Elemental - A MoM like game

[calmon]

I'm sure this game was already posted here but i've to do it again. Elemental was inspired by Master of Magic but also by games like Dominions, Civ 4 - Fall from Heaven Mod and others from the genre.

Read Brad's Journal and help him out with your suggestion to make a perfect fantasy strategy game:

http://elementalgame.com/journals

Bring up the weaknesses of Civ4 (FfH2), for me clearly the AI which can't control all the good stuff in this mod and other things like non-wilderness later on.

 

[Skyre Noktis]

I've been following the development of Elemental closely and it looks like it's either going to be brilliant or a complete mess. They seem to have lots of interesting ideas, but whether they'll be able to fit them together to form a coherent game is yet to be seen. The whole thing just seems a little... overambitious?

Of course, the same could be said of Civ 5 at the moment, so take with a grain of salt, or perhaps a whole shaker. It has the potential to be outstanding if they can pull it off.

 

[Emptiness]

That image makes me question my previous interest in the game.

 

[Darksaber1]

Well, the unit likely dsen't exist, and remember: The games not coming out until atleast September 1st, and graphics are usually the last thing done in a game.

 

[JonathanStrange]

I'm likely to purchase Elemental - at some point. Just like I'll probably buy Civ V at some point.

I've been following Elemental's development for ages now and I'm optimistic. I declined to buy into the pre-order beta testing mostly because I get too impatient. I'm a big fan of Brad Wardell and his Gal Civ 2 game, so I remain confident that Elemental will likely be something I enjoy too. Still, as always, I'll let others provide some feedback first.

(PS. What's wrong with the image? Got something against Smurfs? Myself, I'm glad they can joke a litte bit. Elemental's graphics are fairly well-done, although with the usual disclaimer "for a strategy game." I really love their Tolkien-style maps. )

One of the features I wish Civ and Elemental had is the ability for us to capture and print a map. I'd like to have an old-style printed map of my civilization's territory. Not a inktensive screenshot, but a subprogram that allowed us to print out a map that a scribe might do for the king's meeting with his generals. I'd want the maps to be Tolkienesque.

 

[Tholal]

I've been following Elemental's development for ages now and I'm optimistic. I declined to buy into the pre-order beta testing mostly because I get too impatient.

It's really more of an alpha, so you're not missing anything. There's not really much of a game to 'play' at the moment, and about half the time I've tried to mess around with it, the game has either crashed or locked up completely.

 

[Darksaber1]

Yeah- to qoute the Journal about the Beta

Q: Wil it be fun?

A: No.

Q: Will it at least not cause my eyes to bleed?

A: No. It will still cause eye bleeding.

 

[Tarquelne]

Well, the unit likely dsen't exist.

The game is actually pretty Smurf-centric. Brad W. is a big fan - has something like a 10,000 piece Smurf-merchandise collection, etc.

 

[Darksaber1]

Oh. Well, maybe the name will be diffrent then. have big hopes from stardaock, they better deliver.

 

[ushram]

Oh. Well, maybe the name will be diffrent then. have big hopes from stardaock, they better deliver.

I just assumed it was like civ and u could edit the name of the units yourself.

 

[tesb]

you can see in the picture (and also in the journals and videos posted on their forums) that you can edit:
-name
-description
-quote
-appearance
-equipment
-training
-the pose on the picture
-the background on the picture

also brad has a very wierd humor

edit: here is a very old vid of the unit screen:

http://www.screencast.com/users/draginol/folders/Jing/media/a43c5e7e-5478-433e-8861-a8a82f0ff21c

 

[Tasunke]

Yea, there aren't any actual Smurfs.

Yet there ARE-> Umberdroths, Demons, Sions, Dragons, Edars, Fallen (4 races), and Human(6 races)

 

[JonathanStrange]

sigh...one has to be so careful about what one jokes about...how many players lost because they don't like Smurfs?...who aren't even in the game...and this in a strategy forum...

 

[Skyre Noktis]

So where's the FfH Smurf modmod?

 

[Darksaber1]

Ya know, to make smurfs fit with FfH, the idea of what they turn into is...Scare.

 

[civ_king]

OMG Blue Luichirp!

 

[DirtyFinger]

I've been following the development of Elemental closely and it looks like it's either going to be brilliant or a complete mess. They seem to have lots of interesting ideas, but whether they'll be able to fit them together to form a coherent game is yet to be seen. The whole thing just seems a little... overambitious?

Well, Stardock is developing it and that means they'll likely screw up the MoM theme in the same way they screwed up the MoO2 theme with their Galactic Civilization series.

You could also say that they'll improve upon MoM the same way they evolved the MoO2 game, of course. But personally I found GalCiv games very very boring.

I once chatted with the stardock CEO Brad "Frogboy" Wardell and asked how Elemental is in any way like MoM - because it's absolutely unlike it in about every way. Ok, there's magic and stuff, but that's it.

He doesn't take critical questions lightly and labeled me a troll for asking.

Anyway, it's too early to say if the game will be fun. The artwork is ... well, let's say reduktionist - kinda like german-style-boardgames-for-kids artwork.
The graphic style is interesting and the zoom function looks great.

But absolutely not MoM.

 

[TC01]

Well, Stardock is developing it and that means they'll likely screw up the MoM theme in the same way they screwed up the MoO2 theme with their Galactic Civilization series.

You could also say that they'll improve upon MoM the same way they evolved the MoO2 game, of course. But personally I found GalCiv games very very boring.

If by "screwed up" you mean you "wanted Galactic Civilizations 2 to be MoO 2.5"... it wasn't intended to be. (Read this on the GC2 website for more).

Likewise, I doubt Elemental is supposed to be "another version" of MoM. So if that's what you're expecting, you may be disappointed.

 

[Anathema]

Agreed that it's definitely not MoM2, it's a very ambitious fantasy TBS that borrows from a lot of other games (MoM and FfH included) plus some genuinely original elements. The guy who said it will succeed brilliantly or fail horribly had it right, that's always the way with original/innovative games, it's a risk. I'm betting on 'succeed brilliantly' because Stardock is making it - no, I actually didn't like GalCiv2 or any of their previous games. GalCiv2 is at its core an economy-micromanagement number-crunching minigame, with all other aspects of it essentially being fluff, I couldn't stand it - but you have to admit, as far as economic number crunching games go, GalCiv2 was a well designed and polished one with a challenging AI (even if it cheats). With GalCiv2 they didn't make a game I'd want to play, but they made the game they wanted to and did it well - if they put the same workmanship into Elemental, a game I actually want to play (and every other FfH player probably will too), I look forward to it immensely.

 

[DirtyFinger]

If by "screwed up" you mean you "wanted Galactic Civilizations 2 to be MoO 2.5"... it wasn't intended to be. (Read this on the GC2 website for more).

Likewise, I doubt Elemental is supposed to be "another version" of MoM. So if that's what you're expecting, you may be disappointed.

No. Stardock is actually ADVERTISING it as another version of MoM.
Just check this post from the CEO himself where he demonstrates MoM on video.

The guy who said it will succeed brilliantly or fail horribly had it right, that's always the way with original/innovative games, it's a risk.

Nah.
Stardock is fully capable of making it completely mediocre or overwhelmingly unremarkable.