Drakensang vs. TRoT

So I've played TRoT recently, and I can't for the life of me understand why people rate it more highly than Drakensang. I think it might just be that you'd expect a sequel that doesn't change the basic formula of the predecessor and that was in development for 2 years to be more refined, but in this case, it really isn't.

The story is generally more epic in Drakensang, 1/3 murder mystery, 2/3s artifact hunt. In TRoT, you spend 80% of the game looking for the pirates that hit you on the head.

Combat is essentially the same in both games, or almost the same as you have some limitations in party composition in TRoT, i.e. you can't have more than two magic users. There are IIRC three new activated abilities in TRoT, and they aren't even among the best, so no real difference there. Skills and spells are exactly the same in both games.

Exploration also isn't vastly different. When I first read about TRoT I thought "yeah, having a ship as your base sounds fun", I was thinking of a kind of open world scenario. It isn't, and sailing that ship up and down the same river over the course of the game is as boring as it sounds. Adding insult to injury, there are no random encounters in TRoT. These tended to be fun (especially the first time around when you didn't know what you'd run into), and a bit exciting (when your party was weakened and out of supplies). The "base" itself is as inconsequential as it was in Drakensang, with the same option to use a gold sink and install some workbenches that you don't really need.

The writing certainly isn't any better in TRoT than it was in Drakensang; it has the same stereotypes, the same "harmless" light tone. If you didn't like it the first time around, you won't like TRoT either.
Rakorum was actually fun to meet in Drakensang, as it goes against the (Western?) stereotype of the intense, brooding wizard. In TRoT, he just has a short cameo. For shame.

The only improvement that I can see is that, without random encounters, you can no longer farm herbs, which makes the system a bit less broken than in Drakensang. But if you're really looking to get into the series, start with Drakensang, and then if you can stomach a slightly weaker successor, try TRoT. It's definitely not like BG2 > BG1.

I enjoyed both games - the last addon for TRoT was crap.

I enjoyed both also but I don't consider then the best games I ever played.

HiddenX is right about the last expansion it felt like it was rushed. It probably was due to them shutting down after releasing it.

I couldn't believe how good first Drakensang felt. And still can't believe some ppl haven't heard about it or played it.
Was TRoT worse than it? IMO no, it was just slightly different. It definetly wasn't pumping in more stuff like "let's add romances", "let's add planescape episode", "let's add stronghold", etc BG2>BG1, but it was still awsome.
And unlike Couch, in my case Drakensang games are one of the best I've ever played.

Because of whatever silly publishers' decisions, I've never had, bought, played the addon so can't agree or disagree with HiddenX. Couldn't buy it anywhere, not on english language. Till now.

Amazon.com doesn't ship games to my country. But I did my homework, found some "smugglers" who ship stuff from anywhere to anywhere as long as it is not drugs and I got the saga DVD from that very same amazon.com:



Oh and I went arguing with their support stating that not shipping bloody DVD worldwide is a pure discrimination, racism and stuff. That didn't help, it's US store, it's normal they believe outside of USA only animals live and what positive can you expect from it when it comes to exporting goods.
You may say I could buy it on amazon.de as they do ship games to my country, but I don't speak german!

Anyway, the plan is to start Dragon Commander this weekend and after finishing it the next thing is (re)playing the whole Drakensang so I learn if that addon is crap or not.

I wish both were available at release like they are now. Like you said a certain publisher was terrible at getting the game released. I had to import mine and pay more than the usual.

Because of that cretinous publisher sales were not good as ppl simply couldn't buy the game in some "normal" and not complicated way. RadonLabs went down and was sold to BigPoint (free2scam online games, aggressive and annoying advertising on eurosport).
I wish Kickstarter existed back then.

Originally Posted by joxer
Because of that cretinous publisher sales were not good as ppl simply couldn't buy the game in some "normal" and not complicated way. RadonLabs went down and was sold to BigPoint (free2scam online games, aggressive and annoying advertising on eurosport).
I wish Kickstarter existed back then.

I wont even mention that F2P browser abomination. As for that publisher at least there gone now. Last I heard they went bankrupt and finished liquidation.

In my opinion, The River Of Time is so much better mainly because of making its handling much more intuitive, and just more smooth, so to say.

The story isn't epic; but on the other hand it's kind of refreshing to see something non-epic these days, isn't it ?

The "save the world" thing has been explored/exploited a bit too much these days, imho.

Originally Posted by Sacred_Path
The writing certainly isn't any better in TRoT than it was in Drakensang; it has the same stereotypes, the same "harmless" light tone. If you didn't like it the first time around, you won't like TRoT either.
Rakorum was actually fun to meet in Drakensang, as it goes against the (Western?) stereotype of the intense, brooding wizard. In TRoT, he just has a short cameo. For shame.

The original voice actor for Rakorium Muntagonus died at a time after the game was finished.

And about that "harmless tone" thing : With it, it stands in hard opposition to nearly ALL "modern-day" RPGs. Of course no-one buys a thing that goes completely against a fashion …

Originally Posted by Couchpotato
I wont even mention that F2P browser abomination. As for that publisher at least there gone now. Last I heard they went bankrupt and finished liquidation.

