Warlock Master of the Arcane - Fantasy Civ5 clone from Paradox

[Misconnected]

If Das' first couple of vids are any indication, this guy is a much, much better player. Doesn't make the same effort to explain stuff, though.

 

[Malakal]

Watching LP's of people playing turn based games is an exercise in boredom. I very much prefer written AARs.

 

[Azira]

Watching LP's of people playing turn based games is an exercise in boredom. I very much prefer written AARs.

Seconded. Tried to watch a video LP of someone playing Civ5 on max difficulty setting. 10 minutes was more than I could bear. Screenshots and written comments are far, far, far superior.

 

[betamin]

Watching LP's of people playing turn based games is an exercise in boredom. I very much prefer written AARs.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xntdwzegJm0&list=PLABC99DFCF99E3B81&index=3&feature=plpp_video

You said turn based.

 

[Multi-headed Cow]

Playing my second game of Warlock, first time since the lords and artifacts DLC. Lords and artifacts are a pretty nice addition as the AI doesn't seem very good about fielding later tier units but DOES pick up heroes, but holy hell they seem inexpensive for how good they are. Recruiting an ogre hero only ran me 150 gold which seems nuts since training a basic troll unit costs 200. Especially since I'm playing King Rat and rolling in gold.

Game experience thus far (80 turns in, looking like I'm going to win barring any AI casting unity or something) is about the same as last time. Kicking all manner of AI ass, lost one city, retook it, haven't lost ground since. Diplomacy has been a bit different this game, me (Monster) playing against two human wizards and a monster wizard. I allied with the other monster and fought both humans at once. Both humans are now dead so it's time for the final countdown.

TLDR summary: I still like Warlock

Edit: Yup, won. Roflstomped Sol de Torvega with my ridiculous upgraded troll, ogre hero, and cleric hero. Took out his capital in something like 3 turns. Was dubious about melee siege units but damned if trolls aren't cool.

 

[Misconnected]

If only the AI was as good at Warlock's macro-equivalent as it is at its micro-equivalent... Sadly it's no better than a good 4X AI and that really, really holds the game back. Especially since there aren't any extreme self-nerf or AI-empower options in the match setup. I'd also like to see the alternate dimensions get some real purpose. Even after the latest update they're just not worth the bother. I'm sceptical power-up like stuff can ever make the planes worthwhile. Giving factions home plane along the lines of MoM is the way to go, I think. But both kick-ass macro AI and that kind of major overhaul are presumably kind of far beyond what InCo Plus is willing to spend on the game.

But yeah, it's an awesome game. Far and away the best game of 2012 (yeah, it's early yet but I'm not seeing anything remotely like competition for the honour).

It just kills me a little that - like the Dungeon Keepers - the game virtually kicks you in the face with all its missed potential.

 

[The Vault Dweller]

I LOVE THIS GAME!

Even more so considering it has multiple significant flaws which given Paradoxes excellent record of support and urging from their huge fan base will get fixed either in patches/expansions/dlc.

It's like Civ 5, but vastly expanded with multiple features that can only work in a fantasy setting. Most notably the magic, but also heroes, equipment, and alternate realms.

They just need to add a few other factions (only four?) and improve the AI's strategy as you've all noticed.

I'd also add this to my greatest games ever list if the multplayer beta ends up being easy to use and has a large enough player base to get games going quickly.

Sincerely,
The Vault Dweller

 

[RK47]

I'm surprised I managed to beat Impossible difficulty on this one. But hell, that just shows the AI is incapable of using its advantage to the fullest IMO.

 

[Malakal]

I'm surprised I managed to beat Impossible difficulty on this one. But hell, that just shows the AI is incapable of using its advantage to the fullest IMO.

When I played it I always did it on impossible. But its still too easy. BUT if the fix AI expansion we are up for a ride of our expectations. Since even now AI is rather competent at unit management.

 

[kris]

I played some again. currently I am up to my first really challenging game. Possibly my situation made it thus. I have to fight war on four fronts (sometimes all at once), while trying to also expand a little bit north. Was at minus four cities at one point, now got two back, but might lose another.
Might also be because I play my first game as Necro and death magic not always being that good. I have big problems with zombies now due to my army composition and how it is spread thin.

 

[Metro]

Grabbed this today from some dude who bought a Paradox Pack on Amazon -- only paid $3.50. Still, think I'm going to wait for a sale on the DLC to play the 'full' version.

