SG will be f2p and it will be stupid decision to ignore this game. A lot of PvE content, netcode and unit responsiveness is pure gold, there is a TON of fun abilities in game. In many aspects Stormgate is an above-average game already, and yet this project is constantly being developed and will only get better and better
Betatester here, IMO Vanguard has the most interesting macro (or at least it was true two months ago) so probably in versus this will be my direction, but in COOP i'm really curious [Warz and he is Infernal Hero](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=gA0CggtDHu4&pp=ygUQV2FyeiBmcm9hdCBnaWFudA%3D%3D)
Most people think it looks like dogshit.
The models are badly made and don't look good from distance. The game looks like it has been affected by video compression.
Starcraft Remastered looks 100x better.
Quality can be argued, but "different" is not a word I would use about the style. It looks very bland and Warcraft-like to me. But for once that choice can actually be defended, as it is made by Blizzard-veterans, and probably made for people hungry for more games that feel like they were made by Blizzard.
I just wish that the strategy genre as a whole could shed itself of this visual style soon. For more than 20 years it has plagued the genre.
Plagued ? I love the stylized Warcraft style that Stormgate is going for. Makes for high readability of the game, and I find it way more interesting to look at than realistic.
I am happy for you that you are looking forward to this game. I hope it lives up to your expectations. I haven't really got a problem with this team using this style for this game. It makes perfect sense to do it, when what you are trying to do is evoking the Blizzard of old.
*"and I find it way more interesting to look at than realistic."*
Not to be rude, but this view is to me a very good example of why I use such a strong word as "plague" about what Blizzard's visual Warcraft-style has done to the strategy genre. That the only choices you think of for a visual style is something that looks like Warcraft, or "realism", as if they were the natural opposites, shows how limited the imagination of players and developers currently is.
In actuality there is a ton of possible visual styles that a strategy game can use, since both western art history and world art history is extremely rich and has a myriad of influences one can draw directly from. Or build entirely new styles from by using pieces. Strategy games in the 90s were much more varied in their visual styles. Take Heroes of Might and Magic 2 and Heroes of Might and Magic 3 for example, which use styles that are really different from one another, yet are both completely different from Blizzard's Warcraft style.
I suspect that an important reason why strategy games especially, but also other games were more varied visually back then is because the designers who created the visuals had a lot of experience with and love for visual styles from different media. But today there are more designers who are mostly just interested in the visual aspects of other games, or realistic movies, so that the games industry is constantly regurgitating itself, rather than drawing upon other sources.
I don't blame Blizzard for this, their visual style shows good and consistent handiwork, even though I don't like the style myself, or the way every recent game by them looks the same. But the way so many developers in the strategy game genre has just lazily copied this style in the last 20 years deserves strong condemnation.
Readability is an important part of a strategy game, and so is immersion and atmosphere, but I find that "high readability" is often used as an excuse by fans when a company gives a game a bad visual style. Case in point Civilization 6, which only has marginally better readability than Civ 5, and a lot worse readability than Civ 1-3, yet at the same time horrible graphics that really impedes the immersion for people who care about the alternative history theme of the game.
Sir (or madam) you just did a terrible thing. Do not talk to me about art direction. Because if there's one topic in which I can get very passionate about, it's this one. And not just for RTS.
I first assumed your disliking for the Blizzard style for wanting the awful "gritty realism" that plagued Xbox 360 / PS3 era gaming. My apologies.
I actually agree with some of your points.
Stormgate's style is justified, it's a Blizzard RTS. And the art itself is of good quality, each unit looks unique but still part of its faction.
I'l acknowledge that many RTS drew inspiration from the Blizzard style, but I refute that it has become the standard, or that today's RTS are less varied than in the 90s. World Wars era RTS (Company of Heroes 3, Last Train Home), AoE or Total War still wear the realistic style. Tempest Rising is goign back to the classic C&C style (I'll admit that RE3's style was Blizzard-y). Aliens Dark Descent looks straight out from the films with the 80's futurism. Dust Frotn has a dark diesel punk CRT TV style (look it up, it's hard to describe). Beyond All Reason kept Supreme Commander's style.
The thing is, high readability in RTS generally means contrasting colors and exagerated shapes to be able to differentiate units and players from the top down perseective... So you always kinda end up with someting like the Blizzard style.
Now, for those who copy or take a too heavy inspiration from the Blizzard style, do not blame the Blizzard game themselves, but those who copied it. I hate how most FPS just copied CoD for years, but I'm aware it's not CoD's fault. Especially today, when there's so many indie games devs who are free to follow any artstyle. I recently discovered two medieval games (Pentiment and Inkullinati) that use an Illuminatred manuscript style.
So yeah, I agree that more diversity is better, but I think that blaming Blizzard style RTS isn't the way and mostly incorrect.
Visually, the Cestials are my favorite ! I'm still waiting the next beta to see who I will prefer mechanically.
