Warhammer 40k Gladius

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tgb
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Warhammer 40k Gladius

Post by tgb »

So another Slitherine title released into the wild today. As a beta tester on the project, I have to say it could already be my choice for game of the y..........

Nah, I'm just fucking with ya.

I’m gonna preface this by saying that first of all, I’m not a Warhammer fanatic. I sort of know the backstory in broad strokes, and I have a feel for some of the factions from years of playing the computer games. Also when playing a 4X, combat is to me the least interesting part. I always go for whatever other victory conditions are available, usually diplomatic.

All of which is why I didn’t like enjoy my time with Gladius. It’s a game built for Warhammer fans built 99% around (simplistic) combat. There’s no diplomacy. No trade. No interaction with the other factions or other life forms besides shooting at them. No trade-offs or interesting decisions. Decisions on what to build or research are based simply around whatever resource/unit you want to prioritize. Cities aren’t specialized and there’s no reason ultimately not to build everything. The only victory conditions are eliminating the other factions or completing the story-based missions (which amounts to the same thing).

For a combat-centric game I found the combat simplistic and boring. It’s the Civ V 1UPH model, and while some hexes have terrain that offers a defensive bonus, elevation doesn’t play a part from what I could tell. No formations. No combined arms bonuses. Just select each unit in turn and either attack, move, or fire off a special ability. Civ can get away with this because it offers so many other interesting things to do. Gladius doesn’t have that luxury

Gladius uses the Pandora engine. Graphics are improved a bit, but I never cared for the way Pandora looked, and I don’t like it any better here. Technically I didn’t run into any problems, and the AI seemed OK, but I never played it long enough to really determine one way or another.

This is not to say it’s a bad game, for what it is. The factions are asymmetrical and play very differently, and it’s got Warhammer lore coming out of its ass. It’s not for me. If the Warhammer-ness is enough to make up for the shortcomings I mentioned, I hope y’all enjoy it more than I did.

Speaking of which, I have a code Slitherine sent me for 25% off. It can only be used at the Slitherine store, but you’ll get a Steam key. First to PM me with the message “I like Ork butts and I cannot lie” gets it.
I spent 90% of the money I made on women, booze, and drugs. The other 10% I just pissed away.
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GreenGoo
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Re: Warhammer 40k Gladius

Post by GreenGoo »

I can't in good conscience claim the code without knowing more about the game or whether the code expires.

Still, a 4x set in warhammer 40k universe sounds amazing

There is no diplo because the WH40K universe has no diplo. There is no excuse for weak combat though. That's disappointing.
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tgb
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Re: Warhammer 40k Gladius

Post by tgb »

Dear tgb ,

Thank you for your help with the beta test of Warhammer 40.000 Gladius Relics of War. Shortly, your beta serials and steamkeys will be disabled. And you will no longer be able to access the game in this way.

As a token of our gratitude, we are happy to offer you a discount coupon, giving you 25% off Gladius on the Slitherine store. Your unique coupon code can be found here:

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

This coupon code is valid for the Slitherine store only and it will only work once.

To use the code, simply add the game to your card and add the coupon code in the required field. Verify that your updated price is now displayed before continuing the purchase process.

Buying the game through the Slitherine store, will also give you access to a Steam key, with which you can activate your game on Steam as well (not required).

IMPORTANT: The game is not available yet through our stores, but will be later today as the game will be officially launched. Before that time, you will not be able to make use of your coupon code.

Many thanks again for all your hard work and support. We sincerely hope that you will stay with us as we continue to support Gladius post release.

Please let us know if you encounter any issues or if you have any questions.

Proxy Studios and Slitherine
Nothing about expiration.
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Lorini
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Re: Warhammer 40k Gladius

Post by Lorini »

GreenGoo wrote: Thu Jul 12, 2018 7:07 pm I can't in good conscience claim the code without knowing more about the game or whether the code expires.

Still, a 4x set in warhammer 40k universe sounds amazing

There is no diplo because the WH40K universe has no diplo. There is no excuse for weak combat though. That's disappointing.
This. There are vids out there but I'm totally backed up on my vids so it'll have to wait.
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ColdSteel
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Re: Warhammer 40k Gladius

Post by ColdSteel »

From the let's plays I've seen, the game combat appears to be very similar to that of Warlock, Master of the Arcane. So does everything else in the game, from hero units to the lack of diplomacy, to the resources and city building.

