The Age of Decadence Critique | A History of Isometric CRPGs (Episode 12)
Вставка
- Опубліковано 5 лип 2024
- The Age of Decadence has all the ingredients of a great CRPG. It just fails to blend them into a satisfying meal.
PCRF: www.pcrf.net/
Medical Aid for Palestinians: www.map.org.uk/
Patreon: / cdavis_games
Discord: discordapp.com/invite/67tDGrr
Twitter: / cdavis_games
Ko-Fi: ko-fi.com/chrisdavis
Paypal: www.paypal.me/cdavisgames
Buy The Age of Decadence on GOG (aff link): www.gog.com/game/the_age_of_d...
A History of Isometric CRPGs - Video Series:
Fallout 1 Retrospective (Episode 1): • Fallout 1 Retrospectiv...
Fallout 2 Retrospective (Episode 2): • Fallout 2 Retrospectiv...
Baldur's Gate 1 Retrospective (Episode 3): • Baldur's Gate Retrospe...
Baldur's Gate: Siege of Dragonspear (Episode 3.5): • Baldur's Gate: Siege o...
Planescape: Torment Retrospective (Episode 4): • Planescape: Torment Re...
Icewind Dale Retrospective (Episode 5): • Icewind Dale Retrospec...
Baldur's Gate 2 (Episode 6): • Baldur's Gate 2 Retros...
Arcanum: Of Steamworks and Magick Obscura Retrospective (Episode 7): • Arcanum: Of Steamworks...
The Death and Return of Isometric CRPGs (Episode 8): • The Death and Return o...
Shadowrun Retrospective (Episode 9): • Shadowrun Retrospectiv...
Divinity: Original Sin Critique (Episode 10): • Divinity: Original Sin...
Wasteland 2 (and Wasteland) (Episode 11): • Wasteland 2 (& Wastela...
Intro - 0:00
Making of - 1:38
Death of the Author - 4:31
Character Builds - 8:19
Pacifist Gameplay - 13:36
Call to Action - 21:25
Combat Gameplay - 22:10
Story - 26:22
Conclusion - 33:48
Water vector created by freepik - www.freepik.com
#AgeOfDecadence #IronTowerStudio #CRPGs #OldSchoolRPGs #TheAgeOfDecadence - Ігри
Damn, I was fully expecting to see a response from the dev in the comments!
He's too busy working on Colony Ship
@@jsan4505 Meaning if you want to trigger him, shit on his new baby in some way. The guy is a classic example of "I spent so much time on this thing, so I MUST defend it to death despite the potential merits of any criticism levelled." He also seems like a general curmudgeon, to boot - a fun mixture.
Ahhhh I'm so glad this series is continuing and that you're still at it, Chris!
Just how old is this game? I checked the steam reviews today and the dev is still, even today, defending the game against negative reviews. I somehow admire the dedication.
I remember trying to play this game multiple times without it hooking me, then I bit the bullet and made a combat-centric build that was recommended for beginners. Ended up loving it a ton, one of the best CRPGs ever.
Nice
Quite rare that a game reward you for playing a dumb brawny mc XD
Ah yes this game, my most vivid memory of it is asking for advice about a loremaster character I was building in the Steam community forums and immediately getting insulted out of the blue by some guy who was weirdly offended at me for not min-maxing absolutely everything
The true Steam forums experience
steam forum are for guides only 😂
yea, the toxicity of the steam forums makes me wear an full hazmat suit just for trying to research a problem i have in a game.
@@Axonteer And games like this tends to be the worst of the worst. The ones where a large portion of the playerbase has a smug sense of superiority over those who don't play it (the "right" way).
But look at it from the bright side, at least few places can be worse than the steam community for Grimoire : Heralds of the Winged Exemplar, and once you've experienced that, things can only get better from there.
@@AFnord if some even go as far as insulting you, theyre outright wrong. Im still answering question on the steam discussion from time to time. I wont say that you are wrong, but if you missed this and that you wont be able to progress further and will eventually quit playing the game. The game is really that hard for beginners and the devs didnt do much to alleviate this, and so we did
LMAO
I got this on launch day due to the insane development tales that followed it. Never finished it, but I was consistently perplexed and impressed by it.
