formations and give basic orders during your turn, then at the end of the turn the computer moves all the troops and fights battles where forces collide. The battles take 1 - 2 minutes of real time to resolve, but you can fast forward too. This system has a number of advantages
- All the visual excitement of a big TW style battle, without all the tedious clicking and loading screens.
- Puts the emphasis on force composition, position and tactics
- Makes the game play faster,
- No need to choose whether to fight a boring one sided battle, or take unnecessary losses in auto-resolve.
- Battles work the same way for single and mutliplayer
Personally, I'm just fine with this, as I've never been a big fan of Armada's combat model, and it's on the strategic side of the game where Smith's design abilities really shine anyway. But I wanted to mention it for those who like to fight their battles manually.
Quote from: Gusington on April 17, 2015, 07:43:18 AM
I won't be able to resist early accessing this one.
Same here, man. I'll be grabbing this one the first day it's available. O:-)
A game that focuses more on pre-planning than micromanagement is welcome.
^That should be the tagline for the game.
I'm actually ok with no control over tactical battles. I've often thought that CK2 would totally rock with a bit more fidelity to the combats that take place.
An interview with Bob Smith:
http://www.matchstickeyes.com/2015/06/15/oriental-empires-qa-with-bob-smith/
Some cool/interesting tidbits in there. Sounds like there will randomly-generated campaign maps in addition to the historical maps, so good for replayability. O0
My favorite bit was probably this, though:
Quote
6. Besides the setting, what other innovations do you plan to bring to the strategy genre?
The two largest features are the battles as mentioned above, and the ability to seamlessly zoom from a strategic overview, to a really close up view where you can see your peasants toiling in the fields, or watch your soldiers fighting in combat. The ability to step right into the game world in this way really adds a huge extra level of immersion that might not be apparent until you try it.
There are some other features that are interesting too. There are no recruitment queues for armies; instead a realistic model is used whereby you can muster as many men as you have available. The game also models two of the main driving conflicts of Chinese society, that between the peasants and the nobles, and that between the farmers and the nomads. So the unrest level of peasants and nobles is tracked separately, and decisions you make that will please one group may annoy the other. Similarly food production is handled differently for farmers, and nomads who depend on their animals, giving them different development dynamics.
Now for someone like me who values immersion in his games so much, that seamless zoom sounds like something I'll use quite a bit. :smitten: Trying to maintain a balance between the nobles & peasants, and the farmers & nomads also sounds intriguing.
Quote from: jomni on April 17, 2015, 09:06:06 PM
Quote from: Martok on April 17, 2015, 11:01:53 AM
Just a heads-up: The battles are *not* manually-controlled. Here's what Smith (the lead developer) had to say about the game's combat system on Explorminate's forums:
Quote from: NeutronHello everyone
Thanks for your interest in the game, I'm one of the developers, and I'd like to explain a bit more about the battle system.
All the battles take place in real time right on the campaign map. You don't directly control them, but instead set up your formations and give basic orders during your turn, then at the end of the turn the computer moves all the troops and fights battles where forces collide. The battles take 1 - 2 minutes of real time to resolve, but you can fast forward too. This system has a number of advantages
- All the visual excitement of a big TW style battle, without all the tedious clicking and loading screens.
- Puts the emphasis on force composition, position and tactics
- Makes the game play faster,
- No need to choose whether to fight a boring one sided battle, or take unnecessary losses in auto-resolve.
- Battles work the same way for single and mutliplayer
Personally, I'm just fine with this, as I've never been a big fan of Armada's combat model, and it's on the strategic side of the game where Smith's design abilities really shine anyway. But I wanted to mention it for those who like to fight their battles manually.
Quote from: Gusington on April 17, 2015, 07:43:18 AM
I won't be able to resist early accessing this one.
Same here, man. I'll be grabbing this one the first day it's available. O:-)
A game that focuses more on pre-planning than micromanagement is welcome.
More than welcome.
Thanks for the link Martok! O0
I keep forgetting to post this, but Explorminate did an interview in a podcast with Smith (http://explorminate4x.com/2015/07/07/interview-with-bob-smith-of-oriental-empires/) regarding the game. His speaking style is very dry (which I'd previously noticed in old interviews for Armada 2526), but he does divulge some additional details.
Unfortunately, he was also noncommittal (when asked) about making Armada 2527. :( Poop.
Thanks for posting Martok. Can't wait for this to come out!
Any release date yet?
Quote from: article
Players don't directly control their units in battle, but can set formations and battle plans beforehand. Battles generally only last a minute or two, so the game moves along faster than games where you have to fight each battle on a separate tactical map, and you never have to choose between fighting a dull battle and taking your chances with the auto-resolve.
I don't mind the battles being out of your hands with some games, if the rest of it is good and you have some input as to tactics to be used, as mentioned for this one in the interview. I thought it worked well to keep the game moving along in
Spartan (best of that series - when will there be a sequel, again?).
Dunno about you guys, but I end up just auto-resolving about half of my Total War battles; when too lop-sided or I don't feel like doing one of the naval battles which usually aren't that fun IMO.
Hopefully this title doesn't end up being too much like Civ, other than being a grand strategy covering a long period of history.
Quote from: tgb on July 19, 2015, 09:39:51 PM
Any release date yet?
Quote from: article
Oriental Empires is due for an Early Access release in summer 2015.
Some elements sound like Romance of the Three Kingdoms and Nobunagas Ambition to me. That is if they put in generals and personalities.
Quote from: tgb on July 19, 2015, 09:39:51 PM
Any release date yet?
Nothing as far as a final release date, no. For now, they're just going with the "it'll be ready when it's ready" spiel.
Quote from: jomni on July 19, 2015, 10:04:41 PM
Some elements sound like Romance of the Three Kingdoms and Nobunagas Ambition to me. That is if they put in generals and personalities.
It sounds like there will be. 8)
Early access release date is supposed to be right now (summer 2015)...but I haven't read anything lately.
Re: sequel to Spartan (aside from Gates of Troy, presumably ;) ) -- the History Channel licensed game Egypt: Engineering an Empire is essentially Chariots of War (a predecessor to Spart/GoT) brought up to standard. So it kind of counts.
After Spart/Got, there was going to be a Legion 2, but work on polishing the rt combat led to a series of sequels with practically no strategic layer, the most recent of which was another History Channel licensed game (with FMV from various series) Great Battles Medieval -- which helped lead Matrixlitherine's charge onto mobile devices eventually. But they developed the real-time engine to a point where you were expected to give commands in a sort of Total-War-ish way. The predecessor, Great Battles Rome, was a semi-reskin of their Legions: Arena (minus the fantasy expansion), where battles are mostly hands-off as in Spart/GoT, CharWar, and the original Legion game.
{inhale}
Which you may have known already, but just in case. :) I haven't heard or seen anything indicating they're going to update any of the original games in that series, beyond what Engineering an Empire did (which wasn't much). :-\
Quote from: Gusington on July 20, 2015, 04:51:09 PM
Early access release date is supposed to be right now (summer 2015)...but I haven't read anything lately.
From what Smith said in the podcast interview, it sounded like they were getting pretty close. He didn't want to commit to a specific date yet, but I suspect we'll see an announcement fairly soon.
I'm on this like stink on a baboon.
Not sure about the baboon, but I am in as well....
Quote from: JasonPratt on July 21, 2015, 07:47:56 AM
Which you may have known already, but just in case. :)
Yep, I knew. ;)
Actually picked up
Egypt: EaE quite awhile back. Interesting little game, but it was just that: little. Obviously made for tablet, the scale wasn't all that large/expansive.
QuoteI haven't heard or seen anything indicating they're going to update any of the original games in that series, beyond what Engineering an Empire did (which wasn't much). :-\
Me neither. That's why I keep bringing it up on occasion. A Legion 2 or Spartan 2, with an updated system, would make me happy. Not enough modern turn-based grand strategy for pre-20th century historical periods out there.
Well lookie what popped up on Steam. Oriental Empires is going early access.
http://store.steampowered.com/app/357310
If I had my druthers id rather this had been Medieval Europe instead of Ancient China but o well.
Anyone else interested?
Very interested....although I thought the post would indicate available now versus first quarter next year:( will keep on radar and thanks for heads up.
Going to pass by their Early Access Alpha next quarter. :P
But the screenies sure look nice. :smitten:
looks super, that and whtw next year is looking good already
Thanks....really looking forward to.this one!
Here's the trailer for anyone who can't be arsed to hunt for the link:
Quote from: Grim.Reaper on December 07, 2015, 09:24:05 AM
Very interested....although I thought the post would indicate available now versus first quarter next year:( will keep on radar and thanks for heads up.
From what I've read, a major reason Iceberg delayed releasing it on Early-Access was so that the game would be a lot less buggy and (hopefully) closer to feature-complete. Apparently they were heavily impressed (and influenced) by Amplitude's
Endless Legends while it was in "beta", and felt that OE should be in similar condition before it's made available to the public.
For better or worse (probably better, but only time will tell), I think more and more future games released on Early-Access will be much closer to being a "release-candidate" state than a true "beta".
Very excited even if i am not sure my computer can handle it as well as i wish (recommends 8GB Ram and some other things)...we'll see.
I like what I see. But does this mean all factions are homogenous?
Hard to tell now but the accmpanying text does say that there are 15 factions included and going by the pedigree of the developers I really doubt they would make them homogenous.
Quote from: jomni on December 08, 2015, 12:49:58 AM
I like what I see. But does this mean all factions are homogenous?
