I'm just not seeing Sword Coast Legends as a game running tool.

Corpsetaker

First Post

• Jul 13, 2015

• #1

When I look at Sword Coast Legends all I see is a Diablo III type of game that I could have a few hours of fun sitting in front of the TV with the PS4 but that's about it. I would have preferred more of a Fantasy Grounds type of thing that I could use on the console. Even then the game doesn't look all that exciting to me. Maybe it's because I've stepped back a lot from console gaming and focused more on the table top game.

I just don't see the excitement.

 

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Leatherhead

Possibly a Idiot.

• Jul 13, 2015

• #2

I didn't think anyone on this forum owned a current generation console as anything other than a distraction box for their kids.

Even as a "Diablo 3 Clone"* the thing that everyone is really interested in is the asymmetric DM mode. The major hang ups that people seem to have with it are the lack of custom maps, and that "Threat" prevents the DM from dishing out the TPKs like a fry cook cranks out burgers at McDonald's. And I know that the Devs know about those hang ups, so maybe they will do something about them.

I imagine if they address those concerns (or at least let people mod it) then people will be investing hundreds of hours into the game.

But if you have your heart set on a Fantasy Grounds type Program, just get it, or Roll20, they don't need powerful new computers to use.

*:That's surreal, due to old edition wars, considering D3 is just D2 with a WoW skeleton, and that TotSC plays similar to DA:O on the other side of the screen.

 

Corpsetaker

First Post

• Jul 13, 2015

• #3

Leatherhead said:

I didn't think anyone on this forum owned a current generation console as anything other than a distraction box for their kids.

Click to expand...

Funny enough, I have more fun playing my old playstation 1 than my PS4.

 

Morrus

Well, that was fun

Staff member

• Jul 13, 2015

• #4

It's for running a game of SCL. It's not designed to replace your actual D&D game.

 

Zaran

Adventurer

• Jul 13, 2015

• #5

I wish they would focus on the story first though. I'm really uninterested in making dungeon crawl scenarios for my players. I'm more interested in if they can put out a game that rivals Balder's Gate.

 

Parmandur

Book-Friend

• Jul 13, 2015

• #6

It's not a virtual tabletop, it's a video game; albeit one with apparently a robust asymmetrical multiplayer mode that is riffing off of tabletop gaming.

We have no particular evidence that they aren't focusing on story in making the game: just that marketing is favoring the multiplayer mode.

 

E

ehenning

Explorer

• Jul 13, 2015

• #7

The main issue is the limited world building capabilities. But isn't that something they could add later, ala WOW expansions?

This isn't tabletop D&D. It isn't supposed to be. It isn't NWN world building. Not supposed to be that either. It's new and different. I don't know of another game that rewards the DM for the players interacting with the world they built. Did I miss something? Normally, I build a world and the players act in it. Done. End of story. Here, I get rewarded when players play my world well. I like that.

 

Zaruthustran

The tingling means it’s working!

• Jul 14, 2015

• #8

I never wanted SCL to be a virtual tabletop/I don't think SCL is trying to be a virtual tabletop. It is, as you say, a Diablo-style (or more accurately, a Gauntlet-style) action videogame with RPG elements, flavored with D&D terms and spell names.

I'm excited to give it a try. But man... I really want a turn-based game that actually and accurately 100% replicates the rules in the 5E PHB.

Closest thing I've found to D&D-as-it's-played-at-a-real-table is Banner Saga. Turn-based combat, with role-playing-based (as in, making choices based on your understanding of the motivations and values of the character whose role you're playing) strategic/story decisions.

That game is so great.

 

Quickleaf

Legend

• Jul 18, 2015

• #9

Morrus said:

It's for running a game of SCL. It's not designed to replace your actual D&D game.

Click to expand...

To be fair, Tim Schwalk the design director said: "Our primary goal is to create a game that captures the fun of playing tabletop D&D with friends and a Dungeon Master."
Citation: http://www.rpgwatch.com/articles/sword-coast-legends-community-interview-321.html

Corpsetaker said:

When I look at Sword Coast Legends all I see is a Diablo III type of game that I could have a few hours of fun sitting in front of the TV with the PS4 but that's about it. I would have preferred more of a Fantasy Grounds type of thing that I could use on the console. Even then the game doesn't look all that exciting to me. Maybe it's because I've stepped back a lot from console gaming and focused more on the table top game.

I just don't see the excitement.

Click to expand...

The game was nominated best RPG of this year's E3 by many groups like IGN. It sounds like they have yet to publicly reveal critical features (e.g. dungeon sharing, quest chains), which may be part of the reason why so many folks online seem to be underwhelmed by the game.

Like others, I'm waiting to see the game's ability to support campaign creation as opposed to dungeon creation. After the recent livestream with Ash and Tim, it sounds like they are responding to community feedback (particularly about tile-by-tile map creation).

The impression I got from that livestream was that they very much DO want the game to be close to the tabletop gaming experience. We will see!

 

RedSiegfried

First Post

• Sep 25, 2015

• #10

Quickleaf said:

To be fair, Tim Schwalk the design director said: "Our primary goal is to create a game that captures the fun of playing tabletop D&D with friends and a Dungeon Master."
Citation: http://www.rpgwatch.com/articles/sword-coast-legends-community-interview-321.html

Click to expand...

Unfortunately for Tim, Bioware beat them to that about fifteen years ago, and did it better.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/B000B8K7RC/ref=dp_olp_used?ie=UTF8&condition=used

Just sayin.

Sure, it's not D&D 5.0, but neither is Sword Coast Legends.