Landmark vs Sword Coast Legends

I have always been a fan of games that allow users more freedom, and the ability to create content. Most definitely this is because I come from a background of pen and paper roleplaying games. The number of computer games that could simulate that experience, that feeling of having complete creativity, are few at best. Landmark (a Minecraft-style building game from Daybreak Game Company) and Sword Coast Legends (a solo-adventure, co-op, and dungeon building title soon to be released from n-Space) are the two games recently that I’ve been looking at to fulfill that need for creativity and storytelling.

Here I give a run-down of the pros and cons of these two games, specifically how they rate against each other for content creation. When I was making these lists I was focusing on ease of creating content for others, graphics, user experience, and breadth of creativity possible.

 


 

Landmark

Pro Con
  • Builds have more creativity
  • Can build multi-genre
  • Puzzles possible via linking and triggering
  • Can build exactly what you want (not limited by randomized dungeons)
  • Can create cool locations for live roleplaying
  • Fully destructible world
  • 3D environment
  • Must learn LOTS of different tips and tricks to build (voxels, linking and triggering, etc)
  • Builds take longer to complete
  • All player races are humans
  • More limited weapons and abilities
  • Treasure options limited
  • GAME NOT FINISHED (so currently:)
  • No vendors
  • Placeable monsters not available
  • No ability to play as the monster or alter monsters
  • Limited prop selection (though more are being added slowly)
  • No way to add flavor text to props
  • No quest creation
  • No way to “level up” characters

 

Sword Coast Legends

Pro Con
  • Able to reward players with cool treasure options
  • Can create vendors to help players
  • Lots of varied monsters that you can: place, customize, control, and alter
  • Wide variety of props to place
  • Flavor text on props helps enrich storytelling
  • Ability to create NPCs
  • Player character customization: classes, races, equipment
  • Live RP not necessary to tell a story
  • Player progression using equipment and abilities
  • Fast or slow dungeon building: can spend hours planning every detail, or quick-roll a dungeon
  • Dungeon-building tools are easy to use: it’s as simple as dragging and dropping items from a menu
  • Ability to create detailed stories with quests
  • Threat meter balances difficulty for Dungeon Masters
  • DMs can change encounters and dungeons in real time
  • GAME HAS A RELEASE DATE AND IT’S SOON!
  • No ability to create dungeons “tile by tile” currently
  • Limited to fantasy genre
  • Puzzle creation limited
  • World not fully destructible
  • Isometric view only

 


 

Landmark is a fantastic building game and I urge anyone who hasn’t checked it out yet to look it up. There is a learning curve with the tools, though. The developers and community have been working together to close the gaps but it is still necessary to spend lots of time looking at YouTube tutorials, watching the top builders stream on twitch, and practicing with the tools yourself.
An artist’s eye is definitely needed in order to come up with something that looks pretty in the game. You chose everything from the colors, the materials, and the props… and of course you design the entire structure block-by-block. Tons of creativity can be unleashed here and you have complete control over everything, but if you don’t have that artist’s touch… it may not come out looking like what you envisioned.
And the storytelling tools just aren’t there yet. We were promised them, but Landmark is still in early-access and is not a finished game yet. Hopefully, one day, we’ll have the AI tools we need to create the NPCs, quests, placeable monsters and traps necessary to create adventures. Unfortunately, we have no idea when those tools and options will make their way into the game.

Sword Coast Legends however is a polished game ready for release. The Dungeon Master tools appear to be simple yet allow for quite a bit of creativity. Similarly, the dungeon building tools seem intuitive and easily mastered. There are a few YouTube videos of the developers showcasing the DM features that you could check out, or if you’re interested you could read my review of the tools (with relevant video screenshots) here.
The only “downside” to SCL is that you are limited to a fantasy-themed, Faerun-centered, Dungeons & Dragons kind of storytelling… which I don’t really find a downside at all, as I grew up playing D&D and my personal narrative lends itself to that style and world.

Both games are good and help bring your creativity to light, but for creating my own adventures right now I’m going to pick Sword Coast Legends!

 

Want to read more game reviews? Try these:
EverQuest 2 Time-Locked Expansion Server
Project Gorgon

 

2 thoughts on “Landmark vs Sword Coast Legends

  1. Nice comparsion and summary.

    I follow and play Landmark, because I wait for EverQuest Next. In the beginning of Landmark, 2014, I saw a huge potential for Roleplayers. Creating locations with high details, filling them with life, secrets and dangers. Combine the locations to adventures and make them available for other players. I hope this will happen someday.

    I also follow Sword Coast Legends, of course, I’m a huge DnD fan, and perhaps Sword Coast Legends can achieve what Neverwinter Nights (2002, Bioware) was intended to.

    The asymmetric Dungeon Master vs Player mode is my favorite part of the game so far. I don’t know how much “roleplay” really happen within SCL, but I’m sure players will find a way.

    • Thanks for coming and taking a look at the site!

      My favorite part of Sword Coast Legends is definitely the Dungeon Master mode, too. I was (and still am) a huge fan of Baldur’s Gate, Icewind Dale, Neverwinter Nights, etc… so I’m sure I’ll enjoy the solo adventure as well. But I’m really looking forward to getting my hands on the campaign creation tools so I can start making adventures for friends 🙂

      I remember Ash (community manager for SCL) saying that it’s always possible for the Dungeon Master to pause game play and roleplay out NPC interactions in real time over VOIP, so roleplay will always find a way! However, I think video games have frequently struggled to make roleplaying a core aspect of the game. It’s hard to simulate that kind of experience!

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