So, if you liked the way Warlock, Master of the Arcane did 4X, you'll probably like this as well.
"This game is best played with a warm cup of Folger's coffee in your hands, so you can actually smell the oppression while you relive the greatest period of all time. The period when white people discovered the world, and decided they didn't like it." - EUIV Steam user review
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Re: Warhammer 40k Gladius

Post by Sepiche »

ColdSteel wrote: Fri Jul 13, 2018 8:35 am From the let's plays I've seen, the game combat appears to be very similar to that of Warlock, Master of the Arcane. So does everything else in the game, from hero units to the lack of diplomacy, to the resources and city building.

So, if you liked the way Warlock, Master of the Arcane did 4X, you'll probably like this as well.
Very much so. If it's not by the same team, then they certainly continued the ideas that were started with Warlock, but they've also polished up and improved a lot of elements. On the whole I'm enjoying it a lot. I always like the Warlock games, and putting a 40K skin on it and improving the game makes it a winner in my book.

I started a Space Marine game to get a feel for starting out, and once I had a good handle on the basics I restarted as the Imperial Guards. I got my starting city built up and secured the area around it from xenos with my trusty imperial guardsmen, until I ran into some space marines to my east. No diplomacy in this at all, just war unending, so the last good number of turns before I went to bed I was skirmishing with the marines.

Initially they pushed my handful of guard squads back with scout bikes and land speeders, but I had been churning out sentinels and guard squads for a bit before they showed up, and I threw all my forces over to the east to setup a defensive line. My guardsmen and sentinels have a range of two, and if they don't fire on their turn they get a reaction shot when an enemy moves into range, so by setting up a 2 layer firing line I was able to destroy their scout bikes and start pushing up to re-secure a resource node the marines took from me during our initial clash.

Then they dropped down a small defensive fort, and brought up assault marines, tactical marines, and a predator tank. They were able then to assault my lines and do enough damage to destroy one of my veteran guardsmen before I could pull them back. That's about where things left off.

Overall the marines have some good forces in the area, with the predator especially being a tough nut to crack, but it's more of an anti armor tank, and it doesn't work very effectively on my guard squads. The marines also only have about 4 units total that I'm fighting whereas my defensive line now has about 10 squads of guardsmen and 2 squads of sentinels with some heroes and heavy weapons squads getting churned out in my capital to reinforce.

So far it's interesting how different the factions are. Marines don't have to worry about food or ore, mostly just requisition points to get units dropped from orbit. They also only get one city, although they can call in those defensive stations I mentioned with influence points, and those make good defensive strong points. The marines have fairly expensive unit upkeep though, so they are fairly limited in the number of units they can support, especially early on.

The guards on the other hand can build multiple cities once they get tech priests to build new ones, and as indicated above they can easily lots of really cheap, yet effective in numbers, light infantry. They have to worry about food for their populations and units as well as morale unlike the marine units which will never break.

Haven't tried the Necrons or the Orks yet, and I'll probably try to continue with my Guards game, but Necrons are probably next on my list to try. They can also build multiple cities, but they can only build them on old, buried Necron tombs that dot the world.
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ColdSteel
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Re: Warhammer 40k Gladius

Post by ColdSteel »

Sepiche, one thing that the Warlock games got (rightly) excoriated for was the terrible strategic AI. How's the AI in Gladius so far? For a game like this, the AI is kind of make or break.
"This game is best played with a warm cup of Folger's coffee in your hands, so you can actually smell the oppression while you relive the greatest period of all time. The period when white people discovered the world, and decided they didn't like it." - EUIV Steam user review
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Re: Warhammer 40k Gladius

Post by Sepiche »

ColdSteel wrote: Fri Jul 13, 2018 11:45 am Sepiche, one thing that the Warlock games got (rightly) excoriated for was the terrible strategic AI. How's the AI in Gladius so far? For a game like this, the AI is kind of make or break.
Too early for any real conclusions, but so far the marines I was fighting were displaying a lot of good tactical sense at least.

They certainly seemed to be equal or ahead of me in terms of units and research based on what I was facing, although I haven't found their capital yet.

The first I saw of them was a land speeder that was apparently scouting west of their base, and a few turns after he spotted me I started seeing their units show up, not in a trickle, but in a mass that seemed to be supporting each other. They also dropped that defensive base an a pretty keen spot that protected the resource node they took from me, and is basically right on our front lines in a good position.

They and the native xenos species also know when to back off. When you pound a single unit particularly hard they don't stick around to take more, they'll usually pull back when they get close to 50% health to heal and come back later. To finish off a unit you usually have to land overwhelming firepower before they can get away.

TL;DR: The tactical AI definitely seems much improved, but haven't gotten far enough into my war with the marines to tell if the strategic AI is better.
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Re: Warhammer 40k Gladius

Post by ColdSteel »

Sounds promising. Thanks!
"This game is best played with a warm cup of Folger's coffee in your hands, so you can actually smell the oppression while you relive the greatest period of all time. The period when white people discovered the world, and decided they didn't like it." - EUIV Steam user review
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Re: Warhammer 40k Gladius

Post by GreenGoo »

For whatever reason I expected a WH40K 4x to be in space. I realize the table top game is ground combat but the setting is about planet conquest, so I thought this would be too.

