D&D 5E Solasta - is it worth playing?

[haakon1]

Two friends and I have played a bit of Solasta: Crown of the Magister on Xbox.

My friends aren't D&D people, and I told them it was pretty close to a D&D 5e game. I kinda think it makes D&D look bad.

I could tolerate the long cut scenes and the railroad plot (we're 2nd level, so on rails is typical of computer/Xbox games as you learn them), but I HATE:

• the platforming bits - jumping from place-to-place seems more like Donkey Kong than D&D
• the role-playing in the castle we retook was bad. The first RP should have some point to it, or options. Railroad of you must take these NPC's and they must not die. Ugh.
• what made me say "whoa, whoa, let's play something else" (which turned out to be Catan) is the second fight in the dungeons after retaking the castle. So dark - black on dark gray - we can't see what's going on. Maneuver is blocked by all the platforming crap - seems like every creature is on its own pillar, but who can see to figure it out. And we're attacked by 6 monsters who do way, way more damage than us - I think we may run out of ammo and our melee tank can do nothing. Is it meant to be a TPK or are we supposed to sit back while the DMPC Betty Sue's save us, or what?

They're thinking Divinity 2 was better, and I agree so far.

Wondering I should just delete it. Does it get any better?

 

[Andvari]

I liked it a lot. The dialogues were a bit cheesy, so it's mostly for the tactical experience, in my opinion. I played it on authentic mode and generated characters using 4d6, drop lowest (no re-rolling). I made a team consisting of the main archetypes. Had a fighter with great stats, a cleric and rogue with moderate stats and a wizard with poor stats.

The spell system was rather confusing as it was my first experience with 5E, and it took me a little while to figure out I was getting disadvantage against some creatures because they were not in the light. Overall I found the game on the easy side. I only lost one combat, which was an encounter with an ogre and some orcs during the night. Everyone but my wizard was sleeping, and they basically killed everyone before I could act.

 

[haakon1]

Thanks for the tip on lighting.

This review seems accurate to what I’ve seen. The 3D platforming stuff, the reviewer didn’t like, though not quite as much I hate it.

Solasta: Crown of the Magister Review - RPGamer

Phil Willis jumps into Solasta: Crown of the Magister to try his hand at saving the world. Does this game roll high, or is it a critical fail?

rpgamer.com

 

[Andvari]

My main complaint of the game is the Remorhaz model. Yikes! Best creatures were the minotaurs. Excellent model and animations.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

It's the most faithful version of 5e combat available on a computer (not 100%, but well into the 90s). So if you want to teach people how 5e works, it's great. But as an RPG it's a bit limited. The engine simply can't handle Bioware style choices and dialogue. The story aint brilliant, but the world itself is good. And the graphics are hit and miss.

But it's fun, it's cheep, and it's well worth spending time on.

 

[Andvari]

I also didn't realize they've added cooperative mode. I'm pretty sure that didn't exist when I played it. I suspect it's harder to play that way since you have independent PCs who don't always coordinate or agree on the best course of action, rather than a hive mind.

 

[Ulorian - Agent of Chaos]

Two friends and I have played a bit of Solasta: Crown of the Magister on Xbox.

My friends aren't D&D people, and I told them it was pretty close to a D&D 5e game. I kinda think it makes D&D look bad.

I could tolerate the long cut scenes and the railroad plot (we're 2nd level, so on rails is typical of computer/Xbox games as you learn them), but I HATE:

• the platforming bits - jumping from place-to-place seems more like Donkey Kong than D&D
• the role-playing in the castle we retook was bad. The first RP should have some point to it, or options. Railroad of you must take these NPC's and they must not die. Ugh.
• what made me say "whoa, whoa, let's play something else" (which turned out to be Catan) is the second fight in the dungeons after retaking the castle. So dark - black on dark gray - we can't see what's going on. Maneuver is blocked by all the platforming crap - seems like every creature is on its own pillar, but who can see to figure it out. And we're attacked by 6 monsters who do way, way more damage than us - I think we may run out of ammo and our melee tank can do nothing. Is it meant to be a TPK or are we supposed to sit back while the DMPC Betty Sue's save us, or what?

They're thinking Divinity 2 was better, and I agree so far.

Wondering I should just delete it. Does it get any better?

Compared to other CRPGs, the graphics, the sparse game world and the simplistic storyline (with its stuttered and railroady delivery) are subpar (and that's being kind). The dialogue is beyond cringeworthy. The main campaign is tolerable but The Lost Valley is borderline unplayable IMO. Still worth getting all the DLC for the extra classes, races, backgrounds, etc.

The combat is really, really fun though. I didn't experience the frustration you're having. Keeping your ammo supply up is important. Also, everyone should have a ranged weapon. There weren't that many combats where my melee specialists couldn't melee, but for those times that they couldn't reach an opponent (or would be overly exposed if they moved up), out came the crossbows.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

• the platforming bits - jumping from place-to-place seems more like Donkey Kong than D&D

It isn't really platforming, no player skill is required. If your character has the relevant skills, click on the destination and they will find their way there. Later on you can use Fly or Teleportation.

• the role-playing in the castle we retook was bad. The first RP should have some point to it, or options. Railroad of you must take these NPC's and they must not die. Ugh.

Yep, not really a role playing game.

• what made me say "whoa, whoa, let's play something else" (which turned out to be Catan) is the second fight in the dungeons after retaking the castle. So dark - black on dark gray - we can't see what's going on. Maneuver is blocked by all the platforming crap - seems like every creature is on its own pillar, but who can see to figure it out. And we're attacked by 6 monsters who do way, way more damage than us - I think we may run out of ammo and our melee tank can do nothing. Is it meant to be a TPK or are we supposed to sit back while the DMPC Betty Sue's save us, or what?

There is an expectation that you will use light sources. If you don't the dark bits are meant to be dark! Terrain and ranged weapons are meant to be important, as they are in the tabletop game. Everyone needs a ranged weapon, everyone should carry spare ammo. Again, as in tabletop D&D.

 

[Ulorian - Agent of Chaos]

There is an expectation that you will use light sources. If you don't the dark bits are meant to be dark! Terrain and ranged weapons are meant to be important, as they are in the tabletop game.

Ah... I understand the lighting issue now. Everyone in the party I made had darkvision so I didn't experience this.

 

[Burnside]

I very much enjoyed the gameplay and combat. The writing/quests in the original game ranged from poor to okay.

I agree that the Lost Valley DLC is worse than the original campaign, and I gave up due to boredom after two attempts to play through it - I just wasn't engaged by the plot hooks at all.

The same game engine with better writers/adventure designers would be a very good to great game.