Game News Lionheart Goes GOLD!

[Sol Invictus]

Tags: Lionheart: Legacy of the Crusader

Yep folks, you heard that right. Lionheart has gone GOLD! Here's a tiny snippet from the press release:
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<B>Lionheart: Legacy of the Crusader has gone gold!</b> This original PC role-playing game from award-winning Black Isle Studios, and developed by Reflexive Entertainment, combines an intriguing story of alternate medieval history and fast paced real-time combat. It also features the SPECIAL system for character advancement previously found in the Fallout® series of PC games. Hordes of monsters, hundreds of weapons and items and over 60 spells are found in the game to challenge your combat and spell-casting abilities. Get ready to enter a hauntingly familiar yet fantastically foreign world to our own.
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Lionheart: Legacy of the Crusader will be available in August 2003 on PC for a suggested retail price of $49.99 with an ESRB "Teen" rating. For more information, log on to <a href="http://lionheart.blackisle.com" target="blank">lionheart.blackisle.com</a>. </blockquote>
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For the full details, head over <a href="http://www.interplay.com/investor/readpress.asp?CID=475" target="blank">here</a> now.

 

[Azael]

Interesting. I'm looking forward to playing this game, after spending so much time reading about it and discussing it.

 

[wizard]

already GOLD!! Jeez now I have to find money to buy this!

 

[Araanor]

This will be interesting.

 

[Sol Invictus]

I can't believe it finally went gold. Sweet.

 

[Volourn]

So.. That means its like $80 Kanadian. I'm gurnateed to buy a game per month for awhile now. It looks to be a good game.

August - LH

September - TOEE

October - NHL 2004 (yes, not rpg; but I like it so sue me)

November - KOTOR

December - HOTU

 

[POOPERSCOOPER]

hey

It's kinda like IWD2 going gold, then being released 3 months later.

 

[Flarnet]

Good idea to delay it a bit - there are absolutely no other games to compeat with this fall, and crpgs released in the middle of the summer (like Diablo 2 and IWD) doesn't sell well...

 

[Greenskin13]

Dang, I really haven't been following Lionheart. I thought they were still deep in production.

 

[Voss]

I thought they were still fiddling myself.

I know it was delayed initially, but when I saw the announcement here I still went, 'Oh, so soon?'
Though maybe its because this summer, time has been running away from me faster than a pig from a greased up frat-boy.

 

[triCritical]

This is a game that I am really not sure on. I like the history, the classless system (SPECIAL) and the not combat options. But I am still scared. I will make my decision after reading all your great reviews.

 

[Volourn]

I'm in the same boat as you, Tri. The combat kinda worries me, too. Everything else sounds pretty good.

 

[DrattedTin]

Uh, I don't get it.

You liked NWN's combat.

 

[Volourn]

Yes, yes I did. And? I know, I know. You thought it sucked. It's too bad what you think of NWN combat doesn't effect my enjoyment of it. 'Tis an amazin' thing.

 

[Spazmo]

Ah, but DrattedTin, NWN has a totally unique never before seen blend of real-time and turn-based combat! This remarkable and totally new system they call 'real-time with pause' combines the best aspects of both systems and makes everybody 100% satisfied.

Or at least that's what all the reviewers keep telling me.

 

[Walks with the Snails]

I'm not really sure about this, either. I've pretty much been ignoring it so this sneaked up on me, and now I'm not that sure if I want it anyway. Guess if it's another FO:T, I can pick it up for $9.99 in six months anyway.

 

[Volourn]

LOL :D Spazmo. Too bad, I don't think that.

 

[Spazmo]

Myself, I hope that Lionheart manages to be good by virtue of the writing, setting and story and succeeds in spite of the combat, just like Planescape: Torment. I like what I've heard of the setting so far very much, and other stuff like the spirits for magic sounds cool. And, hell, I think meeting historical figures in a game context could be fun.

 

[triCritical]

Myself, I hope that Lionheart manages to be good by virtue of the writing, setting and story and succeeds in spite of the combat, just like Planescape: Torment. I like what I've heard of the setting so far very much, and other stuff like the spirits for magic sounds cool. And, hell, I think meeting historical figures in a game context could be fun.

See that is my main concern. What I want to know is how much of the game is going to revolve around combat. And if so will it be full blown hordes of Diablo styled combat. I heard the same sort of thing about Divine Divinity saying that it has lots of dialogue and side quest, but then after a couple of weeks people came out saying that its nothing more then a hackfest, glad I did not buy it. I am just scared that LH will turnout the same way.

 

[Spazmo]

Well, I do remeber Ion Hardie saying that someone at Black Isle managed to play through the entire game without fighting, which is enouraging. Then again, maybe that person just sneaked past all the monsters.

 

[Azael]

Yes, yes I did. And? I know, I know. You thought it sucked. It's too bad what you think of NWN combat doesn't effect my enjoyment of it. 'Tis an amazin' thing.

So, if you liked NWN's combat (*shudder*) then why does real-time combat in Lionheart bother you?

 

[Volourn]

Because, contrary to popular belief, NWN combat isn't RT. I don't care for full fledge true RT combat.

I know people here actually hated the IE combat as well. That is fine; but the way I see it NWN's combat is almost exactly like the IE'S except it's like the IE's so if on likes IE combat they probably l will like NWN's.

It'll probably be the same with SW combat. It is basically like the IE/NWN combat as well so if you don't like that kinda combat don't worry about it; an dignore the silly game.

 

[triCritical]

I know people here actually hated the IE combat as well. That is fine; but the way I see it NWN's combat is almost exactly like the IE'S except it's like the IE's so if on likes IE combat they probably l will like NWN's.

There is one huge difference betweem IE combat and NWN combat. IE is actually more tactical. Bioware in there grand cleverness thought it would be better to strip the IE style combat of every iota of tactics (not that it was very much) and replace it with k3wl animations that 15 year olds will just love. The problem is now when you are fighting you move in an arc, this screws up all 3E rules relating to tactical placement and makes chokepoints worthless since you just arc out of them or get stuck in the wall. So now any ounce of tactical combat that 3E had is completely missing. Oh well, at least the implemented AoO's well except for the fact that the implementation wat pathetic and erroneous at best.

So me a hater of the IE an absolutely insulted that you compare the Aurora to it.

 

[Volourn]

Tough. At their basic state; the IE, and Aurora combat system is basically the same. The biggiest difference in SP is the lack of a full party in NWN. Not to mention that NWNactually has much more combat options, and ways to deal with things than the IE games other than IWD2 because of the actual use of more available rules from dnd.

 

[Walks with the Snails]

IMO, NWN would probably be better if it were true RT. Splicing it up into rounds just leads to weird little discontinutities, like when you try to turn undead or taunt in the middle of combat and your character just sits there, often never actually getting around to it even if you give them over 6 seconds to kick into a new round. Other annoyances include power attack and similar feats not kicking in until the next round after you switch them on, but switching off if you just take a step, which doesn't make that much sense and can be frustrating. Unless you know the underlying game mechanics, which they don't really spell out to you, it can be confusing.