Balrum: Why RPGWatch isn't playing?

crpgnut said:

It is graphically weak, but game play strong.

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Considering how weak and broken the gameplay is, it is indeed surprising that this product is not more tasted on here.

Isn't this site supposed to be about PLAYING games?

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Since Balrum is not a game, but a broken game engine, it is also surprising that no many play it on this site.

Don't care for farming, base building or crafting much. So it's just not my type of game.

I might have givin it a try if we were in an Rpg drought but my extensive backlog tells me that won't be happening for a very very long time.

sakichop said:

Don't care for farming, base building or crafting much. So it's just not my type of game.

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I don't think that summarizes what Balrum is. Those are all just optional aspects of the game.

JDR13 said:

I don't think that summarizes what Balrum is. Those are all just optional aspects of the game.

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Your right, I didn't mean for it to sound that way. I was just listing features in the game that I'm not interested in.

Honestly, If a game has a number of features I don't care for or doesn't immediately grab me I just pass on it. It's unfortunate and I'll probably miss out on some hidden gems, but really my backlog is so long now I'll never play all the games I want to . Just not enough time.

Fair enough. I didn't do much building, cooking, or any farming in my game(s) either. I just did the crafting that is fun for me: weapons, armor, alchemy. Dumped a 100+ hours in the game though.

I think the reason I haven't backed it or bought it yet is the combat just doesn't look very compelling to me and my impression is that combat is a big part of this game.

Yeah I like turn-based combat but I'm pretty picky about it... Generally prefer controlling a whole party in turn-based games... Although I do like the solo turn-based combat of Age of Decadence (basically a more modern variant of Fallout 1 & 2).

If there is a demo of Balrum I'd probably check it out but just doesn't look worth spending money on when I still have a few games I backed on KS I haven't even played yet.

The combat is simple in the game. It really isn't a big part of the game at all. The average dungeon might have 6-8 one on one battles. Each battle is typically resolved in less than 10 turns unless someone is trying to flee. If your primary joy in crpgs is the combat, this game won't wow you.

This game is more about exploration and completing quests. Many quests have nothing to do with combat at all. Collect some bees while out exploring, chop down some trees for a fella, gather some ingredients for a cake, etc. Main quests do involve quite a bit of dungeon delving and some combat.

Balrum isn't going to be for everyone. Explorer types will enjoy it best because it is a fog-of-war game.

Sounds better 'nut.

Will put it on the list, will pick it up and some stage to add to my backlog... Can't promise I'll ever play it. I'll try.

crpgnut said:

The combat is simple in the game. It really isn't a big part of the game at all.

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Combat is central in this product: beating enemies is required to advance. If, at some point, an enemy is not beaten, then it is not possible to progress.

Battles act as a bottleneck. Is combat frequent? It might be if the player decides so.
In this case, better to know that XP from fights is low.

As progression is earned through battles, menial quests act as a filler between each critical fight. This is where the XP comes.

That is this product's sequence: boss battles with menial tasks to fill in between each battle.

Combat is central, players who do not manage wont go anywhere.

Explorer types will enjoy it best because it is a fog-of-war game.

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Nope. Exploration is utterly failed in this product.
In gaming, the fog of war is a feature that is connected to combat, to hide the enemy (the gathering of information is scouting, not exploring)

Skyrim has no fog of war, exploration is well done.
One key is that players get the impression they can travel to any point they can see. Nothing to do with a fog of war.

There are very few enemies that need to be beaten. Most of the time you can incapacitate them. However, there are a few that are carrying something that moves the story along. Those do need to be defeated. You can't play a pacifist. For instance, you must kill the boss at the top of the Necromancer Tower on the first map.

Here is what I mean by fog of war. There are a ton of hidden places, chests, and people to find that there is no path or quest to take you there. You'll only find them by exploration. Most, but not all, will have some small quest to undertake if you do find them.

For instance, there is a book that teaches you the 2nd level of arcane lore. This skill costs 10 LP otherwise. If you find the book, you just saved 2 whole levels of LP, but there is nothing holding your hand to tell you where that book is located.

SO it has secrets. Quite different from the fog of war.

On exploration: the product is a failed game engine. They never reached the stage when they could address properly a feature like exploration.

