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Carabas
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Carabas



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PostSubject: Shadowrun Returns   Shadowrun Returns I_icon_minitimeSat Jul 27, 2013 12:33 pm

I've just bought Shadowrun Returns on Steam. I really like the setting (I did play some pen and paper Shadowrun back in the 90s) and the game is turn based and isometric and that brings some nice memories of playing the original Fallout. The story seems rather good if a bit linear but it looks like there is going to be a Berlin DLC that is said to be more open and user made modules are expected to come out pretty soon (the editor looks pretty effective).

The game has a weird way of handling saves with checkpoints when you load a new area and that is a bit annoying but what I find really strange is that there is no loot (but it's not a big deal since you never need to buy or loot ammo, I would have liked the ability to pick up "free" extra weapons though).

I started a first game with a human but I was trying too hard to make a jack of all trades so I've decided to start over with an elf (for the extra quickness limit) focusing on pistols (no other weapon types) with some skills in decking, a little rigging and a little magic (mostly for healing). I can tell that the game starts out in the exact same way and that the choices you make don't make much of a difference (at least early on).

The music is fine and is appropriate to the setting. The gameplay is intuitive and the graphics are really good especially considering this is an indie game.

Most reviewers say that the game has potential and I can only agree with that. The campaign is focused on telling a story and what I've seen so far is pretty good (it definitely has that Shadowrun, fantasy/cyberpunk vibe). In fact it's like playing an RPG session with a Game Master who keeps a tight leash on the player. You have a great setting but you don't get much leeway. I imagine that given the possibilities of the editor it would be possible to create a more open world (like in Fallout) in the meantime it's still a pretty nice game (although at the moment it's more like Fallout Tactics than Fallout 1 and 2).
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Carabas
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PostSubject: Re: Shadowrun Returns   Shadowrun Returns I_icon_minitimeSun Jul 28, 2013 5:46 pm

I've finished the campaign and I really enjoyed the game. It may be linear but it's not worse than say Dragon Age Origins (except you have to follow a sequence whereas DAO allows you to change the order in which you're going to get through the main quest).

The campaign was a bit short and I would have liked more freedom but as an introduction it works pretty well. The focus on the story was nice (plenty of fun little details) and even if most runners (NPC followers for hire) weren't fleshed out it wasn't such a big deal (they are supposed to be expendable anyway).

I played the campaign on hard and except for the very last part it never felt that hard (probably because focusing on one weapon style makes fighting much easier).

I will definitely play through the campaign at least one more time (on very hard) to see what I may have missed or if there are other ways of going through some stages.

All in all the game is rather simple but fun and well executed. After playing for hours I was starting to feel that the music was a bit repetitive but apart from that I had a great time and I will be waiting for the extra content.

Hardcore RPers may dislike the fact that dialogue options don't make much of a difference (but to be fair they don't really matter in most CRPGs) and fans of tactical combat may find that aspect in Shadowrun Returns to be a bit too simple but IMO if you like isometric games, turn based games (no clicking frenzy), the Shadowrun setting and the cyberpunk genre you should definitely consider playing Shadowrun Returns.


Last edited by Carabas on Mon Jul 29, 2013 4:43 pm; edited 1 time in total
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Sue77
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PostSubject: Re: Shadowrun Returns   Shadowrun Returns I_icon_minitimeSun Jul 28, 2013 8:00 pm

Thanks for this Cara. I'm not familiar with the original game at all, but this does sound interesting albeit straightforward.

I really enjoy cyberpunk settings. Have you looked at Remember Me? My Bro Andy got it for me as a b'day pressie on Steam. I've not played it much yet but the story grips from the word go. It's intense and pretty relentless in the fighting department, but I'm looking forward to seeing where the action and dialogue goes.

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Carabas
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PostSubject: Re: Shadowrun Returns   Shadowrun Returns I_icon_minitimeSun Jul 28, 2013 10:00 pm

I've read about Remember Me but I don't think my computer can run it.

Shadowrun is not your standard Cyberpunk setting, it takes elements from William Gibson's novels (especially Neuromancer) but unlike the Cyberpunk RPG it adds fantasy to the mix.