This is what Neutron told me once:
QuoteIt's a historical game, so you can't expect the same sort of factional differences as in a sci-fi or fantasy game. You can play as a nomad faction though, which is a bit different to playing as a farming faction. Haven't decided what to do about the Mongols yet. They don't appear under that name until very late in the game, so would seem odd to have them as a starting faction. You can play their predecessors the Xiabei, and the later barbarian soldier models are very Mongol inspired.
QuoteThe initial release includes several non Chinese peoples, but the map doesn't include Tibet or the far south of China. These will be added later
I gather that development choices will create heterogenity among the factions over time.
Quote from: JasonPratt on December 08, 2015, 11:27:49 AM
I gather that development choices will create heterogenity among the factions over time.
That was more or less my take as well.
Historically, Chinese neighbours also want to become Chinese. ;)
^^But clearly some who weren't ethnic Han Chinese didn't, like the Hsiung Nu, the Vietnamese, Jurchens, Koreans (of various groups), Turkic peoples near the Tarim basin, the Mongols, Tibetans, Japanese etc... (just saying... for balance ;) :P)
Anyway, if they all liked the Chinese, who would you have to fight? ;D
I'm hungry.
Quote from: Gusington on December 09, 2015, 08:30:03 PM
I'm hungry.
Chinese curry, Chow Mein and General T'Ang's Special Mongolian Fried Beef in Peking Sauce is highly recommended... ;D ;)
Quote from: Boggit on December 09, 2015, 07:27:05 PM
^^But clearly some who weren't ethnic Han Chinese didn't, like the Hsiung Nu, the Vietnamese, Jurchens, Koreans (of various groups), Turkic peoples near the Tarim basin, the Mongols, Tibetans, Japanese etc... (just saying... for balance ;) :P)
Anyway, if they all liked the Chinese, who would you have to fight? ;D
They like Chinese culture, not the Chinese themselves. So they still would fight.
But all neighbours would adopt aspects of Chinese culture in one way or another.
Joseon Korea thought they're the only Civilized (Confucian) nation left after the fall of the Ming.
The Manchu continued to rule China in the Chinese way during the Qing Dynasty.
Quote from: Boggit on December 09, 2015, 08:51:31 PM
Quote from: Gusington on December 09, 2015, 08:30:03 PM
I'm hungry.
Chinese curry, Chow Mein and General T'Ang's Special Mongolian Fried Beef in Peking Sauce is highly recommended... ;D ;)
Kung Pao Chicken! Not as awesome as the name.
I see in the original article this was supposed to be released earlier in 2015. Anyone know the status of game development now? It looks cool, and I love games that push me into new geography/historical environments...great learning experiences. :)
Quote from: davidshq on December 30, 2015, 10:31:44 PM
I see in the original article this was supposed to be released earlier in 2015. Anyone know the status of game development now? It looks cool, and I love games that push me into new geography/historical environments...great learning experiences. :)
I believe the best we know is that plan calls for release to early access sometime in the first quarter of 2016....
Thanks Grim! I'll be eagerly awaiting this!
There's a new, longer trailer up on Explorminate. Looks pretty snazzy:
http://explorminate.net/2016/01/13/oriental-empires-exclusive-trailer/
Quote from: Martok on January 13, 2016, 03:18:59 PM
There's a new, longer trailer up on Explorminate. Looks pretty snazzy:
http://explorminate.net/2016/01/13/oriental-empires-exclusive-trailer/
An impressive trailer...!
Oh, and another faction spotlight is now up (Iceberg has released a few of these over the last month or so):
This is one of the few PC games I've been looking forward to. Just curious as to how varied the factions are, though.
Also.. the combat unit animations in that new trailer vid stutter quite a bit. Hope they iron that out before release.
The faction previews are too much of a tease. No real substance revealed.
^I noticed that stutter too.
But I do like the differences between the introduced factions so far. I just gorged myself on all the faction spotlights, but I'll probably be hungry for more in an hour.
Quote from: Gusington on January 13, 2016, 08:03:06 PM
I just gorged myself on all the faction spotlights, but I'll probably be hungry for more in an hour.
(https://www.grogheads.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Forig11.deviantart.net%2F4a11%2Ff%2F2010%2F156%2F3%2F0%2Ffacepalm_by_rolzor.gif&hash=b3076c115a6be5164b1574df8363384422837858)
ba-dong-tsss
Goin' to the well for that one, Gussifer Xiansheng. :crazy2:
(https://www.grogheads.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fserver9.fusednetwork.com%2F%7Erobhueni%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2009%2F10%2Fyou-may-be-hungry-soon-text-sm.jpg&hash=a4ea6199d873390a0c72fc8f221bdb12bfb1df52)
Most anticipated game for me this year, most beautiful map design I ever saw, I think I wont be able to resist getting the EA as well.
Me too. Interested in Asian-themed games. And I'm not familiar with this time period so I need to do some reading.
One of the two instant-buy games for this year....very much looking forward to this...and if it sells well, there's the promise of very interesting DLCs (other asian empires/kingdoms)....could be a game of the decade.
The faction spotlights are ok but i would have liked more visuals (troops, buildings etc).
I am really hoping for expansions to Mongolia, Japan, Korea...makes me giddy just thinking about it.
If anyone picks up some good reading titles on similar eras please post.
Wishlisted on Steam to keep an eye on it. This looks good, but the "Early Access" release date of Q1 2016 makes me hope it's not buggy as hell when it comes out.
Quote from: Banzai_Cat on January 14, 2016, 11:11:25 AM
Wishlisted on Steam to keep an eye on it. This looks good, but the "Early Access" release date of Q1 2016 makes me hope it's not buggy as hell when it comes out.
Iceberg delayed release of the game going into EA specifically so that wouldn't happen, so I'm cautiously optimistic that won't be the case.
However, as I plan to grab the game almost as soon as it's available, I'll try and post my thoughts here and let you know one way or the other. (I suspect
Anguille will likely do the same, but I won't presume to speak for him.) :)
Quote from: Martok on January 14, 2016, 04:17:08 PM
Quote from: Banzai_Cat on January 14, 2016, 11:11:25 AM
Wishlisted on Steam to keep an eye on it. This looks good, but the "Early Access" release date of Q1 2016 makes me hope it's not buggy as hell when it comes out.
Iceberg delayed release of the game going into EA specifically so that wouldn't happen, so I'm cautiously optimistic that won't be the case.
However, as I plan to grab the game almost as soon as it's available, I'll try and post my thoughts here and let you know one way or the other. (I suspect Anguille will likely do the same, but I won't presume to speak for him.) :)
I will too... ;)
What I'd like to see is if they will incorporate different Chinese schools of thought / philosophies that influence your faction's culture and government bureaucracy (Confucianism, Taoism, Legalism, Mohism). Choose to adopt one over the other and you get benefits and penalties. Or if they are already embedded / pre-assigned to the different factions.
Eunuch Command Simulator.
:2funny:
Quote from: jomni on January 15, 2016, 02:23:04 AM
What I'd like to see is if they will incorporate different Chinese schools of thought / philosophies that influence your faction's culture and government bureaucracy (Confucianism, Taoism, Legalism, Mohism). Choose to adopt one over the other and you get benefits and penalties. Or if they are already embedded / pre-assigned to the different factions.
Great question,
jomni! I'll ask.
For those who don't know.
Confucianism = moral authority
Taoism = mysticism
Legalism = dictatorship
Mohism = science and engineering
Hi guys, Surtur here, currently working as a producer on Oriental Empires for Iceberg. Let me know if can answer any questions for you guys.
So far development is going well, though we cannot disclose a release date yet.
Cheers,
Surtur
Quote from: Surtur on January 18, 2016, 06:07:50 AM
Hi guys, Surtur here, currently working as a producer on Oriental Empires for Iceberg. Let me know if can answer any questions for you guys.
So far development is going well, though we cannot disclose a release date yet.
Cheers,
Surtur
Only question is....when is early access so you can accept our money? But I know you said you couldn't say:) Any chance of a hint whether February, March, April, etc. ?
Sorry, I am not at liberty to disclose anything related to release date.
What I can answer though, is all kinds of stuff related to gameply etc.
So you start during the Shang Dynasty?
Indeed, the game starts about 1500BC which historically was during the Chang Dynasty. Note though that while the different factions start at the historically correct geographical locations, the map is not fully prepopulated. As at the beginning of the game, everybody typically starts with a single town and just a couple of units.
What about this earlier question from
jomni?
Quote from: jomni on January 15, 2016, 02:23:04 AM
What I'd like to see is if they will incorporate different Chinese schools of thought / philosophies that influence your faction's culture and government bureaucracy (Confucianism, Taoism, Legalism, Mohism). Choose to adopt one over the other and you get benefits and penalties. Or if they are already embedded / pre-assigned to the different factions.
Ahh sorry.
So the way it is currently, these schools of thought are reflected in the research tree and they mostly provide culture and authority bonusses that will help you keep your people happy and expand your influence. Research consists of 4 categories and "Thought" is one of them.
Quote from: Surtur on January 18, 2016, 08:52:25 AM
Indeed, the game starts about 1500BC which historically was during the Chang Dynasty. Note though that while the different factions start at the historically correct geographical locations, the map is not fully prepopulated. As at the beginning of the game, everybody typically starts with a single town and just a couple of units.
So just like Civ. It will be a sandbox and results don't pan out historiclally. I guess the map can be random too. ;D
Will there be historical start option? I.e. Warring States Period, Three Kingdoms, various dynasties, etc?
The start can be compared a bit with Civ yes, though at the moment, there is only the historical map, a (really!) huge and acurate map of China. There is no historical start option planned for the Early Access release.