 

[Misconnected]

Grabbed this today from some dude who bought a Paradox Pack on Amazon -- only paid $3.50. Still, think I'm going to wait for a sale on the DLC to play the 'full' version.

If you do, I recommend avoiding the first 2 DLC. Both are essentially player aid and even though Warlock's AI is absolutely outstanding, comparatively speaking, you most definitely don't need any advantages. The other DLC are fine.

That said, there's no particular reason to wait. What the not-sucky DLC do is, you might say, sort of the equivalent of adding a couple of additional properties to Monopoly. It doesn't change how the game plays, and the game doesn't feel particularly more or less complete without them.

 

[Metro]

Thanks for the tip. I'll definitely scrutinize it when a sale rolls around. As you note, a lot of it just seemed pointless to me on first impression.

 

[The Vault Dweller]

I love this game, but it does have some performance issues and bugs.

After I start it up and load a game if I ever have to re-load a save or re-make a new game the loading screen crashes at 4%. It's a simple workaround to just quit and restart.

Also I get unbearable lag in the later game. I looked up stuff on the forums and apparently if you have a large map and lots of players by midgame everything is units and cities and there's too much numbers to crunch as amazing as that sounds. Turning down the graphics has no effect too. Apparently all Paradox games are made to run on ONE core even though dual-core is standard and soon replace by quad-core. I can sort of understand that being a strategy games you shouldn't need a fast PC, but if stuff like this happens there's hardly anyone that would be unable to play it if you designed it for PC's a LITTLE more modern.

Sincerely,
The Vault Dweller

 

[RK47]

Play smaller maps. Larger maps tend to get grindy and stupider too with the amount of trash units to clear. The game doesn't really offer much in terms of diplomacy, a waste if you ask me.

 

[Dim]

Problem for me is microing/interface/grind like always. I spend the majority of the game shuffling 20 units or ordering them in some far off direction. Or zooming between distant cities completely forgetting my plan for them. Queues for building and way-points would really really help the game. atm 5/10

 

[Misconnected]

After I start it up and load a game if I ever have to re-load a save or re-make a new game the loading screen crashes at 4%. It's a simple workaround to just quit and restart.

Maybe you should re-install and/or update drivers. I'm unsure of the lag phenomenon, because smaller matches play better and all I've heard from friends with older hardware is that it runs quite well. But between micro and mop-up, smaller matches just plays a hell of a lot better than larger ones, so I'm not sure anyone would have noticed if it is a problem. I didn't experience any lag or other kinds of slowdown playing the largest possible island match to completion, but that was off an SSD on an i5 with 32GB RAM.
The crashing, however, sounds strange. I know several people who've been playing the hell out of the game pretty much since it came out, and I would most definitely have heard if anyone had such an issue. All of which makes me suspect the problems isn't the game, or at least not directly.

Build queues and way points would be pretty fucking great, though. Reversing the move/de-select buttons too. The GUI feels like it was made by an artist, not a gamer. Not that it's dysfunctional, it's just jarring as hell when people break conventions like that.

 

[Raghar]

Well they suck at game design.

 

[Multi-headed Cow]

Been a while since patch notes were put in here, but they put out a patch since last time and the next patch (1.4) is due soon along with the latest piece of DLC.

New in version 1.3.0:
* (!)Landscape now influences economy and greatly influences movement.
Lava landscape damages units over time.
* (!)Spells trading added to diplomacy.
* Now you can choose AI opponents at the start of a game.
* Overview windows for cities and units added.
* Now you will have some mana refunded if you cast spell within your territory.
* AI will now dispel banes from its cities.
* Monsters will be willing to enter portals – from both sides.
* News about city events added
* News about changes in diplomatic relations of opponents added
* News about global enchantments added
* Multiplayer game loading bug fixed
* Options panel bug fixed
* Some window decorative effects added
* Message boxes closing bug fixed

And pre-patch notes for 1.4

Patch Notes 1.4 (should go live on 15th of Nov.)

