So I just completed the Campaign

from Elemental Forums

So I finished the Campaign today, and I am shocked.

Campaigns are supposed to introduce the game gradually. But all I got from the game was a little over 4 hours.

This is pathetic.  Usually a campaign to a game like this is supposed to open up all the functions and abilities the game has to offer. I would expect more and more spells to be availably as I progressed, all the items/troops.

What was I given? 4 crappy spells, experienced only a small handful of buildings/techs. 2 different types of troops. And maybe 10 different kinds of enemies.

 

I know this game is all about the sandbox, but if you are going to put in a Campaign, then do it right! Take notes off of other games, and look how they do it, and build off of that!

 

elemental
9,291 views 10 replies
Reply #1 from Elemental Forums Top

Damn right. Some people will tell you the campaign is meant as a tutorial, but I think it does an equally shoddy job at that.

Reply #2 from Elemental Forums Top

The campaign is um...good at...shit...pretty much nothing.  Although, there really are only 2 units in the game, those with melee and those with bows. 

 

I would prefer it to  be a strong story based campaign and/or a  solid tutorial, and now it is neither.  Maybe they are going to fix it after 1.3, when they've decided on how the game will play and implement that in the main game. 

 

WindowBlinds - Free yourself of the default settings, customize your desktop.
Reply #3 from Elemental Forums Top

I'm sorry you guys lost 4 hours of your lives that you'll never get back playing the campaign.  Lucky for me, I haven't played it yet.  The fact that Lord Xia got crushed the other day gives me hope.  I might have to fire EWOM up again in a few weeks.

Reply #4 from Elemental Forums Top

 

Yeah the campaign is a horrible intro to the sandbox game.  It gives you a little flavor for the setting, but that's about it.

Reply #5 from Elemental Forums Top

Having just completed the campaign myself I must agree. I was all ready to conquer the rest of the map after this upcoming dragon fight. Turns out I built multiple squads of "Axemans" (!) for naught.The tutorial's pacing also seems off. My three towns ran out of anything to build other than spamming extraneous workshops long before the required events to complete the campaign quests could possibly have taken place, and that was with a 5-movement army. The map is too spread out and has too many dead ends. It's like I was expected to possess perfect foreknowledge of where each town and objective was and just move in a direct line to each in order, not exploring any hidden corners (may as well have since there was nothing to find - a good rule to follow is to always reward players for exploring, not punish them by simply wasting their time). The campaign needs some serious extension and should introduce all the game concepts. How does being granted free access to short swords in campaign help me understand that in sandbox mode I would have to generate Tech knowledge points through various means and research in the Military category a couple times to unlock it - which will not be explained to me in any case? That is COUNTER to learning how to play. In fact the more I think about this the more angry I feel about how much the campaign sucks and doesn't represent the core gameplay very well, so let's leave it there.

Aside - obviously the game doesn't have the ability to pluralize correctly - it's impossible to create a squad named Axemen. Any dev could whip up basic pluralization code in minutes, come on, it would be a lot better than nothing! Or change the code so it doesn't say "Axemans" but "Axeman (8)" Details details, details. If you skimp on the details like proper pluralization and spelling then that distracts from whatever you did right. Strive for triple-A production values, Stardock guys!

Reply #6 from Elemental Forums Top

OMG the pluralization thing annoys me soooooooo much you would not believe! It would be better if the code tried to pluralize it but allowed use to correct it cause I know it's going to pluralize my Blade of Light to Blade of Lights and be so very proud of itself while I pull my hair out.

Reply #7 from Elemental Forums Top

Quoting Sarudak, reply 6
OMG the pluralization thing annoys me soooooooo much you would not believe! It would be better if the code tried to pluralize it but allowed use to correct it cause I know it's going to pluralize my Blade of Light to Blade of Lights and be so very proud of itself while I pull my hair out.
End of Sarudak's quote

Lol, this bothers me some too.  Something as simple as Swordman, becomes Swordmans, or fix it to Swordmen, then Swordmens...DAMN IT! lol, But I am a simple creature, So I rarely have more than 3 units any way, Cheap melee, Expensive Melee, and Archers.

Reply #8 from Elemental Forums Top


So I finished the Campaign today, and I am shocked.

Campaigns are supposed to introduce the game gradually. But all I got from the game was a little over 4 hours.

This is pathetic.  Usually a campaign to a game like this is supposed to open up all the functions and abilities the game has to offer. I would expect more and more spells to be availably as I progressed, all the items/troops.

What was I given? 4 crappy spells, experienced only a small handful of buildings/techs. 2 different types of troops. And maybe 10 different kinds of enemies.

 

I know this game is all about the sandbox, but if you are going to put in a Campaign, then do it right! Take notes off of other games, and look how they do it, and build off of that!

 

End of quote

 

You said it right here.

Reply #9 from Elemental Forums Top

Personally i loved the campaign, right up to the point of defeating the dude with the dragon. Never before have i seen a campaign set itself up for such greatness, then....??

Imagine a new high speed motorway, just opened, all these motorists entering and expecting to accelerate to great speed but instead suddenly drop off the edge after a few hundred meters! Yep, this describes the campaign quite nicely!

Reply #10 from Elemental Forums Top

it's a shame that such a good game has such a shallow representation of the story and setting, especially when it is claimed that the background lore is rich and detailed. It's good that developers have it out there, but it should be delivered, right?

 

 I really hope that Stardock will release campaigns that will have much more detail and will allow the players to feel the atmosphere of the game. lots of people seem to underestimate the importance of the story.