They intended to implement home building as a feature that would take place in the current game world, not in a separate world (the safe place)

Limited supplies (food, water, sleep, mana, health) were intended to be limiting factors to the exploration range.

As a consequence, in order to expand the range, they added a setting camp feature. Players would use that as a secondary base.

The structure of basic resources management.

The safe place, though, and the teleport function, made every resource abundant: the PC never lacks food, water, sleep, health etc as it can teleport anytime to a storage place.

This turned many features in a leash.

Eating, drinking, sleeping are actions that could be automated or even better, never been implemented as they are utterly meaningless.
They even added a small mechanics that could have meant if the PC were meant to travel on short supplies: the worm in the haversack. Supposed to eat food inside. Could have been a nasty discovery. In the context of abundance, another annoying leash as the player must get rid of the worm every so often.

After watching a couple of lets play, it appears that after 10 hours in, they have yet to notice the PC can camp, the feature is so unneeded and destroyed by the teleportation feature.

Exploration is not the only feature that was elaborated.

The economy is a mess. The main cause to trade is to acquire what cant be found that easily: coins. Coins are mandatory to level up. Without that pressure, that would not be trading in this product. You trade to get coins to buy the services of a trainer. To add to this, traders have a limited amount of coins, and as the world is so abundant, might be dried up fast. Money is the limited quantity here, not the goods to be traded. Talking of an economic mess...

The crafting system is nothing better, when compared to the bought recipes, any player's made recipe shows the system is sketchy and was implemented because the feature was pledged.

Only combat works decently as it is quite rare for the PC to go out of a fight unscathed, even when sacrifying the immortal pet tank.

Strong gameplay? Nope, weak gameplay.

ChienAboyeur said:

Exploration is not the only feature that was elaborated.

The economy is a mess. The main cause to trade is to acquire what cant be found that easily: coins. Coins are mandatory to level up. Without that pressure, that would not be trading in this product. You trade to get coins to buy the services of a trainer. To add to this, traders have a limited amount of coins, and as the world is so abundant, might be dried up fast. Money is the limited quantity here, not the goods to be traded. Talking of an economic mess…

The crafting system is nothing better, when compared to the bought recipes, any player's made recipe shows the system is sketchy and was implemented because the feature was pledged.

Only combat works decently as it is quite rare for the PC to go out of a fight unscathed, even when sacrifying the immortal pet tank.

Strong gameplay? Nope, weak gameplay.

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I haven't played the game, but the system you're critiquing is rather prevalent in RPGS, isn't it? Off the top of my head Morrowind, Oblivion, Might and Magic 6-8, and Eschalon all have similar mechanics and are generally considered good RPGS.

i don't know, Its only 15 bucks and other then here the only negative review I could find on steam lists more pros then cons and the dude has 63 hrs into it.
Sounds very Ultima, Eschelon Book. I would rather it have Arpg combat but maybe that is part of its charm. I'm buying it even if it has Diablo 1 graphics.

Oh and Joxer? That Stardew valley has phone game written all over it. You're kidding, right?

I intend to play it, but seriously, my backlog is years long now...

Ok four hours in and seriously hooked. Took me forever to figure out how to make arrows. Graphics are more on a par with Sacred 1. You are a serious weakling when you start and multiple enemies are quite a problem.

I have a bunch of crafting games and although its just 1 part of this I think they really nailed it. The gathering really hits the sweet spot compared to other games. I can't stand watching your character for what it seems like 10 seconds of swinging an axe then you have to pick up the item. In this game its three quick swings and your tree is now wood in your inventory. To me that's the difference between fun and tedium. I am still trying to figure out a way to harvest seeds so CRPGnut, how about a little spoiler?
Atm the stealing is a bit strange because I looked at something when no one is was in the house and now the owner chases me every time he sees me.

Shagnak said:

I intend to play it, but seriously, my backlog is years long now…

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As it should be. At least if you, like me, are a gamer and a hoard.-… eh …. collector..

pibbur who will actually be able to reduce his backlog, since he probably will partially retire next year. The wife is not informed about this plan for spending thie extra free time.

Tell her you have to do some kind of "home office" work

HiddenX said:

Tell her you have to do some kind of "home office" work

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Done that for many years (mostly when investments have been necessary). Not sure she believes it anymore.

pibbur who has decided not to ask