by Alexander Wall on Nov 03, 2015
Having talked at length about the aspirations and complications of creating a truly hybrid-genre experience the way Sword Coast Legends has, I'm going to shift my focus from what the game is attempting to do - to more about what it is actually doing.
I stated not too long ago that many of my concerns about Sword Coast Legends could be swept under the rug if the primary story/campaign was engaging enough. Having spent a few evenings traipsing around with a small group of friends, I'm beginning to believe I was actually on to something. After nearly ten hours in, I'm finding the campaign experience quite enjoyable. While it's still been a struggle to appraise the other elements of the game (even as an experienced DM), I can't say the custom multiplayer experience doesn't have potential.
It's leaps and bounds beyond what was attempted in Neverwinter Nights, but still seems to be lacking the spark that it needs to truly suck in both content-creator DMs and adventure-enthusiast players alike. Fortunately, the creators of the game are very much aware of the dilemma and have plans to shore up the game's deficiencies. Dan Tudge himself (Director of SCL and President at n-Space) alluded to what he and his team are thinking, even this early after initial launch:
"...early user impressions for Sword Coast Legends have been polarizing. While many players love it, it is clear that for many, Sword Coast Legends did not meet their expectations. For those who have expressed disappointment in the game, I have just one thing to say: "We hear you." We are a very small, independent development team, and we would not have made it this far without you. We thank you for your continued support. In D&D, the party is everything, and you are the best party to have, by far.
As much and as long as we've labored to launch SCL, this is really just step one, a foundation for an even greater experience we have always intended to improve and expand. Our goal has always been to put Sword Coast Legends into the hands of would-be adventurers and to work with them to improve that experience. We have an aggressive list of content and updates planned for the near-term... "
The Director went on to point out a huge list of planned updates and features from now until the end of the year, touching on features and plot elements relevant to the current Dungeons & Dragons theme of a return to the Underdark. In the summarized lists, Dan also pushed forward to the end of the year and the larger story taking place for D&D with the Rage of Demons Saga.
Despite having mixed feelings about the launch of Sword Coast Legends, I am encouraged that the team has this much content and so many new features already planned with firm release dates. It's always painful to jump into a brand new game and discover that it isn't quite everything you imagined. Fortunately the developers have plans in place to remedy the game's rough beginning, all without charging current players an additional dime.
Return to the Underdark in this all-new adventure taking place as part of D&D's "Rage of Demons" storyline, featuring the legendary outcast drow Drizzt Do'Urden and some of the deadliest enemies ever to terrify Faerûn.
New Rage of Demons tile sets and placeable objects New playable race: Tieflings New creatures available for DMs New Playable class based on community input Allow player-created characters as companions in story mode Enable players to control their characters' movement with the WASD keys Bug fixes and additional community feedback items as time allows