I liked warlock 1&2 enough, but at a 10 dollar price point, not 60.

I'm currently playing aow3 which has almost no diplo but the tactical combat is fun if you use it. That said multiplayer games of aow3 are played without diplo or tactical combat and people still have fun.
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Re: Warhammer 40k Gladius

Post by Sepiche »

GreenGoo wrote: Fri Jul 13, 2018 12:51 pm I'm currently playing aow3 which has almost no diplo but the tactical combat is fun if you use it. That said multiplayer games of aow3 are played without diplo or tactical combat and people still have fun.
Yeah, I actually think no diplo works with the setting and makes for a nice war game in this case.

Having the one (randomly generated) planet works well given the backstory they made for the game. They even had some nice flavor text when I encountered the marines that told me they weren't responding to comm messages and we assumed they just thought of us a traitors to be purged.
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Re: Warhammer 40k Gladius

Post by Fretmute »

I'm liking it so far, but I am annoyed that in the grim palette of the future there is only dingy brown-green. It's awfully hard to notice certain map features.
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Sepiche
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Re: Warhammer 40k Gladius

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Fretmute wrote: Fri Jul 13, 2018 3:04 pm I'm liking it so far, but I am annoyed that in the grim palette of the future there is only dingy brown-green. It's awfully hard to notice certain map features.
Heh, true. Even though they are outlined it's a little hard to see some resource nodes too since, until they are captured, they are outlined in grey.
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Re: Warhammer 40k Gladius

Post by GreenGoo »

Fretmute wrote: Fri Jul 13, 2018 3:04 pm I'm liking it so far, but I am annoyed that in the grim palette of the future there is only dingy brown-green. It's awfully hard to notice certain map features.
You have green? In my day WH40K only had dark grey and darker grey. Black was seen as heretical.
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Re: Warhammer 40k Gladius

Post by Lorini »

Yeah waiting for a sale for this one, my backlog is crushing me :cry:
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Re: Warhammer 40k Gladius

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laughs in JetFred
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Re: Warhammer 40k Gladius

Post by ColdSteel »

GreenGoo wrote: Fri Jul 13, 2018 12:51 pm I liked warlock 1&2 enough, but at a 10 dollar price point, not 60.
Well it's $40 but that's my biggest beef with the game. It's probably double the price it should be. But, Slitherine gonna Slitherine.
Fretmute wrote: Fri Jul 13, 2018 3:04 pm but I am annoyed that in the grim palette of the future there is only dingy brown-green.
Dear god, yes. It even makes the let's plays hard to watch.
"This game is best played with a warm cup of Folger's coffee in your hands, so you can actually smell the oppression while you relive the greatest period of all time. The period when white people discovered the world, and decided they didn't like it." - EUIV Steam user review
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Re: Warhammer 40k Gladius

Post by GreenGoo »

ColdSteel wrote: Fri Jul 13, 2018 4:15 pm
GreenGoo wrote: Fri Jul 13, 2018 12:51 pm I liked warlock 1&2 enough, but at a 10 dollar price point, not 60.
Well it's $40 but that's my biggest beef with the game. It's probably double the price it should be. But, Slitherine gonna Slitherine.
Yep. Mistakenly substituted the Inquisitor price.
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Re: Warhammer 40k Gladius

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Fretmute wrote: Fri Jul 13, 2018 3:04 pm I'm liking it so far, but I am annoyed that in the grim palette of the future there is only dingy brown-green. It's awfully hard to notice certain map features.
Guys this is the grimdark future of Warhammer 40K. BRIGHT PALETTES ARE HERESY!
tgb wrote: Thu Jul 12, 2018 6:38 pm There’s no diplomacy. No trade. No interaction with the other factions or other life forms besides shooting at them.
*Looks at the front of the Warhammer 40K manual*
The God Emperor of Mankind wrote:IN THE GRIM DARKNESS OF THE FAR FUTURE THERE IS ONLY WAR
The only X we need is EXTERMINATUS. This is mandated by the Inquisition. ALL OTHER X's ARE HERESY!
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Re: Warhammer 40k Gladius

Post by GreenGoo »

baelthazar wrote: Fri Jul 13, 2018 5:23 pm
Fretmute wrote: Fri Jul 13, 2018 3:04 pm I'm liking it so far, but I am annoyed that in the grim palette of the future there is only dingy brown-green. It's awfully hard to notice certain map features.
Guys this is the grimdark future of Warhammer 40K. BRIGHT PALETTES ARE HERESY!
Also, too dark palettes are heresy. Also certain combinations of dingy colors are heresy. Sometimes not light enough colors are heresy. It's hard to know. If you know, you're a heretic!

