TheRagnCajun
Member
So Renoun is pretty hard to come by. I wish I hadn't spent any of it on supplies...
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The Banner Saga |OT| Here come the vikings!
- Thread starter Corto
- Start date
This was a really, really enjoyable. To not touch on any spoilers, I think I'd have to say that the artwork around the godstones was stunning and oddly unnerving at times. The soundtrack by Wintory framed everything really well and I feel like the more morose pieces really came out strongly in the game as a whole.
Just finished Act 3 in a really horrible position so I'm not looking forward to rejoining Hakon's side of things.
The game is great so far though and I'm enjoying the combat and story quite a bit. It feels good to play a text based game again, and they really take advantage of the amount of variety in choice since not everything needs to be voiced.
How many acts is the game overall?
The game is great so far though and I'm enjoying the combat and story quite a bit. It feels good to play a text based game again, and they really take advantage of the amount of variety in choice since not everything needs to be voiced.
How many acts is the game overall?
It is beyond thrilling to read such reactions to the game here. So much work for so much time went into TBS that to see all the discussion, and strategy sharing, is just plain awesome. Thank you all!!
Hopefully this doesn't lapse into shameless self-promotion... Polygon just ran this cool piece and since I figure this is OT, why not post it?
http://www.polygon.com/2014/1/20/53...-behind-the-scenes-with-the-soundtrack-of-the
Oh and BTW I've made note of the bugs and difficulty curves at let Stoic know as we prepare initial patches. Not sure what will be addressed but obviously making sure everything is optimal is priority for everyone!
Hopefully this doesn't lapse into shameless self-promotion... Polygon just ran this cool piece and since I figure this is OT, why not post it?
http://www.polygon.com/2014/1/20/53...-behind-the-scenes-with-the-soundtrack-of-the
Oh and BTW I've made note of the bugs and difficulty curves at let Stoic know as we prepare initial patches. Not sure what will be addressed but obviously making sure everything is optimal is priority for everyone!
TheRagnCajun
Member
Thanks for sharing that. The music truly is fantastic, and its a testament to the quality a game can achieve even at an indie pricepoint.
I just finished it. I have zero doubts this is one of the better games I will play this year. Hard to find any major faults. Wonderful art and music. Story is good but there are too many characters being introduced too often I feel. It's only a minor issue however.
That ending too. I need part 2!
If anyone is on the fence I do urge you to give the game a go.
That ending too. I need part 2!
If anyone is on the fence I do urge you to give the game a go.
Could have been a great game, but the last boss fight is just bananas. Sorry, Banner Saga.
Edit:
10th try and sill nothing. Tried both clearing the board Bellower only runs. I came to the conclusion that the game's ending is poorly balanced and destroys everything what made it good for me. What a way to ruin a game. Never had problems throughout the whole journey.
Edit:
10th try and sill nothing. Tried both clearing the board Bellower only runs. I came to the conclusion that the game's ending is poorly balanced and destroys everything what made it good for me. What a way to ruin a game. Never had problems throughout the whole journey.
I was exactly the same as you in feeling like the final boss tips the game completely into the frustration side of the fun/frustration line the game straddles for its duration, tips it so hard it retroactively makes you view the rest of the game through that lens of frustration. However, this I feel is only true on the first playthrough. That's not really a reassuring thing to say, I know, but I replayed the game (again on Hard), this time with better info on who can die, what to do with renown, fighting more battles and winning them easier due to being more familiar with the characters and their abilities.
Bellower is still a difficulty spike with this in mind but less so. I managed to kill him in like 5 - 6 tries with a party prepared for the final fight, and in truth, the knowledge of various things did lead to it being actually quite enjoyable. To that end I am convinced that Bellower is impossible on hard mode to anyone unaware and unprepared on the first playthrough. In fact the fight is difficult to the point where turn order plays nearly as much of a party composition, while I know turn order is important all the way through the game, here it's the difference between a victory and a game over.
The game is just a series of various undercooked or counterintuitive ideas though, I'll spoiler them just to avoid coloring others first playthroughs but things like
the supplies and caravan having practically zero purpose for example, as I expect nearly everyone on their first playthrough pumps precious renown into that to keep their caravan alive. Battle mechanics where keeping your enemy alive is more advantageous to killing them. Choices presented at pseudo random with results no one could possibly even guess the ramifications of, and maybe worse, choices presented that basically do nothing.
