Spellforce II... how much rpg is this?

JemyM

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I tend to be careful when I see "rpg/strategy". One such game is Spellforce II, although this one had gotten pretty nice reviews. I would like to ask if anyone played it and how much is it a RPG and how much is it a Strategy game?
 
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The RPG aspect is Dungeon Siege style, dont expect anything more or youll be disappointed

Very well stated - anyone expecting "BG2 meets Civ IV" will be sorely disappointed ... it is more like "Dungeon Siege meets Dragonshard". But it is pretty well done.

Oh, and isn't there a great review at RPGDot? Indeed there is, done by Gorath, can be found here.
 
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Roughly as much as in the typical action-RPG. You can find my detailed review on RPGDot. It´s a carefully polished game with a lot of content. 50% RTS might be a bit too much for somebody who expects an RPG though.

Play.com had it for cheap two weeks ago. Three relatively new Deep Silver games (for example SF2, Paraworld and Rush to Berlin) for 15 GBP incl. shipping is definitely a steal.
 
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Are we talking about Dungeon Siege or Dungeon Siege II?

I was not a fan of the original Dungeon Siege, but I would recommend the sequel to any serious roleplaying fan.
 
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The RPG aspect is Dungeon Siege style, dont expect anything more or youll be disappointed

I would rate the RPG elements higher than DS. Not the character development, which is unfortunately sort of in a corridor, but the quests in the 2nd half and some characters in the middle act make it a bit deeper. No comparison to "real" RPGs though.

SpellForce 2 is still my GOTY 2006. Very well executed game, almost without weaknesses.
 
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SpellForce 2 is still my GOTY 2006. Very well executed game, almost without weaknesses.
I suppose we'll have to have a GotY discussion at some point ... wow, I wouldn't have thought of Spellforce 2 as a 2006 game ... I shudder to look at how many games I've played / reviewed since then ...
 
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I think Spellforce II would have made a pretty solid rpg--of the action variety.
I looked forward to those times in the game that focused on those aspects. It was disrupting for me, though, to have to stop playing my character and start amassing units and rushing. It was a very well done game, and if you like rpg and rts equally, you should enjoy it.
I applaud Jowood for trying something different instead of following the well-worn rpg or rts path. I wish more devs would envision and execute on this level.

@txa1265
Yes, 2006 has been a timewarp in games--the newspost about Oblivion being GOTY gave me the same feeling--it seems like people have been extolling/badmouthing that particular game for a lot longer than a year ;)
 
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Yes, 2006 has been a timewarp in games--the newspost about Oblivion being GOTY gave me the same feeling--it seems like people have been extolling/badmouthing that particular game for a lot longer than a year ;)
106

OK, I *had* to look ... I have submitted 106 reviews since sending in my Spellforce 2 review - which was at the end of May ... no wonder I'm tired ...
 
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Yup--raise and vacation seem indicated to me.
 
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RTS with RPG elements... no matter how good the char development (havn't seen a real good one) is, I get turned off the moment i have to produce a large army and find myself playing a RTS game.
 
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The level 30 cap killed Spellforce 2 for me. Also no console commands allowed. Spellforce 1 had them. Maybe an addon will raise it. But the company got absorbed so wait and see. A nice game anyway.
 
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I've just started playing this and it already seems as if the voice acting for the English version is atrocious. Same goes for the animation in cut scenes. Male avatars are almost universally ugly. There are a few good female avatars. In general, this looks like a typical European game. It has several good elements, but it looks and feels translated. I'm trying to think of a European developed game where they "nailed" the translation for Americans. None come to mind. Divine Divinity probably came closest unless my memory for it has become clouded.
 
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The problem with the "translated" feeling lies with the translation studios, not the country of origin. The translators often have a few voice actors that they usually work with, and use them over and over, even if their voices don't really fit.

I've never played Spellforce I or II, but I guess I'll put them on my to-be-played list.

EDIT: Right after posting, I remembered that many games are developed in English, despite its developers not being native speakers of the language, which I agree, can be rather annoying. You'd think they could at least hire an editor for the dialog and text.
 
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I kind of enjoy the mis-translation myself. It gives a less slick feel to the games, like maybe they are produced by actual human beings.But bad voice acting will ruin it. I agree that DD did a very good job.
In fact,one of my favorite lines is from Divine Divinity--you help out a sleazy character in the slums by getting rid of a guard I believe, and when you return to inform him he chuckles gleefully and says something like "Excuse me, I have to leave now. I must be the first to desecrate the corpse." ;)
 
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You guys just need a bit of perspective. Being an avid fan of Asian movies, especially the golden era of the Hong Kong kung fu movies, I've seen my share of really REALLY bad translations. I mean, we're literally talking "All your base are belong to us" kind of translations here. Some of them have an english audio track where all the voices are done by just a couple of people and let's just say that you're not going to find the word "Talented" on their CV anywhere :rolleyes:

Just watch a few of these flicks and I promise you that you'll not even notice the translation bloopers in Spellforce 2 anymore :biggrin:
 
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doesnt bother me in the least bit. Gameplay first you know, the entire thing is corny and trite by it's very nature to begin with.
 
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Reading the few posts complaining of being torn away from the RPG part during RTS sections made me scratch my head a bit. I find the straight RPG portions of this game thin, a bit boring and sometimes chore-like (although it's during these portions you can really take in the great scenery using the excellent camera system). The RPG part is just not that deep beyond some pretty good characterization and a decent story. There are no dialogue or quest choices of significance, and the character devleopment system is very straight forward with way too many Diablo-esque items having lots of stats, but very marginal differences. There are a few fun puzzles and mini-games, but nothing that goes beyond "solid" in those categories.

I find this game shines most during the RTS portions. That's when the RPG aspect blends really well with the RTS aspect for a combination of two OK-ish parts making for a sum that is more.
 
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