The Shadowrun universe is very detailed but basically Dragons reappeared and in their wake magic was once again a reality. Some people started mutating into Elves, Dwarves, Orks and Trolls. Obviously Elves had an easier time getting accepted whereas Trolls and Orks had to contend with a new form of racism. Some animals mutated into fantasy creatures as well. Spirits became more powerful and Native American Nations emerge and become a major power in North America. At the same time the Elves formed their own domain Tir Tairngire with Portland as its capital.

It's still a dystopian future, with greedy corporations, intrigues and conspiracies and the life of a Shadowrunner (in other words a black ops specialist for hire) is not an easy one.

There is a pen and paper spinoff called Earthdawn taking place in Shadowrun's mythical past.

Shadowrun Returns doesn't overwhelm newcomers to the Shadowrun universe with too much information. In fact the whole point of the campaign is that once you've played it you end up having a fairly good idea of what to expect in this setting without having to go through the process of reading countless entries about lore and stuff.

There are some user made modules on Steam Workshop already. I'm going to give them a try, they look rather promising.
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Blood Red Eagle
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PostSubject: Re: Shadowrun Returns   Shadowrun Returns I_icon_minitimeSun Jul 28, 2013 10:06 pm

Hahaha, I did some P&P Shadowrun too, robbing banks and buying guns, what fun!

I just might have to check this game out.
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Sue77
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PostSubject: Re: Shadowrun Returns   Shadowrun Returns I_icon_minitimeMon Jul 29, 2013 1:11 pm

It does look good, so I've added it to my wishlist. I'll wait until it's in the bargain bucket tho' Very Happy

Has anyone here played Septerra Core? When I had a good look at the screenshots on Steam, Shadowrun Returns reminded me quite a lot of this earlier game.

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RYUchan
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PostSubject: Re: Shadowrun Returns   Shadowrun Returns I_icon_minitimeMon Jul 29, 2013 2:37 pm

Sue wrote:
Has anyone here played Septerra Core? When I had a good look at the screenshots on Steam, Shadowrun Returns reminded me quite a lot of this earlier game.

Funny you said that, because I've tried Shadowrun recently and I remembered SC instantly but in a different way. Shadowrun lacks the depth of SC BIG TIME.

What can I say, Shadowrun is a game with potential and... that's about it. No free roaming, no exploring, stealing or looting corpses. Dialogue options mean nothing, combat is okay but ... even Jagged Alliance was a lot more than just fighting and in Shadowrun combat system is nowhere near JA level.

Leveling your character gives you useless options, you can be a hand-to-hand master or a melee weapons master but you'll be shot to death before you approach an enemy. In Fallout 1 and 2 melee weapons were much more useful and in the second game even hth skill had its benefits. There is nothing like this in Shadowrun.

Putting combat and leveling mechanics aside, you can clickthrough all the dialogues and all the text without reading, so even if you don't know the language you can still succed in this game, how lame is that? You can't even roleplay properly.


All in all it's a pretty shallow game. It is quite modable and custom campaigns can be created, but right now it  can provide only some kind of weird cyberpunk atmosphere and mediocre combat, that's all.
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Carabas
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PostSubject: Re: Shadowrun Returns   Shadowrun Returns I_icon_minitimeMon Jul 29, 2013 4:29 pm

I can agree with some of your points Ryu but I can't help feeling you're a bit too negative and I think you're missing the big picture here.

The Dead Man's Switch campaign is an introduction to the game and the Shadowrun universe and as such it's pretty good (but quite short). It's focused on telling a story and as a result it's linear but that doesn't mean new campaigns won't be less linear because the game has the potential for very interesting modules.

Instead of comparing it to Fallout 1 and 2 try comparing it with the NWN OC and you will see the point i'm trying to make.

I do agree that stealing is not present (stealth is not really an option except by creating diversions) and I would have liked some looting options myself but grinding is not part of the game. You don't get Karma (XP) for taking out enemies but for completing your objectives which means that the focus is not the same as in your typical hack and slash game.

