Battlefleet Gothic Armada II

[Destraex]

Can you control what forces land on planets and take them this time?
One thing I thought felt empty and useless in the original was that in the campaign you would usually fight a "decisive" engagement to clear a planet or area and then it was just assumed you had the combat power to take the planet or system associated. The space marines especially would have been good at this.

This brings me to the point that you could not have a space marine element with an imperial element like you would in the lore for space battles.

[Jarhead0331]

Can you control what forces land on planets and take them this time?
One thing I thought felt empty and useless in the original was that in the campaign you would usually fight a "decisive" engagement to clear a planet or area and then it was just assumed you had the combat power to take the planet or system associated. The space marines especially would have been good at this.

This brings me to the point that you could not have a space marine element with an imperial element like you would in the lore for space battles.

No. There is no landing on planets. You move forces into a sector. If there is an enemy fleet you fight it in a tactical battle. If you win, or if the sector is unoccupied, you simply press a button to take control of the sector.

[SirAndrewD]

So, strictly speaking, it's no longer a "Gothic" Armada? ^-^

Battlefleet Gothic still plays a large part of the story.  The Imperials pretty much threw everything they had into the failed defense of Cadia, including fleets from other sectors and pretty much all the Space Marines they could muster.

So, it's still very Gothic.    ;)

[Destraex]

Can you control what forces land on planets and take them this time?
One thing I thought felt empty and useless in the original was that in the campaign you would usually fight a "decisive" engagement to clear a planet or area and then it was just assumed you had the combat power to take the planet or system associated. The space marines especially would have been good at this.

This brings me to the point that you could not have a space marine element with an imperial element like you would in the lore for space battles.

No. There is no landing on planets. You move forces into a sector. If there is an enemy fleet you fight it in a tactical battle. If you win, or if the sector is unoccupied, you simply press a button to take control of the sector.

Thanks. Just wondering also whether I should finish the old campaign before getting the new game at some point? It seems the old characters re-appear.

Also. Is multiplayer any good? I found the multiplayer in the original fairly bland. Fun for a couple of goes until you got used to it. Then there it kind of lost our interest. Don't know why. But I suspect that it was just too messy and too much like lining up and letting the ships fight. Rather than being invested. I know of the new capture points which definitely make the game less like blobs in space.

Oh and I cannot remember. Do all 4 sides have armour values? Or just one hull points bar?

[SirAndrewD]

Thanks. Just wondering also whether I should finish the old campaign before getting the new game at some point? It seems the old characters re-appear.

Also. Is multiplayer any good? I found the multiplayer in the original fairly bland. Fun for a couple of goes until you got used to it. Then there it kind of lost our interest. Don't know why. But I suspect that it was just too messy and too much like lining up and letting the ships fight. Rather than being invested. I know of the new capture points which definitely make the game less like blobs in space.

Oh and I cannot remember. Do all 4 sides have armour values? Or just one hull points bar?

I'm playing through the campaign in the old game just to do it.  The Gothic War and 12th Black Crusade had a lot of bearing on the 13th, and the main character from the first game is back in the second, so it might be worth it if you're a lore guy to dig through the first even though the second does play better. 

Haven't tried multiplayer, but I've heard complaints that the balance right now is really bad.  I can't answer to it myself, but I really won't judge multiplayer till full release. 

The capture system also doesn't seem to be a good idea as the AI is currently implemented.  In the skirmishes I've done, I notice the AI sends ships in multiple directions to cap, and then sit there while the cap counter is going up.  You can concentrate your fleet and hit them all at once, destroying them piecemeal.  They won't even try to fight back much since the AI seems to prioritize capping over engaging. 

I don't have enough time into it to REALLY see if that's a regular thing, but it's happened more than once when trying out the different fleets.  I also saw a few reporting the same on the Steam forums.  As it is I hope they do some tweaking before release.

[Jarhead0331]

^The campaign AI seems pretty week too. It doesn't appear to be aggressive at all. In the beginning, Imperial forces are heavily outnumbered, yet the enemy fleets do not appear to move in order to attack unprotected Imperial sectors, or move in order to threaten Imperial fleets.

[SirAndrewD]

^The campaign AI seems pretty week too. It doesn't appear to be aggressive at all. In the beginning, Imperial forces are heavily outnumbered, yet the enemy fleets do not appear to move in order to attack unprotected Imperial sectors, or move in order to threaten Imperial fleets.

As much as I think that's going to be an issue of programming, I wish it was done from a lore perspective. 

It's actually exactly what happened after Cadia fell in the 13th Black Crusade.  The Chaos forces turned on each other, fighting over loot and scraps, giving the Imperium time to rally and Cawl time to go to the Ultramar and revive Gulliman so he could take command of the Imperium. 

I doubt that's the intent, but that'd be a really cool way to give the Imperium player some time.

[Jarhead0331]

Yeah, I don't think so. They aren't fighting each other...they're just sitting there picking their noses.

[Gusington]

I just bought it. Downloading now. I think it will be fun to compare campaigns like D did.

[SirAndrewD]

I just bought it. Downloading now. I think it will be fun to compare campaigns like D did.

Just remember, above all, regardless of anything....

The Emperor Protects. 

And now his son protects us again. 

Death to Chaos!  Long live the Primarch!

[Gusington]

You're creeping me out, D.

[JasonPratt]

I thought the Emperor himself returned at the end of the assault on Cadia!?

That was several years ago though, and I guess I'm remembering what the win-condition plot plans were revealed to have been, had the Imperium players pulled out the win after all. (Though I thought the whole point of that plotline was to save their hash from losing.....)

Anyway, this plot makes better sense of the ongoing storyline.

[SirAndrewD]

I thought the Emperor himself returned at the end of the assault on Cadia!?

That was several years ago though, and I guess I'm remembering what the win-condition plot plans were revealed to have been, had the Imperium players pulled out the win after all. (Though I thought the whole point of that plotline was to save their hash from losing.....)

Anyway, this plot makes better sense of the ongoing storyline.

Current story goes like this...

Cadia was destroyed in the 13th Black Crusade.  Big reveal is the other 12 were all successful too because Abbadon destroyed the worlds with the Necron Pylons on them.

When Cadia falls, the Eye of Terror expands into the Imperium, cutting it in half. 

Cawl goes to McCragge and resurrects the Primarch of the Ultramarines, Robute Gulliman, last son of the Emperor, to lead the Imperium in its darkest hour. 

Gulliman goes to Earth, declares himself Regent, unites the Imperium and goes on the counterattack. 

Pretty much the shortest way I can put it.

[SirAndrewD]

You're creeping me out, D.

[Gusington]

Ok I take it back. Now you're really creeping me out.