Development Info Lionheart demo released

[Saint_Proverbius]

Tags: Lionheart: Legacy of the Crusader

The demo for <A href="http://lionheart.blackisle.com">Lionheart</a> is <a target=_blank href=http://www.cdprojekt.info/download.asp?action=Download&fid=760>available for downloading</a> from <a href="http://www.cdprojekt.info/">CD Projekt</a> for those who've been longing to test drive the <A href="http://www.reflexive.net">Reflexive</a> CRPG. It's <b>151MB</b>, enjoy!
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<b>Edit by Ausir</b>
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I was asked by Jessica Urquhart to take the link down, as this (European) version of the demo was not supposed to be released until September. The US version will be released exclusively at GameSpy soon.
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<b>More Edit</b>
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The demo has been released officially at <a target=_blank href=http://www.fileplanet.com/files/120000/128335.shtml>GameSpy</a> (subscriber only, of course), but even though it was deleted by CD Projekt, the leaked version is all around the net now (like <a target=_blank href=http://www.idg.pl/ftp/download2.asp?sys=gry&id=1547>here</a>. By the way, the supposedly different US and UK version have the same filesize... Maybe they have armour/armor spelt differently? If that's the case, better don't touch the leaked version!
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<b>Yet another update</b>
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It turns out <a target=_blank href=http://www.cdprojekt.info>CD Projekt</a> *did* have a written permission from Interplay to release the demo, but there was an internal discommunication between the ones at IPLY who gave the demo to CDP and the ones who gave it exclusively to GameSpy. You can now download it from CD Projekt again, anyway.

 

[Araanor]

7.5k, gah. I'll wait a bit instead.

 

[Jora]

I can't download it properly. The file is corrupted/damaged.

 

[triCritical]

I think I will pass up the demo. What I am waiting to hear about is admittedly absent from the demo. Every RPG, I have ever played has combat and so I imagine this will be no different. This looks to be a lot like DD, or Diablo with pause. Anyhow, I am curious to hear what you all say once the real game comes out.

 

[Volourn]

This will probably land up being my first demo I've played 9other than the Spiderweb ones I tried out last week). I have to; I want to see if the combat is actually done well.

 

[wizard]

hurray! hurray! I am so happy now! Now I can easily wait for GF2 to come for Windows!

 

[Voss]

Damn...its currently down. Is it available elsewhere?

 

[Spazmo]

Interplay should be mirroring it by now, except that they're assholes. I'll get it later when I'm on the right computer.

 

[Rayt]

I'm downloading it from Worthplaying at around 65kb/s, so if you have't got it yet you can try to following link:

http://www.worthplaying.com/article.php?sid=11917&mode=thread&order=0

 

[Spazmo]

This place is mirroring it--giving me speeds in excess of 120 kbps.

 

[Sabotai]

I was asked by Jessica Urquhart to take the link down, as this (European) version of the demo was not supposed to be released until September. The US version will be released exclusively at GameSpy soon.

Is there a difference between the US and the European version? Or is just GameSpy greedily grabbing the exclusive? If there is no difference I really don't get the delay of the European version, after all it's the age of the Internet.

 

[Spazmo]

It doesn't matter anyways, this thing isn't very good. Right off the bat, it forces you into combat, which is terrible real-time garbage. Plus, the interface isn't very well done. Maybe when I put more time into it and have a look at the NPC interaction, I'll be more impressed, but for now, it ain't much, if you ask me.

 

[protobob]

Fileplanet/Gamespy has this up now...

 

[Ausir]

It turns out there's no difference. The filesize is the same.
As for the demo and the combat, even Cabal didn't like the demo, as it was too combat-heavy compared to the full game.

 

[chrisbeddoes]

Hmm . I started downloading it .

In six hours if i am lucky i will be able to play it .

 

[Rayt]

So far it's like Diablo meets Baldurs Gate. I don't like the pausing so I do everything in real time which means I'm switching between spells like crazy, à la Diablo 2. Story is kinda cliché so far, it reminded me a bit of the BG saga (descendant from a legendary figure who has to save the world). Hell of a lot of combat but I did find one quest which could be solved without resolving to combat because of my heritage, which was a nice touch.