Thank you for always adding captions when you release a new video ! :)
Happening across the call to action in the middle two years later feels like somehow even better timing
Im soo happy to see new video from you. Thank you
Really glad you are still uploading, I love your videos
just wanted to say that I really love your isometric crpg videos
Chris I love your content keep it up man.
5:10
"ableist slur"
Really?
And then he proceeds to go on about how bad of a guy he is for using an “ableist slur” for like 3 more minutes.
Great video as always. Really looking forward to what you have next in store!
The death of the Author bit gave me flashbacks to early 10s when I used to mingle on RPG Codex' forums quite often. Glad I got out of there, wish it was sooner rather than later.
forums are still great for people who do not want to be subjected to mental slavery, aka censorship. Glad you did what was right for you though.
@@akoyash9964 I like oppression, it builds grit, character and strength. Good stuff chump!
@@idnintel Imagine thinking being on fucking RPG Codex is a stand against censorship
@@LonelyKnightess blah blah - do what you want, no one cares.
So glad you're still doing videos man. Hope you still find enjoyment
Ah yes the famous assassin Super Hans, he finds drugs really moreish.
I've been following this series from the beginning and it's been years now holy shit seems like it wasn't that long ago. I personally can't really play crpgs all that much but I seem to get more enjoyment out of watching you talk about them. Also much respect for the Palestine advert as it were
I love this series, Chris!
What is it he's sent us?
HOPE.
This series is my single favorite thing on this platform. I gleefully cherish your insight on this niche but transformative genre of video game. I thank you for all the hard work you put into this.
Was waiting for the next isometric crpg vid! Thanks
I'm glad to see you are still enjoying these videos Chris. I'd listen to you review anything though, I love your mindset.
He could review bread and make it interesting.
@@agroed As long as its not white.
I enjoyed this game and put 20 hours in, but never finished it. Fantastic game, I loved the setting. The writing was a bit too dry for my taste but I'd like to revisit it again one day
Great to see another episode in this series! I found your channel through your CRPG videos and they helped me get through packing a difficult move. Take care
big respects luv da content keep it coming bub
I enjoyed Age of Decadence, more than you did by the sound of it, but yeah, it very much felt like someone's pet project. There was a lot of passion put into it, but at times it felt like the author of it had been very defensive about their pet project and did not want anyone to touch it, so they either did not test things properly, or they felt like the opinions of the testers were "wrong" and they did not need to change a thing. Which, seeing the comments left by the author on forums and in interviews, is probably not too far off from reality. He seems very defensive about his game.
I do think that many games are a bit too controlling and don't let the players fail, but a lot of people who say that they want no hand-holding seem to miss an important point. Most of the games they say they like when they say that they don't want any hand-holding are games that are just very good at hiding their hand-holding. It's easy to spot hand-holding when you've got glowing map markers and text that explicitly tells you "go here, do this", it's far less obvious when the hand-holding is done through good level design, well written dialogue that gives you enough hints to progress and natural but gentle introduction of mechanics and concepts.
_["There was a lot of passion put into it, but at times it felt like the author of it had been very defensive about their pet project and did not want anyone to touch it, so they either did not test things properly, or they felt like the opinions of the testers were "wrong" and they did not need to change a thing."]_
I don't think you're necessarily wrong, but to be honest, I don't think that's necessarily a problem either. There are two ways of looking at a game. As a product, or as a work of art. No doubt it's a bit of both, but it's perfectly plausible that you decide to prioritise one of these views above the other. A product certainly aims to reach the widest possible audience, but a work of art aims to realise the best version of its proposition - the best version of itself.
In this sense, player suggestions can be totally wrong because they are deviating from what the game is intended to be. You're not necessarily trying to please consumers, you're producing something for a specific purpose - and in that sense, only the opinions and suggestions of people who are looking in the same direction as you are are relevant to what you're doing. The others will not only be, but necessarily must be, ignored completely, so as not to detract from the purpose of your work.
