The GOG Winter Sale starts tomorow:

GOG Winter Sale 2024

START: December 12th 3pm CET

END: January 3rd 9am CET

+6000 Games on sale!

4 Giveaways:

The Whispered World: December 12th 3pm CET to December 15th 3pm CET, 72h

Silence: December 19th 3pm CET to December 22th 3pm CET, 72h

+ two more

Best sellers and discounts:

• Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty -20%
• Fallout 4: Game of the Year Edition -60%
• Manor Lords -30%
• Alpha Protocol -25%
• Cyberpunk 2077 -55%
• Fallout: New Vegas Ultimate Edition -60%
• Fallout 3: Game of the Year Edition -67%
• The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Anniversary Edition -67%
• Heroes of Might and Magic® 3: Complete -75%
• The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt - Complete Edition -80%

(All links are referral links by RPGWatch)

Learn more about the combat of Kingdom Come: Deliverance II:

Kingdom Come: Deliverance II Official Live Action - Combat

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The card-based RPG Deck of Souls has been released:

Deck of Souls - Launch Trailer

 Roguelite deck-building meets souls-like. Break out of an infinite loop to close the hell gates, turn enemies into cards, and build your own omnipotent Deck of Souls! Rolls included.

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RPGSite reports that you can check out Dragon Age: The Veilguard for five hours on EA PLay.

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Wccftech explains the combat of Assassin's Creed Shadows:

New Combat Overview For Assassin’s Creed Shadows Released, Breaks Down Enemies & Weapon Types

Just like the last overview Ubisoft released, it has now released a combat overview for Assassin's Creed Shadows, which goes into detail about the different types of attack and defense you'll be able to use, as well as the enemies you'll encounter, and the different weapons you'll be able to use depending on which protagonist you play as. The full details of the combat overview have been posted on the official website of the game, where you'll be able to see tiny clips of the combat in action, showcasing both player and enemy attacks.

There are three main attack types that you will be able to utilize, regardless of whether you play as Yasuke or Naoe. As said on the website, "Remember that choosing to fight as Naoe or Yasuke - as well as your choice of weapon can alter these building blocks." While both characters will have access to Light, Heavy, and Posture attacks, it will vary for both characters depending on the weapon you choose to use. In the videos shown, the combat bears a resemblance to that of Ghost of Tsushima, where you will be able to put your enemy in a vulnerable state under certain conditions, such as a perfect dodge.

[...]

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Couchpotato spotted a recently released Strategy RPG called Xenowars:

Xenowars: The Game That Will Blow Your Mind! | Earth’s Survival at Stake

This is a turn-based strategy/RPG game set in the stars. In the early stages, you will recruit a team of experts on Earth for exploring a distant alien homeworld, choosing between scientists, mutants, and soldiers. Scour the planet for lost alien technology and uncover the secrets to Earth’s doom.

Rogue Trader version 1.3.0.47 has be released - Mortismal Gaming checked it out:

Update 1.3 is live!

Warhammer 40000: Rogue Trader Patch 1.3.0.47 is live!

Abelard, introduce the third gargantuan update 1.3 to the players! 
This major update contains over 1000 changes, focusing on QoL features and fixes to improve all aspects of your experience. 
For your convenience, we’ve combined the smaller ones together into broader categories. Here’s a glimpse of what you can expect:

Highlights:

• Co-op mode is now available on consoles! Explore the Koronus Expanse together.
• Multiple new cutscenes and a major rework of some old cutscenes;
• Major increase in availability of conviction points;
• A lot of new voiceover, including companion banter, voiced cutscenes, etc. Fixed problems with many voiced lines and pronunciations;
• Many narrative updates on colony events and a rich selection of new rewards for them;
• Multiple encounters have been redesigned and made significantly more challenging based on community feedback;
• Rebalance of equipment and loot tables in Act I-II for better progression;
• 12 new Force swords were added to the game;
• Over 20 other new items were added to loot, rewards and vendors;
• Updated character models for Heinrix, Abelard, Kibellah and Argenta to better match their portraits;
• A lot of updates to French and German localization as well as consistency pass on abilities and tutorials for all localizations;
• You can now rotate the Grand Strategist zones using the R key ("▢" on PS5, and "X" on Xbox);
• Demons summoned by Uralon can now properly attack and use their abilities;
• Many items previously unavailable to Yrliet and Marazhai can now be worn by them;
• And a lot more!

