Gobs and Gods

[h1] General Overview [/h1] A “thumbs up” is an inadequate reflection of how amazing this game is. A sandbox party-based turn-based tactical game with so much to offer. It’s hard to avoid comparing it to Battle Brothers, but I’ll say that if you’re a fan then this is going to scratch the same itch. If you’re not a fan, then know that I found this a bit easier thanks to a good tutorial that’s baked into the early game and a general ease of replacing fallen gobs. Fresh recruits are cheap and readily available, and there are skills that give them free levels upon recruitment. My first playthrough took ~35 hours, and I immediately started a 2nd. [h1] The Good [/h1] [list] [*][b] Graphics/art style [/b] – I like the vibrant colours and comical style. It fits really well with the world- it takes place in what could easily be portrayed as a grim and gritty fantasy world, but the presentation here is much more light-hearted. [*][b] Combat [/b] – Engaging and strategic. Each recruit has a primary “job” which gives him access to bonus and a skill tree with a good amount of variety. The choice of weapon will also give some useful abilities. [*][b] Respects my time [/b] – I like how fast you move on the world map (esp after upgrading), how fast travel exists, how I can accept multiple quests, and how during the enemy turn in battle they all move at once. Also like the “real time” option for dungeon exploration and battles, esp for the late game [*][b] Story [/b] – Lighthearted with constant violence. Isn’t heavy or intrusive. [*][b] Progression [/b] – Definitely felt like I was getting increasingly powerful- the skills you get make a big difference, as well as the equipment. There’s no level cap (that I reached, at least), but in later levels the progression is less impactful. [/list] [h1] The Bad [/h1] [list] [*][b] Ending [/b] – The only crash I got was a consistent one upon ending the game. I assume this will be fixed. [/list] [h1] Suggestions [/h1] [list] [*][b] Start Options [/b] – I’d like to see different campaign starts. A new game+ with some things carrying over, removal of the initial tutorial quests, or different themed starts (a party with different jobs) like BB would be cool! Ooh, or starting as dwarves, minos, etc. [*][b] Recruiter [/b] – In the midgame I wanted to try out different backgrounds, but had a hard time finding a crossbow user (engineer, I assume?). I went to every town and engineer NPC, but never found one. A dedicated recruiter that you can pay to source gobs would be cool! [*][b] Quirks [/b] – Some quirks are really, really bad. The “exhibitionist” one is funny, but high-risk. I lost armour that I didn’t pick up when I fled a dungeon, which was unfortunate. Monomaniac is the worst- a gob with that trait is fodder, at best. Some are a bit cryptic in terms of their impact. Ironically “boring” seems to be the only positive one :D [*][b] Battle log [/b] – I’d like one. [*][b] Comparisons [/b] – I’d like to compare equipment more easily. Be nice to see both cards at once. Same with selecting skills at level up- how much health will I gain if I level Endurance? Would be nice to see the impact on my character sheet when I hover over the ability. Comparing different gobs when recruiting would also be nice. [*][b] Recruits [/b] – I think each skill tree is determined by the starting job, but I’m still not certain. It’s a bit of a guess when recruiting for a role whether or not the gob will be suitable for it, particularly at the start of the game. Could you show the skill pool for new recruits? [*][b] Damage estimate [/b] – In battle, before I take a swing it would be great to see how much damage it might do (some game show this by having part of the enemy’s health flash) [*][b] Battles [/b] – I’d like to be able to see who can still act in battle. I don’t think there’s a way to do this currently, other than cycling through the gobs. [*][b] Skill progression [/b] – For my 2nd run, knowing that I have a maximum of 11 skill points means I’m going to be more careful when allocating them. I don’t think I’ll have anyone select 5 skills, because that limits my growth in the other 3 or 4. It would be fun to be a grandmaster in all 5 though! Maybe that could be a new game+ option? [*][b] Balance [/b] – The only battle I couldn’t win was an epic quest right before I finished the game, and it was against 30 of those giant cheese elementals, the ones that are ranged and spawn tier 2 versions. I got absolutely swarmed and then worn down with chip damage until my gobs started to fall. I think the spawn rate should be toned down. [*][b] Shields [/b] – Shields are really heavy, and require a dedicated skill to effectively use. I think this could be rebalanced by allowing more than 11 skill points, and making the shield skill more dramatically reduce the weight of an equipped shield. [/list]