Quote :
Leveling your character gives you useless options, you can be a hand-to-hand master or a melee weapons master but you'll be shot to death before you approach an enemy. In Fallout 1 and 2 melee weapons were much more useful and in the second game even hth skill had its benefits. There is nothing like this in Shadowrun.

There are no levels in Shadowrun Returns and I like that because your character won't get more resilient if you don't invest Karma points in the Body attribute (I love Fallout 2 but it always annoyed me that some hookers in Klamath had more HP than your low level but incredibly strong character).

Going melee is a bit tricky (bringing a sword to a gunfight is rarey a good idea) but it was the same in Fallout when people would take shots at your melee guy (unless you had the Hit to Hit Evade perk in Fallout 2 or exploited the Fast Shot melee bug in Fallout 1). That being said in Shadowrun Returns if you boost Dodge you won't get hit that much as a meleer and if you're using grenades and magic I'm pretty sure it can be done.

Shadowrun Returns has an interesting cover system but it's not Fallout Tactics. Enemies can have attacks of opportunity if you cross their line of fire and that is an interesting aspect but all in all I do agree that combat is pretty simple (that's where spells come in handy for buffs and in order to disable enemies).

Quote :
Putting combat and leveling mechanics aside, you can clickthrough all the dialogues and all the text without reading, so even if you don't know the language you can still succed in this game, how lame is that? You can't even roleplay properly.

Now that's something I can't possibly agree with...

Take Fallout New Vegas for instance. You can skip all the dialogues and simply follow quest markers to complete the game. Is it the game that is to blame or is it the player's fault? The same thing applies in DAO and anyone who is going to skip all the dialogue in DAO may be better off playing a straight hack and slash game. So why should we criticize Shadowrun Returns for that?

In Shadowrun Returns the main campaign is about telling a story and I can understand people criticising it for being like an interactive novel (pretty much what Planescape Torment is about) but there is something wrong about saying you can't roleplay if you are going to click through all the dialogues without even reading them... It's like leafing through a book without reading it and saying it is rubbish.

I for one found the story to be very enjoyable and rather true to its source material despite its linearity but I guess there is no arguing about taste.

Quote :
All in all it's a pretty shallow game. It is quite modable and custom campaigns can be created but right now it's  can provide only some kind of weird cyberpunk atmosphere and mediocre combat, that's all.

It's an indie game and it's definitely a labour of love. The campaign is short but more importantly it's only the beginning. It's only 20 euros so getting 12 hours of game from the campaign isn't that bad especially if (like me) you're left wanting more by the end of the game.

Of course if you're comparing Dead Man's Switch with the original Fallout you won't possibly be pleased with what Shadowrun Returns has to offer (at least for now) but despite its age Fallout is in an entirely different league. Fallout (originally based on the GURPS ruleset) is definitely the greatest CRPG ever made and it wasn't an indie game.

Another thing that I would like to point out is that I didn't experience any bugs while playing the entire campaign in Shadowrun Returns but I do remember playing Fallout 2 before the patch in 1998 and let me tell you that it had so many bugs it wasn't even funny (to give you an idea Fallout New Vegas before it was patched was almost as buggy as Fallout 2 when it was first released).

I agree that combat in Shadowrun Returns could be a bit more involved and the campaign could be less linear but despite these shortcomings that doesn't make Shadowrun Returns a bad game.

It is short but we are to expect user made modules and expansions that will add much more content (more gear, more monsters and more of everything) and increase replay value.

The weird cyberpunk atmosphere is definitely part of the appeal of Shadowrun and something Shadowrun Returns gets right so if you don't like that then it's probably not a game that you will enjoy. But if you have fond memories of playing pen and paper Shadowrun and/or like weird settings blending together magic and technology it's definitely part of its charm.

I'm keeping my fingers crossed and hoping for a non linear campaign (whether an official one or user made) that will take advantage of that very original universe and let it fulfill its potential (something a bit more like the original Fallout would be incredible).

