dawn of war

[narreth]

Steam has Dawn of war gold for $20 and dawn of war platinum for $30.

which of these is the better deal?
also, are there alot of people playing this game online?
how does it compare to starcraft/war3?

 

[Craig234]

I'd say platinum, because dark crusade was very well reviewed. For how it compares to Blizzard games, reviews can probably give you an idea, check www.gamerankings.com.

 

[narreth]

Okay thanks. I'm looking for a nice RTS - mainly for the single player campaign though - just to hold me off until SC2 comes out.
This game seems perfect for that. Thanks!

 

[Elcs]

Dawn of Warn and Winter Assault offer great storylined campaigns. Some phenomenal action in there and you can really get excited when new things come along, especially some great surprises. I would advise against spoiling yourself with a walkthrough.

Dark Crusade adds in a couple of extra races, adding a new dimesion to the game. The Campaign is less story driven but is a great challenge and is rather unique. You move your force on a global scale complimenting your Commander unit with various Honour Guard units which accompany Him/Her into each battle to gain territory. Some territories have unique battles and convey unique bonuses. Be aware that each competing race has its own Commander trying to do the same thing and you will have to defend yourself from invaders from time to time. Demolishing an Enemy Commander then spearheading towards their final Stronghold, crushing it beneath your boot is often a savoured pleasure as they can be rather intense, challenging and therefore rewarding in the end.

Soulstorm is more of the same as Dark Crusade. Two more races, a large campaign map spanning multiple planets meaning a slightly different game on the Conquest Map. Still brutal gameplay in RTS form.

The online community seems quite strong and shows little sign of wavering.

Personally... I feel it is a more enjoyable and different game to Starcraft and Warcraft. It benefits from having a very strong background in the Warhammer 40k universe and it pulls through some of the humour, brutality and reality.. the real character of the time it portrays. From a fluff aspect, details are kept rather simple and a lack of any WH40k knowledge is no hinderence. The stories within the games are not as strong as the Blizzard games but most games cant compete in those aspect anyway.

In short, you would not be disappointed taking the leap for the bigger package. The whole series is excellent.

 

[Eeezee]

I'd say Platinum (that's the first 3 right?). You can't beat 3 games for $10. If you're big on singleplayer, it really is like buying 3 games. If you're into multiplayer, it's like one game with tons of bonus content. Either way, you win!

No game is as popular as Starcraft, and few are as popular as WC3. Regardless, you will find plenty of people to play with online. I actually prefer the DoW series because I like how resources are dealt with (a lot like Total Annihilation, you build power-generators anywhere and resource-collectors on strategic points).

Dawn of War + Winter Assault have awesome singleplayer campaigns, but I'm big on storylines. In fact, I wish Relic had gone back and did more on the story that was finished in Dawn of War (which had an ending that could easily lead to a storyline sequel). Dark Crusade's singleplayer was a lot of fun too, it wasn't storyline driven but there was certainly some backstory lingering there.

If you're looking for a good RTS, I highly recommend the entire DoW series. The races and units added in Soulstorm were a little disappointing, so don't feel pressured to buy it until it's in the discount bin (unless you're into the game so much that you simply must have everything like me). Dark Crusade was a fantastic addition to the series (woot Tau) and really should not be passed up for the extra $10.