How deep with city-building be? Very detailed or just basic? Will the tech trees be complex?
There is quite a bit to the city management, although you can automate a bit if you are not into it. Basically each city has a number of building slots that can be used and you can upgrade your cities to aquire more. These buildings can be market squares, city walls, factories etc. In addition there are terrain improvements outside of the city that the city folk have to work to get. This can be creating new farm land, clearing wooded areas, setting up a road network and building mines and harbours at designated locations. These buildings and improvements require no building slots, as they are created outside of the city.
Another thing to note is that the cities consists of both nobles and common folk and you will have to keep both happy (make them feel secure etc.) to keep the city under control.
Sounds fairly meaty. O0
Regarding cities, will the player be encouraged to specialize them in any way (finance, food, administration, etc.)? And is there any sort of mechanism(s) in place to prevent/limit city "spam"?
Yes to both.
From very early on, you will find that there are more potential buildings than there are slots. So specialization is indeed a must.
As to city spamming. The obvious mechanism to prevent this is by population numbers, as recruiting settlers costs population. In addition, there is the authority mechanic. Basically the more authority you have (gained from technologies, winning battles etc.), the more cities you can control. It is not a hard limit, but controlling more than your authority allows for can cause unrest.
Are there events and quests?
Quote from: Surtur on January 19, 2016, 07:26:32 AM
Yes to both.
From very early on, you will find that there are more potential buildings than there are slots. So specialization is indeed a must.
As to city spamming. The obvious mechanism to prevent this is by population numbers, as recruiting settlers costs population. In addition, there is the authority mechanic. Basically the more authority you have (gained from technologies, winning battles etc.), the more cities you can control. It is not a hard limit, but controlling more than your authority allows for can cause unrest.
Sweet. 8)
Sounds good Surtur, thank you.
sounds a lot deeper than i imagined
^...
<tgb sits and waits silently for a release date to appear on the Steam page>
Really looking forward to this title now. Thanks for the info Surtur.
Quote from: Martok on January 19, 2016, 10:57:15 AM
Quote from: Surtur on January 19, 2016, 07:26:32 AM
Yes to both.
From very early on, you will find that there are more potential buildings than there are slots. So specialization is indeed a must.
As to city spamming. The obvious mechanism to prevent this is by population numbers, as recruiting settlers costs population. In addition, there is the authority mechanic. Basically the more authority you have (gained from technologies, winning battles etc.), the more cities you can control. It is not a hard limit, but controlling more than your authority allows for can cause unrest.
Sweet. 8)
I like the sound of "Authority" as the ancient Chinese go by the logic of "Mandate of Heaven" (Divine right to rule). And even the "kings" of the independent states of the Zhou Dynasty are just actually given the right to rule an area of land by the Zhou King. Thou the Zhou King ended up as a figure head but still the official Divine Ruler until the Spring Autumn and Warring States Period where the independent Kings declared they are equal and battled for ultimate supremacy.
I'm interested about the diplomacy. How the relationships of states are done, and do they feature the hierarchy above, feudal vassalage, or tributary relationships.
Quote from: jomni on January 19, 2016, 08:38:20 AM
Are there events and quests?
There are no quests etc and no scripted events like we know from games like Europa Universalis. There are Edicts though, which are events/effects you can trigger yourself (think a bit like Ageod). Also there are rebelions/civil wars etc. Especially when your faction leader dies.
As for diplomacy, you can have protectorates that serve you once you are kicking some ass (the AI will actually offer to be your protectorate if it thinks it will get destroyed otherwhise). In addition, you can have other clans acknowledge you as the emperor.
Is there any sort of naval component?
Quote from: Gusington on January 20, 2016, 10:52:31 AM
Is there any sort of naval component?
Yes. Each developer has a belly button. O:-)
Quote from: Gusington on January 20, 2016, 10:52:31 AM
Is there any sort of naval component?
Here is a direct quote from a developer......
"Yes there will be naval battles, that will work in the same way as land battles. Work on these won't start until after Early Access release though, so I can't say too much, other than that they're planned to be in the game".
Incidentally,
jomni, Bob Smith did answer your earlier question:
Quote from: jomni on January 15, 2016, 02:23:04 AM
What I'd like to see is if they will incorporate different Chinese schools of thought / philosophies that influence your faction's culture and government bureaucracy (Confucianism, Taoism, Legalism, Mohism). Choose to adopt one over the other and you get benefits and penalties. Or if they are already embedded / pre-assigned to the different factions.
His response:
QuoteThe Chinese practiced all of these simultaneously, so it wouldn't be fair to make you pick one. So they're actually represented in the game by having you build temples and schools in cities. You can only have one type in each cities, but different cities can have different types. They'll have local effects, and also faction development effects which depend on the proportions you have of each.
http://www.orientalempires.com/forum/index.php?topic=24.msg208#msg208
He also linked to a historical documentary on China that covers a lot the period(s) the game incorporates:
I watched Red Cliff this morning which reignited my interest in this period. Not a bad film at all (Dir. John Woo) set in the time of the 3 Kingdoms - Cao Cao, Liu Bei, Sun Quan etc are all represented, and some nice battle scenes.
2000 BC...wow.
Quote from: Gusington on January 20, 2016, 03:28:36 PM
2000 BC...wow.
There may be a couple old geezers around here who can regale you with stories about how it was back then.
Cue bob and Windi in 3...2...1...
I think Windy's retirement party was in 2000 BC.
Quote from: Martok on January 20, 2016, 02:59:16 PM
Incidentally, jomni, Bob Smith did answer your earlier question:
Quote from: jomni on January 15, 2016, 02:23:04 AM
What I'd like to see is if they will incorporate different Chinese schools of thought / philosophies that influence your faction's culture and government bureaucracy (Confucianism, Taoism, Legalism, Mohism). Choose to adopt one over the other and you get benefits and penalties. Or if they are already embedded / pre-assigned to the different factions.
His response:
QuoteThe Chinese practiced all of these simultaneously, so it wouldn't be fair to make you pick one. So they're actually represented in the game by having you build temples and schools in cities. You can only have one type in each cities, but different cities can have different types. They'll have local effects, and also faction development effects which depend on the proportions you have of each.
http://www.orientalempires.com/forum/index.php?topic=24.msg208#msg208
Makes sense. Good that it's there.
Incidentally, the new trailer that was originally released on the Explorminate website is now available to the general public:
Good news and bad news.
The good news is that when the game comes to Steam it will come as a finished product. No early access, so it should be (hopefully) stable and mostly free of bugs. The bad news is it's not going to happen this month.
Developers have decided to scrap EA and go with a closed beta instead. The feeling is that the feedback they get will be more focused and productive. It also tells me that they aren't desperate for cash, which is a good thing.
You can apply for inclusion in the beta (as I have) by going to the website (http://orientalempires.com/), registering for the forum, and then sending an email request.
I would have preferred early access since I really like that model...but hopefully the extra time and closed beta will be worth the wait in the end.
As for participating in the beta, are they letting anybody in or just a select number?
Thanks for posting tgb. I am taking the above as good news.
EDIT: Holy crap their forum is identical to ours...Simple Machines and all that.
Quote from: Grim.Reaper on April 05, 2016, 06:52:19 PM
I would have preferred early access since I really like that model...but hopefully the extra time and closed beta will be worth the wait in the end.
As for participating in the beta, are they letting anybody in or just a select number?
They're bringing a dozen or so people in at a time in waves. I don't know if there's a cap on the total.
Quote from: tgb on April 05, 2016, 07:31:36 PM
Quote from: Grim.Reaper on April 05, 2016, 06:52:19 PM
I would have preferred early access since I really like that model...but hopefully the extra time and closed beta will be worth the wait in the end.
As for participating in the beta, are they letting anybody in or just a select number?
They're bringing a dozen or so people in at a time in waves. I don't know if there's a cap on the total.
That's not how China was built.
The cap came much later.
Hi gents,
It is true we made a change of plans. Mainly because Bob is leading a small development team and we think it is best for the game to keep the feedback more managable and allow Bob and his crew to really stay on top of things. In addition, EA demands a lot of dev time (posting updates, responsing on forums), that after some internal deliverations, we feel can be used more efficiently.
I hope that some of you will sign up for the beta when the beta goes live.
More instructions on this will follow very soon.
Cheers,
Surtur
I am already in ;)
Hehe, I noticed. Then you are part of a very select group as of now. We are looking to expand in the very near future.
Quote from: Surtur on April 06, 2016, 07:54:49 AM
Hehe, I noticed. Then you are part of a very select group as of now. We are looking to expand in the very near future.
:)
I was one of the beta-testers for Armada 2526 Supernova so Bob knows who i am...
Quote from: Anguille on April 06, 2016, 08:02:14 AM
Quote from: Surtur on April 06, 2016, 07:54:49 AM
Hehe, I noticed. Then you are part of a very select group as of now. We are looking to expand in the very near future.
:)
I was one of the beta-testers for Armada 2526 Supernova so Bob knows who i am...
I was as well and just sent my application over last night.
not the only forum with a Bob that needs a pan to the head to make him work :P
Hi guys,
We are expanding the beta and we are looking for testers:
http://steamcommunity.com/app/357310/discussions/0/357284131784110074/ (http://steamcommunity.com/app/357310/discussions/0/357284131784110074/)
Cheers,
Surtur
signed up :)
Signed up. Looking forward to it
Signed up as well.
Great, thanks guys!
First video by EXplorminate...
