I've played long enough now (probably 20-30 hours? Not sure) that I feel okay forming an opinion and that opinion is:



This game is wonderful. WONDERFUL.



That's right I said WOOONNNDDDERRRRFFFUUULLLLL.



(See Louis CK's entertaining routine about the word "wonderful" by the way.)



It somehow pulls off both an epic, history-making empire-building feeling _and at the same time_ accomplishes a tone that is somehow personal, almost intimate. I'm not just conquering the world--I'm building a relationship. With a planet. (God that sounds creepy but there it is.)



This personal feeling is put into effect by the lush, detailed graphics, the tilt-shift effect (this can be a cheap trick but you guys do it right for the right reasons in the right way), the quests and the pull-away morph into what looks like a map drawn on paper. And the music.



THE MUSIC holy cow I do not expect to get a lump in my throat as a result of the MUSIC in a 4X GAME but this has happened several times now while playing EL.



So far I've talked about the feel and the tone of the game. It's busy but not overwrought. It's inviting and alien. It's almost poetic--and I say that as a published poet.



But the feel and tone of the game is just one thing. There's also the game itself. The decisions! Colonizing! It's not like other 4Xs where I just spot a place, send a settler, and let things take their course with nary a thought. In EL, there can often be genuine, serious choices to make--I have to decide what I'm prioritizing, weigh different priorities against each other, and spend sometimes substantial time and resources getting my colonization party ready because those neutrals can be deadly (or spend substantial time and resources pacifying them first, and when you're in a colonization race this can lead to some nail-biting moments because every delay gives opponents time to snatch the region out from under you).



Army management--I can't just make as many armies as I want! Fielding too many armies is too expensive! I think CIV has a mechanic like this under the hood but I've never actually been limited by it. In EL, on the other hand, it was a positive _revelation_ when I realized how money for army upkeep works. I have to actually think seriously about my army placement now. I can't just put "a bunch of guys wherever." They have to be placed strategically, and choices have to be made.



Choices--that's a common theme here. In other 4Xs I have to make choices of course but somehow they never feel agonizing or interesting to me--I kind of ultimately can do whatever I want I just have to figure out how to get there. In EL, it is not so, at least not for me so far.



And the Combat! We all know about the combat.



Just, everything is so great about this game. Really glad I picked it up. There's a lot more to say but I gotta take a call now.

Can we have a doctor here, "Endless-Legend-junky-alert" !

I am glad you enjoy the game that much op, I concur whole heartily. Endless Legend, despite flaws that become less present with each update, is my favorite 4x game. I can't even tell you why exactly that is, but it is the only 4x game to actually hold a grip on my heart. Its ambiance, its setting, its lore. It doesn't have a campaign, but it is still the most story driven 4x game I've ever played (along with Alpha Centauri), and it is still a joy to look at (amazing art style), to read (cause great writing), and to listen to (because yes the OST is phenomenal).



I mean, the game made me have strong feels towards He Who Meddles, the Necrophage leader, of all people! I've never played a strategy game / 4x that has me love all factions so strongly, except for Endless Legend.



My fiancee and I have collectively put 200+ hours and we're not planning on stopping soon.

I whole-heartedly concur! Endless Legend was what drew me into Amplitude's other games. And by far, it is my favourite 4x game bar none. I recently finished the final installation of StarCraft 3 and I found myself thinking, "Amplitude should have written the story." I used to be a Civ fan but after encountering EL, I've been a full convert ever since. The choices, the story, the music, the art, the unique playstyle of each faction! All of these come together to make an incredible game. I only hope ES2 will follow suit, if not exceed these hallmarks. The fact that Amplitude studios isn't a money-grabbing fan-spitting company is a huge boon, unlike many others in the gaming industry. Keep it up folks and you'll keep having my support!

The art style, the world creation, the music, the gameplay. It's a nice mix.



Gotta tell you though.... I'm getting pretty tired of the 'jaggy' graphics.

