For what it’s worth, the original Master of Orion had a similar research method. There were several fields - 6 or 8? - but for each, the game would randomly populate a list of possible research choices. Sometimes a tech would take a long time to show up on the choice list, or possibly not show up at all. It was simple, there was no tech tree just a bit of randomness, but it was interesting. Far more so than the simple tier approach used in Master of Orion 2.
Master of Magic had a system that was like Warlock, only you were researching spells from a randomly-generated list. What was on the list depended on your character, the more “books” of a particular school you had, the more spells of that school existed on your list. Unless you really maxed out a particular school, there were always a raft of spells you wouldn’t be able to research in that school that game. And no wizard could ever research everything.
For MoM though, the spells you could research came to you in order of how common the spell was. Your researcher able spells were generated at random at the start of the game. If you got giant strength and wyrm (one common, the other very rare) giant strength would always show up first.
Paradox is streaming the first gameplay look at Warlock 2 The Exiled tomorrow at 8pm CET (which I think converts to 1pm CST/11am PST but maybe double check for yourself to be sure).
Stream has completed - I like the new systems from what I’ve seen so far (I’m only partway into the archive) but it looks like a strictly better version of an already great strategy game.
I watched that live stream over the weekend and it got me in the mood to play some Warlock, where I completed my first game. The changes coming in the sequel seem brilliant to me, and this will probably be a game I’m quite happy to pay full price for at launch. However, the launch window seems to run smack in the middle of Age of Wonders 3, and if that happens I’m afraid AoW3 will probably win, but then I’ll be able to play Warlock 2 after it’s had a few patches and maybe a DLC a little later into the summer! Sounds like a win either way!
quill18 has several gameplay videos from Warlock 2 on youtube. It looks good but frankly not that much different from Warlock 1 + DLCs. The new research system and the way the map is split up into several small shards seem like the biggest changes from the original.
Update: Just watched some of quill18’s Let’s Play, and it looks like the splintered world concept will minimize/eliminate the need for naval AI altogether. Which I think is clever.
Lots more info is now available from the game UI, which is a good thing. I am now sold on the new spell research system and am looking forward to this. Though I don’t see how I can possibly make time to play this and AOW3 at the same time.
I still see the random spawning stuff in to mess up your empire mechanic is still in. I never liked that. At the very least they should give you the option to turn it off.
I guess I can see that, but with out random events, you might end up with fortified portals, and nothing else. It becomes a gamr long siege, without any need to worry about the rear. So, I think random events force you to spread your units out a bit and will make the games more dynamic.
I would not have too much of a problem if these monsters and dens would not spawn within a certain range of national borders. In the original warlock they would spawn anywhere. In the above videos, I am fairly sure I saw an instance of a den spawning inside his owned territory, which should never happen.
I would be perfectly fine with the untamed wilds becoming filled with monster lairs. I guess I just prefer the Civ model where barbs only spawn outside of your borders, and even then, never right next to your borders.
I can deal with this, though. I did in warlock. I just really hope the AI has a significant boost. I would still be playing the first game if the AI wasn’t so stupid. I am guessing that the new AI is just as stupid. This is just my impression watching the videos.
I’m fine with the den spawning in general, but put that stuff on a slider before I start a game! Let me choose how much it’s going to impact the session.
The original Warlock needed it because the game is about fighting and leveling up units/heros. That requires a steady supply of opponents. I was aggravated by dens at first too when I was trying to play Warlock like a Civ game but once I realized it was a fighting focused game with the city management/empire management stuff very much secondary then I came to love and accept the dens. But not the Dremer ones. Screw those guys.
$30 for gimped edition, $50 for full edition, release date 4/10.
This went from would have likely bought to will buy on steam sale, especially with the release so close to AOW3 (I thought game would be delayed into May or June in order to avoid competing)
At that price, my standards are much higher/harsher than they were for the original game.