• New Ancient and Teramorphing Spells. Overall 20 new spells, some of them can be found, not researched.
• The "pocket" worlds were generally redesigned, so they are more playable and valuable. Also added some super-monster lairs with super-loot inside. The monster in such pocket worlds don't spawn until someone come inside, but after they do they actively seek the portals to come to Ardania and Rampage there a bit.
• New landscapes in game, including life, death, burnt, magicated, each having their effects on units, buildings and economy.
• A Bug fixed when a player could order his unit to move over an allied unit that was hidden in fog of war, leading to crash.
• A Bug fixed when loading early in the game could disable some random events.
• A Bug fixed when loading a multiplayer game all users except host could not see their quests.
• A Crash fixed when a player had his Hall of Lords full.
• A Bug fixed, when some units of earlier vanquished Great Mage could emerge later in the game.
• A Bug fixed in Multiplayer when a player casts Resurrect spell and every other player got a "select a unit" window pop-up.
• A Bug fixed when a player got incorrect News after he successfully casts a global spell.
• Monsters spawned together with their lairs now cannot go rampage on the same turn.
• Some spells and events make the world tremble. Literally.
• AI now understands the danger of damaging landscape and acts accordingly.
• AI now uses portals to/from pocket worlds more actively.
• AI cleans the landscape with appropriate spells when needed.
• AI now can use terramorphing spells offensively.
• A Bug fixed when AI tried to use totems like basic units (and failed).

And while I'm at it, the latest piece of DLC. Sounds like nothing particularly special, mostly a new co-op game mode I guess.

The ancient prophecy has come true. The End Times are near. The boundaries between worlds have fallen, and the Dremer have entered Ardania. The Great Mages are the only ones who can possibly defend the land, and now more than ever, they need a leader who can gather a force large enough to defeat the Dremer once and for all.

Key Features:

• New Armageddon Game Mode: Fight against the powerful Dremer while terrible cataclysms tear Ardania apart
• Two new Great Mages: The Dragon Queen & Krel the Kingpin
• New perks for Great Mages:
  • Favor of Krolm – Adds 30 points of relationship with Krolm
  • Clean the Land – Adds the spell “Clean the Land” to the spellbook
  • Elven Followers – Provides a unit of Elven Archers
  • Elven Relatives – Ensures the appearance of an Elven village near a Great Mage’s capitol

So in essence Warlock is still a great fantasy wargame and better than Fallen Enchantress. Hail Paradox! Hail Ino-Co!

 

[Metro]

The thing with Warlock is that none of the DLC really adds any meaningful content or game play.

 

[KoolNoodles]

Cool, not too shabby on the patches, meh on the DLC, but whatever. Warlock is a pretty decent game. A lot of fun in MP, when it works....

 

[sser]

The thing with Warlock is that none of the DLC really adds any meaningful content or game play.

They did add a new race in the Elves. I actually don't mind DLC when the game is this cheap to begin with. Paradox had a pretty sound strategy in marketing this game, IMO.

 

[Multi-headed Cow]

The thing with Warlock is that none of the DLC really adds any meaningful content or game play.

They did add a new race in the Elves. I actually don't mind DLC when the game is this cheap to begin with. Paradox had a pretty sound strategy in marketing this game, IMO.

Agreed. Plus they've been doing a pretty good job about patching the game, and especially patching in new content like the lords/heroes, artifacts, multiplayer, etc. Basically the best new content is patched in for free and the paid DLC amounts to goodies. They seem to have mostly done that with CK2 as well which is pretty cool.

 

[KoolNoodles]

The new 1.4 patch is on steam today, for me at least. Good stuff.

 

[Riel]

I just tried this game.

Why oh why did they have to imitate CivV??? All they accomplish with all those "high-res tiny-size" troopers is to make each unit hard to identify, hexes are hard to diferentiate, terrain camouflages units so player can't identify them and it also looks bland and I won't talk about how other than special resources terrain has NO economic differentiation (DUMB DOWN).

Master of Magic in DosBox looks better, yeah seriously it does, when it comes to understanding what is on the map and it is a 320x200 resolution game for god's sake!! Is it so hard to ask for developers to learn interfaces should actually "interface" with users before they look "awesome"??

I guess yes ... if even small developers go runing after allegedly AAA allegedly strategy games when it comes to actual strategy gaming .... it sucks.

And don't get me started on its AI, I am uncertain about the outcome of an hipothetical challenge between MoM's AI and Warlock's AI's .... again 20 years later....

Well I'll keep playing a 20 year old game rather than this, MoM is not a perfect game, actually it is a severely flawed great game, but it isn't any worst than Warlock 20 years later, what ?? about 100 times more budget?? Just depressing.