Author Topic: DoW 2 Thread (Read 13115 times)

idolminds · « **on:** Tuesday, January 06, 2009, 04:38:29 PM »

Minimum Requirements
o Windows XP SP2 or Windows Vista SP1
o P4 3.2 GHz (single core) or any Dual Core processor
o 1 GB RAM (XP), 1.5 GB RAM (Vista)
o A 128MB Video Card (Shader Model 3) - Nvidia GeForce 6600 GT / ATI X1600, or equivalent
o 5.5 GB of Hard Drive space

Recommended
o Windows XP SP2 or Windows Vista SP1
o AMD Athlon 64x2 4400+ or any Intel Core 2 Duo
o 2 GB RAM (XP and Vista)
o A 256MB Video Card (Shader Model 3) - Nvidia GeForce 7800 GT / ATI X1900, or equivalent
o 5.5 GB of Hard Drive space

*UPDATE*

Open beta starts January 28th. If you own Soulstorm, you can get it a week earlier (the 21st). The beta will include all 4 races and 5 maps. It uses Games for Windows Live for matchmaking. The beta is being hosted by Steam, so you'll need to use it to download everything.

Quemaqua · « **Reply #1 on:** Tuesday, January 06, 2009, 05:58:51 PM »

Those aren't bad at all.

scottws · « **Reply #2 on:** Tuesday, January 06, 2009, 06:40:10 PM »

I take great pleasure in those specs as well.

Sorry, stupid joke

Xessive · « **Reply #3 on:** Wednesday, January 07, 2009, 03:57:52 AM »

Sweet. More people to play!

Dragonlor · « **Reply #4 on:** Wednesday, January 07, 2009, 06:59:19 AM »

Yeah those specs aren't to bad. sadly my old comp still couldn't run it even on minimum. But soon i hope to start buying stuff to build myself a new computer that can handle more of the newer games a lot easier.

idolminds · « **Reply #5 on:** Thursday, January 08, 2009, 01:02:53 PM »

Beta info!

Open beta starts January 28th. If you own Soulstorm, you can get it a week earlier (the 21st). The beta will include all 4 races and 5 maps. It uses Games for Windows Live for matchmaking. The beta is being hosted by Steam, so you'll need to use it to download everything.

MysterD · « **Reply #6 on:** Thursday, January 08, 2009, 05:00:23 PM »

Quote from: idolminds on Tuesday, January 06, 2009, 04:38:29 PM

It uses Games for Windows Live for matchmaking. The beta is being hosted by Steam, so you'll need to use it to download everything.

Does this mean it will REQUIRE both G4WL and Steam (running in the background to play)?

Quemaqua · « **Reply #7 on:** Thursday, January 08, 2009, 06:39:42 PM »

Meh. I wish it wouldn't use GFWL, but I guess there's no getting around it. And if there's one game I'll make the sacrifice for, it's this one, distasteful as I find having to stoop. I think I might do the beta, too, because I'm really curious and I'll need to have Sy over so he can see it in action.

idolminds · « **Reply #8 on:** Tuesday, January 20, 2009, 05:59:50 PM »

Beta starting for Soulstorm owners. Heres how to get in:

   1. To access the DoW II Beta, first log into your Steam account.
   2. If you do not currently have a Steam account, go here: store.steampowered.com/about to download, install, and create an account
   3. After you are logged in to Steam, go to Games > Activate a product, then enter your Soulstorm key.
   4. After the activation, you'll be able to download and play the beta

And Steam currently has Soulstorm for $7.50. So if you don't have it and want into the beta, there you go. Well....early beta. In a week it'll be open to everyone anyway.

Quemaqua · « **Reply #9 on:** Tuesday, January 20, 2009, 07:51:42 PM »

If I hadn't just picked up LittleBigPlanet, I would so be all over this.

sirean_syan · « **Reply #10 on:** Tuesday, January 20, 2009, 11:01:13 PM »

Hmmm. I don't want to install Steam again, even for this. Oh well. It's not like I'll have time for much of anything the next couple weeks.

idolminds · « **Reply #11 on:** Thursday, January 22, 2009, 10:59:31 AM »

Gamestop might be refusing to sell DoW2?

Due to its close connection to Steam. Steam is required for the beta, but word is that the full game is going to require it as well (god damnit). GS isn't happy about that.

sirean_syan · « **Reply #12 on:** Thursday, January 22, 2009, 11:26:13 AM »

I don't entirely mind that Live is part of the system and if it was just Steam, whatever. But, now that Live and STEAM are both required.... damn it. Pick one thing and fucking stick with it. It'd be interesting to see if the Steam requirement for non-Steam purchases is becoming part of Valve's contracts.