Thanks for the video Hofstadter! Note that trade buildings really only make sense once you have big enough cities to trade with. If there are too few people out their to sell your stuff to, these buildings are often not worth the upkeep.
Also, we will be streaming the game live tonight at 19:00 CEST (13:00 EDT) at https://www.twitch.tv/iceberg_interactive
Top of my Wishlist. 8)
Nice vid Hof.....looks a little like Civilization meets Total War.
I was thinking the same thing.
Or Civ and Hegemony: Philip/Caesar/Etc. The seamless zoom into the troops reminded me of the latter, but turn-based.
I enjoyed the first Hegemony but haven't played the others.
In case people forgot, comes out on Early Access in just a few days....
http://store.steampowered.com/app/357310
I did not forget...HOT DAYUM
Quote from: Grim.Reaper on September 15, 2016, 05:33:42 PM
In case people forgot, comes out on Early Access in just a few days....
http://store.steampowered.com/app/357310
I thought they won't do it?
I'm trying to wean myself away fromEarly Access, but may fold if word of mouth is high and price is low.
The again, maybe not. I just went to the Steam page to check on the price and see if any reviews had been posted yet, and found this:
Boldface mine:
"The closed beta program will enable a fixed-sized and fully controllable testing environment, where feedback is manageable and easy to digest for the relatively small indie team. The beta program will consist of several different phases/waves, introducing a fixed number of new players to the beta program at different development points. Once the closed beta program for Oriental Empires is complete, the title will be launched as a solid and finished product"
I realize things change and a later decision to go into Early Access may have been made. That's no excuse for this statement to still be on thr front page.
Do the developers not understand the meaning of Early Access?
Hi guys,
We are going live now at www.twitch.tv/iceberg_interactive.
As to the EA vs Beta, this is what I replied:
Hi Bernstein,
Thank you for your interest. You are a careful reader and you are correct. However, the reality of software development is that plans change. The closed beta was a great help for the dev in making a solid product. At this point however, we need more eyes on the singleplayer aspect of the game, such as balancing issues, while we focus on implementing multiplayer and preparing the final touches.
Cheers,
Surtur
I have been part of the beta and think the game is already very good and many games have been released in a state much less advanced. To me, this just means that an very good game will continue to be worked on. :smitten:
Bought the game this morning. Will play as soon as I can sort out my son's assorted college student related finances and my ATV repair issues. Its hog huntin' time tonight...
Surtur,
I think TGB's point was that if you've gone to Early Access, it's confusing for the closed beta message to still be on the store page. Evidently you've finished closed beta, so it's time to take off that part.
Also, yay. :smitten: :smitten: :smitten: :D
Just got my copy. Have started as the Zhou. Gus is right that it seems a cross of Civilization and Total War. Sweet! 8)
I really liked nobungas ambition primarily because of the intrigue/diplomacy. Bribing enemy generals to walk away before battle or intentionally slow their own army, convincing enemy leaders to join you, etc. I also enjoyed the leaders and the necessity of appointing various leaders to perform tasks. For example if you want a road network built have to assign one of your leaders to do it. Each one has different attributes
What I did not like was the combat. Is this game anything like nobungas ambition as far as the diplomacy and intrigue is concerned ?
Or is it basic and diplomacy like "I want the treaty" or "I will buy weed from you for $500" and the usual civilization type stuff ?
I'm looking for nobungas ambition with better combat more than I'm looking for an oriental civ 5
EDIT: should read "Nobunaga" not Nobunga....text talk fail
Quote from: mikeck on September 20, 2016, 05:46:40 PM
What I did not like was the combat. Is this game anything like nobungas ambition as far as the diplomacy and intrigue is concerned ?
Or is it basic and diplomacy like "I want the treaty" or "I will buy weed from you for $500" and the usual civilization type stuff ?
I'm looking for nobunagas ambition with better combat more than I'm looking for an oriental civ 5
Good Qs.
From the vid I watched, the combat looks more similar to that in the
Hegemony series, with seamless zoom. Dunno about the rest.
Bought the game tonight and like what I see so far with my 1 hour of playtime. Definitely feels like a cross between Total War and Civ as far as empire management is concerned. Have not fought any battles yet.
What are the 16 factions? Any that are non-Chinese?
No non Chinese factions from what I saw. You have about 6 or so that are unlocked right away with the rest locked. I assume that after you play the game and fulfill some requirement(s) the others will unlock.
Quote from: Jarhead0331 on September 20, 2016, 09:31:37 PM
What are the 16 factions? Any that are non-Chinese?
Haven't fired it up but it seems to be ancient tribes before China became China.
The factions are unlocked after you play a certain number of turns. I don't remember exactly but it should be around 100 - 120 turns. If you play a full game, you should be able to try another faction.
Diplomacy is standard and you don't have a complex system like in Nobuga. There is a system of politics (edicts) and system of classes within your society (nobles) so you have to pay attention to their different needs.
Some factions are pre-Mongol factions. Every faction has some preferences and bonuses. DLCs should bring in some other nations that are not Chinese and will most likely bring in bigger maps or specific scenarios.
Sooner or later there will be a mod that unlocks all the factions. :)
Watching a friend play this last night, in addition to the fact that the single-player campaign is complete (Early Access is only so multi-player can be finished, according to the developers) convinced me to buy it today. It's still a little rough around the edges, but the sale price of $24 is not unreasonable.
One thing I can't figure out is why the treasuries/incomes of cities add up to considerably less than the total shown for the player's faction.
Maybe some multiplier? The income would normally be X from Y city, but due to this and/or that multiplier you're actually getting X2 income instead?
Or the income you see will be the estimated income for the next period which happens to be less than what you just got / currently are getting?
(I don't have the game yet; just making guesses based on other games. :) )
I've played a little bit with it now and am liking what I've seen so far.
I just read the message that Steam sent me about the release into early access and like tgb I was like 'wtf?'...the preliminary impressions here seem very good though so...I think I will purchase soon. Also, if anyone has some good companion reading for this please post...I haven't read much on ancient China.
Unless I'm missing something battles aren't exactly like the TW series. You simply issue move and formation/battle orders to your units on the strategic map and then watch the battle unfold during the turn calculation. There does not seem to be any sort of direct control over your troops during the fight. Still though I'm liking this game.
Quote from: Gusington on September 21, 2016, 08:28:24 PM
I just read the message that Steam sent me about the release into early access and like tgb I was like 'wtf?'...the preliminary impressions here seem very good though so...I think I will purchase soon. Also, if anyone has some good companion reading for this please post...I haven't read much on ancient China.
You've only got until 27th September then the price rises +20%, as it's currently in a "release sale".
Quote from: W8taminute on September 21, 2016, 09:31:14 PM
Unless I'm missing something battles aren't exactly like the TW series. You simply issue move and formation/battle orders to your units on the strategic map and then watch the battle unfold during the turn calculation. There does not seem to be any sort of direct control over your troops during the fight. Still though I'm liking this game.
Yeah not the focus of the game.
Which is fine with me. The combat system reminds me of a prettied-up version of the combat from the old Legion games from Slitherine
Quote from: tgb on September 21, 2016, 10:27:54 PM
Which is fine with me. The combat system reminds me of a prettied-up version of the combat from the old Legion games from Slitherine
I think that is a very fair description. O0
Quote from: Boggit on September 21, 2016, 11:56:45 PM
Quote from: tgb on September 21, 2016, 10:27:54 PM
Which is fine with me. The combat system reminds me of a prettied-up version of the combat from the old Legion games from Slitherine
I think that is a very fair description. O0
Exactly what I was thinking. (And I'm okay with that, if I know to expect it.)
Here's a YouTube video from last month:
Quote from: Anguille on September 21, 2016, 03:13:50 AM
The factions are unlocked after you play a certain number of turns. I don't remember exactly but it should be around 100 - 120 turns. If you play a full game, you should be able to try another faction.
My number one pet peeve in games......why do you have to unlock factions? Should always be an option to immediately unlock everything you purchased versus having to do something special....never understood that. I get they maybe want to reward or provide a goal for someone, but I absolutely hate that concept (at least make optional).
+1. Not of fan of unlocking stuff.
Going to buy it this weekend. Only about 100 reviews in in Steam but they are 'very positive' along with what you moogs have been saying.
I'm liking what I see so far. The game reflects Chinese agrarian society pretty well. With zero mustering cost and punitive upkeep cost, you are encouraged to only muster the forces you need and disband them after the campaign else it will be a big drain to your coffers. If you're big enough, you can afford to keep a permanent core army but it wouldn't be large. Not disbanding units make them accumulate more experience as they fight more battles. Would love to have more detailed tool tips to explain things like what influences noble and peasant dissatisfaction instead of just stating a general cause.
The battles are pretty interesting as you need to do a some pre-planing. You are free to group units into stacks, set their formation, and order them to move around the map. You are also free to dictate the tactics / ROE of individual units. It's pretty flexible. Since it is WEGO, once you resolve the turn, you have no more control which makes it tense.
I don't see any big differences with the tech trees of the factions. They may be the same. Only difference are the perks each faction gets in certain areas.
Also the Eras only reach until Warring States, then Imperial period (I assume Qin Dynasty). Would be cool to make this last until future dynasties where firearms are employed. But I guess China wouldn't be as fractured in future periods except for some certain instances like the Three Kingdoms period, etc.
There is no calendar. It only counts turns so it does not anchor itself to a somewhat historical timeline like Civilization.
