Sword Coast Legends
I thought about getting SCL, but I feel like I have too many games going on right now to start another. This looks geared more towards playing with a group. Any idea how the single player version is?
Ya, its mostly for a DM and 4 people, that was the original design Like a tabletop game the DM builds the dungeon and creates their own sessions with their own ideas and ext.... The single player part is cool. Its a lot like NWN2.
I would love to join you in your campaign, but I hardly have enough time lately to do ESO justice. So my apologies for not joining you in it, time is the only reason. It looks like it would be a lot of fun.
Here is a ruff draft of my review that goes live tomorrow on Steam when the game is officially released:
When I first heard about the game I became interested in the 4 with 1 experience that the developers spoke of. In that regard, I believe this game will introduce a whole new generation to the D&D tabletop experience. It makes it possible in a modern way, for new types of gamers, to experience the tradition that many have come to experience through tabletop. There is just something about the accessibility through the DM options that puts the imagination right on screen before you and not just your own. Who would have thought that placing an item in a certain position in your module would invoke conversation based on the imagination of others. There is so much that this game has to offer in terms of a real community gaming experience. I could see myself playing this with my friends for years to come. These thoughts so far are primarily based on the DM side and not of the campaign. In contrast, the single player campaign for me does not measure up. Although the story is excellent there is so much that it is lacking which you would except in a modern D&D PC game that is rooted in the tabletop experience. Granted that there are many PC games that have a D&D title, this one made claims that did not hold up for many customers. Some of us thought we were getting a game that resembled the traditional experience of Baldur’s Gate or Neverwinter Nights. Instead, this game is a hybrid of modern RPGs with D&D elements. For me, even though it’s a great game, I have no plans at playing the campaign again. It just didn’t connect me to the Forgotten Realms like some of the great past D&D titles did and this is coming from someone has done a play through of the Baldur’s Gate series every year for the past 15yrs.With all that being said, it would have been a whole different experience if they would have just stuck with the DM aspect of the game. The campaign would have been 100 times better if it was a module that was hosted by a DM. Making and Hosting modules is what gives this game its greatness.
Cons
-loosely based on the 5th Edition rules
-Class system is not traditional: you can get away with not having a cleric or a rouge. You can pretty much make a paladin or ranger and put a few points in healing and lock picking, without even a penalty.
- Rogues don’t steal or pickpocket
-no deaths or penalties: if you die in a fight you can be stabilized or if your party wipes automatic restart at the last save or entrance.
-no justice system: in the campaign you can walk right into someone’s house and loot their cabinets in front of them. They only added a few instance where a NPCs walks in and catches you.
-too easy: just about every boss battle in the campaign I sat around and drank potions, which seem to be in an unlimited supply, in the campaign. The most difficult battle was not even a major boss, where I actually had to use strategy.
-campaign is lore deficient: there is very little lore implemented into the campaign
-not enough intractable or playable NPCs in the campaign
-linear quest progression: not open world, quests open the world in the style of NWN2 or IcewindDale
-no reputation system in the campaign- go ahead and kill the innocent guy, party won’t care
-in the campaign it doesn’t matter if which NPCs go with you and stay at the camp they will interact through some magic rock if they need to, which pretty much limits the replay value of the campaign
-campaign only has one save file: no going back if you screwed up or get caught in a bug.
-can’t kill NPCs or mess up your story, being evil in the campaign is pretty much pointless. It’s a completely linear in character development until the ending. You don’t lose good status even if you do evil actions.
-you can be a chaotic evil paladin in the campaign, need I say more.
-no resting, spells are endless but have cool downs
Pros
-takes place in the D&D Forgotten Realms
-unlimited replay value on the DM side of the game. As long as a DM has the imagination the game could go on forever
-campaign is around 40+with side quests. I finished in about 30 and had a handful of side quests to do
-campaign has a many side quests, some of which affect your outcome
-in the campaign your choices matter in the determining the end
-Diverse and rare loot system- more like the torchlight tradition. You never know what a chest will hold
-NPC crafted items: in the campaign you have to search out materials for a black smith to craft
-traditional D&D monsters
-on the DM side there really is no end to what they can add in terms of content
-DM side makes it simple to host and craft sessions
-DM side introduces a modified version of table top to a whole new generation
-Developers are working with the community in terms of future content for the game
-interesting and voiced banters from NPCs. They share their history and feelings with you.
-gorgeous cut scenes in the campaign
-interesting campaign story
-you can co-op with 3 of your friends in the campaign
I would recommend this game, mostly for the DM side and only in the context of how you would play a tabletop game, which is with people of a like mind. The searching for players or games function just doesn’t do the D&D experience justice. For this reason I created the SCL-DM group. With over 500memebers it’s a place where people can meet for games in SCL: http://steamcommunity.com/groups/SCL-DM
Overall my rating is a 7.7/10-Good (Based on the IGN scale).