Quemaqua · « **Reply #13 on:** Thursday, January 22, 2009, 08:11:40 PM »

Fucking harshing my buzz completely. I'm getting really sick of this bullshit, and particularly sick of Valve.

sirean_syan · « **Reply #14 on:** Thursday, January 22, 2009, 08:13:29 PM »

There's still no confirmation if non-Steam versions will actually require Steam to launch, so we'll just have to wait on that. If Gamestop wants to be a little bitch about carrying the game because of Valve, let them.

Anywho, bring back the buzz with an awesome 20 minute video that shows how a full real game will work with some commentary. Warning: this is full of awesome.

Quemaqua · « **Reply #15 on:** Thursday, January 22, 2009, 08:17:10 PM »

I saw your link in IRC, I'm already almost done downloading.

angrykeebler · « **Reply #16 on:** Thursday, January 22, 2009, 11:10:43 PM »

Man....having to pick a side between STEAM and Gamestop is like having to pick between AIDS and cancer

Quemaqua · « **Reply #17 on:** Friday, January 23, 2009, 12:30:25 AM »

I don't know how Gamestop thinks they're going to change any minds anyway. They don't fucking sell hardly any PC games.

Xessive · « **Reply #18 on:** Friday, January 23, 2009, 02:55:02 AM »

Quote from: angrykeebler on Thursday, January 22, 2009, 11:10:43 PM

Man....having to pick a side between STEAM and Gamestop is like having to pick between AIDS and cancer

Cancer over AIDS man. You can't infect others.

I've never shopped at Gamestop though I know they're one of the few shops who will actually ship to my region. Not sure if they still do.

Having Steam AND Live is retarded. I wish they'd pick one and stick with it. GTAIV had Social Club on top of that too.

MysterD · « **Reply #19 on:** Friday, January 23, 2009, 02:48:05 PM »

Quote from: Quemaqua on Friday, January 23, 2009, 12:30:25 AM

I don't know how Gamestop thinks they're going to change any minds anyway. They don't fucking sell hardly any PC games.

Why does GameStop care?

People don't SELL BACK used PC games to them anymore.
GameStop stopped that not too long after BG2.

EDIT:
I bet Steam's taking a good deal of sales out of GameStop's PC games -- whether it's retail store, retail online, or digital distribution.

idolminds · « **Reply #20 on:** Friday, January 23, 2009, 03:34:50 PM »

No, Gamestop is taking a good deal of sales out of Gamestop. Like you said, they have basically no resale value. Profit margins are small, so they stopped carrying them. I know in the GS stores around here the PC game section is tiny and crammed on one wire rack. Probably 20-30 games total. The rest of the store is lined with consoles games, most of them used copies.

GS isn't stupid, they know where they get their money. For them to get all pissy over this is kind of funny, though.

sirean_syan · « **Reply #21 on:** Friday, January 23, 2009, 03:42:44 PM »

Well, I decided that I was being a little bitch about Steam, so I installed it this morning and started downloading the beta. I mean, I more or less built my new computer with DoW 2 in mind, I should just get over myself and get going.

So, the game should be installed and updated by the time I get home tonight around 8PM. I know at least Que has Soulstorm, but I also feel like I'm forgetting someone else who bought it. We should get this bad boy off the ground and skewer some heads in multiplayer tonight.

MysterD · « **Reply #22 on:** Friday, January 23, 2009, 05:49:17 PM »

Screw Gamestop.
Bring Babbage's back.

Quemaqua · « **Reply #23 on:** Friday, January 23, 2009, 06:36:44 PM »

I'm so with you, man. I was going to if you didn't, but if you're going to.. why not?

sirean_syan · « **Reply #24 on:** Saturday, January 24, 2009, 12:14:21 AM »

Oh man, they really got things right with this. Battles just feel fluid and there's a great ebb and flow to combat, even more so than with the original game. Thanks to cover and positioning, it's even fun to have a group of the most basic troops running around. That's more or less one of the strengths of Company of Heroes and it's great to see that carry over to this since so many RTSes get it wrong on that front. It makes the game seem like less of a race to get to the really big guys and makes the big guys feel that much cooler.

Most important for me, they managed to get the flavor of each race down perfectly. I thought they did a really good job with the original game in this respect, but somehow Relic outdid themselves and brought the characters even more to life. This is especially true with the Orks. Before they were just sorta lumbering bad guys, but now the humor associated with them in all the fluff seems to have been properly infused into the game and they're more fun to play with because of it.

Quemaqua · « **Reply #25 on:** Saturday, January 24, 2009, 11:43:24 AM »

I concur. The feel of the units is great, and so much closer to what we've played of tabletop. You're able to buy a lot more units a lot more rapidly when you're playing the Tyranids, but as a Space Marine, it takes ages comparatively to get enough resources for units. But your units outlast Nid units like crazy, and you'll chew through a ton of them even with a decent amount of guys.

