TheShadowDawn
Cautiously optimistic
Draggy
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Posts: 595 (0.087)
Reg. Date: Apr 2002
Location: Melbourne, Australia
Gender: Male |
(Originally posted on: 04-01-02 11:20:17 PM)
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This game will no doubt rock. A lot.
I hear Sandamnit and some other HG staff got advance copies of the game. For which I am greatly embittered, but I won't hold it against you.
Anyway, back to the point. This is for those of you out there foolish enough to not already have heard of this game and begun salivating contantly when the words 'Dungeon Siege' are mentioned as a result. If you are one of those people, you WILL read to the end of the page, or I will come and eat your children. Or failing that, pets.
http://www.microsoft.com/Games/dungeonsiege/images/screenshots_small_1.gif
Basically, think Baldur's Gate meets Diablo. You command a party of up to 8 characters, but the skill and character development is extremely simplistic, and the gameplay doesn't involve too much rethinking of strategy. The game's designed so that you are constantly forward, not rethinking tactics, having to jab the reload key multiple times. Not to say that the game will be without challenge, mind you.
http://www.microsoft.com/Games/dungeonsiege/images/screenshots_small_2.gif
Graphics wise, the game incorporates a full 3D universe, which from the wide variety of movies and screenshots you can get a look at, wipe the floor with current RPG's. The game engine has the unique perk that you never see a loading screen in the entire time you're playing, so the entire universe is seamless. Going downstairs, the floor above you vanishes. Go into a building, the roof becomes transparent.
The screens I've inserted here are actually older ones, the newer screenshots that have cropped up recently many look a lot nicer...but I'm too lazy to look anywhere by PlanetDS and DSH, and both block external linking of pictures. Fascist bastards.
http://www.microsoft.com/Games/dungeonsiege/images/screenshots_small_24.gif
The skills system is fairly simple. Basically the more you use something, the better you get at it. Constant use of a bow will level you up in ranged combat really fast, but dividng your attention evenly between nature magic, combat magic and melee combat will have you advance a lot slower, but more proficient in the three things. Basically there's no ruleset to follow. The idea at first said "Hmm, simplistic and designed to appeal to the mind of the average dialo playing idiot" but the concept the more I hear of it is more and more practical.
http://www.microsoft.com/Games/dungeonsiege/images/screenshots_small_17.gif
You can also hire a Packmule [or two, or three] as one of your 8 characters...the Packmule carries three times what a regular character does...and while the game has been arranged so it's not necessary to take one, it's great for all the kleptomaniacs out there. [Like me]
The music for Dungeon Siege is being composed by Jeremy Soule, the guy who did the music for Total Annihilation, Icewind Dale and the Harry Potter movie. [Bleh to the last one.] I've actually gotten hold of a few samples of the music in Dungeon Siege, and it sounds spectacular. Hell, half the reason I'm buying the game is because Jeremy Soule is doing the music.  The music is all on the CD in mp3 format, incidentally, so you can just copy it off if you want to listen to it, instead of having to make three format changes like I had to with the IWD soundtrack...stupid acm format....
http://www.microsoft.com/Games/dungeonsiege/images/screenshots_small_9.gif
Gas Powered Games [the developers] are also going to release the 'Siege Editor' which is basically what they used to build the game. Already bunches of design teams are lining up and planning out custom campaigns, so a lot of replayability should appear in the form of custom campaigns. gmax is also being packaged with Dungeon Siege and will allow full graphics modding.
Basically a lot of people are going to produce some very interesting custom content. Sure, you'll get a lot of middling to crap custom content as well, but you can't have everything.
http://www.microsoft.com/Games/dungeonsiege/images/screenshots_small_7.gif
Dungeon Siege is released in the USA on the 5th of April. [The days are ticking away] The release date varies for other countries, the latest being here *sniff* in Australia, on the 22nd. I haven't heard any word on non-english versions of the game.
Final note is the first review of Dungeon Siege came out today from a canadian site. It gave it 92%. I'm hoping they're not far off how great a game it is.
Dungeon Siege Links:
Dungeon Siege Heaven
Planet Dungeon Siege
Official Dungeon Siege site
http://www.microsoft.com/Games/dungeonsiege/images/screenshots_small_15.gif
Dungeon Siege movies (for those of you on higher connections, have a look at these, they'll sell you for sure. )
Dungeon Siege Heaven - one movie of the game intro, one of general gameplay.
Gamespy Ultraean Peninsula video - awesome video, runs about two minutes
You can find links to more movies at PlanetDungeonSiege and DSHeaven.
This reply was last edited on 05-28-02 07:00:21 AM by boutitben.
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