Still, that 2nd playthrough, if you have the time and inclination to do it, I would recommend, if not simply to see the results of choices not made, but to make a better go at making that red bastard Bellower pay for his difficulty spike. It may just change your opinion on it for the better like it has for me.
Here's a video from my Hard mode victory against Bellower, it's not the prettiest of fights but it might just give you a few ideas on how to beat him
And here's mine. In my first playthrough of the game, it took me around seven attempts to figure out I needed to solely focus on the boss, and then it became pretty simple. The video I linked is from my first attempt at Bellower on hard (after reloading a save to fix the Silver Arrow glitch), and it honestly felt like a cakewalk.
Also, fix the Challenge achievement, Stoic.
Nicely done, Gunnulf bringing the pain. That ending made me chuckle.
Switched to Easy for final boss, beat him, switched back to Normal and beat him knowing how to tackle the fight.
Still, it's a difficult and frustrating battle and I agree that it makes you end the game on a sour note, reflecting badly on the entire experience. They really needed a better save point where you could rest and do fights 'infinitely' as it's too easy to arrive there with wounded, demoralized or underlevelled troops. In general, you can get extremely screwed over if you missed a few useful items or wasted Renown on supplies.
That said, none of these issues are impossible to fix with some patches, let alone a full sequel. Looking forward to that.
Still, it's a difficult and frustrating battle and I agree that it makes you end the game on a sour note, reflecting badly on the entire experience. They really needed a better save point where you could rest and do fights 'infinitely' as it's too easy to arrive there with wounded, demoralized or underlevelled troops. In general, you can get extremely screwed over if you missed a few useful items or wasted Renown on supplies.
That said, none of these issues are impossible to fix with some patches, let alone a full sequel. Looking forward to that.
Thank you so much for that video. Played it exactly like you and I did it on my first try. I haven't tried the 3 archer tactic before.
The_Darkest_Red
Member
My favorite tactic for the final boss was giving Iver Farthingjord and letting him go to work. Farthingjord gives +3 Armor Break so add that to Iver's base 3 and 3 from willpower and you can do 9 armor damage in one swing. The boss will then attack Iver but with his ~15 armor he'll be able to absorb the hit without too much trouble. Once you take a nice chunk out of his armor like that you can send in your best damage dealer and take the edge off of the boss' massive HP/strength pool.
Another tip for the boss,
Another tip for the boss,
on the second battle have Iver (or whoever you have with a ton of armor) move to the edge of Bellower's movement range. This will cause Bellower to waste two willpower in order to get to you and attack.
A word of warning to everyone playing this game:
You can royally SCREW yourself in the final chapter if you concentrate on using your Renown to purchase supplies rather than upgrading your Heroes. You fight a series of TOUGH battles in the final chapter before you even get to the final boss who you have to face twice.
I was SEVERELY underleveled by the time I got to those last battles to the point where I had to drop the difficulty level from Normal to Easy. The way I see it is that the game really is forcing you to make a choice: either use the Renown to purchase supplies to preserve your caravan and therefore face much steeper odds in the final battles, or use the Renown to level your Heroes to have an easier time in the final stretch and say to hell with the refugees.
Which when you think about it, this choice fits perfectly with the game's theme and atmosphere.
You can royally SCREW yourself in the final chapter if you concentrate on using your Renown to purchase supplies rather than upgrading your Heroes. You fight a series of TOUGH battles in the final chapter before you even get to the final boss who you have to face twice.
I was SEVERELY underleveled by the time I got to those last battles to the point where I had to drop the difficulty level from Normal to Easy. The way I see it is that the game really is forcing you to make a choice: either use the Renown to purchase supplies to preserve your caravan and therefore face much steeper odds in the final battles, or use the Renown to level your Heroes to have an easier time in the final stretch and say to hell with the refugees.
Which when you think about it, this choice fits perfectly with the game's theme and atmosphere.
Does anything actually happen if you run out of clansmen? When I tried
(clicked on Rest for about 100 days or so) and I could easily continue resting again and again. The game didn't result in any end state, although any random battle might have wiped me out if the numbers of fighters and varl determine the amount of enemies.
waiting for Juno
Still waiting to see if this comes true or not, but jesus if so.
https://twitter.com/georgeb3dr/status/425470252613238784
https://twitter.com/georgeb3dr/status/425470252613238784
This would be total bullshit.
The_Darkest_Red
Member
I'm actually really curious how the size of your clan affects those battles against hundreds of dredge during the middle portion of the game. I usually had a slight advantage so I just charged in but I wonder what would happen if you were severely outnumbered? Anyone know?
