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 The Lamplighter's League and the Tower at the End of the World is the just announced new title from Battletech and recentish Shadowrun RPG devs Harebrained Schemes! The game will be a turn-based tactical RPG set in an alternate 1930s. It's set to launch this year on Xbox Series X|S and Steam/Epic, and will be on Xbox Game Pass on day one. "insider-gaming.com posted:Strategy Meets Story, in Style     https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U7oq0_dIRiU https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JnTjWoFvmzg Personally I'm extremely excited for this. I've been wondering what HBS's next project would be for a long time, and while I would have preferred a Battletech follow-up, I'm still stoked to see them tackle a tactical RPG like this with an original setting. I was a little worried that based on the initial pitches for their previous projects (focusing on the custom campaign builder in Shadowrun Returns and the multiplayer skirmish aspect of Battletech) that it would be another weird one. It's also nice to see them graduate from using Kickstarter. What do you all think?
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Mar 6, 2023 18:06
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From the looks of it seems like it could be a great play, infiltration phase reminds me of Commands from back in the day, and the plot seems quite original, as far as it's not copying the previous fad of tropes, as long as they don't rip us off with dlc for day 1 minigame thinking I'll give it a try when it comes out. Edit:  because I haven't made that emoticon in a while
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Mar 7, 2023 15:27
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I was excited for the split second it looked like a point and click adventure game like indiana jones and the fate of atlantis.
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Mar 7, 2023 15:28
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If it's on game pass then it's probably worth at least giving it a look.
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Mar 7, 2023 15:50
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The subtitle that's only used in a couple places made me wonder if this might be episodic, but it doesn't seem like it unless they're thinking about rolling out new campaigns post-release as expansion packs or something. I was happy to read that there were going to be more recruitable characters (10 in the base game, +1 in the fancy edition). This line from their Steam announcement also caught my eye:quote:When you replay the game, you can select whichever 3 starting characters you want. I wonder if the campaign metagame will have enough meat to justify replays.
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Mar 7, 2023 16:26
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Sounds almost like XCom Chimera Squad: Pulp Version, but HBS has a good record.
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Mar 7, 2023 17:50
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did anyone else know this was coming out Tuesday? because I certainly didn't also there's a demo available this weekend on Steam, Epic, Windows Store, or Xbox Store as you prefer. Just finished the first mission in the demo and I absolutely love the vibe at least, too early to tell on the gameplay I think - the mission is very tutorially but I'm definitely reminded of Chimera Squad in the basic gameplay loop, we'll see if we get to see some of the metagame in the demo or if we have to wait for release
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Sep 29, 2023 23:06
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I've been eagerly anticipating this. The interwar period pulp adventure vibe seems like fun, and HBS makes good games, so hell I'm down.
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Sep 29, 2023 23:14
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Captain Oblivious posted:I've been eagerly anticipating this. The interwar period pulp adventure vibe seems like fun, and HBS makes good games, so hell I'm down. Same. I'm a little worried that it's going to faceplant since it's a new IP and I haven't heard much chatter about it, but I'll be jumping in Tuesday night for sure. Looks like some reviews are dropping: IGN: 4/5 https://www.ign.com/articles/the-lamplighters-league-review quote:Set in a pulp adventure 1932 where secret societies seek to use magic to reshape the world, The Lamplighters League combines a strategic campaign layer with real-time stealth and tactical combat to deliver a twist on the tactics genre that's fun, but doesn't do anything too radically new. It took a bit to grow on me, with a really slow start to get through, but once it gets up to speed this sometimes absurd, always entertaining pulp story is a blast that plays through to a memorable finale. PC Gamer: 62/100 (ouch) https://www.pcgamer.com/the-lamplighters-league-review/ quote:Some of these limitations are likely technical, given that Lamplighters already struggles to maintain a decent frame rate. It’s a somewhat glitchy experience overall, in fact, with a camera that fails to take account of scenery blocking its view when zooming in on attacks, and some muddy logic that can’t but rub you up the wrong way, not least in the transitions between real-time and turn-based modes. Kill the final enemy in a battle and it ends abruptly, with characters standing near fire or unexploded grenades likely to take damage before you resume control. Games Radar: 3.5/5 https://www.gamesradar.com/the-lamplighters-league-review/ quote:When it's turn-based, The Lamplighters League is very good. It rides a fine line, simple enough to never find you lost in a fog of decision paralysis but complex enough to generate the emergent storytelling that games like XCOM and Invisible Inc thrive on. Upgrades let you paper over the weaknesses or enhance the strengths of your favorite characters, and environmental hazards and your own supplies let you shape the battlefield around yourself. But the real-time accessory to the conventional turn-based strategy disappoints, occasionally shining but mostly diluting and distracting from an experience that would be better without it. The Lamplighters League might not stand fully toe-to-toe with the strategy juggernauts of recent years, but it's a plucky competitor - just as long as you don't get bogged down in its attempt to set itself apart from the games it's trying to emulate. PC Games^n 7/10 https://www.pcgamesn.com/lamplighters-league/review quote:The Lamplighters League attempts to deviate from tradition, promoting creativity over power, but ultimately falls short. However, its simplicity puts it into the more approachable realms of turn-based tactical games and is a great choice for anyone looking to try the genre for the first time.
