The Guild 2

The Guild 2 is a life simulation video game developed by 4HEAD Studios and published by JoWooD Productions. It is the second installment in The Guild series, following Europa 1400: The Guild and preceding The Guild 3. The game was released worldwide in November 2006 for Windows. Taking place within fictional versions of provinces of Europe in the fifteenth century, the Guild 2's main focus revolves around the player character's aim to simulate life in the Renaissance. At the beginning of the game, the player can create a self defined character, whereby characteristic attributes points and skills can be adjusted and developed over the course of the game, by improving its properties and special abilities.

The Guild 2
Developer(s)4HEAD Studios
Publisher(s)
Director(s)Matti Jäger
Producer(s)Ralf C. Adam
Designer(s)Heinrich Meyer
Programmer(s)Carsten Stolpmann
Artist(s)Matthias Kästner
Composer(s)Bernd Ruf
SeriesThe Guild
EngineGamebryo engine
Platform(s)Microsoft Windows
Release
    • EU: September 29, 2006
    • NA: October 12, 2006
    • AU: November 23, 2006
Genre(s)Life simulation
Mode(s)Multiplayer
single-player 

The Guild 2 was developed using the Gamebryo engine and features open end gameplay. The game was released to average acclaim and earned a nomination for "Best Sound Award".

Three downloadable content (DLC) stand-alone add-ons were released—Pirates of the European Seas, The Guild 2: Venice and The Guild 2: Renaissance—which were repackaged into The Guild: Complete Collection and released in January 2013.

Gameplay

The Guild 2 is an real-time life simulation video game, that incorporates nonlinear gameplay, playable from a bird's-eye view, allowing to zoom in and out of the game.[1][2] The Guild 2 introduces features including construction and management, tactical role-playing and social simulation elements, in which players assumes control of a defined character avatar, to simulate medieval life with characteristic features, role-playing game-style ability scores, classes and special abilities in European cities.[3][4][5] It can be played using a mouse and keyboard. Similar to its predecessor, it features character classes and affects what buildings can be constructed and upgraded, which grants access to more improvements and therefore what businesses can be run.[6][1]

The player's creating a character while picking relevant stats.

Players have the option to develop and create their character at the beginning of the game, benefitting from a variety of customization, during the character creation, by selecting the appearance, first- and surname, class, sex, zodiac sign, religion and spent experience on talents.[7] An objective for players is to improve their character's skills at levelling up, which are numerical representations of their ability in certain areas.[8]

Modes

The game features an extended single-player campaign, a comprehensive tutorial placed in the 15th century, that has additionally crafted scenario maps with a German Hanse campaign in the cities of Hamburg and Lübeck, Nottinghamshire and Sherwood Forest and Lyon (France).[9]

Available game modes for playing are the dynasty mode, in which players can play an open-ended game without a defined objective, extinction sets the goal to eliminate the entire opposing dynasties, with time limit, players first selects a time limit and after its expiry, this limit, the points of profit - a comparison representation in the game - compared, the modepro team a random mission specifies as a game objective, that each team must fulfill a random mission and all teams with the same mission, where the game objective is to choose an assignment, only the first named one comes with varying objectives and allows to alter some adjustments to the economic, social and political conditions.[10][6]

Dealing with a medieval legal system, town politics and rivalries between families can range from friendliness to open warfare.[2] All game modes can be played in varying difficulties ranging from easy to hard. The Guild 2 provides online and network play with up to eight people that can playing simultaneously, cooperative and in competitive game modes.[10]

Talents and signs

The game features talents, including zodiac signs, which grants players a free talent point, depending on the choice of the sign.

Titles

The house, level of intrigue and position in government, players may obtain depends on the title, obtained by a generous donation in the town hall new titles which confer different benefits. Each title allows to upgrade a hovel by one level and to extend the influence, since both types of upgrades allows, to engage in darker projects, players may even spy on opponents, rob, sabotage competitors business, or let assassinate them. The title progression is linear, beginning with "commoner" and proceeding through "citizen", "patrician", and then to titles of royalty.

With the titles come privileges that allow the character to perform political acts, like applying for public office and owning more businesses. A higher title allows characters to improve and upgrade their homes.

Plot

Setting

The Guild 2 takes place in the fictional medieval world of the 15th century and begins in European cities like London, Lyon or Berlin from which can be selected by the player himself.[6] Set in a medieval environment, a setting influenced by England, France and Germany, the game focuses on the common ideas of the centuries between ancient and early modern times, which has been transformed into an astonishingly diverse and evocative view of life.

