Divinity: Dragon Commander Previews, Update From Swen
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One issue was that we're showing both a RPG and a RTS, and doing hands-on of an RTS with RPG-only players isn't necessarily the best idea. Likewise, doing hands-on of an isometeric turn-based RPG with a RTS player doesn't necessarily generate a lot of oohs an aaahs. Whenever we had journalists who didn't have a wide interest or at least an interest in both RTS' & RPGs' we've had issues.
Ideally, your local PR partner ensures that you have the right guy or girl in front of you, but that obviously isn't always possible, especially if you're showing two games like we are. But the better the PR, the better the match between reporter and the game he's reporting on, and we've seen a clear link between that and the feedback we got, so something to pay attention to in the future.
The second issue was getting journalists to show up. This too is the work of the local PR partner or agency and there we've seen very strong differences. I think having two games is an advantage, so we probably shouldn't have experienced this problem that much, but in at least one instance we did and that caused quite a lot of frustration among Larian's travelling demo team. Divinity games have sold sufficiently to merit some attention so if the turn-out is low, something has to be wrong with the approach.
Initially we thought maybe reporters thought the games were too small to report on, but the advantage of doing this with different partners in different territories is that you can actually compare your PR efficiency, and since in general we've had pretty high attendance rates, with quite a lot of the big boys showing up, we came to the conclusion that this was more a local problem than anything else. Something to work on.
Next, we'll jump over to GamingShogun for the first preview:
So, after you are done interacting with characters on the Raven, you can jump to the map view, which is setup in a Risk-like board game layout. From their, you can monitor all your territories, move troops, and build new units. Once you have moved all your units, you press the (end turn) button, and movement unfolds. Battles can be auto-resolved or manually-fought. One developer mentioned that the game can be played basically like a strategic strategy title, and RTS gameplay barely touched on if played smartly (the player just auto-resolving all combats). However, Larian Studios has put a lot of work into getting an RTS game into this turn-based game when battles are fought manually.
The fully 3D battle maps can be viewed via virtual camera in just about all directions. You click and select your units, direct them towards fortification points which can be used to build new battle facilities (such as barracks, factories, etc) and also smaller fortification points which can be used to create things like turrets. After assembling your army, you will most likely want to engage the enemy. It is important to note that all the armies of this game world share the same unit types however, each grants bonuses to the ones they want. This is where armies will truly diverge in tactics.
And then finish things off with the preview at Colony of Gamers:
If you play this game your avatar will be asked about social issues like gay marriage, and you will have to answer them. When I was initially presented with this political aspect of the game, I was a little worried about the implications. After seeing it in action and speaking with the designers, however, I'm significantly less worried. It's clear that each of the races represent some stereotype of a political faction, but one doesn't come off as '˜worse' than the other. You'll find yourself rolling your eyes at the foolishness of the Elves just as often as at the draconian tendancies of the Undead. Also, a running theme in this game is the slippery slope: sure, you may agree with a female general that women should earn the same pay as men, but what happens when she asks you to abolish an ancient Dwarven tradition because she finds it sexist?
When you make decisions like these, it will affect your standings with the various races. You'll be able to speak to their representatives on your council, so you'll be well prepared for any backlash that may be forthcoming. But outcomes aren't all negative- you can get bonuses from races who you please over time. Some of these bonuses come in the forms of different cards that are used in battle.