Does anyone know what the unit card mouse over values mean? Some like the sword - melee value and arrow - fire value are intuitive, but I'm guessing the balance is morale? Also has anyone had a unit damaged in battle (according to the battle report - if several battles are going on you might not see that actual fight), then at the start of the new turn it has disappeared? I've had it a few times. I'm suppositioning that this is because the unit has broken, or that its Qi has got too low and it deserted/disbanded, but to be honest I have no clear idea why a damaged unit would be gone from my army at the start of a new turn - it's not like I haven't got a decent treasury for example.
Quote from: jomni on September 22, 2016, 09:51:47 PM
Also the Eras only reach until Warring States, then Imperial period (I assume Qin Dynasty). Would be cool to make this last until future dynasties where firearms are employed. But I guess China wouldn't be as fractured in future periods except for some certain instances like the Three Kingdoms period, etc.
There is no calendar. It only counts turns so it does not anchor itself to a somewhat historical timeline like Civilization.
Apparently - according to the Q&A link on the game website, the game does actually go as far as the early gunpowder period.
As to the calendar - that would be a nice feature to see where you are in history. I find the plain turn count somewhat bland and not really very informative.
Quote from: Gusington on September 22, 2016, 09:06:22 PM
Going to buy it this weekend. Only about 100 reviews in in Steam but they are 'very positive' along with what you moogs have been saying.
Don't forget the 20% discount runs out soon - 27th IIRC.
Quote from: Boggit on September 23, 2016, 02:48:18 AM
Quote from: jomni on September 22, 2016, 09:51:47 PM
Also the Eras only reach until Warring States, then Imperial period (I assume Qin Dynasty). Would be cool to make this last until future dynasties where firearms are employed. But I guess China wouldn't be as fractured in future periods except for some certain instances like the Three Kingdoms period, etc.
There is no calendar. It only counts turns so it does not anchor itself to a somewhat historical timeline like Civilization.
Apparently - according to the Q&A link on the game website, the game does actually go as far as the early gunpowder period.
As to the calendar - that would be a nice feature to see where you are in history. I find the plain turn count somewhat bland and not really very informative.
Ok. I checked the tech tree and it does have the three eyed gun, canons and rockets.
It's actually cheaper on GreenManGaming 36% off ($19.29):
https://www.greenmangaming.com/games/oriental-empires/
It comes up $23.99 for me. GMG is great as long as you're not on the fence, since refund will not be an option.
I'm playing it and loving it but a word of warning. In its current, Early Access, state it's poorly documented which is a major handicap for such a complex game. Read the tool tips and the Help screens carefully before getting too far into the game because bad stuff sneaks up on you unnoticed over many turns and there are few quick fixes.
There's a lot of type on the Steam discussion board about things not working and, in particular, an unrest system which generates overpowering rebellions that undo hours of play in half-a-dozen turns. That can happen but most of the time it doesn't have to if you've been playing sensibly. The problem is, without a manual, you have to hunt around a bit to determine what "sensible" means.
This guide:
http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=764354191
helps.
It's fair to say, IMO, that many of the reports about bugs and broken features are from players who have not yet understood the game's mechanics but it's also true that some of those mechanics are a touch unforgiving !
Cheers,
Andy Brown
Yes. I just lost my capital. Will restart from a previous state. The unrest mechanic need a lot of study. What factors influence it (shown in the screen) and how to lower it (not explained?).
Quote from: tgb on September 23, 2016, 05:50:52 AM
It comes up $23.99 for me. GMG is great as long as you're not on the fence, since refund will not be an option.
I guess users who have had some purchase history with GMG get better prices.
Quote from: bbmike on September 22, 2016, 06:50:43 PM
+1. Not of fan of unlocking stuff.
The preview vid I saw mentioned that the initially locked factions start in more difficult situations. I suppose they want us to play one of the larger, easier, factions for a first play.
Probably done to keep those who don't know any better from quickly getting curb stomped, in their initial experience, and giving it a poor review score directly afterward on Steam. Which is a problem for the instant gratification crowd who don't bother learning how a game works before posting a bad review.
For better or worse, I've been seeing Steam-hosted developers placing extra artificial restrictions in their games, and putting higher prices on them, in order to dissuade the 2-hour-and-out gamers from giving them a bad review. Some have even stated their intended purpose as such.
A lot of the buildings that go outside the city (pavilions, monestaries, and the like) reduce rebellion, but you have to unlock them through one of the cultrue trees AND have a suitable location. Also any culture that increases Authority will serve to decrease Noble rebellion.
Is there even a real difference between the factions?
I mean other than starting conditions and a small bonus here and there.
Quote from: Tpek on September 23, 2016, 08:49:59 AM
Quote from: tgb on September 23, 2016, 05:50:52 AM
It comes up $23.99 for me. GMG is great as long as you're not on the fence, since refund will not be an option.
I guess users who have had some purchase history with GMG get better prices.
I do, and later on I got an email about the price. It just doesn't change until you actually go to your cart to check out. Very good game at a very good price.
QuoteIs there even a real difference between the factions?
I mean other than starting conditions and a small bonus here and there.
Not that I can tell, no.
Right now at GMG I get a price of 36% off, or 19.29. Definitely sounds worth it at that price.
Quote from: tgb on September 21, 2016, 10:27:54 PM
Which is fine with me. The combat system reminds me of a prettied-up version of the combat from the old Legion games from Slitherine
:smitten:
That's my very favorite quickie combat resolution system in any game I have ever played.
However, based on descriptions of it here, it doesn't sound quite the same. In Legion Arena (the one I played a bazillion hours of), yes, you gave orders at the beginning and then watched the battle play out, but you could also give an occasional order during the battle. Units carried over between battles and sometimes earned skill points, so if you pumped up whatever the skill was for taking orders, you could give more orders during battles. By the end of the campaign, if you focused on that skill enough, you could give enough orders during battle that you could have a fair amount of control over what was happening.
Quote from: Tpek on September 23, 2016, 04:03:41 PM
Is there even a real difference between the factions?
I mean other than starting conditions and a small bonus here and there.
tgb's right. Not a lot as far as I have seen.
Quote from: Nefaro on September 23, 2016, 09:43:14 AM
Quote from: bbmike on September 22, 2016, 06:50:43 PM
+1. Not of fan of unlocking stuff.
The preview vid I saw mentioned that the initially locked factions start in more difficult situations. I suppose they want us to play one of the larger, easier, factions for a first play.
Probably done to keep those who don't know any better from quickly getting curb stomped, in their initial experience, and giving it a poor review score directly afterward on Steam. Which is a problem for the instant gratification crowd who don't bother learning how a game works before posting a bad review.
For better or worse, I've been seeing Steam-hosted developers placing extra artificial restrictions in their games, and putting higher prices on them, in order to dissuade the 2-hour-and-out gamers from giving them a bad review. Some have even stated their intended purpose as such.
I pay for the game, I should be able to play as I see fit and use all the content...just my opinion.
Quote from: AndyBrown on September 23, 2016, 07:15:32 AM
It's fair to say, IMO, that many of the reports about bugs and broken features are from players who have not yet understood the game's mechanics but it's also true that some of those mechanics are a touch unforgiving !
I can say that the designer Bob Smith is active in dealing with the bugs, as I've just had an email from him about a bug I reported. I don't think the bugs being reported are a problem long term. That said the bug I reported about treasury problems came about when I deleted an Heir by accident, causing a game killing bug, so yes the logic can get convoluted but at least he is perceptive and can identify the issues quickly.
Quote from: Boggit on September 23, 2016, 06:05:46 PM
Quote from: Tpek on September 23, 2016, 04:03:41 PM
Is there even a real difference between the factions?
I mean other than starting conditions and a small bonus here and there.
tgb's right. Not a lot as far as I have seen.
On one hand that sounds unfortunate, but then I remember that in civ each civilization differs only by a unit and a building, as well as the "perks" for a given leader, so it may not be a huge deal.
Quote from: tgb on September 23, 2016, 02:10:21 PM
A lot of the buildings that go outside the city (pavilions, monestaries, and the like) reduce rebellion, but you have to unlock them through one of the cultrue trees AND have a suitable location. Also any culture that increases Authority will serve to decrease Noble rebellion.
Thanks. Those buildings are expensive to build too so it means the army has to disband for a while.
But that's the beauty of this game.
I have a "barbarian?" faction that raids my lands but he's friends with the Qin that I don't want to mess with. It's like a sneaky indirect provocation by the Qin. If I deal with the barbarians, the Qin will automatically attack me. Maybe it's best to make a deal with the barbarians instead just like in real life. The diplomatic options are limited and I can't tell the Qin to break their alliance with the barbarians.
Yes, there are some subtle things like that. I do think you point about expanding the diplomatic options would be good, but at least it's not a game breaker.
Quote from: Grim.Reaper on September 23, 2016, 06:34:33 PM
Quote from: Nefaro on September 23, 2016, 09:43:14 AM
Quote from: bbmike on September 22, 2016, 06:50:43 PM
+1. Not of fan of unlocking stuff.
The preview vid I saw mentioned that the initially locked factions start in more difficult situations. I suppose they want us to play one of the larger, easier, factions for a first play.
Probably done to keep those who don't know any better from quickly getting curb stomped, in their initial experience, and giving it a poor review score directly afterward on Steam. Which is a problem for the instant gratification crowd who don't bother learning how a game works before posting a bad review.
For better or worse, I've been seeing Steam-hosted developers placing extra artificial restrictions in their games, and putting higher prices on them, in order to dissuade the 2-hour-and-out gamers from giving them a bad review. Some have even stated their intended purpose as such.
I pay for the game, I should be able to play as I see fit and use all the content...just my opinion.