In the meantime there are worse ways of playing an interactive novel and let's face it very few CRPGs provide what we could call "real" rolepaying options (and by roleplaying I don't mean different ways of killing enemies but actual choices that do matter -for instance Morrowind, Oblivion, Fallout 3 or Skyrim are all pretty lacking when it comes to that).
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RYUchan
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PostSubject: Re: Shadowrun Returns   Shadowrun Returns I_icon_minitimeMon Jul 29, 2013 5:28 pm

Carabas wrote:
It is short but we are to expect user made modules and expansions that will add much more content (more gear, more monsters and more of everything) and increase replay value.

I just can't accept this as a point in this argument. Because it's an exuse. The same was with Dark Souls - yes it was a great game, cool and amazing, it just wasn't playable almost at all, still DS became my favourite game when it comes to combat system and it was thanks to fans, that provided the nessesary patches. I changed my view on the game after I played with fan mods but before it was the most terrible gaming experience I've ever had.

Back to S:R I mentioned about potential but right now the game is shallow. I evaluated it for what it is, not for what it can be after fans will spent hours polishing it.

Carabas wrote:
Take Fallout New Vegas for instance. You can skip all the dialogues and simply follow quest markers to complete the game. Is it the game that is to blame or is it the player's fault? The same thing applies in DAO and anyone who is going to skip all the dialogue in DAO may be better off playing a straight hack and slash game. So why should we criticize Shadowrun Returns for that?
I never played NV, so I can't tell much. Fallout 3 was an awfuly boring game and the most funny playthroughs I saw about it, was when people just went crazy decapitating everyone and playing a role of a bad guy, but that's not my thing. Also I never expected Bethesda games to be super deep in dialogues.

As for DA:O, I enjoyed it a lot, because it has multiple character interruction, characters had personalities. Prologues before becoming a Grey warden were excellent little stories, that I enjoyed playing through, for each character race possible. If you are one or the other class in DA:O people address you differently and you are actually recognized if you are elf if come to elven encounters.

I can't count Shadowrun for a visual novel, I'll better go and play a real visual novel, which involves better and deeper plot where choices matter and etc.
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Carabas
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PostSubject: Re: Shadowrun Returns   Shadowrun Returns I_icon_minitimeMon Jul 29, 2013 10:53 pm

Quote :
I just can't accept this as a point in this argument. Because it's an exuse. The same was with Dark Souls - yes it was a great game, cool and amazing, it just wasn't playable almost at all, still DS became my favourite game when it comes to combat system and it was thanks to fans, that provided the nessesary patches. I changed my view on the game after I played with fan mods but before it was the most terrible gaming experience I've ever had.

Dark Souls isn't an indie game that was made using money from a Kickstarter campaign. If you can't tell the difference then there is no point arguing about that.

The game costs 20 bucks on release, that's only a third of the price tag of the average studio game. For that price we get a campaign that takes roughly 12 hours to complete and the possibility to play and create new campaigns.

By the way it hasn't been a week since the game has been released and there are already a few user made scenarios available (I've just tried one called Lost Lamb and it took me an hour to get to the end but it was fun and true to the spirit of the pen and paper game, the only thing that I find annoying was the typos but I was able to overlook them).

I don't understand why we shouldn't take user made content into account. User made modules gave NWN some much needed replayability and the same thing is most likely to happen with Shadowrun Returns.

Mods made Fallout 3 enjoyable and they made Fallout New Vegas shine. Even DAO was greatly improved by mods (including the user made patch fixing many of the bugs that Bioware/EA wouldn't fix).

If I had to give my opinion on the subject of the Temple of Elemental Evil I would probably have to take into account the mods that have been made in the attempt to salvage that game (still buggy as hell) and if I was to talk about KotoR 2 I would most definitely consider the mod that restores content to the game (amazing mods by the way) because as a PC player I consider mods and user made modules to be part of the gaming experience.

When it comes to Shadowrun Returns it's definitely not an excuse.

Quote :
As for DA:O, I enjoyed it a lot, because it has multiple character interruction, characters had personalities. Prologues before becoming a Grey warden were excellent little stories, that I enjoyed playing through, for each character race possible. If you are one or the other class in DA:O people address you differently and you are actually recognized if you are elf if come to elven encounters.

I like DAO (a lot) but it has some serious flaws (apart from being a very linear game).