The goal of art does not necessarily have to be to reach the widest possible audience. There's nothing wrong with the works that want that, but equally, there's nothing wrong with the ones that don't want to either. In fact, many works are brilliant in their own way precisely because they break with these traditions and decide to go against what is expected and abandon the idea of pleasing most people. And then, they manage to reach their own narrow, specific audience. Not every game is for every player, just as not every book is for every reader, not every song is for every listener, and so on.
And I feel that we often forget that games are, yes, art, and in their artistic expression, the importance of their vision can (and sometimes should) be above the individual or group preference of prospective players. And it's perfectly valid that you don't like the result. But perhaps, this was the goal all along.
@@ThinkBeyondOrdinary Very well said.
Love the work
Game seens interesting despite it's problems, will give it a try whem i actually manage to finish my steam+gog list (so maybe never). With a new crpg coming out here and there, i do wonder if you will ever manage to end the series hehehe.
Amazing work man, keep it up!
Och god we are back! Chris I missed you
I largely enjoyed playing Age of Decadence but I think this is a very good summary of its shortcomings.
please continue, love this series!
Yessss my fav series continues
another great video :)
Can't wait for the next one! great video once again Chris
Loving this series
Honestly my favorite series to see pop up in my sub box, thanks you for dedicating the time to make it
Disco Elysium is a game I hope you review because of how much I love it, and want others to play it. Underrail is a game I hope you review because I cannot understand it.
I finished my first Disco Elysium playthrough a few weeks ago. Can't wait to go back and play it completely differently. Absolutely brilliant.
Finished this game easily half a dozen times with vastly different endings and paths throughout and I found it was fantastic. Yes, it appears harsh at first sight, but in reality it just makes you play by the rules you set for yourself on your character sheet. I've seen many reviews put this down to difficulty, due to games nowadays being created with a different mindset. Simply put, if you create a character that cannot ride a bike, this game will not stop you trying, but your character is going to fall and break things at every corner. I'll have to disagree with you on some stats not being feasible, there are checks for everything some at max, some at lesser, but depending on conversation/play-routes, they'll come up or not. It's mainly indicative of playstyle, and this game was absolutely set for mine.
I remember I played this game way back in 2015, I thought it was really fun if very hard but rewarding, an amazing setting seriously in all of fiction, I hope they do ok and will definitely buy their next game.
It's a shame it did not hook Chris. AoD went straight to being one of my all time favourites when I first played it. Ended up doing back to back playthroughs trying the various factions with talker/fighter/thief/hybrid to attempt to see as much of the world as I could. Definitely recommend giving it a go if you haven't played it yourself. The developer also released Dungeon Rats, set in the same setting, full party control but entirely focused on combat. It's a linear prison escape, but I quite liked that one too.
Ikr
And I still can find something new even after i sinked in 200+ hours
Some people are not really into turn-based combat and lore-reading game i guess
Trying to piece together what I need to do to reach the ultimate ending during the early playthroughs to finally doing it has been one of my most satisfying gaming moments. It was sort of like playing an Outer Wilds type of game on top of the actual game.
@@lavisak massively into those kind of games. This just isn't a good one. If there's going to be that much text on screen it should, you know, good.
wow I'm early. I love your videos.
You've actually encouraged me to check it out. It's been in my GOG list for bloody long enough but just never been motivated to push through the opening scenes and cludgy combat. Knowing it's short and rewards laser-focused playthroughs helps alot. Respect as well on coming down hard on this particular game with this particular fan-base and also including a Palestinian relief endorsement, makes for a more interesting than usual comments section!
If the review is this good I can't wait to get to Pillars video!
OH yeeeeah guess whose back!
Cheers for the new vid. Love this series. I know you haven't covered them but it got me to try crpgs on my ps4,one day Ill get round to buying a gaming pc one day xD. Divinity 2,Pathfinder,Pillars 1 and 2 and Torment.
