DoW fans

For those even slower than me on the uptake, Relic's announced yet another expansion, Soul Storm. They'll be adding two more races (9 total races?! Insane!), flying units (flying units on an already crazy battlefield?! Insane!) and lord knows what else. Insane! It's expected spring of 2008

On a semi-odd side note, they're "partnering" with Iron Lore of TQ fame (and pre-Iron Lore: AoE fame) on it. Hmmmm…

It looks like Dark Eldar is in for one of the races. Everyone is clamoring for Tyranids for the other race, yet Relic says there's no way they are doable with the current game.

On a sidenote, word on the street is that widely anticipated Adepta Sororitas mod is almost done.

I've tried so hard to get into Dawn Of War… I was a big fan of 40K tabletop back in the day, and DoW does really capture the look of the game. But it's the lack of the game mechanics and turn-based nature of the 40K rules that I miss so much when trying to play DoW. Relic did a great job in making the RTS game a bit more interesting, but it's still the basic mob tactics and that to me is just not 40K (well, unless you're playing Orks but still…).

DoW looks great, sounds wonderful, captures the feel of the game universe and for an RTS isn't bad, but it just doesn't play like 40K.

True, it's not for the turn-based or heavily strategic crowd. However, I do think, as you alluded to, that it raised the mob-based RTS to the level of "fun" for me. Prior to DoW, AoEII was the last mass-and-crash RTS I had fun with. However, I am hoping that they apply a few mechanics and lessons-learned from the CoH series, if possible, to the DoW mechanics with the expansion to make it a bit more deep. Obviously, there would be limits, but some ideas seem simple enough as to be possible. Probability, however, would dictate that they'll use all their new resources on the two new races and trying to balance those along with flying units for all 9. That sounds like a can of worms in and of itself.

Relic did improve on the standard RTS formula somewhat, adding in more tactical options (like cover, better unit management and such) which was nice to see. But I ultimately kept failing at the game because I'd try to play it like tabletop 40K, not pumping out more squads but rather trying to overcome obstacles with much smaller troop quantities. When it became obvious that the game intended me to just crank up unit production, that's when I really lost interest and the very nice illusion of the game was broken.
The speed adjustment was sort of nice but still didn't make the game feel any better. I keep wishing there was a way to enjoy it though, because visually it captures 40K like nothing else! Such a great-looking and great-sounding game.

HOLY SHIT!

PUN INTENDED!

DOW NEWS

VIDEO OF DOOM!

The second new race in the expansion are the space nuns with guns, the Adepta Sororitas aKa Sisters of Battle! I wonder if this has anything to do with the SOB mod coming out already, this is a mind-blower!

Developer would have saved themselves a whole lot of time and effort to just flat out buy the work of the team doing that, I could actually see that happening. Youve got people making it for free in the first place, suddenly being approached with an offer of some serious coin. I can see them taking that as well, I sure as hell would.

Look at that screenshot, my god that's friggen beautiful

Don't mess with ta Sistas! I love the piles and piles of boyz bodies in the vid. Poor bastards. I do worry a bit, however, that they'll play too much like the SMs. We'll see. In any case, I've had DC fired up for a week or so now since I learned of the expansion. Really looking forward to the expanded DC take on the SP campaign. The possibilities are very tantalizing.