Turn Based Lovers - On The Radar - February 2021

[HiddenX]

What's up in the turn-based games world in February? The Turn Based Lovers have some answers:

On The Radar - February 2021

All the turn-based games releases of the month

"I want it all and I want it now"
- Queen

February will be a very strange month. As you can see from the list below, the next weeks will be very interesting for us and full of releases, BUT, for the very first time, I noticed that most of them will be Early Access releases. So, before letting you read my list, I decided to torture you talking about what represents for me this implacable trend of the Early Access releases.
That being said, I have neither time nor the required language skill to write a satisfying article about this topic, so I decided to share with you just a couple of thoughts about it.

Let's start talking about the possible drawbacks.
Most of the E.A. videogames, at the time of their release, are based on promises, ideas, and features, all things essentially left to our imagination. This means that, when a Steam customer decides to buy an E.A. game, he already knows that he isn't going to receive what he really wants from the final product, but only a chance to see his own desire satisfied. In other words, he somehow invests (or bets) in the future. In this way, often the buyers aren't attracted by the qualities that the game already has, but by a handful of promises. From a certain point of view, the purchase of an E.A. videogame is nothing more and nothing less than a gamble and this is something that everyone should be aware of.
This is confirmed also by other circumstances.
Have you ever noticed that it is not so uncommon for an E.A. game to have a very long list of promised features and a very short list of what has been already done? The worst part of it is that often what is promised to the players has nothing to do with the skill of the developers, but only with their imagination, and everybody knows that promises are a double-edged sword (personally I don't agree with Mark Twain when he says "It is better a broken promise than none at all").
And you have to consider also that the aforementioned problems may become even bigger if we are talking about a videogame developed by a rookie studio...

[...]

• SHADOWS BEHIND THE THRONE 2 (E.A.) - 1st February
• THE CAPTAIN IS DEAD - 3rd February
• FIELD OF GLORY II: MEDIEVAL - 4th February
• Doors of Insanity (E.A.) - 10th February
• Osteoblasts - 12th February
• Gem Wizards Tactics - 16th February
• Kitty Tactics - 24th February
• Space Wreck (E.A.) - 25th February
• Battle Barn: Tactics - 2021 February
• Geneforge 1 - Mutagen - 2021 February
• Might is Right - February 2021
• Rogueria (E.A.) - February 2021
• Shores Unknown (E.A.) - February 2021
• Titankin: Prologue - February 2021
• Void Eclipse - February 2021
• Wildemist Isle - February

More information.

 

[JDR13]

I didn't realize the Geneforge remake was that close to release.

 

[Hastar]

I still get emails from Spiderweb. I think I signed up for them in the '90s. :lol:

 

[Carnifex]

Same, Spiderweb always keeps me well informed without ever being spam-y.

 

[Couchpotato]

Well I love to spam.

So for those not in the know for Geneforge. Here you go.

Geneforge 1: Mutagen - Update #13

This should be the last update for Geneforge 1 - Mutagen!

The next time you hear from us, Geneforge 1 - Mutagen should be out for Windows and Mac, with the iPad version coming soon after. We plan to ship in late February, though the exact date might slip by a day or two in either direction. We'll try to give an exact date in the next 2-3 weeks.

Lately, we started setting up the game on online stores (which is quite a bit of work) and doing the last bits of balancing in beta testing. We’re looking for specific encounters that are too hard or creation abilities that are too strong or weak. Geneforge has many endings that need to be tested, and we need to make sure there aren’t mistakes. The game is meant to be winnable without ever attacking a foe, and we have been tweaking a lot of key areas to make sure it’s not unfairly difficult.

 

[mercy]

First thing I'll change that absolutely horrible GREEN on the new Geneforge Remake UI, into a superb color something along like "Disciples-1 cool", I've done for the Avalon and other Spiderweb game UI-s, to make them playable.

The only reason I stopped playing Geneforge 1 years ago, because Spiderweb announced they are going to do a remake. So.. if I'm going to massacre absolutely every NPC in the world - I'm talking to you Stupid Dragon Merchant!! - and break into all the sanctuaries of the different factions, then better to do it in a brand new, super-polished, enhanced, story-boosted version!

 

[Carnifex]

Nod, I'm right there with you, Mercy. I've avoided replaying the Geneforge games because of the remake, and I'm keenly awaiting it!!