Northgard

[Fitzy]

I didn't see a topic for this, so...

I bought this last night. I wasn't entirely sure what it was, some reviews have it similar to Warcraft, while others claim The Settlers. I've been looking for a game like Settlers since Banished, so I dove in.

Initial impressions only, as I've only put about 3 hours in. And only on the campaign. My first thought was that it was way too simple. I started straight off in hard mode and after 10 minutes or so was certain I was cakewalking the first campaign mission.

Then I lost.

And lost again.

And again.

I finally have a game saved where I might win, but it's iffy.

However, the game moves quickly enough where I am not getting frustrated in having to restart.

The game has a simple resource system. As near as I can tell, there is no supply chain (nothing where you need x and y to make z), but there are clearly a couple missing resources in the first campaign. I still prefer games with complex supply chains, but I think the simple system works for this one.

The map is divided into little areas that a scout has to scout out first. Once scouted, you have to clear any enemies (animals only so far), then settle the area with an ever increasing cost of food. Each area has a limited number of buildings you can build, though you can increase this by one per area for a money. Some areas have unique building abilities, so far that's been a fertile area for food, a hunting area for more food and a beach for a port, but I haven't reached the beach yet.

The system works well. It forces you to think what you're going to build. Villagers come from happiness. The happier you are, the faster villagers will arrive. The more arrive, the less happiness you have. So, for the first clan, you recruit skalds. But skalds eat, meaning you need more food. It's a delicate balance between food, happiness, and wood. Just when you think you have that balance down, you run out of money and buildings start catching on fire.

Fighting is simple. You have a big bad hero, who can die and be reborn, but the necessary resource doesn't exist in the first mission. So don't die. Warriors cost money to train and are barely capable of beating the lowly wolves one-on-one. I've found it best to keep warriors in groups of two and the hero on his own except when clearing a new area. Not that I've managed to maintain more than 2 warriors. My attempt at four resulted in a food spiral.

There are healers, but they heal slowly and that means you lose a worker while they are healing. A worker plus actually since injured workers are 20% less efficient. I've found I have to micromanage my healers and food people. If there is a lot of injuries, I'll send two people to become healers, but once everyone is healed up it's back to gathering. Sometimes I have to move people between being villagers and lumberjacks and healers and skalds, in order to balance food, wood, happiness and healing production. Run out of food and people get sick, they'll lose hp and only get it back from a healer. Who is slow. Run out of wood and you can't build, plus people get cold. And lose hp... Run out of happiness and people work 20% slower. Balancing it is much more complicated than I expected at first.

The biggest negative so far is imprecise feedback. As an example, there are (so far) three food resources. Villagers will gather randomly from the area they are in, Farmers farm farms on fertile ground and hunters hunt deer in one area. The food display will say: 110 +5. But what is the +5? I still don't know if it's daily, weekly, or monthly. I'm pretty certain in can't be monthly as that wouldn't create big enough surpluses. Also, the game doesn't tell you how much each of the three food types will gather. Though I think I have it calculated. Finally, I'm not sure if the graphics matter. The little people will gather the food and march to the nearest correct building type to deposit it. But does that matter? If I interrupt one to make them a lumberjack, did I lose food? Does distance matter? It appears not to. But I could be wrong.

I suspect I could find the answers online, but I think they should be readily apparent within the game.

My impression so far is a simplified Settlers/Banished type game, but with a far more frantic pace. You can't sit around and turtle or build up. You have to keep moving. Well, I suppose you could on the first little section, but there isn't a game speed option, so that would get dull fast. Once you start expanding the lack of resources and the balance will keep you ever striding forward.

So far I'm having fun. I'll update after a few missions.

PS

Sorry for first page impressions.

[Daehawk]

I just saw this on Steams front page. Its 25% off right now.

[LordMortis]

Sorry for first page impressions.

Is it pausable? I don't do RTS any more. But if I can slow a game down and pause to issue orders then I'm already and don't treat the game like an RTS.

there isn't a game speed option,

That doesn't sound good for my play style.

[Fitzy]

No pause. I mean you can pause but it makes the screen go funny and you can’t, as far as I can see, issue orders.

So far it hasn’t been an issue. The game is quick and the overall pace somewhat high, but there isn’t a lot of clicking. Other than shifting the people around in jobs they pretty much do their own thing. Warriors will respond to any bad guys in their area. Healers will heal anyone in your territory. You can’t even select who. Skalds don’t move.

[Fitzy]

I finally got through the first mission. The second did greatly expand the options, including adding new resources, a tech tree, new buildings and the buildings can be upgraded. It expanded the options for the game. It's still simpler than other RTSs, especially with the limited building space per area. The resource portion is much simpler than say Banished or what I recall from the Settlers. It might be on par with Warcraft and Age of Empires, but it's been a while since I played those.

I'll slowly work my way through the campaign, but the design and writing are mediocre at best. The story is a simple one of revenge so far. The second map had a goal of rescuing another clan and settling 8 areas. There had to be at least 16 areas, maybe more. I won at exactly eight, pretty much by charging down the middle. It was a disappointing win. Maybe the design will get better, but from what I've read, that's not likely.

People seem to love the single player maps (non-campaign) and the multiplayer. I haven't tried either.

The best I can say so far is that if you like campaigns and can get it for ~$10, it's probably worth it. I'll eek out my money's worth and I don't regret buying it. I'm more willing to pay full price on indy games these days than AAA. Though technically I got it for 25% off

If you prefer non-campaign maps or multiplayer you might get more out of it. I might try a random map this weekend, but I don't do multiplayer. I'm still traumatized from my one and only Warcraft 3 attempt. Or maybe it was 2? I forget.

[dbt1949]

I must have watched 3-4 hours of some guy playing a regular game.
I started off with the campaign. Finished the first game easily enough.
I'm used to lassoing people to do my bidding and that's not the case here. Still having trouble getting multiple people to an area, ie, warriors.

[Fitzy]

I right click the warrior group I want and move them to a small area near the hero than lasso them all.

[dbt1949]

That works.
Documentation is scattered.

[dbt1949]

I think one problem I may have is expanding too fast.
Most games I play they expect that from you but this game doesn't seem to have a time limit.

[Fitzy]

I’d agree. The struggles I had in the first mission mostly ended when I expanded only s much as I needed instead of continuously. I used that style in the second mission and had an easier time.

I think the limited expansion slots make it important to expand carefully. If you’re running out of food you can’t just plop down a new field.