[...]

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Cyberpunk 2077 version 2.2 has be released:

Update 2.2 is live!

With this patch you’ll be able to express yourself like never before - it includes over 100 new customization options for V, adds CrystalCoat™ compatibility for select vehicle brands, introduces a brand-new TWINTONE™ color scheme feature for CrystalCoat™-compatible vehicles, and more! Photo Mode also received a major overhaul with new camera options, aspect ratios, light sources and posable NPCs, just to name a few things!

Read about all changes in the patch notes below.

New Features

Rayfield's CrystalCoat™ technology, initially designed for Rayfield vehicles only, has now been adopted by other car manufacturers. You can now change the paint jobs on Herrera, Mizutani, Quadra and Villefort vehicles. Pro tip: Use CrystalCoat™ to fool the cops and lower your NCPD wanted level!

Kiroshi presents TWINTONE™! As CrystalCoat™ continues to in gain popularity, TWINTONE™ takes your paint jobs to the next level. Simply scan a car with your Kiroshi optics, switch to the TWINTONE™ tab, then save the vehicle's color scheme for a small fee. You'll then be able to select the scheme in the TWINTONE™ database under the CrystalCoat™ menu. There, you'll also find generic color schemes for all CrystalCoat™-compatible vehicles as well as unique color schemes exclusive to the vehicle model from which they were copied. Please note that color scheme cloning is not authorized on vehicles that are linked to quests, belong to the NCPD or that are incompatible with CrystalCoat™ tech.

[...]

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Swordhaven: Iron Conspiracy will be released into Early Access today:

Swordhaven: Iron Conspiracy

Swordhaven is a fantasy cRPG inspired by Infinity Engine titles - Baldur's Gate 1, Icewind Dale, etc. - as well as other classics.

You take up the mantle of a lonely adventurer on their way to the barely explored land of Nova Drakonia.

During your voyage, you are met by a dying man who trusts you with a peculiar artefact that will involve you in an adventure of a lifetime, and a plot that threatens everything you’ve ever known and loved.
Some of Swordhaven’s core features include:

• A flexible combat engine. Experience battle as a tactician in turn-based combat, or hasten the pace with the real-time with pause (RTwP) mode;
• A classless roleplaying system: each stat combination provides a unique gaming experience, distinctive dialogues, and novel ways to solve quests;
• A classics-inspired yet modern User Interface with large customization possibilities;
• A vast, nonlinear world filled with unique NPCs and multi-solution quests that reward exploration, always offering alternative approaches to satisfy any character build;
• Dozens of hours of exploration, from quiet village hamlets to hidden temples of the ancients, horrid crypts, bizarre dungeons, and otherworldly locales…

The DLC Wartales: The Skelmar Invasion has been released:

Wartales: The Skelmar Invasion - Out Now!

The Skelmar Invasion

Roam a war-torn land
With this DLC, Wartales returns to its roots with an entirely new region to explore.

Ormance is under the control of the Skelmars, violent invaders from the Marches of the World. The new region is divided into sub-regions, called baronies, that have fallen into the hands of the Skelmars. Faced with such brutality, the Legion alone is no longer strong enough to hold back the barbarians… So who you gonna call? Mercenaries!

As you reclaim territory from the Skelmars, you’ll have the chance to repair buildings which have been destroyed by the invaders. This will allow you to gather resources to boost the war effort, request support from local factions with unique combat skills, and take back each stronghold one by one until Ormance is finally liberated!

[...]

