Spellforce III

[Gusington]

Just released last week, Spellforce III has got my attention with its mix of RPG and RTS gameplay. Anyone playing it? I have never played a Spellforce game.

[Tpek]

I tried the open beta.
It was rather 'meh'.
Seems even less interesting than the previous Spellforce titles.

[JasonPratt]

I own collections of SF1 and SF2 (minus the most recent SF2 standalone campaign sequel, I think); and I like the franchise generally, but I have never played more than some of the first part of the first game. Liked it, didn't hate it, just always something else new and shiny I guess. (Also the first game was infested with anti-piracy problems, so I stayed away totally until that was fixed.)

I've even recently considered going back and continuing with SF1, thence into SF2 perhaps.

[Gusington]

Hmm do these games have a generally bad rep? Spellforce III has mixed reviews on Steam. Also, the main game trailer is narrated by the same voice actor who did Geralt in Witcher III. I thought I was hearing things.

[JasonPratt]

The series is something of a cult classic, but even fans think some of the games are weak cash grabs, sold on broken promises of improving the gameplay plus a cover girl.  :-*

My impression of the mixed Steam reviews, is (1) bugs from just coming out of early access (typical for this series although EA seems new); and (2) the usual complaints (pretty justified to some degree even by fans) of not being enough RPG in its RPG mechanics and not being enough RTS in its RTS mechanics.

[Tpek]

^It was never in EA.
It just had a public beta (skirmish/MP modes), and it was pretty short.

[Gusington]

I am torn. If it even hints at being weak, it can't be worth the 50.00 they're asking.

[JasonPratt]

^It was never in EA.
It just had a public beta (skirmish/MP modes), and it was pretty short.

Aside from remembering, perhaps wrongly, "Steam Early Access" for that public beta, which if true would be by definition "early access"; a public beta giving the public early access to parts of the game would also be, by definition, early access.  ::)

Whether they charged for early access, I don't recall.

I am torn. If it even hints at being weak, it can't be worth the 50.00 they're asking.

You should perhaps consider the first game, order of the dawn, in the SF1 compilation. Gog's currently selling Spellforce Platinum for $2.50.

[Pete Dero]

I am torn. If it even hints at being weak, it can't be worth the 50.00 they're asking.

Kinguin has it for 48% off (25.99) as a flash sale (if you trust Kinguin enough)  https://www.kinguin.net/product/1034033/spellforce-3-steam-cd-key/

[Gusington]

I do not trust Kinguin at all.

Pratt did you enjoy the original Spellforce games?

[JasonPratt]

For as far as I played them, yes. The only reason that wasn't very far was because I keep seeing new niftiness elsewhere to play with.

$2.50 for getting all the original generation of games (SF1 and its expansions), free of the murderous DRM that infested it, is a good way to see if you're going to like the game system and milieu or not.


I should perhaps qualify that I'm sometimes a fan of quirky things. I played 1C's Ascension to the Throne, a loose predecessor to their reboot of the King's Bounty series, totally through to completion and enjoyed the hell out of it. Most people are quite meh about it (at best), for reasons I totally understand but still.

[mirth]

I should perhaps qualify that I'm sometimes a fan of quirky things.

Get outta town!

[Gusington]

This...this shatters what I thought I knew about the world.

[JasonPratt]

I should also perhaps qualify that I hang out here a lot. 

[Gusington]

Your oddball behavior makes you king of kings around here.