Also, Too many X's are heresy. Duh.
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Re: Warhammer 40k Gladius

Post by baelthazar »

GreenGoo - Purple and Red are the colors of Slaneesh and Khorne... so best to stick to dark blues, browns, and greens. GreenGoo, however, is for Nurgle and also heretical. So watch yourself!

And only the Emperor is allowed to dress like Liberace.

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I played a little Gladius last night and liked what I saw. But then again, I am a huge 40K fan. I understand that this is basically a wargame with a 4X dressing, which certainly helps me know what to expect.
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Re: Warhammer 40k Gladius

Post by IceBear »

I've been enjoying it but keep hitting random crashes so going to wait for a patch
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Re: Warhammer 40k Gladius

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That sucks, Icebear. Hope they can fix your issues.
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Re: Warhammer 40k Gladius

Post by Sepiche »

Beat a game on a huge map with 5 opponents using the Space Marines over the weekend.

I first took out an Imperial Guard army and then a Necron army without too many problems. From the looks of things the IG got started in the middle of the map and were occupied fighting the Necrons, so I was able to swing in and take their capital while they were weak. The Necrons were also weakened from fighting some Orks in the north and the IG, so I was able to roll over them pretty handily.

After that I explored north of my main base and found the north half of the map was divided between two Ork factions with another Space Marine chapter in between them. Both Ork factions were pretty strong and had established armies, while it looks like the Marines had been strong at one point, but were caught right between the two Orks and were getting pummeled.

I pushed my army north from my main base and ended up inserting myself between one of the Ork armies and their capital, so I sent a couple of heroes, some dreadnoughts, and some terminators over to clear out the Ork cities, while the rest of my army formed a defensive line to meet the Orks as they came streaming back to defend their capital. Overall I had the edge on them, but they had invested pretty heavily in air power and managed to take down a number of my units, including a few Dreadnoughts, using Bombers and Fighters. What really paid off for me was that I had invested heavily in Land Speeders early on as they are excellent reserve units against infantry. In the late game however you can equip them with melta guns which make them a fast moving, hard hitting, if poorly armored assault unit, and they did a number on the hordes of Orkish Battlewagons and fighters I had to cut through.

Took out the first Ork faction, and then just formed a battle line across the northern half of the map and just started moving east until I ran into the Marines and the other Orks. The Marines were so battered at that point I didn't have many problems rolling over them. The last Orks were a little more fortified with their own air force and loads of Battlewagons, but by that point my front line troops were mostly a mix of Dreadnoughts and Terminators which could slaughter all the Orks high armor units in melee.

On the whole it's a fun game, although not sure what kind of legs it will have after I've tried each of the factions. Didn't see any crashes while I was playing, and everything seemed pretty well balanced for the most part, although those Melta equipped land speeders I was using at the end seemed a little strong. The interface could use some work, particularly in spelling out the terrain bonuses. When you have a unit selected and mouse over another it tells you how the fight is likely to go which includes terrain bonuses, but it doesn't actually spell out what the terrain bonuses are unless you look at the help entry for each terrain type and see it's effects. It's largely what you'd expect, but it's not obvious unless you look.

The AI seemed solid for the most part. I was starting to wonder after rolling over the IG and Necrons relatively easily, but looking at the stats after I won the game it's clear they had built up fine, but both got drained fighting other factions before I got to them. Same thing with the Marines later... according to the game stats, they were actually the strongest faction in terms of army for quite a while before they started fighting both Ork factions and got worn down. When I ran into the AI and they had solid armies, they were pretty effective. They would press the attack by focusing fire as much as possible, and if their units started taking a lot of fire, they weren't opposed to pulling back and regrouping at a better defensive position. Will likely bump the AI a notch or two for my next game though and see how that goes.

I was expecting things in the late game to bog down as I had to send my units across the map to go to war, but it turns out with a combination of tech (Marines get orbital drops later which is an excellent way to bring Dreadnoughts and Terminators to the front line), and artifacts, it wasn't much of a deal. By the late game I had so many artifacts secured, that my troops were getting +4 movement per turn, and each unit automatically healed 5 HP per turn which meant almost no time spent recovering HP, and much less time spent running around between battles.
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Re: Warhammer 40k Gladius

Post by DD* »

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Re: Warhammer 40k Gladius

Post by dbt1949 »

Because I had a 47% off coupon I went ahead and bit the bug.
My first impression are that the graphics are much darker than the original Rites of War. Haven't played it yet tho.
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