Gamepressure checked out Avowed:

Avowed Hands-On - After 4 Hours This RPG Bought Me with Its Story and Dialogues. Obsidian Knows What It's Doing

It seems that Obsidian is on the right path to give us a really solid RPG. A few hours with Avowed has already made me look forward to the release.

My relationship with Avowed can certainly be considered complicated. On the one hand, it's a game I've been eagerly waiting for because it means a return to my favorite fantasy world. On the other hand, the first materials from the game weren't optimistic... to put it mildly. So I was skeptical because Avowed seemed like a title many years too late. However, subsequent presentations gave me hope that there was something with potential behind this not-so-attractive facade.

So we've come to the present moment, when a preview version of the game ended up in my hands. And you know what? Obsidian proved two things to me: First, they can't advertise their own games and they harm themselves by doing so. They should finally hire better people for doing trailers and gameplay showcases. Second, Avowed looks promising and could be an impressive return to form after a moderately successful The Outer Worlds. This is really an inconspicuous gem that can surprise many people.

[...]

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Gamepressure checked out the technical aspects of S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2:

STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl Tech Review. Your PC Will Burn After Entering the Zone

I didn't have high expectations for the optimization of STALKER 2 Heart of Chornobyl, yet I was still disappointed. The game performs poorly, it's riddled with bugs and it's hard to enjoy the phenomenal gameplay under this thick shell of shortcomings.

Before we move on to the core of this review, I must note that I have never had any contact with the Stalker series. When the first game was released, I was 10 years old and FPS wasn't my favorite genre. However, I remember Stalker relatively well, mainly from stories told by older colleagues and plenty of memes and anecdotes related to modding it. Until now, I had an image in my head of a post-apocalyptic Skyrim, which also has its fair share of problems and it is the community that brings it to a usable state.

However, I assumed that STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl, which is coming to PC and Xbox Series X/S on release day, will be a bit more polished. You know, it's a flagship position of Game Pass, postponed for years to subsequent dates and created in pain for over a decade. Of course, armed with the internet's wisdom, I assumed that certain "hiccups" simply had to occur at the time of its release. What I found exceeded my expectations – STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl, at the time of writing this text, is in very poor technical condition, and only owners of very, very powerful PCs can get smooth gameplay. I also think that the system requirements given by the developers are overly optimistic and if you were hoping to meet those recommended, you are likely to be disappointed.

[...]

IGN checked out Path of Exile 2:

Path of Exile 2 Early Access Review

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RPGFan presents some upcoming RPGs:

RPGs Coming This Week, 12/8/24

Our weirdly active December rolls on in this edition of RPGs Coming This Week, headlined by the latest in Japan’s anime-to-RPG pipeline. Rounding out this diverse collection are two indie releases and a handful of ports as we head into the holidays. Read on to learn where you might spend your hard-earned holiday bonus!

[...]

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RPGamer reviewed Breath of Death VII: The Beginning: Reanimated:

Breath of Death VII: The Beginning: Reanimated Review

Roll Dem Bones: Reanimated

Back in 2010, RPGamer was approached by a small indie team asking us to review an RPG coming out on the Xbox Live Indie Arcade. This game was the original Breath of Death VII: The Beginning, which I had the pleasure of reviewing in its original form. There was something special about this particular title. Perhaps it was the fact that it was a love letter to so many retro RPGs or the fact that it offered some unique twists on traditional ATB combat. I love and appreciate an RPG that respects my time and isn’t afraid to be on the shorter side. Fourteen years later, Shadow Layer Games has revived and updated this gem of an RPG in the form of Breath of Death VII: The Beginning: Reanimated. While the game was a solid title for the time when I reviewed it initially, I can say with confidence that it has aged better than expected.