You can play a Dwarf or and Elf and still dress up as a guard... Some origins are well integrated but others feel more like an afterthought (for instance playing a Dalish Elf doesn't reward you with specific dialogues down the road).

There is absolutely no measure of time and no urgency. The Connor situation is only difficult when you don't know that time is not of the essence. Romance in DAO can be fun but in the end it doesn't really matter (you don't get to ponder on your character's relationship when Morrigan comes up with her offer).

The epilogues are fine (the ones in Fallout 1 were much better IMO) but Awakening doesn't tie things together pretty well and you don't get to change (or learn) anything when it comes to Morrigan's fate in Witch Hunt.

Playing as a Grey Warden you're set on a road from which you can't deviate you have to save the day and it is fine but that's not the sort of freedom that should be expected from a real RPG (think about Fallout 1 in which you could betray the vault for instance).

Bottom line most CRPGs only offer the illusion of choice (just like DAO offers the illusion of being non linear). Very few games offer us real choices. I would consider the Witcher as being one of the few but I see it as an action CRPG rather than a real RPG (you don't get to choose your character and you have to stick to the Geralt persona).

Shadowrun Returns is not worse than say Baldur's Gate. You can play a merc or you can be a selfless guy if you choose to. In the end it won't make a huge difference from a purely technical point of view. In Baldur's Gate you probably don't care whether you have acquired Larloch's Minor Drain or Cure Light Wounds as innate abilities when you're facing Sarevok but it's part of the process of actually playing the game and it is a direct reflection of the choices you've made.

I get that you can't enjoy Shadowrun Returns for what it is i.e. a decent adaptation of a classic pen and paper RPG but let me tell you that as a player who has fond memories of playing the original tabletop RPG I'm enjoying it a lot. Smile
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RYUchan
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PostSubject: Re: Shadowrun Returns   Shadowrun Returns I_icon_minitimeTue Jul 30, 2013 2:41 am

Carabas wrote:
Shadowrun Returns is not worse than say Baldur's Gate. You can play a merc or you can be a selfless guy if you choose to. In the end it won't make a huge difference from a purely technical point of view. In Baldur's Gate you probably don't care whether you have acquired Larloch's Minor Drain or Cure Light Wounds as innate abilities when you're facing Sarevok but it's part of the process of actually playing the game and it is a direct reflection of the choices you've made.

Well I while I can compare Shadorun to DA:O, I just can't compare it to BG series. I mean come on, in BG2 the leveling system was really complicated and enjoyable, there were different builds to mess around with and combinations were a lot more than in Shadowrun.

And I must admit I can't see the difference between big corp game and an indie game, though the tendency is indie games are mostly better. For me the end result is what matters. I don't buy - if this is indie than you must be softer on a game thing Smile I either enjoy the game or I don't. Anyway I just am expressing my opinion. Smile
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Carabas
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PostSubject: Re: Shadowrun Returns   Shadowrun Returns I_icon_minitimeTue Jul 30, 2013 11:30 am

There is nothing wrong with expressing an opinion and I understand you're not a big fan of the setting and it's definitely the most important part of this game. Wink

I don't mean to be argumentative but the leveling system in BG 1 and 2 doesn't provide many options (except for Thieves it's all very straightforward until you get HLAs). You get many more options in IWD2 or NWN 1 and 2 for instance.

I like the Karma system in Shadowrun Returns, you can build your character as you like either focusing on a few skills and saving points to take these skills higher or spreading your points around. It works pretty much like Vampire Bloodlines. In many ways I find it more rewarding than a regular leveling system. I really like the fact that you don't get extra HP without investing in a stat, getting extra HP on a level up is actually the one thing I dislike in Fallout 1 and 2. The HP per level is something that comes directly from D&D and while it works in the D&D setting it doesn't make sense in a world in which characters don't (shouldn't?) become preternaturally resistant to damage as they get more experience. I get that it is meant to translate the ability of a character to take more punishment but IMO it's a very "gamey" mechanic.
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PostSubject: Re: Shadowrun Returns   Shadowrun Returns I_icon_minitimeMon Aug 19, 2013 9:45 pm