Gonna dive into the beamdog remasters but Im not a big fan of real time combat
Should you ever get around to covering Dungeon Rats (if that one even counts) and Underrail (highly recommend this one), you'll have covered all of the CRPGs I've played. Neat overlap, that.
hype for pillars of eternity video
i still havnt finished it, but i'll happily have it spoiled to watch the chris davis on it
That game been sitting on my steam library for years, i should give it a shot, but i remember starting it when i got it and almost immediately feeling lost...
It's still worth a playthrough, but this is one of those games where (and I'm going to get lynched by the fans of the game for saying this) there's no shame in looking at a guide if you get stuck. The game seems to have either lacked proper testing, or the developers just did not want to listen to the testers when they pointed out issues with quests and certain mechanics, and so it can at times feel a bit aimless.
A pure talker merchant or a pure fighter merc build is usually recommended for beginners. Although you will get to see less content. And playing a hybrid build that can do both need alot of testing and effort to do, in this case though, a walk-through guide will save alot of time
Pathfinder Kingmaker critique? After all, Wrath of the Righteous is around the corner.
that will be good
Another Great video in a great series! Love it bud, Keep up the good work!
This video is amazing, you came so far from the beginning of this series, very good structure, interesting analysis instead of just summarising the plot. I love it.
great video. can’t wait to watch it 100 times to fall asleep
Tip. Check the conundrums regarding age of decadence VS. Underrail at rpg codex
Regarding the reading all the books in the game, I actually did that in Oblivion, sat in my characters house and spent several real life hours reading every book I had. I found it pretty interesting.
Yes, I find a lot of the Elder Scrolls books to be quite interesting. The books are mostly stories, so the world building and lore is provided in a roundabout and more entertaining way.
Love these! Keep em coming!
uploaded 7 mins ago.... awwww yis! Just in time!
>im not comfortable reading the next bit because it contains an ableist slur
🥶🥶🥶
Great video again Chris, glad these are still coming!
Vince can be crude, but as a huge CRPG fan I understand where he was coming from. This was before the CRPG revival and the indie dev boom. The genre was dead at the time. Most of us who loved the genre were starved for a game that would cater to our very specific taste.
I think a lot of us were getting angry at the devs, and by extensions the players who funded them, who had forsaken us.
Really enjoying this series dude, did I miss a pillars of eternity vid somewhere? Or is my Timeline poor.. Superb work sir 🙏🏾
Next video, he says it at the very end.
Hmmmwould you cover torment tides of numenera in the future as of this writing?
Chris may make videos about cRPGs, but doesn't understand anything about genre history. He can't comprehend how it was in 00s when the genre you loved stopped being made. He doesn't understand how it is to see franchises you loved raped and then get applauded for it by general public and gaming journos, all while gaming journos making fun of everyone who complains about it. When any design principle or combat type you hold dear gets attacked by a mainstream, only because some fat businessman wants to make more money, it's natural to be angry about the whole thing. Even if the situation has gotten better in the last decade and in some way we may say that we have won, the trauma we have acquired during that period will remain in many of us forever.
I also can't understand how the guy can't see that VD giving tips to people who doesn't like/understand his game is a sign of kindness and taking care of customer, not combativeness. VD even helps people who have pirated his game. Most devs are only interacting with people who praise their games and ignore people who are critical. VD treats everyone who is interested in his game as worthy of his time. He always cares more about his customers than about himself, I remember when he was once appalled at the suggestion of featuring screenshoots of his game without UI( to make it look more attractive and earn more $), because he believed that doing so would constitute manipulating customers.
not even crpg fans. alot of people had to deal with " your favorite type of game is archaic and should not exist anymore.
i remember back when lost odyssey came out and during the game spot review the reviewer went " we don't need these types of games anymore " turn based jrpgs." now that we have mass effect."
it's disrespectful to dismiss an entire genre because you think they are old and should no longer be made.
Damn dude. 'Acquired trauma'? Geez. It's just videogames.
You're being overdramatic. "raped", "trauma"? Seriously?
Also, he isn't against the developer giving tips to players, he's against him being a dick about it.
@@LasherTimora But VD isn't a dick when he gives tips, he is an excellent example of a dev who cares about people who buy his games. I am not being overdramatic when describing my feelings, stop gaslighting me.