I really enjoyed what we played and what I played prior to that. I'm definitely looking forward to the full release, to an SP campaign, and to the inevitable expansions (this is one franchise in which I feel expansions are completely justified, and also totally worth the money -- and I almost never feel that way about games these days).

idolminds · « **Reply #26 on:** Monday, February 02, 2009, 10:45:47 PM »

Hope you guys like that whole Steam + GFWL thing.

Quemaqua · « **Reply #27 on:** Monday, February 02, 2009, 11:46:35 PM »

It was hard to hear what the guy was saying amidst all the slurping sounds of people sucking Valve's collective dick.

sirean_syan · « **Reply #28 on:** Tuesday, February 03, 2009, 10:37:05 AM »

Lame. my comment on this is still the same. One is fine. Two, that's just dumb. I'm guessing after all the recent bad press GFWL got recently, Steam was chosen as something of a back-up for when GWFL dies. I'm also guessing this means Relic is kicking themselves for even bothering with Live.

Quemaqua · « **Reply #29 on:** Tuesday, February 03, 2009, 06:05:46 PM »

I wonder about Relic's involvement. They make it sound as though it was their decision, but wouldn't THQ put pressure on them one way or another?

MysterD · « **Reply #30 on:** Tuesday, February 03, 2009, 06:21:05 PM »

Quote from: Quemaqua on Tuesday, February 03, 2009, 06:05:46 PM

I wonder about Relic's involvement. They make it sound as though it was their decision, but wouldn't THQ put pressure on them one way or another?

Of course. THQ's last game they published Saints Row 2 PC required STEAM.

Seriously, though -- I'd rather they went for the requirement of STEAM Only or G4WL Only.
Picking both...that's just goofy.

I just wonder how much of a pain in the ass it'll be for every DoW2 gamer to have to run Steam to boot the game up; then also got to connect to G4WL to do MP.

Will DLC and extra junk be sold ONLY through G4WL? Or will you be able to buy it through Steam, as well?

B/c seriously, all this jumping both b/t Steam and G4WL, that just sounds frickin' annoying...

idolminds · « **Reply #31 on:** Tuesday, February 03, 2009, 06:37:02 PM »

DLC will be through GFWL. Steam doesn't appear to be set up for those little transactions in the same way Live is.

MysterD · « **Reply #32 on:** Tuesday, February 03, 2009, 06:40:29 PM »

Quote from: idolminds on Tuesday, February 03, 2009, 06:37:02 PM

DLC will be through GFWL. Steam doesn't appear to be set up for those little transactions in the same way Live is.

Even though Steam sells expansions packs for games on their site?
Am I missing something here?

sirean_syan · « **Reply #33 on:** Tuesday, February 03, 2009, 07:01:20 PM »

Didn't the Fallout 3 business just prove to everyone that DLC doesn't work so well on PC via Live? I can't imagine getting micro-transactions to work on Steam would really be all that hard. Of course, that would mean Valve would have to stop shoveling food into Gabe Newel's maw and do some actual work again.

idolminds · « **Reply #34 on:** Tuesday, February 03, 2009, 07:26:51 PM »

Steam sells expansions, but arent they listed as separate games? They could update Steam and add in the functionality to sell DLC, but that would require...you know...work. Like, programmer and stuff. To mess with the All Holy Steam. Valve just isn't into that sort of thing.

Quemaqua · « **Reply #35 on:** Tuesday, February 03, 2009, 08:33:21 PM »

And it's probably best they don't. They'd just fuck it up even worse and break it even further than its already been broken just through their normal updates.

That said, GFWL is pathetic in regards to DLC. If I sign in and go to the downloads area of Fallout 3, the DLC doesn't even show up. It's just empty. I've heard you have to go through some crap and download a new version of the program, etc. etc., and if the program told me that when I signed in to get the DLC that would be inconvenient enough. But no, it tells me nothing. If I didn't use some outside source for information, I'd never even know the DLC existed. Way to encourage me to spend money, Microsoft. You stupid fucks.

MysterD · « **Reply #36 on:** Wednesday, February 04, 2009, 05:47:48 PM »

It has been said that PC Gamer gave DoW2 a 86% score

MysterD · « **Reply #37 on:** Wednesday, February 18, 2009, 03:47:50 PM »

9.0 from IGN
Written review

Quemaqua · « **Reply #38 on:** Thursday, February 19, 2009, 07:16:32 PM »

Well, I caved. I got this instead of Street Fighter IV, and it's very obvious that I made the right choice.