After an apocalyptic event destroys the world, and humanity has gone extinct, the world has become populated with demons, ghosts, and monsters. These fiends merely wish to live in peace and don’t fully recall the world before. The story begins with mute skeleton protagonist Dem in a dungeon as he learns the basics of combat and breaks the fourth wall with his “thoughts.” Upon escaping the dungeon, he strolls into a local town and meets Sara, a strange ghost who is looking for the ruins of Langsong and has the hots for our dear protagonist (though this love may not entirely be reciprocated). Along the way, they encounter a vampire techie named Lita and a zombie prince named Erik, who has a strong desire to find romance and cries “le brains!” when he is rejected. These weirdos travel all across the lands, hoping to find magic crystals that could be the key to restoring the past.

[...]

It’s interesting to go back and play something again fourteen years later and both see how a product can remain the same in some aspects, and evolve in others. While there isn’t a lot new here outside of the audio and visual upgrades, the nostalgia came back to me, reminding me of when I played the original on my Xbox 360 in my parent’s basement. I appreciate the challenge of the game’s battle system, and revisiting these characters I long forgot about. While not all the game’s references have aged well, I applaud Shadow Layer Games for bringing Breath of Death VII: The Beginning back into the RPG universe, adding a needed polish to the original and allowing newcomers to experience the game that launched Zeboyd Games into becoming the indie darlings that our community fell in love with.

Score: 3.5/5

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PC Gamer checked out New Arc Line:

Steampunk CRPG New Arc Line turned me into a murderous, drug-addled inventor with a giant assistant, and despite its rough edges it won me over

The power of its setting and its dense systems make it easier to overlook its missteps.

As a CRPG fan of a certain vintage, I have a lot of fondness for Arcanum: Of Steamworks and Magick Obscura, Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines developer Troika's fantasy steampunk RPG. But it's now over two decades old, and still incredibly rough around the edges (and, frankly, everywhere else), so it's not the most playable RPG romp in 2024. Which is why I found myself eager to play New Arc Line, another fantasy steampunk CRPG, which recently launched in early access.

OK, so here's the deal: Magic used to rule the world, but that was something of an issue for most people. Reality was constantly in flux, and it turns out that kinda gets in the way of just living your life. But the Big Bad Sorcerer running the show was brought down by a hero - they do love to meddle, those heroes—which ushered in a new age of progress and technology. Magic is still hanging around, but it isn't really trusted.

[...]

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Geektown interviewed Doug Cockle - the voice of Geralt of Rivia:

Doug Cockle, AKA The Witcher's Geralt of Rivia On Voicing The Character

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Couchpotato spotted a new trailer for the DLC Enchantment Under the Sea:

Atomic Heart: Enchantment Under the Sea - Official Gameplay Trailer

Splattercatgaming checked out Dustgrave: A Sandbox RPG:

A New & Ambitious Mercenary Company Strategy RPG - DUSTGRAVE

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Splattercatgaming checked out Urban Strife:

A New Open World Zombie Apocalypse Scavenging RPG - Urban Strife

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Couchpotato spotted a trailer for the action game Covenant:

COVENANT - Official Reveal Trailer

The action RPG VOIN will be released into Early Access today:

Voin - Official Gameplay Trailer

Crafted by a solo developer, VOIN is a first-person hack-and-slash. Cleave through hordes of enemies in fast-paced combat. Explore dark fantasy realms filled with secrets and dangers. Discover powerful gear and weapons, and face menacing bosses in your quest to cleanse a broken world.

The post-apocalytic RPG Urban Strife will be released into Early Access today:

Urban Strife - Official Early Access Release Date Trailer

Old school TBS, post-apoc survival and RPG. Recruit deranged locals in your militia, ally local factions and fight those you hate. Haul loot back and rebuild your shelter, doctor your wounds, and fix your guns. People need feeding, booze needs brewing and there is an end of the world to enjoy.

TGG reports that Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector will be released on January 31, 2025.

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Gamespace reviewed Alaloth: Champions of the Four Kingdoms:

Alaloth: Champions of the Four Kingdoms – PC Review

Alaloth: Champions of the Four Kingdoms is an isometric action-RPG, with its roots stretching to the beloved RPG classics such as Diablo, Baldur’s Gate, and Pillars of Eternity.