Especially in the middle age and the transition to the renaissance in which many important influences, such as entry into politics and the potential associated rise of the civil society, as well as a growing meaning of cities are just as palpable as ubiquitous differences in status between different social strata, reflects the division of the church its entry and a spirit of optimism has been designed by a good development of action combined with a family empire foundation, to compete against players or computer-controlled opponents.

Development and marketing

Development for The Guild 2 began in early 2003 with a team of more than 80 people and was headed by Europa 1400: The Guild director Lars Mertensen, which was published in 2002. The game is characterized mainly by the increased importance of the private life of the individual figures and released in September 2006 to largely mixed reception at its launch.[11] The Guild 2 was first announced at the Games Convention in Leipzig, Germany, on August 21, 2003.[12]

After initial logistical delays,[13] the first expansion pack named Pirates of The European Seas was released in May 2007.[14] / This stand alone expansion pack added several features, such as new professions and several different types of ships. This first expansion pack met with slightly better reviews than the original game. GameSpot gave it a "fair" score (6/10),[14] and from Game Watcher a score of 8.2 out of 10.[15] As a result of this, then-Community manager, known only as Fajeth had between the years of 2010–2012 in a fan community forum announced, that he and some of the membersof the game's community led by Fajeth, has taken over the flawed game issues and attempted to fix them with an overhaul and updates, that the issues has been adequately addressed.

The Guild 2: Pirates Of The European Seas an add-on, added new features like a hospital and a fishery.[15][14] On August 31, 2007, The Guild 2 Gold was released, which includes the main game and Pirates of the Seas. All previously published titles in the series, so The Guild and The Guild 2 add-ons with each, were placed under the name of The Guild Universe in July 2008 in the trade.[16] The Guild 2: The Royal Edition appeared on July 25, 2008 and contains The Guild 2, the add-on Pirates of the Seas, new maps and patch 2.1.[17]

A stand-alone expansion for the game called The Guild 2 - Venice developed by Trine Games was released on October 10, 2008. It includes the city of Venice, a new building style, and some minor new features.[18][19] This expansion, which added the city of Venice to the game world, was received poorly by critics, having an average rating of 49% on Metacritic.[20]

On August 25, 2014, Nordic Games announced the new patch 4.2 for The Guild 2 Renaissance. It will fix a lot of map bugs, add some scenarios and remaster the audio track for the game, it was released as stand-alone expanded version by Runeforge Game Studio and JoWooD Entertainment on July 27, 2010.[21] During gamescom 2014 Nordic Games announced that they are developing The Guild 3.[22]

Engine

The Guild 2 is powered by the Gamebryo engine, the speedtree physics engine,[11] the Quazal rendez-vous technology and supports online multiplayer for playing cooperatively or competitively with other players.[23]

Audio
Die Gilde 2: The Guild 2 Official Soundtrack
Soundtrack album by
Pierre Langer
ReleasedJuly 30, 2007
RecordedGenuin
GenreVideo game soundtrack
Length3:18 (Full soundtrack)
72:13 (Disc 1)
LabelSonicminds
ProducerAlexander Röder
Markus Schmidt
Pierre Langer
Tilman Sillescu

The team employed Pierre Langer of Dynamedion, to produce the album music and the sound effects for the Guild 2.[24][25] The soundtrack was composed and recorded in the Thuringian Philharmonic Gotha-Suhl under the conduction by Bernd Ruf with a symphony orchestra.[26][27] The German band Versengold has since 2014 musical performances in taverns in the game, with a total of 3 songs.[28]

Reception
Reception
Aggregate scores
AggregatorScore
GameRankings61.78%[29]
Metacritic61/100[30]
Review scores
PublicationScore
GameSpot6.2/10[6]
GamesRadar+[4]
IGN6.5/10[5]
PALGN6/10[31]
multiplayer.it7.9/10[7]
Game Debate7.0/10[32]
Hooked Gamers5/10[33]
Game Watcher6.8/10[34]
Gaming Excellence5/10[1]
GMC6.5/10[35]
Award
PublicationAward
Best Sound Award[36]

