Dom-III screenshots

[WraithLord]

I've been following the previous threads regarding DOM-III information. If I understand correctly DOM-III will be released soon ("early 2006", I guess anything before June goes). Taking this into account I wasn't able to discern how come that no screenshots have been released. Note that I'm not "demanding" that they would be, only that I don't understand why they haven't. It wasn't so the previous time around (with dom-II) and it certainly isn't the norm with other games.
So maybe there's a good reason for this, if so it would be nice to know what it is.

Ahhm. Guess its needless to say that it would be neat to take a peek at some screenies http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

[shovah]

i think there may have been some in magazines but im not sure

[Tom_Scudder]

I would guess that if you're a small-fry game like DomIII, you probably have to promise magazines that you won't put your screen shots on your site until after they've had a chance to do an exclusive article or some such. (If you're Blizzard, they HAVE to come to you).

[alexti]

Maybe they just creating working game first. Rather than releasing something that somehow displays pretty pictures between the crashes and patching later http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/wink.gif

[WraithLord]

@Tom_Scudder, this is an interesting explanation that actually makes sense to me.

@Alexti, I'm not so sure about that. First I assume that dom-II (and I) code base is mostly reused, in which case the game mechanics are (mostly) already working and second I remember that for DOM-II screenshots were released prior to its release.

I guess we'll just have to wait patiently.

[PDF]

Shrapnel and IW sent some to the press, and we'll publish them soon (couple weeks) in our French Cyberstratege mag http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/wink.gif

I think we shouild request SG/IW to put some online soon ... http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

[Endoperez]

On comp.sys.ibm.games.strategic,our friend Gandalf Parker wrote:

>With Dominions 3 nearing beta testing there is an >interesting thread in the dominions forums talking about
>how people first got involved with the game.
> http://www.shrapnelcommunity.com/threads/showflat.php?Cat=&Number=402...
> TinyURL link to same place...
> http://tinyurl.com/7jltf

Beware, for the Game that Devours Time is coming! http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/laugh.gif
Nah, it'll still probably take a long time. And I'd prefer the game to be beta-tested properly. I'd like to get a picture or two, but it might start the quessing game too soon.

[Gandalf Parker]

Im surprised no one in that group has "called me down" on that post since Dom3 has been "nearing beta" for so long. I think Ive posted something like that 3 times over the space of a year. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

But that group is getting so boring with no new games to talk about. I thought I would revive the Dominions threads.

The only response I got was asking if there was going to be a price-break on Dom2 (which would have the same effect, starting the rumble), OR screenshots would be nice also.

Gandalf Parker

[NTJedi]

Screenshots, Developer Chats and Developer Diaries increase the popularity and demand for any game under construction. Developers and/or publishers preventing such marketing causes more harm to their sales then good.

[PrinzMegaherz]

NTJedi said:

Screenshots, Developer Chats and Developer Diaries increase the popularity and demand for any game under construction. Developers and/or publishers preventing such marketing causes more harm to their sales then good.



Not necessarily. Dominions III offers no state of the art graphics, so you really can't convince the audience with screenshots.

[WraithLord]

PrinzMegaherz said:

NTJedi said:

Screenshots, Developer Chats and Developer Diaries increase the popularity and demand for any game under construction. Developers and/or publishers preventing such marketing causes more harm to their sales then good.



Well, not necessarily. Dominions III offers no state of the art graphics, so you really can't convince the audience with screenshots.


I believe that most dom players (myself included) aren't especially interested in the game's gfx.
For me, the point of screenshots is that they hint at new directions the game is taking and in general opens a place for interesting discussions.

[Gandalf Parker]

I can see that point though. Screenshots with nothing else might turn away more of the average gamers than it gains. With Dom2 it was helpful to be "armed" with an available downloadable demo. I could pitch the strategy of the game and say "its at least worth checking out the demo IMHO".

[NTJedi]

WraithLord said:

PrinzMegaherz said:

NTJedi said:

Screenshots, Developer Chats and Developer Diaries increase the popularity and demand for any game under construction. Developers and/or publishers preventing such marketing causes more harm to their sales then good.



Well, not necessarily. Dominions III offers no state of the art graphics, so you really can't convince the audience with screenshots.


I believe that most dom players (myself included) aren't especially interested in the game's gfx.
For me, the point of screenshots is that they hint at new directions the game is taking and in general opens a place for interesting discussions.



