| Title | Qt3 Games Podcast: Banished and the winter of our discontent |
| Author | Tom Chick |
| Posted in | Games podcasts |
| When | February 20, 2014 |
Tom Chick, Nick Diamon, and Chris Hornbostel talk about starvation, freezing to death, tornadoes, the comparative merits of squash or pumpkin, and which city builders they might rather be playing than this often uneven indie project..
Read the full articleWhile I am enjoying Banished quite a bit (about 35 years into my first Village), I agree that some more information about the mechanics would make it a much more in depth and enjoyable game. The YouTube Videos that piqued my interest in the game also gave me enough knowledge to survive the first couple of years. But now I face the same uninformed choices that you guys face, e.g., I am keeping a doctor in the hospital 100% of the time - does that keep my people healthier, or do I just need a doctor when people are sick?
My main concern about the game is replayability; given that there are few informed choices to be made, I can't try different strategies. I started on medium, and I might play once more on hard, but I don't see anything beyond that. I have never been an achievement hunter, so that does not motivate me. But I must admit the Steam achievements are actual Achievements that would require quite a lot of skill to obtain. Perhaps the dev will open the game out to modding, which would definitely give it legs.
All that said, I have no regrets on the purchase. I am enjoying watching the growth of my thorpe into a hamlet and then into a village, some day it may even become a canton. This is still a phenomenal effort on the part on person, and if it is successful he and others will hopefully bring more games like to the table. If anyone is curious about the game, do not be overly put off by the negativity, check out some of the playthroughs on YouTube to get a better sense of this game. If you have any interest in sim games, at the very least it is definitely worth picking up on a Steam sale.
Just wanted to mention that Children of the Nile Complete (which includes the Alexandria add on) is also available at GOG.com for ten bucks.
I just read in the tutorial that producing a variety of food types keeps the citizens happy. Maybe that's the answer to the question of why which crop to plant - perhaps potatoes the first farm, then corn the next, etc. No idea if this actually has a gameplay effect just wanted to mention that the tutorial message does suggest that.
It makes sense to hide information before the townhall is being build. You need a townhall to register everything going on. Thats the realistic thought about that.
this is my favorite podcast, but i have to say that this one felt really disrespectful. there was a lot of laughing and rude comments, which isn't typical of you guys. i don't care if you like games or not, but it felt like you were acting like the cool kids in high school picking on the bookworm. not my favorite episode.
Sorry if it felt like we were being jerks, Tad. I blame Nick and Chris. I was hoping one of them would like the game more!
Seriously, though, sorry if we came across as rude. That's not our intention.
thanks for that, Tom. much appreciated! Three Moves Ahead did a podcast on Banished as well and i encourage you to check it out. that podcast might give you the differing perspective you were looking for from Nick and Chris. have a great day.
that said, i do agree with some of your criticisms of the game. for example, i can't seem to build my population much beyond 50 people before everyone starts starving. i try and put as many people into food production as possible early on to prevent and stop the bleeding, but that never seems to do the job. moreover, i am not always sure how hunting works. sometimes it seems like my hunters are bringing in lots of meat, while other times they just sit around doing nothing - nice work if you can get it, eh? i know building a stockpile of food is essential, but i never seem to get the balance right. needless to say, i have gotten very frustrated with this game, but i keep coming back for more. :)