Best comment in this video
Do you plan to cover Neverwinter Nights?
I think he specified in his death and return of isometric crpgs that he doesn't consider that isometric
Great as always, 10/10, would watch again
never finished it, at most i could do some basic quests in the first city, i think i got out once? all of this in 11 hours. must have made like 10 or more saves trying different builds and stuff. I dont remember ever doing this sort of things with an rpg, having every single save feel truly unique by almost pure gameplay. This game is truly something else
Super Hans is an awesome name for an assassin!
That jab against Real Madrid xD, but that team in 2000-2003 was legendary.
Wow I did not expect you to cover this one! Love this video series.
Oh fuck I just played this game like a few weeks ago and you review it! Wow!
Is Alpha Protocol a true non-linear RPG like Age of Decadence?
Could you maybe make a video on the Expeditions games next? They are isometric turn-based crpgs that take place in different time periods and places, Conquistador takes place in 1500's central america, Viking takes place in Denmark and Britain during the viking age (obviously) and the upcoming Rome game seems to be taking place across the whole Mediterranean during the Roman Republic. They are some of my favorite rpgs but they are really overlooked, I would be very glad if you made a video about them!
The graphics of this game remind me of the first Neverwinter Nights and Dungeon Siege :)
Glad to see you back babes, never stop Chris!
Hi Chris, huge fan of this series and your content, I love it.
There IS an isometric CRPG I'd recommend that may be missing from your list. It's not a well-known title, because it was by a Russian developer and was only lightly promoted... Evil Islands: Curse of the Lost Soul. It even has an expansion pack that wasn't ever localized to English, so I've never had a chance to experience it. But the game had some pretty unique and clever systems for its time, particularly the crafting.
Take care, looove your content!
I pray to every god I know of you plan on covering Underrail in some form. Like, there's no way "indie attempts to capture the magic of the classic CRPGs" isn't a thing in your pipeline.
Hope you review underrail, the expac and tyranny if you didnt already.
Thanks for the video!
Fantastic game.
I really enjoy this series
Thank you, this was really interesting :)
Yes finally
Clean prince music
Interesting, I was considering playing it, but your remarks about the combat and the writing are good things to know beforehand.
Finished the game once. I think. Been a while.
Yeasss
U make some good videos bro
Hi guys, I'm not fluent in english language, but I want A LOT to play games like these. I'm playing Icewind dale and it's suits perfect for me. Pretty much like a dungeon crawler with some D&D systems. Anyone knows if this game (the age of decadence) is focused in roleplay or in combat?
Obs: Sorry if my English is too bad.
Both(Though you can avoid combat completely on the merchant path) but the spin off Dungeon Rats is all combat
@@nolanburke3669 Thank you man, I'll check this game.
So has he shown up yet?
Thank you for continuing this series despite its appeal being admittedly so niche.
this isnt really game related but for fantasy you should check out malazan book of the fallen. insane series
Yes!
"ableist slur", give me a break.
Great content chris
Great video man. I like the drops with the music and titles in between the different topics as well. Man the head guy that lead this game sounds like he may even have a notification that u made this video so he can put a negative comment in yo this LMAO 😂😂😂 keep it up man whenever you feel like it . The community is here for it
+1 for the Outer Wilds recommendation. I played it a few weeks back because of a random comment on reddit and went in blind.
What a game! What an experience! Absolutely fantastic, definitely one that will stick with me for years to come. My only regret is that I can never play it blind again.
Has Vince posted in the comments yet?
Well he's not wrong, if you get stuck in a part of a game then just git gud it's that easy.
just don't be depressed amirite 😎
@@monstergelo1072 exactly, and when on the prowl just be yourself
The Palestine call to action was a nice surprise. Prescient!
Great to hear you chris, cheers!
Virtue signal accepted - move along citizen.
We live in a dystopian hellscape where UA-camrs have the right to call out behavior they disagree with. Truly Orwell's nightmare.
@@jasonfenton8250 disagreeing and trying to cancel a person thus destroying their career are two different things.
"ableist slur"
People who are unable need not apply.