Age of Decadence Launched.

[Harry Easter]

I hope so, since I started a new game and it still has the same problems. i don't have anything against a difficult playthrough, but this isn't difficult, this is just unbalanced. You are not living in a harsh world, you living in a beta where some new tests would be appreciated. Compare this with Fallout: Resuerrection. It's a mod, but it has the length of game. It is difficult, but you get enough XP to achieve your goals and you can always change enough for another ending. Age of Decadence doesn't give you this opportunities, while giving you more options on other occassions. It is just uneven. Eh. I hope for the next game. 

 

Maadoran also didn't help. Most of the time it wasn't even worth the time. Especially in the battles. 

Edited July 23, 2016 by Harry Easter

[213374U]

Compare this with Fallout: Resuerrection.

 

Thanks for the heads-up. I didn't know about this.

 

Regarding AoD, I went through the same. The game doesn't allow you to play it the way you want, but instead of doing it the way other games do, where alternate paths simply don't exist, AoD simply discourages fooling around through [failed] skillchecks and NPCs that are all too happy to murder you.

 

Ironically, once you get the hang of it, you'll realize that the game isn't actually that "difficult". It's just that it's a KKKodex game through and through: it doesn't scale to your level. This isn't everyone's cup of tea, especially in this day and age.

[Nonek]

Indeed, I found one has to set realistic (in game) expectations rather than expect what has become the usual in modern RPGs: That one is so special as to succeed at any task given and have all manner of victories drip fed to the protagonist on a constant basis, without effort or planning.

[Wrath of Dagon]

May be you guys should comment here : http://www.irontowerstudio.com/forum/index.php/topic,7217.0.html

 

Might actually do some good.

[Harry Easter]

Again, it is not about the game being difficult. I finished it four times. I know which quest to do and which one to avoid. I brought down the other two houses and most of the time there were oppurtunities to strengthen the position of my house. But not when it matters. Not, because I didn't had any ideas, but because the game didn't let me. For example: when I am talking with my superiors in Teron, my character suggests an alliance with the Imperial Guard. But I can't do this, because I can't travel to the legionaires headquarters, because this content wasn't implemented. But it would fit the narrative, after all the terrible things I did for my house and it would also fit, since it was possible to bring the other houses, although I was an outsider.

 

So I disallow the idea, that I am used to getting my way in other RPG's. I wouldn't say a word, if the game wouldn't allow me such big actions in the first place. If it was just about me as a plaything of bigger powers, okay I could live with that, but I became one of those big players over the course of the game and then it kind of ended for no real reasons.

 

This is what I mean: Age of Decadence rewards a clever use of your skills and chosing the right dialoge-options, but it stops you at the wrong places and then gives you an artificial difficulty-curve, that seems to be very uneven. I mean, it is harder to convince a simple bandit and a lunatic prophet with persuasion, than the lords of TWO houses, who shouldn't trust me right from the begin with.

 

 

@Wrath of Dragon

 

Thank you, I may look into it .

Edited July 26, 2016 by Harry Easter

[213374U]

Again, it is not about the game being difficult. I finished it four times. I know which quest to do and which one to avoid. I brought down the other two houses and most of the time there were oppurtunities to strengthen the position of my house. But not when it matters. Not, because I didn't had any ideas, but because the game didn't let me. For example: when I am talking with my superiors in Teron, my character suggests an alliance with the Imperial Guard. But I can't do this, because I can't travel to the legionaires headquarters, because this content wasn't implemented. But it would fit the narrative, after all the terrible things I did for my house and it would also fit, since it was possible to bring the other houses, although I was an outsider.

 

Maybe you played an older version? Because I'm pretty sure that I convinced Carrinas to support Antidas in two of my playthroughs (Praetor and Mercenary-IG). There's also a similar branch where Carrinas can be convinced to go full retard and proclaim Antidas the emperor. Both paths require fairly high (for that stage of the game) social skills, and you may need to pass a (hidden) [iNT] check, too. Regardless, it can be done.

