has anyone picked up stronghold 2 yet?

[jjj807]

Has anyone picked this game up yet? Looks good.

 

[Jumpem]

I'm hoping a demo comes out soon.

 

[Hadsus]

I've been eyeing this too. The forums I've read are not real encouraging. Apparently there is a good bit of bog-down and bugs. I understand there has already been one patch.

 

[CPA]

I picked it up today and am debating whether or not to install it tonight.

 

[imported_Nacelle]

There's a lot more into keeping you people happy.

 

[CPA]

okay, I installed it last night.

Two things I immediately noticed:

1) While the environment is 3D, the graphics look old. Even the cut scenes look outdated. One of the first cutscenes shows two knights talking and one is leaning on his sword. The sword edge is pixelated, horribly. This is with all graphics settings on high and with the use of a 6800OC (I assume this means this game does not support anti-aliasing?). The smaller overview map looks like its drawn in 256 color mode, with very little detail noticeable. Maybe it's my card, I don't know, but I haven't had this kind of lacking graphics detail in any other games, including HL2, Doom3 and LoTR BFME.

2) There is a campaign mode with about 15 or so "chapters", but the first one lasts at most 2 minutes! What the frick is that about? I want castle building immediately, not running off to find a boat and slashing down 10 graphically lacking henchmen.

I will say all the controls are easy and functioned appropriately. I finished chapter two and still have yet to fight or even build a castle. And while I didn't play it, the Chapter 3 cutscene spoke about building some more stuff.

I loved the first Stronghold, even though the enemy AI was predictable. The add-on was lame. So far it looks like 2 is following the latter.

 

[Malladine]

Add on being Crusaders? I just installed that last night, played a bit. Seems cool, though i didn't play the original much (AI pissed me off). Would you say that S:C is decent if you haven't played the original?

 

[CPA]

Originally posted by: Malladine
Add on being Crusaders? I just installed that last night, played a bit. Seems cool, though i didn't play the original much (AI pissed me off). Would you say that S:C is decent if you haven't played the original?

hmmm....good question. Probably, I think I was just expecting much more to the add-on. It didn't fix any of the issues with the first and the feel and the depth of the game seemed more shallow.

 

[CPA]

okay, I'm becoming more and more disappointed with this game. 4th chapter and I finally get to fight. What do I get to fight you ask - I get to fight Bears and a few barbarians who have a fetish for wood. That's right, you'll need about a dozen men to take down one bear and one or two guys to take down the half dozen or so barbarians. Why? Because the barbarians AI is worse than it was in the original game. The are oblivious to being attacked! If they see a wooden wall, that's what the go for, no matter how many of my army are hacking at them. The lack of AI was drawdropping.

Oh, and the Barbarians do well against walls. Basically one swing and the wall sinks into the ground. That's right, sinks into the ground until it disappears. No crashing sound, no sound period, no dust being kicked up or wood pieces flying around. this game is becoming more and more pedestrian.

 

[Jumpem]

Originally posted by: CPA
okay, I'm becoming more and more disappointed with this game. 4th chapter and I finally get to fight. What do I get to fight you ask - I get to fight Bears and a few barbarians who have a fetish for wood. That's right, you'll need about a dozen men to take down one bear and one or two guys to take down the half dozen or so barbarians. Why? Because the barbarians AI is worse than it was in the original game. The are oblivious to being attacked! If they see a wooden wall, that's what the go for, no matter how many of my army are hacking at them. The lack of AI was drawdropping.

Oh, and the Barbarians do well against walls. Basically one swing and the wall sinks into the ground. That's right, sinks into the ground until it disappears. No crashing sound, no sound period, no dust being kicked up or wood pieces flying around. this game is becoming more and more pedestrian.

thanks for the warnings.

 

[Mongals]

Man my bro and I had been looking forward to this game, but now I think I might just pass. What has really left me not wanting to play it is the increased micomanagement of the game, that should be the smallest concern in an rts, and rather focus on the battles and building cool castles.

 

[CPA]

Originally posted by: Mongals
Man my bro and I had been looking forward to this game, but now I think I might just pass. What has really left me not wanting to play it is the increased micomanagement of the game, that should be the smallest concern in an rts, and rather focus on the battles and building cool castles.

increased is an understatement. Example, part of the happiness of your citizens is church services, and it's not just a matter of building a church or temple. You build the church, then build a bees hive to produce the candles that allow you to have Mass to bring the churchgoers in. Bees? Candles? WTF?

 

[Malladine]

Originally posted by: CPA

Originally posted by: Mongals
Man my bro and I had been looking forward to this game, but now I think I might just pass. What has really left me not wanting to play it is the increased micomanagement of the game, that should be the smallest concern in an rts, and rather focus on the battles and building cool castles.

increased is an understatement. Example, part of the happiness of your citizens is church services, and it's not just a matter of building a church or temple. You build the church, then build a bees hive to produce the candles that allow you to have Mass to bring the churchgoers in. Bees? Candles? WTF?

lol

 

[Vampirrella]

yea i got it too and im not impressed at all... bummer!
Im having fun right now with empire earth 2 and i like the game play on that far far better!

 

[hamburglar]

its a tough game. Im on chapter 4 and it seems like the barbarians are 3x stronger than my guys.

 

[CPA]

Originally posted by: hamburglar
its a tough game. Im on chapter 4 and it seems like the barbarians are 3x stronger than my guys.

Just build a lot of wooden walls. While the barbarians are hacking at them (read my post above) you can easily slaughter them. Plus I assume you have the monks, right?

 

[StageLeft]

Hmm, this is depressing. I'll wait for a demo. The original stronghold was immaculate. Crusaders, though nothing new to the table besides maps and a few units and what not, was awesome. Its campaign was pathetic and not worth finishing (I didn't), but the 50 map crusade was so fun I did it once and then a few months later cranked through 40% of it again. The original stronghold/crusaders was just _fun_. AI was predictable but I just appreciated the simpleness of building my castle each time, amassing troops, and then punishing the other guy.

YOu know what this sounds like? Lord of the realm 3. The second one was mother@*#(ing awesome, as anybody who played it can echo, but evidently the third one was a hellacious joke of a game, according to all of the reviews of it (and its very low initial selling price).

 

[CPA]

Originally posted by: Skoorb
Hmm, this is depressing. I'll wait for a demo. The original stronghold was immaculate. Crusaders, though nothing new to the table besides maps and a few units and what not, was awesome. Its campaign was pathetic and not worth finishing (I didn't), but the 50 map crusade was so fun I did it once and then a few months later cranked through 40% of it again. The original stronghold/crusaders was just _fun_. AI was predictable but I just appreciated the simpleness of building my castle each time, amassing troops, and then punishing the other guy.

YOu know what this sounds like? Lord of the realm 3. The second one was mother@*#(ing awesome, as anybody who played it can echo, but evidently the third one was a hellacious joke of a game, according to all of the reviews of it (and its very low initial selling price).

I concur on both counts. LoTR3 stunk.