WraithLord is correct... how pretty the graphics look is not that important. The screenshots could tell us about possible new battlefields, obstacles on the battlefield, new forgeable items, map and province improvements, new battle orders, etc., .
This type of information would increase the buzz talk about Dominions in the gaming community. Currently the only thing we can tell fellow gamers is 'release date spring_2006'. Not much information to buzz interest in other forums.

[OG_Gleep]

Most old school gamers don't care about gfx. This is however a small small minority in the market. GFX>>>Gameplay in most cases. Any word on a release date yet though?

[shovah]

Q1 2006 is all we have iirc

[Endoperez]

OG_Gleep said:
Most old school gamers don't care about gfx. This is however a small small minority in the market. GFX>>>Gameplay in most cases. Any word on a release date yet though?



It plays a big factor for trying the game, which quite often means buying the game. Gameplay is certainly favoured over graphics in the games which people continue to play. Counter Strike is a good example of old, but still rocking. Unless CS Source has become the new norm, I have no idea and don't even care, to tell the truth.

But yes, better graphics would bring in more customers. The graphics won't be changed this late to the design, although some of the old units might have gotten new sprites.

[PDF]

shovah said:
Q1 2006 is all we have iirc



I have Q2 in my books http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/tongue.gif

[NTJedi]

bummer if it did get pushed back to Q2 2006...
hopefully they don't add any bad features like the 'auto_surrender' we saw with AOW:SM. Luckily they made this feature optional in a later patch... but this is just another reason why Developer Diaries are good.

[WraithLord]

NTJedi said:

bummer if it did get pushed back to Q2 2006...
hopefully they don't add any bad features like the 'auto_surrender' we saw with AOW:SM. Luckily they made this feature optional in a later patch... but this is just another reason why Developer Diaries are good.


I agree. I think fan feedback can help the developers. I know that Illwinter are attentive to their fan's feedback. This is why I don't get this relative hush.

Come to think of that I remember reading in the shrapnel newsletter that it will include IW dev diaries. IIRC it has included only one, quite some time ago.

[Endoperez]

There were at least two, but at most three, DomIII Dev Diaries. They are very interesting. Early Era Jotunheim (there will be three eras, each with different nation selection) will have Niefel Giants, and sacred Niefel Skinshifters...

I posted the Dev Diaries, as well as a heap of forum information, sometime in the autumn, in this thread (http://www.shrapnelcommunity.com/threads/showthreaded.php?Number=377377).

[WraithLord]

Endoperez said:
There were at least two, but at most three, DomIII Dev Diaries. They are very interesting. Early Era Jotunheim (there will be three eras, each with different nation selection) will have Niefel Giants, and sacred Niefel Skinshifters...

I posted the Dev Diaries, as well as a heap of forum information, sometime in the autumn, in this thread (http://www.shrapnelcommunity.com/threads/showthreaded.php?Number=377377).


That link contains some interesting information. I also noticed that the last diary was given after Christmas. Not that long ago.
I hope more diaries are yet to come.

EDIT:
Two interesting bits of information...
1. Pythium is replaced with Sauromatia in the old era. Among other units they'll also have the "oiorpata" which are the schytian equivalent for amazons. I wonder they will be like.

2. Ctis will have a Sirrush. "The sirrush is a creature depicted on the Ishtar Gate. It resembles a scaly dragon with hind legs like an eagle's talons and feline forelegs." (quated from wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sirrush).
This creature sounds promising, but I am a bit puzzled, for I have always thought that Ctis is based on the Egyptian rather then Babilonian folklore.

[shovah]

perhaps it is based on egyptians but who says we cant bend the rules a little?

[Kristoffer O]

> That link contains some interesting information. I also noticed that the last diary was given after Christmas. Not that long ago.

Unfortunately that was last christmas. I've been lazy with the dev diary writing.

> I hope more diaries are yet to come.

This is the second time I tell myself and you that I should write another diary. Sorry about that http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/frown.gif

>I have always thought that Ctis is based on the Egyptian rather then Babilonian folklore.

A conglomerate of the two. They have sumerian and babylonian names, hierodules and priest kings are of more mesopotamian stock than egyptian. The new unique Devourer of Souls is the monster Ammit of egyptian mythos.

The sirrush is indeed the sacred wingless dragon of the Ishtar Gate.

[Endoperez]

Ammit the Devourer of Souls, The Doom Horror...
Okay, the lack of DevDiaries was just forgiven. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/laugh.gif