Expeditions: Viking - Preview @ BigBossBattle

[HiddenX]

BigBossBattle has checked out Expeditions: Viking:

Expeditions: Viking – The Old World’s the New New.

I managed, at the recent PC Gamer Weekender, to get some time with Logic Artists’ Expeditions: Viking, the second outing in the series, following on from 2013’s Expeditions: Conquistador.

Expeditions: Conquistador was a strange title, combining a hex-based, turn-based combat system built around small skirmishes with a resource system that tied into an over-world map. Players pushed deeper into the tribal reaches of the pre-conquest new world, trading and making alliances to advance the story, support their travelling party, and, well, get rich or die trying.

The game featured over thirty companions; named, skilled, and placed on a moral compass that could see you coming to blows with them if your behaviours really irked them. There was also a danger of mutiny, should you fail at the semi luck-based camping sections as you travelled the winding paths of Mexico (following an extended tutorial on the island of Hispaniola). Conversation with your allies felt, somewhat incidental, and although the characters each had their own traits -racists despise natives, religious folk unsure why you’re letting off sinners, etc- the conversation with them felt over-written and disconnected from the game world; taking place in it’s own, heavy interface.

Conquistador’s combat scale, six of your units vs the enemy, was wonderful, a return to halcyon days of tactical games like Jagged Alliance & Fallout: Tactics, albeit trapped on a hex-based grid – very similar to Might and Magic. At the time, actually, M&M was the only major title/series that dabbled with that scale of combat, so Conquistador’s rather simple class system was entirely bearable, even if it did feel a little unfinished and shallow as the game went on. Of course, many more games of the sort came along in the years to follow -Banner Saga, Blackguards, Battle Brothers, and a few that didn’t start with B- and pushed focus moreso onto unique feeling heroes, and have really pushed the subgenre along further while the game was experiencing it’s Autumn years.

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Thanks Farflame!

More information.

 

[luj1]

Good to see they've polished the systems used in previous game. I'm glad I've waited so long to dive into this series, now it looks to be a proper time.

 

[rjshae]

What's not to like? It ticks off all the right buttons for me. Presumably there's an end game of some sort to this story.

 

[Carnifex]

Bunch of beta invites went out today -))

 

[beldurax]

Received my Steam beta key yesterday evening. Started playing right away. It is quite polished although still rough around the edges. Had a CTD in the middle of the duel with Asleifr. Other than that, very immersive.

 

[screeg]

Can't wait to give them my shekels!

 

[booboo]

How much 'base building' is required? I am intrigued (and like the look of the combat) but I hate RTS-like base/building elements in games (why I stopped playing RTS's agaes ago). If I can just add resources to my village and not have to rush back (or fret about it) when I travelling, I'd buy...

 

[wolfing]

How much 'base building' is required? I am intrigued (and like the look of the combat) but I hate RTS-like base/building elements in games (why I stopped playing RTS's agaes ago). If I can just add resources to my village and not have to rush back (or fret about it) when I travelling, I'd buy…

Expeditions is not an RTS though.

 

[booboo]

Expeditions is not an RTS though.

Yes, I know that…I said "RTS elements". They mention building your town or some such - the question I was asking is whether you often have to return there because it's being attacked etc (a staple of RTS where the moment you head out *someone* will be eyeing your base to assault it…I hate that. constant disruption of my attention). I wouldn't mind just gathering resources/power and having the town improve as a consequence (Assuming there is in fact a town, which they imply). But that's as much as I want to do with regards to running a town. Or I'd play sim city.

 

[Farflame]

No, you wont be interrupted. Forget RTS gameplay. There will be moment(s?) when your village will be attacked, BUT it will be dictated by the story and consequences of your actions. I think you dont need to worry all the time that you will need to return.

Note - you will need to go back to your village at least on winter. Then you can care about upgrades, talk to your ppl etc. On winter everyone is at fireplace at home. Its pretty hard to conquer anything when both you and your opponent are freezing to death.