Great game, probably the most fun of all the DnD style games out there. I didn't play this game when it was a buggy mess, I played when the experience was just fine. The only issue is how the devs structured interacting with your capital. It is loading screen hell for every action.
The game is like other games you have played in the genre. Aven Colony tries to stand apart by incorporating different levels of colony management. Most of the game is managing water, food, housing, etc., but there is an attempt to have each colony feel like it is on a big empty planet waiting to be explored. The attempt doesn't work, but it was a nice try. I think you can get twenty hours of out this game, if you can stand the unskippable, super cringy dialogue.
The AI isn't wonderful, enemy or companion. Your companions need constant(!) micromanagement. The AI assist for the companions is spotty at best, as in you learn all the ways it is broken. As for the enemy AI, it gets pretty tiring when wild animals use the same tactics as humans, meaning go for the glass cannons in the back. It breaks immersion. Since the AI for companions doesn't work and you have to micromanage your team, it is pretty disappointing to see a UI that pays homage to old CRPGs instead of making the micromanagement smoother and more efficient. You end up hovering over each little thing on the battlefield for information, googling spell effects, opening character sheets for stats. It is a garbage way to fight a battle and I think they could have made better UI design choices. I like the story. It may be the best part of the game. I like the reputation system because it gives more heft to the dialogue and makes the world fill more developed. The atmosphere of the game is pretty good too. I enjoyed wandering around and exploring. The game can be a touch too verbose and it would have been nice if was a bit more concise. It also would have been nice if the companion dialogue was fully voiced, but it is only voiced sometimes. Nothing wrong with buying this game, especially if it is on sale. Because of the combat system, I think it is probably more fun to play on the easier settings and just enjoy the story. Also, I hope you have a SSD because you are about to enter loading screen hell.
I like this game. It's a really good time sink. Many hours of game play here. -1 for bugs! This game has crashed twice within a 24hr period. It is not very stable. I have found at least one replicable bug. When a scout unit is defeated in 'stealth scout' stance, you cannot move the unit of its home city without the unit being defeated the second it leaves the city. Instead, you must disband the unit and create a new scout unit. If I can find a bug doing things that every players does and the game crashes, there are a bunch of things not working in this game and you won't know it! Caveat emptor!
I think you can get about twenty hours of gameplay from this game without too much trouble. I own this game on steam and I enjoyed it. Now for the bad. - Don't expect a positive community. The mods on their website forums are petty and heavy handed. You are not allowed to discuss certain aspects of the game or to be critical of the game. - Don't expect this game to ever leave development. I think the Indie Stone feels very comfortable with the current status quo and sees no reason to change it. - You will come to realize that this game has been in development for many years, and that when your grandchildren are retiring from long and fruitful careers, the devs will finally implement NPCs. -1 for crappy forums -1 for no NPCs
