RAVENMARK: Scourge of Estellion (by Witching Hour Studios) Universal

[Marcus70]

The update is out. Happy downloading.

[backtothis]

What an update, thanks.

[Marcus70]

Cool to see the next campaign coming soon as IAP, Deepwood Dragoons, so I can give you guys more money.

[0-FeliX-0]

The update is out? MAGNIFICENT! It is time to play a game. Thanks, devs!

[Tebius]

Hot diggity, you guys are fast! Yup, the update is live!

[sapphire_neo]

Huzzah!

[Ayjona]

Originally Posted by Gabrien

Did download the lite version again. Made it to the third battle this time. Here is my problem: I'm fighting a long, protracted battle, with all these units, abilities, and strategies at my disposal; thing is, I don't really care about who wins or loses. Victory in this battle isn't going to grant me an expansion to my empire or more resources. Defeat isn't going to cost me the loss of a general I've nurtured and leveled up. At best I'll get to see another cut-scene with stiff characters I care little about. At worst I'll have to restart and try again. The battle engine is grand, the depth of strategy is palpable, but it just feels like battling for battling's sake, and I guess that just isn't enough for me.

That is indeed Ravenmark's greatest shortcoming, to which I referred in my post to you, above ("lack of a clear sense of progression (or illusion of achievement, if you lean to the cynical side )" ). Not that it makes any practical difference , but it is an intended design choice. The devs wanted each battle to be won solely on the merits of your tactical choices and stratagems, not thanks to superior stats or choices made in unit development.

In Ravenmark, you fight for one of 2.5 reasons. The first is the narrative. It is ambitious and deep (both for the genre, and for iOS games), and occasionally well-written (always adequately, at the very least). It never reaches FFT-like levels of convolution and intrication, and there is perhaps a slight lack of characterization and personal investment in the protagonists, but the mainstay of the narrative are the political interactions between Estellion and other countries, the large-scale events and consequences, and exploration of the world of Ravenmark.

Which brings me to the .5: the setting. Tied in to the narrative as it is, it does not deserve its own whole point , but I find it far more compelling than the actual storyline(s). It is probably one of the better realized campaign worlds in gaming, and certainly one of the very best for iOS. This is where my true investment occurs. The game began as a board game (and possibly an RPG setting), and as a result, it has seen development far beyond the scope of the actual iOS game. Supported by an extensive in-game codex and even more text on the homepage, it it big, going on vast, with all the stuff that makes a setting truly interesting (and that many games, even narrative-heavy, rarely have the time or opportunity to focus on), such as large-scale political movements, continent-spanning conflicts with a multitude of conflicting interests, internal strife between political groups in the country of Estellion (and other countries as well probably), many different plots, metaplots and subplots, and a thorough history that is not solely influenced by the actions of a lone player hero.

(With the latest update, the devs have actually strengthened this aspect with a map that shows player movement in between encounters, bestowing additional context upon the missions.)

The last reason are the actual combat mechanics, and all the tactical and strategic choices and variation they bring. These are, as I've rambled on about time and time again , far deeper and more sophisticated (and as a result, convoluted and complicated but ultimately extremely rewarding) than any other TBS mechanics for iOS, and they are on a par, or exceed, that of most PC/Mac TBS titles. To enjoy this aspect alone (with no support from character-unit progression, and with no interest in narrative and setting), you really have to be a true-born desktop commander. But that is really the target audience for Ravenmark, as far as I can tell.

I actually don't really belong to above-mentioned group, and really prefer the kind of sense of progression, illusion of achievement and context brought by the character development in iOS TSB titles such as Time of Heroes, Wasted Lands and, above all, Final Fantasy Tactics (strangely enough, perhaps, as I otherwise stay WELL away from FF games).

But in combination with the often good and always adequate and acceptable narrative, and the splendid setting, the game still drew me in big time. I actually play it rarely, more so than other iOS games, but I always enjoy myself when I do. And now, I am looking forward to the skirmish mode (randomized battle), and most of all asynchronous online battles!

(The excellent, nay, splendid dev support and updates and road map for the game are not really applicable for someone who doesn't actually like the game But they are another reason to become invested in the title. I don't think I've seen a better of example of dedicated developers, both in terms of the support they give their own game, and in their willingness to communicate with the fan base and take advice, in any iOS game. They stand shoulder to shoulder with other service giants , such as the developer of Starbase Orion.)

Originally Posted by Gabrien

It did occur to me: are things perhaps better in that respect in the full version? Is the lite version significantly more disjointed and less absorbing than the full? Or is it safe to say I am not likely to enjoy the full version either, based on my experience with the lite?

Yes, SIGNIFICANTLY less disjointed than the lite version, though perhaps not enough for you to actually be satisfied with the game. It is not safe to say you will not like it, but I still thinks it is a leap. Perhaps not of faith, but at least of a few dollars

Originally Posted by DaviddesJ

Actually, I like strategy games in general but I didn't like Ravenmark. The fiddliness of getting my formations to move in the designated order turned me off. Go figure.

I can really understand this. At the same time, once you master the intricacies, it is easily one of the most rewarding aspects of the game.

[Gabrien]

@Ayjona:

Thanks. I do want to try the full game at some point, after reading what you said. It's on my wishlist for now; either a sale or a whim (whichever comes first) will probably sell me.

[Pitta]

Sorry for the dumb question....I updated...
What button am I supposed to press?
If I press continue it brings me to the 'Soon the suneaters campaign...' than back to the main screen.
Am I supposed to press mission one in the Suneaters Campaign? (it warns me I'll lost my autosave).

?

[Tebius]

Originally Posted by Pitta

Sorry for the dumb question....I updated...
What button am I supposed to press?
If I press continue it brings me to the 'Soon the suneaters campaign...' than back to the main screen.
Am I supposed to press mission one in the Suneaters Campaign? (it warns me I'll lost my autosave).

?

Just start the first campaign of Suneaters. =)

The lost autosave is in reference to the in battle autosave, so don't worry about losing your progression.