 

However, this here does highlight a design problem, in my opinion. There are just too many social skills that are not sufficiently distinct. And requirements in each conversation are often seemingly random. Why Etiquette and not Streetwise? Why Streetwise and not Persuade? Impersonate, really? They could have merged most of those into maybe two and the game would have been better for it, I think. Unlike combat skills which force different combat styles, different conversational skills bring nothing new to the table.

 

Regarding the difficulty curve, I agree. They decided that a penniless nullity should have it harder than a seasoned mercenary, renowned loremaster, or reputed merchant. Kinda like IRL, so again, the rationale is not necessarily wrong. Whether this is "fun" is obviously subjective. I admit I was seriously frustrated in the beginning, too.

[Harry Easter]

 

 

Maybe you played an older version? Because I'm pretty sure that I convinced Carrinas to support Antidas in two of my playthroughs (Praetor and Mercenary-IG). There's also a similar branch where Carrinas can be convinced to go full retard and proclaim Antidas the emperor. Both paths require fairly high (for that stage of the game) social skills, and you may need to pass a (hidden) [iNT] check, too. Regardless, it can be done.

 

 

Hmm, define "old". I could convice him, to set Antidas as the Emperor on paper, but it turned Teron in a headquarter for the guard and Antidas being a puppet with the crown. After that, I became a member of the Guard, but I want to continue as a praetor and him a real emperor (but a  weak one, because tbh he IS a idiot). Did they add this option?

 

 

However, this here does highlight a design problem, in my opinion. There are just too many social skills that are not sufficiently distinct. And requirements in each conversation are often seemingly random. Why Etiquette and not Streetwise? Why Streetwise and not Persuade? Impersonate, really? They could have merged most of those into maybe two and the game would have been better for it, I think. Unlike combat skills which force different combat styles, different conversational skills bring nothing new to the table.

 

 

 

Agreed. And a combination of skills often isn't very useful. They coulöd have give you an skillcheck, but still add three dialogueoptions, so they conversation still stays a challenge (for example giving mali or boni for the correct "streetwise" option).

 

 

They decided that a penniless nullity should have it harder than a seasoned mercenary, renowned loremaster, or reputed merchant. Kinda like IRL, so again, the rationale is not necessarily wrong.

 

 

No, this is alright. That I can  get behind. It's about having not enough content, to support the vision and scope the developers had with this game. You would need way more quests and oppurtinities for decisions, to give the game the treatment it deserves. Teron was perfect in that case. A lot of quests and decissions and everything was well-connected.

 

And I wouldn't write so much about AoD, if I didn't like it. It just could have been so much more, with a bigger budget.

Edited July 30, 2016 by Harry Easter

[213374U]

Hmm, define "old". I could convice him, to set Antidas as the Emperor on paper, but it turned Teron in a headquarter for the guard and Antidas being a puppet with the crown. After that, I became a member of the Guard, but I want to continue as a praetor and him a real emperor (but a  weak one, because tbh he IS a idiot). Did they add this option?

 

Er... not sure if you can continue as a praetor in Antidas' service after that. I think it's a possibility, but don't quote me on that. I've actually been meaning to play a Daratan praetor and wipe out the remaining houses just to see what happens.

 

And regarding Antidas, I think VD said they designed him as a man who just doesn't have what it takes to be an actual 'strongman' emperor, regardless of player efforts. The Guards have nothing to gain by siding with him against Gaelius unless they can use him as a figurehead ruler. You can't really make him the true power in the empire because by the time of the game he has squandered whatever influence Daratan may have had in the past.

 

 

 

No, this is alright. That I can  get behind. It's about having not enough content, to support the vision and scope the developers had with this game. You would need way more quests and oppurtinities for decisions, to give the game the treatment it deserves. Teron was perfect in that case. A lot of quests and decissions and everxthing were well-connected.

 

And I wouldn't rite so much about AoD, if I didn't like it. It just could have been so much more, with a bigger budget.

Yeah, after Teron it's downhill. But it took like 10 years to make AoD. Teron itself was the focus of an extra year of development, VD dixit, and it shows. A bigger budget would have meant either nosy backers or nosy publishers demanding design changes -- a bit of a catch-22. It's an auteur game, with everything that entails.

Edited July 29, 2016 by 213374U