The good points about the game I've seen so far are the graphics, the music, the voices and unlike Spazmo I kinda like the interface. Not that these things make a good rpg, but I don't think I can say much about the story and roleplaying options after playing a few wilderness areas.

Anyway, I'm supposed to find Barcelona, but I can't find it anywhere and I'm getting my ass kicked royally, so if anyone can help me it would be appreciated. Or is the demo just a couple of wilderness areas?

 

[Sabotai]

I'm having mixed feelings about this demo.

The opening is designed real shitty. For example, I explored all dialogue options with the spirit, only to find that this took too much time so the dual wielding assassin was able to reach me and kill me. I hadn't even been able to move towards my prison door.
Immersiveness was lost when the spirit started explaining the use of my abilities.

Thus far I like the music and voice acting. And I havn't seen any moron indicators yet.

 

[Walks with the Snails]

The moron indicators are to the left of each dialogue option.

I'm fairly unimpressed, too. I haven't got too far, though, just a little past the prison. Having my spirit explicitly explain all the game mechanics is pretty bad for immersiveness, just like in NWN. I'm not entirely sure SPECIAL is really appropriate, either. The skill system is kinda crummy with so few meaningful choices.

I also had a problem with time running out when escaping. Silly me, I wanted to listen to what the spirit had to say. You can't pause during conversation, too, so it's either page through the speech quickly or die. I also found the interface a little clunky. Haven't really explored it much, yet, but I'd like to have access to all my spells. As huge as the interface bar is, you'd think they could have plopped down a few icons for all your spells, rather than only letting you use one at a time. It looks like you won't ever have that many to choose from, anyway.

 

[protobob]

Eh...Not sure if this is a game I could spend a lot of time playing.

Character creation is cool, lots of cool options there. Ended up going with a feralkin unarmed fighter with some protective tribal magic.

The combat is pretty boring. Maybe its more exciting if you use magic? So far all I do is click on someone, kick thier ass (or get my ass kicked), then cast a tribal spell to leech some more hp from the dead body.

The moron indicators are pretty silly. I guess its so people who just want to kill things can play the game without bothering having to read? I dunno.

What little dialogue I saw was pretty tired. Maybe they spiff it up some in the full game?
Oh boy I get to killed goblins! What a great quest...

Graphics are ok. Alot of the backgrounds are pretty ugly in my opinion.

If this game was turn based combat I'd probably be alot more in to it. But the idea of going through BG style areas with Diablo style combat just bores me to tears.

 

[Professor Monkey]

The demo was largely cobbled together out of spare parts at the end of the project. It does a good job of demonstrating the game's look and the general feel of combat, but it's more combat-intensive than the game itself.

 

[Spazmo]

It had better be considering the whole demo is just a bunch of lame 'go kill this, please' areas.

 

[Vault Dweller]

Immersiveness was lost when the spirit started explaining the use of my abilities.

I hate when they do that. Every time a NPC starts making references to my keyboard, it kills all the atmosphere right away.

Well, I haven't played the demo yet, but I'm going in about 6 hours and 7 minues, but so far it does not sound too good. What a day, first Saint says it has less text then IWD2, then Ausir says it's kinda short, then everybody sorta dislikes the demo for various reasons. :shock:

 

[triCritical]

Immersiveness was lost when the spirit started explaining the use of my abilities. .

And then it was written that the s key cast the quick spell. Man do I hate that.

Damn Cable modems are nice, I am downloading it at about 267kb/s.

 

[Montez]

Really interesting character creation and horrible, horrible real time combat are my biggest impressions after 20 minutes with it.

Nice music and voice acting though.

 

[Markman]

Well, Im done with it.Found Barcelona. I liked the gfx, large maps, character creation and even combat.
But i couldnt find how to assign hotkeys to spells. Oh, and scrolling sucked, its slow and with one menu open took me 5 sec to find myself. Its irritating if youre getting attacked and cant find a target cause of the slow scrolling.