bulann: I have playe both. Only upgraded to the new version recently. I have to say, despite some early misgivings, this version is better. In fact, the developer (it's basically one guy) has already answered questions about the new version extensively. Basically, any feature that was removed was broken in the original game to begin with. Let me summarize.
CHANGED FEATURES:
- you can't slaughter pigs and sheep anymore: according to the developer, this was broken in the original game; you could slaughter pigs and sheep but could never acquire more. So, now, you slaughter your herd, which, also according to the developer, is a mix of cows, sheep and pigs, with cows being the most important;
- no more inner/outer patrols: this feature was also broken in the original game, according to the developer. Also, it is not really fun to micromanage this;
- same idea for number of crafters, which you cannot change now; still, after playing the new version, I accumulate goods quite well, so this does not bother me;
- same idea for types of crops; i assume that the feature was broken and thus was removed. it was kind of fun to switch between barley, rye and wheat occasionally, so it's unfortunate that this was removed.
- the image of the tula, in which you can see your temples, herds, etc at the end of each year. has been removed. I admit that that image was fun, but it did not have that much practical value. I see why people are upset (kind of), but come on!
- can't save games anymore; savegame is automatic and you can revert to the beginning of an earlier year if you screw up; i tend to savescum and hate it, so for me this is actually a pro
CONS:
- when you reorganize your clan ring, you can't see an icon of each ring member's god. this is slightly annoying and i would say is the main issue in the new version, but it's very easy to scroll thorugh your ring members and check that you do not have members representing the same god; only wastes a couple of seconds i guess.
- can't adjust resolution and difficulty anymore unfortunately
PROS:
- new content
- better graphics
- tutorial (you play through it for one year. then, you can exit and start a new game with a new tribe and no tutorial, or continue your tutorial clan)
To summarize, I really enjoy the new version, although I had some misgivings initially. And, the developer, who invested so much time and effort into this, thinks that this new version is more like what the game was supposed to be like initially. So, yeah, I understand the nostalgics who prefer the old version, but the differences are minor and the new content and graphics, as well as the removal of some broken features make the new version well worth it.
Thanks for the really useful comparison of the two versions.
Maybe you'd consider posting this as a new thread in the King of Dragon Pass forum? As this thread will eventually sink out of sight and I'm sure this info would be useful to other potential players.