I just bought this game on Steam. Installing it now. I don't know the first thing about the setting, but I've been playing XCOM: Enemy Unknown, and was in the mood for some more turn-based combat. I'll let you know what I think.
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PostSubject: Re: Shadowrun Returns   Shadowrun Returns I_icon_minitimeMon Aug 19, 2013 11:40 pm

I can't wait to read what you'll have to say. Wink
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PostSubject: Re: Shadowrun Returns   Shadowrun Returns I_icon_minitimeTue Aug 20, 2013 12:45 am

I've played about a half-hour of it, and I'm liking it so far. I live in Seattle, so I'm finding the local references quite interesting. The combat is a lot like the XCOM game I've been playing, only with a more flexibility in character builds. Unfortunately, XCOM taught me to hit the Enter key to perform the default attack, but in SR, that ends your turn. I've accidentally hit it a few times and ended my turn without doing anything.

I do wish I was able to control party members outside of combat, to position them strategically. It's kind of annoying when I know a fight is about to happen, but I have to stand out in the open and initiate dialogue before I can head for cover. But this is a problem a lot of RPGs suffer from.

I'll post more thoughts when I've had some more time with the game.

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PostSubject: Re: Shadowrun Returns   Shadowrun Returns I_icon_minitimeSun Aug 25, 2013 10:52 pm

I finished the Dead Man's Switch campaign last night. I enjoyed it a lot, and my thoughts about it are similar to yours in the first couple posts. One complaint I have, due to playing it simultaneously with XCOM: Enemy Unknown, is that the cover system isn't very consistent. There were numerous situations where I thought the background should have offered cover, but it didn't. I also wished I could have positioned my party members outside of combat. There are times when you know a fight is about to start, and your party members just stand out in the open.

My character was a shaman focusing on spirit summoning. I chose that mostly because it relied on charisma, and I wanted to unlock as many etiquettes as possible to see how much effect they would have on the campaign. Sadly, it wasn't as much as I would have hoped. A little bit of extra cash here and there doesn't hurt, but a shaman ends up spending that much and more on fetishes for summoning.

I don't know much about the Shadowrun universe, but I never felt lost, and the game piqued my interest for more.

I'll now either play through again with a different sort of character, or maybe try out some of the user generated content.

It was definitely worth the price, and I'm happy to support an indie developer making the kinds of games the big publishers have abandoned. Now, hopefully we can see Wasteland 2 and Dead State before the end of the year.
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Carabas
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PostSubject: Re: Shadowrun Returns   Shadowrun Returns I_icon_minitimeSun Aug 25, 2013 11:40 pm

Glad you enjoyed the game. Smile

Etiquettes are a bit limited but I can think of one that is more useful than the others in the OC -I'm thinking of
Spoiler:

A Lost Lamb is a short but nice user made module that you may want to try (I haven't played many user made modules yet).
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PostSubject: Re: Shadowrun Returns   Shadowrun Returns I_icon_minitimeSun Mar 02, 2014 9:11 pm

If you haven't got the Dragonfall DLC yet, I highly recommend it. It is a much more interesting and flexible campaign than Dead Man's Switch.
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PostSubject: Re: Shadowrun Returns   Shadowrun Returns I_icon_minitimeMon Mar 03, 2014 12:59 am

I've started it but I haven't finished yet. There is definitely more flexibility and the story so far is as good as the previous one (perhaps even better I can't tell yet).

Dead Man's Switch is probably still worth playing for new players who are not familiar with the setting (it gives a wide tour of many aspects of the Shadowrun gameworld).

The great thing about Dragonfall is the added replayability with different quests and different rewards.

I'm playing a good guy who does a little bit of everything (human with magic, totem, guns and a little tech).