I suspect that you might be able to bypass the lock as you could with the Total War series as you could edit parameters like that in the desc_strat file. If Bob Smith looks in on our thread I suggest you ask him.
Quote from: Grim.Reaper on September 23, 2016, 06:34:33 PM
Quote from: Nefaro on September 23, 2016, 09:43:14 AM
Quote from: bbmike on September 22, 2016, 06:50:43 PM
+1. Not of fan of unlocking stuff.
The preview vid I saw mentioned that the initially locked factions start in more difficult situations. I suppose they want us to play one of the larger, easier, factions for a first play.
Probably done to keep those who don't know any better from quickly getting curb stomped, in their initial experience, and giving it a poor review score directly afterward on Steam. Which is a problem for the instant gratification crowd who don't bother learning how a game works before posting a bad review.
For better or worse, I've been seeing Steam-hosted developers placing extra artificial restrictions in their games, and putting higher prices on them, in order to dissuade the 2-hour-and-out gamers from giving them a bad review. Some have even stated their intended purpose as such.
I pay for the game, I should be able to play as I see fit and use all the content...just my opinion.
I agree, in cases such as these. Although the limitations in this specific game doesn't look very bothersome to me.
Remember how stubborn the IL-2:BOS devs were about having unlocks? That was a worse situation, IMO. They eventually removed such a need, but I think this is all indicative of how developers are implementing the digital equivalent of "kid gloves" to control the early impressions of twitchier gamers, and keep them from making too many bad choices while still learning.
Since the factions are pretty much the same in this one, I don't think it will bother me, having to run 100 turns with one of the easier starting factions to unlock the rest. Not near as much as the IL-2:BOS example, where completely different models of aircraft and weapons were cordoned off for varied & extended lengths of play time.
As Boggie mentioned, there may be a way to manually unlock them, anyway.
Quote from: Nefaro on September 24, 2016, 03:23:03 AM
Quote from: Grim.Reaper on September 23, 2016, 06:34:33 PM
Quote from: Nefaro on September 23, 2016, 09:43:14 AM
Quote from: bbmike on September 22, 2016, 06:50:43 PM
+1. Not of fan of unlocking stuff.
The preview vid I saw mentioned that the initially locked factions start in more difficult situations. I suppose they want us to play one of the larger, easier, factions for a first play.
Probably done to keep those who don't know any better from quickly getting curb stomped, in their initial experience, and giving it a poor review score directly afterward on Steam. Which is a problem for the instant gratification crowd who don't bother learning how a game works before posting a bad review.
For better or worse, I've been seeing Steam-hosted developers placing extra artificial restrictions in their games, and putting higher prices on them, in order to dissuade the 2-hour-and-out gamers from giving them a bad review. Some have even stated their intended purpose as such.
I pay for the game, I should be able to play as I see fit and use all the content...just my opinion.
I agree, in cases such as these. Although the limitations in this specific game doesn't look very bothersome to me.
Remember how stubborn the IL-2:BOS devs were about having unlocks? That was a worse situation, IMO. They eventually removed such a need, but I think this is all indicative of how developers are implementing the digital equivalent of "kid gloves" to control the early impressions of twitchier gamers, and keep them from making too many bad choices while still learning.
Since the factions are pretty much the same in this one, I don't think it will bother me, having to run 100 turns with one of the easier starting factions to unlock the rest. Not near as much as the IL-2:BOS example, where completely different models of aircraft and weapons were cordoned off for varied & extended lengths of play time.
As Boggie mentioned, there may be a way to manually unlock them, anyway.
My statements about unlocks is not just picking on this particular game, more of a global statement about all games that include this feature....just can't understand why they don't make it an optional setting within the game. I guess we'll see if this game has a way to do it manually, but then we need to find a way in every other game that does this:)
Was it the first Rome:TW that only offered 3 factions until you beat the game? It was one of the early TW's. Anyway, it wasn't long before modders found a way to bypass the locks, and I expect that to happen hear.
Quote from: tgb on September 24, 2016, 09:23:06 AM
Was it the first Rome:TW that only offered 3 factions until you beat the game? It was one of the early TW's. Anyway, it wasn't long before modders found a way to bypass the locks, and I expect that to happen hear.
Yep.
You had to beat the game, and then the factions you successfully conquered were unlocked.
Or you could edit the files to instantly unlock them, and even other otherwise unplayable factions.
SOW: Gettysburg did the unlock thing with scenarios when it first came out. It was just awful. Leave it in for those who like it but have an option to unlock for those who don't.
Quote from: Rayfer on September 24, 2016, 11:51:52 AM
SOW: Gettysburg did the unlock thing with scenarios when it first came out. It was just awful. Leave it in for those who like it but have an option to unlock for those who don't.
That's all I have been trying to say:) Shouldn't be a need to mod things, simply put an option in the settings screen.
The factions aren't too different. Locked or unlocked wouldn't make a big difference in the initial experience.
So it seems public works is a main driver of peasant unhappiness in my game. Not conscription. Even if you have the money, if you fully utilise the manpower building stuff and not giving them rest, they will be unhappy. Peasants in my capital has constantly been unhappy because of my grand building projects (government and military buildings). I must be a benevolent ruler and give them days off. >:(
Noticed the palace looks more like a Japanese one than Chinese. I think Chinese palaces should be flat instead of tall.
I agree with you on the locked/unlocked factions debate. This certainly is a niche game that is trying to appeal to a wider audience. ROTK is definitely a niche game that will never appeal to the wider audience but I hope that OE helps introduce westerners to ancient Asian history.
My experience with the peoples' unrest is similar to yours jomni, only it was my nobles that gave me a hard time. It seems they did not like my choice in edicts. The turn after I implemented my 'Military promotions' edict the nobles not only were extremely upset with me but three of the 13 cities in my empire broke away in open rebellion. Totally caught me by surprise.
Lesson from all of this for me is be very careful when changing government policies when enacting edicts. Either ensure the proper happiness buildings are built in potential trouble spots or have troops in place to enforce martial law.
How to fix damaged buildings?
Update: Oh, it's automatic.
I've been reading reviews (recent ones) talking about the combat being clippy (units clipping through each other, not just the cinematic camera), and with insane unit pathing. A Spart/GoT/Legion/Chariots combat resolution engine is fine (also found in the Dominons series), but this has me concerned. Other people here have played; experiences? How much validity should I give these reports/
Combat animation isn't so great. It's tough to follow what's happening and watchingit I'm not even sure orders are being followed. But with so much under the hood undocumented, I can't say for sure if it's buggy or I just don't understand what's going on.
Quote from: JasonPratt on September 25, 2016, 03:20:13 PM
I've been reading reviews (recent ones) talking about the combat being clippy (units clipping through each other, not just the cinematic camera), and with insane unit pathing. A Spart/GoT/Legion/Chariots combat resolution engine is fine (also found in the Dominons series), but this has me concerned. Other people here have played; experiences? How much validity should I give these reports/
I've seen a little bit of units clipping through each other on occasion. tgb is right there is a lot going on during battle and it's difficult to follow especially when multiple battles are being fought in different places. If there was a way to resolve the combat in sequential order instead of watching everything in parallel it would improve this aspect of the game imho.
Here's a tip. Select a location for your capital with a mountain and river nearby. Mountains enable you to build several off-city buildings that make the nobles and peasants happy (shrine, temple, pavilions). Mountains also contain minerals to mine as well as blocks off one side of your city from attack. Rivers enable building of off-city structure that enhances trade and income. You will find these important to sustain your building projects as your peasants (and nobles) won't bother working too hard if they can visit the landmarks during the weekend :D. As mentioned before, my capital is in a vast plain. I am able to cultivate a lot fields to sustain my large population but that's just about it. I cannot build fancy buildings. They are bored to death building palaces for their emperor all their lives and are at constant state of unhappiness. This means I need stop building for a while to avoid rebellion.
It seems cool that locating your capital (and other cities) in an auspicious place with nearby mountain and river seem to agree with Chinese Geomancy (Feng Shui). This is why Beijing is kept as an imperial capital despite being close to the Mongols and Manchu. Korea's Seoul (Hanyang) seems to be in a perfect place too with Namsan mountain and the great Han river close by.
Quote from: W8taminute on September 25, 2016, 09:52:11 PM
Quote from: JasonPratt on September 25, 2016, 03:20:13 PM
I've been reading reviews (recent ones) talking about the combat being clippy (units clipping through each other, not just the cinematic camera), and with insane unit pathing. A Spart/GoT/Legion/Chariots combat resolution engine is fine (also found in the Dominons series), but this has me concerned. Other people here have played; experiences? How much validity should I give these reports/
I've seen a little bit of units clipping through each other on occasion. tgb is right there is a lot going on during battle and it's difficult to follow especially when multiple battles are being fought in different places. If there was a way to resolve the combat in sequential order instead of watching everything in parallel it would improve this aspect of the game imho.
There are small panels at bottom left which show all battles and relative strengths. It's not as informative as Paradox info bar but you can use it to switch views between battles and quickly see what's happening.
One thing that's really starting to bug me about the combat is the way a stack will chase after an enemy stack that's been routed when there are other targets nearby. I can't find a way to prevent it, and with no combat control there's no way to stop it. Hell, you can't even find out who it is that's running off the battle field.
Also I suspect the difficulty levels aren't working. On most of my play sessions as the Shang on Normal difficulty my biggest headaches in the first 25 turns came from bandits and keeping rebellion under control. I started a game on "Easy" as the Shang, just to see what it was like, and had war declared by both the White Di and Dong Yi almost immediately. By turn 15 I had lost 2 of my 3 cities and both of my leaders were dead.