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Sep 30, 2023 00:02
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This is giving me big Pulp Cthulhu vibes. I'm liking what I see, I love squad-based games. I grabbed the Deluxe Edition because it seems worth it to have an actual supervillain on the team.
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Sep 30, 2023 00:20
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Randallteal posted:Same. I'm a little worried that it's going to faceplant since it's a new IP and I haven't heard much chatter about it, but I'll be jumping in Tuesday night for sure. Looks like some reviews are dropping: Looks like it's probably gonna be on the flawed side based on those reviews. The most positive one is also the one where the quote consists of "restating the basic premise" rather than getting into any kind of detail.
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Sep 30, 2023 06:10
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Captain Oblivious posted:Looks like it's probably gonna be on the flawed side based on those reviews. The most positive one is also the one where the quote consists of "restating the basic premise" rather than getting into any kind of detail. Yea I was waiting for the game until I read these. Oh well
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Sep 30, 2023 15:28
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Dallan Invictus posted:we'll see if we get to see some of the metagame in the demo or if we have to wait for release Survey says: no we didn't, the demo ends immediately before what looks like the transition to the meta game that said I did have fun, barring some minor control/UI quibbles (there needs to be a single key shortcut to switch to a different character - especially in the real time mode I really felt its lack while trying to coordinate movements and avoid patrols) and I'll definitely try it on Game Pass at least. If it was at Chimera Squad's price point it would be a no hesitation buy on vibes alone but it's very much not The extra character for the deluxe edition looks really fun and I hope it won't turn out to be a pre-order exclusive, that would suck. Dallan Invictus fucked around with this message at 17:47 on Oct 1, 2023 |
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Oct 1, 2023 17:43
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Dallan Invictus posted:Survey says: no we didn't, the demo ends immediately before what looks like the transition to the meta game Tab?
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Oct 1, 2023 18:24
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godDAMNit, I'd been trying the number keys all along. I should check if there's a keybindings window I'd have found it in, because I didn't notice it in the tutorials and I moved so many times trying to click on characters that it was a memorable negative impression too much muscle memory from other games I guess
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Oct 1, 2023 18:37
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Dallan Invictus posted:The extra character for the deluxe edition looks really fun and I hope it won't turn out to be a pre-order exclusive, that would suck. On reddit they said she will be available as dlc for $7.99. I don't know if that is on launch day or if they will keep her exclusive for a little while.
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Oct 1, 2023 20:08
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Wow did literally no one pick this up lol 
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Oct 3, 2023 23:39
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Captain Oblivious posted:Wow did literally no one pick this up lol I think it's in that awkward no man's land of game pricing where it's an unexceptional 7/10 title without a real standout hook that's asking for a little under full AAA price, and the value proposition just ain't there for a lot of people. I think this kind of game can absolutely sell (see: Mechanicus), but it's landing at the tail end of a year of truly excellent games that've all carried the new normal $70 price tag, and most peoples' wallets (certainly mine, at least) have run dry for anything that's not a sale.
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Oct 3, 2023 23:57
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it's on gamepass so i'm gonna at least give it a try. maybe this weekend.
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Oct 4, 2023 00:23
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What a shame. Really enjoyed the Shadowrun/Battletech games. I hope HBS survives to return to those IPs
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Oct 4, 2023 00:38
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Captain Oblivious posted:Wow did literally no one pick this up lol I have it but didn't have the free time to dig in today, releasing mid-week is always going to mean a slow start. Mortismal did a review earlier though and it was quite positive. The subterfuge phase before combat starts is apparently a fun twist and the characters all feel distinct and have strong build options, which is what you want most from a squad game.