The game combines a classic isometric RPG and Souls-like style battles, where one mistake can kill and ruin a very, very long playthrough. And there is plenty to explore, which, in turn, means a lot of time and opportunities to test your skills and emerge victorious – or perish. The world consists of a very large number of arenas of impressive sizes, full-blown cities and mini-locations filled with stories to explore.

Alaloth: Champions of The Four Kingdoms is the work of the Italian studio Gamera Interactive from Padua. This studio is relatively new, founded in 2017, but the staff is quite experienced. The studio’s works mostly include a number of smaller indie games in a variety of genres and different visual styles. This in itself, of course, inspires respect, since the team is not afraid of experiments.

The first game was the 2D platformer Unit 4, and the following also include: graphic novel Midnight Caravan, IT company simulator Go to IT. In addition, the studio was actively engaged in publishing various indie projects. But in 2018, wanting something more, the studio took on a larger project. This is how work on Alaloth: Champions of The Four Kingdom began.

[...]

Summary
Alaloth: Champions of the Four Kingdoms combines a classic isometric RPG gameplay and Souls-like style battles, where one mistake can end your entire career as a Champion. The game features deep sprawling lore, interesting build options, living world - all yours for the taking, if you manage to defeat the combat system first.

Score: 7.5/10

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Wccftech reports that Borderlands 4 and Mafia: The Old Country will be shown at Geoff Keighley's The Game Awards 2024 show.

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Couchpotato spotted a new devblog for The Black Grimoire: Cursebreaker:

Devblog 18 - Preparing a Winter Content Update!

Greetings once again, medieval adventurers!

It’s been a moment since our full launch, for our means the turnout was plenty and the amount of feedback we’ve received has already been overwhelming. Thank you all so much for playing! We’ve been working on fixing the most egregious bugs we’ve seen come up. Work still remains to be done, but for now we’re shifting gears a bit and we’re aiming to squeeze in the first content update since launch.

The update we’re preparing is somewhat seasonally themed winter update and we aim to roll it out in time for the holidays this month, though we’re not giving a specific date here. Within it, we’re looking to address one major shortcoming some of you have pointed out, namely the gap in convenient crafting recipes for leveling skills around 40-60 range.

The highest level recipes around this range currently relate to Greywall, but they can be quite tedious and difficult to make. We actually want to keep it that way, and are instead bumping up the power of these items to reflect the effort put into crafting them. On the other hand, the new recipes we’re introducing aim to provide a more convenient, relaxed avenue for experience gains when leveling skills to 60, to unlock the first tier of recipes within the mountain area.

The update will bring with it a new wintery area to the game and introduce a new quest also. But we’ll go over the new changes in more detail once we’re ready to roll out the new update into the game.

We're keeping it short for now, so with that it's time to wish you all happy gaming!

Regards,
Pura

A weekly overview of turn-based games:

New RPGs And Strategy Games Debuting On PC This Week, 12/9/2024

This week sees the debut of several exciting RPGs and strategy games, including one that closely echoes the style of Jagged Alliance 2. But that’s not all - there are plenty of other intriguing additions to explore. Before diving in, don’t forget: on Wednesday, December 11th, at 6 PM CET, I’ll be participating in the Glorious Companions arena alongside other content creators, and your support will be crucial! I’ll give you more details in the next hours. Let’s see now what is going to be released this week.

Urban Strife
Warhammer 40k: BattleSector – Astra Militarum DLC
Wartales – The Skelmar Invasion DLC
Galactic Civilizations IV – Megastructures DLC
Swordhaven: Iron Conspiracy
Shiren the Wanderer: The Mystery Dungeon of Serpentcoil Island
WhatRogue: Exile Land
Breath of Death VII: The Beginning Reanimated

[...]

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Gematsu reports that the Enchantment Under the Sea DLC launches on January 28, 2025.