That can't be WAD, can it?
Quote from: JasonPratt on September 25, 2016, 03:20:13 PM
I've been reading reviews (recent ones) talking about the combat being clippy (units clipping through each other, not just the cinematic camera), and with insane unit pathing. A Spart/GoT/Legion/Chariots combat resolution engine is fine (also found in the Dominons series), but this has me concerned. Other people here have played; experiences? How much validity should I give these reports/
Oh deffo. The battle unit pathing is buggy and weird as well. When they do what you want its cool, but most of the time theyre stoned
From Rock Paper Shotgun -
https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2016/09/26/oriental-empires-review-early-access/#more-400729
I took a break for a couple of days to see if the issue with high maintenance fees would be patched but nothing yet. Going back to the game this morning I found a couple of serious problems with diplomacy:
1) I'm constantly having my allies try to get me to declare war on a third faction, but there's no way to back out of the diplomacy screen and check out the situation before making a decision. Worse is when one ally wants me to DOW another.
2) I can't find a way to make the same request of MY allies. You can DOW whoever you're talking to but there's no menu selection to get them to DOW a third party.
Game breakers, both of them.
The developers seem to be preparing another release and they read the Steam forums. Did you post your issues anywhere they can see it? I doubt they come here very often (if at all).
Posted on the Steam forums, but no response yet.
Anyone up for some multiplayer when they add it?
Ding dong!
(https://www.grogheads.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimages.akamai.steamusercontent.com%2Fugc%2F254841825965083624%2F73D93D55EEE7A0098B2B2BE6DFD9F49AC75722C9%2F&hash=3f8ed6f0142258e70388cb6ba7d46006ed3827a9)
Lol! Does he bring the Han their wake up call? ;D
Quote from: tgb on September 29, 2016, 07:30:38 AM
I took a break for a couple of days to see if the issue with high maintenance fees would be patched but nothing yet. Going back to the game this morning I found a couple of serious problems with diplomacy:
1) I'm constantly having my allies try to get me to declare war on a third faction, but there's no way to back out of the diplomacy screen and check out the situation before making a decision. Worse is when one ally wants me to DOW another.
2) I can't find a way to make the same request of MY allies. You can DOW whoever you're talking to but there's no menu selection to get them to DOW a third party.
Game breakers, both of them.
Hi tgb,
The forum activity is quite overwhelming for us, but we are checking them on a daily basis. We are extremely pleased with the constructive community, your feedback is very valuable. You guys are really taking the time to play and comment in-depth! We want to expand the diplomatic options in the future, though the main priority for the dev is to fix the bugs that were found, especially related to trade. In addition, sieges are getting some love to improve the balance. Patch should be in soon.
Cheers,
Surtur
Quote from: Surtur on September 30, 2016, 01:52:14 PM
Quote from: tgb on September 29, 2016, 07:30:38 AM
I took a break for a couple of days to see if the issue with high maintenance fees would be patched but nothing yet. Going back to the game this morning I found a couple of serious problems with diplomacy:
1) I'm constantly having my allies try to get me to declare war on a third faction, but there's no way to back out of the diplomacy screen and check out the situation before making a decision. Worse is when one ally wants me to DOW another.
2) I can't find a way to make the same request of MY allies. You can DOW whoever you're talking to but there's no menu selection to get them to DOW a third party.
Game breakers, both of them.
Hi tgb,
The forum activity is quite overwhelming for us, but we are checking them on a daily basis. We are extremely pleased with the constructive community, your feedback is very valuable. You guys are really taking the time to play and comment in-depth! We want to expand the diplomatic options in the future, though the main priority for the dev is to fix the bugs that were found, especially related to trade. In addition, sieges are getting some love to improve the balance. Patch should be in soon.
Cheers,
Surtur
Good to hear. The problem with the forum, as far as I can see, is too much activity. If a post isn't responded to in a couple of hours it eventually falls to the second page, and might as well have never been there in the first place.
I like the high maintenance fees. Makes you prioritise stuff. Please do not nerf it to the point that you can permanently have large armies indefinitely campaigning. The fact that you have to disband them and only raise armies during the campaign is realistic and uniquely "Oriental". Do not succumb to "Western" ideals. :P
"Ding dong?"
I :2funny: pretty hard at that one.
Quote from: jomni on September 30, 2016, 05:21:24 PM
I like the high maintenance fees. Makes you prioritise stuff. Please do not nerf it to the point that you can permanently have large armies indefinitely campaigning. The fact that you have to disband them and only raise armies during the campaign is realistic and uniquely "Oriental". Do not succumb to "Western" ideals. :P
Agreed.
IMO there is nothing wrong with the economy in OE. I also don't want the system of army recruitment to change in this game either. It's a refreshing difference that is not seen in any other game of this type.
The key to getting a strong economy in the early game is in farming. The more food output a city has the faster it's population grows. The more people that are living in a city means the more in taxes you collect. Don't build any buildings until you get a decent income through taxes.
Recommended reading to get you into the mood for playing OE:
Romance of the Three Kingdoms
https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Translation:Romance_of_the_Three_Kingdoms/Chapter_1
The Water Margin. A book that Koei's 'Bandit Kings of Ancient China' game was based on.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_Margin
This game has some neat stuff and enough differences to be interesting in a new way. Though, to be honest, I really don't care if a game has "new" stuff. I think that thinking is a fallacy. I want the old stuff done better and, if the designer has an inspiration, pop in a new improvement. Anyway, OE promises to be quite good, though I think there are rough spots left, as should be expected in any Early Access game. I guess I'll have to go here for my empire building fix because the Civ series has darn sure fallen on its face, though I am not sure about Civ 6 yet.
Thank you for the reading, W8. I will need more.
Hi guys,
We released a pretty big patch a couple of days ago. It took us a bit longer than expected, but a new version is now available. This update contains a lot of fixes and balance changes based on your initial feedback. The trade and siege mechanics have gotten some love and should now work much better. In addition, we increased the rate at which unrest is reduced when your people are given some rest.
The full changelog can be found here (http://steamcommunity.com/app/357310/allnews/).
This is great news Surtur! Thanks for the update. I love this game and it's only going to get better.
I've gotten past 200 turns and everything has unlocked.
Believe it or not I'm still learning how to play the game, but I now understand why everything wasn't available on day one.
Going past 200 turns unlocks herders, and I've been having a blast figuring out how to play steppe nomads. It's almost like learning the game over again. There are a lot of grassy plains out there, and I've just managed to cross what I think is the Gobi desert. Now if only I could figure out why I would want to.
There are still a few kinks here and there, but apart from that the game feels pretty polished for early access.
And when they get multiplayer up and running, its going to be a blast.
Quote from: Philippe on October 08, 2016, 08:30:55 AM
I've gotten past 200 turns and everything has unlocked.
Believe it or not I'm still learning how to play the game, but I now understand why everything wasn't available on day one.
Going past 200 turns unlocks herders, and I've been having a blast figuring out how to play steppe nomads. There are a lot of grassy plains out there, and I've just managed to cross what I think is the Gobi desert. Now if only I could figure out why I would want to.
There are still a few kinks here and there, but apart from that the game feels pretty polished for early access.
And when they get multiplayer up and running, its going to be a blast.
Historically, the steppe nomads would raid and threaten the agricultural kingdoms to gain some economic concessions. I that in the game? I haven't gone that far yet.
http://steamcommunity.com/games/357310/announcements/detail/508182627715119717
UPDATED
Diplomacy Changes
Added limited trading of settlements. Settlements may be traded as part of a peace deal, or if returned to the previous owner or founder, or if small enough to be disbanded.
Added trade embargo declaration.
Added option to trade info about enemies
Added diplomatic agreement to attack other players
AI and Player can make counter offers during negotiations
Number of diplomatic offers a player can make per turn is limited to 3.
Can only initiate negotiations with other factions if city or character location is known
Trade status shown on diplomacy screen
AI more likely to combine against player who is winning
Improved ai algorithm for detecting if player is likely to attack them
AI and player offer fraternal harmony pacts of same length (40 turns)
Looting reduces diplomatic liking
Vassals can't loot or block trade if player has an agreement with their overlord. Similarly if a player has an agreement with an overlord, they can't loot their vassals.
Can't make own noble rebels into vassals
Other Changes
Looting messages now given for each stack looting, so that zoom button can function
Stacks can't replenish if they've been in a battle
Fixed problem with trade routes being duplicated when a settlement changes hands
Fixed freeze bug when shooting
Fixed being able to click improvement icons through UI
Fixed cities starving in first turn of custom game.
Fixed issues with trade routes not being removed when at war
Improved handling of eliminated players
Fixed a couple more bugs relating to freezes and lost income.
More animation improvements.
Added a notification for when there isn't enough money to start a queued building.
Ooh...gotta get around the playing this.
And they're spending most of their time getting ready to roll out multiplayer.
There are still a few kinks in single player that should be worked out. Non-agricultural factions still feel like they need some more TLC, but overall the game is a lot of fun.
My one reservation about multiplayer is that a game needs to run a hundred turns or so just to get going. Sometimes you don't have to do anything in a turn apart from checking to make sure that all possible actions have been taken, but that's still a lot of turns (especially when the whole thing needs three hundred turns plus to finish). But in any case, they've nailed the 'one more turn' effect.
The game is a lot of fun, and I have no regrets buying it, even on Early Access.
I hate that sort of waiting around. I'm surprised that exists in this game...veteran developers of these types of games usually always attempt to give the player work to do during every turn.
