Paladin's Oath
- March 2, 2022
- janosh22
"Paladin's Oath" is a multiplayer modification for the turn-based strategy game, allowing two or more players to cooperatively play on the same map, sharing resources and battles, with asynchronous play and no need for all players to be online simultaneously. The mod also includes a chat feature, timer, and turn restarts, with the option to manage multiple games in parallel. Players can use the same character and benedictions within the same round.
Reviews
- A faithful digital adaptation of Mage Knight, providing a deep and engaging single-player experience with familiar mechanics.
- The ability to roll back actions and the forgiving 'undo' feature enhance the learning curve and make gameplay more enjoyable.
- Great for fans of Mage Knight who want a convenient way to play without the setup and teardown of the physical game.
- The user interface is clunky and can be confusing, especially for new players unfamiliar with the mechanics of Mage Knight.
- Tutorials are lacking and may not adequately prepare players for the complexities of the game, leading to frustration.
- Some gameplay mechanics and bugs can detract from the experience, such as issues with undoing certain actions and unclear combat mechanics.
- graphics30 mentions
- 20 % positive mentions
- 60 % neutral mentions
- 20 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game have received mixed reviews, with some players finding them charming and suitable for gameplay, while others criticize them as low-quality and lacking animations. Many agree that the visuals do not detract from the overall experience, emphasizing that the game's mechanics and fun factor are more important than its aesthetic appeal. Overall, the graphics are described as functional but not impressive, with a few players expressing a desire for better visuals.
“I think the artwork is charming and the developer has done a great job of coming up with a design to be able to play Mage Knight in a much more convenient manner.”
“Good interface and graphics, great gameplay (based on Mage Knight).”
“Paladin's Oath brings what makes Mage Knight great to Steam: mitigated risk and randomness, interesting decision making, challenging missions, and in my opinion, a pleasant aesthetic.”
“Ugly graphics, no animations, resource management disturbingly bad (having to spend 30% of my 'ambient mana' just to move 1 tile), very limited choices each turn, first battle seemed so boring that it instantly became my last one...”
“I wish the game had better graphics, but it wants to set itself visually apart from MK, which is understandable.”
“[b]graphics - 2/10[/b] [i]of course.”
- gameplay20 mentions
- 15 % positive mentions
- 70 % neutral mentions
- 15 % negative mentions
Gameplay is characterized by a forgiving 'undo' mechanic and a "restart turn" option, which helps mitigate mistakes. However, players have reported feeling overwhelmed by information overload and confusing mechanics, particularly without a walkthrough. While the game has been praised for its interface and graphics, and is considered a good fit for fans of Mage Knight, the complexity may deter newcomers.
“There is a relatively forgiving 'undo' mechanic, with a 'restart turn' option in case you screw up.”
“Thanks to your game, I very much understand the mechanics and strategies now.”
“Great option for Mage Knight fans, or anyone who wants a challenging adventure game with board game mechanics.”
“I wanted to enjoy this, but was overwhelmed with information overload, confusing mechanics, and was disappointed by no walk-through.”
“Or you find yourself intimidated by the math and advanced mechanics that introduce themselves as the game gets deeper?”
“At first I didn't like the graphics and felt the mechanics were too difficult, but the recent updates make it more friendly.”
- story6 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 17 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
The story in the game is framed around engaging missions that require strategic decision-making, reminiscent of classic scenarios from Mage Knight. Players appreciate the blend of risk management and aesthetic appeal, although some find the tutorials helpful yet recommend supplementary video guides for a deeper understanding of objectives. Overall, the narrative is seen as a compelling backdrop for the gameplay experience.
“Paladin's Oath brings what makes Mage Knight great to Steam: mitigated risk and randomness, interesting decision making, challenging missions, and a pleasant aesthetic.”
“The tutorials do a pretty good job of explaining the concepts, but I really advise watching the video link the dev has added to each tutorial mission to get a more complete understanding.”
“I was baffled about how to get all the objectives done on the battle tutorial until I watched the video and realized you just need to temporarily accomplish each goal before undoing and trying alternate methods.”
“The first scenario in the game is just like the recon mission in MK where you win by simply opening the map and finding the city (in this case, the cathedral).”
“The tutorials do a pretty good job of explaining the concepts, but I really advise watching the video link the dev has added to each tutorial mission to get a more complete understanding. I was baffled about how to get all the objectives done on the battle tutorial until I watched the video and realized you just need to temporarily accomplish each goal before undoing and trying alternate methods.”
- stability2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game demonstrates strong stability on Linux, particularly on Slackware -current, although users recommend utilizing Proton for optimal performance on the Steam Deck.
“The game runs great on Linux (Slackware -current), though I've heard that if using a Steam Deck, you might want to use Proton.”
- optimization2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
Users express concerns regarding the game's performance, indicating that optimization may be lacking or inconsistent.
“I do have to wonder about the performance.”