Always happy to read such detailed - and positive! - feedback. Thanks, and if you want another lore and soundtrack fix, remember we've got two content packs available, one adding 20 minor faction quests delving deeper into the lore, and the other adding 9 new tracks as well as reskinning certain items around music themes.

Frogsquadron wrote:
Always happy to read such detailed - and positive! - feedback. Thanks, and if you want another lore and soundtrack fix, remember we've got two content packs available, one adding 20 minor faction quests delving deeper into the lore, and the other adding 9 new tracks as well as reskinning certain items around music themes.

It's a strange feeling - buying music packs. I mean it's not even a CD I could listen to. I couldn't imagine I'd do it. I'm learning new things about myself and the world.

ilitarist wrote:
It's a strange feeling - buying music packs. I mean it's not even a CD I could listen to. I couldn't imagine I'd do it. I'm learning new things about myself and the world.

The Echoes of Auriga content pack also contains the tracks in MP3 format, so you could absolutely listen to them outside the game as well.

I'm facing the opposite. I feel that the game is boring. I'm doing the quests and building army and stuff but I feel it is really sloooooooow pacing and I just lose interest before turn 40.

Maybe it is just me that do not know how to play and what to focus on first.



I like civ games and have spent more than 200 hours on Civ V so there is no I don't like this kind of games feeling.



Do you have any kind of advice of what to focus on first or some tips to make this feeling change?



Anyone knows a good guide that is updated to the last expansion, I feel that every faction should have a little guide in the game to help you play with. Maybe I just didn't find it.



Thanks.

kyos wrote:


Anyone knows a good guide that is updated to the last expansion, I feel that every faction should have a little guide in the game to help you play with. Maybe I just didn't find it.

You can have a look at this thread : /#/endless-legend/forum/9-tips-tricks/thread/3864-shadows-quick-start-guide

kyos wrote:
I'm facing the opposite. I feel that the game is boring. I'm doing the quests and building army and stuff but I feel it is really sloooooooow pacing and I just lose interest before turn 40.

Maybe it is just me that do not know how to play and what to focus on first.



I like civ games and have spent more than 200 hours on Civ V so there is no I don't like this kind of games feeling.



Do you have any kind of advice of what to focus on first or some tips to make this feeling change?



Anyone knows a good guide that is updated to the last expansion, I feel that every faction should have a little guide in the game to help you play with. Maybe I just didn't find it.



Thanks.

Yes the game is kind of slow but at the same time some of that is up to you. You can forcibly pacify minor factions with force of arms rather than parley or bribery. You can also seek to eliminate other factions early.



First and foremost, though, this game is an empire builder and it has much more to it than Civ 5 IMO. Small changes in what you build or research can have big impact and even where you focus your civilian workforce is important. Because each faction is so different, that changes based on who you play and what type of victory you pursue. I find it extremely relaxing to play, and with the latest update and the AI being better than ever, I find I am much more happy with that feel to the game. Before, I worried that the AI wasn't doing much unless I was interacting with it. That's totally not true at all now.

In addition, one can set it to "fast" to quicken the pace and / or play factions like the Necrophages or the Cultists who need to quickly make things happen and be aggressive to excel (Ardent Mages as well, imo).

Thanks guys. I will take a look and try again the game.

Hi, first steps on the game are difficults, there is no many ingame documentation (like you can have with battle for wesnoth as example).

I played a lot, greatly enjoy the game. But after, I had a time the game was a little boring. Just survive at start, build economy, then snowball, be strongest, and no difficulty, poor interactions, bad and boring late game.

Then i changed it and made the gameplay far better :

difficulty impossible or more, custom faction, very difficults and chaotics maps, very small regions, many IA empire on small maps, frost mods (increase winter difficulty), then...

The gameplay was greatly better, no fast snowball, and difficulty staying the same all along the time, keeping interest and nervosity. I started to loose battles, citys and games, not only at beginning, but many many turns after. It's more funny like that