Anyone keeping tabs on this game? A new party-based RPG from a German developer. The German version has already been released, so it's just a matter of time before we get an English version as well.

http://www.drakensang.com/

Sure have, and it looks good. Expect it later this year in North America (hopefully). Here is a link to 41 screen shots. Thanks for mentioning the game, Drizzt!

I was so impressed with this game at the Leipzig Games Convention last month, that I went to a shop and bought it (even had it signed by the producer on the Convention later that day).

I hope my German is sufficient to understand everything in the game! I will let you know about my thoughts on the game as soon as I start playing (which might very well be in October/November at the earliest as I have tons of previews to write first).

Thanks Pollo, that sounds like good news indeed!

So, is anyone else playing this? I'm busy with it, and I'd like to chat about it with others who are also playing it?

It's very pretty, and has quite complex character building.

I'm still busy getting the hang of it at the moment.

Hey, TrailMystic, you'll love this game! Although it's not the exact D & D rules, character building is along similar lines.

I downloaded the demo and can't even get it started.

It doesn't like the modem software or something? No idea and I am not uninstalling the modem to play this game.

So how is it?

Hm, I'm not sure why your demo won't start. The game doesn't use any of those online activation DRM's, just a disc-check.
I'm still on Windows XP at the moment, so if you're stil on XP, that is not your problem.

You know, these days with all the different software and hardware variations people have, it can be any of a whole array of things that makes a game temporarily unplayable. With ME, the fact that my sound card driver needed updating, made me unable to play the game until I updated. With Dracula 3, it was certain settings in my Nvidia control panel that I had to fiddle to get the game going.

So never think just because some games play ok. on your system, that that means all you drivers etc. are up to date. I'd check both my sound and graphics drivers, for instance, if I were you, before I gave up on the game.

The game is very pretty visually, though you can set your settings higher or lower depending on your graphics card. I'm still getting to grips with the actual gameplay.

Figuring out exactly how character stats and abilities work, is a reasonable learning curve. Luckily the game comes with quite an extensive manual and some pop-up tutorial boxes.

Although the combat is theoretically turn-based, (like with Neverwinter Nigths), you can choose whether to use a continuous, seemingly real-time mode (just like in NWN2) or you can go for turn-based mode the same as with Fallout. Also, you can set it to pause only at the beginning of combat, or with every turn. After dying with the setting on no pausing in combat, I did miles better once I turned it to pause at every turn, and combat has become rather fun.

My only grouch is with the controls and camera - it's quite similar to that of NWN2, the camera of which I've never really liked.

Actually the gameplay is reasonably similar to the Sword Coast games, especially NWN2, as it's also a party based game.
I've been trying to play it with WASD, but you can also do it point -and -click style, so if you prefer point and click, I guess you'd probably like the controls.

A few of us started playing the demo when it was first released. Here is the thread that got started on it:

Drakensang : English Demo

Shortly afer this came out I ordered the main rule books for the Dark Eye pen and paper game upon which this is based; both the original German and the English translation. Luckily my girlfriend can read German, I wanted to make sure that certain details weren't missed in translation as P&P RPG's can be pretty granular when it comes to detail.

It's very much like D&D, but the settings are closer to old Europe and have some historic refernces. Some of the rule sets are almost identical to D&D with very minor differences. The calculations seemed to add a bit more difficulty to introductory levels though, so my guess would be working on minor quests to build a character before trying any combat that might become too involved. From the short time I played the demo that seemed to play out as true. Early contact with minor foes ended in my untimely death quite easily, especially when running solo. I haven't had a chance to pick it up again or continue studying the rule sets. Still recovering from nasty bugs...

It did seem like it would be a very fun and traditional RPG.

Yes, I recall that earlier thread, TM.

The game seems very enticing to me !!

Not really, I haven't been that much interested in the "newer" RPG games. Mostly because they lack that special something that makes it wort playing more than once (at least to me)

What about you Drizzt? Are you going to get it once the English version comes out?

Hi

When I go to Amazon UK or Play.Com (also UK) and search for
Drakensang - The Dark Eye I get THIS

Due for release at the end of March ....

Is it the right game ??

Cheers.

Mad

I think so Mad

You can be the first to play it

It is the same game, Mad, but it's already out in the US: (Been for a while now) http://www.gogamer.com/Drakensang--The-D...2VVviewprod.htm at a few places.
Amazon also has it: http://www.amazon.com/Dark-Eye-Drakensan...6136&sr=8-1

Well, hurry and get better soon, Trail, you're going to love this game! It's your honest to goodness Classic RPG, and you can have a glorious party of 4 members (in addition to your avatar) that you can build and fiddle with as much as you like!

Thank you both for that confirmation !!

I will pre-order it then ....

After all, there can't be any harm in increasing the height of my "still to play" stack even more.
What else is a BAAGSY person to do ??

Wrong? Of course not. A nice tall stack of "to be played" games gives one motivation to live long enough to play them all

Now there's a philosophy to grab on to !!

Thank you, looney4labs

Glad to be of service Mad

Indeed I will. But for some reason, it has been delayed a long time now. Still no release date for an English version, it seems. I had not noticed; Are you from Skåne?

I ran a into this game yesterday and it accidentally fell into my hands as I was not shopping with a cart

I'm hearing good feedback on this game on different sites. Looks like it might be one I'd like.

Yup, that I am

Edit: Found the info, which is basicly minimal modding but nothing else

Drizzt, AFAIK, the European release date for the English version is set for end of March.

Anyway, so I've been playing my U.S. copy for a while now, and I think I'm reasonably on top of the leveling rules and combat by now. My main character is a currently level 5 Elementalist.

I've also figured out the best way to work the camera for my tastes, and I've set the combat mode to pause on every turn, which seems to work best for me, so I'm currently having fun with the game.

Well I've got this game now and have made it through the first chapter. I have a question. Moondancer you said you figured out the best way to work the camera and I can't figure out how to adjust any camera settings. Sometimes it is far and sometimes it is really near. So how did you work the camera?

Ok, you know when you use WASD normally and you use the mouse to navigate with? You can do exactly that here, but by keeping RMB depressed.
At first I found it very irritating to play with RMB depressed all the time, but I've now become used to it.

Also you use your middle mouse button to zoom in and out. So between zooming and moving your camera around with RMB depressed, you can have your camera basically anywhere you like.

Hope that helps, but just ask if that is not enough.

:Thanks: Moondancer