In my memory, it’s such a great game. It’s so dense with systems and ideas that evoke the theme so brilliantly. I wouldn’t want to spoil that by wrestling with the reality of the horrible tech. Thank you @Vic_Davis for making this game, and thank you @tomchick for reviving those memories with this review.
How unfun the Bene Gesserit would make a game if their ability straight-up prevented another player from winning, full stop. But it doesn’t. To win, the BG have to predict both the winning faction and the turn on which the faction will win.
Tom talks about the issue with the game with the small map that also wraps around and I can understand it, it can be pretty confusing to figure out where you are. Does anyone have an example of a map like this that is done well as a counterexample? I wonder if the problem is inherent to the map style? A typical civ style 4x map works pretty well but that only wraps east-west, but this wraps north-south as well.
Most JRPGs overworld did.
I didn’t find it confusing in the slightest in Solium Infernum. If anything it helped me locate myself in regards to others, instead of some predetermined reference the game was throwing at me.
Only when the “map” is a playfield wrapped around a 3d globe (with unique identifiable features) you can zoom in and out from, like Planetary Annihilation.
I wanted to like the idea of Solium Inferum more than I liked the game itself.
Aside from the interface nightmare, it was so damn hard to parse what was effective strategy. In all the game I fumbled through, it seemed that only 3 demon builds had a chance.
Go all in on Charisma to start off crazy weak, but hope your high income would close the gap.
Go all in on one of the two stats that would start you off with an extra order
Go all in on evenly distributing your points to non-charisma stats to start off with the strongest possible legion, hope that carries you enough before the specialized players overtake you and your crippled growth.
Does 3 points of charisma with the cardinal trait give you better loot than 4 points of charisma for the same point cost? Who knows! Just tons of obtuse choices like that.
Then the game played out so slowly when you tried those strategies. Demand tribute, move legion. Demand tribute x 2. Demand tribute, move legion. Demand tribute, combine tribute. Move the legion one more space because moving 2 will cut it off from your controlled lands and you won’t capture more hexes.
Doing good? A random event nukes your strongest legion that you were pinning all your hopes on. GG, Satan!
That obtusity and sluggishness you describe are both part of the interface nightmare to me: the first one because the manual detailed all the mechanics (which is why I had printed it, in those pre-tablet days), but looking up informations over and over for what particular space of the games you were in was quite bothering, and the second… well, all those darn clicks. A Director issue that will also mare Occult Chronicles — it’s the first game where I distinctly remember experiencing physical pain to my hand because of all the mouse clicking.
Between Tom and Dan Thurot writing about Solium Infernum, I’ve been compelled to re-install it. Things are going about as expected:
I played my last game of Solium Infernum last year, and have played it a lot async since it was released. Still blows my mind that it was forged in the fires of Adobe Director because I used to use Director at uni for animations and the odd interactive piece. Making a game like this in… that.
Anyway, yeah, Solium Infernum does have a rough interface which requires a lot of clicking to access different panes of (critical) information. If you play it async then that keeps a lid on it somewhat because once you’ve done you’re turn, you’re done. In single-player I can imagine using the UI turn after turn being death by attrition.
It’s funny you mention Dominions, Tom, because I picked 4 up a few years ago and played an async game with some folks here thinking ‘Well, if I can handle Solium Infernum, I’m sure I can handle this’. Oh lordy, no. Say what you like about the SI interface, the Dominions UI felt so much more fiddly, compounded by all the army and unit micro-management. I sunk 40 hours into that one async game(!) that was eventually declared over after the first fight more or less decided the game! (We’ve just finished an Age of Wonders 3 async game and that ended similarly (the UI in that is lovely though)). In all my games of Solium Infernum they all played out fully because there’s enough concealed information and enough backstabbing and dramatic power shifts that it’s difficult to call until it’s over. I love that.
One of my favourite things about Solium Infernum though is the art and the writing. It’s all so evocative. The location icons and playing pieces, the portraits, the manuscripts, the barren ashen grey hexes, the flavour text and titles.
One of the finest games I have ever played. There is an active discord here if anyone would like to play. New or experienced it doesn’t matter. If you are new you won’t be for long with all the knowledge we are happy to share :)
Thanks for posting this! It’s been ages since I played, but they were some of the best gaming experiences I’ve had.
Hi @deanimate, I believe you and I have played together with Waltorious (in fact, he’s in the screenshot above as King Pig–I think you were in that game)! :-)
I may take you up on the offer. I miss async gaming…
If you ever fancy some games we’ll be there :)
@geggis
I do vaguely recall the name king pig. Please do! I’ve been playing ever since the RPS AAR which had me enthralled and I still find the game as fun and devious as ever :)
Thanks for this article! And thank you for your work on it @Vic_Davis . This game fascinates to no end me but I never took the leap. I am motivating a couple of friends to follow me down there, but I have a hard time just to buy the game: the page on Cryptic Comet website doesn’t show the “Buy” button 4 out of of 5 times. Is it dead or is there another way to buy it somewhere? Thx in advance!