What character did you play Kana?
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PostSubject: Re: Shadowrun Returns   Shadowrun Returns I_icon_minitimeMon Mar 03, 2014 1:29 am

I'm playing as a dwarf decker/rigger, with some points into smgs. I liked the story of Dead Man's Switch, but it felt like I was always on a straight line from one point to the next. It's nice to have the option to choose different side quests. It reminds me a bit of BGII, in that regard. You have to raise some cash, which gives you motivation to take on side quests, rather than just barreling ahead with the main quest.
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PostSubject: Re: Shadowrun Returns   Shadowrun Returns I_icon_minitimeMon Mar 03, 2014 8:08 am

Exactly, there is definitely this BG2 thing going on. What I like is the economy of the game that makes managing money a much more delicate affair. I still miss the absence of loot (and ammo to a certain extent although it would probably end up being a nuisance). I can understand that we can't pilfer cybernetics or loot smartguns but if my Shadowrunner kills a lunatic with a shotgun I would expect him to grab it. The positive thing is that with the current system we have a more realistic take on inventory because of these limitations (and how the stash system works). Anyway I can live with that.

I also really like the fact that Dragonfall doesn't shower your character with karma points so you have to be more careful with these.

My guy has 5 points in ranged attacks + dodge and only 1 point in SMG and pistols. SMG don't require a hefty investment to pay back. I've tried raising strength a bit so I could use grenades more accurately. I don't know yet if I'll invest a few points in chi to make unarmed attacks more effective (not that it would matter much but in certain situations it could be useful).

I'm playing on very hard and I'm using arcane magic and shamanism for healing mostly. I've put a few points in decking but it doesn't seem as vital as it was in Dead Man's Switch.

So far I'm doing ok but I may have been stretching my character's karma points a bit. The way the points system works it's still much cheaper to increase several skills up to a certain point than focusing on one particular skill and maxing that one out. Besides going too far is highly situational and I learned that the hard way with Dead Man's Switch when my first character had to use the bug killing weapon (didn't put any points in that skill? Too bad!) so since I have no clue what sort of build is going to be more effective by the end I'm thinking that a guy who would be good at most things is probably going to fare better than one who is incredible in one area and rather mediocre in the rest.

What I can say is that there seems to be some replayability in this campaign. My current guy is being selfless but I'll definitely going through the game a second time to see how things could work with different choices.
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PostSubject: Re: Shadowrun Returns   Shadowrun Returns I_icon_minitimeTue Mar 04, 2014 12:36 am

The NPCs in this game are pretty good. They really stand out and it's a great improvement over the generic runners in Dead Man's Switch. Let's face it Coyote was ok but I find Dietrich, Glory, Eiger and Blitz much more interesting. This part of the game reminds me of NWN and BG (asking NPCs about their past as you get to know them may not be very original but it's very effective).
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PostSubject: Re: Shadowrun Returns   Shadowrun Returns I_icon_minitimeTue Mar 04, 2014 6:06 pm

I was enjoying Dragonfall and I was enjoying the fact that the decking scenes haven't been too annoying so far but right now I'm playing the
Spoiler:
fight and it's a real pain!!!

I'm really annoyed at that point. I've managed getting through the first half of the fight but then I have to go through the matrix again.

That is really bad design IMO (going through the exact same matrix run all over again). It's boring and a real drag. The matrix scenes have never been the best part in Shadowrun and the fact that Blitz is a rather mediocre Decker doesn't help (my main has some abilities and useful programs but he isn't a full time Decker so going through these parts take forever).

I'm ranting a bit but that's bloody annoying.
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PostSubject: Re: Shadowrun Returns   Shadowrun Returns I_icon_minitimeThu May 01, 2014 6:15 pm

There is a steam sale this weekend, you can get the game with a 66% discount (and the expansion with 33% off). At this price it's hard not to recommend this title to anyone who likes the Shadowrun universe, turn based isometric games and story driven computer RPGs.
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PostSubject: Re: Shadowrun Returns   Shadowrun Returns I_icon_minitimeThu Sep 18, 2014 12:22 pm

Shadowrun Dragonfall Director's Cut is out today and the original game is on sale on steam. If you already own the original DLC you'll get the Director's Cut in your library free of charge (which is a relief considering that lately some newer versions of existing games are being sold with only a minor discount for people who already own the original titles).

From the notes it looks like they've made some solid improvements to the game. We should have more control over what NPCs will carry in their inventories and that's a welcome change.
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