Blood Bowl 2 Coming September 2015

[JasonPratt]

...wait, I can install BB2 now?

!!JOY!!

{doing that}

[JasonPratt]

Although this is also likely to impel me to try for a season 3 with my Amazons on BB1:Chaos Edition...

Grim, as a general gameplay hint, I'd argue that the most important thing to understand regardless of which team you're playing as or who you're playing against, is that this is a game about gaining and losing initiative.

Which sounds abstract. But if you're thinking in terms of a time clock or about American football time/field management with stopping an offense and getting back on offense, you're probably going to be constantly out of synch with what's happening in the game. One team gets first initiative at the start of a half, the other team gets first initiative at the start of the second half, and any single substantial failure by any member of a team will shift initiative back to the other team. Or initiative shifts over (ideally) once a team has done everything they can as well as they can with their initiative.

[undercovergeek]

Among the "new features" listed on their site is mention of each team having their own custom AI for utilizing their specific play style.

That's exactly what the original needed.  I'm still waiting to hear about how well that turned out, however.

The rps piece mentions the dwarf ai fighting like hell to get in the lead and then shutting up shop and turtling - exactly how the dwarves should be played

[Grim.Reaper]

In the original you could only save during a match against the AI when the ball turned over.  Does it work the same way here? 

(I can't believe my resolve is weakening)

At least with the beta version and in single player offline play, I couldn't actually find anyway to save the game at all in the middle of a match...might be just me not knowing where to look.

[Nefaro]

Among the "new features" listed on their site is mention of each team having their own custom AI for utilizing their specific play style.

That's exactly what the original needed.  I'm still waiting to hear about how well that turned out, however.

The rps piece mentions the dwarf ai fighting like hell to get in the lead and then shutting up shop and turtling - exactly how the dwarves should be played

That's the kind of news which makes my resolve weaken, too.

If they've improved the AI by customizing it for each team, then my first reason for fence-sitting is gone.

Don't get me wrong.  I did enjoy the Online multi-player leagues quite a bit in the original series, when the terrible netcode wasn't causing it to de-sync and lose connection.  But this absolutely must have a decent single-player opponent since the timer restrictions in MP require your full attention for a whole match.  Not something I'm always willing or able to do.

[tgb]

If you truly can't save anywhere during a game against the AI, that would make it a non-starter for me at any price.

[Grim.Reaper]

If you truly can't save anywhere during a game against the AI, that would make it a non-starter for me at any price.

Could be that I haven't found out how or because beta...don't know.

[Cyrano]

Best I can tell there's nothing there for an in-game save.

Now, there's a TON of stuff (notably races) that isn't available as this is a BETA and all.  Lots of complaints about very limited graphics tweakability.  Also, despite clear representations to the contrary, I cannot get a controller to work to save my soul.

We'll certainly see what release brings, but, despite all this, I really do like this game so far...

[Nefaro]

Sounds like it's got a ways to go, and the release is slated for what? Next week?

I've been tempted, but it seems like there are plenty bugs to squash and much content yet to be added. 

[Toonces]

If you truly can't save anywhere during a game against the AI, that would make it a non-starter for me at any price.

I find this attitude hard to understand.  It's like saying you won't buy a Total War game because you can't save in the middle of a battle.

[tgb]

If you truly can't save anywhere during a game against the AI, that would make it a non-starter for me at any price.

I find this attitude hard to understand.  It's like saying you won't buy a Total War game because you can't save in the middle of a battle.

Two jobs, family & a life meant my gaming time is limited - sometimes to as little as 15 minutes at a stretch. Often I'll fire up a turn based game and have time for only 2 or 3 turns.  And yes, manys the time I've had to quite TW in the middle of a battle and lost my progress, which is why I don't play them as much as I would like.

[Cyrano]

I fear there's some misunderstanding about what this early release is supposed to be.  It's billed as an MP BETA which in my experience had always been something of a stress test for the network code and the corporate servers (if any).  I was honestly surprised there was even an A.I. opponent available.  Still, in this "grabby hands", "gimme now" era we live in -- I tend to be a horrible offender in this regard -- what used to have a more specific purpose has been multi-tasked to, in this instance, provide an inducement to accrue those precious pre-orders.

I just hope the code is stable enough to build a Grogheads league...

Best,

Jim
"Cyrano"
:/7)

P.S.:  One thing that tells me the game is well-implemented is the constant complaining about the strategy (really, there's only one), employed by the stunties.  This is one of the reasons I ordered the Wood Elves as my "free" DLC.

[Nefaro]

I'm not of the "Gimme Now" mentality when it comes to Blood Bowl 2.  I'm quite happy waiting for it to be finished and relatively bug-free.

But with official release coming a week from tomorrow, typical beta bugginess, and (most notably) numerous teams still absent from the early access beta, I have doubts as to whether all the bugs will be ironed out on official release eight days from now.

I have no problem waiting for it to mature before buying.  There is plenty else to do until it's in a condition I'm happy with.  :)

[Toonces]

Fair enough tgb, that makes sense.

[tgb]

Well, I decided to purchase...this will be my first game of any Blood Bowl type so not sure how it will go...but intrigued enough to at least try....since it is pre-order, can return for a refund prior to the release anyway:)

I think that once you've installed it, even betas are subject to the 2 weeks/2 hours limitation.  But it never hurts to try.  Steam customer service now looks at any refund request, and will agree if it's not too far outside of those parameters.

I just tried to get a refund on Armello, since they still don't know why 1.0 crashes for a lot of people using Windows 10.  I was denied because I had more than 2 hours invested (almost all of it when it was till in Early Access).

According to their refund policy, looks like it is an option...I have done it in the past with another beta, without issues.

Refunds on Pre-Purchased Titles
When you pre-purchase a title on Steam (and have paid for the title in advance), you can request a refund at any time prior to release of that title. The standard 14-day/two-hour refund period also applies, starting on the game's release date.