You'd think that on a site like ours - where both D&D nuts and RTS junkies are as common as...um, like, common things - that more people would be clamoring to buy, play and review this game. It's been out for a few weeks now (I think), and it's barely been discussed. Which either means the people who've bought it aren't playing it, and the people who haven't don't want it.

What gives? I almost bought this game last week, but didn't because nobody here was singing its praises. Hell, even singing its failures. This despite nearly every online review I've found for it has given it a very high rating (nothing below an 8.0 so far that I've seen - at least in the top of a google search or two).

What up, folks? :confused:

My reason for not talking about it is that I have not played it. I have not played it because I have not bought it. I have not bought it because I still haven't finished NWN Hordes of the Underdark yet. I only just finished Shadows of Undrentide last week. It will probably take me the next 6 months to finish HotU as I might restart a few times before getting to the end.

So no chance of me getting anywhere near this game until later on in 2006 at the VERY earliest.

The game was being made right in the middle of Atari's money-saving frenzy, so it's had practically no marketing and was destined to fail from the get-go. Considering the core RPG crowd is already not too inclined to try anything else but RPGs, not even marketing the game to them was a fatal flaw. (Though, from what I read, there wasn't much there to market it to RPG fans.) The game ended up being overlooked by D&D RPG fans, and got lost among dozens of other RTS titles with RTS fans. Pretty sad.

That said, I wanted to write a review of it to promote it around here, but the dimwits at Atari never bothered to send out the review copies they've had us sign up for. Which is really typical Atari PR incompetence, but it's just another reason why I'm not too keen on looking at this game anytime soon.

Btw, Death Rabbit, you do realize that SP provides you with full news coverage of all D&D games on our front page? And that it's all archived? All you need to do is search the news forum for "dragonshard review". And maybe look at the front page from time to time...

Of course I realize that, Tal. You posting reviews and news about Dragonshard doesn't change the fact that precious few members around here seem interested in the game, which was the point of this thread. I wasn't talking about news coverage or reviews or even looking for either, as I mentioned above that I'd read several.

In fact, because I'm aware of the ample coverage the news staff has given the game, it reinforces my feeling of surprise that there is so little interest among our board members.

I haven't touched it because I don't care about it :) Just another RTS that's too expensive to bother with.

Death Rabbit, I was referring to your mention that you had to search around for reviews, obviously.

Hmm, I just saw it on sale at a local games shop (coincidentally, the first time I had wandered in to one for over a year). It looked quite interesting, but too expensive at this point. I might wait until I can get a second hand copy for cheaper.

I played the demo, and to tell you the truth, I thought the game sucked. With Atari's record, I am pretty sure it is buggy too. Most D&D gamers out there want the role playing experience like BG and Icewind Dale and any change from this norm will be met with doubt and criticism.

I will be trying it soon simply because it should have a drop of RPG in it. Whatever previously said, the RPG scene is pretty dead ATM and even an RTS game is welcome now if it goblins and elves. :xx:

Personally, though, I don't care too much for RTS genre. It's just quick kill'em'all whereas RPGs are about mechanics and story.

**EDIT**

I take it back after reading the review on GameShark. (http://www.gameshark.com/index.asp?a=reviews&id=2177&s=1TMUJRCE0Q1BSEGDFVOV43JJHT)

The game plays at a breakneck pace and there is no option to slow it down. You also cannot pause and issue orders, so once the game starts, you're off to the races and may the best player (the one who is the fastest with the hotkeys) win. The lack of a pause and issue order feature is a bit frustrating but the fact that there isn't a basic game speed setting is just bizarre. Dragonshard demands your constant attention. If you're the kind of real-time strategy gamer that doesn't mind this frantic pace, then Dragonshard is easy to recommended, but RTS fans that like a bit of a slower pace to their games are going to get overwhelmed by all of the 'stuff' in the mix. I'm one of those slow-pokes that like to think a bit before doing. And I use hot-keys only semi-randomly.

[ November 24, 2005, 13:21: Message edited by: Wirhe ]

Simpel it is not a rpg game. it is just an other rts which is only fun for the rts hardcore gamers. they do not play rpg games like us, and we the rpg gamers only play rts games and fps when there are no rpg's on the market.

I know it is a bit black and white what I said.