Upon release, the Guild 2 received average acclaim from magazines and websites.[30] The game received a 6.2 out of 10 points from GameSpot.[6] Eoghan Brophy of the former gaming website gamers Europe praised the opportunity, that players can gain through accumulated experience in the form of redistributable points and noted that it is beneficial to invest them immediately upon receiving in class-related talents.[37] Stuart Thomas of game debate praises the combination created by modifications made by the modding team in the community around the game, calling it an incredible piece of work, that would pay a little patience as the game progresses in terms of the opening complexity of the game.[32] Ludovica Lagomarsino of Italian reference point multiplayer praised both, the particular system of "favor" for both sentimental and political as well as commercial relationships as useful and also the user interface for its user-friendlyness.[7] GMC's Vincenzo Beretta noted that the "developers try to overcome their receding success" while criticizing that the "results are not entirely the same" continuing with criticizing the user interface "that more problematic than functional" is, but lauded the game's setting as "very lively and fascinating 3D environment".[35]

Despite the praise, Joe Martin of VideoGamer.com gave the game 4 out 10 points focusing on the game's variety to gameplay and lack of focus in its design stages, he noted that it's an rpg game that was "ruined by a lack of focus in its design stages" or had it been a little faster paced and involving it may have made a mediocre rts game.[38] Game Watcher gave the game 7.1 out of 10.[34] IGN gave it 6.5 out of 10,[5] and Hooked Gamers gave it 5 out of 10.[33]

The Guild 2 Renaissance was awarded the Sound Award by PC Games magazine.[36] It earned nomination for "Best Sound Award".