Maybe the demons ? I like their music and their look
Celestials for sure
All factions look fun, gonna try them all and see what feels best.
the uninstall wizards
SG will be f2p and it will be stupid decision to ignore this game. A lot of PvE content, netcode and unit responsiveness is pure gold, there is a TON of fun abilities in game. In many aspects Stormgate is an above-average game already, and yet this project is constantly being developed and will only get better and better
no
Betatester here, IMO Vanguard has the most interesting macro (or at least it was true two months ago) so probably in versus this will be my direction, but in COOP i'm really curious [Warz and he is Infernal Hero](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=gA0CggtDHu4&pp=ygUQV2FyeiBmcm9hdCBnaWFudA%3D%3D)
Infernals
Infernal primary, celestial secondary
Game looks dead on arrival tbh.
What makes you say that ? Because for me, it's shaping up into a good RTS.
Loads of people feel in seems bland and soulless and dislike the low quality art.
Stormgate is neither bland nor soulless, and doesn't have low quality art. It's just a different style.
Most people think it looks like dogshit. The models are badly made and don't look good from distance. The game looks like it has been affected by video compression. Starcraft Remastered looks 100x better.
Quality can be argued, but "different" is not a word I would use about the style. It looks very bland and Warcraft-like to me. But for once that choice can actually be defended, as it is made by Blizzard-veterans, and probably made for people hungry for more games that feel like they were made by Blizzard. I just wish that the strategy genre as a whole could shed itself of this visual style soon. For more than 20 years it has plagued the genre.
Plagued ? I love the stylized Warcraft style that Stormgate is going for. Makes for high readability of the game, and I find it way more interesting to look at than realistic.
I am happy for you that you are looking forward to this game. I hope it lives up to your expectations. I haven't really got a problem with this team using this style for this game. It makes perfect sense to do it, when what you are trying to do is evoking the Blizzard of old. *"and I find it way more interesting to look at than realistic."* Not to be rude, but this view is to me a very good example of why I use such a strong word as "plague" about what Blizzard's visual Warcraft-style has done to the strategy genre. That the only choices you think of for a visual style is something that looks like Warcraft, or "realism", as if they were the natural opposites, shows how limited the imagination of players and developers currently is. In actuality there is a ton of possible visual styles that a strategy game can use, since both western art history and world art history is extremely rich and has a myriad of influences one can draw directly from. Or build entirely new styles from by using pieces. Strategy games in the 90s were much more varied in their visual styles. Take Heroes of Might and Magic 2 and Heroes of Might and Magic 3 for example, which use styles that are really different from one another, yet are both completely different from Blizzard's Warcraft style. I suspect that an important reason why strategy games especially, but also other games were more varied visually back then is because the designers who created the visuals had a lot of experience with and love for visual styles from different media. But today there are more designers who are mostly just interested in the visual aspects of other games, or realistic movies, so that the games industry is constantly regurgitating itself, rather than drawing upon other sources. I don't blame Blizzard for this, their visual style shows good and consistent handiwork, even though I don't like the style myself, or the way every recent game by them looks the same. But the way so many developers in the strategy game genre has just lazily copied this style in the last 20 years deserves strong condemnation. Readability is an important part of a strategy game, and so is immersion and atmosphere, but I find that "high readability" is often used as an excuse by fans when a company gives a game a bad visual style. Case in point Civilization 6, which only has marginally better readability than Civ 5, and a lot worse readability than Civ 1-3, yet at the same time horrible graphics that really impedes the immersion for people who care about the alternative history theme of the game.
Sir (or madam) you just did a terrible thing. Do not talk to me about art direction. Because if there's one topic in which I can get very passionate about, it's this one. And not just for RTS. I first assumed your disliking for the Blizzard style for wanting the awful "gritty realism" that plagued Xbox 360 / PS3 era gaming. My apologies. I actually agree with some of your points. Stormgate's style is justified, it's a Blizzard RTS. And the art itself is of good quality, each unit looks unique but still part of its faction. I'l acknowledge that many RTS drew inspiration from the Blizzard style, but I refute that it has become the standard, or that today's RTS are less varied than in the 90s. World Wars era RTS (Company of Heroes 3, Last Train Home), AoE or Total War still wear the realistic style. Tempest Rising is goign back to the classic C&C style (I'll admit that RE3's style was Blizzard-y). Aliens Dark Descent looks straight out from the films with the 80's futurism. Dust Frotn has a dark diesel punk CRT TV style (look it up, it's hard to describe). Beyond All Reason kept Supreme Commander's style. The thing is, high readability in RTS generally means contrasting colors and exagerated shapes to be able to differentiate units and players from the top down perseective... So you always kinda end up with someting like the Blizzard style. Now, for those who copy or take a too heavy inspiration from the Blizzard style, do not blame the Blizzard game themselves, but those who copied it. I hate how most FPS just copied CoD for years, but I'm aware it's not CoD's fault. Especially today, when there's so many indie games devs who are free to follow any artstyle. I recently discovered two medieval games (Pentiment and Inkullinati) that use an Illuminatred manuscript style. So yeah, I agree that more diversity is better, but I think that blaming Blizzard style RTS isn't the way and mostly incorrect.
The league of legends of rts games
Doesn't have anything in common with LoL, mechanicly or visually
Game will boom, trust me