I played the demo and it looks just like warcraft3 and spellforce. No my money stays in my pocket until the firework starts next year. Nwn2, Bg3 Oblivion, d&d online. Sleep is rare in 2006(If the developers put them on the market that is)

Not interested because it's not the game I hoped it would be. Never seen it though... And it's nog Forgotten Realms I think so...

It isn't an FR game. I probably wont pick it up. I used to get my ass kicked so bad in Starcraft and Warcraft3, the only two RTS games I've ever played. And I hate losing :p so I probably wont pick this up. I suck at micro-management, which is why I never managed to finish FF Tactics which was an awesome game. I just kept on focusing on Ramza and a couple of other characters :rolleyes:

I can't play RTS games, and now having found out that there is no pause (o crap!) and no slow down feature (screw that!) there is absolutely no way at all that I will ever get this game.

What? No 'pause' button? That sounds impossible for clumsy fingered slow coaches like me. When playing games like Age of Empires, my finger is permanentlu hovered over the 'pause' button. It's my most used weapon.

I got the game for Christmas and while I have barely started playing it I have definitely come to the realization that the lack of a pause ability is a major pain in the neck.

The game is pretty much a poor man's version of Warcraft 3. The unit progression/town planning is kind of different but overall I wouldn't recommend the game.

Well, that's that then. I can't believe anyone could be insane enough not to include a pause button. What do you do when the telephone rings or you have to go have breakfast?

Of course there is a pause button... what they mean is that there is no ACTIVE pause button. I.e. you can't pause the game and issue orders, etc. But you can always pause the whole thing.

I think the active pause should be included in games against the computer but either removed or optional in games between human players. If the computer "thinks" about everything at the same time and doesn't have to worry about micromanagement, I believe it's only fair that human players should have their active pause button.

I never play against human opponents but I can tell you that against the computer the game tends to turn into non-stop streams of battles.

What is really annoying is that the computer will be training new units, moving them over to the battle area, and directing troops all at the same time. As a result the computer will constantly have reinforcements trickling in while still fighting effectively.

You can only do one thing at a time so you have to scroll away from the battle to load up your build queues, scroll back to the battle and hope that your units have not screwed up too badly, scoll away again to select your trained units to send them over to the fight, etc.

@ JSBB

I believe the term you're looking for is "clusterf*ck." :heh:

Bought it from EB. Played it for 6 days. Returned it on the 7th day. Bought FEAR in exchange. Loved every minute of it.

I borrowed this off our DM, didn't really like it. I just couldn't enjoy it.

Bought it a month ago but can't play it due to having exactly the wrong video card...in BOTH gaming computers. -_-

Bought this game a few months ago. Really liked it at first when I was teaching myself how to play doing skirmishes. Then I moved into the story. It's not bad, either. I like the dungeon crawling part of it.

However, I stopped playing it after the 4th or 5th mission because of the horrible load times. I'm talking like 3 minutes, seriously! Plus, the particular battle I'm in right now has an enormous horde or baddies that I don't have the patience to fight through. I'm a perfectionist and I want all of the medals, so that means every battle has to go perfectly and with long load times, well...

Fun game, but I wish it had more to offer. There's little-to-no interest in it anywhere on the web, so mods and such are non-existent. Too bad. I wish someone would come along and fill in some of the spots that Atari missed.

I suppose real time strategies won't work without a big cenral server (e.g. Battle.net) or a reliable network of individual serwers. Perhaps Dragonshard died from lack of a steady battleground.

Hmmm. Glad this got bumped up again. I got the game a while back as a present and couldn't play since I still had Win98. I'll have to dig it out once I'm done with MotB.

I actually totally forgot about the game. A year ago when it got released, it was priced 45€ like the rest of the Pc games. Too much for what the game seemed to be imo. Now that I see it once more, I'm dying to pick it up but ironically can't find it anywhere. :o

EDIT: I scouted the Belgian salessites and I hope to pick it up in a few tendays.

How Liquid Ent. managed to make such a bad RTS game with D+D rules is quite amazing. I eagerly installed the game and was very upset :mad: They made BattleRealms which was pretty good (now ancient) then some horrid LOTR rts which sucked 'War of the ring'? Then this awful game.

If it was Command=Conquer with Elves it would be ok but alas, it's really dull.

I could explain the issues further but, if you can buy it for $5/£5, just install it and expect the worst:p it's amusing.