DoW: Dark Crusade - Tau

[IBBoard]

Okay, so the game's out in less than a month and I'm only just playing the demo, but never mind!

The demo gives you the tutorial and two battles. I didn't do well on either (but then I didn't expect to - I never do well because I've never played enough to get the hang of resource management) but the Tau look good.

Everything you'd recognise looks right, although the voices weren't quite what I was expecting. The main buildings look suitably Tau-ish, and it is great to see the build animations as you create your base. Some of the more advanced buildings are quite unique with some fitting design as well.

From more of a modding point of view, I also like the new 'exclusivity' of upgrades/buildings. Build one building to follow one path and it locks out the other, which stops you building the units that require it. Not too much impact in the demo as most of the second building's units can't be built in it anyway, but certainly useful for people planning to mod Chaos to be god-specific

Now, considering I've never finished the DoW campaign and haven't started the WA one (I've only ever really modded) do I need to pre-order DC?

[SisterHelios]

I would finish the first two games,Silly,then get DC when you think you are ready for it,I've beaten both games more then once since I like the Story Line Behind it.

[IBBoard]

I just don't play that much - I mod or code my website more.

Also, if I don't buy it then I won't be able to get screenies for the new models or do any skins for them

[SisterHelios]

Thats true too,I'm sure you are itching to do something to the Tau and Necrons.

[Simguinus]

Frankly, I was disappointed with the ending to DoW - and even more annoyed that WA didn't pick up the storyline. It'd be nice to think that GW'll pick up that cliffhanger at some point in a future DW release.

I also felt both games were quite 'short' - the campaigns were quite mission light, and if you're a fairly good RTS player, you'll probably've walked through them in pretty short order. Compared to saw Warcraft III, which went on forever, both DoW and WA were over quite quickly.

[IBBoard]

I think DoW and WA were far more aimed at multi-player though. The multi-path Risk-like map campaign of DC is supposed to give the games a bit more of a single-player slant. I can't wait to see some of the first community-made map-base campaigns

[Simguinus]

That'll be nice. Especially when Community campaigns come out - funny how the people who have no direct involvement in buiilding the game often come up with better stuff for it....guess it's the whole budget and deadline thing.

[IBBoard]

I gave in and pre-ordered it from Amazon it's not released here in the UK until the 27th, but then I'll have it and be able to re-skin the Tau and Necrons and other interesting things

Not sure whether I'll get the hang of the Tau army though - I tend to prefer Marines for simplicity or Orks for the ability to just throw loads of boyz at it and not care if they all die coz we'z iz orkz!

[IBBoard]

Just to notify people - Amazon are now selling it a pound cheaper! We wanted to order Never Winter Nights 2, and all but the first Broken Sword. NWN2 doesn't come out til after DC, so that was dropped until later, and we couldn't edit the order so I cancelled it and re-ordered it and it was now £16.99 instead of £17.99 Should be getting it by about the end of the month once it's released and delivered on free postage.