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Oct 4, 2023 00:43
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I tried it briefly on gamepass, and I'm probably pretty squarely in the market they're trying to hit with this(being a huge fan of HBS's previous games and also a Chimera Squad enjoyer) and the first two hours of gameplay left me pretty cold. The barebones real time stealth parts do absolutely nothing for me and I really wish they didn't exist, the UI is pretty terrible and lacks tooltips in a lot of situations where there should be tooltips, and in true HBS fashion it's a bit of a technical mess. This game on "high" settings spins up my 2080 Super harder than Cyberpunk 2077 does. I didn't completely hate it but there was nothing that made me go "wow I cannot wait to see where this goes".
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Oct 4, 2023 00:44
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Got a chance to play, I do like the pre-combat scouting phase. That first mission can actually be pretty drat brutal if the boss catches you. I had to restart the mission so here's a tip: Remember to save mid-mission when you're safe. So far I'm really liking Ingrid and Leteef but Eddie can't seem to hit a drat thing and he doesn't do much when he does. I was hoping to replace him quickly but on the first recruitment choice, the replacement Sneak sounds a lot cooler than the replacement Sabatuer. Maybe I can do without picking locks for a bit? Nephthys fucked around with this message at 21:33 on Oct 4, 2023 |
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Oct 4, 2023 21:28
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I think it's random? My first recruitment option was between a combat medic and an assassin. My first impression is that it has the same problem as Battletech where things move just a little bit too slow and it ends up dragging. Mostly in the stealth phase, the actual action phase seems fine. I keep loving up on prepositioning an ambush, maybe I should switch into turn-based sooner instead of trying to do it in real time. Being able to collect consumables in maps that then persist through to the next map (or that you need to replace by spending supplies) encourages hoarder behaviour, I don't think it's great.
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Oct 4, 2023 23:19
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So how different is this real-time stealth, turn-based combat thing from Mutant Year Zero. Because that got old extremely fast, and it's weird that I found few previews comparing the two games. E:Tho I guess JA3 has a similar thing going and I know people liked that one.
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Oct 4, 2023 23:22
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Jabor posted:I think it's random? My first recruitment option was between a combat medic and an assassin. Nah, it's the same. I tried looking them up on youtube to help decide but everyone I could find picked the assassin lol. So I picked the medic, out of spite. And because I just don't like Eddie. Mordja posted:So how different is this real-time stealth, turn-based combat thing from Mutant Year Zero. Because that got old extremely fast, and it's weird that I found few previews comparing the two games. It's not as involved, which means it goes quicker. I haven't found that I've needed to spend too long on it so far, playing on the standard difficulty.
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Oct 4, 2023 23:30
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Nephthys posted:Nah, it's the same. I tried looking them up on youtube to help decide but everyone I could find picked the assassin lol. So I picked the medic, out of spite. And because I just don't like Eddie. Same, Medic first just to have a different Sabatuer. I'm sure Eddie is a lot more appealing with some levels and + crit equipment, but he strikes me as a character you pretty much have to build the team around to get his value. Which makes it puzzling they would have him be a starting character. Medic is sort of boring, but has extremely strong buffs. Start every combat by blessing the other characters and then giving them extra AP. Also she has a submachine gun which is nice.
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Oct 4, 2023 23:49
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I got the medic when given the choice too, I've also recruited the deluxe edition character (just now so haven't used her at all yet) and Jiang, a melee/gun hybrid guy, he seems quite good from when I've used him. I have the bodyguard dude as a potential recruit too but I have to do a couple actual missions to keep the enemies down a bit for awhile now. I think the 7s and 3.5 scores are pretty fair based on what I've seen so far but I'm enjoying it quite a bit, there was a point where I was worried it was going to be too easy and then I had a mission almost go real, real bad but managed to pull it out. Once the various factions start getting their events and powering up, their unique dudes start showing up more and more. For me Ingrid is absolutely destroying stuff, I've given her a thing that makes her melee attacks have a decent chance to reduce her cooldowns and obviously she gets AP back from KOing stuff and then one of the early cards I got for her gives her a ranged attack that inflicts bleeding if it crits so she can sometimes finish off an enemy across the room to get one ap back too, just an absolute monster. As some others have said, Eddie feels like he needs a bit too much work early on, I think he'll get better when you've got some + hit or + crit stuff to put on him (better than the basic ones you can buy, though those help) and such, the thing that has a chance to put ammo back in your gun will probably be good too. I've not taken him and the medic together because it feels redundant having two saboteurs but thinking about it, they'd probably complement each other quite well since she gives extra AP, crit and hit. If anybody has recruited the healer for the base, can you let me know what she does, upgrade wise? The description says healing and health upgrades so I guess it's a tree with aether costs similar to the card/weapon upgraders I have but it'd be good to get specifics and to know if it's worth grabbing her asap.
