TA:Kingdoms - so is it any good then ?

[old.Giant]

The topic says it all really, I've been looking forward to this for ages, but now I'm hearing reports about it playing like a dog in 3d mode on all but the most powerful systems.... not to mention the reports of random crashing in 3d mode.

I shan't even go into the reports of dodgy AI / unoriginal units etc I've been getting

just thought I'd see what anyone who's got the game thinks


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Rob Wilson
Giant

 

[old.DevPac2]

I bought it and have really enjoyed it but i think that a lot of the comments you've heard are quite accurate.

Performance wise, on a p2 450 + v2 sli it runs very well, but i needed the very latest v2 drivers (released after the game was out). It also looked good under a TNT, but the scrolling was poor, and chugged with a lot of action going on (not good for MP, that). Not had any crashes b.t.w.


I've also tryed it on a p 266 laptop under NT, and its acceptable, but in no way marevellous.

The number of different units per clan(?) is less, and they are all very similar, but i've not yet had enough time to see if the clans play much differently. However, all the units are _very_ well designed and animated.

My only problem with it is that the presentation is extremely poor in places. Starting up, the movies, that sort of stuff all feel rushed, though there are some very nice bits (the level load screen for example)

It is really just TA 1.5 set in a fantasy environment, but i think that still makes a very good game.

Dev

 

[old.SimbobX]

Ummm .. yeah it is jerky. My P2 333 chugs a bit when scrolling and nice as it may look in 1024x768 .. forget it

.

I think they have done a fairly good job with the four different sides. When I first started I was gutted because the first two sides (Taros and Aramon) both seem very similar, but actually when you start to compare all four they seem to be quite different (e.g. the Zhon who build almost no buildings whatsoever).

Ummm. I've played most of the way through now (not finished yet) and th single player game is pretty enjoyable ... but I was looking forward to having *HUGE* armies storming across vast tracts of land towards each other .. and that's not what it's like.

Still, it's keeping me off the net a fair bit, so probably worth the investment

.

Summary - I quite like it, but it's not the complete world beater I was hoping for.

ps - can anyone tell me how formations work, if at all?

 

[old.CrimsonHaze]

Hi, there's a very good and unbiased review on the new bulletin boards at
http://www.roweb.co.uk/forum


I like it but you need a beast of a PC no bout a dout it

 

[old.Brit]

Personally, I was very disappointed with Kingdoms. After the fantastic TA, with its wonderful array of 'things to do', I find Kingdoms boring, sluggish and generally non involving.

Nice graphics, but that is to be expected.

Brits personal rating : 6/10

--Brit--

 

[lynchet]

To be fair Im basing my view very much on first impressions, Ive only played the first few chapters -- hmmm -- well it seems OK but compared to what we were promised !

And the ai of your troops is horrendous - Ive just been in a game where I had a wall with an open gate - I ordered the troops to a location on the other side and most just waited their side of the wall seeming unable to see the door.
Also I hate the way troops just stand and watch the bloke by them be slaughtered without attacking unless specifically ordered to do so -- arrrrg

I hope it gets better than this !

 

[lynchet]

Hmm just read my last post - my first and last comments look a bit contradictory

What I mean is I think the game is ok as an rts but apart from the graphics the game is nothing that special -- fun I should think, but also in many ways infuriating, and a big letdown on what I was hoping for

 

[old.[GA]Kryten]

Stick to the good faithful C&C
Tiberian Sun should wh00p

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**[GA]Kryten**
redalert@barrysworld.co.uk
Q2BAttleUK Co Webmaster
q2battleuk@barrysworld.com

 

[old.SimbobX]

But so should've Kingdoms .. oh dear .. has RTS gone stale?

Kingdoms does get better after thr first few missions are out of the way .. but the AI is not great. *sigh*.

And nobody has told me how (and if) formations work. It seems like - select formation .. tell them to move .. they wander off in different directions.

Umm ?

 

[old.[EoD]Riz]

I had the same problems with formation - I think I got them to move once by selecting just one of the 'formation' and moving them - the others follow... but it was rather poor and the manual doesn't explain it at all!

Water under the bridge now though 'cos I took it back to Virgin for a refund as I was very disapointed - I lurve TA and like fanasty so I was expecting a lot from Kingdoms and for me it just didn't deliver the goods I'm sorry to say.

I exchanged it for Dungeon Keeper 2, now there's a class game, that isn't going back!

Better dash got to do a bit of Imp slapping...

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[EoD]Riz