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The J-RPG Chained Echoes gets a new DLC in 2025:

Ashes of Elrant coming Q2 2025

The official Story DLC for Chained Echoes has been announced!

Valand.... wait. No, no, no! WAIT A SECOND! HAH! Eldrea is calling once again. Eldrea needs you. One. More. Time. Two years ago a journey ended with the release of Chained Echoes. And it was just the start of another journey. Since the last patch for Chained Echoes was released, Mathias has been working on.... Ashes of Elrant, the official story DLC for Chained Echoes.

The DLC takes place before the Crimson Wings set out for the final battle and will lead to new areas outside of Valandis! We would love to tell you more about the story, but everything would feel like a big spoiler!

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DSOGaming reports that the Fallout 4 mod Mind Games has been released.

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Couchpotato spotted a new trailer for Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii:

Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii | Ichiban Pirate Crew Set Pre-Order Bonus Trailer

Learn more about the Mercenary class of Path of Exile 2 on IGN:

Path of Exile 2 Mercenary Build

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Couchpotato spotted some survival tips for Kingdom Come: Deliverance II:

Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 - 8 Developer Tips for Surviving | IGN First

The Turn Based Lovers checked out the strategy RPG Dark Deity 2 - a demo is available:

New SRPG Dark Deity 2 - Gameplay First Look

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Gamingbolt reports that there's no sequel planned for Elden Ring right now.

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Farflame spotted a trailer for the action adventure The War of the Worlds: Siberia:

The War of the Worlds: Siberia - Premiere Trailer

Couchpotato spotted the second part of the Heroes of Might & Magic: Olden Era FAQ:

FAQ: Part 2

Welcome to the Heroes of Might & Magic: Olden Era FAQ: Part 2! Here, you'll find answers to additional questions about the game, its features, and more. If you missed Part 1, you can check it out here.

How long will the campaign be? Will there be campaign-only heroes?
Our aim is to release the first 8 missions of the campaign with EA, though keep in mind this is still subject to change. Right now we cannot estimate how long these will take, as some of you may try to speedrun them. However, we do still expect many hours of gameplay for everyone that will take on this challenge! There will indeed be campaign-only heroes that will not be present in skirmish games.

Will we see some previously known characters to be present, I hope we'll see their forefathers or maybe some long-living ones, will that be the case?
Indeed, it makes sense for some characters to be alive at the time when OE happens — the undead, vampires, elementals, and maybe some extremely long-lived elves. And, indeed, some other characters may have ancestors. One faction in Olden Era happens to say “thank Forefathers” (instead of “thank gods” and the likes), and that’s for a reason! So you will see some familiar or semi-familiar faces.
But generally, we want to focus on characters who happen to be more of a blank slate. This game is such an interesting opportunity to create a backstory for characters that didn’t have it at all!

Will the slow late game be solved/shortened somehow? In the late game, players are endlessly chasing weak enemy heroes but can hardly have some tough matched combats. How will you fix this?
This topic is a bit too broad to be conveyed in the FAQ. In short, we’re aware of the issue and are working on ways to solve it. For example, some templates and maps have unique win conditions designed to create a faster endgame. Such win conditions are optional, which means that players will be able to choose their preferred play dynamic. We can also mention that there will be a timer, for both turns and the battle itself that you can toggle, as well as a shorter 1 hero mode.

Will different towns have different maximum mage guild level? Like Stronghold had 3 maximum levels and Tower had 5 maximum levels in HoMM III.
Yes. Also, mage guilds in different towns will have different specializations and a different chance to receive various spells. There will be a separate devlog about mage guilds in the future, where you will learn a lot more about the mechanics present in Heroes of Might & Magic Olden Era.

[...]

Player Choices in Dragon Age: The Veilguard

Decisions, decisions...

Dragon Age: The Veilguard is all about tough choices - so we put together this graphic to see which stories our community told!

Warning: Spoilers ahead!

Which paths did you take?

[...]

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