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References
  1. Bale, Nicholas (May 4, 2007). "The Guild 2 Review - GamingExcellence". GamingExcellence. Retrieved October 15, 2018. A plethora of problems make this one tough to manage.
  2. Breden, John. "You've Got the Old World in Your Hands". The Washington Post. Retrieved October 15, 2018.
  3. Ocampo, Jason (August 30, 2006). "The Guild II Hands-On - Economic Empire Building in Medieval Europe". GameSpot. Retrieved October 14, 2018. Like its predecessor, The Guild II promises to let you create a medieval economic and political empire.
  4. Lundigren, Jeff. "The Guild 2 review". GamesRadar. Retrieved October 14, 2018.
  5. Adams, Dan. "E3 2006: THE GUILD 2". IGN. Retrieved September 13, 2006. Build a better dynasty.
  6. Todd, Brett (October 26, 2006). "The Guild 2 Review". GameSpot. Retrieved October 15, 2018. Micromanagement and repetition really bog down this original but unfulfilling game about directing the lives of people trying to make it in the Middle Ages.
  7. Lagomarsino, Ludovica (November 10, 2006). "The Guild 2 - Recensione - PC - 50215 - Multiplayer.it" (in Italian). Retrieved November 10, 2018. We have made for you a dive into the Middle Ages of The Guild 2, including corruption, courtship and trade, to found new dynasties. How will your empire be?
  8. "Preview The Guild 2 sur PC". Jeuxvideo.com (in French). L'Odyssée Interactive. September 21, 2006. Retrieved June 13, 2019.
  9. "The Guild 2 Review". GameStats. Archived from the original on July 27, 2010. Retrieved May 10, 2010.
  10. King, James. "PC Review - The Guild 2". worthplaying.com. Retrieved October 15, 2018. The Guild 2 will be a combination of unique sweeping role-play and a fascinating life-simulation, conjuring the medieval life anew on your PC. As in the successful predecessor Europa 1400: The Guild and the subsequent expansion pack, the newest development by 4HeadStudios awakes the 14th century to a new life.
  11. Snider, Shawn (May 30, 2006). "The Guild 2 Preview". GamingExcellence. Retrieved June 5, 2010. A detailed look at this dynasty-building medieval strategy game
  12. Stolzenberg, Justin. "Die Gilde 2 erscheint 2006" [The Guild 2 will be released in 2006]. PC Games. Retrieved May 10, 2010.
  13. Ohlsen, Henning (May 5, 2007). "Die Gilde 2: Release des AddOns wurde verschoben" [The Guild 2: Release of the addon has been moved]. Ströer Media Brands GmbH (in German). Berlin. Retrieved October 16, 2018.
  14. Todd, Brett (July 26, 2007). "The Guild 2: Pirates Of The High Seas Review". GameSpot. Retrieved October 15, 2018. It's a second-verse-same-as-the-first stand-alone expansion that adds seafaring jobs but fails to correct any of the issues of the original game.
  15. Priest, Simon (June 28, 2007). "The Guild 2 - Pirates of The European Seas Review". gamewatcher.com. Retrieved October 15, 2018. Those land lubber dynasties have decided to way anchor and set their sights on a new enterprise, plenty of new swag and nobility up for greedy grabs
  16. "JoWooD Productions to Release Universe Editions of their Most Successful Brands - "SpellForce", "Gothic" and "The Guild" - Soon to be Available as Brand-Bundles". Reed Exhibitions. November 9, 2007. Retrieved October 18, 2018.
  17. Rick, Christophor (April 30, 2010). "The Guild 2 Gets Patched". gamersdailynews.com. Archived from the original on May 10, 2010. Retrieved June 21, 2010.
  18. Todd, Brett (October 20, 2008). "The Guild 2: Venice Review". Gamespot. Retrieved October 15, 2018. This stand-alone Venetian expansion adds practically nothing to the gameplay of The Guild 2
  19. Johnson, Neilie (October 31, 2008). "The Guild 2: Venice - IGN". IGN. Retrieved June 3, 2010.
  20. "The Guild 2: Venice Review". Metacritic. Retrieved May 20, 2010.
  21. Coberly, Cohen (March 15, 2017). "Have You Played... The Guild 2: Renaissance?". Rock, Paper, Shotgun. Retrieved October 19, 2018. It's less broken than its predecessors
  22. Valdenaire, Caroline (September 5, 2014). "The Guild 3 – What to expect from Golem Labs' new ecosim". Gameplane. Retrieved October 31, 2014.
  23. Ocampo, Jason (May 12, 2006). "E3 06: The Guild II Impressions". www.gamespot.com. GameSpot. Retrieved October 14, 2018. The game will feature multiplayer gameplay with support for up to eight players, each one controlling a dynasty. There's a cooperative mode promised as well.
  24. Hoffmann, Vitus (November 24, 2005). "Die Gilde 2 - Soundtrack von Dynamedion: Anspruchsvolle Soundkulisse versprochen ..." Gameswelt (in German). Retrieved June 12, 2019.
  25. "Die Gilde 2: The Guild 2 Official Soundtrack музыка из игры". Game-OST (in Russian). Elvista Media Solutions Corp. Retrieved June 12, 2019.
  26. Elchlepp, Simon. "Game Music :: Die Gilde 2 - The Guild 2 Official Soundtrack :: Review by Simon Elchlepp". www.squareenixmusic.com. Retrieved June 12, 2019.
  27. "Pierre Langer, Tilman Sillescu, Alexander Röder, Markus Schmidt - Die Gilde 2: The Guild 2 Official Soundtrack". Discogs (in German). Zink Media, Inc. Retrieved June 12, 2019.
  28. Fritzenkötter, Thorsten. "Versengold - Biografie". www.chartsurfer.de. Retrieved June 12, 2019.
  29. "The Guild 2 for PC". GameRankings. Retrieved October 3, 2014.
  30. "The Guild 2 for PC Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved October 3, 2014.
  31. Marrow, Mark (July 3, 2010). "The Guild II Review". PALGN. Archived from the original on July 3, 2010. Retrieved October 16, 2018. The Sims of the old world.
  32. Thomas, Stuart (August 12, 2010). "The Guild 2: Renaissance review - by Game-Debate". www.game-debate.com. Retrieved November 5, 2018.
  33. Brinkhuis, Sergio (October 3, 2006). "The Guild 2 PC review - The many bugs keep it from reaching its potential". hookedgamers.com. Retrieved May 10, 2010.
  34. Priest, Simon (November 23, 2006). "The Guild 2". gamewatcher.com. Retrieved May 10, 2010.
  35. Beretta, Vincenzo (November 2006). "The Guild 2 review" (in Italian). Retrieved June 13, 2019. We will be able to increase our political power even with honest actions.
  36. "It was in issue 11/2006 of PC Games". pcgames. Retrieved May 10, 2010.
  37. Brophy, Eoghan (January 29, 2007). "Gamers Europe PC Review The Guild 2". www.gamerseurope.com. p. 1. Archived from the original on September 30, 2007. Retrieved November 1, 2018.
  38. Martin, Joe (August 11, 2006). "The Guild 2 Review". videogamer.com. Retrieved May 10, 2010. What I'll do, He says, scribbling down a sketch of his 'masterpiece', is take the sharp end of a sword - because they're so good and involving - and put an axe blade bit where the handle should be, because sharp bits are so popular right now.
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