Divinity Original Sin and Wasteland 2 reviews: Turn-based gaming's not dead yet!

It seems it’s taken Kickstarter to revive the turn-based strategy RPG, especially as the big game developers trip over each other to mishmash genres into huge titles like Destiny, so that everything seems have been turned into a shitty FPS. Divinity: Original Sin Divinity: Original Sin – a quality player Thankfully, …

[Anonymous Coward]

It died?

"Turn-based gaming's NOT DEAD YET!"

I love TBS and I don't ever remember it dying.

[Swarthy]

Re: It died?

It hasn't died. That's the point of the article.

However, Turn-based games have seemed to be getting scarce, "as the big game developers trip over each other to mishmash genres into huge titles like Destiny, so that everything seems have been turned into a shitty FPS."

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: It died?

Where the title says "NOT DEAD YET", that tells me that there is a common belief that the genre had died. Thank goodness it hasn't, and yes I agree - damn I'm so bored with FPSs. I lost interest in that genre at Modern Warfare 2.

[Jim 48]

Wasteland

The very first computer game I completed, probably on an Amstrad PC1512 (upgraded to 640k). Staying up very late to play. Happy days.

[Sir Runcible Spoon]

Sir

Please can someone make an up to date MEGATRAVELLER?

I want futuristic. A turn-based X3 where you can land on planets, build empires, kick arse and chew gum.

Oh, and I want it now, please :)

[Rich 11]

Re: Sir

I thought I would enjoy the first Traveller game (the one with the Ancient volcano threatening to consume Rhylanor within seven years or something), but the combat system was so lethal I never got even half my party to survive the initial ambush once they stepped outside the very first building. Ambushers with rocket launchers, for Imperium's sake!

[DropBear]

Re: Sir

I would settle for a Precursors sequel - when was the last time you got to fight FPS style INSIDE the spaceship you were using to get around the galaxy (and generally kick ass both in space and planetside)....?

[lawndart]

Re: Sir

Lethal combat system was what Traveller was all about, and the computer game was faithful in its rendition of the combat.

I used to GM the Traveller RPG and my merry band of players took a few TPKs to realise this wasn't D&D or Star Wars and the battles were the games' climax, not something your ground your way through on your way to the next level up. They did get very wily at times and there were a few games where guns were drawn but never fired. Kudos to them for that.

A lot of old games seem to be being reborn for Linux. Hopefully Megatraveller gets a do over, as I can't run it on my current W7 64 machine and it would be nice to try it again.

[Ian 55]

Re: Sir

Yep, much like T&T and real life, combats could be very one-sided and if you aren't on the right side, running away is always a good idea.

[Anonymous Coward]

inXile are doing Torment: Tides of Numera (successor to Planescape:Torment) and Wasteland 2 for £39 - https://torment.inxile-entertainment.com/pledge

[Vociferous]

I've backed Wasteland 2, Torment: Tides of Numenera, and Elite Dangerous. I love that kickstarter is giving me a chance to play sequels to old games I loved the socks off!

[ColonelClaw]

Both of these games are high up my 'to buy' list, but there's a problem. Since Steam introduced the Steam Sale, I find myself generally only buying games during these sales. Therefore I end up buying 20 plus games 2 or 3 times a year, and not much else outside of these times (apart from the frequent daily random sales). Steam itself has, in effect, turned me into a tight-fisted bastard. Don't think I'm complaining about low prices, I just feel a little sorry for the developers.

[Anonymous Crowbar]

@ ColonelClaw

I'm the same. However I picked up Steam Key for Divinity for 15 bucks on ebay. Happy days.

[Brian Miller]

Oh, why Steam?

Playing games bought on Steam has not made me happy. When I want to play a game, I want to play it when I sit down, not when Steam decides that it has server capacity to see if I may play it. I'd rather pay a premium for the game to not play it on Steam, and wait for it to be delivered to me.

[Greg J Preece]

Re: Oh, why Steam?

When I want to play a game, I want to play it when I sit down, not when Steam decides that it has server capacity to see if I may play it

Ummmm....what? If you're referring to having to download the game, I am not entirely certain that the Internet is Steam's fault. If you're referring to some mythical capacity check when starting an already-installed game...well yeah, those don't exist.

[Vociferous]

Re: Oh, why Steam?

Also, in case OP has connection issues: for single player games there is an offline mode.

Steam rules.

[9Rune5]

Re: Oh, why Steam?

I will second that.

With Steam I can play games on all of my devices. All it requires is for me to download games to my laptop while I'm connected. Works like a charm. (diskspace permitting :) )

[Ian 55]

Re: Oh, why Steam?

"Steam rules"

Well, it wants to.

If it let you transfer games - and WTF not, given that it can be sure you've not retained a copy - it would be a lot better.

[Jagged]

Re: Oh, why Steam?

Unfortunately Steam does not have a "universal" authentication method and often (when an online presence is required) just adds another authentication method to the pile. UT3 being a prime example.

If you are the only person to ever log on to Steam on that one PC, you are golden. Anything else, decidedly less so :(

[Vince Lewis 1]

As a Gamer and a father to 5 children (3 of gaming age) who tried to use Steam Family Sharing only to be shat on from a great height, I'm very happy I can get divinity on GoG.

[Greg J Preece]

The restriction-by-library thing? Yeah, that's shitty. Works for me though, because I'm sharing my library with a friend on the other side of the Atlantic. When he's gaming, I'm working, and when I'm gaming he's asleep. ;-)

[poopypants]

Nostalgia

So far I have backed Wasteland 2, Elite Dangerous, Star Citizen and Shroud of the Avatar.

All blasts from the past. At the same time I have ignored most of the new AAA games that have appeared lately. I wonder if I am part of a trend?

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Nostalgia

I believe the demographic always was there, it's just that the industry had increased the costs of a first tier game production where only a blockbuster would do. With a sane budget, and still good production values, even moderate uptake will make it worthwhile. Now your older players have more cash revenue in toto, they'll likely drop some lesser amount per title on the chance that a sequel will be good. And on the dev end the marketing is much cheaper.

Look at the Hollywood penchant for sequels and remakes although the game quality is much better than film IMNSHO. I still recall the original Wasteland, even I never played it. Baldur's Gate? Let's just say I was there the the original was released, Arneson's Blackmoor supplement was the cat's meow, and we were repurposing our 'Chaimail' figurines for dungeon-crawls. Baldur's Gate and Pools of Radiance were the first to 'get it right.' (I want my Hold Sword back.)

Hell, this means installing those idjit distribution packages.

[nanchatte]

That middle map on Wasteland looks very much like Warzone 2100