Developer : Radon Labs :
Drakensang
Drakensang 2 : The River Of Time
Drakensang 2 : The River Of Time : Philleasson's Secret
-> Bancruptcy
-> online games maker "Bigpoint" buys developer Radon Labs
-> Radon Labs still has the Drakensang assets & art material
-> Brand name "Drakensang" still belongs to Radon Labs -> Bigpoint now
-> Online game using the brand name "Drakensang" is developed

The very last game of Radon Labs is "Future Wars", and retro-style TBS game.
And of course "Philleasson's Secret". Which even bears the Bigpoint logo on the packaging already.

And, by the way, the publisher "dtp" nearly went bancrupt, too.

Originally Posted by Alrik Fassbauer
no-one buys a thing that goes completely against a fashion …

That's where we come in, refuse to buy a "musthave" crap and use the money we saved to grab an underrated gem.
The world can't go forward if only mainstream stuff gets bought.

But we have another case here where a good game, if advertised and distributed effectively worldwide could have earned dozens of millions. Instead, it flopped as the target market was one or just a few countries.
Couldn't they learn from Holywood? They don't do such mistakes. The recent example is Pacific Rim (still haven't seen it shame on me). It flopped in USA probably because hidden criticising the wall on USA/Mexico border, while in China it's #1 hit this year and earned a huge sum probably because of the same wall as they have their own.

Originally Posted by Alrik Fassbauer
And, by the way, the publisher "dtp" nearly went bancrupt, too.

DTP is the publisher I was talking about. There to blame for Radon Labs closing. There is another game they were funding being developed by Deck 13 that is basically vaporware right now.

Even Larian had trouble with them with Divine Divinity 2. Like I said last I heard DTP went bankrupt and were sold off. There nothing but a shell of what they once were now.

I had nothing agaisnt Radon Labs Alrik my problem is with the publisher DTP. I sometimes wonder what Radon Labs could of made with a better publisher, or as Joxer said with kicksarter.

Originally Posted by Alrik Fassbauer
In my opinion, The River Of Time is so much better mainly because of making its handling much more intuitive, and just more smooth, so to say.

By 'handling' do you mean the UI? Did that even change at all?

The story isn't epic; but on the other hand it's kind of refreshing to see something non-epic these days, isn't it ?

It's generally not epic if the reasons for adventuring are purely personal. But plz, make it something a bit more complex/ interesting than "I'm looking for those yokels who beat me up yesterday".

The original voice actor for Rakorium Muntagonus died at a time after the game was finished.

Oh, I didn't know that

Originally Posted by Couchpotato
DTP is the publisher I was talking about. There to blame for Radon Labs closing. There is another game they were funding being developed by Deck 13 that is basically vaporware right now.

Even Larian had trouble with them with Divine Divinity 2. Like I said last I heard they went bankrupt and were sold off. There nothing but a shell of what they once were now.

I had nothing agaisnt Radon Labs Alrik. I sometimes wonder what they could of made with a better publisher, or as Joxer said with kicksarter.

Yes, of course - but it's all history by now.

( And Larian didn't go bancrupt, by the way. )

Originally Posted by Sacred_Path
Oh, I didn't know that

After River Of Time, just to make this clear.

Originally Posted by Alrik Fassbauer
( And Larian didn't go bancrupt, by the way. )

Never said they did I think we have a communication failure here. My post was all about DTP,

You put Larian and "they" into 2 sentences, one following after the other one. This can easily lead to misinterpretations, yes.

Originally Posted by joxer
The recent example is Pacific Rim (still haven't seen it shame on me). It flopped in USA probably because hidden criticising the wall on USA/Mexico border, while in China it's #1 hit this year and earned a huge sum probably because of the same wall as they have their own.

Pacific Rim is a big hit in the Asian market because they love Godzilla, and robot movies.

Originally Posted by Alrik Fassbauer
You put Larian and "they" into 2 sentences, one following after the other one. This can easily lead to misinterpretations, yes.

Well it's fixed now.

Originally Posted by Couchpotato
Pacific Rim is a big hit in the Asian market because they love Godzilla, and robot movies.

China and Japan are not the same thing. China and Godzilla? Cmon. Dragons in China are good and friendly creatures.

Also keep in mind that because of the hard socialism, any fantasy or similar thing like wuxia genre was forbidden in China and was filmed only in Hong Kong. That market is hungry for fantasy, sci fi and horror of any kind!

So, I won't change my thoughts. Great wall in China = love for the movie. Great wall between USA and Mexico = hate the movie. Depends where you live.

On topic, I can't find a person who hates Drakensang. Maybe because there are no walls or schoolbuses (hint: Arnold's recent movie) in it?

Originally Posted by joxer
China and Japan are not the same thing. China and Godzilla? Cmon. Dragons in China are good and friendly creatures.

It's called a generalization Joxer it's much easier to use them then type out three paragraphs of text.

Anyways don't get me started on there version of what a dragon is. It's nothing but a big snake. It's blasphemy as everyone knows there giant lizards that breath flame, and other elements.

On topic, I can't find a person who hates Drakensang. Maybe because there are no walls or schoolbuses (hint: Arnold's recent movie) in it?

People do it just seems that many on RPGwatch don't.

Why are you using "first reaction when EA is mentioned" emote in this thread?

Originally Posted by joxer
Why are you using "first reaction when EA is mentioned" emote in this thread?

It's more of a how dare they emote, but I use it in EA topics also.

To get back on topic how far are you into the complete package? I remember being annoyed at the lack of audio and bugs in the first game, but soon learned to tolerate them, and enjoy the game.

I only played a few hours of the first game but plan on playing both when (if) I get done with skyrim.

Should I start with TRoT because it's a prequel? and where does the expansion come in story wise?