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Oct 5, 2023 00:33
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I was excited for it but then when I learned there's any stealth element whatsoever I removed it from my wishlist. I've played all the HBS games but seriously gently caress stealth, I don't have any interest in that
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Oct 5, 2023 01:08
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This game sucks. What happened to Harebrained after they finished with Shadowrun? Did the brains behind the operation cash in their Paradox checks and run?
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Oct 5, 2023 02:08
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Janissary Hop posted:This game sucks. What happened to Harebrained after they finished with Shadowrun? Did the brains behind the operation cash in their Paradox checks and run? Lets not get weird and hyperbolic here. Battletech was quite well received. Lamplighters strikes me as a passion project for them that isn’t resonating with audiences at large. The interwar pulp fiction genre isn’t something you really go for unless you have strong opinions about it.
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Oct 5, 2023 02:13
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Janissary Hop posted:This game sucks. What happened to Harebrained after they finished with Shadowrun? Did the brains behind the operation cash in their Paradox checks and run? A non-zero amount of the tech team were laid off quietly in the past year while this was under development, if you want something to start blaming for issues.
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Oct 5, 2023 02:20
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I wasn't feeling the intro mission but I'm enjoying it a lot more after a few hours. Echoing complaints that the sneaking intros aren't much fun and everything feels a little muddy/sluggish, but I also remember feeling that way about combat in the Shadowrun games. The voice acting and dialogue have been excellent. I was a little suspicious about the setting since I don't care at all about Indiana Jones-style adventure serial stuff but the execution has kept my interest so far.
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Oct 5, 2023 04:20
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Janissary Hop posted:This game sucks. What happened to Harebrained after they finished with Shadowrun? Did the brains behind the operation cash in their Paradox checks and run?
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Oct 5, 2023 07:31
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I was actually liking this game a lot but I do not like that the game just deleted my saves. From the official discord: quote:"The root cause for GamePass cloud saves is that the save file is getting too big and silently failing to save. The manual workaround is to keep save files small.
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Oct 5, 2023 08:19
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Oof, that's the sort of thing you'd hope would be caught in QA.
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Oct 5, 2023 08:30
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I habitually make a new save. This would be very hard for me to overcome.
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Oct 5, 2023 08:33
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Yeah it deleted a missions worth of data for me yesterday and I trucked on because i like the setting. Today it deleted 4 missions and I think i'm pretty done with this game now.
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Oct 5, 2023 09:58
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I dont know posted:Same, Medic first just to have a different Sabatuer. I'm sure Eddie is a lot more appealing with some levels and + crit equipment, but he strikes me as a character you pretty much have to build the team around to get his value. Which makes it puzzling they would have him be a starting character. Medic is sort of boring, but has extremely strong buffs. Start every combat by blessing the other characters and then giving them extra AP. Also she has a submachine gun which is nice. Yeah, Ana Sofia seems strong as hell. Any ability in a turn-based game that costs 1 action to give you 2 actions is always busted and she has a lot of passive effects on her attacks which is nice. Resetting the rest of your parties Ults also seems like it'll be strong when paired with some characters with strong ones. Ingrid is awesome but her ult is quite weak for instance (I haven't figure out if Knockdown actually matters yet) but I can already see a combo to get off multiple Lateef ults to never have to be attacked. Eddies ult actually is quite strong too. Do Evade stacks carry over into a new turn if they don't get popped? Lateef seems like he'd be incredibly strong if you can find a way to consistently get multiple Evade stacks for his Hit and Run attack.
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Oct 5, 2023 10:35
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Flimf posted:I was actually liking this game a lot but I do not like that the game just deleted my saves.  Holy poo poo, did HBS manage to make another game where "too many save files" fucks with the game in critical ways? Battletech had an enduring issue where if you had too many saves the game performance would horribly degrade to the point of borderline unplayability.
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Oct 5, 2023 11:39
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