King of Dragon Pass

wiretripped

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Hey folks,

I'm looking for some impressions of the recently on GOG released King of Dragon Pass.

It looks very interesting and I am contemplating purchasing it...
Thanks in advance!
 
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Is it just me or it looks as Mount and Blade style game with aged graphics?
 
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Mount and Blade? What the? This is not an action game at all. It's all text and still images. :)

I think It's pretty brilliant. I played it a lot when it was new. It's a fascinating game, somewhere close to the grand strategy genre but not quite so grand, I guess. It's set in the Runequest world, Glorantha, and the game is dripping in detail. Sometimes it's a little obtuse but it's ultimately a unique experience. I highly recommend it.
 
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Action or not, isn't this a game without a story where some "AI" compiles the story based on your actions? Okay, non actions.
As said in the description "There are virtually limitless ways the story can unfold"... Isn't that what Mount and Blade in fact is?
 
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As said in the description "There are virtually limitless ways the story can unfold"… Isn't that what Mount and Blade in fact is?

That's only one aspect of the game, and I think it's obvious that any similarities end there.
 
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joxor, you reach way too far and I dare say your comments may end up confusing people who may see this thread and think this a sandbox action game or some other thing it obviously isn't.

Also, there isn't an "AI" compiling a story based on your actions, I'm not sure where you get that from. This is a turn based strategy game where randomly determined events take place which you can take multiple paths through. Sort of like the longer events in Crusader Kings II but more complex and ambiguous. Other than the quests/events, gameplay consists of keeping your people alive, building farms, dealing with gods, fighting little wars and so on.

There are plenty of gameplay videos on youtube to see how it plays. It's slow and text-y, but ultimately kinda fascinating.
 
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I absolutely love KoDP, but then again I absolutely love Glorantha (the world KoDP takes place on), so my view of the game might be (read: is) colored by it. KoDP is nothing like Mount & Blade, though, so do not expect a third-person fighting game or anything like that.

As previously said, KoDP is a strategy/resource management game where you lead a tribe of people with a council selected by you (who are more than just talking heads, they are diverse characters with diverse opinions) through its trials and tribulations. There are lots of other tribes in the area who you can befriend or fight. In addition, there are other races living in or near the pass too, who present all kinds of problems and sometimes boons to you. Loads and loads of random events that you need to make decisions on how to proceed (all with really pretty illustrations to accompany them). Lots of combat (strategic only, not RTS or simulation-like), trading, planting, herding and last but not least praying/sacrificing to the many, many deities of Glorantha (these are VERY important in the setting, so pay heed to them). Plus wonderful music too (you get the soundtrack with the GOG order).

It's a great little game, but definitely not for everyone. Perhaps even an acquired taste. Check out some of the Let's Play videos to get a better handle on the gameplay (e.g. this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ivCx-uh4A4Y ). I'd recommend it, but with a caution that it's a "slow" game where you most of the time just click on buttons or selections and don't do any "actiony" stuff at all. It's an experince. A journey to Glorantha, which is a rich fantasy world and this is a great way to get to know it a bit.
 
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I absolutely love KoDP, but then again I absolutely love Glorantha (the world KoDP takes place on), so my view of the game might be (read: is) colored by it. KoDP is nothing like Mount & Blade, though, so do not expect a third-person fighting game or anything like that.

As previously said, KoDP is a strategy/resource management game where you lead a tribe of people with a council selected by you (who are more than just talking heads, they are diverse characters with diverse opinions) through its trials and tribulations. There are lots of other tribes in the area who you can befriend or fight. In addition, there are other races living in or near the pass too, who present all kinds of problems and sometimes boons to you. Loads and loads of random events that you need to make decisions on how to proceed (all with really pretty illustrations to accompany them). Lots of combat (strategic only, not RTS or simulation-like), trading, planting, herding and last but not least praying/sacrificing to the many, many deities of Glorantha (these are VERY important in the setting, so pay heed to them). Plus wonderful music too (you get the soundtrack with the GOG order).

It's a great little game, but definitely not for everyone. Perhaps even an acquired taste. Check out some of the Let's Play videos to get a better handle on the gameplay (e.g. this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ivCx-uh4A4Y ). I'd recommend it, but with a caution that it's a "slow" game where you most of the time just click on buttons or selections and don't do any "actiony" stuff at all. It's an experince. A journey to Glorantha, which is a rich fantasy world and this is a great way to get to know it a bit.
It's a 1999 game though, are there any mods or anything that make it more ... up to date?
 
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It's a 1999 game though, are there any mods or anything that make it more … up to date?

There is not a whole lot of things in the game that can be made more up to date, really. Making it support higher resolutions might be one thing but then someone would have to re-draw all the artwork (which by the way is beautiful).
 
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I tried the GOG version, 6$ isn't a lot. The game has a ton of depth to it, which might be hard to discern if you don't read the manual. The only problem I ended up having is that it gets too repetitive for me. Just pressing on different dialogues and so on. I don't think I'll end up winning the game, mostly because of that.

It'd be great if the game had tactical battles to divert from the constant dialogues for me. Everything is just text-based and while quite well-written, feels more like an interactive book than a game to me. Maybe because I've been so spoilt in the past decade :D
 
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Okay, first impressions… I've skimmed the manual and played a bit…

It all looks very daunting. I am just… clicking around, doing stuff, though not sure what I am doing… Does anybody have any tips on what to focus on in the beginning? I've been trying to set up trade routes and exploring, while raiding the clans I have a feud with…

Though the events are engaging, in their simplicity. I only played for a few hours, so I am not sure how repetitive they get, but for now it's rather fun. :)
 
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The events will start to get repetitive if you keep on doing the same thing over and over. They are, to a large degree, dependent on what you do.

As far as what to do, well I've found it to be a good idea to focus on getting good relations with the nearby clans, getting some allies, and once that is done, try to do something about clans that don't respond well to diplomacy.
 
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As far as what to do, well I've found it to be a good idea to focus on getting good relations with the nearby clans, getting some allies, and once that is done, try to do something about clans that don't respond well to diplomacy.

As in, raid them? :)
 
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As in, raid them? :)

As in destroy them! (if given the option, but yes, raiding is fine)

But don't spend too much resources on this early on, it is more important that you make sure that your clan stays healthy and have enough food on their plates. Also, once, you feel confident enough to do so, it might be time to focus on doing one of those quests.
 
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