I'm only speaking from experience here but having played the game twice on Hard difficulty the size of your army means basically nothing. The dredge "war battles" scale to your caravan size, as in you will always encounter an army of dredge that is ~10 - 20% or so larger than the collective size of your caravan, you will always be told "the armies look evenly matched". If I had like 50 clansmen only, I'd encounter a dredge "army" of about 60. If I had a caravan of 200, I'd face an army of 225 or something. The numbers presented are basically flavor text and meaningless, the various options potentially change the set up of the ensuing battle, but not always.
For example, one of the first war encounters on my 2nd playthrough I tested it. Charge and Formations gave me the exact same battle, same starting layout and all, not a difference between them. "Hold them off" killed more of my caravan but gave me an easier battle, which is partially not desirable because you want to fight more enemies to get more renown, the most valuable resource in the game. The only time I've ever noticed caravan size play a crucial role in something is at Chapter 7 where having a low caravan size will see
Krumr
YES! I DID IT!
I finished the final battle on Normal (heh!) -- I simply cannot imagine how it must be on the Hard difficulty and I'm not even going to bother to try.
The word "epic" is thrown around so much in gaming today that it's lost all of its meaning. That's not the case with The Banner Saga -- this game EARNS the right to be called "epic."
I finished the final battle on Normal (heh!) -- I simply cannot imagine how it must be on the Hard difficulty and I'm not even going to bother to try.
The word "epic" is thrown around so much in gaming today that it's lost all of its meaning. That's not the case with The Banner Saga -- this game EARNS the right to be called "epic."
You should have received a personal e-mail from Austin Wintory himself.
D
Deleted member 17706
Unconfirmed Member
Finally put in a good amount of time in this. Got to Chapter 3. I'm really, really liking it. Very pleased with how this turned out and happy I backed the project. It's like Oregon Trail, King of Dragon Pass and a good tactical RPG all mixed into one. Very fun.
Really loving the atmosphere and music in particular.
Really loving the atmosphere and music in particular.
So if I'm reading this right, the entire basis of this is because they think the word Saga belongs to them.
LOL
Sir Garbageman
Member
Yea the final battle is absolute bullshit. Pretty much cruised through the whole game on normal and now the last fight is absolutely soul crushing. Worst part is it is a two stage fight and you don't get a save point in between, forcing you to replay the first segment over and over again. At least give me a checkpoint dammit 
Hey guys - if you buy the Deluxe edition, you won't be getting an email from me with the download. That was solely the Kickstarter backers. The Deluxe edition automatically includes a folder of the Mp3's in the game's install directory. Here is a note about it from Stoic:
"The soundtrack should be included with the game in the game's install directory. The easiest way to find this is to right-click the game in your Steam LIBRARY, choose Properties, then "LOCAL FILES", then "BROWSE LOCAL FILES...". Please let us know if you are missing the "ost" folder."
Started and played through until
I think last night
and loving it so far. Been playing on Hard difficulty and it's pretty rough. Haven't really been able to chase down Dredge for additional reknown without chancing a party wipe since I end the first fight with little to no willpower and most characters below 10 in both armor and str stats. Well, I haven't been able to do it without feeling like I'm gaming the system (e.g. resting when only 1 guy is left on the board).
Supply counts are dangerously low on the human side too.
Also, much as I love the game and the multiple choices to pick from, I'm sad that I feel almost forced into picking the ones that lead to the most fights because of how important and rare Renown is as a resource in the game.
ch.6?
whatever is after the bridge and before Juno
Supply counts are dangerously low on the human side too.
Is it game over if I run out of food? lol
Also, much as I love the game and the multiple choices to pick from, I'm sad that I feel almost forced into picking the ones that lead to the most fights because of how important and rare Renown is as a resource in the game.
There's one item that gives +3 Armour per rest (rest during battles I think)... that's so awesome. I hope they add more character customization in the next game, like multiple items and weapons and stuffs.
Damn. I hate the archers, I mainly use Varl. Iver and Mogr are the best, and Hakon is very dangerous towards the end of battles.
Damn. I hate the archers, I mainly use Varl. Iver and Mogr are the best, and Hakon is very dangerous towards the end of battles.
Vulcano's assistant
Banned
This red fucker is kicking my ass. I only have archers at level 5, none of the Varl are above 4, smh.
Hakon is my MVP. That guy is just a slayer.
Yeah he's so good, I usually keep him away from the fight at the beginning and then he goes on a one-hit kill rampage.
