Journal #8337

Banished bandwagon?

Banished is a new RTS game that appeared recently.

I love city builders! Is it resource Intensive? Looks like a lot of fun

It's not that it's resource intensive. It does have a wide variety of resources that aren't currently put to use much more than just being consumed as they are. I've read the author's FAQ on his site( this game is developed by a single person) and it seems he hasn't got big plans for it. I mean... it doesn't even have multiplayer. Neither a campaign, the only story being that these settlers you start with where banished from their original community.

From my perspective, it's a combination of Caesar III and The settlers II.

The only difference is that you don't have any enemies... besides yourself. This has got to be the hardest RTS I've ever played when it comes to micromanagement. You basically have to fine-tune the jobs you assign to each settler so that you don't disturb the economy cycle. And trust me, in the first years it's super hard to provide food. This is the number one cause for people in my villages dying: starvation. It's ridiculous but at the same time challenging.
There is a wide variety of food resources, and then there's trading: you can't actually grow all kinds of crops and trees, or breed livestock. You have to acquire seeds and a few animals to start this process( these are the most expensive resources to buy).

My problem is that, after some point, you begin to get bored. There is a bit of variety, but not more. The interface and the overall GUI stuff looks like the game is some kind of cheap linux RTS clone. But the graphics are incredibly good looking, though unoptimized( zooming out will kill your graphics card...). I sure hope the developer of this game will add more interesting stuff to keep me playing, like some tech trees and more upgradable stuff( the only thing you can upgrade is a normal house to a stone house- which consumes less wood for heating during winter).

Ah, but I'm spoiling too much. It is up to you to discover this game.
The point is, this game is addictive. But after some point you realize it lacks "substance".