Damn. This game is incredible. It's so much better than its predecessors I don't even know where to begin. Basically, the level of detail has just skyrocketed. The gameplay has been scaled way down as I think we've discussed, which means you've got a much tighter experience on the whole. This means more micromanagement, yes, which is something I hate about RTS games, but since everything is more easily distinguishable, you understand the roles of your units better. It ends up evening out. Multiplayer will still end up being totally imbalanced, with ultra-obsessive players slaughtering anyone who doesn't eat, sleep, and breathe the game, but the core gameplay is just way more refined and interesting now. It's much closer to tabletop 40k than the first games were.

The setup for the campaign is breathtaking. Just all the little ways you go about doing everything. Instead of writing it all out again, I'll just post what I threw up in IRC:

Quote

<@Que|grumble> Brief update - It's cool. It was hard to believe it when people said the campaign is closer to an action RPG than what the first DoW was, but it actually seems pretty accurate. It's like an RPG/RTS hybrid, with gameplay that feels like an RTS, just way smaller scale with more important unit features.
<@idolminds> ooh, neat!
<@Que|grumble> Your squads gain experience, can find and equip different wargear, and you can choose what stats they upgrade when they go up in level.
<@Que|grumble> You can even switch things like grenades and health packs to different squads.
<@Que|grumble> And weapon wargear, if the chosen unit leader can equip it. It's pretty cool. It seems like there will also be some persistence on the campaign map, where after winning certain positions you get benefits (kind of like the expansions for the first game).
<@Que|grumble> But it's all much better balanced and more slick.
<@Que|grumble> It's also nice because you get a score based on your different actions, and an overall campaign score, and it seems like it'll be somewhat non-linear, with little side missions to do and some timed "do I or don't I?" options you have to get to before they disappear.
<@Que|grumble> Sy's going to go apeshit.
<@Que|grumble> Also, main campaign is fully coop-enabled!
<@idolminds> I was reading comments from one of the IGN editors about how he likes the campagin doesn't really let you go back to a previous save if you lose a battle. Its all about continuing on after the loss
<@Que|grumble> yeah
<@Que|grumble> I like when a game is balanced enough for that. Mount&Blade works that way if you choose that option, and it gives you a better sense of risk and reward.
<@Que|grumble> Not to mention teaches you when it really is time to beat a hasty retreat, or sacrifice some dudes in order to get your ass out.
<@idolminds> yeah
<@Que|grumble> And it looks so good. It's like... butter, if butter wore heavy armor. So it's like... metal butter.
<@idolminds> mmm...metal butter
<@Que|grumble> I can't wait to record a cool match, do a replay, and just zoom in to see unit detail.
<@idolminds> hehe
<@Que|grumble> Anyway, I'll be back at it for a bit.
<@idolminds> k
<@Que|grumble> Damn, Sy is going to die over this. It's so meticulously detailed.
<@idolminds> heh
<@Que|grumble> As you upgrade either health, ranged fighting, melee fighting, or will, you hit little steps which unlock further traits for the squad, which can be virtually anything, and they're all different for each unit.
<@Que|grumble> So you might suddenly be able to equip another piece of wargear on them, or they might gain a new special ability, or they might get an extra accessory slot, or be able to move while firing a bigger gun, or extend their range... totally nuts.
<@idolminds> do not tempt me. Tempting is bd
<@idolminds> bad
<@Que|grumble> And there's like... boss battles. I just fought one.
<@Que|grumble> Similar to something out of Diablo rather than an RTS.
<@idolminds> oh neat
<@Que|grumble> He's got a pattern of stuff he does, and you have to just get your units out of the way and run away from his grenades and stuff, and he takes forever to kill with a big health bar across the top of the screen.
<@Que|grumble> so cool
<@idolminds> haha...fuck. Stop making me want it

Quemaqua · « **Reply #39 on:** Friday, February 20, 2009, 05:58:03 PM »

This game is incredible. It really does take the best of Company of Heroes and improve it/skew it toward 40k. But it's just... so stinking good. The campaign is just so much more satisfying than the original game and expansions. It's got the fun strategic map/tactical planning idea of the last 2 expansions, but it extends that with having more of a story around it. It's much more compelling, and the characters are pretty fun. Typical of what you normally see, but there's a lot more dialogue and such, and not so much in the way of cutscenes or whatever. Mostly just roundtable discussions during the tactical display, then radio chatter when you're on the ground.

Love the game, though. So much more fun than standard RTS stuff. I like the idea of RTS games but almost never truly enjoy them at the deepest levels because I'm just not good enough, but I love the way this one works.

And it's effing epic. EPIC.

Only thing that bums me out is the total lack of multiplayer maps at the moment, and the fact that they're going to be doing DLC. That has the potential to be really fucking lousy. I know they're planning two more free maps almost right away, but... god damn I hate the whole DLC thing. Just fucking hate it.

News:

Author Topic: DoW 2 Thread (Read 13115 times)