The_Darkest_Red
Member
Oh yes. That ungodly HP.
Check my video a few posts up, downed him with 3(4) archers, the mender and Iver.
My MVP's kept getting killed or disappearing, so annoying. On my first doomed playthrough it was Fasolt, that provoke of his + the menders Mend ability made him a great tank. But then I get back from the final godstone with the arrow and Fasolt just disappeared. Didn't die, just wasn't there, gone with all that renown.
2nd time around I started to really take a shine to Krumr since he was alive in my previous run at the end game so I figured it was safe to invest into him. My original plan was to get to the boss and make use of his command ability to get the arrow in ahead of Bellower turn but
the damn dredge kept murdering him at Boersgard so I couldn't keep him alive and
when he loses his arm
The archers though, Yrsa and Oddleif, probably my favorites. Their special abilities are just invaluable. Yrsa's fire can get good damage on multiple enemies while Oddleif's trap just negates an enemies turn if used correctly, I used it against Bellower to good effect.
Saren is Bad
Member
If there is a positive to the Candy Crush thing it's that I heard about and saw a video of this game because of that thread. Bought it. Hopefully others do too.
Char Aznable
Member
just finished the game
oh boy, i loved the music, the art direction and the animations...hated the final boss...feel a litle short so i hope there's a sequel
Great game i recomend it to anyone
oh boy, i loved the music, the art direction and the animations...hated the final boss...feel a litle short so i hope there's a sequel
Great game i recomend it to anyone
Finished the game. Thought I was on Hard but then the achievement for Normal popped up :< It should at least also give me the Easy clear.
Anyway, it's another excuse to play the game again (not like I needed one) and try out all the different dialogue branches that I missed. Like
.
Anyway, it's another excuse to play the game again (not like I needed one) and try out all the different dialogue branches that I missed. Like
recruiting the drunk
How are you okay with this game with bad speakers? Soundtrack by Austin Wintory! I refuse to play this game until I buy some decent gaming headphones.
Rabbit Lord
Member
Patent laws in the U.S. are so fucked up.
edit: I would kickstart them again if they needed it for fighting this kind of nonsense.
The track We Will Not Be Forgotten gives me the same goosebumps that EU4's The Voyage does. Sublime.
No kidding. Heck, I recently got my sis a pair of 15 eurobucks USB powered Logitech Z120 speakers. They are surprisingly listenable, I am impressed. Especially with the normal sub-par stuff that Logitech serves.
If your audio is so bad speech becomes a problem you should propably invest a little. It doesn't have to be much.
I used all three of the archers and their were my killing squad. I stacked them up with high willpower and +3 willpower stars. Oddleif had the +3 armor break item and could take out a whopping 8 armor points every turn while being ranged, Rook had a highest strength so he was helping with the high armored enemies.
But Alette was the star of the team. She had an item that gave her +3 willpower for every kill, so she was just wasting fools since she had all +3 stars for every action every turn. She had 40-50 kills on her at the end, maybe more. I picked her for this role since i found her to have the least amount of aggro and she was oddly ignored by most of the enemies, even when she was murdering someone every turn.
And it's really important not to move your archers once they start firing arrows. They get buffs when they are not moving and firing from the same position.
All my melee varls were mostly armor/health sponges that would break enemies armor and prepare them for my archers wrath. Because of this Iver in the end didn't even had enough kills on him to reach to the the fifth level.
EDIT: oh, and my team was two-three varls, three archers and mender. I beat the boss with three archers, Iver, the shieled varl and the human captain from Udin's caravan.
How do people keep messing these up? To sum it up:
Patents = inventions
Copyright = creative works
Trademarks = names and labels.
At any rate it looks like it's just an objection to the trademark which can be ignored, and likely will be given King's own Saga trademark is currently suspended. Ends up looking more like sour grapes, nevermind their gross abuse of the word saga.
Though it sounds like even at best that's a few thousand wasted by the Banner Saga developers to counter the opposition.
Okay I'm going to try this in the next playthrough.
Ranger Taffles
Member
Basileus777
Member
I was coming here to say that the Bowmaster Nid, is pretty broken, but now I see that that 9 points she gets to spend at level 1 was a bug.
Oh well, I'll keep my overpowered archer for this playthrough.
Oh well, I'll keep my overpowered archer for this playthrough.
The_Darkest_Red
Member
Oh great, I'll be sure to tell all my DEAD CLANSMEN about the supplies I'll be receiving soon.