I'd like to see some strategic units like spies and agents provocateurs added to the game to create destabilisation in cities.
^Me too.
Hi guys,
Great to see you are enjoying the game. The diplomacy update should bring a significantly better experience for the campaigns, especially to those who like to roleplay a bit.
For multiplayer. We know it is generally a minority that plays it, but we think it can work very well with this type of game. Our internal tests are already showing that the game get's going a lot faster in multiplayer, as everyone wants to get an edge early. This means preying on new and still defenseless settlements and by raiding each others farms. Playing on smaller maps, also helps a lot to speed up the game both in single and multiplayer.
Thank you for your feedback as well, it is always interesting to read the ideas of the experienced strategy/wargamer.
Cheers,
Surtur
I should add that we will be present at PAX East with the game if anyone wants to give it a go there, or just come and say hi :)
^Very cool.
Hi guys,
We are releasing the full version of Oriental Empires next week! The main changes are the inclusion of multiplayer and the Warring States historical scenario!
Full announcement:
After an interesting period of 1 year, Oriental Empires will be leaving Steam Early Access soon! What can you expect to see at full release? Aside from many improvements, fixes and updates, we will launch the game with multiplayer, more supported languages and a brand new historical campaign!
During Early Access we have regularly patched and updated Oriental Empires. We've added new languages, new diplomacy options and the battles and AI have been vastly improved upon. In addition, we made many other tweaks and changes to enhance the user experience and help first time players to find their way.
Upon release, we will present you with a major update. This update will bring all the latest tweaks and changes from the beta branches, as well as the multiplayer mode and a brand new scenario focused on the infamous Warring States Era. With this scenario, players will be able to jump directly into a populated map as one of several new factions. The Warring States scenario brings a completely new experience to the game, where factions have already established themselves and war might break out during the very first turn.
The final release of the game will by no means mean the end of development. We will continue to update and support the game, so keep your feedback coming!
Sweet! I'm ready.
Have had this on my Steam wish list for a while now. Watched some gameplay videos on YouTube and liked what I saw.
Quote from: Rayfer on September 08, 2017, 07:03:38 AM
Have had this on my Steam wish list for a while now. Watched some gameplay videos on YouTube and liked what I saw.
Surtur emailed me the other day mentioning that a new scenario for Oriental Empires is in the works. I've asked him to look in to Grogheads and tell us more.
New, meaning in addition to the grand campaign about to drop?
Quote from: Gusington on September 09, 2017, 06:40:47 PM
New, meaning in addition to the grand campaign about to drop?
I'm guessing so. I thought the Grand Campaign was already out. I know multiplayer was a new thing, but I don't think it relates to that. He just mentioned that they are working on a new scenario for the game, and I invited him to visit the forum with some more info, which should be interesting.
Quote from: Boggit on September 09, 2017, 08:25:18 PM
Quote from: Gusington on September 09, 2017, 06:40:47 PM
New, meaning in addition to the grand campaign about to drop?
I'm guessing so. I thought the Grand Campaign was already out. I know multiplayer was a new thing, but I don't think it relates to that. He just mentioned that they are working on a new scenario for the game, and I invited him to visit the forum with some more info, which should be interesting.
Maybe different start date / era. The blurb says until 1500. But the current game hardly represents that era.
Quote from: jomni on September 09, 2017, 08:32:41 PM
Quote from: Boggit on September 09, 2017, 08:25:18 PM
Quote from: Gusington on September 09, 2017, 06:40:47 PM
New, meaning in addition to the grand campaign about to drop?
I'm guessing so. I thought the Grand Campaign was already out. I know multiplayer was a new thing, but I don't think it relates to that. He just mentioned that they are working on a new scenario for the game, and I invited him to visit the forum with some more info, which should be interesting.
Maybe different start date / era. The blurb says until 1500. But the current game hardly represents that era.
You might be onto something there.
Hi all,
Thanks Boggit!
The new scenario is like the grand campaign, but with a later starting date (Warring States Era), this scenario will allow you to start on a map that is already prepopulated, compared to the empty map start of the grand campaign. The factions are set based on their historical locations and relations and you will have unlocked most starting techs. This will make for quite a different gaming experience.
Some screenshots of the starting positions (these were still WIP):
[spoiler](https://steamuserimages-a.akamaihd.net/ugc/856103815150359312/E49C802C1CF5FA7589F3F1E0907523B098E3F8E3/)
(https://steamuserimages-a.akamaihd.net/ugc/856103815150359812/EFA6695F819D3EC2AF7597189CC2E5CA08543BF6/)
(https://steamuserimages-a.akamaihd.net/ugc/856103815150358250/AA90C4DE2B59D8E3652684F7ACD8A378643744F3/)[/spoiler]
O0
The game has just released from early access and will be on sale for the next few days.
From what I've seen of it, I'm probably going to like the Warring States scenario better than the Grand Campaign. My only criticism so far is that if you receive a diplomatic message from someone asking you to attack someone else, you have no way of knowing who either of them are if you're at the beginning of a game. I thought they were looking into adding some kind of map consult feature in the diplomacy phase, but for now you should take a lot of notes on your first turn about who your neighbors are, because otherwise the diplomatic messages you receive won't make any sense.
I haven't tried multiplayer yet, but this game cries out for a Grogheads Steam game. Anyone feel like organizing it?
No - but I do agree with you that this new campaign looks better than the original open ended one.
Quote from: Philippe on September 14, 2017, 08:32:34 AM
The game has just released from early access and will be on sale for the next few days.
From what I've seen of it, I'm probably going to like the Warring States scenario better than the Grand Campaign. My only criticism so far is that if you receive a diplomatic message from someone asking you to attack someone else, you have no way of knowing who either of them are if you're at the beginning of a game. I thought they were looking into adding some kind of map consult feature in the diplomacy phase, but for now you should take a lot of notes on your first turn about who your neighbors are, because otherwise the diplomatic messages you receive won't make any sense.
I haven't tried multiplayer yet, but this game cries out for a Grogheads Steam game. Anyone feel like organizing it?
With the latest update, you have the option to dismiss request until your own turn, so you can examine the map before you decide :)
It took some time but the first! DLC for Oriental Empires is coming out this month!
GENGIS! Storybased campaign :bd:
https://store.steampowered.com/app/919720/Oriental_Empires_Genghis/ (https://store.steampowered.com/app/919720/Oriental_Empires_Genghis/)
NICE :D
This one is looking good :)
The base game is on sale for $10.20 on Steam right now!
^I saw that...I bought it a year ago for 30.00...still haven't played it :/
But the new expansion tickles my pickle and may draw me in quicker.
I need a good general history of China to read while playing this too.
^I bought it and probably won't play it either, but a bargain is a bargain O0
The things I want to type right now...
Quote from: Steelgrave on November 17, 2018, 06:57:26 PM
^I bought it and probably won't play it either, but a bargain is a bargain O0
Pretty much the story of my back log of games :idiot2:
Quote from: Gusington on November 17, 2018, 08:01:19 PM
The things I want to type right now...
You've never held back before :coolsmiley:
Quote from: Gusington on November 17, 2018, 08:01:19 PM
The things I want to type right now...
That mental censor filtering what you initially type in your post into what you actually send will save you a lot of fallout.
It will also rob you of much satisfaction...
I was robbed of most satisfaction years before this thread :/
The new DLC about 3 Kingdoms has just been released...
That is some poor timing right there. But - it is food to see this game still getting fresh content.
This is still in my to-play pile.
Quote from: Gusington on August 29, 2019, 09:53:37 AM
That is some poor timing right there. But - it is food to see this game still getting fresh content.
This is still in my to-play pile.
Yes, timing isn't that great. Just bought it and will be playing it this weekend.
Please post impressions!
Quote from: Gusington on August 29, 2019, 09:58:18 AM
Please post impressions!
Will do. Going to play as Liu Bei.
You guys making me burn up my wallet lately >:(. Just grabbed the base game for $4.99 off of Fanatical (https://www.fanatical.com/en/bundle/indie-legends-ix-bundle). :bd:
Added the DLC to my wishlist. It's only about 10 bucks but I think I'll wait for a sale. Btw doesn't Steam usually have a back to school sale in the fall?
^ I don't think so...I don't remember one, anyway.
Quote from: W8taminute on August 30, 2019, 08:03:35 AM
Added the DLC to my wishlist. It's only about 10 bucks but I think I'll wait for a sale. Btw doesn't Steam usually have a back to school sale in the fall?
At Fanatical, use Fanatical10 code and its only $8.99..
https://www.fanatical.com/en/dlc/oriental-empires-three-kingdoms
^Cool and thanks Grim.
I really like that they added the whole political layer to the original campaign as well :)
Quote from: Gusington on August 29, 2019, 09:58:18 AM
Please post impressions!
So i finally completed the 3 Kingdoms campaign with Liu Bei. It's a solid scenario, well balanced. I also really like the new music pieces and the heroes (the ones from Liu Bei) who are strong units. the court is a nice addition but it's not as good as it could be imho...it's fairly static. Maybe i have to try to play more with it. Anyway, i am going to play it again.
Thanks Anguille.
Quote from: Anguille on September 30, 2019, 02:27:46 AM
So i finally completed the 3 Kingdoms campaign with Liu Bei. It's a solid scenario, well balanced. I also really like the new music pieces and the heroes (the ones from Liu Bei) who are strong units. the court is a nice addition but it's not as good as it could be imho...it's fairly static. Maybe i have to try to play more with it. Anyway, i am going to play it again.
Oh wow, I didn't realize the 3K DLC included new music. Thanks for the heads-up, Anguille!